#i just started to write and whipped up this thing in 10 minutes

[onlyhereforthestories]

Worth It? Or Not? (Alexia Putellas x Reader)

Hi guys! It's been too long. Please enjoy this long ramble that slightly resembles writing 😂. I have a few more things written and I am trying to finish Chica for you all. Happy weekend.

It was a new season, and you were so ready for what it was going to throw at you. The last season you participated in had been your best yet you think, although that was most likely due to the fact that it was your first with your girlfriend. You and Alexia had been dancing around your feeling for each other for a few years and in the off-season last year the older woman had finally asked you out. By the time the season just gone had started you were already official, and it had made last year that much more special. You got to share your achievements with the one you loved and that really was wonderful.

Now for a new season and possibly a new step for your relationship with Alexia, she had been hinting at moving in together for the last few weeks. Little off hand comments like “That would look nice in a master bedroom.” And “I wonder if we would have a feature wall if we had our own living space.” You thought it was about time you started hinting back. You needed to be sure it was something she actually wanted before you out right asked her if she was ready to move in together.

You were currently waiting for Aitana to pick you up, Alexia had to be in earlier than everyone else this morning for a meeting and so you had slept separately, at your own apartments last night. This was the first time in weeks that you could remember not sharing a bed with the older woman. She said she didn’t want to wake you as early as she needed to be up and after trying to argue with her for 10 minutes you had given up, she just wasn’t getting that you would happily wake up early if it meant spending the extra time with her.

“So why do I have to come get your whipped ass? Where’s the wifey?” You rolled your eyes at the woman as you climbed into the passenger seat of her car. Aitana had been one of the first people you had talked to about your crush on Alexia and now the slightly younger woman took every opportunity she could to tease you about your obvious love for the team captain.

“I’m telling her you called her that, but in answer to your poorly asked question, she had an early meeting and didn’t want to wake me up at the early time she had to be up.” You shrugged your shoulders in a gesture you knew was for your benefit not hers, you had been up half the night letting your anxiety get the best of you.

“It’s Alexia, you know her, she is probably just nervous for the new season and how the new signings will fit in.” You knew that Aitana was most likely right but you also couldn’t shake the creeping feeling that she was already getting bored of being with you. You knew you shouldn’t let these thoughts get the better of you but that was easier to say than actually do, it wasn’t that you doubted Alexia at all, it was more your growing anxiety over your own worth in your head. In fact you knew it was you and your head and that just made it even more frustrating, it was another thing that made you question yourself.

“Yeah, you are probably right, she has been feeling the captain pressure a lot over the last week or so. She has been watching tapes of the new girls and talking a lot with the staff after weights. Sometimes I wish she would just switch off from work and be a little more present with me, but she’s Alexia queen of Barca. She puts 110% into this club and that’s what I signed up for happily.”

After that the conversation switched to a lighter topic and by the time you pulled up at the training ground you were feeling a lot lighter and laughing with one of your best friends. Any thoughts of Alexia not wanting you any more were long gone and all you wanted to do now was get your cleats on. Football would always be a great escape for you, it was like your mind could relax whilst you had a ball at your feet.

After getting ready in the changing room, without the appearance of your love, you headed out with the rest of the girls to find Alexia in the middle of the field with another woman you didn’t recognise. Your attention was pulled from them when Pere spoke, “Okay ladies, we have a new signing starting with us today. Alexia has been getting to know her a little bit so it’s easier for her to settle in. Please be welcoming.” You all nodded your heads in agreement and followed him over to the two women.

“Hi it’s nice to meet you all, I’m Chloe.” You could tell the woman was nervous and so could Alexia as she moved everyone onto warm-ups rather quickly. Over the course of the session everyone introduced themselves to the new girl individually so that she felt as comfortable as possible.

You had just got out of the shower and was putting the last items in your bag when Alexia approached you for the first time today. “Hola, can I ask you for a favour por favor?” You could tell she was sort of in a hurry by the lack of affection she gave you. You would normally at least get a peck to the cheek, but she barely even got close enough to you for you to hear her properly.

“Si of course.” You would do anything for the woman in front of you and everyone knew it.

“I’m taking Chloe out to see the city so she knows her way around a bit better, but I didn’t get to walk Nala this morning. Can you run round mine and do it for me? I asked Alba but she is working.” There was a lot to pick out of that passage of one-sided conversation. First you were hurt that she had gone to Alba first when Nala was like your own dog too. Second, she must have forgotten your lunch plans with Claudia and Patri that had been made a while back and you knew was on her calendar as you put it there. Something you decided not to bring up, she was just trying to help the new girl settle in you understood that.

“Yes of course. Do you want me to make dinner tonight?” You thought at least you could have some time with her that evening being as you’ve barely interacted all day.

“I won’t be back for dinner, I told Chloe I would help her sort her apartment out after showing her the sights. I don’t know what time I’ll be back y/n so maybe we should sleep in our own apartments again tonight.” You really didn’t know what to say to this, so you just nodded. You got a lot of the women’s time, so you didn’t think it was fair for you to be upset over a couple days, especially not when she was just trying to help someone out.

“Okay, I’ll see you at training tomorrow then.” You turned round and walked out of training with a slight weight on your chest and your mind running with thoughts you wish you didn’t have.

After you walked Nala and dropped her back into Alexia’s apartment, an apartment that started to feel like your own until the last 24 hours. Part of you knew this was silly to think but you couldn’t help it, you are always an overthinker and this was something that you struggled with. You didn’t even take the time to make sure Nala was settled you just open the door let her in, checked her water bowl was full and left again. Being there just felt wrong today. Deciding that your mood was really not good enough to go out and have a lunch with your two friends you texted Patri to cancel, and after assuring her you were okay just a little extra tired today, she wished you a good evening and said she would pick you up for training if you needed the next morning.

An offer you ended up taking when your texts to Alexia the next morning went unanswered. You were tired and starting to get a little annoyed with the older woman, you were trying to reason as to why she wasn’t replying to your texts and even when she did it was so spaced out it felt like she didn’t care or want to talk to you. You were trying to change that thought process, but it was hard when that’s where your mind had gone.

“Hola, you don’t look so good. Should you be coming to training.” Patri’s concerned voice almost sent you into a wave of sobs, but you held it together, your thoughts were stupid so you know you couldn’t show you were sad. You didn’t want Patri to think you were an idiot for the way you were feeling about your current situation, if it was even a situation.

“I’m just tired Pats, I’ve not slept well the last few nights and I think its just caught up to me a bit today.” You sighed in relief when she didn’t push you any further just gave you a once over and then pulled away from the outside of your apartment complex.

You were hoping the journey to training would help your mood and thoughts, but it didn’t much. Patri tried her best to cheer you up and you really appreciated the younger woman’s efforts, but you were struggling. You made your way into the changing room behind your best friend and didn’t both to look up as you made your way to your cubby. You placed your stuff down and changed into your boots, leaving the changing room straight after as the first out.

You decided some air and keepy ups might help sort your head out before training. Pere and the staff were out setting up when you went to ask for a ball, they gladly gave you one and you headed to the far end of the field to have your space. The sun beating down on you felt good and a ball at your feet always helped.

Your peace was short lived as you heard the chatter of the rest of the girls and Pere calling you all in. You grabbed your ball and headed over, looking at the group for the first time. What you saw hurt your heart more than you would say to anyone, Alexia was stood near Pere like normal. That obviously wasn’t the upsetting part, the upsetting part was that Chloe was pretty much pressed against Ale. You tried not to look too long or think too much but you struggled. You really struggled.

Training started and your thoughts just kept going. You couldn’t concentrate, you couldn’t pass right, your touches were off and none of the shots you took even went close to the goal. By the end of the first half of training everyone could tell something wasn’t okay with you, so much so that Pere called you over in the drinks break.

“What’s up today? This is very unlike you. If your sick you should have just let us know I don’t want to see you get injured if you are pushing yourself too much and then end up being out for longer than you need to be. Health is important y/n.” The way he said it wasn’t scolding which you were thankful for, you were slightly worried that he would be annoyed with you for your performance.

“I’m sorry coach. I’m not feeling my best today, I thought I’d be okay to train but I think maybe I was wrong.” You wouldn’t normally miss training unless really necessary, but you were too far gone mentally and staying here wasn’t what you needed right now.

“That’s okay some days we just need the break and to rest. Go home and we will see you hopefully tomorrow. Please pop and see the medical staff on the way out to check in with them.” With that he patted your shoulder and went back to call the team back to training.

As you walked past the group Patri caught your eye and gave you the are you okay look. You waved her off with a half-smile and continued to the changing rooms. You decided that a shower at home would be the best for you and so just changed your shoes, grabbed your stuff and headed to the medical room.

They just did some basic checks on your temperature and blood pressure before sending you off with the promise to come in first thing tomorrow if you were planning on training just to have another check before you did.

You half expected Alexia to be waiting for you outside the medical room when you walked out but she wasn’t. You walked out of the grounds to remember that you got a lift, you were just about to walk home when your name was called. For a second your body warmed thinking it was who you really wanted it to be before your shoulders slump slightly. You knew that was Patri.

“I’ll drive you home come on.” You didn’t argue you just hopped in the passenger seat. You were quiet the whole way back to your place, the only words you said to the younger woman was thank you when you got out the car.

You took your shower turning the water to as hot as you could handle. Going for comfort after that you changed into your (Alexias) comfiest hoodie and a pair of tracksuits that you really weren’t sure whose they were. You settled yourself onto your sofa and turned on a random old show you didn’t need to concentrate on.

You have no idea when you fell asleep, but you must have at some point because you were blinking yourself awake in the now pitch blackness of your living space. The only light you had was coming from your phone on the table that you now realised was ringing and must have been the reason you were currently waking up.

You reached over to grab it off the table to see who it was, glancing at the screen you were faced with your favourite photo you had ever taken. Ale had this smile that reached her eyes as she stared at you through the camera, it was taken last month when you were on vacation before the season was due to start.

You were stuck in a sort of daze so you didn’t answer the call, after it rang off you were faced with 5 miss calls from the woman. You noticed the time, you had missed lunch and dinner. You almost missed bedtime if you were being truthful to yourself, so you got up off the sofa and turned the tv off. You grabbed your phone again and headed to your bathroom to clean your teeth and get into your pjs. Once in bed you called Alexia back, who picked up after a couple rings.

“Y/n where did you go? Why did you miss training?” Her words were rushed as soon as she answered, which you felt a little bad about as she had been trying to get hold of you for a while now.

You took a deep breath, trying to organize your thoughts before answering Alexia’s question. You could hear the concern in her voice, which only made your heart ache more. It wasn’t anger or frustration—it was genuine worry. And yet, the events of the past couple of days had left you feeling vulnerable and disconnected.

“I wasn’t feeling well,” you started quietly, not wanting your voice to crack. “Pere told me to go home, and I guess I just needed some time to rest. I’m sorry I didn’t answer your calls before I fell asleep on the sofa.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. You could hear Alexia shifting slightly, probably trying to figure out the right words. She was good at taking a moment to make sure she said the correct thing, that she said everything she wanted and in a way that would be understood for what it was.

“I would’ve come with you if I knew,” she said softly. “Why didn’t you talk to me? Or at least text me when you got home?”

“I did try to talk to you,” you replied, a bit sharper than you intended. You quickly softened your tone before continuing. “I was going to tell you before I left the training grounds but when I went to go over, I saw you were in a conversation with Chloe and I didn’t want to interrupt. I know what making her feel welcome into the team means to you so I just left, Patri dropped me home.”

Alexia was silent again, and you hated that your mind immediately went back to the image of Chloe standing so close to her earlier. You knew it was unreasonable to feel threatened, but the distance you’d been feeling from Alexia over the last couple of days was making everything worse. You knew Alexia and you knew that if she was even thinking about someone else in the way she thought about you, she would end things. It was a conversation the both of you had had very early in the relationship, it was better to say and end things than cause more heartache with something like cheating.

“You’re right,” she finally said. “I’ve been caught up with the new signings, especially Chloe. I wanted to help her settle in, but I didn’t realize I was neglecting you in the process.”

You felt a lump forming in your throat as you listened to her. The fact that she acknowledged it made you feel a bit better, but it didn’t completely erase the weight that had been sitting on your chest. It still has happened.

“I get it, Ale. You’re the captain, and you’ve got responsibilities, but…” You trailed off, not sure how to express what you were feeling without coming across as needy or insecure.

“But what?” she asked gently, encouraging you to keep going.

“I just… I don’t know. It feels like we haven’t really been us these past few days. Like we’re slipping apart, and I don’t want that.”

Alexia sighed softly, and you could almost picture her rubbing the back of her neck the way she always did when she was thinking hard about something.

“I don’t want that either,” she said after a moment. “I’m sorry, really. I’ve been so focused on the new season and everything happening with the team that I haven’t been present with you. That’s not fair.”

Tears stung your eyes at her words. You hated that you had been feeling so anxious and unsure about where you stood with her. The logical part of your brain knew that Alexia loved you deeply, but sometimes, your emotions got the better of you.

“I just miss you,” you whispered, finally letting a bit of the hurt spill out.

“I miss you too,” she replied, her voice soft but firm. “I promise, when I get back, we’ll spend some real time together. Just the two of us.”

You wanted to believe her, to hold onto the comfort her words should have brought you, but as you lay there, phone pressed to your ear, something still felt off. The doubts that had been swirling in your mind all day didn’t vanish—they just simmered beneath the surface, waiting for another moment to creep back in. You tried to smile, to let her words sink in, but it felt hollow.

"Okay," you whispered, your voice weaker than you intended. There was a pause on the line, and for a second, you wondered if she could hear the uncertainty that was sitting heavy on your chest.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Get some rest. I love you,” Alexia said, her tone soft but distant, and somehow it made you feel even worse.

“I love you too, Ale,” you replied automatically, though the words felt like they got caught in your throat. You wanted to believe them, wanted to believe her. But as you hung up the phone, the heavy silence in your room returned, and with it, the creeping feeling that maybe things weren’t as solid as you hoped.

You curled up under the covers, pulling them tighter around you, but instead of the calm you craved, a lingering unease settled deep in your chest. The conversation hadn’t been enough to ease your mind, and the distance between you two felt more real than ever. Alexia cared, you knew that, but it didn’t stop the doubts from pulling you under.

As much as you tried to push it aside, the little voice in your head that had been whispering insecurities all day grew louder. What if she’s getting tired of me? What if this distance between us is because she doesn’t want to be with me anymore? The more you thought about it, the more it felt like Alexia was slipping away, even though she’d just promised to spend more time with you. The doubts began to swirl again, faster now, and the pit in your stomach deepened.

Sure, Alexia had apologized, but what if it wasn’t just about her being busy with the new signings? What if she was using that as an excuse? You started picking apart every little detail from the past few days—how she barely interacted with you this morning, how she chose to spend time with Chloe instead of you, how easily she’d forgotten your plans for lunch with Patri and Claudia. Maybe she wasn’t as invested in the relationship anymore. Maybe she was realizing that being with you wasn’t what she wanted.

You buried your face in your pillow, fighting the creeping sense of rejection. No, this is just the anxiety talking. She loves you. She said she loves you, you reminded yourself, but it felt like a hollow reassurance. Even as you repeated it, the lingering doubt wouldn’t leave you. You wanted so badly to believe her words, to take them at face value, but the overthinking was louder than reason right now.

The phone in your hand vibrated again, pulling you out of your spiral for a moment. Alexia had sent you a text: I really don’t like how we left things. Can I come over? I’ll bring dinner. We can talk.

Your heart skipped at the message. On one hand, you wanted her here. You wanted her arms around you, her presence to quiet the storm in your mind. But on the other hand, you felt like having her here would only make your insecurities worse. What if she could see right through you? What if she could tell that you weren’t okay, that you doubted her? What if she was already tired of dealing with your anxieties, your overthinking?

Before you could stop yourself, you typed back: I think it’s better if I stay alone tonight. I might be getting sick, and I don’t want to give you anything. You’ve got enough on your plate with the new season and all.

You stared at the message, second-guessing every word. It wasn’t entirely a lie—you did feel off, emotionally and physically, but that wasn’t the real reason you didn’t want her to come over. You were scared. Scared that spending time with her would only confirm the worst of your fears. That she was growing tired of you, tired of your relationship.

After a few moments, your phone buzzed again with Alexia’s response: Are you sure? I can bring soup or tea, whatever you need. I don’t mind at all.

Her willingness to drop everything and come over only made you feel worse. How could you doubt someone who was so thoughtful, so caring? But the voice in your head persisted—what if she was just doing this out of obligation? What if she felt guilty? It wasn’t long before you convinced yourself that Alexia was only offering out of a sense of duty, not because she actually wanted to be with you tonight.

Yeah, I’m sure. You replied, forcing yourself to hit send before you could change your mind. I’ll be fine. Just need some rest.

You stared at your phone, waiting for her response, hoping she would fight harder to come over, hoping she would insist. But her next message came quickly, and it felt like a punch to the gut. Okay, rest up. Let me know if you need anything, cariño. I’ll see you tomorrow at training.

Simple. Kind. But it wasn’t the push you had been hoping for. She wasn’t coming over. Maybe she was relieved, you thought bitterly. Maybe she didn’t actually want to spend time with you after all. You hated that your mind kept going there, but the doubts kept clawing at you, relentless and cruel.

Curling up tighter in your bed, you told yourself that some space was good. Maybe tomorrow would be better, maybe by then, you’d feel less overwhelmed, and Alexia would feel closer again. But as you lay there, staring at the ceiling in the dark, the weight of your insecurities was heavier than ever. You didn’t want to lose her, but right now, it felt like that’s exactly what was happening, and there was nothing you could do to stop it.

you need anything. I love you. Get some good sleep, okay?

You read the message over and over, feeling a strange mix of relief and disappointment. Relief, because Alexia wasn’t pushing you to talk when you didn’t feel ready. Disappointment, because a part of you had hoped she would sense your need for more; more reassurance, more connection, more confirmation that everything between you two was still okay. But she didn’t press further, and that left you with an emptiness that was hard to shake. Part of you knew that was silly, she had texted after your call and that should have helped but it just left you with a half full feeling. Like you were only worth that small extra effort.

As you lay there, your mind kept spiralling. You wanted to believe that this was just a rough patch, a phase, something that would pass after the season got into full swing. But the fear that something had shifted between you and Alexia lingered. You tried to push it away, to focus on the fact that she had said she loved you, that she was willing to drop everything for you. But the overthinking kept creeping back, whispering that maybe this was the beginning of the end.

You closed your eyes, pulling the blankets tighter around you, willing yourself to sleep. But even as exhaustion tugged at your body, your mind wouldn’t let go of the nagging doubts. You kept replaying the last few days in your head, every moment where Alexia had seemed distant, every conversation that had felt stilted or rushed. You hated how insecure it made you feel, but you couldn’t help it.

Alexia sits on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone, fingers hovering over the screen. She wants to call you, wants to check in, but hesitates. There’s a lump in her throat, a weight in her chest that won’t shift. You’d asked her for space, asked her not to hover, and she’s been trying, really trying, to respect that. But it’s hard. It’s so damn hard. It feels wrong to stay away, especially when she knows you’re not feeling well.

She runs a hand through her hair, frustrated with herself. She’s been distant lately and she understands that she’s not been around as much as she should have. Training, media obligations, new signings, everything’s been pulling her in different directions, and now, when you need her the most, she’s afraid she’s failing you. Alexia’s not used to feeling this way, like she’s not enough. But here she is, second-guessing everything and wondering why she let it get to this point.

What if you don’t even want her around anymore?

The thought hits her harder than she expects, and she feels a pang of guilt. You deserve someone better, someone who can be there, be present, and she’s been anything but lately. And now, with you sick, the fear creeps in even more. She worries that her attempts to give you space that you asked for might just be making things worse, that you might feel abandoned, even if that’s the last thing she ever wanted.

She presses her palms against her knees, trying to calm the whirlwind in her mind. The idea that she might not be enough, that she might not be the perfect girlfriend you deserve, gnaws at her. She’s scared she’s messing this up, that every move she makes might be the wrong one.

What if she’s not what you need right now? What if she’s been too caught up in her own world, too wrapped up in everything else to see what’s really going on with you?

Her phone buzzes, and for a moment, she thinks about texting you. But what would she even say? She feels torn, pulled between wanting to rush to your side and the fear that doing so would push you away.

She exhales sharply, setting the phone down, her hands now trembling slightly. She loves you, that much is very clear to her. But loving you and being there for you the way you deserve; it feels like two different things right now. She’s scared of being inadequate, of not living up to what you need.

In her heart, she wants to be the perfect girlfriend for you, the one who knows how to navigate all this with ease. Wants to know what you need without you having to say, wants to show you that there isn’t anyone better for you than her. But she’s scared, scared that she’s already failed.

That night, Alexia drives to your place. The streets are quiet, dimly lit by the occasional streetlamp, and the familiar route feels strange tonight, like she’s seeing it through a different lens. Her heart races the closer she gets, hands gripping the steering wheel tighter than usual.

When she finally pulls up outside, she kills the engine but doesn’t move. The silence in the car feels thick, almost oppressive, like it's pressing down on her chest. She knows she should get out, knock on your door, and just be there for you. It’s why she came, after all. But something keeps her glued to the driver’s seat, eyes fixed on the dashboard, mind spinning with uncertainty.

What if you don’t want her here?

She takes a deep breath and glances up at your window. The lights are off, maybe you’re already asleep, maybe you’ve had a long day. Her mind starts to drift even further. Maybe she’s too late. But even if you're still awake, there’s that nagging voice in her head that tells her she’s crossing a line, that you’d rather be alone. That she should have done this a few days ago not now, not when you asked her to stay away.

I shouldn’t have come.

She exhales, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her jacket. Every part of her wants to be close to you, to show up the way she should have sooner. She even reaches for the door handle, her heart pounding as she tells herself, Just get out, Ale. Just go inside and talk to her. Be there for her.

But her grip on the handle loosens, and she pulls her hand back.

