#i know i used to feel less of a buzz than other people my size but it would last a lot longer. not anymore.

[esleep]

biggest (really only) negative part of being on adderall for me so far has been that my alcohol tolerance is now complete garbage. i used to have a really high tolerance especially considering my size (5'3", varying weight between 130-140 lbs, generally a fairly small and compact person overall) and could easily handle 2-3 drinks with no issue, barely felt it, but these days i have 1 drink and i'm immediately light-headed.

[nj-6-girl]

The practice room had transformed into a makeshift dressing room, clothes scattered everywhere—racks of carefully curated outfits lining the walls, mirrors propped against any available space, and a constant buzz of activity. Stylists hurried around the room with tape measures, adjusting garments, while the girls stood in front of the large mirrors, slipping into the outfits they would wear for tomorrow's first promotion on Music Bank. Their debut had been successful, at least that’s what their manager, Hanbin, and the other girls had said.

But Micha couldn’t bring herself to open her phone. It sat untouched in her bag, a silent reminder of the world outside. The thought of reading through comments or seeing reactions filled her with an overwhelming sense of anxiety. What if there were negative opinions? What if they didn’t love it as much as the others said? Her hands felt clammy just thinking about it.

We will discover tomorrow I guess.

Around her, the room buzzed with excitement and nerves. Outfits were strewn across every surface—tops, skirts, trousers, and accessories in vibrant colors, shimmering fabrics, and edgy designs. Stylists were busy holding up pieces to the girls, making last-minute adjustments, pinning hems, and checking every detail to perfection. The air smelled faintly of perfume and new fabric, and the hum of chatter, zippers being pulled, and fabric rustling filled the room.

Minji, standing in front of a full-length mirror, turned to look at Micha with a raised eyebrow. “Micha, didn’t you wear those same trousers in the MV?”

Micha glanced down at her pants, which now hung a little looser around her waist than they had before. She furrowed her brow, tugging at the waistband. “Yeah, I did… I don’t know how they got loose so fast. Maybe all that practice did something.”

Before Micha could say anything else, one of the stylists rushed over, already holding a measuring tape. “Stay still, Micha. I need to check your waist size. We’ll make the trousers tighter.”

Micha stood still as the stylist wrapped the tape around her waist, feeling the pressure of the measuring tape against her skin. She couldn’t help but let out a small sigh, wondering if it was the nerves or if she had indeed lost weight. Either way, tomorrow was another big day.

I mean that was my goal from the beginning.

Haerin, sitting cross-legged on the ground while fiddling with the hem of her outfit, called out, "Hyein, Micha, did you invite any of your friends from school for tomorrow?"

The girls paused, glancing at each other. Apparently, some of the members had invited their school friends to come cheer them on for their first Music Bank performance, and they'd encouraged Hyein and Micha to do the same.

"Yeah, we did," Hyein replied, adjusting the sleeves of her top. "A couple of friends from SOPA said they’d come by."

Micha, who was still standing by the stylist, waiting for her trousers to be adjusted, nodded slightly. “I’ll have to go to my old school after this and invite some of my friends,” she added. She hadn’t seen many of them in a while, given how busy things had become since training and debuting. But the idea of seeing familiar faces from her past, people who knew her before all this, was comforting in a strange way. Maybe it would ease some of the pressure.

"That sounds nice," Haerin said, smiling softly. "It’ll be good to have people cheering for us tomorrow."

As they continued talking, the room stayed as hectic as ever, with stylists moving from girl to girl, making sure each outfit fit perfectly. Micha glanced around and saw Minji trying on a jacket, Hanni fussing over her shoes, and Danielle chatting animatedly with one of the assistants.

Micha took a deep breath. Despite the chaos around her, there was a growing sense of unity among them all. Tomorrow was a big day, and knowing that they had friends, family, and each other to support them made it feel a little less terrifying.

Once her trousers were tightened, Micha looked at herself in the mirror. The outfit was perfect now—tailored just right. The stylist gave her a nod of approval, and Micha gave a small, thankful smile. She was ready, or at least she hoped she was.

she thanked the stylist with a quick bow. "Thank you, unnie!" she said, before heading off to change into her own clothes. As she stepped out of the practice room, she spotted their manager, Hanbin, leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed. His usual scowl was in place, but Micha knew by now that it was just his way.

He glanced up as she approached. "You ready?" he asked in his usual gruff tone, though there was a hint of softness in his eyes.

Micha remembers the first time they met him, all of them were intimidated to speak with him.

But leave it for me to give the best silence breakers ever with " oppa did you ever thought about being an actor?" but hey it did its job, if you think about Dani breaking down in laughter and him scowling hard at her.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Micha replied, adjusting her bag over her shoulder. She hesitated for a moment, then added with a playful smile, "You didn’t have to wait for me, you know."

Hanbin scoffed, though his expression softened slightly. "I wasn’t waiting for you. I was just... making sure everything was on track. Can’t have the debut star wandering off now, can we?"

Micha giggled. "Sure, sure. Well, thanks for ‘not waiting.’"

Hanbin sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "Just get in the car, kid. We’ve got places to be."

As they made their way to her old school, Hanbin drove in his usual quiet manner, though every now and then he glanced at Micha through the rearview mirror, making sure she seemed alright. He wouldn’t say anything outright, but his concern for the girls was always there, even if hidden beneath his tough exterior.

"Everything okay?" he asked after a while, his eyes flicking toward her.

Micha nodded, though her fingers fiddled with the strap of her bag. "Yeah... just nervous about tomorrow."

"You'll do fine," Hanbin said bluntly. "You’ve worked hard. That’s all that matters. The rest will follow."

Micha smiled softly. "Thanks, oppa."

He grunted in response, clearly uncomfortable with the sentiment. "Stop thanking me and focus on your friends. You’ll see them soon, right?"

"Yeah," Micha said, feeling a small rush of excitement. "It’s been a while."

When they arrived at her old school, Micha's nerves kicked in again, but she pushed them down as she made her way inside. The familiar hallways felt both strange and comforting. It wasn’t long before she reached the classroom where she knew her friends would be. Luckily, it was break time.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and stepped inside. The moment she removed her face mask, all eyes in the room turned toward her. For a split second, there was silence—then an explosion of excitement.

"Ohhh, look who it is!" one of her friends, sarang, teased with a grin. "The idol has entered the building!"

"Micha! I saw the MV!" another friend, Hana, exclaimed as she rushed over. "You looked amazing!"

"I can’t believe you’re actually here!" Siwon added, her eyes wide with excitement. "We’ve been talking about your debut non-stop!"

