#i just wanna have him snuggle up into my pocket and take a lil nap while i carry him around

[thedarklordsnicklefritz]

Me: I know people are horny for ascended Astarion, and they're valid, but unascended is the "good" ending for his character, ascending just reinforces his flawed worldviews about kindness and power, it backtracks his character development and growth-

Someone: Ascended Astarion can turn into a cute Lil bat

Me: ASCENSION TIME

[meltwonu]

| 𝔲𝔫𝔱𝔦𝔩 𝔦 𝔪𝔢𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 |     [CHAPTER 4]

pairing; fratboy!wonwoo x reader

this chapter’s notes; fratboy!wonwoo, fingering, littlest bit of dirty talk, praise!kink, soft soft soft FLUFF hours, a bit of a filler chapter before the last chapter!! 😭 I can’t believe it’s almost ‘over’... This chapter has the least amount of smut yall will ever see with fratboy!wonwoo so don’t get used to it ☠️ LMAO 🤣🤣 also... it’s been a garbage week(boring work drama) for me so I’ll answer inbox msgs and stuff on sunday, I need to get away from the internet(and people) for a day dkfjhskh 😭💕 Ya’ll thank you for so much love and support with Caffeine and Until I Met You! It means so much to me and I appreciate every like, reblog and comment I get on it 🥺💕 No I will never be ending my fratboy!wonwoo au so don’t worry about that hehe 💕 For now, enjoy this soft ch 4 and I will see yall on Sunday! I love you, have a great weekend! 💕

[mood for this chapter: more than enough - alina baraz]

chapters; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - x

“So…”

Wonwoo sighs - re-shelving another Edgar Allen Poe book. “So, what?”

Mingyu tilts his sunglasses down, eyebrows raised at the older male that continues to do his job instead of give him the time of day. “What’s going on with you, hyung? You’ve been… weird.”

“Okay, define weird.”

The younger male pouts as he takes his sunglasses off, pocketing them as he leans up against the bookshelf that Wonwoo is currently still shelving.

It only takes one utterance of your name for Wonwoo to stop in his tracks - fingertips on the spine of another book as he turns to Mingyu. “What about her? Did she say something to you?”

“No, but do you like her? I mean, ‘like’ like her.”

“Is it not… obvious? That I do? Did we not all collectively have that conversation about me giving her a set of keys to our house?”

Mingyu grimaces slightly as he mentally goes through all the times he’d even seen the two of you together and he’s only able to conjure up a few select memories - none of which were anything necessarily romantic. “Well… I wouldn’t say ‘obvious��, I guess. The two of you aren’t exactly the ‘kiss and hold hands in public’ kind of... people. More like the, ‘sneak off to fuck in a public restroom’ kind... Which, uh, isn’t really... romantic.”

This time, Wonwoo crosses his arms and leans up against the opposite bookshelf as he sighs.

It’d been a few days since he’d seen you and you’d been swamped in so much class work that you didn’t even have the time to come by the library or the frat house. And even while Wonwoo stood in between the bookshelves having a conversation with Mingyu, you were finishing an art project with Minghao that was due by the end of the day.

“I know. I told her it’d be kind of a slow crawl for me.” He plucks another book from the cart, staring at the glossy text as he simmers in his thoughts. “Mingyu, am I awkward?”

“Erm, well, I wouldn’t say that necessarily.”

Mingyu steps forward, patting Wonwoo on the shoulder as he smiles.

“You like her and you’re trying even if you’re not used to it. You gotta start somewhere, hyung. Even if you’re a fish out of water. But that’s okay, you can ask me for help if you want!”

“When are you gonna put a ring on Wonwoo-hyung?”

You snort at Minghao’s question - reaching for a clean paintbrush as he stands across from you in the large, empty studio. “First of all, can you not say it like that? I’m not gonna marry him, okay.”

The male rolls his eyes as he steps closer to you; his own hands and clothes covered in a colorful array of paints. “So you’re saying you never imagined hyung in a suit, hair slicked back and his buff arms carrying you off into your honeymoon?”

“W--wh--n--no! No, I haven’t!” You avoid his piercing stare as you focus on your end of the large canvas instead.

No, but I dreamt about it once.

“‘Hao, would you hurry! We’re supposed to be collaborating on this and it looks… like it’s 5 different art styles.”

“Don’t change the subject on me. And anyway, I like what you’re doing to hyung. Breaking him out of his shell, y’know? He’s just shy, that’s all. Needs a little work in the bold department.”

You bite down the urge to laugh because to you, Wonwoo was everything but shy when it came to the bedroom. Although, Minghao was right with everything else. “Yeah, I know. We went for breakfast together after I, um, stayed over a few nights ago and he kinda just sat there zoned out, picking at his waffles. He’s really cute when he wakes up in the morning though. Pouty and whiny.”

Grinning at Minghao, he pretends to gag in response before taking a seat next to you.

“Disgusting. Tell me more.”

Wonwoo makes an effort to check in with you throughout the day before he heads back to his room - asking you if you’d had your meals and if you’d finished your project on time.

You’d answered sporadically as you and Minghao raced to finish.

‘I’ll eat late probably… rly gotta finish or else my ass is failing lol’

‘Just don’t forget, okay? It’s not good for you to skip.’

Wonwoo lays down in his bed; yawning as he sets his phone onto the nightstand next to himself.

His eyelids feel heavy and he’s quick to give in to the tiredness that takes over him once he gets comfortable.

When Wonwoo finally decides to shift during his nap, he finds it difficult and extra warm.

“Mmh…”

His bleary eyes adjust to the, now,  slightly darkened room as he makes out your figure tucked underneath his arm. He calls your name softly - waking you up from the nap that you’d apparently joined him in.

“Mmh… Wonwoo…” You snuggle in deeper, voice still laced with sleep. “You didn’t even budge when I came in…”

He chuckles softly as he readjusts to spoon you from behind instead; his strong arm wrapped around your waist to keep your body flush against his own.

“I’m surprised you came by, sweetheart. I would’ve just stayed awake had I known you were coming over.” His voice is groggy and laced with sleep as you sigh softly in return as you blink away the sleepiness.

“How was your day at the library? Miss me yet?” Wonwoo smiles into your shoulder before he tilts his head up to kiss the shell of your ear.

“Always, sweetheart. Although, Mingyu decided to keep me busy today.”

“Oh? Anything fun?”

He plays with the hem of your shirt, “Well… Fun isn’t the word I’d use to describe what that was. Nosy was more like it.”

This time you can’t help but snort in response. “You too? I think some people were being ‘lil moles today.”

“Wouldn’t doubt it. Did you end up just coming back here with Minghao from the studio?”

“Wasn’t planning on it, to be honest but… S’been a rough day.” Placing your hand over his arm, you squeeze slightly as you pull his arm around you tighter. “Our professor came by while we were working in the studio and said our project wasn’t up to par with what Minghao and I usually submit for projects. She didn’t fail us on the spot but she said we need to redo it for less credit or take the failing grade.”

Wonwoo nuzzles your neck; peppering small kisses on your clothed shoulder. “I take it the two of you are going to redo it?”

“Mm… We spent so long coming up with a concept and now we’re both stressed about coming up with something new. I walked over here with ‘Hao and he locked himself up in his room as soon as we got here. Figured I’d come hang out with you and found you napping… With your glasses on, no less.”

The two of you share a laugh; Wonwoo’s embrace making you feel more at ease.

“Can I help you de-stress a little, sweetheart?”

You stare at the opposite wall, nodding gently as Wonwoo’s hand leaves the hem of your shirt in favour of the waistband of your shorts.

“Just want you to feel good,” he whispers. “You deserve it. You’ve been working so hard, baby.”

He teases you softly; fingertips ghosting across your skin as you shiver. “Ah, Wonwoo…”

“You worked extra hard today too, didn’t you? I’m so proud of you for what you accomplished today.”

Your body heats up at his praise and you can’t deny that his deep, soft voice sends thrums of arousal pouring over your body just as he dips his hand into your lounge shorts. He touches you over your panties - fingertips ghosting against your mound as you moan his name shakily in return.

“I know your new idea is going to be great, baby. I believe in you.”

Soft whines threaten to spill as Wonwoo strokes you over your panties - slowly working you up as you find yourself trying to grind against his hand. “Y-yeah… ‘m p-pretty sure ‘Hao’s already working on it…”

Your voice is barely above a whisper as Wonwoo continues to stroke you gently; making no efforts to rush or add pressure to his feather-light touches.

A disappointed noise falls from your lips when he starts to pull his hand out of your shorts but it quickly turns into a content sigh when he starts teasing your chest instead.

“Mm, so soft…” Muttering against your shoulder, his eyes stare off into the dark room as he massages your body. “And all mine~”

You hum in response, “We should go on a date sometime…”

“You want to? We can go this weekend. After you’ve redone some of your project. I’ll take you somewhere nice for a job well done.”

You giggle softly; images of a wedding day’s Wonwoo dancing in your mind after the conversation you’d had with Minghao earlier. “I’d like that. We should do something for the whole day.”

“Whatever you’d like, baby.”

Wonwoo’s hand flits down your body again - snaking into your shorts and, this time, into your panties as you whine. “Do you wanna cum or go back to sleep, hmm?” 

You ponder it for a second as the drowsiness equates the urge to cum on his fingers. 

“Both? I wanna cum and then sleep a little more... If that’s okay?” 

Wonwoo hums in agreement as his fingertips drag through your folds - collecting the wetness on them before he teases your soaked hole. “Only a little teasing gets you this wet, hmm? So cute.” 

“Ah, f-feels good when you go slow t-too...” 

He stores that away in his head for later; chuckling against your shoulder as he slowly starts to dip his middle finger into your cunt. 

You feel warm and content when he starts a slow pace - thumb on your clit rubbing soft, slow circles while he pumps his finger into you. 

“O-oh, Wonwoo...” 

“You’re always good for me, baby. Always such a good girl.” 

“Ah, Wonwoo...”

“You can cum whenever you want. You deserve it.” 

He adds his index finger - thrusting both fingers into you as you mewl and arch away from his warm chest. Your toes curl and your thighs clamp and trap his hand between your legs as you start to grind down onto his nimble fingers.

“...W--Wonwoo...” 

“That’s right, baby. Call my name, let me hear your pretty voice when your cumming for me.” 