What if showing up makes things worse? What if you’re still upset, still needing space, and all she does by being here is prove that she can’t respect that?

She closes her eyes for a moment, willing the doubts away, but they only get louder. She’s scared, scared that you’ll see right through her. Scared that, no matter how hard she tries, she’s already failed you.

With a frustrated sigh, she pushes the door open and steps out of the car. The night air hits her, cool and crisp, and she stands there, staring at your front door. Her feet move her a few steps closer, but then she stops, frozen halfway across the street. To any passerby she would look slightly crazy, standing in the middle of the street, car door open behind her and staring at a closed door. But alexia didn’t care, she couldn’t think about anything else other than you.

She could knock, could tell you everything that’s been going through her head, but what if it’s too much? What if it’s too soon?

Alexia takes a deep breath and steps back, retreating to the safety of her car. She sits there, hands resting on the wheel again, feeling like a coward. But the thought of doing the wrong thing, of making things harder for you, keeps her from getting back out the car.

Tomorrow, she thinks. Tomorrow I’ll speak to her.

It’s a promise she makes to herself, hoping that maybe, with a little more time, she’ll find the right words.

The next morning, you woke up feeling no better than the night before. If anything, the pit in your stomach had only grown. You glanced at your phone, half-expecting to see a message from Alexia, but there was nothing. No good morning text, no follow-up to check on you. That left a really bitter feeling inside of you, one that you hated feeling for two reasons. One, you knew in your heart she wasn’t trying to make you feel that way, and two because you felt that way.

As you dragged yourself out of bed, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. You tried to convince yourself that Alexia was just busy, that she was giving you space like you asked. But deep down, the doubt gnawed at you. What if the space you asked for was pushing her further away?

You knew you needed to talk to her, to clear the air, but the thought of confronting your feelings made you anxious. What if she confirmed your worst fears? What if she said she wasn’t sure about the relationship anymore? You weren’t sure you could handle that.

Still, as you got ready for training, you decided to talk to her today. No more avoiding the conversation. You needed to know what was happening, you needed to clear things up. Not only for your relationship but for your own mind. There was a small voice at the back of your head telling you that speaking to Alexia about why this has happened might be a good idea, but you ignored that for the moment. That would mean showing those deep insecurities. And you weren’t sure if you were ready for that yet.

With the decision made, you grabbed your things and headed out the door, hoping that today would bring some clarity and maybe, just maybe, the reassurance you desperately needed.

Stepping out of the building, you're caught off guard. Alexia is there, leaning against her car, arms folded, sunglasses perched on her nose. She straightens up the moment she spots you, waving casually as if this is the most normal thing in the world. Which a week ago it would have been.

"Hey," she says lightly, her tone casual, maybe a little too casual. Stop reading so much into it y/n.

"Hey," you respond, trying to hide your confusion. "Didn’t expect to see you here."

She shrugs, unlocking the car with a beep. "Thought I’d give you a lift to training. I know Patri picked you up and dropped you home yesterday. I also wanted to check on you properly. How’re you feeling?"

There’s a pause, you are unsure if she’s asking about how you're feeling physically or mentally. "I’m... fine. Maybe a bit tired." Short and sweet, that will do for now.

"Yeah, it’s been a long week," she comments, sliding into the driver’s seat. You follow, buckling in, and the car hums to life as she pulls out onto the road. For a moment, the silence sits between you two, neither of you quite sure how to fill it.

"Traffic’s light today," she notes, glancing briefly at you. "Should get there in no time."

You nod, grateful for the small talk. "Yeah, that’s good."

Another beat of quiet passes.

"Did you see the new kit design?" she asks, her tone light, as if she’s trying to keep the conversation safe.

"Yeah, I did. Looks pretty sharp, though I’m not sure about the neon stripes," you reply, relaxing into the seat a little.

She chuckles softly. "Not a fan?"

You crack a small smile. "Not really my thing. Maybe it’ll grow on me."

The conversation fades again, but this time it feels easier, more comfortable. She’s not pushing, not prying into anything deeper. It feels like both of you are skirting around something bigger, but for now, the surface level is just fine.

Before long, you arrive at the training centre. Alexia leads you inside, where the trainers are waiting. The check-up is routine, some stretches, a few prods here and there and soon, they clear you to train.

"You’re good to go," the head trainer tells you with a nod.

As you step out onto the pitch, Alexia lingers nearby, not hovering, but subtly making sure you’re all right. During the water breaks, she’s quick to hand you a bottle, reminding you to stay hydrated. It's nothing overt, just small gestures that don’t go unnoticed by you.

Training passes, and as you finish up, wiping the sweat from your face and stretching out your tired muscles, you see her approaching again. This time, there’s something different in her expression.

"You did well today," she says with a small, approving smile.

"Thanks," you reply, sensing the shift in the air, the conversation about to take a more serious turn.

She hesitates for a second, then takes a deep breath. "Look... do you want to come back to mine? We need to talk. I think we’re overdue for it."

Her words hang between you both, but the way she says it feels less like a confrontation and more like an invitation. There’s no pressure, no demand, just a simple request.

You meet her gaze, unsure of what this conversation will bring, but knowing it’s inevitable. Whatever is currently going on with you two needs to be addressed and soon. Neither of you enjoying your current situation and definitely not wanting it to continue on this way.

"Yeah," you say, surprising yourself with how quickly the word comes out. "Let’s go."

You hesitate to take the hand Alexia reaches out in front of you, but when she gives you that small smile and slight tilt of her head you can’t help but grab on. You are once again conflicted when she lets go once you are on your feet, but when she awkwardly scratches at her neck as she gestures for you to start walking you can’t help the affection for her that rises in your chest.

The drive to Alexia’s is quiet, not awkward, but there’s a tension that hangs in the air. The radio plays softly in the background, a low hum of noise filling the silence as neither of you speaks much. You glance at her now and then, noticing how her hands grip the wheel just a little too tight, how her jaw seems tense. She’s trying to seem calm, but you know her well enough to see the nerves beneath the surface.

When you arrive at her apartment, Alexia unlocks the door and once again gestures for you to go inside first. You step in, and the familiarity of her space washes over you, a space that’s been shared so many times, but tonight feels different. She lingers by the door for a moment, taking a breath before following you in.

You both sit down on the couch, a little distance between you. Alexia fidgets with her fingers, playing with her rings, clearly trying to gather her thoughts. Finally, she speaks, her voice softer than usual, almost unsure.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner,” she says, her eyes not quite meeting yours. “I wanted to, but... I didn’t know if you’d want me there.”

You sit quietly, listening, waiting for her to continue. You know it is only fair to let her finish without interrupting, your time to speak will come.

“I know I haven’t been... the best lately. I’ve been distant, and I can’t even explain why in a way that makes sense,” she admits, her voice wavering slightly. “And then when you got sick... I wanted to be there for you. I should have been there, but you asked for space, and I didn’t want to make things worse.” You could hear the sadness and longing in her voice as she spoke, it made your heart hurt a little more thinking about how this has negatively affected her as well as you.

She looks down, her fingers twisting together nervously. “But I just kept second-guessing everything. Like, if I showed up, I’d be doing the wrong thing. And maybe... maybe you don’t even want me around anymore.”

Her words hang in the air, heavy with uncertainty and vulnerability. She’s never said anything like this before, never doubted herself like this when it came to your relationship. When it came to you.

You feel the weight of her worry, and it’s clear that she’s been wrestling with this more than you realized. Had you not been the best girlfriend either? Had she been worrying about this for more than just the last few days? There’s a long pause before she speaks again.

“I’m scared I’m not the girlfriend you deserve,” she finally says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I feel like I’m failing you... like I haven’t been there when you needed me most.”

Her eyes finally meet yours, and they’re filled with doubt, something you’re not used to seeing in her. Alexia, who’s always so composed, so sure of herself, now looks like she’s bracing for something, maybe rejection, maybe confirmation that her fears are true.

You take a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment. You know this talk has been coming, but hearing her say it, seeing her so vulnerable, hits you differently. There's a part of you that wants to just reach out and hold her, to tell her it’s all okay, but you know this conversation needs to happen. You know that the both of you need to communicate these feelings and work on how you can do it without it getting to this stage again, if there is going to be again.

“Alexia...” you start, choosing your words carefully, “I never said I didn’t want you around. I asked for space because I needed it, not because I wanted you out of my life.”

She nods slowly, but her expression remains uncertain. You continue, “I’ve been going through a lot, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you here. It’s just... sometimes I need to figure things out on my own. That doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”

Alexia exhales, her shoulders sagging a little in relief, but the tension is still there. “I just... I feel like I haven’t been enough lately. I’ve been so focused on everything else that I haven’t made time for us, for you, and then when you needed me most, I just... froze.”

You shift closer to her, your hand gently resting on hers. “I know you’re busy. I never expected you to be around all the time, Ale. I don’t need you to be. I just need you to be... present. To be you.”

Her eyes soften at your words, and she looks down at your hand that is soft on top of hers, her thumb brushing over your knuckles. “I’m sorry,” she says again, her voice steadier now. “I’ll do better. I want to be better, for you. For us.”

You nod, understanding the weight of what she’s saying. It’s not about perfection, not about always getting it right. It’s about showing up, about trying, even when it’s hard, even when doubts creep in.

“I just need us to be open with each other,” you say. “If you’re feeling off or distant, tell me. If you’re unsure about something, we’ll figure it out together. But don’t shut me out, and don’t shut yourself down thinking you’re not enough. And I’ll do better too. I have had so many insecure thoughts over the last few days and I’m sorry for those. I’m sorry that you get affected by them and I’m sorry I didn’t communicate with you about them. That wasn’t fair of me.”

You take a second to think about what you want to say next.  Alexia’s eyes stay locked on yours, her expression softening even more as she listens. Her hand tightens just slightly around yours, a silent acknowledgment of the weight of what you’re both sharing. The tension between you eases further, but the conversation isn’t over yet.

You take a breath, choosing your next words carefully, wanting to make sure she understands where you're coming from.

“I’ve been in my head a lot,” you admit, your voice steady but full of emotion. “I thought that maybe you weren’t showing up because I wasn’t... worth it. That you were pulling away because I’ve been too much to handle. And instead of talking to you about how I was feeling, I just let it build up. I guess I was scared that saying it out loud would make it real.”

Alexia’s brow furrows as she shakes her head gently. “You’re never too much,” she says quietly, her thumb still brushing softly over your hand. “I never want you to feel that way. I hate that you’ve been carrying that, and I didn’t know. That I couldn’t help.”

You nod, grateful for her words but also aware of how important it is to keep the lines of communication open moving forward. “I know you care, I do. I just... I need to trust that more. And I need to talk to you when I’m struggling, not shut you out. I’m sorry for that.”

Alexia leans in closer, her voice filled with sincerity. “We’ll both do better. We’ll figure this out together. You’re not alone in this. I want to be there for you, and I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel like I wasn’t.”

You feel a wave of relief wash over you, and for the first time in days, it feels like the distance that had crept between you is finally closing. There’s a warmth in the room now, a sense of mutual understanding and a willingness to do better, together.

“I don’t need us to be perfect,” you say softly. “I just need to know that we’re in this together. That we can lean on each other, even when things aren’t easy.”

Alexia nods, her eyes shining with emotion. “We are. I promise. I love you, and I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

A small smile tugs at your lips as you lean forward, pressing your forehead against hers. The silence that falls between you now isn’t heavy or filled with uncertainty. It’s peaceful, comforting.

“I love you too,” you whisper.

For now, the words are enough. There’s more to work through, more conversations to be had, but you know that you’re both committed to making this work. And for the first time in a while, you both feel like you're on solid ground again.

Alexia pulls you closer, wrapping her arms around you, and you sink into the embrace. The weight of the past few days begins to lift, replaced by a quiet sense of hope for what comes next.

After the heaviness of the conversation finally lifts, you and Alexia share a soft smile, the tension replaced by a quiet, comforting peace. The air between you feels lighter, and as if sensing the shift, Alexia’s lips curve into a small grin.

“How about we get some takeout?” she suggests, her voice playful yet warm. “I don’t feel like cooking, and I think we both deserve a break tonight.”

You chuckle, nodding in agreement. “That sounds perfect. I could definitely go for some comfort food.”

It doesn’t take long before you’ve both decided on your usual, something easy and satisfying. The soft glow of the kitchen light reflects off Alexia’s face as she places the order, her expression more relaxed than it’s been in days. You can’t help but feel a sense of relief, like things are finally settling back into place.

Not long after, the smell of freshly delivered food fills the room, and you both settle on the sofa, plates balanced on your laps, the comfort of being together in the small, familiar space wrapping around you like a warm blanket.

“Movie?” Alexia asks, already flicking through the streaming options.

“Nothing too heavy,” you say with a smile. “Something we can just zone out to.”

She nods in agreement, finally settling on a classic comedy that always makes you both laugh. As the opening credits roll, you finish your food and tuck yourself into her side, her arm instinctively wrapping around your shoulders, pulling you closer.

As the movie plays, the light from the screen flickers softly against the walls, casting a warm glow over the room. You’re snuggled close into Alexia’s side, her arm still draped around your shoulders, fingers lazily tracing small patterns on your arm. The comfort of it all makes you feel more at ease than you’ve felt in days.

At some point, the film becomes background noise. You’re more focused on the way Alexia’s thumb brushes your skin or the occasional glance you catch of her watching you instead of the movie. You shift slightly, turning your face up toward her, and her gaze softens as your eyes meet.

Alexia smiles, a tender warmth in her expression, and you can’t help but lean in. The first kiss is soft, almost shy, like you’re both still figuring out the rhythm after the tension of the last few days. Her lips linger against yours for a moment longer than usual, and when you pull back, you see the quiet joy in her eyes, a silent thank you for being open and honest with her, for being here.

Without a word, you lean in again, your lips meeting hers in a series of soft, gentle kisses. They’re unhurried, sweet, filled with a quiet kind of affection that says more than words could in this moment. Alexia’s hand comes up to cradle your cheek, her thumb grazing your jawline as she deepens the kiss slightly, but it’s still slow, still soft.

When you finally pull away, her forehead rests against yours, her breath mingling with yours as you both smile, the movie all but forgotten now.

“I missed this,” she whispers, her voice barely audible, as if speaking too loudly would shatter the quiet moment.

“Me too,” you whisper back, brushing a kiss on the corner of her lips, your hands finding their way into hers.

She presses another kiss to your lips, this one lingering, and you both relax into the warmth of each other, the world outside fading as the night slips by.

There’s no rush, just the two of you, lost in the soft comfort of being close, the rest of the night spent in quiet kisses and shared smiles, wrapped up in each other as the movie plays on in the background. There is no need for more words tonight. You both know you’re in this together, that the promise made earlier will be something you will both work at together. And for right now, that’s enough.

[bitchimasnake-sss]

i love from me to you sm! 😭 like it aimed directly to my heart 😭 you're so good at writing stuff so, here i am asking for a zoro!fic where reader hides that she got wounded during their last battle and zoro founds out and our poor moss head thought reader was gonna die so, he confessed (i just love flustered zoro) 😚 n e ways, continue writing the best stories!! lotsoflove! - glasses of nanamin

i feel like this is your second ask cause of the "n e ways" but lol, eitherways that's such a cute concept!! i would love love love this (i tweaked the prompt a little bit to fit it better, but i hope you like it it still)

got me losin' my cool ft. roronoa zoro!

set-up: as anon asked!! you get hurt during a fight and zoro almost has a mental breakdown haha live, laugh, love <3

warning: a bit of angst, zoro is a dumbass. otherwise, wholesome!

roronoa zoro's feet pound against the earth and he was sure that with every leap he took, his heart sunk further under. his fingers were clammy. so very clammy against your soft skin. and he was sure the sweat dripping off his forehead and dropping onto your bloodied tank top was the last thing you wanted to see before you died.

"zo—" you rasped helplessly and your voice felt like graters against his skin. your chapped lips, almost closed eyes, the wound on your stomach and your week, blood-stained hand on it. he couldn't even bear to look at you without wanting to breakdown.

"stop talkin, please." he clenched his jaw tighter, the sound of teeth against teeth jarring. and although he refused to look down at you, cradled carefully in his arms, he could hear the desperate heaves that rocked your body.

he picked up the pace, ducking under hanging vines and leaping over overgrown roots of ancient trees carefully, so, as to not hurt you. the ship should be two minutes away, docked at the edge of the island and chopper must be there. and chopper would know what to do. how to help you.

zoro had to just deliver you to chopper.

but with his poor geographical skills, he felt like he had been running for the past thirty minutes without finding the ship. and he was certain the ship was docked only 10 minutes away from where the fight was taking place between the strawhat crew and a local pirate crew.

"zoro—" you started again.

why were you speaking? DID YOU WANT TO DIE?

"—don't use up your breath. please." he panted, feet still working to find the ship. where was that goddamn ship?

"that side—" you winced as you pointed your arm in the opposite direction. you coughed, wincing again before whispering, "the sunny."

zoro's head whipped around to look behind him. and at once, he changed the course. running as fast as he could, he soon found himself at the rocky beach the ship had been docked at.

"CHOPPER!" the swordsman bellowed for the mini doctor as he climbed up the ship. the reindeer was peering over the deck and when he looked at your nearly passed-out figure, he yelped in surprise.

"she got stabbed." zoro explained as he carried you inside to chopper's makeshift office/operation theater. laying you down gently, they both looked guilty as you groaned and clutched your own hand on the wound tighter.

"i need to apply some anti-septic, clean the wound and stitch it up." chopper stated, eerily calm in the heat of the moment. "here—" he gave zoro a sterilized cloth from his cupboard, "—apply it to her wound. put pressure on the area, i need to go make the anti-septic really quick."

"you have to make it? how long will that take?" if the swordman wasn't scared out of his wits, he would be surprised at how desperate he sounded.

"five minutes."

zoro looked at the reindeer wide-eyed. but the reindeer ran off, presumably to make the said medicine.

he looked back at you, putting the cloth to the wound and gently pushing down. he knew how to make the bleeding stop, he had done this multiple time. what he hadn't done multiple times was see you so lifeless, so incredibly overtaken by pain.

"hey." he found himself saying softly. softer than he had ever spoken before, "hey, can you look at me? hear me?"

you nodded slowly and relief washed over him. atleast you hadn't lost all cognitive senses.

"just focus on my voice, okay?" he knelt down so that he was on your eye-level from the bed. his other hand gingerly took ahold of yours. mindlessly, he rubbed soothing circles on your skin. he repeated, "just focus on my voice. yeah, close your eyes. i'm here okay?"

you found yourself closing your eyes, relying solely on the darkness of your eyelids and his voice to guide you to safety. his hand felt like a familiar weight against your stomach, the kind of touch that will renew a dead man and get him climbing back from his grave. his voice was sweet, too sweet to be even called his.

"i—" he paused, rubbing your skin with the pad of his thumb, "chopper's gonna fix you up, you know. h-he always does. i mean you're stronger than this. you'd survive, right?"

he's not sure if he meant to ask it as a question. he was sure he had said it to sound reassuring. but somewhere in between him uttering the words and you hearing them, they had turned into a desperate, desolate plea.

your chest fluttered underneath him, your breath strained. the face he adored slowly scrunched up from the pain. and he found himself talking even more.

"focus on me, okay? just me." he steeled his voice. and his nerves. "you'd be okay. you know, you always said you'd make me mochi, you never did. you said you'd make sake flavoured mochi. is that even a thing?" he laughed despite himself. it was barely a laugh. a pitiful scoff maybe? it was not the kind of laugh that would fool you.

"uh— once you get better." he pretended to ignore the way your body seemed to go slack under him. he repeated, "once you get better, i'm gonna convince franky to make us fireworks. you love those. and- and nami. i'd convince that money-hungry witch to lend me some money so that i can take you out. we will go shopping. you always said you—"

why were you so awfully quiet? usually, you'd talk to the point where he wanted to cut his ear off. now, he wanted to her you. he wanted to hear you call him a moss-head like sanji and he wanted you to laugh when he yelled at luffy for doing something stupid. and—

"—hey?" his voice pitched higher, "please wait, chopper will be back yeah?"

but you didn't even shake your head a weak yes. his shaky fingers reached out to look for your pulse on your neck. it was there. feeble, but there. but for how long?

how long till he lost you?

his throat was closing up, he couldn't breathe. his eyes burned and he was sure he was gonna mark your skin with his own from the way he held onto your wrist.

why won't you talk to him? call out his name, god fucking dammit. nobody called his name the way you did. as if you liked the syllables enough to make a home out of them. nobody smiled at him the way you did. so sweet, too sweet for him. you were everything. even though he was just another wrecked, broken boy with dreams too big for his mortal body, you were everything.

"please," he clutched onto you like a maddening bastard, "please. just hold on, okay?"

but bile seemed to crawl farther up his throat every time you didn't respond. not even a slight glance. not even the movement of a pinky. his fingers checked for your pulse. faint, but there.

and he couldn't hold his words back. he called out your name in a desperate effort to awaken you. water blurred his vision and he blinked it away. his throat was scratchy. too scratchy. and where was chopper?

"i love you." he finally confessed, not thinking much of his words than the fact that he just wanted you to hear them. "i love you so much. i have for so long. i-it wasn't supposed to be like this. i- i was gonna take you out to explore some island. i would have bought you food and called you an idiot when you smiled at me. then— then." he paused, "i would have told you i loved you. you would have said nothing back. and i would have loved even despite that."

he called out your name, sobs racking through his body like accursed symphonies.

"move." chopper was back, in his hand was a ceramic bowl with a green, gooey paste. "go out. i'd call you back, okay?"

if chopped noticed the state zoro was in, he simply chose not to dwell on it. and if zoro had any residual doubts for what kind of a doctor chopper was, he didn't dwell on them either. he caressed your hand one last time and stepped out.

⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚

the swordsman had been pacing around the deck. none of the members were back and it gnawed on his heart. what if they were hurt too? should he go back to see? but how could he leave chopper and you alone here? and what kind of a first mate was he if he cannot even save his own crew?

the world's greatest swordman be damned.

chopper stepped out and zoro looked at the doctor, frantic. chopper gave him a sigh and chased it with a smile, "she's okay."

zoro was not sure if it was the exhaustion, or the relief, or some other feeling his gut had concocted in him without asking. but he crashed down on his knees. his palms felt rough against his face and when he inhaled, he could smell dried blood on them.

"hey." chopper trotted towards him, keeping his paw on the green-haired man's shoulders, "she's okay, really. they missed any vital spots and she didn't lose a lot of blood. she will heal, okay?"

zoro couldn't do anything but just nod along. then, when he had the courage to look away from his hands. he looked at the doctor, finally muttering a faint "thank you."

the reindeer blushed at the compliment, "don't thank me. but you know, once she's better, you should tell her how you feel. this time maybe while she's conscious."

"chopper." the swordsman groaned.

the reindeer shrugged mechanically, "i won't tell anyone what i heard if you promise to take her out on that date."

after much deliberation— having to choose between humiliation at the hand of his crewmates when they discovered his crush or the humiliation from his crush when he finally confessed— he finally gave in. after all, humiliation from one was better than humiliation from seven. especially that fucking cook.

"fine." he grumbled, "i'd take her out."

⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚

it had been two weeks since you were stabbed. well, you didn't talk to anyone about it, really. but when you drifted off into the wicked embrace of sleep, you would be plagued by the memories. and well, a confession.

it's not like you were pretending to be dead!! your body had simply given up. it was exhausted from the fighting and the not-dying. so, when you were laid on chopper's bed to be patched up, your body had gone slack. but just because your body had gone slack doesn't mean you weren't awake.

it had been two weeks and you hadn't told the green-haired asshole what you had heard. why? maybe cause you thought he would make the first move. or maybe because you weren't quite sure if he actually said those things or if you hallucinated it to dilute the pain.

eitherways, seemed like things between you and the mosshead were the same as they were before the incident. and you were really starting to consider the hallucination excuse. but then—

"hey." zoro quipped up as he came to stand beside you. it was cloudy today, the grey skies churning in anticipation of a storm. the winds were unkind and the sea was malevolent. beautiful nonetheless.

"oh hey." you turned and gave him a small smile. you shifted from one feet to another, pretending as if you weren't terrified of the route this conversation might take, "whats up?"

"uh—" he looked back for a spilt-second and you saw— from the corner of your eyes— chopper hidden behind a bunch of boxes, giving zoro his best death glare. zoro sighed, "so, uh, this is random, i think? but when we dock on the next island tomorrow morning. do like... do you want to go see some new sword-cleaning equipment with me?"

you shouldn't have laughed. but you did.

"what's funny?!" his eyes widened and his cheeks were dusted pink.

"no-nothing." you heaved, closing your eyes. "that's the best excuse you could come up with? sword cleaning equipment?"

"what do you mean 'excuse'? i need some equipment!"

"zoro." you forced open your eyes, your smile still frozen over your lips, "if you want to go out on a date with me, you should say that okay?"

his ears went red and he looked away. you were sure if the weather was quiet, you could hear his heart picking up the pace. clearing his throat, he finally asked, "who told you? chopper?"

"no, dummy." you reached your hand out, taking his calloused palm in yours. your thumb rubbed familiar patterns on his hand, "you did."

"me?" he snapped to look back at you, "me?"

you just gave him a grin, "this reminds me, i did promise you i'd try making sake flavoured mochi. i never did. but again, you said you'd ask frankie to make us fireworks and we're still firework-less. but hey, i forgive you if you forgive me okay?"

his head could have burst open from the sheer pressure on his brain but you continued, "but eitherways, what i really mean is that if you said i love you." you stepped a bit closer, "i'd say i love you too."

your hand let go of his and you chose to walk away, leaving him dumbfounded. when his senses came to him, he ran upto you, "YOU HEARD THAT ALL?!"

"all of it."

"ugh."

"heh, it was kinda cute."

"i thought you were dying, woman."

"in a way, we all already are."

"have you been hanging out with robin too much? god, kill me."

"god doesn't need to. you're already dying."

"i want to die faster."

you took his hand back in yours and pulled him towards yourself. pecking his cheek, you said, "no. we still have to go on that date. i mean, if you ever actually ask me."

the flustered mess that was rorononoa zoro just sighed. accepting his fate, he asked, "well, do you wanna go on that date or what?"

you snickered, "i'll think about it"

"do you live to annoy me?"

"maybe. but you love meee."

"i might change my mind after this."

but despite his words, his fingers stayed gently intertwined with yours. hey, maybe getting stabbed in the stomach wasn't all that bad? (jk, it was very very bad)

a/n: i love writing stoic men are flustered little guys lmaoo. hopefully y'all like this? i've been writing a lot of fluff/semi-angst lately. i wanna write some nsfw content but im so out of ideas. send reqs if you guys have anything in mind!!

[darling-im-wonderstruck]

could you write something where peter and reader are having a study date, but peter falls asleep and reader just lets him be/tucks him in?? tysm

don’t want to miss a thing.

synopsis : getting peter to sleep wasn’t going to be as difficult as you’d thought.

pairing : bf!peter parker x reader

wc : 490 +

warnings : none ! super fluffy sleepy!peter is all you need to worry about :) (normal sized text belowww + this is college!peter)

‎‎ masterlist | request | navigation

a/n : hi nonnie !! thank you so so much for this request <3 i actually whipped this one up pretty quickly because of the rush of inspiration your request gave me hehe :) hope you enjoy it !

it was nearly midnight when you started to notice peter’s eyelids practically begging to fall, his head was inching closer and closer to the surface of your desk. which, admittedly, was somewhat adorable. he’d been like this for the past hour, though it was getting progressively worse every passing minute.

you were in your room, catching up on some studies alongside peter. the boy found every single excuse to be with you, and when you said that you didn’t have time (due to your need to study), he came up with the perfect compromise. a study date.

though, by the time he’d come back from patrolling, it was already 10 pm, and naturally, he was exhausted. but you knew peter, therefore, you knew he was going to put up a fight rather than accepting defeat and falling asleep.

“pete, you look like you’re about to pass out.” you say softly, causing him to whip his head to your direction.

“no, no, no, no. i’m wide awake!” he shoots himself up, making you let out a small laugh, causing the tenseness of his body to disappear. your laugh comforted him.

“i think you need some rest. c’mon, this can wait.” you stood up and gestured for him to go to your bed, but he shakes his head.

“‘m okay, really.” his attempt to assure you was failing, given that he was falling asleep as he said that very sentence.

“you’re so cute when you’re tired.” you smile at him, he returned it with a lazy smile and continued to attempt answering a few practice questions on his worksheet.

“you think so?” he has a smug smirk on his face. gosh. you couldn’t help but giggle.

“just tell me when you wanna call it a day, okay?” you say as you sat back down beside him and continued your work. 

“talk to me? tell me about your day, that’ll help keep me up.” he asks, keeping himself focused on his work.

“oh! okay then! well, after class, while you were out, i ended up coming over and talking to may, and she showed me a bunch of your baby photos, which, might i say, were so cute.” peter sat closer to you, and you thought nothing of it as you continued talking.

“mhm…” his responses became increasingly incoherent as you continued talking about what aunt may had told you. he was falling asleep before he began to realize it.

“so then, i asked may- oh, you’re asleep.” your voice starts with its normal volume and you quiet down as you realize.

 oh.

he’d found a comfortable spot on your shoulder as you were talking and slowly began to drift off. you observed a small, barely there smile that he had as he slept. his arms were rested around your waist and his face was buried into the crook of you neck. he was finally relaxed.

you found it increasingly difficult to move at all, in fear of him waking up, so you decided that it’d be good for you to get some rest as well.

you press a soft kiss on his cheek (and you may or may not have taken a quick photo of him for your wallpaper) before resting your head gently on his, but you felt him move ever so slightly, so you lift your head up, and so did he.

all he did was smile at you, and you did the same, right before he rubbed his eyes and rested himself onto your shoulder yet again.

work could wait, this, however, couldn’t.

taglist : (send me an ask to be added hehe !) @live-laugh-lovejoy

a/n : thank you for reading loves !!!! requests are open, as per usual, pls just be patient w me, feel free to reblog as it is very important to support writers &lt;3

[scuderiasundays]

the one where the stars aligned

summary: 3 am flashbacks to packed pizzerias, comfortable silences, and post-race kisses + a little insta au at the end 💌

words: 871

a/n: writing fics is my form of self care. i’m seeing a lot of lando love so i thought i’d whip something up! tagging @vamossainz55, @sainzcaleruega , @monzabee, @ssainzz, @holllandtrash, and @diorleclerc just because. feedback appreciated as always. hugs and kisses 🫶🏼

"Come on, put down the melatonin gummies and lend a hand," Lando's voice beckoned, as he motioned for you to join him. It was Lando's brilliant idea to start building shelves for his prized helmet collection at the ungodly hour of 3 AM. Despite feeling drained from a full day of traveling, jet lag refused to let either of you rest. As you took in the sights of Monaco in the dark, your mind couldn't help but picture everyone sound asleep in their beds—a stark contrast to the state you and Lando were in, blasting Burna Boy and diving headfirst into a DIY date night.

You plopped down beside him, and he handed over some screws and posts. To be honest, you had no clue what you were doing, so you just sat there, watching your boyfriend hum along and niftily arrange the pieces. There was a particular air about Lando when he was focused: his slightly creased forehead, furrowed eyebrow, and bitten lip. He caught you midthought and playfully said, "Less staring, more doing," as he handed you the instruction manual.

Maybe it was the sleep deprivation or the fact that your two-year anniversary was coming up, but you found your mind aimlessly wandering. Lando had entered your life at a time when you least expected it. It all began on an evening out in London, which your friends now playfully referred to as "The One Where the Stars Aligned."

You had found yourselves scrambling for a last-minute table at a quaint pizzeria one of you had discovered on TikTok. The restaurant, a charming hole-in-the-wall, was filled to the brim with lively conversation and the aroma of freshly baked pizza. Your waiter hastily directed you to a 10-person table at the heart of the bustling scene, disappearing before any of you could say a word. The long table was already occupied by a few guys who looked to be your age. Reluctant but ravenous, you found yourself settling beside one of them. Throughout the night, you and your mystery man talked nonstop, effortlessly volleying back and forth. The rest, as they say, was history.

There were countless reasons you loved your boyfriend, but a few things really stood out. Lando's attentiveness was unmatched. If a conversation made you uneasy, he would pick up on it and hurry to your side, ready to rescue you from any situation. If he noticed a Netflix show had you on the verge of tears, he would edge closer to you on the couch and quietly slide over a box of tissues. If you were lost for words to congratulate him on an impressive drive, he would kiss you simply to shut you up.

Even though Lando's job required him to exude confidence and poise in public, behind closed doors, he was just as much of an introvert as you. Whether sitting side by side in his driver's room, with him editing photos and you buried in a book, there was an ease to the silence that never felt uncomfortable. It was your way of recharging your social batteries, soaking up each other's presence without the need for constant conversation.

You had also grown to love the people Lando surrounded himself with. He was big on quality time and always sought to spend as much of it with you as possible. Initially unsure if his friends would appreciate your constantly hanging around, you were pleasantly surprised when they warmly embraced you into their circle. "I'm just glad he's found someone else to bother instead of P and me," Max jokingly said during a double date at the driving range.

Your bond with Flo had also grown stronger, as you joined her for one-on-one horse-riding lessons at the stables. She would share stories about little Lando, granting you intimate glimpses into his past that, without him knowing, made you love him even more.

Lando went above and beyond to introduce you to the other drivers too. You often third-wheeled on Carlando outings, intervening when they bickered like an old couple. On some nights, he’d arrange actual double dates with Carmen and George, the three of you trying but always failing to convince Lando to try some sushi.

You were the first person he FaceTimed when Daniel had confided he’d be back on the grid sooner than expected. “If this leaks, I’ll know who to hunt down,” he giggled while munching a chicken quinoa wrap, his staple pre-race meal.

Lost in reverie, you hadn’t even realized you’d zoned out until Lando waved his hands frantically in front of you, snapping you back to reality. The shelves were now magically built, showcasing the colorful helmets he’d raced in and swapped over the years.

“What were you thinking about, babe?” He asked as he stepped back to double check that the shelves were even.

“Just how much I love you,” you replied as you gave him a peck on the cheek.

If you could be anywhere in the world, you’d still choose to be right there with him, watching the sunrise paint your apartment the warmest shade of orange. You closed your eyes and silently prayed that you and Lando would always be this close, forever and ever.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

liked by ciscanorris1, alex_albon, and 41,113 others

landonorris: a few of my favorite thingssss

yourusername: not even pressed danny ranks higher than me! he’s back like he never left 🙌🏼

danielricciardo: bisous

landonorris: nobody compares to you, baby!!

flonorris1: don’t have too much fun without me, lovebirds 🧡

heidiberger_: what a flight! let @yourusername and i know if anyone wants to join our “my boyfriend has a distinctive laugh” club

yourusername: more like the “i couldn’t get any sleep because my boyfriend kept cackling” club 🫠

fan2: the wags are spilling tea and i ADORE them

barbiethemovie: she’s everything. he’s just ken.

mclaren: in lando we trust 🫡

[tac-the-unseen]

Howdy!

I was going through your master list for all of your questions and notice you had something down for sleep demon?

I don't know what that is but I'm sold! So can you make a creepy fluff for whatever it is?

Please and thank you'

Love,

Anon <3

Of course! I had an old draft of this so I just only needed to finish it lol

Sleep Demon x reader

(Creepy Fluff) 

You lay in bed with your hands over your eyes. You really need to sleep but your mind won't stop. You can feel a dull drum behind your eyes, pounding away like you don't have an early shift tomorrow. 

Your brows furrow tightly hoping the painkillers you took 10 minutes ago start working their magic soon. You toss yourself over to look at the time in your charging phone.

 1:20 AM

You're screwed. 

Your shift starts at 5:00, Your alarm is set for 4:30. Even if you fall asleep now you'll only get three hours in. A small panic settles into your stomach and you let out a pitiful groan. 

“Shhhhhh…” 

You freeze, But only for a moment. You quickly whip your hands off of your face to look for whatever made that noise.

Your search doesn't even last 2 seconds before you see…it?

The slender human-like creature stands by your doorway. Its  face is white with black holes where the eyes should be. It has No nose and no mouth. It's wearing the darkest shade of black you've ever seen and a pair of matching gloves. You don't know what tells you it isn't human, But your mind immediately removes humanity from the situation. 

The creature presses its gloved hand against where its mouth should be and makes another “Shhhhhh…” it creeps closer to you and moves delicately across your floors. 

You try and sit up but are met with the most resistant pull backwards. You try to lurch forward again but your muscles won't comply. To your absolute horror you realize you're stuck. Frozen in place. Your breathing starts to get sporadic and uneven. 

“Shhhhhh….” It shushes you again. 

Finally the thing is looming over you. It softly taps your nightstand and rubs his gloves together. “Shh..shh..shhhh.” it whispers to you. Just out of your field of vision it reaches down to its side. Your mind runs wild. Will it pull a knife? A gun? But no, it reaches down and pulls out a chalkboard and a packet of chalk. 

It taps the board gently above you and makes light whooshing sounds. “Shhhhhh…..” it whispers again. It's attention turns to the board and it takes a piece of chalk and begins to slowly drag it across the board. 

After a few seconds it turns the board to face you. ‘Hello.’ was all that it had written. It looks around slowly and slowly rubs away tears you didn't know you were shedding. It looks back at the board, wipes away the previous message and begins to work on a new one.

When it turns the board towards you it reads ‘Be patient…’ It sets the board back down and starts writing again. ‘...With me.’ is the new message. 

So far this thing has greeted you and told you to quit your bitching In all of 5 minutes. It begins to write again ‘You belong here…’ and again ‘Let me fix you.’ 

You have no fucking clue what that mean. Fix you? Fix? What is there to fix? What does it think needs fixing? 

The creature sets the board aside and rubs away the chalk from its fingertips. Slowly its hand brushes your cheek and rubs its thumb over your temple. The gloves are soft yet cold, the leather is smooth and well taken care of. 

The creature lets in a deep breath and uses it's other hand to press onto your sternum. It gently taps your chest and uses it other hand you make you look at it. It takes another deep breath and breaths out. 

This thing is telling you to take a deep breaths. This thing is telling you to control your breathing. You take a deep breath and shakily exhale. It taps your cheek softly like It's praising you. 

Both its hands slide up your body and reaches your head. It softly begins massaging your temples and using its thumb to gently pet your eyebrows. “Shhh…” it whispers again. Its fingers delicately worked into your hair and over your aches. Slowly you began to feel your headache disappear. 

Oh…That's what this thing meant. It's not fixing you, it's fixing your headache. 

You're a little relieved now that its intentions seem slightly more pure than you thought. It clicks its tongue at you soothingly and lightly pressed into your temple. Quickly it's like a weight is lifted off of you. The pressure on your head is slowly lifted. The throb in your temples dissipates as if its fingers just pulls it from your skull. 

Your body lets out an involuntary groan of pleasure. It lets out a noise akin to a chuckle and slowly its hands slowly leaves your head. You let out another groan of disapproval, it again lets out that strange chuckle noise. 

Its hand slowly reaches back for the place you know its clipboard rests. You hear the tapping and scraping of chalk and once again the chalkboard is put back into your field of vision.

‘Are you doing okay?’ it slowly taps on the board and a makes a gentle whistling sound. It's lowers the board, erases it's previous message, and taps away to write a new one. When it's finished it lifts the board back up ‘I know this is a bit much…’ 

Again it writes a new message, this time it's quick. ‘but…’ And then it's on to the next. It dips its head down and works just out of your sight. When it comes back up  ‘I know you can do it.’ This thing is encouraging you. 

You're not sure if it's the moment, The relief, or an odd version of Stockholm syndrome, but it’s message strikes a cord deep within your heart. Your mind starts to reflect on your relationships with people. 

Why is it that this thing with no face is saying everything you've been wanting your loved ones to say? Why is it that this monster who broke into your house is nicer to you than your family is? I'm most importantly, Why have you oh so suddenly want to develop a deep connection with this thing? 

While reflecting on all these questions and genuinely considering a psych ward visit, it's able to pull an object from it's pocket. 

A comb.

It carefully begins to comb your hair. The gentle scratching of your scalp is damn near intoxicating. If you could move your foot would be thumping on the bed like a dog. Your eyes roll to the back of your head and your body lets out another groan. 

Seeing as you clearly like the combing, it keeps brushing for 9 minutes. The whole time it shushes and clicks at you soothingly. Your eyes closed as you enjoyed the feeling. When the sensation of your hair being brushed abruptly stops your eyes open. It reaches down and begins to write again.

 While it's writes, you try to shift into a more comfortable position, as the spot You've been laying in for a while just isn't doing it for you anymore. 

You mentally call yourself stupid, knowing that you're paralyzed, but You still managed to turn your head. And then your fingers…And then your arms…. Your legs…. You're no longer paralyzed…It dawns on you that you've just been letting everything happen and that you've had the ability to move for a little bit now. 

With that realization you do shift into a more comfortable position. That seems to startle the being, and it stares at you for a couple seconds. It quickly erases whatever it originally said and starts furiously scribbling down something. For a moment you're scared of what it will say And when it holds up its chalkboard you're almost too scared to look. 

But curiosity killed the cat and you looked back at its message ‘Won't you stay?’ It's asking…not telling….

It's asking….

It erases the message and writes something else ‘evolve with me’ It flips over the board ‘You are worth it!’ 

Besides your better judgment, You're able to mutter out words before hashing it together in your brain. “You can come back tomorrow night…We can see each other then…” 

It looks a little sad at your response, it erases its board and starts writing again. Even though it's been quiet this whole time, the room seems even quieter. It's a different quiet…But you're not given too much time to think about that before it has its final message. 

‘Goodbye….see you again….’ It softly puts the board down and gently nods at you. It caresses the side of your face before finally putting you to sleep. And after all it's hard work you're put into darkness and sleep well the rest of the night. 

Thanks for reading <3

This fic is based off of an ASMRist I found called Sleep Demon. In fact it's based off of his first video!

I think that they're really cool and have some pretty sweet scenarios.

Link to Video

If you're into ASMR and creepy little guys, you really need to check them out! (Yes that gif is of the Actual channel!)

(also I didn't know what pronouns to use so I used it/its/it's)

[builtbykittie]

The right side of my neck

J.t.k x f!reader PART 2

See part one here

Summary: after running into your first and probably only love at a party, his scent and the memory of his lips haunt you. Luckily, he invites you to dinner.

Warnings: 18+ mdni, alcohol consumption, SMUT, sweet/soft Jake, oral (f rec), fingering, unprotected sex(seriously do not), multiple orgasms, might be a little corny

Words: 6.4k

A/N: the long awaited part two is finally here. So sorry for the long wait! I've been so busy and so tired recently so it's hard to keep up with writing. Anyways I really hope you enjoy!! Go back and read part one if you haven't already 🫶

You kept yourself up for hours once you got home, wondering if he told his brothers, wondering if he got home safely, wondering how the party went after you'd left. You thought about his hands and his perfect pink lips. But those thoughts weren't even the main thing that kept you up, it was his cologne.

He wasn't lying when he said he's upgraded, he smelled so good. The scent was still on your dress, and you procrastinated taking it off for as long as possible. But even after taking it off, you still smelled it. It also doesn't help that Ana was pressing you for answers until she finally got too tired to keep talking and went to bed.

When you finally fell asleep, you dreamt of him. He's already haunting you.

The rough surface of Jake's fingertips drag up and down along your thighs, sending shivers up your spine as his other hand toys with your soaked panties.

You're startled awake just as it starts to get good. "Girl get up, you've been sleeping all day," Ana shakes you, and you groan as you stretch, realizing you've just woken up. "What time is it?" you mumble groggily, rubbing your eyes.