Micha laughed, her cheeks flushing a bit as they all crowded around her. "It’s still me, guys. I haven’t changed that much."

"Sure," sarang said with a smirk. "Except for the part where you’re literally a celebrity now."

"And the MV!" Hana chimed in. "That was insane! You killed it, Micha!"

The others nodded enthusiastically, a chorus of "I loved the song!" and "I’ve been streaming it all day!" filling the room. Micha felt a wave of relief wash over her. Despite the teasing, seeing their genuine excitement made her feel more grounded. These were her friends, after all.

"I’m glad you guys liked it," Micha said, her smile widening. "Actually, that’s why I’m here. I wanted to invite you all to our first promotion tomorrow. We’ll be performing on Music Bank."

"Are you serious?" Hana squealed, practically bouncing in place. "Of course, we’ll be there!"

"Yeah, we wouldn’t miss it for the world!" Sarang added.

Micha felt a weight lift off her shoulders. It felt good to know they’d be there cheering her on. But as she looked around the room, she suddenly realized someone was missing. She furrowed her brow and turned to siwon. "Hey, where’s Mina? I haven’t seen her."

Siwon’s face fell slightly. "She didn’t come to school today. I’m not sure why."

Micha’s heart sank a little at the news. Even though she and mina haven't talked for a while now, she still wanted to clear any misunderstood that happened and be close friends like before.

"Oh... I see," Micha said softly, her smile faltering for a moment. "Well, I’ll reach out to her later."

Her friends noticed the slight change in her demeanor and quickly tried to lift the mood. "Don’t worry, she’s probably just busy or something," jisung said reassuringly. "I’m sure she’ll come to the next one."

"Yeah," Micha nodded, though a small part of her couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. She had wanted to share this moment with all of them, especially Mina.

With a deep breath, Micha smiled again, grateful for the support she had from the friends who were here. "Yeah, you’re right. Tomorrow’s going to be amazing."

Micha left the school, her footsteps heavy as she made her way toward the car. The excitement from seeing her friends had faded slightly, replaced by a growing unease. She pulled out her phone and tried calling Mina, but after a few rings, there was no answer. It was the first time she had reached out since everything with the debut began, and the silence on the other end only made her feel more distant from her old friend.

Who am I kidding?, Like I haven't felt it. before.

When she reached the car, Hanbin was leaning against it, arms crossed as usual. He straightened up as she approached. "Ready to head back to the dorm?" he asked.

Micha hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "Not yet... There's one more person I need to invite."

Hanbin raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue.

"It’s Mina," she said quietly. "She wasn’t at school, and I didn’t get to talk to her. Can we go to her house?" She quickly gave him the address, hoping he wouldn’t ask too many questions.

Hanbin let out a small sigh but nodded. "Alright, let’s go."

As they drove through the familiar streets, Micha kept her gaze fixed out the window, her thoughts swirling. She hadn’t seen Mina in a long time, and she couldn’t help but wonder if something had changed between them. The idea of her friend not being there tomorrow felt unsettling, even if things between them wasn't like before. She wanted her to be with her.

When they pulled up in front of Mina’s house, Hanbin glanced at Micha. "You want me to wait?"

Micha shook her head gently. "No, it's fine. I'll call you when I’m done."

He didn’t move, his brow furrowing slightly, clearly not thrilled with the idea of leaving her alone. "You sure? I don’t mind waiting."

Micha gave him a small, reassuring smile. "I’ll be fine. I promise I’ll call when I’m finished."

Hanbin grumbled under his breath but finally relented. "Alright, but don’t take too long. And call me. Don’t forget."

"I won’t," Micha said, her smile growing a little softer as she watched him drive away. Once the car was out of sight, she turned back to Mina’s house, taking a deep breath before heading to the front door. This visit was important, and she hoped it would go well.

Micha stood in front of the door, pressing the button, her heart beating faster than usual. There was a brief moment of static before a voice came through the intercom, "Who is it?"

"It's Micha," she responded softly. The door buzzed immediately, and she let herself in, crossing the well-maintained garden that separated the gate from the house. As she approached the main entrance, the door swung open, revealing the familiar face of one of the women who worked at Mina's parents' house.

"Oh, Miss Micha, it's been such a long time! How are you, dear?" the woman greeted her with warmth, a kind smile lighting up her face.

Micha offered a polite nod, her voice steady but soft. "I'm good, thank you."

"Please, come in!" the woman said, stepping aside and waving her inside. "I'll bring you some juice and that cake you always loved."

Micha shook her head, trying to refuse. "Oh, no, it's okay. You don’t have to go through any trouble."

"Nonsense!" the woman insisted, already heading toward the kitchen. "Just sit down. I'll be right back."

With a sigh, Micha sat down in the large, impeccably decorated living room. Everything felt so familiar, yet so different. As she waited, she took in the grand furniture and polished floors, the distant echo of the woman busy in the kitchen.

Just then, the sound of footsteps descending the staircase made her look up. Another figure appeared—elegant, tall, and sharp. The woman who came down carried an air of authority, her straight posture and perfectly styled hair adding to her stern, composed demeanor. Her features were finely sculpted, but her eyes held a coldness that made Micha sit a little straighter in her seat.

It was Mina's mother, minseo

"Hello, dear," Mina's mom greeted, her voice smooth but lacking warmth. "It's been a long time since I've seen you."

Micha quickly stood up, offering a small bow out of respect. "Oh, hello, ma'am. I'm fine, thank you. I just... well, I moved schools, so I haven't—"

Before she could finish, Minseo waved her hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, the training thing." Her voice dripped with thinly veiled disinterest. "I heard you made your debut. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Micha replied, a bit taken aback by the woman’s curt tone. Her fingers fidgeted slightly as she stood there, feeling the cold eyes of Mina’s mother sizing her up.

"So, what brings you here?" Mina’s mom asked, her gaze narrowing ever so slightly. "You're here to see Mina, I presume?"

Micha hesitated, her heart sinking slightly. She had hoped Mina would be home. "Yes, I was hoping to see her... but I may have forgotten her school schedule."

"Well, you’re out of luck, dear. Mina is still at school," Mina’s mom said, her voice sharp. But something in her tone made Micha freeze. It was almost too dismissive, too quick. Micha’s mind raced—if Mina wasn’t at school today, then that meant she must have skipped. But if she mentioned it now, Mina would definitely get into trouble.

"Oh, right," Micha responded quickly, trying to maintain her composure. "I must have gotten her schedule mixed up. My mistake."