You turn your head - cries muffled into his pillow because despite his slower than usual pace, you find yourself already on the brink of cumming with his fingers knuckle deep inside of you and his thumb on your clit. 

“Mmh... Ah... Feels s-so warm... and g-good...” You mutter, eyes blinking drowsily. “Gonna c-cum...” 

He doesn’t say anything in return as he focuses on you and your pleasure; fingers scissoring and curling right into your g-spot as you clamp down onto them in a vice grip. 

Wonwoo knows when you’re about to cum when he feels your hand coming down on his forearm, holding onto him for dear life when your orgasm still hits you just as hard. 

“Ngh, Wo---Wonwoo!” 

Your walls flutter around his fingers and make it harder for him to thrust them in and out with how tight you get. 

“That’s my good girl. Cum for me, baby~” 

His deep voice makes you whine - nails digging into his arm and body trembling as the pleasure steadily washes over you. 

“Ah, bet your face is so pretty right now too~” 

“Mmh, s-stop...” Your cheeks burn in slight embarrassment from his constant praise but you can’t deny the way it goes straight to your core and only prolongs your orgasm. 

“Don’t be so shy, baby. It’s only you and me here.” 

Wonwoo leans away slightly to kiss the crown of your head - still working you through your orgasm as you sigh contentedly in his arms. 

Various thoughts run through his head in the moment, but the one that sits at the forefront of his mind is definitely how to make sure he kept treating you right. 

Starting with your date that he would spend time meticulously planning.

‘Ah, I should ask Mingyu for some advice.’ 

[sweatersstyles]

I am so excited to finally be posting this for y’all! Thank you so much for all the hype and support it is very much appreciated. :) this is my piece for @goldenbluesuit​‘s Christmas Fic Challenge! my prompt was the song “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” from the movie Frozen and I hope you all enjoy how I’ve incorporated it into my Dad!Harry series. You don’t necessarily have to read the other parts to understand this one, but I’ll link them below in case you want to re-visit them. 

I Want Your Belly ❄ Wonderful and Warm ❄ Washed Away in You 

Thank you to @tbslenthusiast​ and @heartbreakweatherharry​ for reading over this for me and giving me such amazing feedback! 

Word count: 2.3k

You still couldn’t believe the little wonder that had been created by you and Harry existed to be yours. Things hadn’t been perfect, far from it, but it was definitely a new and fun adventure you were both eager and terrified of.

The first challenge presented was finding a name perfect enough to fit your son. He was alive for 24 hours before you discovered one you and Harry were absolutely sure of. Even seeing it written on his birth certificate made your heart swell with pride.

It’s your mother who asks first, “Well, are you two gonna make a formal announcement to the press before us grandparents get to know the name of our grandson?”

“Think we’ve made them wait long enough, Harry.”

He smiles at you from across the hospital room where he sits in a chair, the baby resting peacefully on his chest. You’re propped up in the bed, wrapped in the soft pink robe given to you by him just a few days ago. Anne sits nearby, a proud grin on her face at the sight of her baby with his.

His eyes dart from the baby to you, “You wanna tell them or shall I?”

“You tell them. You’re the one that found it, been bragging about it all day too.”

“Alright then,” He gently lifts the baby, turning him to where the whole room can see him, your son’s face now scrunched up by the light from the window shining on him, “Ladies, meet your grandson, Sterling Edward Styles.”

“Oh, you didn’t,” Anne giggles, reaching over to pat your leg, “You’ll never hear the end of it, love, letting him name the baby after himself.”

“Hey! S’her idea to give him my middle name. I picked the first,” His features switch from temporarily offended back to beaming, “Wanna tell ‘em what it means, darlin’?”

“Sterling means ‘starling’, or as Harry likes to call him..”

“Our little star.” 

5 weeks later, your son certainly lives up to his name, charming everyone he meets. Sweet smiles and coos at strangers from his carrier when you’re at the grocery store or falling asleep in Auntie Gemma’s arms when she comes to visit. You were not surprised he already had his father’s charismatic ability to make everyone fall for him so quickly.

With Harry’s schedule as busy as it had been, it hadn’t been easy to adjust to life together as new parents. As much as he had tried to push things back or reschedule to have more time off with you, there was only so much that he was in control of and he was away from you and Sterling more than he liked.

So it’s no surprise when he comes home one evening and the space you share is mostly already decorated for the winter holidays. He smiles warmly to himself when he hears you singing along to the movie playing from the tv, peeks around the corner to see Sterling tucked away in his swing, his eyes open and bright. Your back is turned so you don’t hear Harry approaching, continuing to sing aloud as you work.

“We only have each other, it’s just you and me, what are we gonna dooooooo?” You spin around, expecting to only see Sterling watching you, yelping when you find Harry, giggling at the shock on your face.

He bends to look out the window, “Could be wrong, but I think you have to have snow to build a snowman, yeah?”

“You’re early! I wanted to surprise you,” You weave your way around boxes to greet him, “Left the tree for the 3 of us to do together though.”

“S’nice of you.” His hands remain in his pockets as you move closer, tired eyes looking down at you, lazy smile as you work your arms around his waist. He doesn’t make you wait long, freeing his hands from his pockets to wrap around you. 

He buries his face in your neck, “Missed you today.”

“We missed you too, H.”

He pulls back, turning to look down at Sterling, his arm still holding you close to his side, “He’s growing too fast. Can’t believe he’s already 5 weeks.”

“5 weeks and 3 days,” You remind him, “All the mommy blogs say we have an infant now.”

“S’that s’pose to mean? ‘Course he’s an infant.”

“Just means he’s growing out of his tiny baby stage.”

He directs his attention back to the movie playing, laughing as he teases you, “Least y’could’ve done is found a proper Christmas movie t’play while you put up decorations.”

You shrug, “It’s close enough to count. Plus he LOVES it. Think Elsa might be his favorite.”

He can’t resist anymore. As comfortable as his son may be swaying back and forth in his swing, he bends to scoop him up, one hand cradling behind his head and the other behind his back to easily support him. Sterling clearly doesn’t mind, a grin developing when he realizes who it is disturbing him.

“Don’t care what anyone says, bub. Y’ll always be daddy’s baby.”

You never doubted Harry’s capacity to love his son, but you definitely questioned his expertise and knowledge of the basics of caring for a child. He had become somewhat experienced now, tackling late night diaper changes and early morning feedings or anything else in between without complaint when he could. 

Though he had done great, you were never too far away that you couldn’t offer assistance when he needed it. So when he gets a rare day off and suggests you let him stay home with the baby while you run errands, you’re hesitant.  

“Do ya not trust me?”

“Of course I do. You know I do. I just don’t want you to get overwhelmed.”

“S’just for a few hours, right? You can write out a list of his schedule if it makes y’feel better.”

Sterling’s stretched across your lap, dozing off while you try to finish the last of your breakfast. Harry stands at the counter, drinking coffee out of a bright pink mug. You look between your almost sleeping son and then back up to Harry, chewing a bite of toast as you contemplate the idea.

He doesn’t take offense to your hesitation, quite the opposite actually. He adores the sight of you, Sterling’s face squished against your chest; one of his hands tucked under his chin, the other wrapped around your side, his little fist holding tight to your t-shirt. It’s the purest form of love in his eyes, to see the bond between mother and son grow and deepen with each day. Makes him reminiscent of his connection with his own mother, fills his heart with so much joy knowing he had chosen someone that would give his son the same sweet upbringing he had.

He makes his way back around the counter to you, a hand resting on the top of Sterling’s head as he bends down to kiss the top of yours. He moves his hand, repeating the act of affection to the top of the baby’s head. 

“Really proud of you, y’know that right, baby? Been so amazing watching you take care of yourself and our little boy, never doubted for a second you were meant for this, but it’s been more incredible than I could’ve ever imagined.”

“Proud of you too, H. Know you’ve had a lot of guilt about being gone, but Sterling and I love you so much. He already lights up at the sound of your voice when you FaceTime us from set, and I see the way he grins at you before he falls asleep when you’re here to tuck him in at night.” 

His eyes meet yours, sees the moment you make your decision to say yes, deep exhale of warm breath trapped between the two of you, “You have to promise to call if anything happens, if you need anything at all. Don’t care how small it is.” He nods firmly, further setting your mind at ease, “He should sleep most of the time I’m gone, but I’ll prepare another bottle just in case I can’t get back in time.”

You feel silly for feeling so protective, and you were thankful to have Harry as your partner on this journey. His patience and support had been more than generous, covering you and Sterling in more love and adoration than you’d ever known could exist from one person. He kisses you again, on your lips this time, a hand cupping one side of your face before gently lifting Sterling from your arms, shushing and bouncing him a bit when he starts to whimper from the sudden change in his comfortable position.

“S’okay, bubs. Daddy’s got you, g’nna have us a lil’ boys day while mumma’s gone.” 

You rush through whatever tasks you had scheduled that seemed so important that morning. Suddenly the groceries you needed and last minute presents you were dropping off at the post office to mail to out of town family didn’t matter, nothing did but getting back home to your boys.

It’s quiet when you shut the door behind you, almost too quiet. As much as you always prayed he would, Sterling never slept through his morning nap, so you’re surprised at the possibility of him still sleeping peacefully. Not that he was old enough to make too much noise yet, but still the silence worries you enough that you don’t even take the time to put away the groceries. You set the bags on the kitchen counter, making your way through the house to the living room first.

All your concern fades at the sight of Harry on the couch, Sterling snuggled in his arms with his back pressed against Harry’s front, his little body covered in a red and white striped onesie with a reindeer on the front, matching pair of green socks on his tiny feet. It’s such a comforting image, you once again question why you had any doubt at the thought of leaving the two of them alone. Harry hasn’t noticed your presence yet, or if he has he hasn’t said anything, and you’re content to keep it that way for a few more minutes to observe the vision set before you.

You notice the movie that’s playing, it’s the same one from a few nights ago that Harry teased you for. You cross your arms, quirking one eyebrow upwards before you repeat Harry’s words from that night out loud, “Boys day, huh? Could’ve at least found a proper Christmas movie to watch while I was gone.”

“I’ve decided you’re right, it does count. I can see why he loves it so much.” He looks up at you from where you lean over back of the couch now, a soft “hi” falling from his lips, tilting his head up to accept the kiss you offer. Sterling coos, and when you look down, he’s looking up at you too. 