"Like one! Get up," she continues poking at you, grabbing your blanket and pulling it off your body. You huff and force yourself to sit up, your eyes still partially closed. "C'mon, you look like a damn raccoon," Ana giggles, grabbing your hand and pulling you to your feet.

You draw in a deep sigh once you realize you never took off your makeup and judging by how much you roll around and the number of times you've rubbed your eyes, Ana's probably right.

"uuugh," you draw out the already exaggerated sigh as you stand up, wearily making your way to the bathroom. Wiping off your makeup, you think back to last night. The way his hands moved along your body, the way his lips dragged along your neck, his warm breath on your skin. The thought gives you shivers.

You wash your face and brush your teeth, walking back out to your room, you find Ana waiting on your bed with a large smile. "You should probably get dressed," Ana grins as she holds out your phone, your notifications open and the first one is a message from none other than Jake Kiszka.

Jake: Good morning beautiful

Jake: Dinner?

Your eyes widen at the sight and you snatch your phone from Ana's hands. His use of morning is loose, considering he sent the message at about 12:10 pm. After enough thought, you start to frantically type away.

You: hey rockstar ;)

You: Tonight? What time?

"Read me what he says," you drop your phone on your bed and start to go through your closet. You toss around the clothes for a little less than eight minutes trying to find an outfit before Jake texts back. You hear a ding and whip your head in Ana's direction. "Finally!" Ana grabs your phone excitedly. "Tonight, six. He said that Danny, Josh, and Sam are coming too... oh! And to bring me," her grin grows as she reads and you watch her face light up "Oh my god it'll be like a little reunion!"

Throwing your head back in frustration, you let out an exaggerated groan at the lack of cute outfits you've found. Ana giggles at your little fit "Calm down. Show me what you have." Defeated, you hold up the white sundress you originally picked out with a frown.

"What's wrong with that?" Ana says, her head tilted to the side. You look back at the dress, realizing there's nothing bad about it, you're just picky. "Uh," you try to come up with an excuse "it's boring."

Ana just giggles "We're going for food with a few old friends, nothing fancy. It's cute, I'm sure Jake will love it." She chuckles at her statement and you roll your eyes, but as much as you'd like to say you're not dressing for him, you are. You want to impress him. You want him to lose sleep thinking about you.

"Fine," you say with a huff after enough inspection of the dress.

The day seems to go by painfully slowly. You try to do everything to distract yourself, but all your thoughts just turn into Jake. You and Ana went out to get coffee and a sandwich, but again, you just found yourself spacing off thinking of him. Each and every tick of the clock is a hammer to your sanity, driving you absolutely insane. You thought that version of you that was so hopelessly devoted to Jake Kiszka was gone, but she's thriving. She just needed a little wake-up call.

It's closing in at 5:30 now, and Ana's been watching you with a smug grin as you bounce your leg impatiently and anxiously. You know she's gonna tell Jake, and even worse, you know he's going to love the idea of you being so impatient to get your hands on him. Hell, he'll probably tease you about it even worse than Ana will.

"You think we should get going?" Ana smiles, standing up and singing her bag over her shoulder. The question is like music to your ears. "Fuck, yes, finally," you groan as you stand up, grabbing your own bag. "Geez, I've never seen you so eager," she giggles. You roll your eyes as you quickly check your reflection "Whatever."

On the drive there, your chest fills with excitement and anticipation its almost too much to handle. The feeling shoots through every vein in your body and numbs your limbs. "I never thought I'd see you so giddy over Jake Kiszka again. It's kinda cute," Ana smiles, pulling into the parking lot of what's supposed to be one of Jake's favorite restaurants.

"yeah, imagine how I feel. I didn't think he'd have this much of an effect on me after so long. I feel like I'm in high school again," you run your hands through your hair and pull yourself together before walking into that restaurant and facing him.

The two of you get to the hostess stand and quickly find that the boys aren't on time, as always. It's a habit they've had for as long as you can remember. "All these years and yet they still don't know how to be on time," Ana jests as you're being escorted to the table.

"You know," Ana leans in, her voice hushed "I've only ever seen you act this way over Jake." A deep pink blush instantly finds its way onto your cheeks and a small smile tugs at your cheeks. God, what is happening? He's making you feel like a little girl again and you're not too thrilled to know that you'd do anything for him at the snap of a finger.

"speaking of the devil," you say, and raise a finger to the four bodies striding through the restaurant. The first is Jake, followed by Josh, then Sam and Danny. Ana's head whips over in their direction and you both stand up with large smiles plastered across your faces.

"Hey! Who are these beautiful ladies?!" Josh smiles and grabs your and Ana's wrists, pulling you over to the others. Sam and Danny instantly pull you two in for a hug, and you all exchange compliments before sitting down. Jake appears behind you, his hand on your lower back as he holds his other hand out in the direction of the booth "After you, love." his sends a shiver down your spine and your cheeks become at least two shades darker. "Why thank you, Jacob," you grin and find your spot in the booth.

"You two seem comfy," Sam says with a stupid little smirk. "Don't they?! Hey, you guys should ask what they were up to in the bathroom last night," Ana giggles, already stirring the pot. You send her a look that could kill, but she just shrugs, mouthing 'sorry' with a smile.

"It's about damn time," Daniel joins in, and at this point, it's becoming a competition on who can get the dirtiest looks from you. "We weren't doing anything! I drank a little too much and he couldn't just let me throw up all by myself," You whine, facing Jake and giving him that 'back me up here' look. He chuckles, his hand finding your thigh and he tries to explain further, but you both know they can see right through you.

Everyone looks so incredible. Danny seemed to have figured out his curl pattern which does absolute wonders and he's incredibly confident, Sam has fully grown up, and Josh is truly his authentic self. But despite all the changes, you're so happy to know that they're still the boys you knew growing up.

Sam starts talking to you and Ana about touring and much as you'd love to pay attention, you stop listening when Jake's hand creeps up underneath the skirt of your dress. Your body temperature rises and his thumb starts caressing the supple, warm skin of your thigh.

Just then, Jake leans into your ear, his hot breath against the side of your face sending shivers up your spine. "I hope you weren't planning on coming home tonight," he whispers, his hand moving higher and his grip tightening. Your eyes slightly widen and your breath picks up, a smile finding its way to your lips as you look back at him "I wasn't."

Jake's hand never leaves its spot on your thigh, staying there for the entirety of dinner. He never dared move it higher or lower since then, but every now and then he'd draw circles into your skin. It's incredibly hard to focus on anything and you try your best to keep your composure, but Jake was doing this on purpose and he was enjoying it.

The bill is paid and everyone stands from the table, at this point, you're running out of patience. All you want is to be alone with Jake. All you want is to feel his face under your fingertips and kiss his soft pink lips again. As much as you love the others, you couldn't wait to get out of here.

Everyone walks out of the building, stopping right before the parking lot and talking for a little while longer. You all exchange numbers before hugging and saying goodbyes, swearing to see each other again soon.

As the others get in their cars and start driving off, you grab Ana and pull her to the side. "Ana you can not tell anyone... but I think I'm gonna go with Jake," you say in a hushed voice, and watch as her face lights up. "Oh my god! Okay uhh... Have fun and I'll see you tomorrow?" She says excitedly, holding her arms out for a hug. You giddily accept the hug with a large grin "Yeah, tomorrow. Love you!"

"Love you too!" Ana says before running off to her car. You instantly turn to Jake, who has a large smile on his face "Ready?"

"More than ever," you grin and take his lips in a quick kiss. His hands find your waist and he kisses you some more before forcing himself away from you and leading you to his car. God knows how long you two would've stood there for if Jake hadn't pulled away.

"You miss me?" Jake smirks as he opens your door, rounding the car and getting in the driver's seat. "Are you kidding? I dreamt of you. What the fuck have you done to me, Jacob? It's only been one night," You giggle, throwing your head back against the seat. You don't know how you ever survived without him, and you know damn well you'll never be able to stay away from him after tonight.

"I missed you too," he smirks, his hand returning to your thigh and squeezing it. As his hand kneads the meat of your thigh, your mind starts to wander, and you take notice of the arousal soaking through your panties. You shift uncomfortably, but it doesn't help, and Jake certainly notices this because you can hear him snicker after you let out a huff of annoyance. "Almost there," he says, the rasp in his voice driving you crazy.

You shoot up once you realize he's pulling into the driveway. A nice house and a nice car, would you expect any less from him? He puts the car in park and doesn't wait a second to hop out and open your door. On the outside, he looks nonchalant and composed, but you can tell he's just as restless as you are.

He takes your hand in his and grabs your waist with the other, helping you down from the seat and not letting go as he walks you up to his house. The interior is the best part. Perfectly cozy and perfectly Jake. "Wine?" He asks "It's the good stuff." You nod and hum, a glass of wine sounds incredible right now.

You settle down on the couch as he rushes off to the kitchen. He's back in the living room within less than a couple of minutes, two glasses of red wine carefully held in one hand and the bottle in his other. He hands you your glass and sets his - along with the bottle - down on the coffee table before walking over to a record player, skimming through the countless records until he finds one that makes him say 'ahh' and when the sound flows from the speakers, you know why.

"Oh my god," you laugh, nearly choking on your wine. It's the album you asked to listen to every time you were over. It was yours and Jake's album. He chuckles, walking back over to you and grabbing his glass "You know. I played this record almost every night when you left. Everyone was so sick of it."

"I can't believe you still have it," you smile, fully turning your body to face him. You remember the last time the two of you ever listened to it together. It was the morning you left. You had everything packed so your parents let you go over to the Kiszka's for your last night in Michigan. That morning the two of you listened to it over and over again as you sobbed.

"you don't know the lengths I went to to protect that fucking thing," Jake chuckles, and you both laugh. Then, you watch as his plush lips close around the wine glass, just as you did last night. His lips are addicting. The way they move when he talks, how soft they are, the perfect pink tint.

The room goes quiet except for the music, and you can't hold it back any longer. "Jake," you practically whisper, feeling your cheeks flush a deep shade of red. "Hm?" He hums, throwing back his glass. "Was I ever.. more than just your best friend to you?" You shy from him, embarrassed at the question.

He pauses for a moment, a fond smile pulling on the corners of his mouth. "Y/N, you were never just my best friend to me," he admits, his pretty brown eyes staring deeply into yours. After a moment of the two of you just staring at each other, you finally manage to mutter out a quiet "what?"

He chuckles slightly "It's always been you. I mean, I don't think I realized it back then but... I was so in love with you." Your eyes blow wide, he's rendered you completely speechless. Adrenaline rushes through your veins and the pace of your heart speeds up so fast you're afraid it might stop.

"Are- are you serious?" You mutter with a shaky voice. Jake just nods, his cheeks flushing a rosy pink, "I think that's why none of my relationships ever lasted. Every girl I've ever dated.. they just weren't you. Nobody ever came close to you."

Once again, silence falls over the room and you pour some more wine into your glass. You can hear your heartbeat in your ear, the thumping growing louder and louder with each word he utters.

"When I did have girlfriends I tried and tried to get you out of my head but you never left. But we were young and dumb and I couldn't figure out my feelings, y'know?" His words drove the breath from your lungs. You feel his eyes burning into you, but you can't look up. Your head is down and tears threaten to drip past your waterline and down your hot cheeks. All those emotions from all those years ago suddenly rush over you and it's painfully overwhelming.

"Y/N?" He says softly in a concerned tone, reaching out to cup your cheek. You squeeze your eyes closed, forcing the tears to drip down your hot cheeks. You shake your head, still looking down at your lap, "I- I'm fine it's just..." You find yourself unable to finish your sentence.

He practically forces you to look back up at him, his hand guiding you to face him. "Jake..." You whisper, so quiet you wonder if he even heard "I used every wish on you."

His face flashes with a surprised yet intrigued look for a fleeting second before it is replaced with furrowed brows and a nod. "Every birthday, every 11:11, every shooting star. I only wished you be yours," your eyes study his face as a soft smile forms on his lips, trying to figure out his reaction and suddenly feeling extremely embarrassed.

"I'm here now, Y/N," Jake says softly, wiping away a tear from your burning cheeks. You sniff and take a sip of your wine, tapping the glass with your fingers anxiously. Suddenly, Jake leans in and takes your lips in a soft, tender kiss.

Almost instantly, you melt into his lips, the hand not holding your glass coming up to the back of his neck. Your heart flutters in your chest at the feeling of his lips, and you can't stop the soft moan that escapes your throat. It doesn't take long for the kisses to get needy and lustful, Jake's hand moving from your face down to your thighs and his fingers creeping up under your dress.

His hands slowly move further up the skirt of your dress, leaving a trail of heat where his hands were. He gently pushes you backward with his body, mirroring the way his hands slowly move. As you're blindly falling back, you suddenly feel something cold in your stomach. You brush it off at first until it starts to spread.

You break the kiss, your eyes widening when you realize the wine glass is still in your hand, but the contents are all over your white dress "shit!" You frantically place the glass on the coffee table and scurry off the couch, not wanting to stain it.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry," you start to panic, apologies spewing from your mouth as you look down at your stained dress. "Hey hey hey, woah. It's not your fault, it's fine," Jake reassures you before rushing off to get a cloth.

Luckily, you got up before the wine hit his couch. Jake comes back into the room and makes a pointless attempt at trying to dry your dress with the cloth. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. God, I'm so sorry, Y/N," he puts his palm on his forehead in defeat.

"It- it's fine I didn't even like this dress that much," you giggle, looking down at the damage from the wine. Truthfully, you did like it, but you could always get a new one. "Are you sure?" Jake asks, his tone laced with genuine concern "I- I can buy you a new one."

You giggle, enjoying how cute he is like this. You put your hands on his shoulders, rubbing them with your thumbs "It's fine, Jake, really." He grins at you, his hands coming up to your waist as he takes a step forward, your bodies now touching. Your hands move to his hair and your own smile widens before he kisses you once again.

You lean into it and hum against his lips, feeling him smile against the kiss. You're enjoying it at first, but the longer you stay there in an alcohol-soaked dress, the more uncomfortable you start to get. Eventually, you have to force yourself to pull back. "I need to get out of this.." you giggle, grabbing the skirt of it as you look down.

He lets out a low chuckle as he follows your eyes down to it, taking in the way the alcohol made the dress cling to your body, showcasing the curvature of your waist. Your eyes flick up to his at the exact same time his flick up to yours, and the two of you stand there for a moment.

Jake takes the hem of it in his hands, bunching it up. "May I?" He asks, his voice low and raspy, sending a paralyzing shiver down your spine. A smirk pulls on the corner of your mouth and you slowly lift your arms, silently giving your consent.

You have to bite back the whine that threatens to escape your lips at the feeling of his hands dragging up your body as he pulls your dress up. You let out a soft sigh once he passes your panties, watching as his eyes move up along with your now-red dress.

He slows down to a stop before he gets to your breasts, coming down to kiss your neck. You let out a breath at the contact and feel your hard nipples against the cold, wet fabric. "Jake, please.." you whisper, desperate to get it off of you.

Jake hums against your neck, followed by a low chuckle at the sound of your plea. His kisses travel down your neck and to your collarbones as his hands start to knead your breasts through the fabric, his touch burning on your skin. You tug gently on his hair, letting out a whiny breath.

He continues to tease you for just a little longer, pressing his body gently against yours so that you can feel his hard cock through his pants. You moan softly at the feeling and pull harder at his hair, throwing your head back. He peppers a few more kisses to the base of your neck and collarbones before pulling back and continuing to rid you of the wet fabric.

He groans softly, seeing you so exposed and vulnerable like this feels so wrong yet so incredibly right. He pulls your dress over your head and drops the fabric to the ground, his hands instantly returning to cup and knead your breasts. "So," kiss "fucking," kiss "beautiful," kiss.

Unfortunately, you're unable to stop the desperate, needy moan that flies past your lips once he starts to roll your nipple between his fingers.

"Jake..." you softly moan, squeezing your eyes shut as he starts to suck the skin around your breasts into his mouth. "Jake, please.." you whine, though you're not sure what you're pleading for, trying desperately to hold back whimpers and moans out of embarrassment.

"hmm?" Jake hums against your chest, his lips dragging across your burning skin. It feels like he's leaving a trail of fire behind with his lips and you're loving every second of it. Jake's lips are like a drug, the feeling of them on your body giving you a high that you may be chasing for the rest of your life.

"I need you," you whisper defeatedly as you hold onto his hair for dear life. As if you'd float away if you let go. He hums again against you before he comes up and kisses you again. This time with more fervor. More need. More hunger.

His hands start to wander down your body and he breaks the kiss, shivers running up your spine at the feel of his warm breath against your neck when he peppers kisses to the area. He finds that soft spot behind your ear and sucks the flesh into his mouth, marking you, making you his after not being able to have you for so long.

You draw in a loud gasp at the action and feel yourself getting weak in the knees. His hands wrap around your waist gently and he pulls you impossibly close to him. You whimper as you feel him against your thigh, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. Without breaking contact with your neck, his hands find the back of your thighs, effortlessly lifting you as he did last night.

You let out a quiet giggle and grasp harder onto him once he starts to blindly carry you off to his room. He moves so that he's supporting your ass with one arm and opens the door, his lips never breaking away from your hot skin as he reaches behind him and closes it.

Jake lays you down softly on the bed, his lips exploring the surface of your neck and chest. Letting out a whiny breath, you dig your fingers into his hair, his lips moving further down your body with each kiss.

His lips leave a trail of sparks wherever they go, dragging down your torso until he eventually reaches your navel. You support yourself on your elbows to look at him, it's a view that makes you take your bottom lip between your teeth and you feel your arousal pool up at your core.

A shiver creeps its way up your spine at the feel of his calloused hands on your skin, dragging slowly along every inch of your torso down to where your thighs meet your hips. Your shaky hands gently stroke his soft brown hair, your brows furrowing upwards as he gets closer and closer to where you so desperately need him.

His kisses continue to move downwards until they stop just above the hem of your panties and he smiles up at you. You can't help but giggle softly, the soft flush of your cheeks deepening in color. "Jake..." You muse as his fingers start to dance along the soft white lace of your panties.

"God, you're perfect," he coos between kisses, slowly starting to pull the fabric down your soft skin. "My pretty girl, you wore these for me?" He asks softly, his warm breath fanning over your hot flesh and goosebumps cover your body. His hands move down to ghost over your core, placing a featherlight touch to your heat through your panties.

You let out a shaky sigh and nod, your cheeks somehow turning even more red and your grip on his tightening. Jake hums and puts more pressure on your aching heat, drawing a hot line of wet kisses along the hem of your panties and then down to your clit.

You suck in a loud gasp once you feel his tongue press against you, lapping at your clit through the lace of your panties "Oh.." He doesn't break eye contact, continuing his sweet torture to your aching core. "Jake... Please.." you whine, gently tugging on his hair as you buck your hips against his mouth.

Jake chuckles softly against you and his kisses start to move back upwards, sucking the flesh of your hip into his mouth as his hands slowly pull your panties down. He slides the lace down your legs at a painfully slow pace, drawing a line of kisses down your thigh. You feel the pounding at your center grow worse and worse the further down he moves, your arousal starting to drip past your entrance.

Eventually, he slides your panties off your feet and drops them to the floor beside his bed, instantly returning to his spot at your core. You watch his eyes darken at the sight of your glistening heat, his fingers coming up to drag themselves through your folds. "So pretty," he practically whispers, his voice as sweet as honey and he places a soft peck on your clit "So wet for me."

"Only you, Jake," you giggle, cupping his hot cheek. The fond, content look on your face is quickly replaced with what can only be described as euphoria once he slowly slides two fingers inside of you without warning. "Jake.." you whimper as his tongue slowly slides through your folds, matching the almost uncomfortably slow way his fingers slid into you just moments before.

Jake's fingers start to slowly pump in and out of your entrance and his lips latch around your clit, causing you to throw your head back with a moan that almost sounds like his name. You practically hiss as his fingers curl up into you, hitting a sweet spot "Oh fuck-"

His tongue prods at your clit, rolling over the sensitive bud and making you cry out his name. His free hand reaches up to cup your breasts, kneading the supple flesh behind his rough hands as he continues his attack on your cunt. You can almost feel his smile against your core as he revels in the sounds of your moans and the feeling of you squirming and writhing against him.

"don't stop, baby, please," you blurt with a choked whimper, your hips trembling and bucking against him and you feel yourself already getting close to the edge. He chuckles against your clit, the vibration of it sending shock waves throughout your body, and his fingers speed up. You mewl as his fingers move quicker in and out of you, curling up as they go deeper and hitting a soft spot every. time.

The sensation of his tongue flicking over your clit, his fingers pumping inside you, and his hand toying with your breast drives you absolutely mad. Your back arches off the bed, crying out his name and incoherent profanities as you feel a pressure rising in your stomach. "Jake I'm gonna- oh God," you moan, the words and the way you said them were almost pornographic, and he ate it all up, loving the way he could make you feel like this so easily.

His lips break away from your clit, but his fingers don't slow down as he looks up at you with a look of pure sweetness and love. "Cum for me, sweetheart," he coos, his tongue almost instantly returning to your swollen clit. With a few more curls of his fingers and swirls of his tongue around your clit, that band of pleasure snaps.

His fingers slow down and his soft words coax you through your orgasm, but your senses are far too blinded by the sublime pleasure of your high that you can't hear him. You can't hear or feel anything, really. Anything other than overwhelming euphoria.

"there you go, baby," Jake purrs, placing pecks to your clit as he slowly pulls his fingers from you. You huff a giggle and collapse onto the bed, your chest heaving and your thighs trembling. "Fuck.. where'd you learn to do that?" You huff a breathless laugh, trying to catch your breath. "Guitar fingers," he snickers.

You giggle as Jake slowly climbs over you, holding his fingers to your lips. You don't have to fight it or question it, simply parting your lips and sucking his fingers clean, never breaking eye contact.

Jake comes down to kiss you, tasting you on your tongue as you grant him access. You hum into his mouth, that pounding at your core returning when you feel his hard cock against your thigh. "Jake.." you whisper between kisses. "Need to..." Your hand moves from his hair to the waistband of his trousers "Need to feel you..."