Mina's mom raised an eyebrow, as if studying her for any hint of a lie, but eventually she let it slide. "Well, it’s understandable, with how busy you must be now."

Micha forced a polite smile. "Yes, it's been hectic." She paused, then added, "Actually, I just remembered I have another appointment soon, so I should get going."

The woman studied Micha for a moment longer, her gaze like a hawk eyeing its prey. "Of course, dear. Don't let me keep you."

Micha bowed her head politely once more before hastily making her way toward the door, relieved to have avoided any more awkward conversation. As she stepped out of the house, the weight on her shoulders lightened, but only slightly. She still hadn’t seen Mina, and something inside her refused to give up just yet.

Determined, Micha pulled out her phone and checked the time. She still had some time left before she needed to be in the dorm, so she decided to wait. There was a small café in the compound, one she and Mina used to visit when they were younger. It seemed like the perfect spot to wait.

As she settled into one of the outdoor seats, she pulled out her phone again, still no messages from Mina. Micha sighed, ordering a drink, and leaned back in her chair. Today wasn’t over yet. She would wait as long as it took.

The sky had slowly begun to darken, casting a soft, grayish hue over the neighborhood. Micha sat in the café, her eyes anxiously scanning the street, hoping for a glimpse of Mina. Just as the weight of the day started pressing harder on her chest, she saw a familiar figure walking towards Mina’s house.

It was Mina.

Micha immediately stood up from her seat, calling out, "Mina!"

Mina stopped in her tracks, her expression frozen in shock for a brief moment. But as quickly as it appeared, her face shifted, taking on an air of indifference. The sudden change made Micha second-guess what she had just seen. Did Mina really look surprised, or was she imagining it?

Micha approached cautiously, forcing a smile despite the strange tension in the air. "Hey, Mina. How are you?"

Mina didn’t respond. Her eyes were distant, almost as if she wanted to be anywhere but there.

Micha tried again, her voice softer this time. "I was at your school today, but I didn’t see you. So I went to your house—"

The moment she mentioned her visit to the house, Mina’s eyes widened in panic, her face paling slightly. Before Micha could explain further, Mina interrupted, her voice hurried and defensive. "You didn’t say anything to my mom, did you?"

Micha quickly shook her head. "No, no. Don’t worry. I didn’t mention anything about you skipping school."

Mina seemed to relax for a split second, but then her walls came right back up. Her gaze hardened, and her voice turned cold. "Is that it, then?" she asked bluntly. "I’m fine. Goodbye."

Micha blinked, taken aback by the harshness in Mina’s tone. The indifference on her face, the quick dismissal—it was like Micha had become a stranger to her. For a second, Micha stood frozen, not knowing how to respond.

But deep down, she wasn’t ready to give up on Mina. She stepped closer, her voice filled with concern. "Mina, what’s going on? Why are you acting like this?"

Mina replied, “What do you mean? I’m fine.”

Micha took a breath, trying to keep her voice steady. “Then let’s just sit down here or at the park, wherever you like, and speak like old times.”

Mina seemed reluctant, but eventually, they made their way to the park and sat down on a bench. Silence enveloped them for a while, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air.

Finally, Mina broke the silence. “Then hurry, why are you looking for me in the first place?”

Micha hesitated for a moment before answering. “I don’t know if you knew, but I made my debut, and tomorrow is our first promotion. I went to school to invite some of our friends, and when I didn’t see you—”

Mina interrupted her with an empty laugh. “Let me guess, you followed me here to invite me to rub your success in my face.”

With that, she stood up, turning her back on Micha, ready to go home.

Micha felt a surge of desperation as Mina started to walk away. “Wait!” she called out, her voice cracking slightly.

Mina looked at Micha, her eyes narrowing in frustration. “What, you want me to cheer for you while you succeed? And then what?”

Micha felt her heart sink. “It’s not like this, Mina! We always were together. What happened to us?, why did you change so suddenly ?”

Mina scoffed, shaking her head. “I changed, you say? No, you did! Suddenly, it’s all about training this and training that. ‘I have met this and that, and Unnie taught me this and that.’ It was all about you!”

Micha’s brows furrowed in disbelief. “That isn’t true! I thought you would be happy for me, but you just shut me off!”

“I’m happy, Micha! Look!” Mina threw her hands up in mock applause. “Congratulations! But it’s all been about you. All my life, I’ve been living in your shadows. ‘Micha is a great daughter. Look at her, how beautiful, how smart she is!’ Look, she even knew her path from a young age!”

Mina’s voice cracked as she continued, “Even my parents, they only ever compared me to you! When I heard about you becoming a trainee, I thought maybe I could do it too, but they laughed at me! They laughed at me!”

Micha’s heart ached as she listened to her friend’s pain. “I thought we were sisters,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Mina’s expression hardened. “No, Micha, we aren’t. I’m sick and tired of living in your shadows. Congratulations, you succeeded. Now leave people like me alone.”

The weight of Mina’s words hit Micha like a punch to the gut. “That’s it then?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Yeah, Micha,” Mina replied coldly. “People change. I think you need to know this now that you’re in this industry. They do.”

Micha felt the sting of tears welling up in her eyes, the realization that the bond they once shared was fraying at the edges. “I never meant to overshadow you, Mina. I just wanted us to grow together, like we always talked about.”

“Grow together?” Mina scoffed, her voice laced with bitterness. “You’re a star now. I’m just… me. You can’t even see how much it hurts!”

Micha’s heart shattered at the pain in Mina’s voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how you felt. I thought you’d be proud, but I see now…” Her voice trembled as she struggled to find the right words. “I never wanted you to feel less than. You mean everything to me.”

Mina’s eyes softened for a moment, but the walls she’d built were still high. “You say that now, but what about when you’re in front of cameras, performing for thousands? Will you still think of me then?”

“Of course! I want you there, cheering for me,” Micha pleaded, reaching out for Mina’s hand, but Mina pulled back, a pained expression crossing her face.

“I don’t think I can be that person for you anymore,” Mina said, her voice breaking. “Every time I see you shine, it reminds me of everything I’m not.”

The silence that followed felt like a chasm between them, filled with unspoken fears and regrets. Micha felt her heart break a little more. “I don’t want to lose you, Mina. Not like this.”

Mina looked away, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill over. “Then maybe you need to realize that life isn’t a fairy tale. Not everyone gets a happy ending.”

“But we can’t give up on each other,” Micha insisted, her voice rising with emotion. “We’re still friends. We can work through this.”

Mina shook her head, her resolve faltering. “I don’t know if I can, Micha. I need time to figure out who I am without you.”

