#i forgot this was even a tag i use. that's probably not a good sign

[pioneer-over-c]

[5hark-byt3]

Lil wip bc I need to yap less and post art more💥

Ooooooooo changing yr face oooooo the redesigning bug told me so ooooooooo

[brunchable]

How To Impress a 21st Century Girl.

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x f!Reader

Themes: Rom-Com, Fluff, Mutual Pining(Heavy?), First Date, Flirtation and Playfulness.

Summary: Sam had forced Bucky to use Tinder to solve his abysmal love life. Bucky tells himself that if third time isn't a charm, he will officially give up trying to find a partner.

A/N: I'm a sucker for rom-coms, I hope you guys enjoyed this because I enjoyed writing it.

tags: @hzdhrtss @winterslove1917

It had all been Sam’s idea. "Come on, man. You need to get back out there!" Sam had said, way too enthusiastically, while setting up a Tinder profile for him without even asking. Bucky had resisted at first, arguing that dating apps probably weren't his thing. But Sam was persistent, reminding him that it was 2024, not 1944, and that "no one meets in grocery stores anymore."

Reluctantly, Bucky had gone along with it, figuring it couldn’t hurt to try. What was the worst that could happen?

Well, now he knew.

Bucky was starting to think Tinder was out to get him. His first two dates had been disasters—and not just normal awkwardness, but spectacularly bad. The first girl, Jenny, had brought her ex-boyfriend to the date. Apparently, he was her ride, and they were still "good friends." Bucky had spent two hours third-wheeling a reunion he hadn’t signed up for. The second girl, Alicia, had a collection of ceramic frogs. And when Bucky said “collection,” he meant obsession. The girl spent an entire dinner showing him photos of different frog figurines. It was ribbiting. Literally. One of them even made croaking sounds.

So, now here he was, on date number three, standing outside some trendy café, wondering what fresh nightmare awaited him. This time, though, he’d let you plan the date. Maybe handing over control would be better than having to smile through another amphibian-themed dinner.

You showed up right on time, and Bucky was genuinely relieved to see no ex-boyfriend hovering in the background. You were wearing a paneled knit dress with spaghetti straps that hugged you just right, and your short hair was perfectly tousled. You smiled at him, but the look on your face told him you were just as unsure as he was.

“Hi,” you greeted, and Bucky instantly forgot every single normal response. Holy shit he is TALL.

“Hey, I’m Bucky.” he mumbled back. He was really nailing this whole dating thing.

You walked inside, and the café had that minimalist vibe. A lot of plants. A lot of exposed brick. The kind of place where you’re not sure if you’re supposed to sit or admire the interior design.

As you both sat down, Bucky tried to channel his inner suave. He could do this. He had faced way worse than an awkward date. Like alien invasions. Like that one time he lost his arm again. This was nothing.

Except... why was talking to an attractive woman harder than fighting off super soldiers?

“I, uh, like your dress,” Bucky said, already feeling the heat creep up his neck. Nice, Barnes, real original.

“Thanks,” you replied, with an amused smile playing on your lips. “I like your... jacket.”

Bucky nodded, looking down at his worn leather jacket. “Yeah. It’s... warm.”

Warm? That’s what you’re going with? He mentally slapped himself. This was going well. So well. He tried to change the subject and scanned the menu. “Uh... so, what’s good here?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never been,” you said, fiddling with the edge of your napkin. “The internet said they have good coffee, though.”

“Internet reviews, huh?” Bucky raised an eyebrow. “That’s always a gamble. Could be great... could be a disaster.”

Cue the awkward silence.

The waiter had barely placed the food in front of you both before the quiet tension stretched between you like you were sitting in a library, not a café. Bucky poked at his bagel as if it might come to life at any moment, while you took a delicate sip of your coffee, your eyes darting between him and the wall behind him.

You both chewed in the most nonchalant way possible, each of you hyper-aware of the silence that was growing louder by the second. You were mentally cursing every decision that led to this exact moment, and Bucky, for his part, was questioning whether retiring from the whole Avenger thing had been a mistake.

Say something. Anything, Bucky thought, taking another bite of his bagel, which suddenly felt like chewing rubber. Ask about herr favorite food? No, that’s boring. Comment on the weather? Oh, yeah, nothing like ‘Hey, it’s been cold lately,’ to really sweep her off her feet. Real smooth.

Meanwhile, you were trying to figure out how you managed to forget how to make normal conversation. Maybe ask him about his hobbies? No, that’s basic. Compliment his hair? What are you, in fifth grade? Pull yourself together!

Bucky, still chewing the world’s driest bagel, caught your eye for a split second, and you both did that polite half-smile thing that happens when you’re not sure whether you should talk or continue pretending to enjoy the food.

Did she just smile at me because I’m being awkward, or am I overthinking this? Bucky wondered, immediately breaking eye contact and pretending his coffee was the most fascinating thing on the table.

You, on the other hand, were screaming internally. Oh God, did I smile too weird? Was it the kind of smile that says, ‘I like you,’ or the one that says, ‘I’m trapped in this date and don’t know how to escape’?

You both took another sip of your drinks at the exact same time.

Alright, Barnes, get it together. Say something smart, Bucky told himself, putting his mug down carefully.

“So, uh... how’s your coffee?”

You blinked, your brain scrambling for a response. How’s my coffee? It’s coffee. Just say it’s good. Don’t overthink it.

“It’s... good. How’s your bagel?”

Bucky looked down at the circular piece of bread like it had personally betrayed him. “It’s... round.”

Round? Really? You went with ‘round’? Smooth, real smooth, he chastised himself, nodding like he had just made the most profound statement about bagels ever.

Your lips twitched. Did he just describe his food as ‘round’? Okay, maybe I’m not the only one struggling here.

You took another sip of your coffee, trying to hide your smile. God, this is like watching two middle schoolers on a first date.

You both glanced at each other again. Smile. Look away. Silence.

Bucky ran a hand through his hair. Alright, clearly, she thinks I’m a complete idiot. But it’s fine. I can recover. Just... find a topic. Literally any topic.

You picked at your napkin. Okay, maybe I should mention the escape room next. But what if he hates escape rooms? What if he thinks they’re boring? You cleared your throat slightly, ready to speak, but then—

Bucky cleared his throat at the same time. You both froze, staring at each other like deer caught in headlights.

“You go first,” Bucky said quickly.

“No, no, you first,” you insisted, waving your hand.

Bucky’s brain blanked. He blinked, searching for anything to say. “Uh... did you... park nearby?”

You stared at him, and then a smile slowly spread across your face. Did he really just ask me about parking? You nodded. “No I–um took public transport. Did you?”

Bucky gave a stiff nod. “Yeah. Close. Very close. Super convenient.”

You both stared at each other for a beat, and then, in a miraculous moment, you both cracked up at the exact same time.

“Parking?” you laughed, shaking your head. “That’s the best we’ve got?”

Bucky held up his hands. “Hey, I panicked, okay? The bagel threw me off.”

You wiped a tear from your eye, your shoulders shaking with laughter. “And I thought the frogs were bad.”

Bucky couldn’t help but laugh harder. “Okay, in my defense, this date is way better than ceramic frogs.”

“Glad to be the non-frog date.” You raised your cup in mock salute.

You both chuckled, and for the first time, the awkward tension seemed to melt away. Sure, you were a bit of a mess, but at least you were a mess together.

As you calmed down, you leaned forward, a playful grin on your face. “So, what’s next? You ready for the escape room?”

“I dunno. Should I be worried?” Bucky smirked, feeling a lot lighter.

“Only if you’re bad at puzzles,” you teased.

Bucky crossed his arms, leaning back with a smirk. “Oh, trust me, I think I’ll manage.”

And with that, you both finally stood up to head for the next part of your date, the awkwardness left behind with the round bagel and the overly complicated coffee.

× × × ×

As soon as you stepped into the Asylum escape room, the mood shifted from "awkward first date" to "this might be how I die."

Oh, great. Creepy hospital décor. Perfect first-date vibes. You eyed the flickering lights and eerie medical tools scattered around the room, trying not to let on how much it was creeping you out. At least it’s better than ceramic frogs, you thought, glancing at Bucky.

“This is supposed to be the hardest escape room they have,” you said, glancing at Bucky. “Takes most people at least an hour. You ready for this?”

“Yeah, sure. I mean... it’s puzzles, right? How hard can it be?” Bucky shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to appear calm. I’ve literally fought aliens. How bad could a few puzzles be?

“You’ve never done one of these before, right?” You looked at him, a bit skeptical.

He shook his head. “First time. But, uh... I’m good under pressure.” Under pressure? What am I saying? I sound like I’m about to defuse a bomb, not solve a riddle. Get a grip, Barnes.

“Alright. Let’s do this.” You smiled, trying to hide your own nerves. 

The clock started ticking, and immediately, you were plunged into darkness. A loud creak echoed through the room, followed by a voice over the intercom: “Welcome to the Asylum. You have 60 minutes to escape. Good luck... you’ll need it.”

Perfect. Creepy voice? Check. Flickering lights? Check. Yep, I'm doomed. You moved toward a stack of papers, squinting at the dim lighting. “Okay, first thing’s first... we need to find the clues hidden in this room to unlock the door.”

Before you could even start, Bucky was already inspecting a random pipe on the wall. He tugged at it, and it came loose, revealing a hidden key taped to the back. Oh, that was... lucky? Or did I just break something?

You froze mid-step. “Wait. How did you—”

“I... uh... just pulled on it.” Bucky looked just as surprised as you. Did I just accidentally solve this?

“Okay. Lucky guess.” You stared at him. 

Bucky shrugged. “Maybe.” Play it cool, Barnes. Don't look like you’re clueless here.

You both moved into the next room, which had even creepier décor. Faint writing on the walls, jars filled with unidentifiable things, and a mannequin in the corner that Bucky immediately side-eyed like it was going to jump out at you. Okay, I don’t trust that mannequin. Why’s it looking at me like that?

You picked up a piece of paper with some cryptic writing on it. “This says something about finding the light within the dark. I think it’s a clue. We need to—”

“Found it,” Bucky called out.

You turned to see him holding up a blacklight. How does he keep doing this?! 

“They always hide something with a blacklight, right?” He grinned, flashing the light on the wall, revealing a series of glowing numbers. That’s a thing, right? People hide stuff with these lights all the time... right?

“Oh, you’re just full of ideas now, huh?” You crossed your arms, smirking.

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, trying to play it cool. “Just... using my instincts.” Yep. Totally knew that.

You worked through the next few puzzles, but by "worked," what you really meant was Bucky accidentally stumbling into the solutions. Every time you tried to figure out a clue, Bucky would casually touch something, pull a lever, or press a random button that—surprise—opened the next door or revealed the next key. At first, you thought he was joking. But as the minutes ticked by, it became clear: Bucky was somehow solving the escape room by sheer dumb luck—or so you thought.

This is starting to freak me out... Am I secretly a genius? Bucky thought.

At one point, you were trying to decipher a complicated code etched into the wall, mumbling to yourself about numerology and patterns, when Bucky—completely oblivious—pulled a book off the shelf, and a hidden door creaked open in the floor.

No. No way. “Are you—” You blinked. “Did you just—”

Bucky glanced at the open trapdoor, confused. “What? Was that not supposed to happen?”

You slapped your forehead. “No! I mean, yes, but—oh my God, Bucky, you’re breaking the game.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “I swear I’m not doing it on purpose!” Seriously, I just touched a book. How is that a thing?

You looked down at the trapdoor, then back at him. “What are you? A puzzle savant? Did you plan this?”

Bucky laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. “Nah, I just thought the book looked weird.” Great, now she thinks I’m some kind of escape room wizard.

You gaped at him. “The book looked weird?” Weird? Dude, I’m starting to think you have X-ray vision.

“I mean... yeah. It was dusty.” It wasn’t even that weird... or was it?

You squinted at him, hands on your hips. “You’re telling me you spotted a dusty book and thought, ‘Aha! Hidden door.’?”

“Isn’t that... what you’re supposed to do in these rooms?” Bucky shrugged, looking genuinely sorry. Please tell me that's how this works.

This man is unbelievable. You stared at him for a long moment before bursting out laughing. “Oh my God. You’re accidentally good at this. You’re just walking around solving stuff like you do this every weekend!”

Bucky chuckled, his shoulders relaxing a little. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m glad she’s laughing. “I swear I’ve never done this before.” This isn’t even the weirdest thing that’s happened to me this week.

“I don’t know whether to be impressed or terrified,” you teased, stepping closer to him. “You’re like a walking cheat code.” Sure, Sherlock. Whatever you say.

“Hey, I’m just here to help.” He smiled, clearly enjoying your reaction. At least she’s impressed. That’s something.

I think you might secretly be a robot. You shook your head, grinning. “Alright, escape room prodigy, let’s see if you can crack the last one.”

You entered the final room—a dimly lit chamber with a creepy-looking mannequin in the corner and random medical equipment scattered around. You narrowed your eyes.

“Okay, this is the hardest part. No way you’re going to just... guess your way out of this one.”

“Yeah, this one’s. . . tricky.” Bucky glanced around, clearly trying to look casual. Please don’t let me stumble into the solution again... 

Please don’t let him find the solution immediately. Just this once.

You pointed at the mannequin. “We need to find a code hidden somewhere in this room. The clue says it’s ‘locked in the mind.’ So it has to be something mental, right? Like a puzzle?”

Bucky stared at the mannequin for a second, then slowly reached out and twisted its head off. Inside, there was a slip of paper with the code on it. Oh, come on. You’ve got to be kidding me.

“Are you KIDDING me?!” Your jaw dropped. 

“I just thought... you know... maybe the head comes off?” Bucky held up the paper, looking sheepish. 

Why am I even here?! You threw your hands up in the air. “Of COURSE the head comes off! Because that makes total sense! Sure!”

Bucky bit back a laugh. “Well, it did say ‘locked in the mind.’” Technically, I was right.

You glared at him, then shook your head, laughing despite yourself. “Okay, that’s it. You’re banned from escape rooms. You ruin them.”

“Ruined it?” Bucky asked, grinning. “We escaped, didn’t we?” She’s totally impressed, even if she won’t admit it.

“We escaped in twelve minutes, Bucky! Twelve!” You slapped his arm playfully. “That’s not normal!”

He laughed, ducking his head. “Sorry?” Guess I’m not so bad at this ‘fun date’ thing.

As you both stepped out of the escape room, the staff was standing there, looking like they’d just witnessed the impossible.

“You’re... done?” Pink-haired Girl asked, your eyes wide with disbelief.

Wow. They look like I just told them Santa isn’t real, Bucky thought.

You, just as confused, looked over at Bucky. “Uh. . .yeah, I guess?”

“Looks like it.” Bucky gave a casual shrug. No big deal. Just casually shattering dreams.

Clipboard Guy checked his stopwatch again, his mouth hanging open. “Twelve minutes. No. That’s not possible. People are supposed to break down in there. We’ve had people cry!”

Cry? What is this, an escape room or emotional boot camp? “You want me to go back in and tear up a little? You know, for the full experience?” Bucky raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. 

“People have left that room emotionally damaged. You just... strolled out.” Pink-haired Girl blinked. 

You stared at Bucky, still wrapping your head around it. “I didn’t even get through the first clue, and you were already unlocking half the room.”

“You were working hard. I just sped things up a bit.” Bucky chuckled softly, glancing at you with a playful smile. I mean, you were giving it a solid effort...

The Master of Puzzles guy appeared, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Did you... have the answers beforehand? Because that’s the hardest room we’ve got. We’ve had people rage-quit in there.”

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, looking amused. “Nah, just good at finding my way out of things.”

“I didn’t even do anything. You solved the whole thing!” You shook your head, still half-laughing, half in disbelief.

“Hey, you were a great moral support.” Bucky smiled at you, nudging you lightly. Seriously, though, it’s good to have someone to watch while I dismantle a room’s dignity.