He lets out a low chuckle, his lips traveling down to your neck. His hands meet yours at his waistband, unbuckling his belt and practically throwing it across the room. He props himself up with one hand and the other comes down to caress the soft skin of your hip, letting your frantic hands fumble the button and zipper of his pants for a moment before they finally get them undone.

You push both his pants and his boxers down just enough to free his cock from the jail cell that was the fabric. You almost instantly take him in your hand, letting out an almost inaudible "oh" as you feel his thickness and length in your hand.

Jake lets out a low groan and his hand moves from your hip to your cunt, putting soft pressure on your clit. You gasp and move his cock to line up with your slick entrance, your free arm coming up to sling itself around your shoulder. "Jake..." You whine, looking up at him with the best 'fuck me' eyes you can muster up and moving your hand from his cock to frantically unbutton his shirt, making quick work of ridding him of the fabric.

He smirks, and you can't bite back the moan that escapes your throat as his tip prods at your entrance. He takes your lips in a hot kiss before slowly sinking into you, stretching you out and filling you up so perfectly, he feels as if he was made just for you. Only you.

"Fuck," Jake groans, bottoming out inside you. His hand grasps your thigh and his other presses harder against your clit, sending a shock throughout your entire body. He stays like that for a moment before pulling almost fully out of you, coming back down to hit a soft spot deep inside of you. "Oh my god," you moan, grabbing the sheet harder and tightening your hold around his shoulders.

His hand at your thigh moves to prop himself up before coming down to rest his forehead on yours, setting a sweet, intoxicating pace as his fingers start to rub slow circles onto your clit. Jake groans your name as his hips start to roll into you, your eyes rolling back into your head and pornographic moans rip through your chest at the feeling.

His hips start to speed up slightly, staring into your eyes as he rubs quicker, tighter circles to your clit and sends waves of pleasure through your body. "Oh god- Jake," you cry, digging your fingers into his back as he hits a new sweet spot with every single thrust.

"yeah, that's it, baby. Just feel it," he purrs, taking your lips in a kiss. You're being completely and utterly consumed by him, he's drinking up every bit of your being. Your words, your breaths, your moans. They all belong to Jake.

His name falls from your lips over and over with breathless moans, feeling every inch of him fuck you so sweetly yet so sinfully. "You're doing so good, sweetheart, so good. Fuck. Just take it, baby," Jake coos, and you feel his hips falter. You know he's close, and you're definitely not lasting any longer than him.

"oh fuck, Jake!" You mewl as his fingers press harder against your aching, sensitive clit and his hips roll so sweetly into each and every soft spot buried deep within you. Your walls quiver around him and your vision starts to give out, your moans growing louder and louder until you're all but shouting his name over and over like some kind of dirty prayer.

His cock twitches inside you and he's struggling more and more to contain his whimpers and groans. "You gonna cum with me, love?" He rasps, fucking deeper into you as his fingers speed up against your swollen bundle of nerves.

You nod frantically, feeling your orgasm creep up on you as you clench and quiver around him "Oh fuck- please..." His face comes down to bury into your neck sucking the hot, sweaty skin into his mouth and groaning against the skin. Your entire body is trembling, bucking your hips against him and fucking yourself onto him.

"Give it to me, baby. That's it, fuck. Oh god- cum with me," he rasps, his thrusts becoming more and more sporadic and faltered until he paints your insides with one final movement. The feeling of his hot release inside of you is the tipping point, crying out as your orgasm washes over you like the wild waves of an ocean crashing against the shore.

Neither his thrusts nor his fingers stop or slow down, overwhelming every one of your senses and sending shocks of electricity throughout each and every limb. "Oh fuck- Jake!" You moan, your fingers digging so hard into his back you're sure that you broke the skin. "Fuck- I can't... Can't stop," Jake groans, his words causing your eyes to roll all the way back into your head "God- you feel so fucking good."

Tears prick your eyes and your entire body trembles and shutters at the overstimulation, your entire body on fire. It's almost painful, hot tears rolling down your cheeks as you practically scream strings of inaudible profanities and cries.

But it doesn't take long for the overstimulation to subside, replacing itself with overwhelming pleasure. "Fuck Jake I'm gonna-" you sob, grinding against his hand and fucking harder onto him. "Just feel it, sweet girl. Let go, baby," he rasps, his sweet movements driving you right to the edge for the third time. No man has ever made you feel this way, it's addictive.

Once again, your pleasure robs you of all your senses and feelings, white-hot fire spreading throughout your entire body like a forest in the summer. Jake's own orgasm rips through him just moments after you, the sinful feeling of his hot release spurting into you yet again driving you absolutely, devastatingly insane.

"oh my god," you whimper breathlessly, your entire body shaking. "So good," he whispers, his thrusts slowing to a stop "So.. fucking.. good." You start to giggle, your breaths coming in gasps as you try to reclaim the air stolen from your lungs "I didn't even know I could..."

He chuckles before moving your damp hair away from your face, a cocky smile playing on his gorgeous features "Yeah, well.. you've never had the pleasure of a night with Jake Kiszka before." You giggle, taking his lips in a tender kiss, "Yeah and who's fault is that?"

He snickers "you got me."

You suck in a hiss as he pulls out, and your arms move to wrap around his body, pulling him down onto the bed beside you. "I love you," you whisper against the hot, sweaty flesh of his neck.

"I love you, Y/N," Jake whispers, wrapping his arms around your body.

[leilani-lily]

~Oh Deer~ (Chapter 1)

... So this idea for an Alastor x reader (kinda?) story popped in my brain, and has refused to leave me no matter how hard I try.

Have I written fanfiction recently? Hell no.

Do I even know how to write for an AroAce character? No but I'm gonna do my damndest to represent him properly (and also relying on outer sources so I'm not offending anyone).

Do I feel like a complete fool for being sucked back into the fanfiction world and re-entering with a freakin Hazbin Hotel fic? ABSOOOO-FREAKIN-LUTELY.

But here we are. The writing gods have spoken. And they have declared that I write this story out so my poor brain can focus on other things like work.

Figured I'd share so it's just not on my computer all lonely. Will be a slow burn so fair warning. Let's be real, the deer boi needs love. But not overly romantic love. Just, someone he ends up really caring about and becoming his favourite.

SYNOPSIS: AroAce! Alastor x Chef!Singer! Reader. The hotel is looking to hire a chef to prepare meals for the staff/guests. Somehow you're hired and you begin your new life. And somehow end up becoming close to a certain Radio Demon. Word Count: 1.8 K

Chapter 1 under the cut. Enjoy I guess? ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ok, deep breaths y/n. Remember to smile.

You felt your lips curl up into a strained grin as if to fight off the nerves in your chest, your grip tightening on the flyer in your fist. This could go either two ways. One, you get the job and are able to live a life of somewhat normality. Or two, you get hung from the tippy top of the building by your own intestines. With your legs chopped off. And one of your arms sticking out of your ass.

Gotta love Hell and it’s creative subjects.

You shake your head out of those terrible thoughts, surely it wouldn’t be that bad?? When you saw the original broadcast on the 666 News, you couldn’t stop thinking how nice the Princess of Hell actually was. And building an entire hotel to help her subjects reform into something better was, perhaps a little optimistic in your opinion, but it made you admire her gumption and her love for her subjects.

So later when you found the flyer in search of a chef at the very same establishment the princess was hoping to fill… well, it somehow managed to get you all the way here. Standing at the doorsteps of the very lonely looking hotel on the hill. 

You had to admit it wasn’t the look you had imagined, but hey, this was Hell. You had seen worse. And everyone has to start somewhere. Including yourself, arm still poised ready to knock yet not yet making the motion.

You felt so stupid, you had been standing here for almost 10 minutes now just trying to get the courage to enter the damn building. You sigh to yourself and shake out the jitters. Alright, let’s just do this. Once again, you smile, puff out your chest and raise your arm high in the air, ready to strike with a newfound courage.

“Well folks, looks like the little lady is finally ready to take the leap! Will she follow through with her actions? Or will she choke and back out of the fight? Let’s tune in and find out~”

You felt your heart nearly leap out of your chest as you whip your head around to look behind you. A tall demon clad in red and ruby eyes stood behind you, a wickedly wide grin filling his face as he points what appears to be a microphone in your direction. You stare at it dumbly, then make eye contact with him again. He remains poised, half lidded eyes seeming to hold a sparkle of impish joy. His eyes flicker from you, to your raised arm, and back to you. After a embarrassingly long time of connecting the dots, you finally extend your arm closer to the door, never breaking focus on the demon behind you (you can't help but notice he raises his microphone even closer to you), and give the door a good solid knock.

“AND SHE’S DONE IT FOLKS, what a display!!” He pulls the microphone back to himself, as you continue to stare dumbfounded “The form, the elegance, it could almost make a grown Imp cry. Let's give her a hand people.” He begins to clap as a roar of applause plays from… somewhere.

You couldn’t tell if this guy was being sarcastic or genuine, but the whole absurdity of it all, plus the bundle of nerves you were feeling earlier, seemed to bubble up inside of you and you couldn't help a little snort escape. The red demon’s grin widened as he ceases his clapping, stepping closer to you as you continue to giggle.

“Ahhh now isn’t that better. A much nicer smile than the one you were faking earlier. Besides, there’s no need to be so shy my dear. This hotel is always happy to accept wayward demons looking for reformation!”

Upon hearing his words, you turn to face him and put your hands up “Oh nono, I’m not here to-”

“Ohoho~! and what’s this you have here?” Before you can finish your sentence, the tall demon ripped the flyer out of your hand and inspected it quickly, before turning back to you. His half-lidded gaze was now round with surprise, his grin becoming even wider (which you didn’t even think was possible).

“So THAT explains the nerves from before! And here I was just thinking you were a timid little thing. But a business woman! Now that I can admire.” He smiles at you almost impressed and leans in closer, your noses almost touching.

“Tell me my dear, can you make a good jambalaya? Or perhaps a hearty gumbo with cornbread on the side~?”

You were so flustered with the speed of everything happening (plus the close proximity of this demon you had just met certainly didn’t help). All you could manage was a jumbled “Uhh, well yes I-!”

“WONDERFULLLL~!" He straightens up again and you sigh with relief. “I’ll be sure to test you on such skills. But for now we should-”

The front doors of the hotel suddenly burst open and a short gray female stands before you, with long silvery hair and an eyepatch. She looks at you for a moment, before turning her gaze at the red demon and giving him a scowl.

“Alastor, what the HELL took you so long, you should’ve been back ages ago. And quit creeping out new potential clients.” Her gaze adverts back to you, expression softening ever so slightly, “Seriously, if he’s bothering you-” “Oh Vaggie my dear, no need to be so hostile. I was simply going over business with our newest chef!” he brings his long fingers up behind your shoulder and pulls you in close against his chest, making you yelp a moment before regaining composure. You could sense this so-called 'Vaggie' demon tense, eyes flickering between the two of you. You felt as if your brain was sputtering to catch up with the current conversation (he WORKS here??!)  before finally realizing what he had just called you. You sneak a look at him, and he gives you a quick wink before focusing back on the female before him. 

“Now be a doll and have Nifty tidy up one of the rooms, preferably one of a reasonable size and close to the kitchen. And call upon Charlie as well, she’ll DEFINITELY want to meet our newest addition!”

The female in front of you shot a glare at Alastor (you quickly noted these two did not seem to get along), but then flicked her gaze back at you. After a moment, she sighed and turned back into the building as she followed the male demon’s orders. You couldn’t help but notice how Alastor’s grip on you tightened ever so slightly as a chuckle escaped his lips, static humming ever so louder in amusement. He himself began to walk into the hotel, guiding you along with him.

"Now then. We’ll have to introduce you to everyone, as well as get you to fill in the proper paperwork, give you a proper tour of the place and-!”

“Wait wait,” you stop walking, causing him to halt. You notice a slight twitch in his eye and his hand squeezes you for a moment. He doesn’t like to be interrupted, duly noted. You take a breath.

“Sorry, uh for interrupting” That seemed to please him. “But does this mean… I got the job?? You don’t need a resume or a test or…?”

Alastor let out a guffaw of amusement “Why of course my dear! As long as you remain true to your word of being able to cook a good New Orleans dish, that’s all the proof I’ll need! There hasn’t been many a demon coming here interested in the job, so I say your timing couldn’t be more perfect!”

Well that was the easiest damn interview you’ve ever done. You felt yourself exhale a sigh of relief as you smile up to the tall demon. 

“Wow, that’s… that’s amazing, thank you so much.” He gave you a half lidded smirk, clearly enjoying being praised “So… does this make you my boss, Mr…?” 

You heard the sound of a record screech as his eyes widened in surprise. Hand finally leaving your shoulder and placing it on his own chest he began to laugh heartilly, a laugh track playing in the background. You stood there confused for a moment before he finally responded.

“Ohhh my goodness me, my mother would be rolling in her grave if she ever heard about this. How rude of me to be so forward without properly introducing myself!” One minute he was standing right beside you, and then the next he had sunken like a shadow into the floor, only to appear in front of you a few steps ahead. With grace and suave you didn’t realize he possessed, he gave a small hand flourish before bowing in front of you.

“I am Alastor, also known as the Radio Demon. I happen to be the Hotel’s Facility Manager, but you’ll find Miss Morningstar is the real ringleader around here,” You notice the corner of his lip twitch at that last remark, but you pay no mind to it. “If you ever have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me.” You smile and dip yourself in your own little curtsy as he straightens up.

“My name is y/n, and I’ll be sure to do my best to serve you and this hotel, sir.” Alastor seemed to hum with approval as he looks down at you. “I guess I just have one more question for you, if that’s alright.” 

“Why of course dear y/n, whatever would it be?”

“Well, I uh…” You feel yourself becoming flustered at the question, and the radio demon seemed to notice. Cocking a head to the side, he takes a step forward, opening his arms into a friendly gesture.

“Come now dearest, you can ask me anything! If we’re going to be working together, we have to be honest with each other~” You look up at him and sigh, knowing he was right. With a gulp you straighten your back and wear a serious expression.

“How long did you see me standing by the door?” 

Alastors face didn’t waver, it was hard to tell what was going on in his mind. Then his smile grew into what looked like an amused, smug expression before answering.

“The whole time.”

You groaned and felt your head slap against your hand, making Alastor burst into laughter yet again at your expense. He was there watching the entire time?? Satan’s Ass you felt like such an idiot. Was he waiting for you to move so he could get in the building?? The more you thought about it the more you wanted to sink into the floor and die, for a 2nd time. The radio demon wiped a stray tear from his eye.

“Ohhhh y/n, what a riot you are. I can already tell that this is going to be fun~”

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First chapter hoorayyy ♡〜٩( ˃▿˂ )۶〜♡ Not sure how often I'll be updating, hopefully soon as I'm currently inspired. Thanks for reading thus far!FIRST (You're here!) PREVIOUS (Doesn't exist ( • ᴗ - ) ✧) NEXT

[catnipaddictt]

Abstract

wc: 2.1k

series masterlist ⭑ co-creator @memoiich

You had finally moved away from your hometown. A final answer to your undying search for independence. A trait your mothers whipped tongue had tried to rein back for years. Something that had very clearly failed. The thought alone made you smirk a bit as you stood before your new home. The Alderaan apartments were a choice at best. Very cheap for the location being so close to the centre of the city but a little decrepit. Still it felt like a palace to you right now.

You made your way up to the 4th floor, the highest of the crumbling building. Leaving you to look out to the curtains of the slightly nicer hotel on the other side of the street. Grabbing your suitcase, you unpacked your luggage before coming to the realisation that you had no food in your new home. And of course it just had to be dark outside, evening having set. After overthinking your options you decided to ask your neighbour for some eggs. Dragging yourself to your neighbour’s door with your metaphorical tail between your legs, you knocked on the door.

A strange being poked its face through the slightest gap possible, it looked around worried. You didn’t know if it was to look for trouble or to find it. After the anxiety-writing look, the creature opened the creaking door. Now that you could see it, It was clearly a Gungan.

“Hello. Missa Jar Jar Binks. Why are you at misssas door?“ he questions “Hey, I'm your new neighbour. I was wondering if I could borrow some eggs?“ You say, a bit unsure of the Gungan in front of you. “Missa loves eggs. Sun sun or scrambled, lovely for my tumtum” jar jar snickers at the end. ”So… Can I use the eggs? You question once again. “Missa doesn’t have any eggs for sunsun but missa could go to the store for stuff and stuff.” Not only did you think of going to the store before you were now massively disappointed and also extremely tired. The less effort option was clearly the wrong one.

“No it's fine I will go myself thank you anyways.” Before finishing Jar Jar was already speaking, “It's not a big dealio, you newbie don't know the way like missa does.” Before you could protest against this clearly exhausting task, he was already out of the door and started walking towards the staircase. Not wanting to be rude, you followed. It took 17 minutes longer than normal to get to the store because Jar Jar wanted to ‘cut a cornerio’. Once at the store Jar Jar started to argue after eating a RAW egg “As a tasty jum jum” Only after 36 min of arguing and you finally offering to just buy the dozen did you start to make your way back home which also took a small hour.

You could finally bid Jar Jar goodnight. You got home just to cook the damn eggs ‘sun-sun’ style and went to bed in the early morning, you already knew this new life was going to be hard at first.

Waking up had never been so hard before, but the alarm was ringing and today was an important one. It was your first day at your new job at the paper company, ‘Paper Force’. Paper Force was located pretty far away, you would have to drive past the mustafar part of the city, making it a long trip for a very tired driver. Prepping for work wasn't the worst as you had laid out your work outfit the night before.

You got in your beat-up 2002 beetle and started the 50 minute commute. At the 20 minute point your car started to rumble, not just a soft snore, no, a rumble. 10 minutes later and you were stuck by the side of the road. You search an auto shop on your hologram immediately. The only car mechanic that wasn't 2 hours away was a place called ‘MustaCar’. Having no time to waste, you called the number.

45 long minutes later an old pickup truck pulls up behind your still-not-starting beetle. By this point you were frankly very annoyed. You were already half an hour late to your new job, and it didn't seem like you were going to get there soon. And to make things worse, you slept bad last night, meaning you were now rather sleep deprived.

The door to the pickup truck swings open with a clunk, clearly well used. A man in his early to mid 20’s steps out of the vehicle, he reaches up and moves his dark-blond curls out of his field of vision. He wears an oil-stained long sleeved button up, of which you cannot tell the original colour, as well as a pair of dirtied jeans. He spots you, puts his hands in his pockets and stalks over, clearly in no hurry.

“I was just thinking you weren't going to bother showing up” you snapped at him harshly. “Well, sorry Miss, the rest of the world doesn’t revolve around you” You let out a sharp breath at his words. “Excuse me, just look at my car and do your job”. You were fed up with this day already and now you had to deal with a know-it-all, stuck-up, man-child of a mechanic. “Parents didn’t teach you manners I see, now what seems to be the matter here? So I can do my job” He walks towards your car, popping the lid. You roll your eyes at him before speaking. “Well she won't go” He rolls up his sleeves, “Figured that much” he states. Your brows furrow in annoyance, you don’t have time for his attitude, “something started making noise and now she doesn't want to run.” He leans forward to observe your car’s engine. “She, huh, does the lovely lady have a name as well?” You can hear his smirk through his words. Your ears turn red “Shelby, the car is called Shelby”. The mechanic lets out a harsh laugh as he turns to something unknown “An old lady I suppose then, with a name like that”. You let out a huff and turn away.

“Dead Battery and the terminals are corroding”. You jump slightly, having zoned out. “Sorry?” you question. “You have a dead battery and its terminals are also corroding. Oh and you have a break problem, that's what the noise was”. You stand there a bit perplexed, “Uh what does that mean?”. “It means you aren’t gonna be able to drive Shelby until you get her fixed”. He says the name of your car amusingly. “So can you do it then?” You ask, checking your hologram for the time, you were almost an hour late already. “Well that's my job isn’t it?” He raises an eyebrow. You sigh, clearly this guy thought highly of himself. “How much and how long?” you demand, patient wearing thin at this point. “Well the battery change is gonna be about 150, plus the corrosion, about 20, and the grinding breaks, another 150 credits” he pauses before speaking again, “it’ll take a bit, have to order in the parts, could take a while, a few weeks”. “A few weeks!” you all but shout.

You pace away, trying to think. You were very very late, had little to no sleep, and now your beloved car wasn’t going, plus you might have to wait weeks to get her back running. “Fine, do what you must” you bark out. Hopefully this man could fix Shelby quickly, and you would never have to deal with him or another car problem ever again. “Need anything out of her? Or are you good?” He asks. You walk over to Shelby, grab your bag, morning caffeine fix, and sweater. You shut the door gently. The guy speaks, walking back over to the pickup truck “Okay then, I’ll take her into the shop and she’ll be good as new soon. Oh and I will probably need some contact details, unless you never want to see your car again” He walks back carrying a piece of blue-ish paper and a pen with the ‘MustaCar’ logo on the side, passing both to you. You write down your information and hand it back to his expecting hand. “You should come by the shop, I’m sure the guys would love that” And with a smirk and a wink, he turns, secures Shelby, and gets back into the pickup. You watch as he drives off with your prized possession, your Shelby, If he ruins her, he will have hell to pay. You had now been walking for 30 minutes, with your workplace still another 20 minutes away. Your hair sticks to your forehead with sweat and your feet are starting to ache. The music playing in your ears is a nice distraction from your situation as you stroll at pace. Finally after what feels like a millennium, you reach the building. The large blue letters spell ‘Paper Force’, meaning you haven’t gotten lost along the way. Making your way to the building, you check your reflection in a window, fix your hair, and give yourself a mental pep talk. Just go in, explain what happened, it will all be fine. At least you hope. With a deep breath and step inside.