Micha’s heart ached, feeling the distance between them grow. “I’ll be here when you’re ready, Mina. I’ll always be here.”

With that, Mina turned away, her shoulders shaking as she fought back tears. “Maybe that’s the problem,” she said quietly, before walking away, leaving Micha standing alone, the weight of their fractured friendship heavy in the air.

Micha watched her go, feeling as though she was losing a part of herself. She wanted to run after Mina, to pull her back, but she knew that the only thing she could do now was wait, hoping that one day, they could find their way back to each other.

But why does it feels like a faraway hope?

On her way back to the dorm, silence enveloped Micha like a heavy blanket. The quiet was almost suffocating, and she was thankful that Hanbin didn’t say anything. She knew that if he opened his mouth, she would break down crying, and she didn’t want to burden him with her pain.

When she finally arrived at the dorm, she greeted the girls silently, her heart weighed down by the unresolved emotions swirling inside her. She walked straight to her room, shutting the door behind her with a soft click that felt like a finality.

Inside, she sank onto her bed, staring aimlessly at the wall as memories of her confrontation with Mina played on repeat in her mind. Was she truly blind to Mina’s suffering? How could she have let their friendship deteriorate so much without even noticing? Questions flooded her thoughts, each one sharp and piercing, making her feel more alone than ever.

The soft creak of the door broke her reverie, and Hyein stepped inside. She immediately sensed the heavy atmosphere in the room and the tears glistening in Micha's eyes. Hyein walked over and sat beside her, wrapping her arms around Micha in a comforting embrace.

Micha melted into the hug, feeling the warmth of Hyein’s presence seep into her heart. And that was when the dam broke. She started crying, her sobs muffled against Hyein’s shoulder.

“It’s over,” she mumbled between breaths, the words barely escaping her lips as the weight of her feelings crashed down on her.

“Sometimes life takes us down different paths,” Hyein said gently. “if that person is really determined to not mend the relationship we can't force them Micha, but we just hope that they can reach for us in the future. But till then we can't do anything.”

The next day, Hanbin took the girls to Music Bank Station, the buzzing hub where idols gathered to showcase their talents. The atmosphere inside the dressing room was chaotic yet exhilarating; clothes were strewn everywhere, a riot of colors and fabrics that reflected the excitement in the air. The girls were gathered in a corner, singing their lines and practicing their moves, laughter mixing with their harmonies as they perfected their choreography. Each of them was lost in their own world, yet the collective energy was palpable, a blend of nerves and anticipation.

As they practiced, Micha could see Minji and Haerin leading the way, their confidence infectious. Hanni and Danielle were in the middle, playfully teasing each other as they mimicked exaggerated dance moves. Hyein was perfecting her vocals, her focus evident, while Micha kept her eyes on the mirror, trying to calm the butterflies swirling in her stomach.

“Alright, girls,” Hanbin's voice cut through the chatter, his tone firm yet encouraging. “It’s your turn.”

The girls looked at each other, a mix of excitement and anxiety washing over them. They quickly huddled together, their arms wrapping around each other in a tight embrace, sharing silent encouragement and support. It was a moment of unity, a reminder that they were in this together. Micha could feel the warmth of their connection, and it soothed her nerves slightly as they pulled apart, ready to face the stage.

As they stepped onto the stage, the bright lights and roaring crowd engulfed them. The adrenaline surged through Micha, and for a moment, everything else faded away. They performed their hearts out, each move choreographed to perfection, every note sung with passion. The energy of the audience fueled their performance, and Micha felt invincible.

At the end of the day, all the artists were called to the stage to see who wins today, and she couldn’t believe her ears when their group name was called alongside BtoB's Im Hyunsik. The tension in the air was thick as they all held their breath, eyes glued to the screen displaying the numbers of votes and views.

Newjeans, it's us!

Then, the moment came. The screen flashed their name as the winners, and the room erupted in cheers. Confetti rained down like colorful snowflakes, filling the air with a sense of triumph. The girls stood frozen in shock, tears spilling from Danielle and Hanni as they hugged each other tightly, overwhelmed by the gravity of the moment. Haerin’s eyes widened in disbelief, while Hyein and Micha exchanged looks of astonishment, still processing the incredible news.

Minji, grasping the microphone, was clearly flustered, her voice shaking as she tried to find the right words. Micha could barely hear her through the ringing in her ears, but she could tell Minji was stuttering, caught off guard by the unexpected victory. The reality of winning hadn’t crossed Micha’s mind; she had been so focused on the experience of being nominated. Winning felt surreal.

As the cheers of their fellow artists surrounded them, she didn't even realized that they finished the encore stage for her everything became a blurry haze at that moment.

I never did drugs in my life, but I'm pretty sure this is what people describe as being high from happiness. Kids don't do drugs. But I won't mind it if it feels like this and under these circumstances.

Micha felt a gentle tug at her sleeve. She was being pulled away from the stage, the confetti still floating around them like colorful dreams. She turned to see Hyein, who was grinning from ear to ear, but there was an urgency in her eyes.

“Micha! Come on, let’s go celebrate!” Hyein exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over.

“I can’t believe we won!” Micha said, still in disbelief, as she was guided off stage behind the scenes.

The euphoria from the stage lingered, but Micha was also aware of the tears still drying on her cheeks. They had accomplished something incredible together, and even though the reality was sinking in, her heart ached for Mina.

As they were whisked into the dressing room, the girls erupted into laughter and hugs, but Micha found herself momentarily lost in thought. The victory felt bittersweet, and as much as she wanted to celebrate, she couldn’t shake the feeling that a part of her was still missing.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Hyein noticed Micha’s quiet demeanor, pulling her back to the present.

“I just… I don’t know. I wish Mina was here to see this,” Micha confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hyein’s smile faltered slightly. " I think everything happens for a reason"

That's right, fate has its mysterious ways of playing games with us humans, sometimes it can bring us the ultimate happiness or make us taste the bitterness of life. But we only have to stick around and see what these games bring us. And for Micha these were her first taste of both.

[man-down-in-hatchet-town]

On TCB Fans Being Annoying About Tinlightenment

So I got this response to this survey yesterday, and I spent pretty much all day thinking about it on-and-off (tragically, I do not have a very intellectually stimulating job). Reading it upset me a little more than it should have (the correct amount would have been zero), still upsets me a bit if we’re being honest, and I was kinda’ surprised by my own reaction. But the fact is, this person took time out of their day to fill out this little survey, and on the whole their responses were actually really informative and helpful. So, thank you, anonymous responder! Just because I didn’t like everything I read doesn’t mean I can’t be grateful to have read it.