Clipboard Guy muttered, “We’re gonna have to ban him. He’s banned.”

Oh no, I’ve ruined their sacred puzzle temple.

“He broke the hardest room we’ve got. Who even does that?” Pink-haired Girl nodded, still dumbfounded. 

“Well, I’d offer to go back and struggle a bit, but... I don’t think it’d be convincing.” Bucky smirked, leaning casually against the counter. Trust me, I can’t fake being bad at something. Even if I tried.

As you headed for the exit, Bucky held the door open for you, giving the staff one last glance before he leaned over to you, voice low. 

“What? You wanted to be stuck in there all night?”

“Honestly? It would’ve been nice to solve at least one puzzle.” You groaned, though you were smiling.

“Next time, I’ll let you have the first clue. Promise.” Bucky chuckled softly. And by let you, I mean I’ll stand far away from everything and try not to accidentally win.

 “You better.” You laughed, shaking your head as you both stepped out into the night.

× × × ×

The arcade was buzzing with lights, sounds, and the faint scent of popcorn. It was a complete shift from the eerie asylum escape room, and you were already eyeing the rows of flashing machines and claw games with glee.

Alright, this is more like it. No creepy mannequins here, just good old-fashioned fun.

Bucky, on the other hand, looked around like he had just entered a foreign world. The last time he’d been in an arcade, they didn’t have all this flashing neon or half the games that were here now. What happened to the simple stuff? Pinball machines and jukeboxes. Now I’ve got ten-foot robots staring at me while kids slap buttons like their lives depend on it.

Still, he couldn’t help but smile at how excited you looked. Okay, if she’s this excited, maybe this won’t be so bad.

“Okay, so... how does this place work again?” he asked, watching a kid furiously slap buttons at a nearby game.

You laughed, giving him a gentle nudge. “It’s simple! We just play a bunch of games, earn tickets, and then trade them in for really weird prizes. Easy.”

Bucky nodded, though he still looked a little confused. “So, you win tickets by—?”

“By being amazing at games, obviously,” you said, your eyes already darting toward a nearby basketball shooting game. “Let’s see if you can keep up.”

Bucky followed you, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “Oh, I’ll keep up.” Alright, let’s see if I remember how to be competitive at... basketball?

You started with basketball, and while you had a decent shot, Bucky quickly became the Michael Jordan of arcade basketball. He tossed shot after shot into the hoop with ridiculous ease, barely even looking like he was trying.

Oh, come on. Seriously? Why is he good at everything? You shook your head in disbelief. “Oh, come on. Are you serious right now? Are you even aiming?”

“I dunno. I just... throw.” Bucky shrugged, not missing a single shot. 

“This is what I get for going on a date with someone who’s literally built for accuracy.” You playfully narrowed your eyes at him. Why am I pretending like I’m mad? It’s honestly impressive.

He flashed a boyish grin. “You wanted to see if I could keep up.” Oh, I’m keeping up, doll.

You crossed your arms, pretending to pout. “I wasn’t trying to lose in record time.”

When the game ended, Bucky had a ridiculous amount of points, and you had... well, significantly fewer. He collected your combined tickets from the machine, glancing down at you with a playful glint in his eyes.

“Should I carry these, or do you want to hold on to the three tickets you earned?” he teased, raising an eyebrow.

How is he still charming even while teasing me? This is unfair. You scoffed, rolling your eyes as you snatched a couple of tickets from his hand with a grin. “You know what? Fuck you.”

“Careful, doll. You keep talking like that, and I might just take you up on it.” Bucky’s smirk widened, and he leaned in a little closer, lowering his voice just enough to make your pulse quicken. 

Okay, that was a little too good. I should not be blushing right now. Your eyes widened for a second, a flush creeping up your neck before you shot him a playful glare. “You wish.”

“You know I don’t have to wish for anything.” He chuckled, stepping back with a wink.

Well, that escalated quickly. You tried to bite back your smile, but it was impossible with the way he was looking at you. “I’m starting to regret bringing you here.”

Bucky held up the stack of tickets, grinning like a kid who just won the lottery. “You’re only regretting it because I’m walking away with all the prizes.” Did I just turn an arcade into a battlefield?

“Yeah, yeah, keep rubbing it in.” You huffed, shaking your head, though the smile on your face said otherwise. 

Bucky shot you another wink. “Oh, I plan to.”

This guy is dangerous with that smile. You smirked, leaning in a little. “So... what happened to the awkward guy who pointed out that bagels are round? Because this,” you waved at the arcade tickets, “does not feel like the same guy.”

“What? You weren’t impressed by my bagel observations?” Bucky chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. I was doing my best back then, okay?

You laughed, giving him a playful nudge. “Oh, I was very impressed. I just didn’t know you were hiding this arcade legend behind all that bagel wisdom.”

He grinned, eyes glinting. “I’m full of surprises, doll.” You have no idea.

“Clearly,” you said, still teasing him as you walked toward the next game. “Let’s see how many more surprises you’ve got.”

You dragged him over to the shooting gallery game, where you were met with an array of plastic rifles and paper targets.

“I’m kinda good at this,” you declared, grabbing one of the rifles with renewed determination. “You can’t have a crazy aim for everything.” Finally, something I can win.

Bucky raised an eyebrow, amused. “Okay. Let’s see what you got.”

You aimed and fired... missing every single target. You winced as the targets flipped back and forth, mocking you with their tiny, evil faces. Are you kidding me?

“You’re holding it too tight.” Bucky stepped up beside you, arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips. 

“Oh, great. Here we go. The expert.” You groaned. Of course, I’m holding it too tight. Leave it to Bucky to know everything.

Bucky smiled, but instead of saying anything, he stepped behind you, wrapping his arms around you, his hands gently guiding yours on the plastic gun. You froze, your heart skipping a beat as you felt the warmth of him so close. His breath was soft against your ear as he leaned in to guide your aim, his voice low and steady.

Why does he have to be so good at this? I can barely think straight.

“Relax,” he murmured, his hands adjusting yours gently. “Don’t grip it so hard. Just like this.”

How am I supposed to relax when he’s practically wrapped around me?

Your pulse quickened, your senses suddenly overwhelmed by how close he was. His cologne—woodsy and warm—filled your lungs, making you a little dizzy. You swallowed hard, focusing on anything but the way your back pressed against his chest. “Okay... relax. Right. Got it.”

“You’re not relaxing.” Bucky’s voice was low, almost teasing.

Yeah, no kidding. Not exactly easy when you smell like a lumberjack dream. 

“I am relaxed!” you shot back, though your heart was racing so fast you were sure he could hear it.

Bucky chuckled, and the soft rumble of his laugh vibrated against your back. “If you were relaxed, you wouldn’t be holding your breath.” 

If she’s holding her breath, I must be doing something right.

You blinked, realizing that yes, you were in fact holding your breath. You exhaled slowly, trying to focus on the targets instead of the fact that Bucky was basically wrapped around you.

“Good,” he said quietly, his hands still steadying yours. “Now, pull the trigger. Nice and easy.”

Yeah, this is totally normal. Just shooting targets, totally not thinking about how close we are.

You followed his lead, squeezing the trigger gently. The shot rang out, and the sound of a hit echoed through the machine. The target flipped backward, signaling a perfect hit.

“I did it!” you exclaimed, your excitement bubbling over as you turned your head to look at him.

Your faces were just inches apart. Bucky’s eyes locked on yours, and for a moment, neither of you moved. The air between you was thick with tension, the good kind—the kind that makes your heart race and your stomach flip.

God, she’s close. Just a little closer...

Your gaze flickered down to his lips, and Bucky swallowed hard, momentarily forgetting where you were or what you were doing. All he could think about was how easy it would be to lean in just a little more, to—

“Uh, sorry!” A kid nearby bumped into the machine, jolting you both out of the moment.

Of course. Great timing, kid.

You quickly stepped out of Bucky’s embrace, your face flushed. “Well, um... thanks for the lesson, Barnes.”

Bucky cleared his throat, his ears a little pink. “Yeah. Anytime.” Anytime? Seriously, Barnes? That’s all you’ve got?

You moved on to a few more games, but the tension between you still lingered, electric and unspoken. After a particularly intense game of air hockey (where you almost won, thanks to Bucky being a little too distracted by you), you found yourselves at the prize counter.

Your eyes scanned the shelves, but one prize in particular caught your attention: an absolutely massive goose plush sitting at the top of the prize display. It was ridiculous, almost comically large, but it made you smile instantly.

“Oh my God,” you muttered, pointing. “That goose is so cute.”

Bucky followed your gaze and raised an eyebrow. A goose? Really? She could pick anything, and it’s that giant bird?

“You like that thing?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

“I mean, look at it. It’s the size of a couch,” you said, laughing. “No one’s ever gonna win enough tickets for that.”

Bucky looked thoughtful for a second. Then, without saying a word, he handed all of your tickets to the guy at the counter. Challenge accepted, doll.

The kid behind the counter stared at him. “Uh, you know this isn’t enough for the goose, right?”

Bucky nodded. “Yeah, but... what’s it take to win that thing?”

Because clearly, winning giant plush birds is my new priority in life.

The kid blinked. “Like... a thousand tickets.”

Bucky smirked, then turned to you. “Wait here.”

“What are you doing?” You frowned, confused. 

Please don’t say you’re going to try and win a thousand tickets... oh my God, he’s going to try and win a thousand tickets.

Bucky said nothing and disappeared into the crowd. A few minutes later, you saw him at one of those old-school, rigged basketball games. His face was calm, determined—like he was about to go to war.

One after the other, Bucky sank shot after shot, racking up points so fast that you had to rub your eyes to believe it. Within minutes, he had earned a mountain of tickets. He moved on to another game, this time skee-ball, and then to another. Every single game, he dominated, earning enough tickets to make the counter kid’s jaw drop when he returned with what looked like a roll of tickets big enough to use as a belt.

“Holy crap,” you muttered, watching as Bucky handed the tickets over, a satisfied smirk on his face. The kid counted them, eyes wide, then slowly reached for the giant goose plush.

The oversized goose was practically half Bucky’s height as he carried it back over to you, grinning.

“Here you go,” he said, handing it to you with a proud look. “You said you liked it, right?”

Who just... casually wins a giant goose plush? How did he do that?

You stared at the giant, fluffy creature, then at him, your heart flipping over itself. “Bucky... this is insane. It’s huge.”

“Well, I couldn’t just leave without winning you something.” He shrugged, his grin boyish and a little shy. Yeah, Barnes, act like you’re not insanely proud of yourself right now. 

He’s... adorable. Stop. Focus. “You really didn’t have to... but I love it.” You laughed, hugging the goose to your chest. 

“Good.” Bucky’s eyes softened as he watched you smile. Worth every single ticket.

Your heart raced, your face heating up as you looked at him over the massive plush. “You’re full of surprises, Barnes. Who knew you’d be this good at arcades?”

Just trying to impress the girl, no big deal.

“Maybe I just wanted to impress you.” He smiled, a little more reserved this time.

Well, mission accomplished, buddy. You blushed, the air between you crackling again with that familiar tension. “Well, mission accomplished.”

You stood there for a moment, just smiling at each other, the absurdly large goose between you, until you laughed and nudged him with your elbow.

“You know, this might be the best date I’ve ever been on,” you said, your tone light but sincere. Was that too much? Did I just over-share?

Bucky’s smile grew, his eyes softening. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you said softly, holding the goose a little tighter. “Definitely the best.” Okay, that was smooth. Not awkward at all.

You left the arcade with the giant goose plush between you, its goofy face almost mocking the awkwardness that had suddenly crept back into your steps. Bucky walked beside you, hands stuffed into his jacket pockets, trying to figure out what to say.

Do I say something? Or just... keep walking?

The sounds of the city filled the silence around you, but neither of you spoke. The playful energy from the arcade had faded into something quieter, more uncertain.

Why am I so bad at this? Just say something, Barnes.

After a long stretch of quiet, Bucky cleared his throat. “So... is this the end?” Smooth, real smooth.

You blinked and glanced over at him, trying to keep your heart from doing a flip at his words. “Well, that’s all I had planned. Why?”

Bucky hesitated, his jaw tightening slightly as he looked ahead, his mind clearly weighing something. Okay, don’t screw this up. Don’t sound too eager.

For a moment, you thought maybe he was going to say goodbye, that maybe this was the end of your date after all. But then, he spoke quietly, almost as if he was embarrassed to admit it.

“I kind of don’t want to go home yet.” Well, there it is. Now she knows.

You felt a flutter in your chest, your face heating up as a small, shy smile tugged at your lips. You ducked your head, looking down at the sidewalk to hide the blush creeping across your cheeks. The way he said it—so simple but sincere—made your heart skip.

Why does that sound so much cuter than it should? You bit your lip, an idea suddenly coming to you.

“Well...” you started, glancing up at him. “There’s a new building by the riverside with a sky deck. It just opened recently, and it’s supposed to have the best view of the city.”

“Sky deck, huh?” Bucky raised an eyebrow, intrigued. A sky deck? Yeah, that sounds better than awkwardly walking home.

You nodded, a little more excited now. “Yeah. It’s pretty high up, and overlooks the whole city. I haven’t been yet, but I heard it’s amazing at night.”

“Sounds better than going home.” Bucky tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into a soft smile. Thank God. I’m not ready for this to be over yet.

“Then let’s go.” You grinned, feeling your heart race just a little faster. 

You shared a quick, almost nervous glance at each other before walking in the direction of the riverside. The awkwardness wasn’t completely gone, but now, it was laced with anticipation, a kind of giddy energy that made your stomach flutter. You hugged the plush goose a little tighter, trying not to let your excitement show too much, but inside, you were buzzing.

× × × × 

The city lights shimmered below you as you lounged on the comfy chairs, drinks in hand. The night air was cool, but it didn’t come close to breaking the warmth buzzing between you and Bucky.

She’s... something else, Bucky thought, leaning back slightly. His gaze kept shifting between the breathtaking skyline and you, but he found himself more captivated by you. How am I supposed to focus on the view when she looks like that?

Noticing the quiet, you smirked. “So, you were really gonna end the night without showing off more of your endless talents?”

Oh, she’s teasing now. Alright, two can play this game. Bucky raised an eyebrow, amused. “What, beating you at arcade games wasn’t enough?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “You’re a walking cheat code, Bucky. But I feel like there’s more you’re holding back.”

His eyes flickered over your face, lingering on your lips for just a little too long. More than you know, doll. “Maybe I am.”

Your breath caught for a second, but you quickly recovered, tilting your head and flashing him a grin. “Oh yeah? Like what? Some secret talent I should know about?”

Keep your cool, Barnes. Don't blow it now.

Bucky leaned in just a fraction, his voice lowering, his eyes never leaving yours. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. But I only show them to people who ask nicely.”

God, does he have to sound that smooth? Your heart flipped at the way he was looking at you, intense, as if he was seeing through every joke and teasing comment. How am I supposed to keep this casual?

“Nicely, huh? And what do I have to do for you to show me?” you asked, your voice quieter now, the playful banter fading into something more charged.

“Keep hanging around,” he said softly.

I’m in deep now. Bucky's eyes dropped to your lips again, and for a moment, the world around you seemed to blur into nothing. Should I kiss her? Maybe I’m reading this wrong...

His eyes dropped to your lips again, and for a moment, the world around you seemed to blur into nothing. It was just him—his voice, his presence, the way he was looking at you like he wanted to kiss you but was holding back.

You swallowed, feeling the tension build like a slow fire. You sipped your drink, trying to cool yourself down, but it did little to shake the feeling that something between you had shifted. Stop overthinking, just go with it.

“I could do that,” you murmured, a small smile playing on your lips. You felt his eyes on you, and the air between you felt electric. You glanced at him, catching him staring at your lips again. Your pulse jumped. He’s really staring... isn’t he?