“Mommy missed you too, baby boy.”

“Come sit with us, lovie, watch the rest of the movie.”

“Gimme a minute to put the groceries away and I will.”

“I’ll pause it and come help.”

“No, stay,” You run your hand through his hair, pushing the curls away from his face, “There’s not that much, I got it.”

You work swiftly to put everything away, taking a minute to change back into your pajamas before you rejoin them, curling yourself against Harry’s side under his free arm. Sterling’s dozing again, most likely falling into a milk coma from the bottle he had just finished, but it doesn’t stop the two of you from continuing to watch the same movie together. You offer to take Sterling or put him in his swing, but he just shakes his head no, clinging tighter to him and you.

“S’my favorite part, this song.”

“What? It’s the saddest one. Elsa and Anna’s parents die in this one.” 

He shrugs, careful not to shuffle Sterling and disturb his sleep, “Maybe, but s’catchy, gets stuck in my head more than the others.” 

He begins humming along to the intro music, nudging you softly to persuade you to start singing along with the character on the screen. You sit up, dramatically clearing your throat before you do. Harry knows more of the words than he cares to admit, but would rather hear the lyrics sung by you. He giggles at you as you even change your voice to mimic the silly parts.

“It gets a little lonely. All these empty rooms. Just watching the hours tick by…”

Harry provides the tick-tock part, clicking his tongue off-tune to the ones playing in the song. That’s enough to make you laugh out loud, temporarily forgetting the sleeping baby now resting on Harry’s chest. He shushes you playfully, his body shaking through his own laughter thankfully soothing Sterling enough that he doesn’t wake up.

You compose yourself as the song turns slow and mournful, tucking yourself back to Harry’s side again. His hand works around to cup your waist, squeezing lightly to pull you closer, the vibrations of him humming along again a comforting rumble against your body. His voice is quiet, barely above a whisper as he sings the last notes of the song.

“We only have each other. It's just you and me. What are we gonna doooooo?”

Your eyes scan the whole of the room. Your boys nestled together next to you, the tree in the corner of the room the 3 of you had decorated together a few days before, the pile of presents that had already accumulated underneath it. You spot your favorite ornament, a silver star with Sterling’s full name engraved on the front, “Baby’s First Christmas” etched on the back. Sterling’s first present from your family sent from home. Well, what used to be your home for the holidays. A smile spreads across your face at the simple happiness and realization that this is your home now. 

Harry, Sterling, and you; sun, moon, and star, spending your first holiday together.

 //

Thank you all for reading! As always likes/rbs/and comments are more than welcome. Tell me what you think here!

tag list: @taintedwonder​, @cock-a-doodely-doo

[kuroos-babie]

KuQui Headcanons

KICKING OFF #HBDCHIQUI WITH THIS YALL HAD THIS COMING I WARNED YOU NOW LET ME LOVE MY MAN

warning: disgusting romance and affection and kuqui being stupid

[ how we met ]

during our first year, i would be classmates with yakkun and we’d be bffs right off the bat

so i’d be part of their little group hehehe

yknow how yakkun and kuroo would always bicker right? we, the shorties, would always pick a fight with kuroo 2v1

but when kuroo fights back he’ll always target me bec hahahaha it’s just so easy to piss me off and get under my skin :D

so of course he takes advantage of that bec he’s a lil shit

but i will fight back >:( always a smack on his chest or his lower back

it’ll be like a Thing between us yknow

always play fighting and skinning each other’s knees 😌😌

[ confession ]

so this dumbass thought i like kai or yakkun

bec im always so affectionate with them but act like a fucken gremlin towards him >:)

but it’s bec whenever i try to show some ✨Affection✨ he:) always points it tf out and i would get :) painfully shy :)

loves to mess with me so he’d drop compliments and flirty comments bec he knows that i would Combust On The Spot :D

segway: my friends found out that if they call me cute while im play fighting with them i would get weak and flustered and just stop annoying the shit out of them haha

u bet this dumbass figured it out too and exploits it whenever he can >:(

when he decided to finally confess his undying love for me little crush he thought he’d at least get a good laugh out of my reaction even if he gets rejected

but surprise surprise 😌😌i like a dummy back😌😌

[ dates ] 

our dates aren’t like Date dates per se,,

we’ll always just study in our fav little cafe and call it a date

we’d quiz each other while exchanging banter and sharing food (tf that’s my fav thing ever pls i need that rn)

some dates are just us walking around somewhere looking for food to eat and just talk and show each other funny shit we saw on the internet

and some dates are just us lounging on the bed or the sofa, watching cooking videos and weird documentaries 

anytime and anywhere we’re together is p much a date so :DDD

[ how we show affection ]

as an Affectionate Babie 😌😌

he doesn’t mind me being sweet with yakkun or kai

bec we’re Bros, ya feel?

but when it gets a lil too much, he’ll pull me to the side and just wrap his whole entire body around me

loves sitting me down on his lap and just snuggles on to me while i do my stuff

also boops my nose all the gotdamb time >:(((

squishes my cheeks and kneads them like dough

also tolerates my shit all the time

even when i bite :D

i’d be biting his fingers, the base of his thumb, his cheeks, his shoulders

SJKDFSKDHFSD IM JUST SO GIGIL OKAY (idk what it is in english but it’s basically when you feel the overwhelming urge to squish something bec it’s too cute and lovely hhh)

when i bite i leave smol kisses and he just :’)

loves playing with each other’s hands and pressing kisses on the fingertips, palms, wrists, knuckles JUST EVERYWHERE

i very selfishly headcanon him to have Physical Touch as his love language so it’s how we show affection most of the time

but also Words of Affirmation and Quality Time :’D

[ random stuff ]

i am a very sleepy person in general and i get kinda grumpy when im sleepy

so when im feeling like needing a nap i would just lean on his shoulder and have a Quick Nap

he’d always have a hand on the side of my head to keep me from slipping

i would sometimes take his hand and lay my cheek down on it and space tf out

i told u idk how he tolerates my shit

his gallery is just full of extreme close-up shots of my face

his homescreen is one of those pics lmao

we dont have a decent picture of each other in our phones let’s be real

all aesthetic pics are taken by kai 😌😌ily man

he keeps extra hair ties on his wrist, pockets and wallet just in case i forgot mine

also extra lipbalm bec ur girlie has a propensity to pick at the skin of her lips until it’s bleeding so she can have no chapped lips 😌😌

i’d have a ton of lipbalm flavors so i’ll just ask him “what flavor of kiss u trying to have today?”

his choices: peach, strawberry, coconut, mango, cake

we always share clothes!!

mine are always oversized so they fit him just right

loves wearing my shirts bec they smell like peaches and vanilla

he’d be my harshest critic esp when it comes to cooking

i’d let him taste everything i cook and make him tell me exactly what i need to work on

it’s always “too much salt” or “undercooked” :(((( im trying 

we don’t mind spending some time apart since we regularly update each other what we’re up to 

wears black shirts when he’s trying to be Sexc bec this mfer knows how damn well it works on me >:(((

i would always talk about how much i hate him and how i wanna punch him in the face and kick his stupid shins

but he just laughs at me bec im saying all those while snuggling up his chest and making him pet my hair

you’d always catch us playing something like Wordscapes or Criminal Case, sometimes those hand games like thumb wrestling or ketchup

comes with me to all hospital appointments (i go every 3 weeks) and takes care of me when i get admitted (like twice a year lmao)

we’d live together after high school and just forget to get married bec we are a Pair of Dummies  😌😌

if uve reached this point, pls collect ur free kiss and a cat pic in my inbox mwa!!

[dontshouta]

warm

summery: You work the night shift at the local cat cafe and anticipate the appearance of a certain cat lover. pairing: aizawa shouta x reader word count: 1956 note: hi ! this is my first mha lil fic so pls,,,,, go easy on me

Your chin was pressed neatly into the palm of your hand as you stare into the abyss, mind unpresent while the clock ticked by. The cats were lounging languidly on the various cat towers and couches, some hopping about with unrelenting energy while others simply watched, their sharp eyes slanted ever so slightly in the quiet atmosphere. You stifled a yawn, casting a quick glance to your watch before sighing. You were in for a long night, Tuesday nights were always hauntingly slow. At least you didn’t have to deal with obnoxious customers, you decided. You didn’t mind the quiet, either. While one was in the company of several dozen cats, it was hard to complain. Your mind was in a different place, anyhow. Sometimes, a certain hero would drag himself into the establishment, eyes bloodshot and droopy while he’d make his way to his designated area in a corner near the register. He was your favorite.

With all the limited interactions with him he sure did make you feel brainless. It felt like all rationale would be packed neatly in a box with a pretty bow and yeeted violently out the window whenever he graced the establishment with his presence. 

Regardless, you hoped he’d come in tonight, as you hoped he would every night. Whenever he was in the establishment, the two of you would rarely make conversation, you were always too anxious to make any in fear of bothering the quiet hero. You would usually find him napping with several cats snuggled up on his chest and a hint of a smile donning his scruffy face. At times, you’d be tempted to snap a picture of the adorable moment before you, but would ultimately decide that that would be a serious breach of privacy. Pro hero or not. 

Your night always seemed to brighten whenever you would hear his light snore between the purring cats around him. Without even doing much of anything at all, he still managed to make your chest feel warm. You rolled your lip in between your teeth. Maybe if he comes in tonight, I could make some light conversation. Your cheeks blossomed with heat. What if I say something stupid? I don’t wanna embarrass myself! You huffed at your conscious and decided some small talk wouldn’t hurt anybody. If he even came in.

You busied yourself with your nightly duties, not wanting to stay later than you had to, all the while humming to yourself and occasionally singing softly to the rowdy kitties. You loved those irritable puffballs with every fiber of your being, giving them all the love they certainly didn’t want with a smile on your face.

The bell in front rang softly, signaling a customer had arrived. You tried to cool the growing smile on your face, yelling a quick Be right there! before rushing towards the front. You nodded to yourself, trying to get your confidence up before greeting what you hoped was your favorite customer. Any normal person wouldn’t have gotten their hopes up that quickly, but you were pretty accustomed to the hero’s schedule. No sane person would enter a cat cafe in the dead of night. In passing, you wondered why the cafe’s hours were so late.