So I’m gonna let you, and everyone else, in on a couple of little secrets (full response below the cut):

I kinda’ suspected at least one response like this one. Which is part of why my reaction surprised me so much.

The reason I suspected I’d hear this is that I… kinda’ agree? About the annoying part, anyways. I promise you, nobody is more annoyed about all the Tinlightenment promo posting I’ve done than I am. No one enjoys asking the internet for money. We’re not waking up going “oh boy, another day! I am so excited to find yet another new way to throw the same information into the void for the forty eighth time in a row!” Actually, it’s not exactly a void. It’s more like… constantly throwing crumbs into the ocean, hoping to save a fish but never knowing if anything actually gets eaten. And feeling annoyed/annoying the entire damn time.

But here we are, doing it anyway. And I would like my anonymous responder and anyone else who feels the same way to understand why.

Essentially, there’s no other choice that leads to Tinlightenment being funded. The internet is changing. It’s never been easier for small, independent creators, especially those just starting out, to make something and put it up online. But it’s also never been harder to get people to actually see what you’re making if, like TCB, you’re dealing with longer-form work that cannot simply be reduced to a TikTok-sized bite. Attention spans are gone, interest is spread incredibly thin, and everything is awash in content. Kickstarter algorithms have changed and grown in a way that benefits the website itself but hinders smaller indie creators, making it much harder to get people to look at your kickstarter than it used to be. (This is BAD, by the way.) If a kickstarter doesn’t have a grand enough start, and this one really didn’t, the algorithm will proceed to bury it even further. So it becomes vital to share it around. But why share it again, and again, and again—especially in the same community or to the same follower pool? Because, like I said, this place is an ocean. I don’t know about you guys, but I see an average of less than a tenth of the posts made by people I follow. I didn’t even know how much I was missing until I started actually having friends on here and realized I wasn’t seeing a lot of their stuff. So you gotta keep throwing out the line so that it will finally reach this different follower who might reblog it to be seen by this different follower, and so-on until it breaks containment and reaches some completely new eyes, like a former Spies Are Forever fan who may find their interest re-ignited. (And these posts have generated interest! I've seen it.) It’s a quest to spread the word as far as possible, when the internet is functioning in a way that wants to keep said word contained and concentrated. So it’s a bit of a Catch-22. We shut up about Tinlightenment in order to appease people who agree with my anonymous responder, and then all the buzz dies and the word stops and the kickstarter dies buried in the algorithm.

So, yeah, the old technique—TCB sets up the kickstarter and does their livestreams, the rest of us reblog it and maybe post the occasional promo but nothing too special—isn’t working. Sure, 50k in the first week sounds REALLY good on paper, but the first week is usually when the largest amount of fundraising happens, and if that pattern holds true Tinlightenment will not reach its goal by a long-shot. The backer numbers also weren’t/aren’t adding up to past campaigns. Joey isn’t live-streaming backer thank yous for his health. Corey isn’t raffling off Wigglys for the hell of it, or even as part of the original plan. The campaign is in trouble. Like TCB, we’ve found ourselves in the position of needing to switch up our technique without knowing how. So we try new thing after new thing in search of the best way to evolve. Unfortunately, it does lead to some people repeatedly encountering the same core message over and over again, but there you have it.

(We’re also fighting against history. Every big project officially announced by Starkid, Tin Can Bros, or Shipwrecked has ended up being realized. For a while, it really did feel like people just… passively assumed this one would happen as well. But Tinlightenment is different. They’re trying to raise a Starkid level of money despite not being Starkid, and have been pretty upfront that they can’t do this season at all without this influx of funding. And Kickstarter is all-or-nothing, remember. Tinlightenment stands a really good chance of being the first announced StarCanWrecked project to not get made, and that wasn’t really clicking with a lot of people. So we had to draw a thick line under that particular detail.)

And so there it is. A pretty basic overview of the technical “why” behind some of us being so pushy and annoying. It’s kinda’ unavoidable if we wish to fund Tinlightenment and avoid putting TCB into a financial hole that could temper any future projects for years to come. If you truly do find it so annoying, I would recommend blocking the “tinlightenment” tag for the rest of February. We do try to tag our shit (I did go back while writing this and see that I’d accidentally forgotten to tag the survey post. My apologies and the mistake has been corrected). Curate your experience!

Lastly, to be clear, I do not believe at all that this anonymous person is refusing to pledge because I annoyed them on Tumblr. They were not going to back anyway. They listed multiple other reasons in the “why aren’t you backing?” answer block and saved this particular comment for the “anything else you wanna say” space, so I think they were just a little annoyed and frustrated by an internet experience (join the club), were finally given a chance to express that feeling, and took to it with gusto. But if anyone out there truly is refusing to back solely because of annoying fan recruitment efforts…. Well, I’d ask if screwing over some fiercely indie creatives whose work you’ve enjoyed (through TCB, Starkid, or Shipwrecked), as well as over 900 other people, and also depriving yourself of a season of projects in the process (everything will be available for digital tickets!) is really worth getting one over on a handful of fans being temporarily annoying and passionate on the fans-being-annoying-and-passionate website. Especially when, by and large, they won’t ever even know. Like, do we really wanna prioritize being that petty?

[nutraexperts]

PROEXTENDER: UNLOCK CONFIDENCE WITH EVERY INCH! 💪

Wondering about hair loss and how it affects your confidence?

You’re not alone.

Many are searching for effective solutions, and that’s where ProExtender comes in.

I've dived into the latest proextender reviews to uncover the truth behind this device.

Curious about how to use proextender device properly or worried if it’s a proextender scam?

Stick around as we break down everything from the proextender parts you need to know to its impressive features in the proextender 3rd generation, plus tips on where to find a reliable proextender for sale.

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Proextender Reviews

I get it. Hair loss can feel like a punch to the gut.

You might be wondering if there's anything out there that actually works.

Let’s talk about ProExtender and see what the buzz is all about.

What Is ProExtender?

ProExtender is a device designed for those looking to enhance their size.

It's not just a gimmick; it's based on traction principles that have been around for ages.

People are curious, and rightly so.

Does it really work?

Does ProExtender Really Work?

The million-dollar question, right?

From my research and what I’ve seen from users, many report positive results over time.

It’s not an overnight miracle, but with consistent use, some guys claim to see real changes.

Take Mark, 32:

“I was sceptical at first. But after three months of using the ProExtender, I noticed a difference! It’s worth trying.”

That’s the kind of feedback that gets you thinking.

ProExtender System Reviews

When diving into ProExtender system reviews, you'll find mixed opinions.