“You’re staring,” you said, teasing, though your voice had a soft edge to it, your heart thudding in your chest.

Bucky blinked, caught, but instead of pulling away, he smirked. “Am I?”

Yeah, Bucky, play it cool. Like you haven’t been staring for the past five minutes.

“Mhm,” you teased, though your voice was barely steady. Why does that smirk make my heart race? “I mean, I get it. The view’s great and all.”

Bucky’s smirk deepened, his voice dropping lower. “You could say that.”

I can’t believe this is actually happening. You felt your face heat up at the way he was looking at you. The intensity of his gaze made your stomach do wild flips. Why is this so... intense?

“You’re not just talking about the city, are you?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

He chuckled softly, sending shivers down your spine. Just kiss her already. “Maybe not.”

Your breath hitched. “And what are you looking at?”

He leaned in slightly, his gaze locked on yours. “What do you think?”

She knows exactly what I’m looking at. 

Your heart raced, the pull between you growing stronger with every passing second. His eyes kept flicking down to your lips, making you wonder if he was going to kiss you. I really shouldn’t wait any longer...

Bucky cleared his throat suddenly, as if shaking off the trance he’d been in, and leaned back into his seat, looking almost embarrassed. Okay, maybe I’m rushing this.

“Sorry... I didn’t mean to—”

“No,” you interrupted quickly, your voice softer, gentler now. God, why did he stop? “Don’t be. I didn’t mind.”

His gaze snapped back to yours, the tension flaring again. She didn’t mind? Well, maybe I didn’t screw up, after all—or I did because you didn’t kiss her you idiot. He opened his mouth to say something, but instead, a soft smile tugged at his lips, and his expression softened.

“So... orthopedic ward, huh?” he said, shifting the conversation, though his eyes were still locked on you. “How do you handle that? All those broken bones?”

Smooth, Barnes. Talk about bones to distract yourself from the fact you were just about to kiss her.

You took a deep breath, relieved for the break in intensity but missing it instantly. Great, now I’m thinking about how close he was... “Well, it’s mostly convincing people not to do dumb things. Like skateboarding down staircases. You wouldn’t believe what people put themselves through.”

Bucky chuckled. Yeah, I believe it. Considering I’ve done dumber things in my time. “I can believe it. I’ve been there.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You’ve skateboarded down staircases?”

“No, but I’ve done some pretty stupid things in my time,” he admitted, leaning in again. Pretty sure falling for you might top the list. “But if I did something dumb, you’d patch me up, right?”

You smirked, your eyes twinkling. He’s flirting again. I can’t take this seriously. “Oh, I’d patch you up. But I’d make sure to remind you how dumb you were the entire time.”

“Fair,” Bucky said, the distance between you shrinking again. Patch me up, lecture me—just keep talking, I don’t care. “But I think I’d be a good patient.”

You shook your head with a grin. Good patient? Doubtful. “I doubt that. You’d probably complain the whole time.”

“I wouldn’t,” he replied, his tone teasing but soft. I’d let her take care of me, no problem. “If you were the one taking care of me, I’d be on my best behavior.”

He’s definitely not just talking about broken bones... Your heart skipped at the way he was looking at you again, his voice dropping to something more intimate. The banter was light, but underneath it all, there was that same intensity. Okay, now I’m thinking about kissing him again...

“You don’t strike me as someone who’s ever on their best behavior,” you teased softly, though your breath caught in your throat.

Bucky smirked, his eyes flicking to your lips again. “Maybe you bring it out in me.”

God, I hope so.

The words hung between you, heavy with meaning. Your pulse raced, and you leaned into the moment, letting the tension simmer between you, unspoken but undeniable. He’s close again…

“I’ll have to see that for myself,” you whispered, your voice barely audible over the pounding of your heartbeat.

She’s close, too. Just lean in, Barnes. Bucky’s gaze darkened, his voice low and rough. “You just might.”

A small smile tugged at your lips as the tension between you crackled, thick and electric. You shifted slightly, leaning in with a playful smirk. “So... tell me, you got any other dates lined up after this one?”

Bucky’s eyes flickered with amusement as he leaned back, crossing his arms. Dates? I can barely keep up with this one. “Why? You worried I’ve got someone else lined up?”

You grinned, holding his gaze. “Maybe. Should I be?”

Not a chance. He leaned in closer, the space between you shrinking as his voice dropped lower. “I don’t know... do you have any other dates lined up?”

He’s really turning this on me, huh? You blinked, your heart racing, but you quickly shot back, “Well, maybe... maybe not. Depends on how this one ends.”

Bucky chuckled softly, his eyes dropping to your lips again, the intensity rising. Alright, Barnes, time to end this date right. “Guess I better make sure it ends right, then.”

Before you could respond, Bucky reached out, his fingers gently tilting your chin up. His other hand slid to the back of your neck, his thumb brushing tenderly against your cheek as he leaned in, your lips so close you could feel his breath.

Your heart was pounding, your breath shallow, as his parted lips brushed against yours, soft and slow, his head tilting just slightly. The kiss was gentle at first, his lips locking against yours in a way that made everything around you fade to nothing. He could taste the faint sweetness of your daiquiri on your lips, and with a soft groan, his tongue did a slow, savoring lick against your bottom lip before slipping past, deepening the kiss.

Your hands instinctively moved up, cupping his face as you kissed him back, your fingers sliding along the scruff of his jaw. The warmth of his touch, the way his thumb stroked your cheek, the way his lips moved against yours —everything about it was intoxicating, pulling you under.

Then Bucky pulled back for a quick gasp, his breath mingling with yours , before diving back in, capturing your lips with even more intensity. The kiss deepened, more urgent this time, as though neither of you wanted the moment to end. His hand on your nape tightened slightly, pulling you closer as the kiss intensified, his lips pressing more firmly against yours.

They didn’t stop until they couldn’t breathe anymore, finally pulling apart when the need for air overtook you, both of you breathless and flushed. Their foreheads rested together, the cool night air doing little to cool the heat between you. Bucky’s thumb gently stroked your cheek as he whispered, his voice rough, “Definitely no other dates lined up after this.”

You smiled, your hands still cradling his face, your heart pounding. “Good. Neither do I.”

× × × ×

As Bucky’s motorcycle came to a slow stop outside your house, and glanced up at your front porch. You hopped off the bike, shaking out your hair with a satisfied grin.

That ride was way too short... you thought, glancing at him as you handed Bucky his helmet, which he stubbornly told you to wear instead of him.

Bucky, being the gentleman, didn’t just let you off with a wave. He slid off the bike and stood up straight, dusting his hands like he was about to help carry your groceries.

Alright, Barnes. Play it cool.

"I’ll walk you up," he said casually, like it wasn’t 2024 and people usually just waved from their cars.

You raised an eyebrow, your lips quirking into a smirk. "You’re walking me to my porch?"

Bucky nodded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She thinks it’s weird? Hell, I thought that’s what you’re supposed to do.

“Of course. What kind of guy lets a lady walk to her door alone?” he replied, shrugging like this was completely normal.

You tried not to laugh, biting your lip to hold back a smile. He’s serious. Oh my God, he’s really serious. "Wow, okay, Mr. 1940s. What’s next, you gonna tip your hat and call me ‘ma’am’?"

Bucky smirked, taking a step closer. Alright, go with it, Barnes. “I could, if that’s what you’re into.”

You snorted, rolling your eyes but smiling as you walked together toward your porch. He’s ridiculous... and kinda sweet. You couldn’t help but notice how he slowed his pace just a little, like he was savoring the moment, hands tucked into his jacket pockets, casual yet somehow... considerate.

When you reached your porch, Bucky stopped, glancing at your door as if making sure it was safe territory. This is it. Play it smooth.

You turned to him, unable to hold back a laugh this time. "So, do I get a secret code to get into my own house, or...?"

Bucky grinned, leaning casually against the porch railing. “Just making sure you get home safe.”

Alright, Barnes, she’s not buying it. But hey, it worked.

“You know, they invented porch lights for a reason.” You shook your head, amused. He’s seriously acting like my personal bodyguard right now.

“What can I say? Old habits die hard.” Bucky shrugged, leaning in just a little closer, that playful glint in his eye. Please don’t laugh, please don’t laugh.

You looked up at him, crossing your arms with a smirk. “You know, there’s a fine line between being a gentleman and babysitting.”

Bucky chuckled. She’s killing me with that smirk. “Hey, you never know. There could be a rogue bagel out here, just waiting to trip you up.”

Oh, not the bagels again. “Oh my God, not the bagels again!” you burst out laughing, shaking your head.

He raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. “You know they’re round, right?”

This man is unbelievable. You groaned, pressing a hand to your forehead. “I think we’ve officially come full circle.”

“Just like a bagel.” Bucky gave a slow, dramatic nod.

You couldn’t help but laugh again, but you shook your head, standing on your porch with your hands on your hips. Why do I like this guy so much?

“Alright, alright, you’ve escorted me safely to my door. Anything else, or are you going to salute me goodbye?”

Bucky’s grin softened, and with a playful twinkle in his eye, he gave a small, mock salute. She’s gotta be messing with me right now, right? “Goodnight, ma’am.”

“Goodnight, soldier.” You couldn’t stop smiling as you opened your door, turning back to look at him. Don’t walk away, don’t walk away yet...

As you slipped inside, you peeked out one last time, watching as Bucky lingered for a second, that charming smirk still on his face before he finally turned and headed back to his bike. Say something, Barnes. Don’t just leave like a dork.

But then he stopped, halfway to his bike, and turned back around, something flickering in his eyes.

No, I’m not leaving yet. Not without...

Before you could ask what he was doing, Bucky closed the distance between you with a few long strides. Without hesitating, he gently tilted your chin up, his thumb brushing your cheek as he leaned in and kissed you—soft, quick, but just enough to make your heart race. His lips parted against yours, and for a split second, you tasted the warmth of him before he pulled back, just enough to meet your eyes.

That... was... wow.

Your breath caught in your throat, your heart doing a somersault. Did that just happen? You were still processing when Bucky grinned, his voice a little more hushed. “I guess I couldn’t leave without a proper goodbye.”

Smooth, Barnes. Real smooth.

You blinked, trying to find your voice, but all that came out was a soft, “No complaints here.”

Bucky chuckled softly, his hand still lingering at your neck for a moment longer. Then, he cleared his throat, stepping back a bit. “Hey, uh... you got a number I could call sometime?”

He’s asking for my number after that?

You smiled, feeling your heart flutter as you reached into your pocket, grabbing your phone. “Yeah, here—let me put it in.”

As you typed in your number, Bucky watched you, that familiar twinkle back in his eyes. Best decision I’ve made all night.

When you handed his phone back, your fingers brushed his, sending a small jolt up your arm. Yep, I’m done for.

Bucky pocketed the phone, flashing that boyish grin again. “Alright. I’ll call you.”

Yeah, you better. “I’ll hold you to that.”

He took a slow step down from the porch, but not without glancing over his shoulder one more time. “Goodnight... again.”

You stood there, grinning like an idiot. “Goodnight, Bucky.”

As Bucky made his way back to his bike, you slipped inside your house, leaning against the door as your heart raced. Did he really just kiss me? Again? Oh, this is definitely not over.

You peeked out one last time through the crack in the door, watching him as he swung his leg over his bike. Even from your doorway, you could hear him muttering with a smirk, “Just trying to keep the rogue bagels at bay.”

You rolled your eyes, laughing softly as you finally closed the door behind you, your heart racing a little more than you expected. I’m never going to forget this night...

[theother-victoria]

Mr reca word vomit bc the brain worms won’t leave my brain!!! I promise I’m Very Sane abt this man

TAGS: not proofread, written before his release so potentially ooc and I’m too lazy to rewrite it post-release, secret relationship trope, reader wears lipstick, making out eheheheheh, reader is smaller/shorter than him, this is my propaganda and sign for u to become a reca kisser too

TAGLIST: @akutasoda, @https-sourlimes, @tragedy-of-commons, @mitsvriii (putting you on the reca kisser agenda >:3), @harque, @hazyue, @gabile18, @khoncore, @moineauz

Ok so imagine being in a secret relationship with the man himself…

Like the two of you HATE each other’s guts in public. As a rival film producer, the public loves to pit your films against each other, and the two of you as well apparently. There have been so many instances of you making small digs and sly remarks toward each other during interviews that it’s become somewhat expected by now. You have a gripe with the pacing of his films and his fame. He has a bone to pick with your cinematography.

“That manic director’s most recent film? I would give my thoughts, but unfortunately I fell asleep not even halfway through.”

“That uninspired, dreadfully dull and artistically lacking director? All their films look the same. I couldn’t differentiate them even if I wanted to.”

No matter how critically acclaimed your work is, he always has something to say about it.

Even if it was in the back of an alley with his hands gripping your hips tightly and teeth nipping at your neck.

"It took until a quarter of the way through the movie before- hah- your cinematography finally showed some signs of thought put into the shots. I know you can do better than this. So why- mmph- did it take you so long?"

You angrily nip on his bottom lip. A flash of satisfaction runs through you when you hear him hiss and taste blood on the tip of your tongue.

“Like you’re one to talk with the horrendous pacing of your newest film! Tell me, what was the plot of it again? Because I- mmm!?- already forgot the direction it was supposed to be taking twenty minutes in!”

"Well, you just simply lack reading comprehension. Not my fault, of course.”

“Oh, you little piece of-!”

He shuts you up with a rough and messy kiss. Your legs immediately go jelly and were it not for his leg slotted between yours and pushing you up against the wall, you think you would’ve collapsed right there and then.

When he pulls away, your lips are glossy and swollen. There’s a dazed look in your eyes that makes him smirk in satisfaction and without any hesitation, he pulls out his camera to take a few shots.

“Yes, yes, wonderful! That expression really suits you!”

Anger looks good on you, but he much rather prefers this expression.

He leans in for another kiss and because you can’t say no to him, you indulge him- until you hear footsteps nearby. You hurriedly clamp your hand over his mouth and wait until they’re gone before glaring at him.

“Stop running your mouth so much in public! You’ll give us away at this point!”

“Then stop being so loud,” he hisses back, though he’s in no better state than you, his-already-disheveled hair an absolute mess now from you gripping it. His flushed face is littered with lipstick marks and you can’t resist the temptation to add a few more.

“Cheeky, aren’t you?” he huffs out as you place a lingering kiss to the corner of his mouth. A soft kiss to his eyelid makes his eyes flutter shut and an affectionate sigh escape him. He smells of the chemicals used to develop film and strong coffee…

Then there’s a gasp and the undeniable sound of a camera shutter going off. Caught red handed.

You pull apart from him with a surprised gasp and expression. Strangely, he doesn’t look fazed at all. Still as smug as ever.

You whirl around to see an equally-shocked photographer standing there. Paparazzi, from the looks of it. He was probably going around and looking for some potential shots before accidentally stumbling upon something that would make front-page headlines. When you look back at him, then at the photographer, there’s even more people now snapping away at the two of you in a compromising position.

With the damage already done, you try to leave before he stops you. His jacket resting on your shoulders dwarfs your smaller frame and he yanks on the film strip belt to reel you back in. The crowd of photographers has doubled now, murmuring excitedly to themselves.

“Wh- let go! The paparazzi are having a field day-!”

He silences you with a swift kiss and a pinch to the inner thigh. The cameras flash even more rapidly now.

“Let them see for all I care.”

enjoyed this? my taglist is open!

@ theother-victoria, do not copy, repost, modify, translate, or feed to ai

[h0neylevi]

tags: fem!reader, spanking, use of 'good girl', praise, fingering, implied overstimulation

w/c: 866

It takes all of ten minutes after you get home from the airport for Levi to have your mind numb with pleasure.

He’s been gone for a week—away for some work conference that sent him halfway across the country. Often, when he’s gone like this, he hardly has time to even call you at the end of each day, and this last week has been no exception.