You blew out a calming breath, a welcoming smile plastered on your face as you steadied your nerves. Your eyes met his familiar tired ones immediately, your smile softening as you took him in. He looked just as mysterious as he always did, chin buried in his scarf, hair wild, and hands deep in his pockets while he stood. He scanned the pastry display case with the smallest hint of interest, giving you some time to stare unabashedly at the hero. He looked so magnificent in the warm glow of the cafe, his nose the cutest shade of pink due to the winter air outside. You could stare at him all night if you could. Most nights, you did. Not in a stalkery way, tough.

His eyes finally met yours with a raised brow. You bolted upright, cheeks blushing uncontrollably at being caught red-handed. Oh gosh he probably thinks I’m some weirdo. I haven’t even greeted him yet! Gosh I could throw up. Your mind was racing a mile a minute, overcalculating the man before you and completely forgetting to do your job. What if I just blew my chances with him? Nonsense, some staring wouldn’t completely shatter any hopes I had with him. What were you even thinking, thinking you could openly stare at this god among men? Wait, what chances? I had better chances getting wailed on by a homerun baseball than getting in any sort of relationship with him. You heavily preferred the latter, though. Your brow scrunched anxiously as your thoughts spun like a hurricane in your mind. He cleared his throat, looking at you pointedly. He looked amused. You wanted the ground to swallow you up right then and there and condemn your life to an eternity of solitude within the Earth’s core. 

“Good evening! Welcome to NekoNeko Cafe, how may I help you?” You greeted shakily, shoulders tense to your ears with a nervous smile. His lips twitched, barely hiding his amusement. You wanted to pout, maybe even scream a little? Okay, that’s a little extreme. He found your floundering absolutely hilarious. You couldn’t wait to get home and throw yourself an extravagant pity party. 

“A blueberry muffin.. Please.” He mumbled softly, expression back to neutral. You blinked, almost positive he would’ve rubbed salt into your ego-wound. You then mentally kicked yourself, you didn’t find him to be a rude man at all. Quiet, sure, but never rude. To you, at least. Your anxiety plagued mind just couldn’t help but dredge up the worst possible scenarios.

So, silently thanking the universe for blessing you with an equally attractive and respectful man, you opened the display of sweets and carefully grabbed the tastiest looking blueberry muffin the cafe had to offer at the moment. Your shaky hands offered the pastry to the tall man who accepted it mutely, his rough hands grazed yours ever so slightly, shocking you to the core. You retracted immediately, blushing furiously at basically nothing. You mentally kicked yourself. Harder this time. With a steel toed boot. You had no idea why you were so jumpy, it’s not like this was your first interaction with him. Yet, you were acting like a schoolgirl who was too scared to confess to their crush. Which, yeah, that’s kind of what was happening. You cleared your throat, hoping he wasn’t watching you as closely as you thought he was and punched the order into the register.

“That’ll um, be $2.46..” Your voice was barely above a whisper, afraid it would break under his gaze.

“Sorry, sweetheart, what was that?” 

You jolted upright again, blinking owlishly up at him with the utmost surprise. Did he really just-? Did he just call you sweetheart? Surely, your ears were deceiving you. Maybe he said meat fart? You felt your whole body burst into flames. Too warm.

“I- I- I said… tha-that’ll be $2.46!” You were embarrassed. But oh-so flattered. You couldn’t believe he had called you sweetheart. You were on cloud nine, your heart hammering in your chest as you watched him pull out the cash with heart-eyes. Your mind had turned to mush, you could sing. No, that’d be weird. 

I want him to call me sweetheart again.

He placed the money in your open palm, fingers lingering this time, before pulling away completely. Were you going crazy, or was he flirting with you? 

“Keep the change, sweetheart.” He teasingly winked before leisurely heading to his designated spot.

There it was again. Sweetheart. AND a bonus wink? Your legs felt about ready to crumple underneath you. You stole a glance his way, watching him take a small bite of his muffin while his feline friends crowded around him. A breath escaped your lungs, finally feeling free from his calculating gaze while his attention was on the playful kitties. 

You couldn’t let your interaction end for the night. He was flirting with you, right? You just couldn’t let it die now. You eyed his abandoned receipt, a blush creeping up on your cheeks again as a plan formulated in your mind. You snatched the receipt before you could change your mind and hurriedly scribbled your phone number onto it. You thought about drawing a cute little heart next to it. You dropped that thought as soon as it materialized in your brain, crushing it under your mind’s foot and spitting on it. You decided you had enough embarrassment for the night.

With renewed confidence, you stomped over to the unsuspecting man who was offering his muffin to the calico curled up on his chest. 

You bowed deeply, offering the receipt in both your extended hands. Now you definitely felt like a pitiful schoolgirl.

“You.. you forgot your receipt!” You exclaimed, still bowing. Your face felt like it was steaming, embarrassment dripping out of every pore. You hoped he would relieve you of it, and soon. You couldn’t bow forever.

“Ah, thank you.” He mumbled, gingerly taking the receipt from your hand and studying it intently.

“It was no problem!” Your mind couldn’t stop screaming. You felt like an absolute fool. Run away! Now! While you still can! You turned on your heel briskly and made a mad dash for the register. Or, at least you tried to.

A strong hand wrapped around your wrist before you could make your grand escape, giving it a strong pull in the opposite direction. This is it. This is how I die. Your mind whirled, feeling extremely hot and clammy. 

You made contact with a hard chest. When did he stand up? Goodness, he’s so tall, I’m gonna throw up. You rubbed your aching nose, trying to calm your queasy stomach. And anxious mind. And erratic breathing. Why were you freaking out? A little rejection never hurt anybody. It’ll humble you and make you never want to make the first move ever again. His hand was still around your wrist. He was pleasantly warm. You hoped he couldn’t feel the gross heat emanating from your skin. 

“Sweetheart if you wanted my number, you could’ve just asked.” He whispered, his body bent slightly to level his mouth to your ear. You shuddered involuntarily, you heart rate spiking at the proximity. He smelt like mint. A little like citrus, too. A hint of sweat made itself known, it didn’t bother you though. He’s a pro hero, what can ya do. Suddenly, his words hit your brain like a ton of bricks and you spluttered, taking the tiniest step back.

“I- Well- You-!” You blew an exasperated breath out and stomped your foot like a preschooler. “Well, maybe if you didn’t walk away after your little flirting escapade I wouldn’t have had to doodle my number on your dumb receipt.” You were being too defensive, you knew that, but you felt like you had to justify your high school antics. Especially when he was looking so amused. 

He chuckled, retreating from your personal space and standing to his full height. Not really though, he was slouching. You found it endearing. No he’s making a fool out of you! Not. Endearing.

You had a marvelous pout on your face, arms crossed, and toe tapping away as you awaited his response with bated breath. 

He stuffed the receipt into his front pocket and shot you a cat-like smirk. You genuinely felt like he shot you right in the moment, that stupid smirk doing more to you than it should have.

“You can expect a call from me then, sweetheart.”

[fic-xation]

Spicing It Up

Sam proposes something a little unorthodox for his and Max’s night off. But is it too much for even Max to handle? Archive of our Own

"Uh-huh? ... Yeah. Oh, yeah. Absolutely... Ah, Mahzeltov! ... Well, give her my best. Goodbye, sir."

"Well?" Max asked, anxiously popping his head out from the crowded confines of their office trash can. Their usual scuffle over the phone always landed him in the strangest of places... "What'd the commissioner say?"

Sam, shaking his head, hung up the receiver.

"Sorry, lil' buddy. No aliens, demons, mutants, or some unholy amalgamation of the three."

"What about a ponzi scheme?!" Max rocketed himself from the trashcan, snagging at Sam's collar in a panicked frenzy. "Embezzlement?! ... Hell, I'll even settle for mild insurance fraud, jut gimme SOMETHING, man! Anything!"

With the air of one casually removing a tick, Sam snagged at Max's ears, and plucked him from his lapel.

"Nothin' doin', Max. There isn't even so much as a WHISPER of crime tonight."

Tossing his friend to one side, Sam crossed over towards the open window, his hands comfortably nestled in their respective pockets.

"Seems as if the city that never sleeps is taking a much needed power nap." he said thoughtfully.

His partner, however, was far from thoughtful.

"... AaaaaAAAHHHH, I CAN'T TAKE THE SILENCE, SAM!! I need chaos! I need mayhem! I need some sense of superiority as I beat the snot out of some slimy smuggler!"

With a faintly groan, Max collapsed, face-first, against the floor. Sam, meanwhile, merely observed him, scratching at his doggish ear with a contemplative sort of expression.

"... Well..." Sam slid the window shut. "If you're REALLY eager for something to do... We could, uh..." he cleared his throat, awkwardly straightening his tie. "Y'know... Spend some 'quality' time together..."

Max's despair seemed to vanish as quickly as it'd appeared. Scrambling to his feet, he race over towards Sam, leaping into his unsuspecting arms like a bride readying to cross the threshold.

"Why SAMMY, you dirty dog..." Max cooed, snuggling up to his partner's broad chest. "Why didn't you just SAY so?"

He gave a saccharine giggle of mock, girlish delight, coyly tracing little circles against the fabric of Sam's tie.

"What did you have in mind? ... Ooh! Why don't we break into the aquarium again and have a brief make-out sesh in the shark tank?"

"Ehh," Sam shrugged. "I don't think so... I always get the feeling those great whites are enjoying it far more than they should..."

"Fair enough... Oh! How's about a game of ~French Maid Shooting the Balls Off a Nazi Officer?~" Max's smile then faded slightly. "Wait, no, I tore up my fishnet stockings after that caper in Reno last week... Ooh, I got it! How about you leave me handcuffed to the bed, forcing me to relive my mysterious childhood trauma as I desperately struggle for survival?" Max seemed to salivate at the very idea. "Oh my god... HOT..."

"... Actually..." Sam gave a sheepish little smile. "I was thinking we could try something... Different."

"Oooh!" Max flashed a carnivorous grin. "Spicing it up, I see! Do tell!"

Sam opened his mouth to speak, before snapping it shut with a bashful whine. Whatever this idea was, it was evidently too embarrassing to speak aloud. Chewing his lower lip, Sam gestured for Max to come closer. Max, kicking his elongated feet excitedly, happily obliged, gleefully leaning in as Sam finally mustered the courage to whisper his proposal.