Some people rave about their experiences while others don’t see much change.

But here's the thing: results vary based on commitment.

If you’re willing to put in the effort, chances are you'll reap rewards.

Check out this testimonial from James, 28:

“The ProExtender device changed my confidence levels completely. I followed the guidelines and saw improvements in size!”

ProExtender Before and After Pics

Seeing is believing, right?

Many users share their ProExtender before and after pics online.

These images tell stories of transformation that words sometimes can’t capture.

They showcase genuine results from real people who decided to take action.

It’s inspiring when you see someone else’s journey!

ProExtender Review Size

Now let’s chat about sizing—an essential factor for many users.

In terms of comfort and fit, most find the ProExtender review size options accommodating.

The adjustable settings allow you to tailor it according to your needs without feeling uncomfortable.

A good fit means better consistency in usage—and that's key!

ProExtender Review Yahoo Answers Insights

What do folks say on forums like Yahoo Answers?

Plenty of discussions happen there regarding effectiveness and user experiences with ProExtender.

Some highlight how they achieved noticeable gains while others discuss initial hesitations before committing fully.

Remember though—everyone's journey is unique!

Final Thoughts on ProExtender

At the end of the day, if you're serious about making changes and boosting your confidence, give this product a shot.

You’ve got nothing to lose but maybe some doubts—and potentially a lot more than that!

With consistent use and dedication, many have found success with this system.

So why not join them?

👉 BUY PROEXTENDER TO TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE

How To Use Proextender Device

Let’s get real for a moment.

You’re here because you want to know how to use the ProExtender device effectively.

Maybe you've heard some buzz about it, or perhaps you're just tired of feeling less confident in your own skin.

I’ve been there, and I totally get it.

So let’s break down how to use this system step by step.

Getting Started With The Proextender System

First things first, pull out that ProExtender manual.

This little booklet is your best friend when starting out.

Don’t worry; it’s straightforward and easy to follow.

Here’s what you need to do:

Assemble the Device:

Take all parts out of the box.

Follow the diagrams in the manual.

It should be pretty intuitive—if I can do it, so can you!

Adjust for Comfort:

Once assembled, put it on.

You want a snug fit but not too tight.

Think of it like wearing a supportive pair of shoes.

Find Your Routine:

Aim for at least 3-6 hours daily.

Start slow if you’re new.

Gradually increase wear time as you get used to it.

How To Use Proextender System Like A Pro

Now that you’ve got the basics down, let’s talk about how to really make this work for you.

Here are some key tips:

Stay Consistent:

This isn’t a one-and-done deal.

Consistency is crucial for seeing results.

Use It While You Go About Your Day:

You don’t have to be stuck at home.

Wear it while watching TV or working from home—just keep moving!

Monitor Your Progress:

Keep track of how long you wear it each day.

Take measurements every few weeks.

Celebrate those small wins—they add up!

Referencing The Proextender Manual PDF

If you prefer digital formats, don't forget about the ProExtender manual PDF available online.

Having access on your phone or tablet makes things easier when you're on the go.

Just remember:

Check back with the manual whenever you're unsure about adjustments or settings.

It has troubleshooting tips that can save your day if something feels off.

Following The Proextender System Instructions

Finally, let’s touch on some essential instructions straight from the ProExtender system instructions:

Clean Regularly:

Hygiene matters! Clean your device regularly with mild soap and water after each session.

Take Breaks:

If discomfort arises, take a break! Listen to your body—it knows best.

Hydrate and Stretch:

Drink plenty of water and stretch before using the device. This keeps everything loose and comfortable during use.

Real User Experiences

Hearing from others who’ve used this device can be inspiring too. Here’s what one user shared:

“I started using ProExtender three months ago at age 28. At first, I was skeptical but decided to give it a shot after doing my research.” – Jake, Age 28 “Now I’m seeing results I didn’t think were possible! Just stick with it!”

Another user chimed in:

“Wearing this while working from home made things easier for me! I’m more confident now than ever.” – Sarah, Age 32

These stories remind us that we’re not alone in our journeys towards self-improvement.

The bottom line?

Using the ProExtender device doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or complicated.

Stick with these steps and listen to your body along the way—you’ll be amazed at what happens next!

So why wait? Dive into this journey today and start experiencing life differently!

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Proextender For Sale

Thinking about getting the ProExtender?

Let’s break down where you can grab it and what you’ll pay.

The Price of ProExtender

When it comes to the ProExtender price, you'll find it's pretty reasonable for what you're getting.

The original kit usually runs around £200.

That might sound like a lot, but think of it this way:

You’re investing in something that could potentially change your life.

I mean, how much have you spent on things that didn’t deliver?

With ProExtender, you get a solid product backed by science and user testimonials.

Where to Buy ProExtender

Now, if you're ready to proextender buy, the best place is straight from their official website.

This ensures you’re getting the real deal—the ProExtender original.

You don’t want to risk picking up a knock-off version, right?

Plus, buying directly often gives you access to exclusive offers or bundles.

Finding ProExtender Coupon Codes

Who doesn’t love saving some cash?

Keep an eye out for any proextender coupon code floating around online.

Sometimes they offer discounts that can shave off a good chunk of your total cost.

A little search can go a long way here!

What’s Included in the ProExtender Kit?

When you order the ProExtender kit, here’s what you can expect:

The main device

Adjustable rods

Comfort pads

Instruction manual

Everything's designed with ease of use in mind.

No complicated setups or confusing instructions—just straightforward assembly.

And trust me, once you've got it set up, you'll feel confident using it daily.

Why Choose ProExtender Deluxe?

If you're looking for something extra special, consider the ProExtender deluxe option.

It typically includes additional accessories like enhanced comfort parts or extended rods for more flexibility in sizing.

Sure, it costs a bit more, but if you're serious about results, why not go all-in?

Real User Experiences

Let’s talk about some folks who took the plunge:

“I was skeptical at first but decided to give it a shot after reading reviews.

After three months with my ProExtender, I saw noticeable changes!

It was worth every penny.”

— Mark, 34

Or this one:

“Honestly didn’t expect much at first.

But now I wish I’d bought my ProExtender kit sooner!

It changed how I feel about myself.”

— Jake, 29

These testimonials highlight just how effective this product can be when used consistently.

People are seeing results and feeling more confident—what could be better than that?

Final Thoughts on Buying ProExtender

So there we have it: clear pricing info and where to snag your own ProExtender for sale.

Remember:

Investing in yourself is always worth it.

Don’t let hesitation hold you back from something that could really make a difference in your life.