You missed him, and from the way he all but throws you onto the bed after he’s put his suitcase down, you’d be foolish to think the feeling wasn’t mutual.

You’ve been stripped down to nothing. The set of cute lingerie you’d worn to pick him up lays in a pile with the rest of your clothes, quickly disregarded by Levi in favor of feeling the soft give of your flesh underneath.

Now you’re draped over his lap on your stomach, struggling to string together a single coherent thought as two of Levi’s fingers stretch you open.

He’s still dressed. The creases of his dress shirt remain wrinkle-free despite your wiggling, sleeves folded neatly up to his elbows. His tie is the only thing discarded, the silky fabric now deftly wound around your wrists in a makeshift bind, freeing him from the hassle of your roaming hands.

A week apart and you’re not allowed to touch him. If you could think, you’d call it a punishment worse than torture.

“Does that feel good, sweetheart?” he coos. “Is this what you thought about while I was gone?”

You open your mouth to reply, but he takes that moment to curl his fingers in just the right way to heat your blood to molten levels. An airy moan slips from your throat instead and gets smothered by the pillow supporting your head.

His other palm comes down on your ass, striking once and then again.

“Answer me.”

Your mouth hangs open without a sound, momentarily caught between delicious pain and pleasure. “Yes.”

“Good girl.” He rewards you by rolling his fingers over your clit, generously coating it in your arousal. “You always make such pretty noises for me. Let me hear them.”

Sparks ignite in your belly, hips rolling to chase the sensation of his fingers, but he pulls away just as your legs begin to shake.

You whine. “Levi–”

He ignores you in favor of watching his fingers slowly sink inside of you again. His eyes practically glow with reverence in the dim lighting. “Look at you, making such a mess.”

Embarrassment burns your face. You’re probably dripping all over his finely-pressed trousers, staining the fabric, but you can’t bring yourself to care about stopping. All you can think about is the growing, aching need in your belly as he starts again.

“Levi, please. I–”

His fingers disappear. Another smack to your ass makes you flinch and squirm.

“I didn’t tell you to speak.” He frowns. “You’re not in any position to be making demands. Were you this fucked out when you forgot to put away the toys?”

You still for a moment, trying to connect the dots. It’s like your brain is attempting to wade through quicksand but slowly, you remember.

There was one rule you both followed when he went away on long work trips: no touching without permission. The one rule that up until last night you’d never broken.

Pleasure ebbs from your limbs, and you breathe a pathetic whine into the dampened fabric of the pillow. You need to move, but you’re at Levi’s mercy like this—bound and unable to do anything without his help.

You feel his free palm caress your hip, right over the sensitive spot he’d spanked just moments prior.

“M’sorry.” Your voice is a labored half-sob, half-gasp, muffled from being pressed against the pillow. “I just missed you.”

It’s a last ditch effort and you know it. Discipline is a language that Levi knows well, and his capacity for self-control sometimes makes your head spin. He already looks barely affected by comparison. The only sign that he’s worked up at all is the subtle feeling of his length against your side, concealed but nonetheless straining beneath layers of fabric. Your hands clench into loose fists in the binds. To have that level of restraint aimed at you sends an excited thrill up your spine.

You almost expect him to discipline you for speaking out of turn again, but instead you feel his hand move from your thigh to grant you a few slow swipes over your aching clit. Just enough to keep you on the edge, eager for more.

“I know you’re sorry,” he says softly. The shift in his tone makes your shoulders relax, but his fingers swiftly move, pushing deep inside of you at a pace that has your toes curling.

“Since you want to come so bad, let’s see how many you can give me.” His fingers begin to pump and curl inside of you more quickly, hitting the spot that makes your legs quake and turn to jelly. Your back arches, finally giving him full access to the clear and punctuated moan that’s ripped from your throat. “Let’s start with one for every day I was gone, hm?”

[lovelybee666]

FLUFF ALPHABET DOGDAY

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

I already published it in one of my first writings but so that they don't bother to see it, they both play hide and seek, tag, maybe truth or dare, etc.

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

He thinks everything about you is beautiful, from your eyes to your your toes (if you even have toes or feet).

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

If you are sad he tries to cheer you up either by giving you physical or verbal affection, drawing, talking, watching something, whatever cheers you up.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

It sounds strange but he would like to have a family (he knows he can't 😞) he would like to see you and him with his little children but since he can't, he use his stuffed version as one and depending on how you are, you will play along or try (don't even think about telling him that it's stupid of him or I swear I will come to your house with a gun 👹 /j)

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

He's in the middle 👍 there's not much to say honestly

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

Look, I don't know what happened but it was probably your fault😒(just joking) their arguments probably don't go beyond a few raised voices, the second the discussion ends there are two options, the first is that he run to you and apologize or that he is lecturing himself with his tail down.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

He is VERY grateful and even thanks for things he shouldn't(I'm sorry this is short, I couldn't think of anything)

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

Imagine there is a door, that door symbolizes honesty now look at Dogday's door that door is so open that the door flew away and the frame too.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

I'm already doing a hc of him jealous so this will be more summarized and shorter, It's difficult for him to get jealous since he trusts you TOO much but if he is jealous he will try to get your attention hugging you and saying your name over and over again.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

The first kiss was okay although he had never kissed so at first it was a little awkward, as time went on his kissing skills improved(he definitely didn't ask Bubba, Cickin and Bobby for advice☺️ DEFINITELY)

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

He was nervous, he asked Catnap if he could come and support him, he complied as a good friend and he was a little far away but behind you with a sign that said "YOU CAN DO IT, DOGDAY!" or said what Dogday was supposed to say because he probably forgot(I promise to make a more detailed version soon in the not too distant future).

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

He wants to marry you but since you and him are toys you can't but still in some creative way you got married, they used a fabric that they found with the help of Crafty and they got married, it was actually something funny and adorable to see (YOU DEFINITELY WORE THE SUIT AND DOGDAY THE WEDDING DRESS‼️‼️) by the way, the ring was some donut-shaped gummies.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

I already made a post about it but I wanted to make a little update here by adding "angel" and "star"

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

It's VERY obvious, just watch him for a few seconds and you'll see how when you're close he moves his tail and seems happier, he stops what he's doing and comes to greet you giving you a hug while his tail moves at a thousand miles an hour, he's not sure if he's in love, he confuses his feelings and thinks maybe he just loves you as a close friend (spoiler, it wasn't)

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

He's a big fan of PDA and even once probably shouted from somewhere quite long how much he loved you(a worker or Miss Delight scolded him because the children were supposed to be sleeping at that time), He loves to hold your hand and kiss your nose, he probably emphasizes 24/7 that you're dating him, he is very proud to know that you are dating him, If you are not a fan of PDA, he respects it and when you are alone he gives you a lot of kisses on the cheeks and hugs you.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

There's not much to say but technically you're second in command for dating the guy who's the leader👍 IDK MAN

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

He is cliche AND creative, He likes to do very cliché but very creative things at the same time, They are going to have a date with red petals and candles, yes, but instead of candles they will be candles with fun shapes, the petals will be daisies (clearly I don't get them from a destroyed Daisy) and the chairs are chairs of frogs, he likes to do the same things that are romantically cliché but at the same time add things that have nothing to do with it or make it chaotic.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

ABSOLUTELY YES, it will help you in anything, believe 100% that you can achieve any goal you have.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

Every day he do something new with you, one day you are looking some ants working and the next you are creating a base to protect yourself from a non-existent deadly virus that he created with you.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

Depending on who you are, he probably knows a lot about you and is quite empathetic (I couldn't think of anything here, I'm sorry)

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

For him you are the most important thing in his life, his top is probably

3. Humans

2. His friends

1. You

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

When you give him the cold shoulder after an argument he goes to Catnap and Catnap has to deal with his best friend crying because you don't listen to him

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

Y E S He is very affectionate although obviously there are days when he is less affectionate.

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

He will be looking for things that remind him of you and hugs them while waiting for you to appear.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

He is willing to do almost anything for the relationship, his only limits are attacking or killing someone for obvious reasons.

I FINALLY FINISHED THIS, now I will have to do other pending things

[anystalker707]

Stop playing

Pairing: Suguru Geto x [male, amab] Reader Summary: Halloween night. Suguru has been teasing you for a while, but this is the last straw - he dressed up as your new fictional crush, König. That's personal. Tags: Bottom suguru / light choking / in the club's restroom / he thinks he's cool

Requested by @josukeslefttitty

Shibuya, October 31st

          Thankfully, everyone was as invested in their Halloween costumes as you, so you didn’t feel out of place as your friends walked down the streets, sometimes attracting curious eyes. Other people also wore costumes, attracting your attention instead. The streets of Shibuya slowly got more agitated, even if you were still in the first hours of the night of Halloween. The chilly air of autumn didn’t seem to bother anyone too much, only contributing to the more intricate costumes, if anything, though some people defied the temperature anyway.

Satoru and Ieiri had decided it would be best to go for a pre-party—which everyone agreed with—to grab drinks and snacks at a convenience store before going to the real destination. Ieiri had a hand on Yu’s shoulder as she talked about something that made him blush a little; Kento walked beside them, ignoring Yu’s attempts to push him into the conversation and Satoru’s annoying comments. You had tried to get Utahime to come along, but she had spilled a lot of things about not hanging out with kids, so…

You and Suguru walked a few steps behind them, your attention focused on Satoru’s banter until you just snapped out of it and sighed, looking around the streets that kept lightened up by the glowing billboards and signs despite the darkening sky.

“You know,” Suguru’s voice pulled you away from your thoughts, attracting your gaze to his. His brown irises stood out with the black makeup around his eyes—you wondered how he’d look with that mask on, but he’d only been carrying it along with the helmet under his arm, so far. “We need to take a picture together later. Just the two of us. You’re looking really nice.”

A smile spread across your face at Suguru’s words, at the same time a warm feeling fluttered in your chest. “Of course, yeah, that’d be fantastic.”

It was difficult to ignore how Suguru looked in those clothes. He had dressed as your new fictional heartthrob for Halloween, rocking the military aesthetic and the feral air it had. Did he see the posts you’d made about König or something? Was it intentional? Damn. It was mostly accurate, missing some gear around the torso, but it was understandable, given the mobility. The beige cargo pants were a little tight, probably borrowed from someone else, leaving a nice space for imagination whenever you observed him a little too much. The outfit fit him so well that it was hard not to pull him closer and…

“Do you think my costume looks nice? I did my best to make it as accurate as I could.” Suguru asked, looking down at himself and then back at you with those charming eyes, as if he knew something you didn’t. Fucker.

“Yeah,” you muttered with a hum, glancing down at his outfit without checking him out that much, even if he’d potentially caught you staring earlier. It was difficult to determine whether you were being discreet or not while so immersed in thoughts. “Looks pretty good, though I haven’t seen you with the mask yet.”

Suguru raised his eyebrows as the smile on his lips widened, and he hummed. “Oh, right. Satoru and Shoko were bothering me about it earlier, so I ended up taking it off and forgot to put it back on. It’s not that great, just some shirt I cut holes in and tried to make it more accurate.” He stopped walking for a little just to put on the helmet and adjust the mask, doing it quickly, in a way you didn’t need to rush a lot to catch up with the others. “So?” His brown eyes blinked a couple of times through the holes in the mask, and your heart skipped a beat just at that.

“Oh,” you muttered, trying to keep your thoughts on track, and not about how hot he’d look… “Yeah, amazing,” you said with a nod. Suguru had to be doing that on purpose, no matter how you couldn’t find the familiar air of tease in his eyes when he looked at you.

At some point, Satoru had the helmet on instead as he walked around the convenience store, but Suguru kept the mask. He stood by Shoko with his arms crossed under his chest and weight over one of his legs in a way his hip popped out a little, talking with her absentmindedly, while she looked at cigarette boxes displayed behind a glass. How did he manage to be so hot while he wasn’t even trying?

Whatever Shoko said, it resulted in Suguru chuckling as he grabbed her hand and turned her palm up, tracing something on it. You wondered how it’d feel on you instead.

It made your thoughts race again, taking another turn as you forgot about what you were doing until Satoru shoved another glass of beer into your hand.

“Heh, what’s in your mind, (y/n)? I hope it doesn’t have to do with Suguru’s thighs.” He paused as he looked toward Suguru and sighed, shaking his head as if he longed for them. Maybe he did. Motherfucker.

“Just thinking,” you quickly excused, adjusting the beer bottles and cans of energy drink in your arms. “Shoko looks good,” you averted the subject, hoping he would buy it, and thankfully, Satoru seemed to be only using one brain cell right now, as usual.

“Oh, wait, we also need some candies. I want to make a drink with sour candies,” he muttered, pulling you along to the other side of the convenience store, but your eyes lingered on Suguru, meeting his gaze for a second.

          Suguru dismissed your company on the way to the club, instead letting Satoru link arms with him while ranting about god knows what. Why did he decide to leave you? Had you become boring? Was he playing more games? A sigh escaped your lips as you shook your thoughts away.

“So…” Ieiri suddenly showed up next to you with a grin, rolling a lollipop around her mouth, one she’d grabbed from the counter at the convenience store. She read you very well. Just the way she looked at you compelled you to look away, shaking your head again; she giggled. “Yeah, there we go again.”

“Don’t say anything,” you told her with a playful pout, holding back a smile that threatened to grow even more at how she giggled again.

Shoko opened her mouth a couple of times, but whatever she pondered saying, was replaced by a simple shrug as she patted your arm lightly. Alright. Well, you had other things to focus on right now, and one of them was absolutely how Suguru’s ass looked in those tight cargos. If only you had the chance to squeeze it. Your hand ached just at the thought—just like your cock threatened to come to life.

Things only got more difficult as you arrived at the club. Despite the great number of people, the place wasn’t cramped up. It was a nice, clean club with cool Halloween decorations hanging around, selling themed drinks, as also themed songs played in the background. The smell of artificial fog lingered in the air as it rose, making the colorful lights more visible.

Kento sat with you on the same couch in a calmer area, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone or taking pictures of the others when requested. He talked to you a bit, but the conversation quickly dissipated.

Your mind couldn’t keep track of a chat while Suguru walked around like that, like a piece of meat waiting to be eaten. One that was supposed to be yours and not be touched by everyone like that. What was Suguru even trying to do? He didn’t like being touched that much, so there was no reason to keep a hand around Shoko’s waist like that or let Satoru keep resting a hand on his chest. Why couldn’t you do it, though? Only you. It made something burn in your chest, stiffening your muscles as you tried your best not to get up and do something. Hopefully, the glass of cocktail covered part of your annoyed expression.

It was, however, when you saw Suguru allow Satoru to pull his shirt up to take a look at his bare skin that you almost crushed the glass you held. Kento even glanced at you when you inhaled sharply, setting the glass down on the small table nearby before you stood up, eyes trained on the side of Suguru’s head.

Maybe you should focus on something else. You put the glass away and shook your head, trying to shake away the feeling and the thoughts as well. There was a nice song playing, so you moved over to the dance floor, squeezing past people to get on there with them—in contrast to the other areas of the club, the dance floor was crowded, full of people wanting to party the night away.

A couple of minutes passed by when you noticed the familiar costume, and your eyes widened a little noticing, Suguru there also dancing with you—no helmet again, which led you to presume Satoru had stolen it once more. It was okay, at first, but then he started pressing close, glued to you until his ass was practically grinding against your crotch. You gently pushed him away, but he stepped back again. Fucking hell…

“Suguru?” You talked into his ear, loud enough for him to hear over the loud music. “What are you—”

“It’s too cramped here,” he replied immediately, naturally, “what else am I supposed to do while it’s this crowded?”

What was he supposed to do? What were you supposed to do while he tortured you all night long? Fuck it.

Your hand wrapped around Suguru’s wrist to drag him with you without caring who was in the way.