Max's smile melted like an ice cube on a frying pan. Mouth agape, he suddenly drew back from Sam's embrace.

"... Y-you're... You're not SERIOUS, right?"

"We don't have to try it if you don't want to!" Sam said hurriedly, waving his hands. "I-it was just a thought!"

"... Yeah, but... Why THAT?" Max seemed repulsed by the very notion. "It's just... It's so... Ugh! I can't even SAY it!"

"I know it's a little... out of the norm for us-" Sam said, settling himself onto a chair as he shyly rubbed the back of his neck. "I just... y'know..."

"... Are you bored with our usual shtick?" Max looked almost hurt by the idea.

Sam's ears pricked up almost at once.

"No! No, buddy, far from it! ... I was only thinkin'... Maybe if we TRIED it, we might wind up likin' it... We wouldn't make a habit of it, of course, but..." he trailed off, lowering the brim of his hat down over his eyes. "... Nothing. Forget I even-"

"Do YOU wanna try it?"

... A surprisingly straightforward question, considering it was Max.

With a sputter of surprise, Sam felt the heat rise against his muzzle. Squaring his shoulders, he hurriedly glanced away.

"... Th-that... That's not really impor-"

"Up-up-up!" Max swatted a finger against Sam's lip. "Shut it, Sam, I've heard enough. Look, if you REALLY wanna give this... THING a shot, I'm in."

Sam finally returned his gaze to Max, eyes wide.

"But... But I thought-"

"Well, QUIT thinkin', or you'll work yourself into a freakin' tizzy! And mind you, I don't use the word 'tizzy' that often." Max reached up, readjusting Sam's hat to its proper angle. "... At the risk of sounding like some pouty-faced teen in a bad chick-flick, I..." he glanced down, fidgeting with his hands. "... Well, I trust you. You wanna do something, so I'll try it. If I like it, great. If I don't, I get to take a baseball bat to your kneecaps. Win-win!"

"... When did a baseball bat enter into the equation?" Sam smiled slightly.

"It's called 'incentive,' Sam." Max huffed, folding his arms. "So, we got a deal?" Sam's chuckled lightly, patting a gentle paw to the crown of Sam's head.

"Okay, lil' buddy... If you insist."

~~

Two hours later, Max found himself in the desolate hallway of their building, just outside their office door, feeling increasingly foolish with every passing second. Swallowing hard, he tugged at the faux pearls lining his throat. In spite of his bravado earlier, the whole ordeal made him uncharacteristically nervous... THIS was new territory for him and Sam... Sure, they'd been married almost eleven times, did the horizontal bop practically every hour, and fooled around with everything from jumper cables to piggy banks... but THIS...

This wasn't just spicing things up, this was dousing it in tabasco sauce before lighting it on fire... 

"Saaa-aaaam-" he whined aloud, hurriedly glancing over his shoulders. "C'mon, aren't you ready YET?"

God forbid any of their neighbors, (least of all Flint Paper) should see him like this... Not that he didn't look amazing. All these years later, and he could STILL rock his old prom dress like an absolute queen... It was just the context of the outfit that made it feel... weird...

And the cheap Taiwanese plastic of the jewelry rubbing up against his fur probably didn't help either.

"Just one more sec, pal!" Sam called back, and suddenly, there came the muffled noise of a clattering misstep, followed by a hefty THUMP.

Curious, Max raised a brow.

"... Ya still alive in there?"

"... J-just lost my footing!" Sam hollered, and Max, with a faint giggle, could hear the embarrassment in his voice.

'... Clumsy goof...' He thought fondly, straightening the candy-colored lace of his hem. Just then, the door swung open, and Max, glancing up, barely troubled to suppress his laughter.

A holdover from their 25th anniversary at the Inventory, Sam was all dolled up in his best, (and probably ONLY) tux; all in black, with a prominent bowtie and tophat replacing their casual counterparts.

"... Look, I didn't have the time OR the money for a new suit, okay?" Sam grumbled, scowling at Max's derisive mirth.

"H-hey! It's important to recycle!" chuckled Max, wiping away a tear as he strolled across the threshold. As soon as the door closed behind him, however, he suddenly took stock of Sam's... 'renovation.'

It quickly became clear why the whole elaborate set-up took close to two hours. The office was cleaner than Max'd ever seen it, (though, admittedly, most of the clutter had just been shoved up against the walls.) In the center stood their rarely used ping-pong table, made only somewhat classier by a red sheet posing as a tablecloth. The lights'd been dimmed, and the shudders drawn, leaving only the rust-stained candelabra as the main source of illumination. Max's nostrils twitched, and he caught a familiar blend of tomatoes, diced onions, and oregano.

Spaghetti sauce.

... Romantic spaghetti sauce... Romantic spaghetti sauce with romantic outfits and romantic mood lighting... How could it get any worse?

"Oh, I hope you don't mind-" Sam's voice cut through Max's train of thought. "I found one of my Sinatra CDs while I was cleaning. Would it be alright if I...?" he trailed off, smiling all too hopefully.

Sinatra. Of course. The perfect soundtrack for any romantic setting.

Max did his best to smile in spite of the anxiety twisting his stomach.

"Sinatra? Sure! Put him on! Ol' blue eyes! Swoonatra! Chairman of the board! After all, the guy's been married four times! Who better to serenade our... d... d-d.." the very word seem to swell Max's tongue. Dry-heaving, he promptly struck his own gut.

"D-DATE! OUR DATE!" he finally choked, gasping for air as he pressed his hands to his knees.

... The relief of finally verbalizing it was dampened slightly by the palpably awkward silence that followed.

"... You good, buddy?" asked Sam, worryingly. Max hurriedly straightened up, forcing a smile with such manic intensity that his left eye began to twitch.

"You betcha! I'm great! I'm better than great! I'm about to have a romantic candle-lit dinner with my... s... s-sweetheart..." Max felt the blood rush to his face, but he bared his teeth, determined to persist. People used cutesy terminology during these things, right? Sam was probably expecting it by this point.

"... I-isn't that right? ... My little... Er... Sh-shumbly... w-wubbles?"

... Max would've given six of his own ribs to crawl under that table and never be seen by anyone ever again.

"... Y'know-" Sam smiled, though not unkindly, as he placed a gentle hand to Max's rigid shoulder. "You don't have to talk like that if it makes you uncomfortable... Heck-" he shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. "It's kinda makin' ME uncomfortable..."

Max exhaled, his body going limp.

"Oh, thank GOD... No offense, Sam, but I just can't do the cutesy-wutesy crap... At least NOT unironically."

"I'd have to agree," nodded Sam, pulling out a chair for his partner. "Watching you trying to be purposefully adorable is like pulling teeth."

"Um, I beg to differ, Sam." Max hopped up onto the chair, the length of his legs barely making it past the edge of the seat. "Pulling teeth is both exhilarating and vaguely erotic. What I did a moment ago was just..." he gave a faint shudder. "Creepy..."

Sam chuckled, shaking his head as he carefully pushed Max in.

"Well, that aside, I DO appreciate your willingness to give this a shot, Max. Just remember, if it gets to be too much, you can tap out at any time." He fetched a comforting smile, playfully tussling the space between Max's ears. "Don't forget, our safeword is 'subvert.'"

"Aaah, subvert." mused Max, settling back against his chair. "My favorite variety of 'vert,' second only to 'per.'"

"Noodle-head." Sam chortled. Leaning over, he planted a soft kiss to Max's cheek, briefly savoring the familiarly fluffy texture against his lips. Max, with a sigh, contentedly leaned into it, a slow smile stretching across his face.

... Maybe this 'conventional' date night wouldn't be so bad...

"Oh, speaking of which-" Sam straightened up, breaking the kiss almost as soon as it'd begun. "I better check on the pasta before it burns."

"Ohhhh," groaned Max, reaching his arms out like a needy toddler. "Can't we just skip the food and play tonsil-hockey for an hour?"

"Your vividly grotesque idioms for making out are strangely winsome, Max." Sam commented, crossing through into the next room.

While his partner made himself busy, Max tried his best to occupy his sporadic attention, absent-mindedly studying the slender prongs of his laid-out fork.

'... I wonder how far I could get this up my nose...' he pondered, before hurriedly shaking his head. 'No, no... No zaniness... Sam wants a nice, romantic evening, and by God's left nipple, I WILL DELIVER!'

... But there was that word again... Romantic... There was just something to it, some sense of unease that dangled from the phrase like a booger. But then again, maybe it wasn't the word, but rather the aesthetic that came with it. Hearts, flowers, naked cherubs and giggling waifs and long walks on the beach... It was just all so...

'Disgusting? Stupid? Flagrantly artificial?'

... Embarrassing....

Maybe it was just because he and Sam never had to experience the awkwardness of a first date. They'd grown up together, and once they finally took their relationship to the next level, their lives just became one long, uninterrupted honeymoon phase. There was never any anxiety over impressing the other, no charade of exemplary manners.

Now, they were on a REAL date...

And Max had to suffer all the emotional torment that came with it.

"Hot stuff, comin' through!"

Max gave a slight start. Quickly setting down the fork, he watched as Sam reentered the office, a saucer of steaming spaghetti on each hand.

"I'll say you are." Max smirked, disguising his surprise behind a snide little wink.

"Aw, hush." scoffed Sam, smiling modestly as he placed their dinner towards their respective ends. Moving over towards the CD player atop his desk, Sam carefully slid the Sinatra disk into place, before hurriedly switching to his favorite track.

"~Every kiss, every hug

seems to act just like a drug.

You're getting to be a habit with me.

Let me stay in your arms,

I'm addicted to your charms.

You're getting to be a habit with me.~"

"How apropos," sneered Max, as the honey voice filled the space.

"Eh, what can I say?" Sam winked in return. "I'm a sucker for theming."

Briefly retreating under the table, Sam soon withdrew a small ice bucket housing a bottle of something pink and bubbly. Holding it at arm's length, Sam popped off the cork, taking care not to spill too much froth.

"... Champagne, eh?" Max smiled, a little uneasily, as Sam poured out their glasses. "... Gee, you, uh... Ya really went all out, huh?"

"Well, go big or go home, right?" Sam said, sounding somewhat unsure. Sliding the bottle back into the bucket, he took his seat opposite Max, suddenly looking around as if having noticed something.

"... Did I overdo it?"