👉 BUY PROEXTENDER TODAY FOR LASTING CHANGE

Proextender Parts

Let’s talk about what makes the ProExtender system tick.

You might be wondering, “What exactly are the proextender parts I need to know about?”

Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered.

Understanding Proextender Accessories

The beauty of the ProExtender lies in its simplicity and effectiveness.

But it also comes with some nifty proextender accessories that can enhance your experience.

Here’s a quick rundown:

Comfort Straps: These are designed to provide extra comfort during use.

Silicone Sleeves: They help reduce friction and make wearing the device more pleasant.

Extension Bars: For those looking for a bit more length, these bars are essential.

I remember when my buddy Tom first tried it out. He was skeptical at first, but once he got his hands on those comfort straps, he felt like a new man.

He said, "It’s like wearing nothing at all!"

The Importance of Proextender Replacement Parts

Over time, wear and tear is inevitable.

That’s where proextender replacement parts come into play.

Keeping your device in top shape is crucial for optimal results. Here’s what you might need:

Replacement Straps: If your current ones start to fray or lose elasticity, don’t hesitate to swap them out.

Adjustment Screws: These tiny components can wear down too. Keeping extras on hand ensures your device remains functional.

Base Support Pieces: If you notice any wobbling or instability, check these pieces first. A solid base means better performance.

A friend of mine had an issue with his adjustment screws after months of use. Instead of panicking, he ordered replacements and was back in business in no time!

Exploring Proextender Rings

Let’s not forget about the unsung heroes: the proextender rings.

These little guys play a big role in how well the system works for you.

Here’s why they matter:

They help maintain tension during use.

Different sizes allow for customization based on personal needs.

I once spoke to Sarah, who shared her experience with these rings:

"I switched to larger rings after a few weeks, and wow! The difference was incredible."

Her enthusiasm was contagious; she couldn’t stop talking about how they made her feel more confident.

Why Choose ProExtender Parts?

So why should you invest in these parts?

Because they’re designed specifically for enhancing your journey with the ProExtender system.

You’re not just buying accessories; you’re investing in your confidence and well-being.

Imagine having everything you need right at your fingertips—no searching around or settling for less quality products from other brands.

With genuine ProExtender parts, you're ensuring that you're using high-quality materials tailored for this specific device.

Plus, maintaining your equipment means longer-lasting results and less hassle down the line.

Final Thoughts on Proextender Parts

Getting started with the ProExtender system is just one step toward achieving what you want.

Understanding its parts is crucial for maximising benefits and getting great results over time.

Whether it's upgrading to new accessories or replacing worn-out components, staying proactive will pay off big time!

If you're serious about making changes, don't wait around—get equipped with all necessary components today!

👉 BUY PROEXTENDER AND UNLOCK YOUR POTENTIAL

Proextender 3rd Generation

When it comes to enhancing personal health, the ProExtender 3rd generation stands out.

I get it. You’re looking for something that really works without all the gimmicks.

Let’s break down what makes this version different.

What Sets Proextender 3 Apart?

The ProExtender 3 isn’t just a rehash of previous models.

This one’s got some serious upgrades.

Improved Comfort: The design has been refined for better fit and comfort.

Enhanced Durability: Built with stronger materials, you can expect this device to last longer.

Greater Adjustability: Fine-tuning your experience is easier than ever.

If you’ve tried other options before and found them lacking, this might be your answer.

Watching the Proextender System Video

Ever thought about how a product works before diving in?

The ProExtender system video gives you an inside look at how this device operates.

It walks you through:

Setup

Usage tips

Maintenance advice

Seeing it in action can ease any concerns about using it yourself.

Plus, who doesn’t love a good visual guide?

Where to Find More Information: Proextender Net

Curious about more details? Check out Proextender net.

It’s packed with information on:

User testimonials

Detailed specifications

FAQs that address common worries

Having access to all this info helps you feel confident about your choice.

Visit the Proextender Official Website

Want the latest updates or promotions? Head over to the Proextender official website.

They often share:

Special offers

Product enhancements

Customer stories that inspire trust

Staying connected means never missing out on what could be beneficial for you.

Availability in Proextender USA

For those in the States, knowing where to buy is crucial.

You’ll find that the Proextender USA option ensures quick shipping and reliable service.

No waiting around forever just to start your journey toward improvement.

Real Stories from Real Users

Let’s talk real-life experiences.

Here’s what some users have said:

“I was skeptical at first, but after using the ProExtender for three months, I noticed real changes.” — James, 28

“Comfortable and effective! The third generation was definitely worth it.” — Mark, 35

These aren’t just random quotes; they reflect genuine satisfaction from actual users like us.

Why Choose ProExtender 3rd Generation?

So why should you go for this model?

Because it's designed with user experience front and centre.

With its focus on comfort and results, you're not just buying a product; you're investing in yourself.

Whether you're looking to enhance confidence or improve personal health goals, this device delivers without fuss.

In a market flooded with options, make sure you choose wisely—choose what works best for you by going with the proven track record of the ProExtender 3rd generation.

So if you're ready to take that next step toward improvement, check out their official site or watch that system video today!

👉 BUY PROEXTENDER NOW FOR EXCLUSIVE BONUSES

Proextender Scam

When it comes to products like ProExtender, I get it. You have questions.

Is this a real solution or just another gimmick?

Let’s break down the noise and focus on what matters.

What Are People Saying About ProExtender?

I’ve seen plenty of reviews floating around.

Some folks rave about their results while others raise eyebrows, questioning its effectiveness.

Here’s the thing: ProExtender isn’t magic.

It’s a system that requires commitment and proper use to see results.

But does that mean it's a scam? Not necessarily.

Understanding ProExtender Side Effects

Like any product, there are potential side effects to keep in mind.

Discomfort during initial use.

Skin irritation from prolonged wear.

Temporary changes in sensitivity.

These aren't unique to ProExtender; many devices come with similar warnings.

The key is knowing your body and listening to it.

If something feels off, don’t ignore it. Adjust usage as needed or consult with a professional.

The Importance of Authentic Reviews

I always say, look for genuine testimonials.

Here's one that stood out:

“I was skeptical at first but decided to give ProExtender a shot after reading some real success stories.” — Mark, 34

Mark's experience wasn’t without bumps, but he saw progress over time.

He put in the effort and didn’t expect overnight miracles.

That’s the mindset you need if you're considering this device.

Spotting Red Flags

So how do you know if you're looking at a ProExtender scam? Here are some signs:

Too Good To Be True Claims: If someone promises miraculous results overnight, run for the hills.