Pulling up the shop with a rumble, the pickup-truck deposits his newest client's female car around the back. The fading MustaCar sign blinks slowly at him as he gets out the parked truck and steps foot on solid ground. The beetle named Shelby looks out of place among the beat up vehicles, and forgotten projects of the shop. “Anakin” A female voice yells from inside the garage before a young togruta steps out. She wears overalls and a pair of safety goggles on her head. “New project Snips” He says. “What's wrong with it? It looks pretty good to me” the togruta states as she walks over and runs a hand over the bonnet. “Battery is dead, corrosion, and breaks need new pads” Anakin explains, counting off each problem on his fingers. “We are gonna need to order stuff in for her”. The togruta laughs “Her?” she questions. Anakin sighs “Yes, Ahsoka, Her. Owner calls it Shelby". “Cute” Ahsoka shrugs “lets see what we can do”.

“Well the brake pads are definitely going to have to be replaced, there is basically nothing there” Ahsoka looks up as she speaks. “Thought as much, '' replies Anakin, as he wanders over with two cups of coffee, he passes one to Ahsoka. “Thanks”. “I placed an order for the new battery and brake pads, should take a week to arrive, but knowing the shipping times, it will probably take longer than that” Anakin says as he surveys Shelby. “At least she isn’t a complete wreck”. Ahsoka nods behind Anakin “speaking of wrecks, how is that project coming along ''. Anakin turns to look at the car sitting under a large tree. He had picked up the third generation Pontiac firebird from a man on his deathbed; it had been living in a barn for 20 years, rusted, and in desperate need of restoration. If it even could be saved. “It's a work in progress Snips”, “I don’t know, it is rusted pretty bad in some of it, it will take a genius to make it run again”, “Good thing i’m here then” He replies with a smile. Ahsoka rolls her eyes and drains the last of her drink before returning to their newest project.

A voice pulls Anakin out of his work “Anakin, I need to speak to you”. The voice comes from an elderly man, Palpatine, the creator and owner of MustaCar. “Of course” Anakin wipes the oil off his hands on a nearby cloth, before throwing it back on the table and following Palpatine. They enter the main office of the shop and Palpatine closes the door behind them. “Sith Auto Dominion is growing. At this rate we will be losing profit by the same time next month” Palpatine states. Sith Auto Dominion was the biggest competition for MustaCar, located on the other side of town on Geonosis Blvd. Over time the opposing shop had been taking their customers, meaning Palpatine and the people he employ have been having to cut costs however they can. “What can we do?” Anakin questions. “Not much my boy, we just have to be careful. I have owned this shop for 45 years and I will not see it go bankrupt” he takes a breath “You are my best mechanic Anakin, I cannot afford to lose you”. Palpatine walks around to his desk and sits down, gesturing at the seat opposite him. “I have a favour to ask you, Anakin”. “Anything” He replies. “Take your apprentice, go to Sith Auto, find out what they have that we don’t”

“Alright Snips, we have a job”

[zeroaddzero]

Top 10 Horniest Bruce Springsteen songs, ranked

Yes there are more horny Bruce songs. Too many horny songs for one list. I don’t know if his game was good because he knew how to write horny songs, or if his game inspired him to write horny songs. Either way, we’ve been blessed musically with a lot of horny songs. Here’s the horny songs I managed to fit into a (very biased) list:

1.  I'm On Fire

THE horny Bruce song. A fever fantasy of a wet dream smushed into one moaning, sweaty mess. Before I was a fan, this (coupled with the below performance) was the song that made me go "OH. I get it now."

Spotify LINK

At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet And a freight train running through the middle of my head Only you can cool my desire

2.  Pink Cadillac

About as subtle as Lady Gaga’s “Disco Stick.” Even better paired with the BITUSA tour intro (said intro got noticeably more sexual after Bruce got married in 1985).

Spotify LINK

They say Eve tempted Adam with an apple But man I an’t goin for that I know it was her pink Cadillac

3. Fire

Originally written for Elvis, the bass line alone for this #problematic 70s “don't play coy with me” number will make you reconsider feminism for 5 minutes. The 1986 performance is downright NSFW.

Spotify LINK

You had a hold on me right from the start A grip so tight I couldn't tear it apart

4. The Fever

Bruce is king of the “lying in bed thinking of how horny this person makes me” genre, and this is one of his finest examples. At almost 8 minutes, it’s the tantric equivalent to the more concentrated "I’m on Fire". Anybody noticing a “burning” theme here?

Spotify LINK

Well now the day grows longer The love just grows stronger, baby And the fever gets so bad at night I got the fever for the girl

5. Because The Night

Bruce never finished the lyrics, and this song arguably belongs to Patti Smith now. Bruce has even said as much. However, I am biased and enjoy this banger too much to let technicalities get in the way of horny. On the list it goes.

Spotify LINK

Because the night belongs to lovers Because the night belongs to lust Because the night belongs to lovers Because the night belongs to us

6. Red Headed Woman

I'm Going Down may seem raunchy until you realise it's about a bad breakup. For the other thing, we have this entry. Folks, this song is literally about eating pussy. Bruce even introduced it as such during his Ghost of Tom Joad tour. I’ve yet to recover from the whiplash of hearing him say the word “cunnilingus” while performing at his old Catholic high school.

Spotify LINK

Well listen up stud Your life's been wasted 'Til you've been down on your knees and tasted A red headed woman

7. She's The One

Speculated to have been written about the violinist who played on the album Born To Run, this tune shows our boy is down baaad. Best paired with the excellent "Mona" intro, which is included in the Houston '78 live performance below.

Spotify LINK

With her killer graces and her secret places That no boy can fill with her hands on her hips Oh and that smile on her lips Because she knows that it kills me

8. Part Man, Part Monkey

My Tunnel of Love tour knowledge is woefully lacking despite the tour being his most explicit, and the accompanying album being in my top 3. In the eyes of the public, Bruce was still with his first wife when this video was shot in 1988. Only the band knew he was recently separated, so imagine watching a presumably married man on stage eye-fucking his backup singer. The gossip mill must have been insane after each show.

Spotify LINK

Well the night is dark, the moon is full The flowers of romance exert their pull We talk awhile, my fingers slip I'm hard and crackling like a whip

9. Crush On You

Another genre this Jersey dude excels at is “horny to the point of funny.” Bruce himself has called it "the worst song we ever put on a record" but hey, what does he know.

Spotify LINK

For one kiss, darling I swear everything I would give 'Cause she's a walking talking reason to live

10. Cover Me

I just realised this is only one of four songs on this list included on an official Springsteen album (if you don't count the outtake compilations.) And how fitting it is to start and end this list with Paris '85 concert footage!

Spotify LINK

Now promise me baby you won't let them find us Hold me in your arms, let's let our love blind us Cover me, shut the door and cover me I'm looking for a lover who will come on in and cover me

Honourable mentions (song/album):

Rosalita / The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle Candy's Room / Darkness on the Edge of Town Ramrod / The River Cindy / The River (outtakes) Ain’t got you / Tunnel of Love The Fuse / The Rising

Let me know if you think I missed any! I won't change the list, but more horny song discourse is always good.

[jhilsara]

I Can See You

Pt. 1/ Pt. 2/ Pt. 3/ Pt. 4/ Pt. 5/pt. 6/Pt. 7/Pt. 8/Pt. 9/ Pt. 10/

Pt. 11/ Pt.12/Pt.13/Pt. 14/Pt.15/Pt.16/Pt.17/END

Mariana Jimenez-Watson or MJ works in a normal pub living life paycheck to paycheck. Nothing exciting happens to her except the occasional drunk getting thrown out. She's 24 working away and finds a wrench thrown into her very boring life. His name is Hobie and she thinks maybe, a little excitement isn't awful. In fact she might start to crave some change for once.

Small moments of Hobie meeting his world's MJ. AKA I made an MJ variant and I think she's neat.

Characters are completely aged up and this takes place after what will happen in beyond the spiderverse. I just made a little MJ variant and I think she's neat. I've been writing standalone scenes of her life after meeting Hobie and my friends really liked it so I thought I'd polish it up a little and post it. Nothing serious just some silly fun. (also I'm sorry I'm just not a y/n person, I just want to make characters who are developed and can have their own distinct personalities.) My MJ may not be for everyone but I hope you give her a shot.

Can also be read on Ao3 X

Chapter 1

She’s wiping off the counter and looking over at the small dodgy stage the pub has in the corner. She’s surprised the thing hasn’t collapsed in on itself. It has a couple of the instruments set up already for the band tonight. She feels someone bump her hip and she looks over to see her coworker raising a brow at her.

“Why don’t you wrap up early? You’re meeting your friends, right?” Andy asks her smiling.

MJ shrugs, “It ends in like fifteen and the band doesn’t start for another twenty. It’s fine, I don’t even think they've walked in yet.”

“Go on, grab a good spot at the front. I got it back here.” Andy encourages.

MJ rolls her eyes and keeps cleaning, “No seriously. I don’t even know who this band is. My friends want to see them. I’ll wrap it up in ten and look for them. I need to change out of these clothes anyway.”

“Whatever, you know half of the girls in here are already buzzin’. They’ve been drinking for the past hour looking for a shot of courage.” Andy says laughing.

MJ nudges her letting some giggles out too, “Stop, Andy! Leave them alone, they’re barely old enough to get in. They just want to see some hot musicians.”

“Who’s gonna tell them that most of the musicians are indeed, not hot, when they do small pub shows like us?” Andy says starting to pop open a beer for a customer.

“Oh, come off it, apparently this band does everything and anything. Good too, at least my friends say.” MJ says handing Andy another beer for the same group.

“You better clock out, you’ll miss your window to not be trapped back here.” Andy tells her looking at the clock.

“Oh shit, thanks!” MJ quickly dodges around the bar to get to the back so she can grab her bag and change.

She rushes into the bathroom and quickly changes into something a little cuter than her pub shirt and black slacks.

She pulls her rosy pink slip dress out and easily slides it on. Shoving her other clothes into her backpack. She adjusts her necklaces and looks into the mirror, checking to make sure her hair’s still passible. She adjusts the twin buns but just shrugs a minute later. It’s a punk show it doesn’t matter if she looks nice. She checks to make sure nothings on her and makes her way back out.

She throws her bag back where her other belongings are and wades through a decent sized crowd. She can’t find her friends but does make her way to the front. She checks her phone and sees that her friends had texted and canceled coming last minute. She groans in irritation, and turns to try and leave but the crowd has gotten thicker and she’s stuck. She’s jostled into someone who grabs her waist and she whips her head around smacking the hands.

“Hands off!” she growls looking up at the man. He throws his hands up but his grin is slimey. MJ keeps her glare.

“You bumped into me sweetie.” He chuckles.

She rolls her eyes, “Doesn’t mean you get handsy with me.” She mutters turning back to the stage. 

She sees her coworker Lars come out to push the crowd back, she feels a little better knowing she has an easy escape if she needs to. He settles in the corner of the stage, watching the crowd. Within a few seconds the band comes out and she settles a bit. She might as well enjoy the show.

She feels someone sidle up to her side, pressing into her, and she turns her head to see the same man from before smiling at her.

“Back up. I don’t play this game.” She hisses out shoving him off of her.

“C’mon, not a big deal, it’s a massive crowd in here. It’s tight is all.” He says slurring his words.

MJ puffs her cheeks in irritation and points her finger into his chest, “Do not fucking touch me again.” She flashes her eyes over to Lars and he nods his head, acknowledging her.

The guy takes a step back but is still looking at her in a predatory way that makes her skin crawl. She turns to the stage to try and pay attention to the band.

The music’s loud, booming, and it has her moshing with a small group near the front. She’s having a blast for the first few songs, then she feels it.

The guy that’s next to her starts to grab her bum. She turns around and slaps the guy across the face, “I said to not fucking touch me!” She shouts at him. The music’s too loud, the lights are in her eyes, and her bodies hot with rage and adrenaline. She turns to try and spot Lars but the man grabs her by the arm tightly, pulling her closer.

“C’mon I know a slag like you when I see one,” He starts to say, mouth too close to her face so she can smell how intoxicated he is.

She reels back her free arm, hand curled into a fist, but before she can deck the drunk someone else does.

She sees combat boots fly by and her eyes widen as she sees the guitarist drop kick the guy who’s grabbing her.

Her jaw falls open in shock as the man lands perfectly fine in front of her. His guitar strapped to his back is all she sees as he stands between her and the man he just sent to the floor. She for the first time in a while, is stunned speechless.

“Mate, I don’t know who raised ya, but we don’t touch people without consent at my shows.” The guitarist says, voice deep and his face hard as he glares at the man on the ground.

The man tries to crawl off the ground, the crowd around them parting to see what’s happening.

“She’s with me man! What’s your problem?” the man tries to defend pointing at her.

Her anger continues to boil and she opens her mouth to defend herself but the guitarist responds first.

He nudges his head back to her and gives a bitter laugh, “Ya need a better lie cause she’s with me.” He tells him.

She shuts her mouth, looking at him like he’s mad for only a second. She most certainly is not with him but she sure as hell will act like it. She doesn’t want to spend the rest of the night with some creep touching her.

Her eyes flash to the other guy who’s face pales, “Sorry, sorry!” He throws his hands up in defense laughing, “Didn’t know she was yours!”

The guitarist shakes his head and crosses his arms tsking at the man. “Wooooooooow,” he drags out exaggeratedly. “She doesn’t belong to anyone.” He says, and gives a small chuckle.

The other guy is looking at him, a little in fear, as he tries to laugh along with him. The guitarist quickly stops chuckling and throws a quick but hard punch to the creep’s face.

“Apologize to her.” The guitarist demands voice harsh and cold.

The man’s holding his bruising cheek, looking at her eyes filled with fear, “M’sorry alright! I won’t touch you again I swear!” he shouts rushing through his words.

The guitarists steps forward getting closer to the guy at eye level, “For the record, it shouldn’t take me lying about us being a couple for ya to respect her.”

The second he steps back MJ sees Lars come through and grabs the guy dragging him off. He tries to fight against Lars but that man is bigger than most and he works in security for a reason.

“You alright?” The guitarist asks his voice much softer, turning around to face her.

She’s stunned for a moment and just nods her head, “Uh yeah, yeah, thanks.” She says shocked.

“No problem.” He grins and jumps back on the stage.

She’s a little floored at what just happened but she looks around her and the crowd has closed in again, looking back up at the stage.

“Sorry for the delay there, but a not so friendly reminder, don’t act like a prick and touch people without consent ya? You will not be escorted out without a black eye.” One of the other band members says addressing the crowd.

The crowd roars with cheering as they start up another song, MJ really can only laugh and just rolls with it. The whole time making intensely too much eye contact with the tall guitarist whose wicks frame his face as he vibes with the music.

By the time the shows over, she’s able to wiggle herself out with the help of Lars. A lot of the crowd stays, still high off the show.

“Great save back there Lars, maybe we should hire that guy when people get handsy with the staff.” She jokes smacking his chest.

“Piss off MJ, I was gonna throw him out after you clocked him but, well, I didn’t have to.” He laughs holding the door to the back open.

“Night Lars, seriously though, thanks for taking the guy out.” She laughs going to grab her backpack and head back home.

He shakes his head at her and steps back helping to pack up the band’s equipment.

“Oi! Hey,” The guitarist from before comes up to Lars, “Is that girl here? The one who had that prick touch her? I wanted to talk to her.” He says.

Lars looks over him curiously raising a brow, “Oh, no she left. She works here if you wanted to try to find her.” He offers casually.

“No, no, just wanted to know she’s okay.” The guitarist replies shoving his hands in his vest pockets.

“Oh, I promise she’s fine, takes a lot more than that to shake her.” Lars chuckles. “She gave me a warning look and I was ready to grab him when he put his hands on her.”

“Good, good.” The guitarist nods in approval. He starts to walk back towards his band, who’s packing up the last of their stuff.

He keeps the name of the pub in the back of his head with the image of a pink girl with maroon colored hair.

Two weeks pass and MJ’s behind her bar working on a few drinks when she sees a seemingly familiar face plop a seat.

She gives the person their drink and turns to address the new face, when she’s met with a familiar voice. “Hey stranger.” The guitarist from before greets cheekily leaning into the bar top.

She beams at him, “Hey! Lars told me you were asking around for me after the show. Sorry I didn’t stay.”

He just shrugs nonchalantly, “No biggie, just wanted to know you were fine is all.”

She gives a soft laugh shaking her head, “Trust, I’m good. I was gonna clock him and let Lars handle him but…” She trails off giving him a pointed look, “You handled it just fine.” She teases.

“Oof, I woulda loved to see ya give him a mean right hook though.” He chuckles.

She shakes her head in disbelief, “Maybe next time.” She smiles softly.

“Oh? Already planning the next time we’ll hit someone who’s being a sexist prick?” he smirks leaning closer to her on the bar top.

She gives him a genuine laugh, loud and it shakes her body. “Absolutely.”

A beat of silence passes between them before she decides its time to do her job, “So, what can I get ya?”

“Your name preferably.” He replies easily flashing her a smile.

Genuine surprise flashes across her face and then a hot flush across her cheeks.

“Depends,” She fires back, teasingly. He raises a brow at her.

“I’m MJ to most people, especially the ones I’ve just met.” She says easily. Grabbing a clean glass.

Something lights up in his eyes for a split second, like he’s found something he’s been looking for.

“I like that, what’s it short for?” He presses.

“Mmmm, I don’t know, you are asking for my government name and I don’t even have your first name.” She says playfully tilting her head.

“Hobie, Hobie Brown.” He says without giving it a second thought.

She bites her lip, hesitating, but caves under his warm eyes. She feels a pull towards this man, and maybe she’s just projecting because he stuck his neck out for her, but she feels pulled to him none the less.

“Mariana Jimenez-Watson.” She gives him.

He grins so big it could almost split his face, “I like Mariana.” He tells her softly.

Her face warms up again and she turns to fill the glass with water. “Let’s settle for MJ alright?” she says.

“Alright.” He murmurs.

[ursa-tan]

Part 2 of the reader "captures" the wally, where wally's friends break into the reader's house to save wally from the reader's "evil" clutches and find wally sleeping and cuddling the reader.

(I thought this situation would be funny like a comedy)

He's yours?...

Wally Darling x Fem!Villain!Reader

Word count: 2,910 Reading time: ~10 mins

Part 1, Part 2

A/N: I know that I’ve closed requests… But this was such a cute idea and I couldn’t help but write it… damn you anon, coming in here with such cute ideas! I've put this in my Playfellowxxx masterlist on account of the first part being nsfw and how this second part doesn't really make sense without the first - if you think it needs changing, please let me know!

Anyway! Hope you all enjoy!

It’s dawning on the next afternoon before anyone realises Wally is missing. The sun is already high in the sky and Barnaby is heading into the bugdega to get the same thing he gets every day for lunch – the “chilli dog” that can’t really be classified as anything but a crime against food.

“Morning Howdy,” He drawls, the same low rumble he speaks with every time he talks.

“Afternoon, actually,” The caterpillar chuckles, pointing to the town clock with one of his many arms. Barnaby can just about see it through one of the many windows of the bugdega.

“Huh, well then, afternoon Howdy.” It’s just gone twelve, but Howdy had adopted the habit of correcting the dog on his timing after Barnaby had jokingly done it once. It was a little inside joke, both of them rather enjoyed it thought.

“Indeed,” Howdy stops cleaning the counter and finally looks up at the big blue puppy, “ I take you’ve gone here for lunch?”

“You know me all too well,” Barnaby chuckles, walking up and resting his elbows on the freshly wiped counter, leaning his head into his hands.

“I know you’re routine – and I know that you’re going to ask me for that abomination of a hot dog for lunch.”

“Don’t knock it till ya’ try it.”

“I think I’ll stick to salad, thanks.”

“Same response every time.”

Howdy can’t help but let out a light laugh as he turns his back on Barnaby, starting to make the same thing he did every day around noon. They always had the same kind of conversation, the same routine. Day in day out, Howdy could rely on Barnaby to come in and keep him company for a few minutes. He also knew he could, begrudgingly, rely on Wally to ruin the apple display while he tried to look for the “best apple”.

“Go tell your little menace of a best friend to get out of my apples,” Howdy speaks, still with his back to Barnaby. He’s in the process of gathering the sauces he needs when Barnaby speaks up.

“Uh… He’s not in the apple display?” The other puppet sounds rather concerned, like he hadn’t noticed before this that Wally wasn’t present.

“What do you mean he isn’t in the apple display?” Howdy practically whips around, abandoning the half made hot dog in order of scanning the store for the much smaller puppet. Barnaby was right, Wally isn’t in the apple display. Nor has he climbed his way onto the counter to wait for Barnaby to get his hot dog. As far as Howdy is aware, Wally isn’t even in the bugdega.

“Where is he then?” The caterpillar asks, turning back around to finish the hot dog as fast as possible before handing it to Barnaby.

“I assumed he was following me…” Barnaby trails off, brows knitting together as he tries to think back on the day so far.

“You didn’t check?” Howdy sounds exasperated. In truth, he’s panicking, he’s incredibly worried about Wally, but his voice isn’t conveying that.

“I don’t usually have to! He’s never not followed me in here when I come in to get lunch!” Barnaby is starting to look panicked as well, discarding his lunch on the counter in favour of starting to look around the bugdega. If Howdy wasn’t also so worried about the little puppet, he would’ve told Barnaby off for dirtying his counter.

“I’ll keep looking around here, you go check to see if he’s spending time with Julie and Frank.” Howdy’s rushing out from behind the counter, hurrying Barnaby out the door as he speaks. Barnaby doesn’t resist in the slightest, running out to see if he can find Wally elsewhere.

It’s not long before the whole neighbourhood is searching for Wally. Julie and Frank have teamed up to see if Wally has wondered into the woods. Howdy, Barnaby, and Poppy are checking in higher up places, seeing if he somehow managed to get himself stuck. Eddie and Sally are going through everyone’s gardens. Even home is worried, squeaking and banging – while no one can understand what they’re trying to say, everyone can tell that they’re distressed.

After a rather frantic search, the whole neighbourhood – bar Wally, of course – gather in front of home.