"What? ... Oh, no! No!" Max shook his head. "No, I didn't mean that in a bad way! I'm just..." 'Intimidated?' "... Flattered that you went to so much trouble, that's all!"

Sam relaxed, taking a small sip from his drink, before chuckling. "... Heh... Well, I guess this is what you'd call a childhood fantasy."

"... Really?" Max raised an eyebrow.

"Sure," Sam bowed his head bashfully, his muzzle shifting from brown to red. "I'm only a little ashamed to say so, but ever since my blossoming adolescence, it's been a secret dream of mine to treat my special someone to a hand-crafted night of atmospheric intimacy."

Max pressed a hand to his chest. That was.. surprisingly kind of touching...

"... What are you, a girl? Who refers to themselves as blossoming?"

Much like any knee jerk reaction, the quip was out before he even had a chance to think. Ears standing on end, he clenched his fists so hard against the table that the cloth began to bunch under his fingers. This wasn't right, this wasn't romantic... If the circumstances had been different, it would've been fine. Hell, it would've been expected... But this was a DATE, people aren't supposed to make fun of their dates!

"But I DID blossom," continued Sam, completely unfazed. "I blossomed like a beanstalk. What's YOUR excuse, pint-size?"

Max heaved a sigh, releasing his snag on the wrinkled cloth.

'I've served as the racket for games of tennis that were less stressful than this...' he thought, snatching at his glass, and downing the drink in one quick-fire gulp.

"... You doin' okay, buddy?" Sam said, and all at once, Max felt as if his hand were encased in an oversized catcher's mitt. Max looked up, and saw Sam's platter-sized paw gently caressing his apple-sized fist.

All at once, inspiration took hold; a chance for redemption.

... Or further mortification, depending on how you looked at it. For Max, the odds were pretty split.

Nevertheless, Max screwed up his courage, clutching at Sam's hand with both of his own, he yanked at his partner's arm, drawing the knuckles to his mouth...

... And kissing them.

It was light, clumsy, and about as awkward as a grade school play, but he managed, hurriedly throwing Sam's hand aside like a used snot rag before slumping back against his seat.

Sam, meanwhile, just sat like an open-mouthed totem pole, slowly glancing between Max, and his hand. 

Was that a good reaction?

... Then, quite out of the blue, Sam was chuckling. That special husky, back-of-the-throat sort of chortle that Max typically adored, but was NOW making him feel about as hot as a steamed vegetable, and just as stupid.

"Don't laugh!" he snapped, though something in him was grateful for the sound breaking the tension.

"S... sorry, Max..." Sam snickered. "I-it's just... I haven't seen you blush like that since our ninth honeymoon."

Max's beady eyes narrowed. "... What're you talking about?"

"Oh, come on..." Sam smirked, leaning against his elbow. "You remember."

Max's eyes suddenly went wide.

"... Oh, good Lord Sam-" he whimpered, ears drooped. "Not that, please-"

"Now what WAS it?" Sam playfully pondered, scratching at his chin. "What WAS that little word...?"

"Sam, I beg you-" Max slid further into his seat, his aforementioned blush only deepening. "Please, no!"

"That magic little four syllable phrase-"

"Sam-"

"That rarely used pet name that makes you crumble like a Jenga tower-"

"SAM!"

"Hm?" Sam finally looked towards Max, still smiling his complacent little smile. "Something amiss, my little Lago-Muffin?"

... As soon as it was out in the open, Max wasted no time, slamming his face into the plate of spaghetti with a low, muffled groan. Sauce went flying in all directions, but he didn't care.

He hated Sam.

He hated that stupid nickname.

And he hated how much he loved both of them and how weak they ultimately made him...

"... So you DO remember." Sam piped up, evidently proud of himself. He slid a noodle from Max's scalp, before slurping it up with a satisfied gulp. "I know I remember. You and I had just nabbed the infamous Pinwheel Purloiner, and were celebrating over a chocolate malt. The whole set up was so beautifully Rockwellian that I called you that as a joke... But, low and behold, you purred like James Dean's motorcycle makin' sweet love to Martha Stewart's blender."

"... Done in by a lousy play on words." Max mumbled into the pasta. "... How humiliating..."

"Nah," beamed Sam, raising Max's head up by his ears. "On the contrary, I find it rather endearing." Taking a moment to observe his partner, he added, "Sheesh, Max... ya look like a tomato..."

"Don't remind me," Max grumbled, eyes downcast. Sam shook his head.

"No, I mean ya got sauce all over your face. Here-"

Lifting him up and across the table, Sam drew Max into his lap. Plucking at a napkin, he then began to smother it against Max's unwitting cheek.

"Agh-! S-Sam!" Max sputtered, writhing like a dug-up grub. "Quit it!"

Sam paused.

"Lago-Muffin."

‘... God dammit.’

Max's eyes turned to comical spirals as he slumped against Sam's stomach in a love-struck daze. Satisfied, Sam was able to finish his cleaning before Max came to.

"... That nickname NEVER leaves this room, understood?" Max growled, still red-faced despite the lack of pasta sauce. Sam gave a soft guffaw,

"Whatever you say, Max. Do ya want me to put you ba-"

"No." said Max stoutly, folding his arms. "I live on your lap now."

"... For all intents and purposes, that may as well be true." Sam considered, spooling a strand on pasta onto his fork, before passing it along to Max. Max happily obliged, snaring the fork between his razor-like teeth like a shark.

Just then, Sam's CD reached the final track of the album.

"~I won't dance.

Don't ask me.

I won't dance.

Don't ask me.

I won't dance,

Madame, with you.~"

And once again, Max was granted an idea.

This time, however, with more confidence.

Leaping to the floor, he bowed slightly, offering out his hand in an all-too romantic fashion.

"Sinatra may not dance, but I'd like to." He grinned. "... Care to join me?"

The outright coolness of the gesture was enough to surprise them both. But while Max kept his composure, it was Sam's turn to look flustered. Blushing, he nervously tugged at his bowtie.

"... W-what, uh... what brought this on?"

"Eh," Max shrugged. "I've already been humiliated beyond belief... Twice now, in fact! So, I figure... third time's the charm, right? ... Besides..." He gently threaded their fingers together, urging Sam onto his feet. "... I'm a sucker for theming."

... Maybe the awkwardness of a first date wasn't so bad. Heck, maybe Max was even better at this romance thing than he thought! He'd just have to keep at it if he wanted to get any better.

But that was alright. After all...

Max didn't mind spicing things up every once in a while.

~~

An entire fanfic inspired by a single throwaway line of @supermary64‘s marvelously charming prom comic!

Hope you lovelies enjoyed it!

[chenlays]

I request a scenario where you, sam/foot/weeb, get to marry the love of ur life chenle

thank u for discussing this w me I’m gonna cry r u ready for this NOBODY ASKED BUT IM GIVING

• y'all know I love my bby chenle right ?? • ok so I’m on my phone doing this I’m h u Rt• but aNYWAYS • I would marry him like 59 times and ?? I’d still be happy that’s good• ok so just he’s rly cute and I’d buy lots of cats and just bury him in kitties and I would cry actual tears of joy that’s a pile of amazing• and ?? Like y Es I would totally be up 4 going out to get sweets at like 2am and just sitting out at night and eating them and talking about life• also oHMY g o d I love breakfast u know just pls I’ll make u breakfast every morning with ur fav even if I have to wake up at 4am or travel 5 miles by walking BYE • I’m probs the most annoying person ever and I’ll just literally shower him in love and just literally every 5 minutes ask him if he’s ok• also I am rly affectionate just l o v e me and keep me warm pls I’m cold all the time• I’m also that cliche bich that takes sweaters and hides them in a secret closet (´ｰ｀)• this is fun• look chenle bby pls if ur ever sad I will cry too and just h u g the pain away and love u okay• also protec u with my life• I’ll buy cute lil cat pajamas for u bby I love u• I’m actually sobbing why did u sarcastically ask this radish• my dream is to actually live in Iceland but I will sacrifice for him• like sure we can live in china if u want idc• also I just wanna b a veterinarian • u know how many cute lil animals I’d have omGG• just havin like 28 parakeets and they’re all just o u t and he’s runnin n screaming everywhere SO CU TE• also stress• but I mean I love him with all my heart like,,,yes release the keets if it makes u happy• ice cream like once a week tho pls• I want that to be my religion• J U ST eatin ice cream n walkin around to look at stuff and just BUying everything • also pls,,,gimme ur nose it’s rly cute bby• u guys I’m tearing up the more I think about him the more love I feel• he just too cute• id probs pay him for a bunch of solos （╹◡╹）♡• wakin up to hear him screeching chewing gum I AM A L I VE• als o just constantly me having to stay away once a week to silently sob• y'all He is p e r fect • “uhm why do u have 600 pictures of an Asian guy with u all the time”• “yeah sorry gtg something came up”• OMG • I literally am so fascinated with spiders• and he’s scared of them aw babs that’s cute• if u see a tiny jumping spider to a huge as fuk tarantula gET ME!!!• the cutest thing ever would just be him SCREECHING because I’m holding a tiny lil spider in my hand just crawling everywhere • can I mention cats again• I am a strong believer in cats soothing your heart and protecting you from heart problems• literally I will spend 10mil to make a cat a service cat for him 🙃• like,,,,if ur scared here’s a cute kitty to purr n make u smile• also endless supply of love from me I’m full of it• I never stop feeling love this is a fact• I am also a good listener and 99.9% reliable with secrets• u ate marks fav cookie??? Don’t worry hun I’ll never tell• also I will literally b rich if I’m a veterinarian so I’m going to a new country every other month• forcibly pushin out that home• pls,,,come to Russia with me I can speak Russian bb • honestly when I’m 25 what can’t I do• I WANT GIANT PUPPERS OMG THEYRE LIKE THE SIZE OF ME NOW• c. Henle riding on a giant Caucasian ovcharka just scremaign and being happy that’s so fukin cu t e• literally take my s o u l I love u• this is re a l LY long I’ll edit it tomorrow I G• but also just I wanna pinch his cheeks and sMOOSH them together and make him happy that’s so wonderful • lele with smooshed cheeks ::))• also like 4993020 lil cheek smooches FUC• I shed a tear I would be so s h y tbh I don’t act like it• I’d probs be that person who has to ask for a hug• I see so many people talking about backhugs for chenle and I would love lt that’s so adorable• also I wanna be bigger than him • like taller ig ??• I like to be big spoon !! Fun fact • I like to snuggle up to ppl rather than snuggle into them• kitty cuddles aw• pls I like to play with hair and snuggle and just squeeze occasionally it’s so sweet• also literally a separate drawer for cat socks • probably just buying like 500 presents for Christmas just for him u know• also that birthday• pls lemme just drag u around lil cute shops and buy u literally anything u want• just luv me and hug me n hold my hand I will be 1056% content• oh I’m crying??? Didn’t notice I was too busy lookin at u smile• ommmmmm I would definitely go to roller coasters with him just for that cute squeal• not if he’s scared• I’ll protect u bby ily• I’ll protect from everything • I can’t fight tho I’ll learn for u• I actually have 37 wallets with just pics I show to people • I don’t like a lot of pda just hold m Y hand thx ❤️• literally I hope I have like 50 succulents just at my job • omg what if he sent cute lil notes in my pocket or food just to say “I hope ur day is amazing!! ily!!”• if that happened • “hey there did u know I am in love wit h zhong chenle”• radish I’ll b at ur house w hyuck a lot just to talk abt happiness• BOY DO I HAVE SOME SOFT STUFF FOR U• frick omg cuteness!!! sittin outside in the middle of fall with kitty print scarves and cute gloves and fluffy sweaters and just sitting in the dark and cuddling to stay warm • just out to look at the stars• silence is so beautiful and that silence is amazing • or “cloud” gazing• his imagination would be so adorable• comin home to literally 60 pillows in every room• “uh bb what’s this??”• “pls shush n stop being mEAN I didn’t know what to DO”• omgmgm im so sappy I’d send cute short letters to him all the time • if I got them back I’d s c r e a m• eating a samich or smth and reading it and just almost suffocating • also I’m sleepy af rn and it reminds me• I love laying on laps or having ppl laying on my lap so I can play with hair• pls let me nap on ur lap and just literally encase myself in my big af pink rainbow sweater  • it covers everything but my legs• I would be so warm w him I’m sobbing• huggin me while I’m nap on the lap• I am so soft for this• sending selcas every few hours just because• literally no I won’t send my ugly• but sweetie pls send all of urs I will s OB and frame literally all of them• more lap naps• just gimme hugs and lemme smooch ur nose and cry myself into a nap on ur lap  • I’m really tired • I can’t think anymore and I’m so soft right now• so here’s the hcs about the marriage id want with the bby I can’t have that nobody asked for•my e yes•ok sorry ily• i also love u radish sm❤️• n chenle babs, bby, sweetie, hun,,,I’m literally cryin for u 💚