You walked into the restroom with Suguru right behind you, the music becoming muffled as you walked into the space. It was well-kept, really, with no strong smells, black walls, and red-tinted LEDs above the mirror that stretched itself along the wall, over the silver taps on the black marble counter, and the doors to the stalls were also black. Only one person was in there, already leaving after washing their hands. Suguru stepped aside and watched them leave, about to say something when you closed the door and locked it.

Suguru’s eyes widened a little through the holes of the mask, and you imagined if he already presumed what would happen. Either way, he didn’t have time to speak anything—you pinned him to the counter first, a hand by each side of his hips as you looked at him in the eyes.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Your voice didn’t carry the same light tone from before, now with a tone that matched your serious look.

Suguru didn’t know where to put his hands, letting them hand in the air before they slowly settled down on the edge of the counter as well, beside yours. His breath was caught in his throat as his wide eyes watched you, blinking a couple of times as if it would help him think properly, but it didn’t do much. He gulped and was thankful he had his face covered. “What do you—”

“Come on, don’t play dumb,” you exhaled, placing a hand on Suguru’s chest, right in the middle, almost feeling his racing heart under your palm. Your fingers ran up and settled under his chin through the mask, keeping his gaze on you. “You know exactly what you are doing, and I can’t take it anymore.”

You wanted to kiss Suguru on the lips, but the mask was in the way, and he looked so hot wearing it… It could stay on for now.

“If you tell me to stop, I’ll stop.” Your eyes held Suguru’s gaze to prove the seriousness of your words, before your hands sneaked under his shirt to hold his waist, rubbing soft circles into his warm skin.

It almost felt unreal to finally be touching Suguru like that, with something buzzing under your skin as you tried to figure out what to do with him now that you had the opportunity. The list was long, that was the problem. It went from just playing with his nipples to pulling his hair back to watch the face he would make when your cock still bullied his prostate after an orgasm. What were you supposed to choose? If only you had all the time and privacy you wanted…

You pressed your lips together to contain the will to kiss Suguru, making him face the other way and looking at him through the mirror instead. Tension laced Suguru’s actions as well, but it was similar to the one you felt, with blood hammering in your ears while the arousal rushed through your veins and spread a warm feeling in your lower stomach. A bulge was visible in Suguru’s pants, struggling in the tight fabric of the beige cargos.

“Fuck, you must be sadistic or something, with the way you kept doing that…” You exhaled, hands returning to the marble edge by each of Suguru’s hips. Your eyes fell to Suguru’s hands, observing them curled into fists as their heels pressed to the marble, growing tenser when your hips pressed to his ass.

Suguru’s breath faltered a little, eventually growing heavier as you started grinding your erection against his ass. The silence that came from him gave you doubts that were quickly dismissed when he adjusted his position and moved his hips in sync, eventually snatching a moan from you as your cock got completely hard. Just the dry humping felt so good when it wasn’t with something like a pillow or someone you actually desired.

Eventually, though, Suguru cracked a breathy chuckle—it was hard to identify it without a full view of his face, but you could imagine a smirk tugging on his lips. “Please,” Suguru moaned, and his eyes were closed when you looked at him in the mirror, even if it was a little difficult to tell that. Hearing him ask for more made your skin rise in shivers as a wave of excitement ran down your spine, irises turning into thin rings around your blown pupils. He leaned forward until his elbows met the marble, pressing his ass back against your crotch with it.

“Oh, now you’re talking,” you muttered, much to his amusement, hooking your thumbs around his waistband to trail along it until both your hands met the buckle of the belt and started to undo it, and then the buttons, making it possible to lower his pants to about the middle of his thighs. Your tented-up pants pressed to his bare ass, and it was such a sight, compelling your cock to twitch in demand for attention.

You fished the packet of lube and the condom from your pocket before also lowering your pants and underwear, letting your cock rest heavily against his ass. Damn, you wished you could take a picture of it right now. Suguru even arched his back a little more, pressing himself back against your cock.

Suguru’s eyes observed you through the mirror, with anticipation and a shared need. His eyes narrowed lightly when you raised your eyebrows, sighing as you unpacked the condom and rolled it in before squeezing the lube over your cock, letting some drip on Suguru’s hole. Your thumb pressed to his hole, feeling it flutter under your touch until the ring of muscles gave in under your touch, and you could slip your finger in.

Not a lot of resistance greeted your thumb as it slowly dived deeper into Suguru’s walls, spreading the lube nicely. He groaned a little, walls clenching around your finger; his hips threatened to move, but you held him still with a hand around his waist.

“Feel good?” You tried to snatch more words from him, to get more of the feeling that stirred in your lower stomach with that attitude of his. “Come on, Suguru, I want you to tell me more about what you want.”

Once again, Suguru looked at you through the mirror. A weak sound escaped his throat when your finger pushed in deeper, slowly starting to thrust in and out of him. “I want you, idiot,” he breathed with a whimper, clenching around your finger. You limited yourself to smirking to prevent a chuckle. His voice was quiet, almost unintelligible under the muffled, beating song that came from outside, making you wish you’d find another opportunity to have him like that just to appreciate his sounds properly. “I— Damn it, fuck me already,” he breathed sharply and let his head hang in defeat, drawing a chuckle from you. Alright, alright.

“Now, we’re getting somewhere,” you said with a pleased sigh, with a new boost of arousal.

Your hand held the base of your cock, guiding it to Suguru’s entrance and pushing just the tip in at first, testing the waters. Suguru groaned, back arching as he pushed his hips back, so you continued. “Fuck,” you breathed, taking a deep breath to get through the sensation of his walls slowly accommodating around your cock. One of his hands reached back, holding on firmly to the forearm of the hand you’d pressed to his waist.

“Fucking finally,” Suguru said with a whiny moan, relaxing more over the counter. Of course, he’d let you do all the job.

The sensation of finally being inside Suguru like you’d daydreamed about so many times before was intoxicating, in a way that you needed to take a few deep breaths while thrusting in and out of him, slowly, watching your cock disappear in his ass a couple of times before looking at him through the mirror again. He looked so hot with that mask on, really.

A quiet curse fell incoherent under a moan as you settled down for a steady pace, slowly filling the room with the sound of skin slapping against skin. He felt so good around you, clenching around your cock so deliciously.

“How long have you been playing this game?” You breathed to Suguru, hooking an arm around his torso to press a hand to his chest, with his collarbones right under your index finger and thumb. A little pressure there was enough to have him leaning up enough for your head to be right next to his while you still thrust into him with the same intensity. “I almost believed I was making things up until you gave me no choice,” you said through a groan, tightening your grip around his waist, and letting your fingers sink into the soft skin.

Suguru gasped, a higher-pitched moan spilling from his lips as he arched his back, squeezing your forearm in some sort of response. “You’re just too slow, mmph— Fuckin’ took you forever.” His other hand pressed to the surface of the marble to help support himself up, even more so after your thrusts started getting faster. “It was s—so fun watching your desperate face whenever I did something, so st—stupid— Ahhh—” Suguru interrupted himself with a moan when you started thrusting sharply, moving your hand from his waist to grasp the base of his cock tightly. He hissed, holding on to the edge of the counter instead.

“Fuck off, I’m still gonna make you regret that,” you groaned. Your hand slipped under the mask, taking firm hold of Suguru’s neck; his skin was warm and sweaty, and his throat moved against your palm as he swallowed thickly. “I should’ve done this before,” you groaned, squeezing Suguru’s neck before he could make any funny comment again. “Did you think it was funny to dress up as my game crush and go around with those tight pants, letting everyone feel you up? Are you that desperate? Fucking shameful.”

“Well,” Suguru breathed, and you imagined he was smirking again. Motherfucker. “Maybe if you weren’t so slow… Nngh…” His back arched, cock twitching on your palm.

Was he making those remarks on purpose? Did he make them just for the way you responded? Damn it. Your hand tightened around his neck—not enough to cut off his air—, and you fucked him hard enough for his body to start rocking every time your hips met his ass.

The thought of Suguru teasing you all this time just to play clueless when you approached the subject, looking at you with that mischievous gaze… Your cock twitched, balls tightening as you could feel your orgasm in the distance, so you invested in fucking Suguru in that angle that made his ass milk your cock so deliciously, making him bend down forward a little more.

Suguru’s arms were trembling from holding himself up like that, but he knew better than to give up to the weakness that slowly crept up his muscles, fighting against it as he focused on the pleasure you made him feel. He could barely contain his moans, and the fact you were at a club vanished in the back of your mind.

“There’s still so much stuff I wanna do to you,” you breathed, observing Suguru’s eyes rolling back through the mirror.

Whatever he said in response fell incoherent through moans that only grew breathier and longer as you ran your hand up and down his cock slowly, and it was all it took for him to finally cum. His ass squeezed around your cock, driving you to the edge at the same time; shivers ran up your thighs before your balls tightened, and you finally came, thrusts stuttering as you rode through your orgasm.

A soft, last cry of pleasure escaped Suguru’s lips before your movements finally ceased. The tiredness became more evident after the urgency wore out, with blood hammering in your ears while your chest heaved up and down with your pants, but it didn’t stop you from lifting Suguru’s mask and pulling him for a kiss. The position wasn’t the best, all awkward and difficult, but both of you needed that kiss to the same extreme levels, groaning into each other’s mouth while trying your best to take as much as you could from the kiss, including tongues and teeth here and there.

“This is security,” the sudden voice cut sharply through the whole mood, making both of you freeze as a heavy banging came from the door. “Is anyone in there?”

✧₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✩₊˚.⋆☽⋆⁺₊✧

[mimsynims]

Fool For Love

part 3

~~~

part 1, part 2

~~~

Author’s Note: First of all, thank you for the lovely comments! 🥰 Second, I’m writing this as I go, so while I’ll try to post every other day, it might come a point when I’m not done on time. Just so you know if it suddenly takes longer for the next part to be posted.

~~~

Astarion x reader/Tav

Tags: (mild?) angst, pining, pining while fucking, jealousy, eventual happy ending

Summary: You thought you knew what you were doing when you let Astarion into your bed. He doesn’t have feelings for you, and vice versa. Only… now you do. And you’re not handling it very well.

~~~

It’s almost sundown when you and the others are back at the camp again. It’s been a good day, all in all. You were able to stock up on potions and scrolls, and Karlach sweet-talked her way into a good deal on a handaxe. Not that you were there to watch it happen — Halsin’s favour had you talking to both the new leader of the Druids, Francesca, and Rath, the latter engaging you in a longer conversation than originally planned. Not that you minded, Rath is a good conversationalist. And quite handsome.

Yes, you did notice, but you kept it polite, not at all in the mood for flirting. Not when your thoughts continuously drifted back to a certain vampire that declined tagging along at the last minute.

It’s embarrassing to admit, but your eyes roam Halsin’s tent when you search him out to relay the information you gathered today. It’s probably a coincidence that Astarion decided to remain, but you can’t help but look for signs of someone sharing Halsin’s bed.

If Halsin sees you snooping, he doesn’t confront you about it, and you feel silly when you leave him to find the others. Who he sleeps with is none of your business, and you tell yourself that this is enough. Either you get over yourself, or you let Astarion go.

Which is easier said than done.

“Hey Karlach, let me see that axe of yours.” The rest of your party is gathered around the fire, preparing tonight’s meal. “From what I hear, I should bring you every time I need to haggle down the price for something.”

“Look at this beauty!” Karlach happily shows you her new weapon. “I’m going to polish it tomorrow, really bring out the shine it deserves.”

“How come you weren’t there, Tav?” Astarion sounds nonchalant, like he couldn’t care less but decides to ask anyway.

“I believe Tav had more important things to do.” Trust Lae’zel to come to your rescue.

“Halsin wanted some updates from the Grove,” you add.

“Mhmm, but surely that’s not the only reason why you talked for so long with Rath, Tav?” Shadowheart teases. “It seemed like you two really hit it off.”

“Yeah, he’s cute, Tav. Go for it!”

You want to look at Astarion, but you force yourself to turn your attention to Karlach instead, making sure to sound as casual as possible. “He’s nice, but…” You already have someone. “Perhaps you should go for him, Karlach, if you find him cute?”

“Nah, I have my eyes on someone else.”

It’s adorable, the way she lights up, and you wish you could hug her. “Hmmm, might this be a blacksmith we all know?”

“Tav!”

“This is secret to none, Karlach,” Lae’zel says. “Even a blind fool couldn’t help but notice the way you swooned when he helped you in the Grove.”

“I didn’t swoon!”

“There was definitely some swooning happening,” Shadowheart chimes in. “We all saw it.”

“Aaaanyway…! This was about Tav, not me.”

Dammit. You should’ve left for your tent when you had the chance. “No, no, I think we should talk more about you and Dammon.”

“Come on, Tav.”

“Yes, Tav, tell us all about your conversation with Rath.”

For a moment you somehow forgot that Astarion is there, too. “There’s nothing to tell. He’s just nice and easy to talk to.”

“Hmm, you’re not very convincing, Tav.”

With a groan, you turn to the wizard. “Not you too, Gale.” For someone so hung up on his ex, he sure looks jealous over the fact that you might be interested in someone else. “I know you all probably only mean well, but if you don’t drop this right now…”

You expect either Astarion or Lae’zel to make some kind of comment, but none of your companions say a peep. There’s an awkward silence for a few tension-filled moments and you wonder if you sounded too harsh. They only want your best, after all.

Thankfully, Shadowheart steps in, clearing her throat. “I think our food is ready.”

Once you sit down to eat, you watch them all as they talk and laugh. It feels like usual again, and you’re reminded how lucky you are to have come across such amazing people in this extraordinary situation life put you in.

Your gaze rests a little bit longer on your lover. He’s always beautiful, but it’s entrancing the way the flickering flames seem to caress his cheekbones, the arch of his nose. His smile. He’s laughing at something Lae’zel just said, and going by the look on her face, it wasn’t meant to be funny.

It’s quite the motley crew you’re leading — and you wouldn’t want it any other way.

You freeze when you suddenly find yourself locking eyes with Astarion. He isn’t supposed to catch you staring, and you quickly look away even though you know it’s too late. You wait a few minutes, and when you glance in his direction again, he’s talking to Gale.

Why must it be so difficult? Are you making it more difficult than it needs to be? You want to be with him and only him, so why not just ask it of him? If he says no, you’ll at least know instead of always wondering. And if he says yes, maybe he’ll grow to love you back.

Once again, you wish you had someone to talk to — and after today you think you can confide in Karlach — but it feels good to have come to a decision. Hopefully you can get him alone after dinner, because you would prefer to have it done before the stargazing Gale has planned.

You allow yourself to imagine the two of you lying next to each other in the grass, holding hands, smiling. Or his arm around you, holding you near.

You refuse to think about the other option, even though it’s the far more likely outcome.

For now, you’re going to pretend that everything’s going to be alright.

[weirdsht]

Queasy - Choi Han/Reader

a/n: inspired by me being the most easily nauseated person I know. Actually, idk if nauseated is the right term, we call it "naduduwal" in the Philippines and when I used google translate it said that the translation is nauseous. Anyways, this may or may not be inspired by actual scenarios in my life...

tags: self-indulgent, 5 + 1 fic, female reader, fluff, descriptive signs of vomiting, but there's no actual vomiting, author went a bit overboard?

English isn’t my first language so there will be grammatical errors

Pls don't repost my work anywhere without my permission

Constructive criticisms and any kind of interaction are more than welcome

Requests are currently closed but my ask are still open (read pinned)

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Ever since [Name] was a child she easily felt nauseous. The slightest change of smell can make her feel as though a bile is coming up her throat. Whatever she ate last threatened to come back up.

Living with it for all her life made her used to it. That was why she forgot to inform her new group of friends about her “condition”.

Which brings everyone to this predicament…

Beacrox was cooking lunch for everyone. The kitchen door was open as the thing his cooking had too much smoke. It smelled good. In fact, everyone couldn’t wait to eat. They were already imagining what could the chef be possibly making.