“Did anyone find him?” Eddie speaks, coming to stand next to Frank. He hold their hand, stroking his thumb over their knuckles as a way to comfort himself.

“No, couldn’t see him anywhere,” Julie says next, worrying at a strand of her hair, tugging at it lightly.

“Does anyone have any ideas where he could be? Did anyone check Home?” Barnaby seems to be doing the worst, his tail swishing nervously as he continues to look around like he’ll somehow spot Wally.

“I asked, but I don’t think he’s inside,” Sally mumbles, looking towards Home. Home, in response, opens and closes its doors. Even if no one but Wally can understand them, they all pretty clearly understand that not even Home knows where Wally is.

“Has anyone seen (Y/n)  today?” Frank speaks up, taking a moment from comforting Eddie to look around themself.

Their question seems to still the very air as it comes from their mouth. Collectively, everyone seems to stop worrying as they turn their heads towards Franks. No one had seen (Y/n) that day, or the previous one for that matter.

It was particularly strange not to see (Y/n) for more than one day. Much like Barnaby going to the bugdega every day or Eddie always delivering mail at the same time every morning, (Y/n) was always up to something or other. So, for the neighbours not to see her was unusual in itself. For them to not see (Y/n) or Wally was even more unusual. So much so that Barnaby immediately turned on his heel and stormed off, heading straight for her house.

“Barnaby! Hold up! Don’t do anything rash!” Eddie calls after what is now an 8 feet tall ball of rage coated in spotty blue fluff. The mailman is hot on Barnaby’s heels, followed close by Frank and then Julie.

“maybe we should think about this?” Julie calls out from the back of the line, still twirling and tugging at the strands of her hair that frame her face.

“If she’s got Wally we have to get him back. We all know nothing good is happening behind those doors,” Barnaby growls out, his voice deeper and rougher than anyone had heard from him before. The tone causes Eddie to stutter in his steps, nearly tripping as Frank bumps into his back.

“(Y/N)!” Barnaby barks, finally coming to her door and pounding a balled-up fist against the wood. The force behind his knock – it’s really more like a punch – seems to cause the whole house to shudder.

“Barnaby, I really don’t think-“ It’s Frank’s turn to try and reason with the angry hound only to get interrupted.

“OPEN THIS DOOR! THIS IS TOO FAR!” Barnaby continues to thump his fist against the door, yet he doesn’t get an answer. Sure, (Y/n) had caused problems before – snuck into the bugdega to switch out the sauces he normally had on his hotdog, stolen Frank’s butterfly collection, messed with Sally’s plays. But this was too far, entirely too far.

After a few minutes of practically howling through the door accompanied by insistent banging, Barnaby decides that he’s had enough of waiting and takes matters into his own hands; using his size and weight to his advantage, he begins to throw himself against the door with the intention of breaking it down.

“Barnaby! Stop!” Julie calls out, running over to him, trying to grab his arm and pull him away, “We can settle this like adults! I’m sure (Y/n) would be open to talking it out!”

Barnaby pauses, more in fear of hurting his friend if he were to continue his attempts over anything else. He looks down at the much shorter puppet, a flash of remorse in his eyes before he scoops her up and walks over to a tree not too far away and places her in one of the branches. She’ll be able to get down, but she’ll need Eddie or Frank’s help to do so.

“Barnaby!” She calls out, trying to figure out how to get out of the tree as he walks away and back towards (Y/n)’s house.

“Sorry Julie,” He mumbles, walking back to the door and throwing himself against it one more time. Apparently, that last push was all it needed as Barnaby collapses forwards and into the house, landing on top of the now ruined door with a loud huff.

The inside of the house is dimly lit despite it being early afternoon, all the curtains drawn and any like that was too bright turned off. The smell of cinnamon and cooked pastry fills the air, accompanied by soft swing music and what sounds like a soft feminine voice mumbling. If it weren’t for the situation at hand, Barnaby would find it rather relaxing.

The dog climbs back to his feet, taking a moment to brush himself off before storming deeper into the house, following the sound of her soft mumble. He knows he’s going to find (Y/n), he can only hope he finds Wally too. What he does find at the end of his short rampage is completely unexpected.

Wally is laying on (Y/n), head on her chest and arms wrapped as far around her as they can go. There’s a blanket pulled up over the both of them – it’s a fluffy yellow one, a teddy bear blanket. Wally is wearing a light pink shirt that appears to be 4 sizes too big, it also looks like one that Barnaby remembers seeing (Y/n) in. (Y/n) is laying on a sofa, head on the arm rest and holding a book in the air, half reading the words aloud. A record player crackles away softly in the background, playing “I will always love you”. There’s a fresh apple pie on the table, along with a few fresh apples.

“’You should learn not to make personal remarks,’ Alice said with some severity; ‘it’s very rude.’,” (Y/n) mumbles before craning their neck ever so slightly to kiss the top of Wally’s head – an easy feat, as his hair is not in his signature pompadour.

“What the fuck.” Barnaby finds himself unable to move, completely rooted to the floor as he looks at the scene in front of him. It’s so perfectly domestic that, if it weren’t for his friend being kidnapped, he would find it sickeningly sweet.

“Do you mind?” (Y/n) asks, turning her head to stare at Barnaby with a look somewhere between distain and malice, “We we’re perfectly comfortable before you came barging in here.” This time, its her turn to growl as she speaks.

Barnaby looks around, looking for any kind of indication that Wally is being held captive, that he can’t just get up and leave. Yet, no matter how hard he looks, he can’t find any. Wally is just relaxing on (Y/n)’s chest while she stares down Barnaby.

“Barnaby!” Eddie’s voice comes loud from somewhere behind the dog before he bursts into the room. Much like Barnaby, he freezes upon seeing the scene.

“Oh great, you brought the mailman,” Yon grumbles, closing her book and leaning over as much as she can to place it on the coffee table, “is there anyone else? Did you bring the whole neighbourhood?” her voice is snarky as she speaks, obviously annoyed with the interruption.

“(Y/n)? Why have you stopped?” Wally finally speaks up, opening his eyes and shifting to sit up slightly. He seems completely oblivious to the presence of both Barnaby and Eddie while he looks up at (Y/n) with droopy, relaxed eyes.

“Wally?” It’s Eddie’s turn to speak now, as Barnaby is still trying to collect his jaw from its place on the floor.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Eddie sounds equal parts confused and outraged, staring at Wally.

“oh… Hello.” Wally sounds like he has just woken up from a nap when he speaks, despite the fact that he doesn’t sleep.

“Can you two leave?” (Y/n) growls, putting her arms around Wally and holding his much smaller body against hers. “He’s obviously not in any danger and I’ll return him soon enough. Get out of my house and please put my door back on it’s hinges as you go.”

“I’m not going anywhere without Wally,” Barnaby finally manages to find his voice, deciding to walk towards (Y/n).

“He’s a grown man, he can go home when he wants to. Like I said, he’s not in danger, I’m not holding him here against his will, he’s free to leave when he wants. He just doesn’t want to leave.” (Y/n) hugs Wally tighter to her body as Barnaby approaches, refusing to let him take Wally from her.

“I… Maybe we should go,” Eddie mumbles, seemingly nervous now. Any anger he had from before has melted away after seeing Wally in this state, obviously not wanting to leave.

“See? The mailman gets it. Now get out,” (Y/n) continues to growl at them, still holding the sleepy looking Wally against her body.

“I’m not-“ Barnaby tries to step forward, tries to reach out and pull Wally from her grip. Yet he doesn’t succeed; Eddie is holding the arm he was reaching forwards with.

“Barnaby…” Eddie mumbles, looking up at the much smaller puppet with a pleading look, “Wally is his own person… He can come home if he wants to… I think we should go.”

“But- He-“

“Let’s go.” Eddie tugs at Barnaby’s arm, beginning to tug him towards the living room door.

Barnaby doesn’t attempt to fight it, just letting Eddie tug him out of the house. His foot steps are staggering as he’s finally lead out, squinting a little as the sun shines into his eyes. He takes a moment when Eddie lets go of his arm to put the door back in place – it’s not perfect, but it’ll to till (Y/n) gets it fixed.

“What happened?!” Julie shouts, still in the tree that Barnaby had left her in. He can see that Frank is still trying to get her down.

“Wally wants to stay,” Eddie is the one who responds, as Barnaby is still unable to find his words.

“He wants to stay?” Frank stops their attempts to pull Julie from the tree to turn to their husband, a confused look on their face.

“Yep, wanted to stay.” Eddie walks over, reaching up and managing to catch Julie as she shimmies her way out of the branches. He puts her down before turning back to Barnaby.

“Why would he want to stay?”

“I don’t know, he seemed comfortable.”

Barnaby can hear the others ease into soft chatter about the situation as he begins to walk away. He doesn’t really know where he’s going, he’s just heading vaguely towards Home and the rest of the neighbours. He doesn’t know if Eddie, Julie and Frank are following him. He just knows that he saw his best friend curled up on the chest of the town’s biggest nuisance. Although, he doesn’t get far before a familiar pair of hands are on his arm again.

“Hey Barn, are you ok?” It’s Eddie. Ever the sweetheart, he’s desperate to comfort Barnaby to the best of his ability.

Barnaby looks around, waiting for Frank and Julie to approach, waiting to be overwhelmed with the voices that are just trying to comfort him, yet no one appears. It remains as just him and Eddie on the small path leading back to Home.

“Frankie and Julie have already headed on ahead. It’s just me and you. Are you ok?” The same question is so much heavier now. Especially as Eddie seemingly stares into his soul – almost the same way Wally always manages to do.

“Why would he do that?” Barnaby’s voice is broken, cracking, and barely above a whisper. Something about it is hollow and desolate.

“I don’t know,” Eddie mutters, now relaxing his grip on Barnaby’s arm.

“He… He’s supposed to be my best friend,” There’s so much distress in Barnaby’s voice. It sounds like he should’ve been shouting, he really should’ve been shouting. “Why would he leave? Why wouldn’t he say anything? Why would he stay with her?”

“I don’t know, only Wally can answer your questions.” Eddie continues to do his best to comfort Barnaby. Although the dog seems to be starting to whimper now despite trying to supress it.

“Maybe we should head back… The others are probably starting to worry about us now,” Barnaby mumbles over a barely supressed whimper.

“Yeah… Let’s head back.” Eddie places a hand on Barnaby’s back, agreeing. He knows the topic change is a desperate attempt not to start crying, so he won’t mention anything.

Wally turns up the next day like nothing ever happened. Granted, his ascot is tied in a different way then he usually does it and his pompadour isn’t coiled as tightly either, but he acts as if nothing is out of the ordinary. When Julie asks where he was, all he says is he was ‘visiting a friend’. When Howdy asks what he did, all he’ll give is vague answers. Worst of all, when Barnaby looks at him with a look of betrayal, he doesn’t acknowledge it.

[sluttyenthusiast]

You’re Losing Me

Jack Hughes x Reader

Warnings- Mention of drinking and throwing up, Mean!Jack 🥲

(Hey!! Idk if y’all missed me but I have missed you!! I’ve been busy with my own things ya know, like, a baby, moving, school, basic stuff. Anyway, I hope y’all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!)

Everyone you knew would describe you as lively and full of spirit. Your parents even described you as a wild child. While you were wild and out there you were never bad, and they were thankful for that. You carried your full of life attitude with you all through life, from primary to high school, onto college. Your intense friendliness and spark is what attracted most people to you, especially your boyfriend of now 3 years. He remembers the first time he saw you. It was at a dingy college party he was dragged to, and while his friends were off getting drinks he spotted you from across the room. Like a moth to a light, he was attracted to you. He got up closer to try to see what you were yelling about, and who you were yelling at. The closer he got the more he picked up on.

“-And you probably own a guitar cause you wanted to be like John Mayer and thought girls would find it attractive.”

Jack found himself laughing at the way you screamed at the man sitting in front of you, pointing a finger to his chest.

Your head whipped around at the sound of laughter, the guy in front of you forgotten as you started pointing at Jack.

“What are you laughing at? I’ve seen barber shop floors with better haircuts than you and wha-.”

At that moment he knew, he wanted you in his life.

And in his life you were, after screaming at him for 10 minutes he asked for your number, where you stood in disbelief, but eventually ended up giving in.

Years later you have become a vital part of his life, supporting him through every aspect of his life.

Jack couldn’t imagine life without you, and he was hoping he would never even experience it. But as seasons change so do people

•••••

You don’t remember who you were celebrating or what but you knew that you weren’t completely sober. You felt the heat rise to your cheeks as everyone encouraged you to take body shots, you friend smiled at you, telling her you could take them off of her, so you did, cause that’s what best friends do. You both giggled as everyone clapped for you, as you finished she stood up on the table, pulling you up with her as everyone cheered for you.

“I’m the best damn thing at this party!” You screamed, watching as your friend and everyone around you agreed, laughing with you.

Your laughter stopped as you felt yourself get pulled off the table, your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you saw who it was.

“Jack? What are yo-“ Before you could even finish he guided you toward the exit into the cold of the night, gasping as the hoarse breeze hit your body.

“We’re going home.” He set a hard pace as he yanked you to the car, you had never seen him like this hit you felt it was best to just listen.

Silence was the only thing you heard on the way home, watching the headlights fade off as you sat parked in front of your shared home. Ready to get out of the car you were stopped by Jack speaking

“Do you ever think before you do anything?”

“What do you mean?” You sat back into your seat, facing him as he faced forward, eyes set on the garage in front of him.

“You know what I mean, you pull all this shit and expect me to just smile and be okay with it? You seriously can’t be that stupid.” Before you could even answer him he got out of the car, slamming the door behind him, but you were quicker, running after him as he stomped his way into the house, throwing down the keys on the counter.

There he stood, head down, hands gripping the counter.

“You’re too much you know.”

There it was, the one phrase that slashed your heart in two.

In all your years of living no one had ever told you that you were too much, but hearing those words from the man you loved hurt more than a bullet ever could.

You stood in disbelief, afraid to speak, afraid he’ll slip away.

You watched as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a dainty black velvet box, tossing it at you. He sighed as you caught it, still refusing to look up at you.

“I had my heart set on marrying you, but I can’t do this anymore.” You felt your heart settle in your stomach, scared that if you opened your mouth you might throw up.

“You know, I wouldn’t marry me either.”

And as those words were spoke into the air, never to be taken back, you watched as his eyes fell while clatter of the dropped ring box was the only thing to be heard. You turned away, out the door, out of the driveway way, out of his life.

[hsangel64]

。゜✿ฺwhipped✿ฺ゜。

⤷ pairings: dealer!ellie williams x fem!reader (she/her)

⤷ summary: ellie is just so whipped for you everyone knows it except for ellie herself

⤷ warnings: cursing but that’s about it

⤷ a/n: i’m gonna start writing part three for band mates later but i wanted to get some of my other ideas out !

ellie was so incredibly whipped it was insane. she is absolutely head over heals for her girlfriend. she won’t shut up about her and brings her up into every single conversation she has. it’ll be a conversation that doesn’t even involve her and she says.

“hey guys did you know i have a girlfriend?”

“i have a girlfriend did you know that?”

“my girlfriend is amazing…did you know i had one?”

she will literally drop everything for her and would do absolutely anything she asks. with ellie being the dealer to pretty much everyone on campus she made a lot of money. so meaning she will literally get you whatever you want whenever you want it. you even show the slightest interest in something she will go out of her way to buy it and surprise you. she likes to spoil you and she knows you absolutely love it.

the only thing about this is the fact that ellie doesn’t realize how whipped she actually is. you stayed home because you weren’t feeling well while ellie and dina went to this party. ellie was there for strictly business and dina just decided to tag along. originally you were supposed to go like you always do. she liked having you there to basically be eye candy but she also just loved knowing you were with her.

you had gotten some cramps and had realized you had gotten your period. you just didn’t feel the best with the cramps and nausea rolling in with a headache. you simply didn’t want to go out. you told ellie it was okay and you didn’t want her to miss out on money. she was very wary knowing how emotional you usually get during your period and didn’t want to miss a moment where you needed her. you insisted and said you’d text her if anything happened.

so now ellie is sitting here laughing with dina about stupid frat guys not realizing you were at home crying because of dog tik toks and the pain from your cramps. you wanted ellie but you didn’t want to stop her from getting money so you decide not to call her.

this resulted in ellie being a little worried that you hadn’t even texted but tried to think maybe you had just fallen asleep? she texts you just in case to check to see if you were holding up okay.

ellie wellie🥰 hey baby are you holding up okay?

baby 🫶💞 hi i’m okay

ellie wellie 🥰 are you sure?

baby 🫶💞 mhm :]

ellie knew you better than that so she slipped outside really quick to call you. ring ring…

“hi baby.”

“hi…” you said sadly and then sniffled.

“awee baby what’s wrong? what’s got my sweet girl crying?”

“it’s nothing promise i’m okay.”

“baby it doesn’t sound like nothing.”

“it is nothing i promise.” you replied trying to stifle yourself from letting out another sob.

“my love please just tell me should i leave? cause i’ll leave honey i’ll leave and take care of you.” she assured you as she was already texting dina to close up shop and that she’s ready to go.

“no no cause party’s make the best money i don’t want to stop that.” you could hold it in any longer and let out a small sob after.

“okay pretty girl i’m coming i made enough money i’ll be back home in 10 minutes. i love you sooo much.” you tried to protest but gave up and say i love you back. ellie hung up and headed back inside to grab her stuff and head out.

“is something wrong? you usually never stop selling this early?” dina yelled over the loud music as ellie finished up packing her stuff.

“the girlfriend needs me! i have to go.”

“oh no what happened?”

“she’s on her period!”

there was a small silence between them before dina responded.

“you are so fuckin whipped.” ellie looked over at her a little puzzled and scoffed.

“i am not whipped!”

“yes you are idiot!” they both made it out to the front and headed to ellie’s car.

“no i am not !”

“okay whatever you say you simp..”

“oh fuck off.” ellie responded and dina let out a laugh. they drove all the way back to campus which wasn’t too far. you all lived in the same dorm building so they both walked back together but ellie still liked to make sure she got back safe since you guys were on separate floors. she always asked dina to text her once she gets into her dorm.

ellie unlocked the door and was greeted with darkness.

“baby?” she called out but didn’t seem to get a response. she walked into your shared bedroom and saw you curled up into a ball sleeping away. she awed quietly. you just looked so cute she had to take a picture. she even has a whole album of sleeping pictures she’s taken of you.

ellie took off her shoes, pants and sweater off which left her in just some boxers and a tank top. she sets her keys down and goes over to you. she scoots you over a little not too much to wake you up. you grumble and turn over to face ellie. she frowns at your dried up tear stained cheeks.

she pulls a piece of your hair back and holds your face rubbing her thumb across your cheek. you look so breathtakingly beautiful even if you look so sad.

“els?” you groggily ask feeling her sudden presence.

“i’m right here my sweet girl.” you slightly open your eyes, slightly feels like there’s weights on your eyes from crying and still being sleepy. ellie leans in and gives you a small kiss on the lips. and you let out a small smile.

“there’s my smiley baby.” you giggled and hid your face in her shoulder.

“stop it.” you said muffled and she pulled you away to look at you.

“absolutely not i will never stop.” you playfully rolled your eyes and laid your head to look at her.

“you look so beautiful baby.” your face gets hot and red.

“thank you.” she smiles at you and starts to play with your hair. your eyes instantly feel heavier and you have the urge to go back to sleep.

“how was the party?”

“it was fine had a good time with dina and made some good money.” she smiled at you seeing how tired you look. it’s so fucking cute.

“that’s nice im glad my love.”

“yeah i was thinking we could go somewhere for dinner tomorrow? like your favorite place…and get nails done….and some shopping….and then come home with candy and snacks and watch your favorite movies…” your head popped up and you sat up quickly.

“really?!?”

“yes of course baby you deserve it.”

“YAY OH MY GOSH!!” you crashed into her and gave her kisses all over her face and stopped at her lips.

“i love you so much els.”

“i love you more my darling girl.” you stared at each other for a little longer and not a second later you both crashed into each other and were making out a little. you both pulled away and just smiled at each other just so in love with one another.

“so are you feeling better now?”

“of course i am silly i’m with you!”

“i love you so much my sweet baby don’t ever forget it i would do anything and everything for you.”

“you’re so whipped els.”

“WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP SAYING THAT!”