[jinkisbelly]

Queasy

Elllllo, here’s a modernish take on omegaverse, I wanted to explore the softer side, without the smut and stuff, uh It’s omegaverse so mm mpreg and other stuff that goes with it????? also mentions of puking? I don’t know if that’s a problem for some but u h

Rating: Pg, it’s fluff mostly. 

pairing: onkey 

w/c: about 2k

While they’re waiting for their flight to visit Kibum’s parents Jinki feels nauseous, and Kibum is prepared. 

The gate they were waiting at was packed. Jinki found the variety of people a little amusing. There were the people in pencil skirts and heels, and the ones in matching jumpsuits. Some looked like their blood was coffee, others were walking zombies, and the few others could be seen visibly waking up as they sipped on their crutch of choice. Jinki pouted a little. He missed coffee a lot more now that he couldn’t have it. Kibum had suggested an early morning flight to his parents so that they had time to relax before having to actually deal with being social. Kibum was quietly scrolling through his twitter feed, softly chuckling every now and again at something amusing, humming when he agreed with another. Jinki found that observing people was a little difficult with the bad taste in your mouth and nausea flooding his senses.

He laid back in his seat, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath to try and make the queasiness fade a little. All it did was cause him to catch the scent of the airport employee’s strong as hell perfume, and his nose scrunched unpleasantly. He turned to Kibum with a pout on his face, laying his chin on the man’s shoulder. “Bummie, I’m nauseous.”

Kibum reached over to grab the hand on his thigh, rubbing the back of Jinki’s hand with his thumb as he asked, “How bad is it?”

“On a scale of Lil to puke central, I’m at a strong gagging level.”

With a deep frown on his face, Kibum reached over into his carry on. He moved his hand around for a moment before he pulled out a pack of saltine crackers. He held them out to Jinki with a soft smile, “These should help a little.”

“Kibum~” He softened, his emotions getting the better of him slightly. Not only had he remembered to bring him saltines, they were the one brand that always seemed to work. “You’re gonna make me cry.”

“That wasn’t my intention.” Kibum wrapped his arm around Jinki and kissed his hair. “We still have 30 minutes until we start boarding. Lay down Baby.”

After a little shifting Jinki was able to lay his head on Kibum’s thigh and bring his legs up onto the line of chairs. He gently nibbled on a cracker as Kibum moved his fingers through his hair. Jinki’s eyes fluttered a little at the soothing gesture. He just hoped that the smelly airport employee stayed as far away from him as possible until he boarded the plane.

------

Kibum let Jinki board the plane first, walking a step behind him as he found their seat numbers that were printed on the tickets held in his hand. Once they found them Jinki took the window seat as Kibum put their carry on’s up. Usually, they would take turns getting the window seat. One would get it the way there and the other on the way back, but with Jinki’s uncomfortableness by touching at all recently Kibum gave his turn up to make sure he didn’t get brushed by someone going up and down the aisle. Once finished he slipped into his seat and pressed a kiss to Jinki’s cheek. “Feel any better?”

“A little.” Jinki pushed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie, palm over his tummy. “Our lil nugget is being good.”  

Jinki looked out the window at the rain pelting the wing of the plane as Kibum observed the last few people moving through the aisle to their seats. When that got boring he leaned his head on Jinki’s shoulder and curled his arm around Jinki’s to tug it closer. “I’m sleepy.”

“We’ll get to nap when we land right?”

“As long as we keep our nugget a secret, we’ll be free until dinner.”

“I’m stuck between wanting everyone to know,” Jinki softly said as he leaned his head against Kibum’s gently. “And wanting to keep it to ourselves until we leave because I don’t wanna be squished.”

Kibum patted Jinki’s hands that were still in his hoodie pouch. “If they try they’ll have to go through me. I won’t let them make you uncomfy.”

Jinki hummed gratefully as his eyes fluttered close. “How do you feel about in air naps?”

“It’ll ruin the naps in the big water bed at my parents’.”

The other was silent for a moment before he hummed, “That’s true. Must stay awake.”

“Hopefully it doesn’t get you sick.”

Jinki pouted deeply with a quiet whine, “Why did you have to think of that?”

“Heh, my bad.” Jinki just grumbled until the flight attendants began their pre-flight protocols.

-----

Half way through their flight Kibum was reading the book he brought with him and Jinki was entertaining himself with finding shapes in the clouds just outside his window. He was debating if a particular cloud looked more like a flamingo or a banana when the gross smell hit his nose. He wiggled a little in his seat and brought the hoodie over his nose so that his eyes and hair were the only things seen from the mass of fabric. Kibum glanced over at the extra movement and a little laugh left his lips at the sight. Jinki turned toward him, “You okay there Love?”

“Smelly person,” Jinki said in the cutest little voice. “Me Queasy.”

“Oh Baby, C’mere.” The book was closed and slid into the small backpack at his feet as he wrapped the other arm around Jinki, kissing his hair.

“Bad smells,” Jinki made a disgusted noise and nuzzled into Kibum as much as he could with the armrest between them. “I wanna land.”

“Only two more hours.” An almost too quiet of a whine left Jinki’s lips and Kibum chuckled as he kissed his hair. “I know Baby, I know.”

-----

When they finally landed Kibum’s older brother was waiting for them. Jinki smiled fondly as his mate ran to his brother, both alphas colliding in a mess of limbs as rushed words of excitement. Jinki slowly pulled their carry on behind him as he made his way over. Kibum’s brother’s eyes landed on Jinki with a smile. “Hey Jinki.”

“It’s good to see you Kwangsu.” The smile on his face fell as the man hugged him. He looked at Kibum uncomfortably as he awkwardly put his arms around Kwangsu.

“Let’s get going,” Kibum said, causing his brother to remove himself from Jinki, “We’ve been looking forward to napping in the guest room all flight.”

“Ah, right, sorry. C’mon.” He flashed a smile as he took the luggage from Jinki. Kibum fell back to wrap an arm around Jinki’s shoulders.

Jinki was about to say he could pull his own damn luggage, but Kibum was squeezing his shoulder and quietly saying, “ It’s a pride thing.”

With a reluctant sigh, he settled for being snuggled. His mood changed the moment he was climbing into that water bed, arms open for Kibum who was locking the door and kicking off his pants.

-------

Kibum had been right when he said they would be free until dinner. They weren’t bothered at all until the food was about finished and someone was sent to knock on their door. If the smell of dumplings hadn’t reached his nose, Jinki would have been completely content staying in that room of silence wrapped up in Kibum’s entire being, but food and his grumbling stomach called. He carefully moved to the edge of the bed. Napping without feeling sick had been a success, but he didn’t want to push his luck by moving too much on the jiggly bed.  He was slipping on his pants when Kibum came around to kiss his cheek. “I’ll be helping my Mom with the last few things. Join us when you’re ready Baby.”

“I just have to find my sock.” Which was harder than he anticipated. He found it under the comforter than had fallen off the end of the bed about ten minutes later. Once it was secure on his foot he shuffled out. He found Kibum sitting on the other side of the table and quickly made his way over there.

His hand was gently squeezed after he had slid into his seat. “I was about to come look for you.”

“My sock wanted to play an unplanned game of hide-n-seek.” Jinki’s tummy grumbled when the rolls were brought into the room, causing Kibum and the other members of the family around the table to laugh. Jinki blushed, embarrassed. “Sorry. I haven’t eaten since the tiny pretzels on the plane.”

“It’s perfectly alright son,” Kibum’s father softly said with a laugh, “The hungrier the better I always say.”

“That’s a good motto for my cooking if I do say so myself,” Kibum’s mother smiles wide as she directed Kwangsu to set the bird on the table in the middle. “Dinner’s served!”