Until [Name] walked into the room.

When she first walked in everything seemed normal. They even looked happy as there was a pep in their step. However, that changed as soon as they smelled the aroma of the food being cooked.

[Name] staggered a little, but quickly composed herself. She could feel that familiar feeling something trying to crawl up her throat. But she knew that it was nothing alarming so she swallowed it down and greeted everyone.

“Are you okay..?”

Choi Han inquired hesitantly, his hands supporting [Name]’s back. The woman gathered herself fast enough that no one else noticed. It’s just that nothing escapes past the swordmaster’s observant eyes.

…Well at least nothing about [Name] can escape past Choi Han’s eyes.

“I’m fine. The sudden change of smell just surprised me.”

“Are you sure?”

Choi Han doesn't look convinced in the slightest.

“Positive. In fact, it smells good. I can’t wait to see what Beacrox made!”

After that day [Name] could feel Choi Han’s concerned gaze whenever the smell of food was up in the air.

The next time it happened it probably would have costed [Name] her life if it wasn’t for Choi Han. Which was comedic considering the culprit…

+~+~+~+~+~+

A sneeze.

Yes, a sneeze almost took out [Name]. A single sneeze made her vulnerable to the enemies' attacks.

They were fighting, another typical day of bringing Cale’s crazy plans to life. Everything was going well, they had the upper hand. The enemy was on [Name]’s mercy.

Achoo!

Well, it was until she sneezed.

It would have been fine if it was just a normal sneeze.

Bleur–

Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

[Name] staggered as she put her left hand on her mouth, her right hand trying to hold onto something to stabilize herself. Her momentarily loss of balance made her vulnerable to the enemies' attacks.

She honestly thought that would be her end. If it wasn’t then she would at least sustain some grave injuries.

THUD!

Black aura surrounded the area [Name] was fighting on. The sword of the owner of the said aura fighting against the enemies trying to hurt her.

The aide surprised [Name]. Because she swears just a millisecond ago Choi Han was fighting his fair share of enemies on the other side of the battlefield. Then as if he has a [Name] 6th sense, he almost teleported to where she was as soon as she started staggering.

Choi Han encircled his free arm around [Name]’s waist. He gently lifted her off the ground as he started to move around to fight the enemies.

It looked as if they were dancing instead of fighting. The two are facing each other chest to chest, [Name]’s feet are completely off the ground making Choi Han lead the sway. They looked as though they were presenting a bloody waltz. It would have been a sight to behold if it wasn’t a matter of life or death.

[Name] and Choi Han went on like that until none of the enemies were left alive. The swordmaster refuses to let her down despite her protests.

Later on, when Cale asked what happened, [Name] answered honestly about how her sneeze was the cause of everything. Choi Han was of course within hearing range when this conversation happened.

Since then the swordmaster made sure to keep anti-allergen medicine in his pocket at all times.

Cale’s group seldom get days off. It wasn’t because their young master was working them to the bone. In fact, his always the first one to suggest the idea of slacking off for a few hours. Rather, it’s just that everyone always keeps themselves occupied. Even when it’s a supposed “free day” everyone will be busy, either training or researching something.

+~+~+~+~+~+

That was why this stroll [Name] is doing in town isn’t because she had the day off. She’s actually strolling the busy streets in order to spread another rumour, Cale’s orders of course.

But she can’t help but admit that this task is more leisurely compared to their usual missions.

Which was why she decided to take it easy and enjoy her rare outing.

As usual, with her is Choi Han. The rumours don’t need lying so he was up for the task. He had been paired with [Name] to ensure he wouldn’t go overboard.

“Let’s go check out that stall! It didn’t exist when I went here last week!”

[Name] pulled the swordmaster behind her, trying to drag him over to the new stall that seemed to sell all kinds of trinkets.

Choi Han let himself be dragged by her. A smile grazed his lips at how happy she looked.

Just like that, the two continued to spread rumours while enjoying themself around town. Choi Han’s previously empty hands are now filled with bags containing souvenirs for everyone left at home.

“We should’ve brought a spacial bag–”

Keugh!

[Name] felt nauseous once more. There wasn’t even a trigger this time. No smell, no sudden movements. Nothing. Her body made her nauseous just because it could.

“Let’s get you home now.”

Choi Han, a little more used to her body’s antics now, placed himself in front of her in order to catch her. It was the next best thing he could do since his arms were currently unavailable. As expected, [Name] landed on his chest. Her hands latching themselves onto his shirt to keep herself from falling.

“…Yeah I guess that’s enough chatting with the townspeople. I’m sure everyone knows us by now.”

Next time [Name] felt nauseous Choi Han wasn’t there to help her. In fact, there were no adult figures as she was the adult for the day.

+~+~+~+~+~+

That’s right, she was with the children averaging 8 years old.

Everyone had something to do and they were in a foreign kingdom. Hence why [Name] decided to take the kids out to eat. After all, it’s not every day they would be able to taste these foreign dishes. Unless they manage to snag the recipe and bring it back to Beacrox.

“Try this [Name]!”

“You have to taste this nya!”

“This one is delicious too nya! Try it! Try it!”

[Name] had rented out a private room so the children could eat freely. One of the consequences of that was them pushing her to eat everything they deemed delicious. Which was practically the entire menu of the restaurant.

After a while [Name] could feel herself becoming full. She was aware that she should stop eating or else she’d feel nauseous again.

But she didn’t have the heart to deny the kids feeding her a bunch of food. They just wanted to share the joy of eating something delicious with her.

And so she pushed her limits. She couldn’t say no when those three pairs of adorable eyes looked at her expectantly.

Fortunately, Cale and Choi Han soon arrived.

As they entered the room the kids ran over to Cale, ready to feed him everything they made [Name] taste.

Simultaneously, Choi Han took it as a chance to check on [Name]. As soon as the door opened he noticed how pale she looked.

“You alright?”

He whispered as he sat beside her. His fingers rubbed soothing circles on her back.

“Yeah, just peachy. I just got carried away and ate too much”

She whispered back as she leaned on his arm.

“Sure? Maybe you accidentally ate something bad for your stomach…”

“I’m sure. I simply couldn’t say no to the kids.”

Choi Han chuckled slightly, understanding where [Name] was coming from.

“Try not to let them sway you next time.”

He halfheartedly suggested knowing that [Name] would probably do it again if it was for the kids.

“Hahahaha! Did you see the young master’s face!? It was hilarious!”

+~+~+~+~+~+

[Name] laughed as she recalled how the awards ceremony went down. She didn’t expect the crown prince to pull off such a thing. Beside her was Choi Han who was smiling. He didn’t fully comprehend why she found the earlier scene funny but as long as she was happy

“Who needs to go watch opera when you have that–“

There comes the nausea from laughing too much. [Name] instinctively grabbed on Choi Han’s arm. Her grabbing onto him seemed to be the drill as of late whenever she felt nauseous.

“Karma”

Cale grumbled as he walked past them while holding onto a plate of cake. He clearly heard how [Name] was laughing hard at him.

In the midst of [Name] almost throwing up her lunch she still found joy in the situation. The young master was quite cute when his upset after realising he got “scammed”.

And so another wave of laughter escaped past her lips.

“Stop laughing, you’ll feel worse.”

Choi Han clicked his tongue as he scolded the woman leaning on his arms. However, that said woman couldn’t control her laughter. Everything was just too funny.

Giving up, the swordmaster merely supported her weight. He waited for her to feel weak by either laughing too much or feeling even more nauseous.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

+~+~+~+~+~+

This time that desperate time is Choi Han feeling uncomfortable while dealing with a bunch of nobles. He had his fair share of interaction with them but it still felt unusual. Even more so when they surround him, just like right now.

In the midst of him trying to escape from everyone and seriously considering knocking them all unconscious, a familiar figure managed to stagger into his arms.

That familiar figure looked weak. The back of her hand was covering her mouth in an attempt to not vomit.

Of course, that familiar figure was [Name].

Choi Han easily caught her in his arms as she staggered towards him. Once she felt she was safe, she rested her head on his chest.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go now.”

Choi Han bowed towards the crowd before hooking his arms underneath [Name]’s legs. The nobles understood his intentions and finally created a path he could go through. Everyone is aware of how [Name], like Cale, seems to also have a weak constitution.

The swordmaster thanked them as he carried [Name] out of there. He walked until they arrived at a gazebo in the garden.

He sat down on the bench-like chair inside the gazebo, placing [Name] on his lap. Choi Han scanned her body to make sure nothing else was wrong before asking his questions.

“Did you push yourself again? Was it the crowd this time? Were they too much?”

Concern lingered in his eyes, but [Name] simply giggled at him.

“I’m fine, I was faking it.”

“Why..?”

The swordmaster is no stranger to his friends acting all sorts of roles to get what they want. However, this time he can’t fathom why [Name] would do such a thing.

“You looked uncomfortable silly. Is that a way to thank your saviour?“

[Name] jokingly asked him, flexing her muscles as if she just saved him from a gruesome battle.

“I guess you’re the knight in shining armour today huh?”

Choi Han played along to her whims. His hold on her waist tightened ever so gently to ensure she wouldn’t fall off his lap for she was moving too much.

That afternoon, the two spent their time talking about all sorts of topics inside the gazebo until they had to reluctantly go back inside once more.

[a-spes]

S T A I N E D H E A R T S - One shot.

Words count - 1,4k.

Tags & Warnings - Natasha Romanoff x reader, a bit of angst / comfort.

Summary - Fury sent you and Natasha on a mission even if he knows you are in a relationship.

— — — — —

You are on the roof of a building, laying on the dust, not letting your eyes out of the window of your target’s apartment. The window is on the opposite building, right in front of you, if he decides to finally come back, you would be able to shoot him quite easily. 

Except that he is not here, probably decided it was a good day to stay longer outside. You sigh, starting to be impatient. According to the informations given to you, he should have been here two hours ago, it’s been twice the time you have been waiting him to open this fucking door, barely moving.

“ I swear, if Fury gave us the wrong address, I am gonna chop his head off ” you mumble. Throught the communication device, Natasha can be heard chuckling.

You almost forgot that you are not alone in that mission. While you are waiting on a roof, laying on the concrete for hours, burning under the summer sun, she is comfortably sitting in a car parked near to the target’s building. Since you got here, none of you talked, except a few words from time to time because he was supposed to arrive soon and you both needed to concentrate. At least, he was supposed to show up. He is still not here. 

“ I am serious, ‘tasha ” you add. Most of the agents would be fired if they dared to talk to Fury the way you are, but he needs you too much for that. Also, he probably appreciates you more than he wants to admit it.

“ I know, love, I know ” she replies and, if you can’t see her, you know she is smiling, it is something you can tell by her tone.

An additional ten minutes elapsed before the wait was eventually worth it, you sighed in relief when you saw him. The man enters the building, coming into the apartment a few minutes later, all under your surveillance, you aren’t missing any of his movements.

“ Here you go ” you whisper.

You can hear Natasha saying something like she gets it and doesn’t want you to move but you can’t be sure, the man taking all your attention at the moment. In fact you are not here to kill him, you are supposed to do it just in case things go wrong - it would be a shame to kill the man that has the information you need.

In fact, the plan is supposed to be very simple, at least according to Fury. But, to be honest, if you are listening to him, the missions are always easy. However, working for him made you learn things never go the way they are supposed to : in Fury’s language, easy is just a synonym for death trap. 

Obviously this mission is no different from the others. The man you are looking for has something you need to take back before it can be used by the terrorist organization he is working for. He is just a subordinate so, in theory, it shouldn’t be that hard. You don’t know much more about the story, Fury rarely gives a lot of information : he asks you something, you do it and then you get the money. It is how things work and, even if most of the time it annoys you, here you are, exactly where he wants you to be.

“ Crap ! ” she exclaims. 

“ Nat’ ? Is everything okay ? ” you immediately ask, your voice being full of worries. Your girlfriend is not the kind of person to curse, it is more your thing, hearing her using such words is a sign that something is not going well.

“ Yeah - ” she starts but she is being cut by a loud noise, as if she is thrown against a furniture. Oddly, you don’t believe her when she assures you that everything is fine. “ Stay where you are. ”

“ What a liar … ” you mumble. The problem with going on missions with Natasha as a partner is that she is trying too hard to keep you safe. She doesn’t think twice before putting herself in danger, even when it is unecessary, just so you don’t get hurt. 

And it is exactly what she is doing right now. You are trying to keep an eye on her through the apartment’s window but you can’t see anything, they must be fighting in another room. 

“ Fuck it ” you eventually say. This time, you are the one cursing and Natasha doesn’t even make a comment about it. All you can hear from her side are some fight noises, she probably didn’t even hear you talking.

You really tried to do as she asked you but the wait is unbearable. There is a difference between not moving for hours, waiting for a target to show up, and not moving while your girlfriend might need your help. Even if she is probably doing fine on her own, your worries make seconds seem like hours and staying here is impossible.

A few minutes later, you decide to leave your position to lead to the building she is in. The closest you get from the apartment, the loudest the noises are. It is until they suddenly stop, leaving you with an odd silence : the time you get here, the fight must’ve stopped and you don’t know how you feel about that news. As the door is wide open, you can easily make your way into the dark apartment. It has a living-room with an open kitchen but those rooms are empty so you decide to keep walking, entering the corridor that leads to the other pieces. The sunlight can barely come in so you have to be careful, you know it.

“ You better be alive ” you whisper as you slowly make your way into the apartment.

Suddenly, you feel a movement on your right. Sadly, by the time you realize, it is already too late. Your mind is too busy worrying about your lover that you forgot to pay attention to your surroundings, a rookie mistake.

It all happens in a few seconds, so quickly that your gun is useless. An arm around your throat, your opponent is holding you firmly and struggling is useless as they would tighten their grip until you can barely breathe. If you want to get out of that situation, you are gonna need to outsmart them.

“ Love ? ” the voice says. She immediately lets you go. “ I told you to stay where you were, why can’t you listen for once ? ” at her tone you can guess that she is really mad at you right now.

“ Can’t let you have all the fun while I am waiting, can I ? ” you reply once your breathing is back to normal.

You don’t really mind her harsh tone, you know that it is not against you. Natasha fears that you could get hurt, sure, but she is even more scared by the idea that it could be because of her. You told her many times that it won’t happen but she doesn’t listen to you, the person she was being stuck in her mind, even years after she left the Red Room.

In any case, you can see that your joke didn’t make her laugh. Your attempt to lighten the mood is a failure, all you get in exchange is Natasha’s dead-stare, the one that makes you immediately go quiet. You know that anything that you could say from now would only make things worse. Slowly, you come closer to Natasha, your hands taking hers. At first, she is tense, her first are clenched, but she eventually lets it go, wrapping her fingers around yours. It is the only way you know to comfort her when she is in that state, prisoner of her past. 

“ There is blood ” you quietly say after a few minutes of silence, looking at her bloody hands. Her suit is in a similar state.  “ Not mine ” she replies in the same tone, and a soft smile appears on both of your faces. As you look behind her back you can, indeed, notice three men. They are laying on the floor, all unconscious and tied and you weren’t expecting less from the woman you love.

[herefortarlos]

My main issue with the lack of promo is that I just don't get why they're doing it? Or rather not doing it. Like why is there NOTHING? Yes the show is probably cancelled (I am still in denial) we get it but it's still running on your channel? And also not just any show but one of the most successful ones. And the rationale part of me understands why they do more for the surf show. It has no fanbase yet and never will have bc it fucking sucks and hopefully will be cancelled after this first season so it needs a bit more support right? But there was literally one day where they did FIVE posts about the surf show within 24 hours??? And I was like this is insanely excessive?? So I understand from a marketing perspective that there needs to be done more for that show but fully dropping Lone Star and tbf any other fox show as well just doesn't make any sense. The official Lone Star account has a thick layer of dust covering it at this point and what happened to that one social media manager whose name I unfortunately forgot but who seemed to have been obsessed with Lone Star and who did the Tarlos games with Ronen and Rafael for example? Like she was seen on set a couple of times while they were filming but nothing Lone Star related was ever posted. Was she fired or already appointed another job when the cancellation was official and all the promo material left with her?? I just don't get it. What brings me great joy though is that even though the Lone Star posts are rare they ALWAYS outnumber any other post by the thousands when it comes to likes and comments and I hope it's a slap in the face of whoever is responsible for the social media accounts.