[pallastrology]

lovely little things for your sign

artwork by theodor petter

valentine's day is coming up, so here are some nice little things we can do to pamper and show some appreciation for ourselves. i tried to think of free activities, because times are tough for us all right now. use whichever placements resonate for you, this is just for fun so don't treat it too seriously <3

aries: dance party! maybe it sounds silly, but moving your body (in whatever way feels best for you) can be really helpful. it wakes you up, helps regulate your nervous system, gets the blood pumping a bit and can be mentally uplifting. never mind how good it feels to blast some music and just let go of fear and inhibition for a minute...

taurus: spa session. this doesn't need to be a big fancy thing, but it's always nice to spend a bit of time pampering yourself. take a bath or shower, cut up some fruit, make a herbal tea or get a sparkling water, and then whip out some moisturiser or a deep conditioner. you could even make yourself a DIY face mask if you're feeling creative. paint your nails, listen to calming music, and just spend some time showing your body a bit of love...

gemini: start a diary. whether you get out that notebook you've been saving for three years (we all have one, there's no shame here) or just use your phone's notepad app, set aside a little bit of time to do some journaling. it's a really useful habit for a multitude of reasons, and you might find you feel lighter after you've put your thoughts to the page. going back through old journals can be affirming, emotional and even inspiring, so make sure to keep your writings safe...

cancer: get cosy! it's easy to get overwhelmed with life, especially when you can't get any time to yourself. so if you can, set aside a bit of time that suits you and just get comfortable. whether that's something like watching your cat play while you nurse a cup of tea, watching a comfort show with snacks and pjs, sinking into a book, whatever. do something that's just for you, and let yourself indulge a little bit...

leo: be nice to yourself. it's often easier to bully yourself than it is to be kind to yourself, but there's nothing conceited or big-headed about being proud of yourself and your accomplishments, acknowledging both your faults and your strengths, and treating yourself with the same kindness and respect you treat your loved ones with. in fact, it will help you to feel, think and do better, if you treat yourself better. so be your own biggest cheerleader, and take stock of the good in your life...

virgo: take a moment to recentre. when times get tough, it's easy to neglect your wellbeing. so now, take some time out of your day to work on a healthy routine; not one of the 'influencer' routines you see on social media, but a simple and sustainable routine that helps you feel a little bit better. even if means something 'little' like going through a checklist when you feel you're about to explode, feeling just 10% better can make your life run a lot smoother, and leave you feeling more grounded and able to enjoy your days...

libra: connect with someone. life can be very isolating, and it's easy to miss out on connection with people when most of our interactions are shunted through social media. try reaching out to a loved one and having a conversation; it doesn't have to be in person if you can't do that right now, but rather than just sending a meme or liking a post, have a real talk with someone you care about. a good chat with a friend won't cure all your problems, but it can lead to inspiration, connection and feeling that life is actually okay...

scorpio: dive into something. let your natural curiosity out to explore. it's always good to exercise your brain, but researching a new topic and studying it in depth will help develop your imaginative and creative side, as well as your intellectual one. you might gain a new skill or interest, you might not; but the day will pass anyway, might as well pass it learning something new. the more out-there the better, try a wikipedia rabbit hole or a video essay that changes you...

sagittarius: share your thoughts. not necessarily with another person, or on a blog, or your instagram stories... but write yourself a letter, do some journaling, talk to a friend. if you like posting on socials, by all means do that! there's no wrong way to document and share your thoughts, so get them out there. it's good to let go of what's in our heads, especially when life is getting overwhelming and you're feeling stuck or bogged down. it can be therapeutic and enlightening to translate your thoughts into words and release them into the world...

capricorn: let yourself relax. life is tough, and so are you, but you don't need to be strong all the time. it's okay to soften up and just be, without productivity, without stoicism, without being cool and collected. being human means experiencing the full range of emotions, good and bad, and it means energy ebbing and flowing over time. take a break, find a balance, and let yourself be vulnerable and soft, just for a change...

aquarius: reach out. whether that's checking in with a loved one, volunteering, caring for an animal, donating or promoting a good cause... it feels good to do good, and brings us more in line with ourselves to help others in some way. so do some googling, find a good cause that's practical for you to join up with, and take a step towards altruism. there are so many benefits to helping your community, both for yourself and for your world...

pisces: get some quality rest. easier said than done, right? but rest is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. even if you struggle to get decent sleep for whatever reason, there are little things you can do to feel more rested. make your room a bit cooler and darker, focus on relaxing (whatever that looks like for you) before bed, take a nap if you need one, stretch out the tension in your body, or just take a break from your day to consciously relax and breathe, without expectation...

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 13: Budding Spring - Episode 20: Trial & Error

Tsuzuru: Good morning.

Young man: Good morning.

Tsuzuru: (This really is directed towards young scriptwriters. There’s a lot of people who look like they’re in their 20s.)

Tsuzuru: (But, well, there doesn’t seem to be anyone else who could be a college student. I might be the youngest here…)

Madoka: Oh—

Tsuzuru: Oh!? You’re participating in this camp too, Madoka?

Madoka: Kamikizaka-san recommended it to me. So you’re here too, Minagi-san.

Tsuzuru: Having someone I know here is reassuring. I’m looking forward to it.

Madoka: Likewise.

???: Well then, I think it’s about time we get started.

???: Once more, I look forward to working with you for the next two weeks. I suppose we should start with self introductions.

Akazaki: Starting from me. I’m Akazaki, and I’m a director and scriptwriter. I’m also the owner of a theater company called “Hako”.

Akazaki: I first held this scriptwriting camp 10 years ago.

Akazaki: The idea behind it is that young scriptwriters can learn more about their trade by thinking about it from a director’s perspective.

Akazaki: This is intended to be both a workshop and a place where young scriptwriters can interact with one another. Let’s all work together in a friendly manner. 

Akazaki: Let’s continue with you.

Tsuzuru: I’m Tsuzuru Minagi. I work as both an actor and a scriptwriter in a theater company called MANKAI Company, I look forward to working with you!

-

Akazaki: First, please come up with 60 story prompts with the theme “theater”. Your time limit is one hour.

Tsuzuru: Six--…!?

Madoka: 60…

Akazaki: You can use up to 100 characters for each idea. And, start.

Tsuzuru: — *gulp*

Tsuzuru: (He’s throwing us in at the deep end from the beginning… The theme is “theater”, huh… If I have to write them into a complete plot afterward, then–)

Tsuzuru: (No, I don’t have time to think about that. 60 prompts in an hour means one prompt every minute. Everyone else has already started, so I just need to get there.)

-

Akazaki: Okay, it’s over. That was a good brain workout, wasn’t it?

Akazaki: Now, please shuffle the papers you wrote on.

Tsuzuru: (Shuffle…?)

Akazaki: Does everyone have someone else’s prompts? Now, please pick three that seem interesting to you.

Tsuzuru: (Someone else’s…!? Does that mean I can’t pick what I’m going to write…?)

Akazaki: After you’ve picked, please return the paper to its original owner.

Akazaki: Once you get yours back, pick one of the three prompts that were chosen and develop a plot for it.

Madoka: Um, this is yours, isn’t it, Minagi-san?

Tsuzuru: Ah, yeah. You chose it? Thanks, Madoka.

Tsuzuru: (Th-Those 3! I’d have never picked them myself. But, they’re pretty Madoka-like choices.)

Tsuzuru: (Anyway, I’ve got an hour to whip up a plot. I think this one’s the easiest to develop…)

Tsuzuru: (Who even comes up with such ideas… This is what being cornered by a time limit does to you…)

-

Akazaki: Mhmm, I see…

Akazaki: It looks like you were trying to somehow bring it to your comfort zone, and the point where you started running out of time is pretty obvious.

Tsuzuru: Ah… Yeah.

Akazaki: Having a field you’re comfortable with is important, so it was just bad luck what you had to work with was outside of it.

Akazaki: Whether you want to or not also makes it easier to slip back into what you’re familiar with. If you consciously weave in new things, your repertoire will broaden, and you’ll be able to make use of them later.

Akazaki: If you approach your work like that once in a while, you’ll be able to understand what you’re having trouble with better.

Tsuzuru: I, yeah, I get it.

Tsuzuru: It’s important to keep one’s roots close, but not be restricted by them.

Akazaki: Putting that aside, why did you decide to participate in this camp, Minagi-kun?

Akazaki: You have a stable writing job in a specific theater, you most likely won’t ever need to leave it.

Tsuzuru: I thought if I just stayed in a stable environment, I wouldn’t be able to grow. This isn’t only for myself, but also for my company.

Akazaki: I see. I think that kind of desire is a good thing to have.

Akazaki: This camp is like an athletic event for the brain, make sure you don’t get exhausted.

Tsuzuru: Ah, an athletic event… That’s really how it felt, somehow.

Akazaki: Since we’ve cleared that up, how about you try fixing this from the beginning?

Tsuzuru: Y-Yes sir.

-

Tsuzuru: Haaah… I’m so tired…

Tsuzuru: (I don’t wanna use my brain cells anymore… I don’t wanna write any more hiragana or kanji or any other character…)

Madoka: Good work.

Tsuzuru: You, on the other hand, look pretty chipper, Madoka.

Madoka: You think so…? That might be because I’m already used to writing a lot of things quickly.

Madoka: In the past, my father often asked me to make numerous revisions to a script out of the blue…

Tsuzuru: That must’ve been a hard time…

Tsuzuru: But, I see… I'm not as experienced with retakes, in that sense.

Madoka: Although I can’t say I’m glad for the experience, I feel like it did give me the strength I needed.

Tsuzuru: You’re so strong…

Madoka: The other participants also seemed like they’re used to writing a lot, probably because they write for various places.

Tsuzuru: They did give off the feel of professionals that make a living by writing scripts.

Tsuzuru: (I’m still a student, and the only experience I have writing externally is that one time for Otomiya-san, so I’m definitely lacking in that aspect…)

Tsuzuru: I’ve still got room for improvement, so I’ll do my best.

Madoka: I also have lots to study for the New Fleur Award… Let’s both do our best.

Tsuzuru: Yeah.

Tsuzuru: (Madoka’s also looking to improve as GOD-za’s scriptwriter. I also gotta get in gear.)

Madoka: Well then, good night. See you tomorrow.

Tsuzuru: Good night.

Tsuzuru: (Even though I’m writing scripts like usual, learning how others do it is refreshing.)

Tsuzuru: (Using my brain so much is exhausting, but the feeling of finding myself in a new world is fun.)

Tsuzuru: (Oh, yeah, I should check the chat before I sleep…)

tsuzuru has entered the chat Curry: thanks for the suits To Rorr (1): this is you’re first step into being a bizzle man!

Tsuzuru: (As usual, I have no idea what Citron-san is trying to say. And his name is To Rorr...)

Tsuzuru: (I feel like I should say something to him…) 

Tsuzuru: (Just a moment ago I felt like I couldn’t write a single letter, but … I’ll jot down some notes and then go to sleep.)

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NOTES:

(1) citron's username (to rorr), is written as 都呂々 and read as tororo. it's actually a place in japan in the town of reihoku in the kumamoto prefecture that i can't seem to find any proper information about; but i wanted to find a way to emphasize that that's probably not what citron had in mind when he typed tororo, hence the space and typo instead

[mooseung]

୨୧ button eyes

han hyeongjun (junhan)

ᨳ after moving back into his childhood home, han hyeongjun awakens in the middle of the night and is led to a world far different from his own.

𖧷 happy october :p

𖧷 jun is freaked out most of the time, sorry bud. things get spooky … not rlly idk

𖧷 started writing this when i had coraline brainworms i just wanted to write my own twist on it. i <3 mixing my interests together sorry if it’s not interesting i had fun tho xd

in the midst of foggy memories he faintly remembers. he was 3 years old when his parents moved him into the middle corridors of the infamous pink palace. yet hyeongjun has great memories here, even if many of them are of his mother and father rotting away at their computers, leaving him to twiddle his ten fingers and stare at peeling wallpaper. it wasn't until he reached the age of 10 where he was ripped away from the scene he grew comfortable of. the boy was forced to abandon the rustic home, carrying over to a suburban city and settling into a house colored grey. then he lived a mundane life, absent of any significant times.

now he's 22 and staring back at the pink palace that towered over him like a scientist and its specimen. a moving truck beside him hustles out muscled men, each heaving boxes and equipment into the corridors he once resided in during the golden ages of his childhood. the perfume of humid air grants him the whiff of nostalgia that he's been craving for years.

everything is the same. the wallpaper's faded blue still rots and peels off at the corners, and the floorboards still rhythmically creak following his patters. each and every room upholds their signature item that he's legally agreed to not remove, including a sprung out piano in the study room and the dried paintings in another.

hyeongjun attempts to relive each core memory. he begins in the kitchen, putting together a meal of slob, one that's unable to satisfy him the way his mother's meals would. instead this mirrors his father, who would whip up meals that would send jun hungry for the night.

as he's searching for a drawer to keep his utensils in, there's one filled with keys, and he encounters confusion. there's no clue as to what each one unlocks. the concoction of silver and gold blinds him, but when he rummages around to gain familiarity, a peculiar black key blurs out the rest as the peak of unfamiliarity.

it's black, smooth, and made completely out of plastic. the curvy handle snuggly fits the palm of his hand; it mimics a button with 4 rectangular holes poked out.

the encounter shifts the mood to one that's uncomfortable; the key's complete defiance of uniformity claws at him for interest, but hyeongjun quickly looks away. he decides: any unfamiliarity this house gives him goes against the reason he’s come for. and so he doesn't spare the topic another minute, placing the object back in its home and steering away to a different task.

when hours pass, he begins to unpack in one of the many study rooms of this place. his eyes scan over the contract-bounded painting that illustrates a blonde boy, teary-eyed over fallen ice cream. it's sad, and it's boring.

"one boring, blue boy."

hyeongjun recalls the tasks his father had given him when he was just 7. to avoid the pestering presence of his son, the man sent him on a quest to find every blue object in their house. this painting was the first to be jotted down.

as a boy, he thought that was something fun. a thoughtful game to keep hyeongjun's young curiosity fed. but 15 years later, it falters just a bit. a hint of realization blasts out the scene for him, and the boy in the painting stares at him in pity.

when he's done assembling a coffee table, hyeongjun sits up and looks around the room for its placement. an unfamiliar accent in the walls finds his eyes first.

it's a short door outlining the lifts in the wallpaper, and it's easily noticeable. his body unknowingly gravitates towards it, tracing the ripped outline and immediately tugging it. the door is locked.

senses of unfamiliarity sprinkle the scene, so again his interest dims. hyeongjun sighs and gets up off his knees to tend to his table again. but minutes pass, and when he's done decorating the study table the door continues twinkling for attention. his mind feels numb, not processing the movement of his body being draggeg past dirty dishes and knocked over boxes, just until his hands acquire that black button key once more. it was a quick motion, and he finally gathers his clear mind once he's eyeing the door with a shimmering key, bound to answer something.

he shakes his head, breathing carefully as he inserts the key like an easy puzzle; it's a perfect fit. there's a satisfying click to perk up his two ears, and his stomach drops. when it naturally swings towards his direction his imaginative mind draws out a variety of anticipations. he expects anything.

he expects anything but nothing, and that's what he gets: a load of red bricks.

"agh." his groan echoes as he slams the wall back into place. he can't find it in himself to waste any more of his efforts with this side plot, so he leaves the key on top of his newly furnished table. now his worries offer the task of tending to his bruised mind. he readies for his favorite night-time activity: sleep.

he's changed successfully, and he’s now tucking himself into crimson sheets as he scans the familiar room. it's so comfortable, and he's at ease now that he can reside right where he wants to be. stuffed bunnies occupy each cubicle in the storage compartments across him. the nightstand holds a collection of childhood photos of the people he cherished the most, though many he had lost contact with. a lone chair sits at his left side, similar to how it was years ago when his mother would sit and guard him from the monsters hindering beneath the bed. it all gives him a warm embrace, and his eyes delicately fall with a smile softly pursed on his lips. he falls asleep, gently.

tap tap tap, squeak squeak.

they're the only sounds filling the room. hyeongjun can't pinpoint the location of these rodents. he lays down on his side, eyes jumping from box to box to catch something. then he lunges to peek underneath his bed. that’s where he successfully finds the perpetrators.

squeak squeak. tap tap tap.

the mice jump when noticing the large, soulful eyeballs peering above them. the feeling is fright at first, but it becomes excitement fairly quickly. the squad scrambles and reunites at the crack of his bedroom door, then they stare right at the boy. their movement conveys, "follow me."

it's fortunate to them that he catches on. tucking in his bare feet into a warm pair of slippers, he approaches the party who race away from his grasp. he's subconsciously eager to follow them.

hyeongjun finds himself back inside the drawing room, the boring blue boy waving at his reappearance. but the room is dark, and his inability to flicker on the lights leads him to wander the room in the dark. he's relying on the inkling that the mice have led him here, as well as the tiny patters scattering close by. one of them squeaks, prompting a symphony of others as they call him over.

the mice stand in front of the small door, sparing time for hyeongjun’s eyes to adjust to the pitch black room. his eyeballs greatly expand the moment they adjust and witness the band of critters slip through cracked wallpaper, squeezing into the door full of bricks. it's a magic trick that astonishes jun.

he's frantic to follow, and his heart skips with a fallen jaw at the colorful tunnel that greets him the moment the small door flies open. there's a faint feeling of unfamiliarity again; however, this time around he feels like a piece of metal against a magnet. rather than extracting himself from this horrifying foreign piece, his body remains glued to it. his eyes scan over every inch of the tunnel until they're led down another exit, from that point on impossible to make out just where exactly he'll be led to if he were to venture on.

fear creeps up on him, but it's hard to distinguish in the whirlwind of curiosity he's in. he’s not used to adventure, but rather comfort. weirdly, unfamiliarity feels faint too. so he begins to crawl.

the texture encapsulating him spreads a childish familiarity to his head, comfortable like nostalgia always provided. twinkling melodies surround him as he crawls with a shake, eyes studying the navy blue atmosphere beyond the material trapping him. he's certain that there's no end to the slate though, and setting loose into it may send him spiraling into an abyss of starry and eerie nothingness. he decides to continue down the tunnel, meeting a similar door to where he's entered. when he's finally through, everything feels similar. he's back at the drawing room.

burdened, he shakes his head as he lets off a slew of curse. this room is beginning to frustrate him, tugging at him like a pest. all it has is a stupid door and a line of snowglobes to accompany the sad, sad painting of a boy smiling at his ice cream-

that's a difference. easy to miss, but clogs his mouth at his keen notice.

he pulls himself up at the notice, hands fixing themselves into one another as his fingers intertwine anxiously. his first step barely sweeps past his leg, and he almost sends himself spiraling back down until he saves his footing with frantic attempts to balance. the feeling of fear has made itself evident now when he's already two steps in.

his heart thumps, trying its best to send him back down the tunnel he wandered through. but delicious aroma swirls fill his nose and distracts these attempts. it smells delicious, and more importantly, it smells familiar.

he follows the sound of sweet, melodic humming coming from the kitchen.

his feet come to a halt when he sees the figure. his hands disconnect, covering his mouth as his heart skyrockets in speed. his legs begin to wobble like an ancient building destined to collapse at the earth's strongest shock.

"mom?"

she spins around, a youthful smirk decorates her radiant skin as her songful hums come to a halt. her hair is jet black, movement is swift, high spirited. it's all different to how he knew the older women, yet one difference made itself the most evident.

those eyes of hers, once brown and soulful, were replaced with big black buttons. she has button eyes.

"you're just in time for dinner hyeongjun!"

"you..." jun almost chokes on his words, shock striking his words out of order like a bolt of lightning. "…you're not my mother..."

the figure's head tilts, "of course i'm not. i'm your other mother."

hyeongjun doesn't know if he should step back, but as long as a knife isn’t put against his throat he decides to stay. he stands still with his eyes scanning the setting. the kitchen is decorated to his childhood memory; photos of the family pinned up on nearby walls, a fridge with accents of alphabetical spellings he recalls playing with often. everything practically mirrors the world he once knew, everything but those damn button eyes.

he investigates, "i don't have have an other mother."

"of course you do! everyone has an other mother." she turns around, staring at the contents in her pan. "dinner is ready, so you should hurry and eat! there's a show the neighbors invited you to~"

hyeongjun sits down hesitantly. his nose catches scent of every food he could think of, a menu that mirrors the way his mother’s on special occasions such as birthdays and holidays. except this one is odd; the woman was not his mother. his knees anxiously bounce in place at the realization that he's hearing her voice, reliving a special memory after a long time. why does the world feel too vivid to dismiss as a dream? nonetheless jun sits with his wobbly knees, heart starting to creep up into his throat like he's bound to throw it up before his meal.

"i-i'm not um...hungry."

it's a lie. the image beholding him was one he's been craving for years: mother's cooking for special events in the family of 3. where she'd cook all his favorite meals with a bright smile cradling her gentle face. moving into the house, he hoped his brain could flicker these images to bring back those waves of happiness from the past. but this wasn't it. his mind feels like it's running laps in attempt to escape, yet it's unwillingly satisfied at the damned feelings of familiarity and nostalgia.

"okay~" she turns around, "then you should get going! you don’t wanna keep your friend waiting..."

an unnerving grin from the other mother accompanies jun to the door, where he meets a familiar childhood friend. the familiar brown locks of his is symbolically shiny enough for jun to recognize the boy even aged. his body fits into worn-down adolescent rocker clothes, rips brimming his jeans and some american band headlining his dark shirt. he's almost identical to his younger self, all except just a bit taller.

and that there are black buttons taking hold of his eyes.

"jiseok...?"

hyeongjun knows who he is, but he still speaks cautiously not knowing who exactly he is.

“haven’t you missed him, dear?” her high pitch voice tings at hyeongjun’s ears. “in this world, he’s just as you remembered him.”

hyeongjun’s head tilts, and his friend’s head mirrors. there’s a smile, but everything is hallow. everything is scary, everything is unfamiliar. his heart sinks when he’s finally realized what’s happening. a pinch is needed to pull him out this dream he dismissed so quickly, but when his other mother grabs his skin and pulls him outside the house, he’s only dragged deeper into this nightmare.

where the hell is he?

an artificial full moon decorates the sky, freckling stars scatter around. the trees are still, not a breeze trickles by. hyeongjun tries to blink away the daunting emotion of fear, but it occurs to him that he’s the only being here whose eyes could do so. his heart attempts to jump out of his body.

“the downstairs neighbors are waiting! go ahead now~”

jiseok begins to walk, but hyeongjun remains as still as his neighboring trees. he’s watching the other mother go stale, button eyes clean enough to reflect his horrified gaze. her smile is crooked, fake, and one that his real mother would never show. her fingers overlap one another politely, and as she goes idle they tap on her knuckles to a tempo. it’s an unnerving scene, one that doesn’t seem to have an end. that’s when jiseok’s cold hand takes junhan’s sweaty palms, dragging him down the stairs and onto the porch of their downstairs neighbors.

jun recalls it all. everything from the food, the friends, the shows. everything being illustrated reflects the old memories that he’s grown to miss. but here, everything is corrupted. the sky doesn’t seem real, the air feels denser, his friend’s hand is freezing like it belongs to a corpse. the pit in his stomach digs itself deeper like a twisting knife. he’s lost, confused, and scared. how can you take action when all these emotions paralyze you instead? when there’s no knowing if something sinister awaits your rebellious move, or even worse, waiting for you if you comply.

he grows closer to the decision that he needs to run, find that little door in the wall and never look back. but that’s when the neighbor’s door swings open, and two familiar piano players emerge with big, black button eyes.