Kibum pulled off a leg of the turkey and softly laid it on Jinki’s plate as the man worked on getting a piece of that gorgeous bread into his mouth. Jinki lost track of the conversation as he focused on eating. He was moving to get more corn when the volume of the voices around him skyrocketed. He looked around bewildered, mid motion of bringing the corn over. It took him a moment to make everything not so murky sounding. “Congratulations! That’s amazing.” Kibum’s mother happily squealed.

Jinki looked over at Kibum, eyes wide and confused. The Alpha looked positively flustered and guilty. “It slipped, I’m sorry.”

“Wha-”

“I knew there was something different about you,” His mother continued, cutting Jinki off. “I wish you had told me sooner I would have gotten special tea for you.”

So many questions were thrown his way and it all got very muddy and overstimulating. Kibum’s father was touching his hand. The gesture was probably meant to be supportive and comforting, but all it did was make him want to curl into a ball. “Excuse me, I have to use the restroom.”

Kibum followed him with his gaze like a hawk on a mouse and was quick to grab his mother’s wrist when she moved to hug Jinki as he walked past her. She sat back down bewildered and aghast at his actions. “What was that for?”

“Jinki doesn’t feel comfortable with a lot of touching right now.” He answered after the bathroom door clicked close. “So if you wouldn’t mind holding off on the physical support it would mean a lot.”

“Understood.” Kibum relaxed against the back of his chair as his family resumed eating. He gazed around the corner for any sign of Jinki when his mother’s voice brought back his attention. “Oh Goodness! This means we can go shopping at the boutiques tomorrow. They have the cutest baby things.”

“We only found out a couple weeks ago,” Kibum stressed, “We really don’t need to look into buying anything extra right now.”

“Nonsense.” She shook her head with her words, “It’s never too early to buy things for the baby. I bought a lot of things each day I found out I was pregnant.”

Kibum groaned. “I get to come right?”

“Oh darling no!” She answered with a tone of concern. “Those boutiques are no place for an Alpha.”

He really missed the more open society of Jinki’s reservation, the place he now called home. Jinki finally returned just before he was about to go to see if anything was wrong. Still, Kibum leaned over to whisper in his ear, “Everything okay?”

Jinki smiled over at him, but Kibum could see how uncomfortable and taken off guard he was feeling. “Just felt a little sick is all.”

Kibum didn’t buy it one bit, but his family seemed to. “Oh, morning sickness is the worst. I had it so badly with my dear Kibummie.”

“Ma~” He whined. When Jinki softly laughed, it was genuine. He leaned over and pressed a long kiss to the man’s cheek, and whispered, “I love you.”

Jinki smiled softly at him and squeezed his knee under the table. “I love you too.”

-------

[hawkeye-piercintyre]

I'm not even gonna bother with anon, I'm pretty sure you'll know it's me - (please!) write me a fic where Trapper and Hawkeye get to have a nice, snuggly date; there's too much angst going around lately and I'm dying for something sweet and soft

So I got two prompts in response to my lil request, and this is the first. I know what to do for the second as well! So, watch this space!

@trapper-john requested snuggling and fluff, so this is… mostly that. Takes place immediately after Rainbow Bridge. References Army Navy Game as well. Could… maybe be IAKOW-verse? I’m not sure. But I’ve tried to make it a different style for a change. Pretty tame, no filth or violence.

“Hey. Hey! Hawkeye! Psst!”

“What? What is it? More wounded? ‘Kay. Uh… you go scrub up,I’ll… find my socks.”

It takes him a few seconds to realise that the mechanicalrumble in his ears is not that of approaching choppers, but of the engine of ataxi cab, the driver of which Trapper is currently paying.

“Uh, Hawk? You got thirty yen on ya?”

Hawkeye fumbles in his pocket, and emerges with a handful ofchange – most likely a haphazard combination of US dollars, yen, and a fewKorean won – and shoves them in Trapper’s direction to decipher. A few secondslater, he finds himself being bundled out into the street. A cold, wet mistsurrounds him, clinging to his skin. It’s almost refreshing.

The cab’s motor revs, and Hawkeye squints into the fog as itpulls away. “Clear for take-off, fly safe now.”

The sky above Tokyo is grey, but the neon lights of the cityare a-glow. Hawkeye can’t tell if its dawn or twilight he’s looking at. Thedays and nights have merged, blending into a seamless haze of grey, punctuatedonly by chopper blades and flashes of red. He’s exhausted, scarcely aware ofanything save for the cool, wet feel of the drizzle that falls from the sky.That, and the slight pressure of Trapper’s hand at the small of his back,guiding him towards the door.

Their hotel is a new one, researched hastily after theDaichi started to get wise. Should make a nice change. The young lady behindthe desk checks their reservation twice… three times. Trapper rolls his eyes.“Just the one. I’m sure.”

“Oh, but I thought…”

He slides another note across the desk. A key is soonpresented in its place, and he tightens his grip on Hawkeye as they make theirway to the elevator. He can’t remember at what point exactly they became sounsubtle.

No, that’s a lie. Actually he can. It was somewhere betweenthat moment when he and Hawkeye were stood barefoot in the compound attemptingto defuse a bomb, and a few hours later when they’d found themselves alone inthe Swamp. It was frighteningly easy to throw caution to the wind when you’dspent the day staring death in the face. Frank had stayed out all night, too.Neither Hawkeye nor Trapper had commented.

The room is pleasant, if small. The bed is one of those low,futon styles popular in this country. A perfect square of white. Hawkeye shuffles forwards until his toesare touching it.

“Is this a bed I see before me?”

“That’s the one.”

“Oh, good.” With those words, he pitches forwards, landingface down in crisp, white, cotton sheets, and goose down pillows. It’s nice.It’s heaven. And he lies there, tooexhausted to move, too ecstatic to sleep. And then, struck by how absurd it isto be this excited by something assimple as clean bedding, he begins tolaugh.

He’s still laughing by the time Trapper has finished kickingoff his boots and tucking away their bags. “What’s so funny?” He’s started onHawkeye’s laces now, and Hawkeye rolls over to make his task a little easier.

Hawkeye can’t answer. Tiredness has taken hold, and he can’tquite mould his thoughts into words. By the time Trapper finally crawls ontothe futon beside him, he is just about awake enough to manoeuvre himself intohis arms, and then he’s out for the count.

Sleep comes and goes. The daylight beaming through thecurtains brightens. Neither of them knows how long they’ve slept, but that’snothing new. Any pattern of sleeping and waking seems to have long since fallenby the wayside, yet another casualty of war. Time has no meaning, even whenthey’re away.

Even in sleep, they gravitate toward one another, handswrapping around limbs, creeping closer like a vine clinging to brickwork. Andsomehow, as if ever conscious of one another, they awake together.

“Heya, Hawk.”

“Hey.” Still groggy, Hawkeye sits, rubbing at his eyes likea sleepy toddler. His right hand comes away sticky, smeared with somethingdark. Blood? He blinks several times, staring at his palm. He’s not sure. “Am Ibleeding?”

Trapper’s brow creases as his sleep addled brain tries toswitch into a medical gear a little too quickly. It’s a familiar struggle – hismental clutch is beginning to wear out. He investigates Hawkeyes face, and thenthe pillow. Then, his eyes crinkle as he discovers the culprit, and he laughs.

“What?”

Trapper wipes at Hawkeye’s cheek with the pad of his thumb.“It’s a chocolate mint.”

Hawkeye begins to giggle. The giggle grows into a helplesscackle as Trapper dives at him and begins to lick his face.

He could never tire of this. Not in a month of R&R.Clean sheets, a private room, and Trapper’s arms wrapped around him. Margaretwas right – Trapper really is built.Burrowing deeper into his embrace, Hawkeye inhales deeply. Trapper’s shirtsmells of cheap soap, of the Swamp, and of that aftershave he bought him inSeoul. It’s good stuff. Sometimes Hawkeye wonders if he was kidding himselfbuying him a gift like that. Trapper wears it every day. Sometimes he wondersif Trapper is kidding him, too.

His nose buried in the soft skin of Trapper’s neck, Hawkeyewriggles closer. His left hand finds Trapper’s right, and their fingersintertwine.

“What did ya wanna do today?”

Talking makes Trapper’s throat rumble. Hawkeye giggles andkisses him there, just because. “How long do we have?”

Trapper raises his arm to check his watch. Hawkeye’s moveswith it, hands still clasped. “Of our hard earned three day pass? After sixteenhours of surgery, a trip to enemy territory and back, a quick nap back in theSwamp, the flight, an’ another nap right here? Not including the time we needfor the return trip?”

“Yeah?”

Trapper huffs. “Seven hours. Outta our three days R&R,we got seven hours.”

The pained whine that comes out of Hawkeye is heartbreaking.“No!”

“Yeah.”

Another whine. Hawkeye burrows ever closer. His handtightens around Trappers. Trapper doesn’t have to look at him to know theexpression on his face. He’s learned so many of Hawkeye’s mannerisms by now.Face, body, voice. But he looks anyway. Because he can. Because he’s here. And because here, nobody willthink lesser of him for looking.

They meet, nose to nose, eye to eye. Hawkeye looksdifferent, Trapper thinks. Could be the white sheets. He’s not used to seeinghim against a bright backdrop of clean linens. In Korea, everything in his lifeis khaki. Even his surgical whites are somehow drab. His hand raises toHawkeye’s face, stroking his cheek, the pad of his thumb grazing over a two daygrowth of stubble. “So, what did ya wanna do?”

Hawkeye’s eyes close, and he takes a long,deep breath. Trapper kisses him before he can release it, but once they part,he doesn’t move away. They stay like that, barely half an inch apart, lipsalmost touching. Hawkeye’s breath ghosts across Trapper’s face, almost more intimatethan the kiss.

“What do I want to do?” Hawkeye gives a weary sigh. His eyesare half closed. Sky blue. So blue, Trapper half expects to see choppers. Andin their depths, he detects a hint of regret. “For seven hours?” Hawkeyeponders, and then, out of nowhere, his face lights up. He squeezes Trapper’shand, snuggles closer, and kisses him. Trapper can feel him smile. And, whenthey part, he can see it, too. Hawkeye has the brightest, most radiant smile,and he’s beaming as he gives his answer: “This.Just this.”

And somehow, in spite of sixteen hours of surgery and a tripto the bridge and back, Trapper finds himself smiling, too.