Your guess is as good as mine, anon! FOX and DramaClub really are acting like Lone Star barely exists anymore and it drives me up a wall, seeing the lack of effort they put into things from their awful graphic design to posting previous season episode clips and screenshots, instead of anything actually new for Season 5. And I knowwwww, I see it too, them posting thing after thing for that damn surf show and we're lucky if there is one Lone Star related thing among all of that on their stories at all! I genuinely think part of it is they want their surf show to get higher ratings than LS so they can be like, "see, we made the right choice", but I love how even with their lack of LS promotion, as of last week LS outperformed their shitty surf show! Imagine what Lone Star's rating could have been with a little more promotion 🙃 And I only know so much about what happens BTS and with crew, but I wouldn't be surprised if that social media woman, who I still adore because she has given us so much fun BTS, had to find some other work or was put on to promote another show, because as we have seen, it seems that once Lone Star finished shooting it was no longer cared about after that. And we know there's still something they did with Ronen holding that yes or no sign, that we still haven't gotten the video for, but here's hoping we might get that in the next weeks or so 🤞. Hahaha, and yes, I absolutely feel the same way about the amount of activity on their surf show posts vs the amount of activity that their Lone Star posts get!! I mean, I remember when another Instagram account, thewrap, were the ones that posted Carlos' introduction as a Texas Ranger, and tagged the FOX and 911LS accounts, it has almost 170K watches but for some reason, that account does not have their likes on, but I can only imagine the number of likes that post has! Just goes to show what the fans and even some of the casual viewers want to see more of!

Hope you're having a good weekend/start to your Monday anon, depending on where you are in the world!!

[ranposgirlboss]

rubs my hands all maniacally😍

a little birdie told me that your requests are open!

i was thinking abt the bsd boys reacting to a s/o that eats the weirdest food combinations LMAO

i eat cheese puffs and hot sauce aND WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I ATE APPLES WITH KETCHUP BAHAH

anyways that’s all 🙏

BAJUAHJSGVHSABJGASHJBSAGHVSBJGASBHJ BRO IF U LIKE THAT EAT APPLES AND SOYSAUCE ITS SO BANGER!!! THE SWEET AND SALTY SAVOURY FEEL >>>> also popcorn and ketchup is so real

ALSO PROPS TO MY BESTIE FOR HELPING ME WITH SOME OF THESE IDEAS!! (mainly poes) THANK HER IN YOUR HEARTS BC SHE DOESNT HAVE AN ACC ON HERE!!!

i HAD SO MUCH FUN WRITING THESE OMG

chara list: tecchou, jouno, ranpo, poe and dazai,

GENRE: FLUFF >:))

i made them all little skrunklies in this >:))

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

TECCHOU

-IM SORRY IF I SPELLED THAT HORRIBLY WRONG I ALWAYS CALL HIM KATCHOW (-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩___-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩)

-omg yall would be married instantly

-he has the papers signed

-FINALLY SOMEONE WHO WILL TRY SOME OF HIS COMBINATIONS!!!

-feels so understood

-if you ask him to try ur combos, HE WILL ALWAYS ACCEPT. A FELLOW WEIRD FOOD LOVER IN ARMS IS IN NEED OF HIS ASSISTANCE, AND HE CANNOT REFUSE.

-WOULD TAKE YOU OUT ON DATES AND GET EXTREMELY CONCERNED LOOKS FROM WAITERS.

-has had to protect you from jounos plots of world domination against weird food lovers and plots to murder you

-yall have a list of ur favorite food.

-so sexy

JOUNO

-(he looks so cute as a skrunkle anyways)

-haha

-run.

-dont even try to sneak it with him. he may be blind, but his other senses are at their prime and HE IS READY TO THROW HANDS

-"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, ONE TECCHOU WAS HARD ENOUGH I DONT NEED TWO GOD DAMN."

-might actually throw hands with you, like HELL JUST SMACK THE FOOD OUT OF YOUR HAND AND BE LIKE "n o ."

-so silly in theory but when he actually does slap it away it makes you want to beat him up so bad

-YOURE ASS BEST BE GLAD HE LOVES YOU OR HE WOULDVE TRIED TO KILL YOU AT LEAST 5 TIMES

-ugh i love the sassy skrunkle (ignore the fact he can kill you instantly)

RANPO

-WITH HIM, it all depends.

-it depends on how it tastes.

-because if it tastes actually good, HE WILL BE SO HAPPY

-"i knew you had good taste Y/N (人*´∀｀)｡*ﾟ+"

-if it tastes bad to him tho...

-HE WOULD BE SO BETRAYED

-would look like you just insulted his entire bloodline real

-"Y/N, how DARE YOU MAKE ME, THE GREATEST DETECTIVE, TRY THIS."

-it would take a long amount of sorries and sweets to get him to forgive you.

POE

-ok ok so listen

-would probably see you eating the weird ass shit, blink a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, then go back to reading

-if you asked him to try it, he would be like "oh sorry i just ate a 5 course meal Y/N" (he's a terrible liar)

-but with him, you could probably convince him to try it 😈

-theres a very high chance he hates it, i know we don't know what their eating habits are like, but poe gives off picky vibes...

-would probably be like "w-wow Y/N thats uhm...that's really good for you Y/N................"

-would never try it again </3

DAZAI

-NGL HE WOULD HAVE WEIRD TASTE BUDS TOO

-I MEAN BRO LITERALLY ATE DOG FOOD AS IF IT WAS A CASUAL TUESDAY

-i feel like he would at least try them, and if he didn't like them, he would CHUCK THOSE BITCHES

-more as a joke then an actual insult, UNLIKE SOMEONE (jouno)

-swears hell pay for them after (he never does)

-one day you threaten to throw him across the room like your damn food he keeps throwing

-he threw extra food that day

-would beg convince you to try dog treats (fun author fact: i used to eat dog food when i was a kid. it sucked ass but i was hungry)

-YALL WOULD DO THOSE CHALLENGES WHERE YOU PUT RANDOM FOOD IN A BLENDER AND SEE HOW IT WOULD TEST.

-honestly just another way to bond with you

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

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THANKS FOR READING THIS SILLY THING I WROTE AND THANKS FOR REQUESTING ♡(ӦｖӦ｡). I ALWAYS CAN ACCEPT MORE REQS!!!! TYSM!!!!

i forgot to add tags the first TIME I POSTED BAHAJVGBHASGVGASUHJASVGHJABSJ

[sentientcave]

Oh hey it's Wednesday again! You know what that means!

IT'S WIP WEDNESDAY BAYBEE

I've been bouncing around from project to project a lot lately so have a little Fic Flight of a few thangs

You Only Live Twice

Sadie was already creeping down the shadowed path strip of grass between the building and the outer wall, shoes in hand. She felt the Russian’s presence at her back, the intake of breath indicating that he intended to scold her for getting ahead of him. “I imagine they’ll have men at the gate already,” she said, cutting him off. “I’ll pretend I think they’re the real security and blather on about what’s going on upstairs, and you pick them off once I have them in the open. I assume you’re a good shot?” “I don’t like that. You could be killed.” Why the man cared all that much if she were killed, she didn’t know. Something to figure out later, once they were out of there. At the moment he was useful, and that was all that mattered. “I doubt it. They would have just blown the place to bits if they wanted everyone dead. They’re looking for high-profile hostages.” He tugged her further into the shadows, his big hand not leaving her waist even once he had her pressed against the wall. “You’re right, but—” “If you’re not a good shot, now would be the time to tell me,” she hissed back. “We don’t have time to stand around and think about it. I can probably only take on one myself, if I have to fight hand to hand.” She looked past him, down to where the lights from the gate station glared out into the darkness. “Are you ready?” He sighed, resigned. “Da. Make it a good performance, umnyashka. I will follow.”

Rugby

Your morning passes in a steady trickle of numbers and signed reports. You get up and stretch halfway through the morning, water your plants, get back to work. The second half of the morning flies by, and Brandon is back in your doorway again before you know it. It was a vain hope to think you would be able to slip out and get lunch without tagging along with him. Or it would have been, if the elevator didn’t open to reveal Simon ‘Perfect Timing’ Riley, holding a brown paper bag of takeout. “Forgot t’pack you a lunch, pretty boy,” he rumbles, stepping out and pulling you to the side. “Figured you could show me your office.” Brandon opens and closes his mouth like a fish, taking in the full expanse of Simon. Simon gives him a sly look out of the corner of his eye, and tugs you a step closer by the tie. “No kiss, love?” he asks playfully. You short circuit, face heating up so much that you’re sure Simon can feel it when he cups your jaw and tips your face up, and fucking kisses you. He’s not shy about it either, his tongue lapping at the seam of your lips, head tilted so your noses don’t squish together. “This is your boyfriend?” Brandon asks, interrupting the absolutely bizarre moment. “Hm?” Simon pulls away and looks at Brandon properly, like he’s just noticed him there. “Who’s your friend, Rip?” “Um. This is Brandon. Brandon, this is Simon. Yeah. My um. Boyfriend.” You look back at Simon. “You didn’t have to bring me lunch.” “Maybe I wanted to. You gonna say no to a curry?” “No. Come on, lets go sit in my office.” You shrug at Brandon. “Rain cheque, eh?” “See you around, Bradley,” Simon adds, wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

Field Trip

He looks serious for a moment, before the grin flickers back on. “Aw, weel, it wasnae as much fun as I might make it look. I had things ta keep livin’ fer.” “Like volunteering to help out with a school trip?” you ask mildly. “Of course. Few things matter more’n education, ye ken. Want tae make sure Finn doesnae wander off like Ah would’ve at his age.” His knee bumps into yours as he gets comfortable in the seat, and he makes no move to remove it. “Ah didnae have such a bonnie teacher, mind. Might’ve paid a bit more attention in class.” You tilt your knees toward the aisle, humming noncommittally. As far as you’re aware, Mr. Mactavish was SAS— An officer, and no slouch in regards to intelligence. Acting like an over eager puppy probably gets him further than behaving like a serious soldier, but you don’t really buy it. “I’m sure you did just fine in school, Mr. Mactavish.” “Ye can call me Johnny, ye ken. We’re no’ strangers by now, are we Sweetpea?” “Mr. Mactavish—” “Ah, come on bonnie, Ah’m no’ on a last name basis with anyone else here. Even the kids call me Soap.” “Are you ever going to tell us what that means?” Mrs. Kingsley asks, leaning across the aisle with a smile. “Ah cannae, Barb, ye cheeky thing, an’ ye know it. Classified.” Johnny taps the side of his nose and winks. He takes the opportunity to lean across you, one hand on your thigh and one arm braced against the barrier between your seat and the door. “How’s yer grandkids gettin’ on? No’ in school themselves yet, are they?”

Sparrow

She chanted his name, pressing her lips to his ear. He growled in response, barely missing a stroke as he transferred his weight to one arm, the other grabbing her by the throat, putting just a little pressure there. “Shut it, birdie, you’re gonna make me come.” “Yes, yes please,” she whispered, cunt clamping down on him like a vice. “Want you to. Please, Simon—” “Fuckin’ christ, Morgan,” he grunted. “Never fuckin’ shut up, do you?” She grinned, tipping her chin up to give him better access to her throat. “No. You’ll have to make me.” He groaned, dropping his forehead to her shoulder, giving her a few more grinding thrusts as deeply inside her as he could get, and came hard. Morgan could feel every pulse and twitch as he stuffed her full, the sensation almost enough to send her over the edge too. She whined, wrapping he legs around him tightly so he couldn’t pull out. “S’your own fault, birdie,” Simon grumbled, letting his full weight come down on top of her to keep her from moving her hips any more. “Gimme a minute. I’ll take care of you.” She sighed, stroking a hand through his hair and pressing a kiss to the side of his head. “I know you will. We’ll take care of each other.”

[callmegaith]

I'm glad it seems you're still into rusty lake because idk who else to dump all my theories on.

I went through your theory tag and I have to admit I'm now a firm believer that the twist will be that David never killed Dale's parents and it was all manipulation by Mr. Owl. If you think about it, it makes sense. We know from the past within that both Dale and Laura survived Paradox and are going up the elevator (presumably to start the ceremony for the day of the lake)

The Cave is a very important game to this theory, me thinks.

Paradox was all in Dale's head while he was strapped down to the memory machine we saw him in, in The Cave. What if David was there to stop Dale from going forward with the ceremony? Isn't it likely? We see the fisherman who looks oddly like David on a boat during the Cave (again, same time as Paradox takes place) so David would be on the scene. As you also mentioned, it could be that David is the one who left the letter to Dale about not drinking the vial, since it was signed "D." And the one person referred to as D. During paradox IS David.

This wouldn't be the first time we see David being a rebel and conducting his own schemes, right?

What if David is there to sabotage the day of the lake? Ruin things for Mr. Owl as he did in Hotel by escaping?

What if David is actually the good guy?

I think Mr. Owl and Mr. Crow manipulated both Laura and Dale so they could use them to create the golden cube. They fed Dale the memories that would get them the best results for making the cube. For all we know, Birthday might have never even really happened, or if it did, we don't know the real version of it (again, as you mentioned. Both recouns of Birthday are through Dale's already screwed up and made up memories, one having Mr. Crow in it as Dale's "grandpa" and one in Paradox. Both have contradicting information such as Grandpa not being in the Paradox retelling (I believe because he was never there to begin with) and one where it says Dale was 11 and not 9 like the original game) I don't think that was a mistake. I think that was deliberate by the developers to let us know that Dale's memories can't be trusted. The fact is, we don't know what happened in Birthday. For all we know it could have been Harvey who killed Dale's parents and Mr. Owl just changed replaced Harvey with Mr. Rabbit in Dale's memories.

So I'm gonna put down my bet right now and say that David is innocent and he's being framed!

PLEASE DONT GET MY HOPES UP IM FRAGILE AND ILL BREAK EASILY

FR THE FISHERMAN

He wears the same hat as David as well as the same suit as Mr. Rabbit he seems to be covering his face, or at least, won't show it to Crow probably cuz Mr. Crow would obviously recognize him so he keeps his back turned the whole time. Same as Mr. Rabbit who is one of the only characters we never see unmasked

We know Jakob, we know Aldous, we even see Elizabeth. But David is never revealed to us which I always found interesting and it really makes me wanna believe cuz yea, the twist is gonna be that it isn't David who killed Dale's parents. As another anon pointed out, after Mr. Rabbit '""dies""" you see Harvey on the tree could be nothing. Could be a hint. Who fuckin knows.

Totally forgot about the whole golden cube thing so thanks for bringing it up. Wish we had more information about what the golden cube actually is.

I wouldn't go as far to say as David is the good guy, I don't think Rusty Lake is a game that has "good" guys and "bad" guys. Just people with their own plans and motives trying to achieve said plans through any means.

If all this is true we still don't know why they decided to frame David? Could be cuz he always gets in the way of their plans and LISTEN---

REBEL DAVID IS SOMETHING IM VERY INTO OKAY? DONT PLAY AROUND WITH ME WITH THAT IDEA CUZ THE THOUGHT THAT HE COULD BE GOING AGAINST THE LAKE AND ITS PLANS AND THATS WHY HES DENIED RESURRECTION AND AND AND JUST... FBLAKCKSCHALXKS I LOVE IT, OKAY?! HELL YA, DAVID! YOU GO BE A LIL REBEL

But yeah, generally I agree. We don't know how birthday REALLY went down and what the twist is gonna be but I just know there's gonna be some twist to it

It's so funny yesterday I was talking to my friends about how I feel like the presence of the fisherman+the warning signed D. Seems like very vague hints that David is on his own journey in the background and that he might still have some more tricks up his sleeve but since nothing is concrete and it's all just "what if" and "maybe" I really don't wanna get my hopes up but I think it would be such a cool twist 😭😭😭

Also anon, I'm always into RL. Please feel free to write to me any time 🥰 even if it seems like I'm doing other things or focusing on other stuff, RL is the one brainrot I have that never goes away and I'm always happy to talk about it

[cpcwiki]

⚠ WIKI AD INCOMING ⚠

Hi, everyone! @mechanical-clown here on a new blog! That's right, it's the Real Official CPC Wiki Social Media Account here!! B) Unfortunately I do not have good news to deliver

It's been a hot minute since my last ad and I do want you all to know I'm still sorry for doing this. Unfortunately, again, how bad I feel making another ad is outweighed by how much the wiki needs more help. I've been feeling especially desperate lately because of the fact that CPC is ending soon, and there are many tasks that will be made harder if it's put on daily pass. So, in my cry for effort to get help, here's an explanation of what I believe is our biggest issue and a rundown of things that currently need to be done! Again I am sorry. This could take a while

If you were fortunate enough to not have seen this post last time, the Cursed Princess (Club) Wiki needs help if it wants to be complete any time soon. Kind of a lot of it. As we all know, cpcblr's very active and prolific in content and the wiki's typically... not. To seriously get into this, the only three active editors in the past month or two have been me, @the-neighbors-kid (aka cursed-princess-club), and Ama (not sure if she wants to be tagged but we all know her!). Shoutout to you two because you are actually the best thank you I love you /pl <3

Anyways, there are already a lot of things we need to do to fix up the wiki. Thankfully, accessing any episode for any information you'd like is easy! And it will continue to be that easy after CPC ends, because Webtoon doesn't feel the need to limit how many episodes a person can view, right? Right? ...Yeah, so, uh, daily pass exists.

As of the time I'm writing this, there are ~10 episodes left in CPC (forgot the exact number lol). Assuming there are no hiatuses, that's only 10 more weeks, or 2 and a half months - and that's pretty soon! While there is a chance that CPC might not have daily pass after it ends, it's a small one. And, to me, that sounds like a huge problem!! If CPC is put on daily pass, accessing episodes will become much more difficult. Looking for a certain character's appearances, adding images, even just finding a single reference - it'll take a day to unlock the needed episode, and that episode will be gone in 2 weeks. The best solution to this problem would probably be to just use physical copies of CPC to find things, but those aren't available to everyone.

And adding images with daily pass episodes? As a reminder, screenshotting while viewing an episode on daily pass is taken as a sign of piracy. Screenshotting, the way we get images for the wiki. I've tried poring through Webtoon's terms of use to find some answer about whether publicly posting such screenshotted images would be illegal, but there's no mention of daily pass, and the text is so dense it's hard for me to tell. (I want to say I'll take a second look at it sometime, but that's probably just going to go into my list of permanently-unfinished priorities. I doubt the physical copies would be a good alternative to screenshots, either.) Regardless, I don't want to take any chances with the law, or see however Webtoon would punish us on the chance they find our frightening screenshots. Thus, another top priority of mine is to add more images and complete more galleries before CPC ends.

Oh, yeah, and that's barely even scratching the surface! Here's more stuff we need to do, presented in an appealing (classic Mocha iykyk) bulleted list:

A major thing is filling in episode pages. Episodes 40-around 110 are basically blank - no synopsis, character list, summary, or extra information. This is the task that would likely be least burdened by the addition of daily pass, but in my opinion, it's still of the absolute highest priority.

Galleries, which display images of characters, locations, or episodes. While not generally that important, I do think it'd be a good idea to fill out mostly empty ones now - you know, since taking screenshots of CPC may become illegal in the future! Most characters have a good amount of images on their pages, thankfully (the pastel sisters have so many they were the first to get separate gallery pages); some, including Jack and Leland, have very few. Episode pages and locations often have way less, though those aren’t as important

Relationship sections for a number of characters. These involve write about characters’ relationships, though in a way that mainly describes their interactions throughout the episodes without expressing any specific opinions. Some major sections that need to be written/updated include Jamie and Leopold; Jolie and Nell; Leland and really everyone on his page but especially Jack; Jack and Lilyth; Suzanna and Lance/Lorena; the Plaid Princes with each other; and more! Many more!

History sections for a number of characters. In a similar vein to relationship sections, these just detail a character’s appearances in the story, as well as their past or other mentions of them. Examples of (mostly - Isolde's isn't fully updated yet) completed history sections include Whitney’s, Isolde’s, and Monika’s! Examples of incomplete sections include virtually everyone else’s.

You might be wondering why I, a wiki admin (in case I haven't said it enough) am not doing any of these things! That’s because I'm neglectful and pretty bad at my job. I will not sugarcoat that part anymore. As much as I love the wiki (it's where I met my best friend after all, and while I'm writing this they just went offline so he can get fucked /j) I don't have motivation to work on it very often. Really, I don't have motivation to work on much nowadays! Ama's been doing the virtually thankless job of keeping the wiki up for the past couple months, and I've been mostly absent. The wiki is only remotely as active as cpcblr because of her. I feel terrible about it, but I'd rather be writing this 9-paragraph cry for help than editing, so, uh... yeah this is a public apology to Ama. I am so sorry. I know this isn't very professional but I'm incapable of being professional about the wiki tbh

TL;DR: As CPC is ending soon, the impending threat of daily pass could take away the ability to look at episodes whenever you want, which would make wiki editing much harder. We seriously need editors to join us in finishing the wiki. Please at least consider helping us!! Any way you can is appreciated - even if you can only make very few edits, I'll be immensely grateful for your support :)

If you have any questions about anything wiki-related, contact me!! My Discord's at musicitself, and you can also always DM me on here! And here's an invite to our wiki Discord server, too!! Of course, you don't have to become a wiki editor to join, but (as was the point of this entire post) I would really really REALLY love if you did. Thank you so much for reading this long, and have a great day!

[inafieldofdaisies]

WIP Wednesday | Tagged by @jacobsneed <3 | Tagging @adelaidedrubman @thesingularityseries @socially-awkward-skeleton @direwombat @euryalex @detectivelokis @nightbloodbix @aceghosts @madparadoxum @g0dspeeed @trench-rot @josephseedismyfather @josephslittledeputy @theelderhazelnut @purplehairsecretlair @jinfromyarikawa @shegetsburned @clicheantagonist @poisonedtruth @vampireninjabunnies-blog @cassietrn @wrathfulrook @voidika @harmonyowl @strangefable @schoute and anyone with something to share <3

For this Wednesday you all are getting a little something from Sabrina and Savannah (cute as hell) and more of John slowly losing his mind. Then as a bonus because I'm so excited for her: a sneak peek into a new Peggie OC (or is she a Peggie): Mercedes "Mercy" Sibley. Wishing Jacob good luck with that one.

"Rin-Rin, did you see the butterfly! It was so pretty! Not black, though.", Savannah ran over to her, sitting down on the blanket and leaning her head on Sabrina's shoulder, "Ah, I forgot to tell you, John asked me about butterflies?" "He did?" Not giving up on your quest at unraveling all my secrets, eh, Seed? She wasn't too surprised, he was set on figuring as much as possible about her and her sister probably seemed like the path of least resistance when it comes to getting information, especially when she herself refused to share anything. Savannah nodded, "Why does your sister like butterflies?", she tried mimicking John's voice, making Sabrina laugh. "What did you tell him?" "To ask you, silly. I lied that I don't know.", her sister giggled like she had done something quite devious. "You know what I usually say about lying, Sav. But this time… it was the right call." She sighed, "I know. I won't do it all the time like mom, don't worry." "I know, pumpkin. Did he ask anything else?" Savannah titled her head, lips pursed in thought, no doubt quickly going over all her conversations with John since meeting him days back. "We just talked about random stuff, Rin-Rin. But he did ask about uncle Cal…" Of course, can you get more predictable? "What did he want to know about him?" Her sister gave her an amused look, "He asked if he came over a lot, and if he was your boyfriend." "Oh my god. He did not.", Sabrina covered her face with her hands as she took a deep breath. "He did. I told him uncle Cal used to come over for breakfast sometimes, that he brought me things,", she shrugged, "but I have no clue if he is your boyfriend." "And?" Savannah laughed, "I asked him why he wants to know and if he likes you?" "Savannah Mae!" "And he got really quiet. Oh, it was very funny.", a mischievous smile appeared on her face at the memory.

Sabrina shook her head, "What am I going to do with you.", then her tone grew serious, "If he asks anything else that seems weird, you just tell him to talk to me instead, okay? "I don't know, John. Ask her yourself." Okay?" "Of course, Rin-Rin.", her sister's narrowed in curiosity, "Do you like him?", she bumped her shoulder, "It's okay if you like him, even if he's a Peggie." Sabrina shook her head quickly, "It's nothing like that, Sav. He's a friend like uncle Cal, okay?" "Okay.", came out as a reply, then she added, "But… I think he likes yoooouuu." Savannah sign-songed the last part as she jumped back to her feet, her attention grabbed by another butterfly in the distance. Since finding out about what the beautiful insects meant to her, her sister had made it her neverending mission to find a black butterfly. Sabrina's eyes shifted to the ranch, coming to rest on John as he leaned on the balcony's railing. She could sense another one of his intense stares pointed her way. She guessed he must have come out while she wasn't paying attention, too engrossed in the conversation with Savannah. The second their eyes met, a familiar pull stirred in her even from the distance. It was a harsh reminder how much of a lie it was to call whatever happening between them "nothing". He held her gaze for what felt like eternity before turning around and disappearing back inside his room.

John closed yet another notebook, releasing a huff as he put it on top of the pile of finished ones. His frustration was festering more and more at the fact it had been hours of non-stop reading through her notes and so far he hadn't come across anything mentioning him. The whole afternoon he had fought temptation to drop what he was doing and join her outside, the way she stared at him when he allowed himself a brief look, didn't help matters. He was holding himself back from storming out and finding her, demanding to tell him about the visions, to confess if she even had them written down at all. Doubt was creeping in. Are you having a laugh at my expense, Deputy? Is that it? If she in fact hadn't noted anything related to him down, it meant she held all her secrets close, locked away in her mind. He was good at getting those out of people, he would learn everything no matter the way. In attempt to keep his head straight he had slipped back into avoiding her, he couldn't imagine going down for dinner and having to sit across from her… knowing what that would cost him, how it would chip away at his facade. Hours back Savannah cheerfully had brought him food, patting his shoulder as she said, "You're working hard, John, but you also gotta eat.", then she had rushed back out before he could even respond. The house was now quiet, the little one had gone to bed, and he found himself with another situation on his hands. It started with Sabrina's footsteps carrying past his room and fading away until the exterior door opened and shut. Minutes passed in silence, then he heard it, the faint strumming of a guitar, finding a way inside even with his windows closed, then a voice joined. Even muffled it was so melodic, beguiling him to go outside, to stand on the balcony and listen. No. Focus. John didn't give into the urge, knowing if he did, he won't be able to stay upstairs just listening, that he'd end up seeking her presense, and her singing would no doubt push him over the edge. The Project needed him. He had to ensure Calahan Hartley wouldn't destroy everything he had built. He had to make Joseph proud.

Mercy. She hated the meek woman she had to pretend to be, but she was stuck in that life, a Sunk Cost Fallacy of sorts, and she had promised herself she would get revenge no matter the means. When she officially entered the Whitetails, mindlessly following the route marked for her on a worn-out map while a non-cult song played queitly on the radio in the background, she couldn't help but dread the reaction the oldest Seed would have to her arrival. Where Joseph fully bought her lost lamb act and John always managed to force a smile her way no matter how troubling or ingenuine it seemed, while Faith eyed her with slight wary, to the Father's dismay Jacob did his hardest to make it known he disliked his protégé. It wasn't that Mercedes was desperate for the man's approval, it was more the feeling he was seeing through her facade that worried her, but she told herself if that was the case, he would have already said something to Joseph by then.

[...]

Hours later Mercedes found herself parking the car in front of the iron gates of St. Francis Veteran Center and as soon as she stepped a foot past them, one of Jacob's men was rushing at her. "Oh, my,", she feigned a flich at the sight of his weapon, "Didn't the Father warn you I would be arriving?" "He did.", the Chosen reached a hand to her, "Name's Isaac." "Mercy." "Brother Jacob is away at the moment." Mercedes smiled at him and squared her shoulders, "Is this his way of trying to get rid of me without even seeing me? Joseph sent me, so I'm not going anywhere." "He truly is away, sister.", Isaac said with a frown as he rubbed his neck, then muttered, "He knows nothing of your arrival, actually." Well, that should be fun. "Where should I wait for him then?", she asked and took a step around the man, making him block her path again. "Uh,", he stuttered out, looking uncertain, his demeanor telling her she was the last person he wanted to deal with, especially with his boss being unaware of her visit, "His office?" It came out as a question, as if he expected her to bark an order at him. "That would be just fine, thank you.", when he didn't move, she added, "Lead the way, Isaac." That finally snapped the poor guy back into action and he strode off towards the main entrance of the old yellow building, forcing Mercedes to pick up her pace, too. She tried to ignore the cages upon cages on each side of the path. A naive part of her wanted to believe Jacob was keeping wild animals in there, but reality was a bitch. Sunken faces stared back at her paired with the occasional faint plea for help. People. I'm sorry. The sight was a harsh reminder why the simple con job of getting back what Joseph had stolen from her only family had turned into so much more. Why she had given up on her old life and remained undercover for almost 388 days. Her hands gripped her dress in desperation the same way so many bloody hands were holding onto the bars. I will get you all out. Somehow. Just not today.

Isaac held the door open for her, letting her enter the decrepit former hospital first, then followed behind. "We don't get many visitors here.", he explained and took the lead again, "So you're bound to get strange looks from people." The hallways all looked similar and she wondered if his men felt like rats in a maze anytime they navigated the building. Mercedes let out a small laugh, "That's okay." Eventually he stopped in front of a door and gestured inside as he unlocked it, "I'm leaving you in here, sister. Can I trust you won't wander the building if I don't lock you in." She nodded, "Nothing to worry about here, Isaac." He gave her a relieved smile and scrambled to take his leave, "I will have someone bring you a glass of water in a few." Isaac rushed out before she could even mutter a thank you. "Talk about keeping your men on edge.", she said under her breath and shifted her eyes to the room, taking a couple of cautious steps further in. A series of small windows overlooked the fence around the hospital and the vast woods behind it that gave off a false sense of freedom if you only manage to climb over the rusty bars. If even a small portion of what she had heard about Jacob's experiments was true, once you had entered the Vet Center, your free will would be left at the door. His office was sparsely furnished from a worn-out couch, a small bookcase and old desk overflowing with documents with a single chair behind it, to the maps hanging on the walls together with a bloodred poster of him. In it Jacob was pointing with a smug look on his face with "Only You." stamped at the bottom. She ran her hands over her dress out of habit, smoothing out wrinkles that weren't even there while she stared back at the propaganda, wondering if that was the only expression he could ever muster aside from the one of hatred he would always send her way. Well, the feeling is mutual, asshole. Mercedes smiled at the thought, then frowned at how she wasn't able to freely express her dislike like he was. 388 days she wished she could finally go back to her old self and be free of pretending for a short while until the next job would come around and she would slip into a new role. 388 days she dreamed of finally being free of the Seeds. 388 days where she hoped tomorrow would offer her a chance to leave the Project behind her for good.