Lack of Transparency: A reputable seller will provide clear information about the product, including possible side effects.

Fake Reviews: Watch out for overly generic testimonials that lack detail or specifics about personal experiences.

Always do your homework before making a purchase decision!

Why Choose ProExtender?

What sets ProExtender apart from other options? It’s all about quality and user satisfaction.

This isn’t just another gadget gathering dust on your shelf; it’s designed for those who want real change without invasive procedures.

Think about it: you’re investing in something that could enhance your confidence and well-being—worth considering! Just remember to manage expectations along the way.

Wrapping It Up

In the end, whether you consider this device or not comes down to personal choice and research.

Stay informed about potential side effects, read authentic reviews, and be cautious of red flags that scream "scam."

If you decide on ProExtender, approach it with an open mind but realistic expectations.

With dedication and patience, you might find yourself pleasantly surprised by what this system can offer!

👉 BUY PROEXTENDER TO JOIN THOUSANDS OF SATISFIED USERS

FAQ

What are the ProExtender reviews like?

ProExtender has garnered a mix of feedback. Many users report positive experiences, noting improvements in size and confidence. Some share before and after pics that show noticeable changes. Others have concerns about comfort or results taking time. Always look for genuine reviews to get a balanced view.

How do I use the ProExtender device?

Using the ProExtender is straightforward. Start by adjusting it to your size. Wear it for a few hours daily, gradually increasing the time as you get used to it. It’s crucial to follow the instructions closely for best results. If you're unsure, check out the manual or online guides.

Where can I buy the ProExtender?

You can find ProExtender for sale on various websites, including its official site. Sometimes retailers offer discounts or coupon codes, so keep an eye out for those deals! Make sure you’re buying from reputable sources to avoid scams.

What parts come with the ProExtender system?

The ProExtender kit typically includes the main device along with accessories like extension rods and comfort rings. If you need replacement parts later on, they’re available separately online as well.

Is there a 3rd generation of ProExtender?

Yes! The 3rd generation of ProExtender offers improved features over previous models. Users often mention better comfort and effectiveness in their reviews compared to earlier versions.

Are there any side effects associated with using ProExtender?

While many users report no side effects, some might experience discomfort if not used correctly or if worn for too long at first. Always listen to your body and adjust usage accordingly. If you have concerns, consult a healthcare professional before use.

Can I find a manual or instructions for using ProExtender?

Absolutely! The ProExtender manual is usually included in your purchase package. You can also find PDF versions online if you misplace yours or prefer digital access.

How much does the ProExtender cost?

The price of the ProExtender varies depending on where you buy it from and any ongoing promotions. Generally, it’s priced competitively within its market segment, so shop around for the best deal!

Are there any accessories available for my ProExtender device?

Yes! There are several accessories available such as extra extension rods and comfort rings that enhance your experience with the device. Check online stores or their official website for options.

Is there a risk of falling victim to a scam when purchasing ProExtender?

Like any product, there are risks involved if you're not careful about where you buy from. Stick to known retailers or the official website to reduce this risk significantly and ensure you're getting an authentic product.

👉 BUY PROEXTENDER AND BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE

[drvitaltips]

How Long Does Coffee Take to Kick In?

Ever gulped down a cup of coffee, waiting for that energy surge to hit? You're not alone! Many of us rely on coffee's caffeine boost to power through the day. But how long does it really take to feel that coffee kick in? Let's dive in and find out! Caffeine's Journey Through Your Body - Step 1: The Sip: Once you drink coffee, caffeine starts being absorbed into your bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine. - Step 2: The Bloodstream Express: Your blood carries caffeine throughout your body, including to your brain – that's where the fun starts! - Step 3: Brain Buzz: Caffeine blocks a chemical in your brain called adenosine, which makes you feel sleepy. Less sleepiness, more alertness! So, How Long Does the 'Kick' Take? It's not instant! Here's the general timeline: - 10 minutes: You might notice a slight lift in mood or focus. - 45 minutes: Caffeine levels peak in your blood. This is when most people feel the strongest effects. - 3-5 hours: This is caffeine's "half-life." After this point, half of the caffeine is still buzzing around your system. Important Note: This is just an average. How fast coffee kicks in for you depends on a bunch of things... Why Does Coffee Affect Everyone Differently? Think some people are just wired to handle caffeine better than others? You're right! Several things change how strong (and how fast) that coffee boost hits: - Body size: Smaller people tend to feel caffeine's effects more intensely. - Regular coffee drinker? If you drink coffee daily, your body builds up some tolerance, so the kick might be less noticeable. - Food in your stomach: Food slows down caffeine absorption, so an empty stomach means a faster kick. - The type of coffee: A shot of espresso packs a more concentrated caffeine punch than a regular cup. - Your unique genes! Everyone processes caffeine slightly differently – it's in your DNA! Maximizing Your Coffee Kick Want the biggest, longest-lasting caffeine boost? Try these tips: - Pair it with a light snack: This slows caffeine absorption slightly, giving you steady energy instead of a jolt and a crash. - Timing is key: Avoid coffee too late in the day, or it can mess with your sleep schedule. - Know your limits: Listen to your body. If you get jittery or anxious, scale back your caffeine intake. Myth Buster! - Myth: "Cold brew coffee has less caffeine than hot coffee." - Fact: The brewing method affects caffeine concentration, but not by as much as you think. An ounce of espresso actually has less caffeine than an ounce of some cold brews! Is Coffee Right for You? While coffee gives many of us a much-needed boost, it's not perfect for everyone. Here's what to keep in mind: Potential Drawbacks: - Anxiety & Jitters: For some people, caffeine worsens anxiety symptoms. - Sleep Trouble: Too much coffee, especially late in the day, can make it harder to fall asleep. - Dependence: If you always need coffee to feel awake, it could be a sign to cut back. FAQs - "Can I drink coffee if I'm pregnant?" It's best to talk to your doctor. Moderate caffeine intake is generally okay during pregnancy, but every body is different - "Does coffee dehydrate you?" While coffee does have a mild diuretic effect, it doesn't usually cause dehydration if you're drinking enough water throughout the day. - "Is coffee bad for my heart?" For most people, moderate coffee drinking isn't harmful to heart health. However, if you have existing heart issues, check in with your doctor. - "How long does coffee stay in your system?" Caffeine has a half-life of about 3-5 hours. This means it takes that long for your body to eliminate half of the caffeine you consumed. So, if you drink a cup of coffee with 100mg of caffeine, after 3-5 hours, you'll still have about 50mg lingering in your system. - "Can coffee stunt your growth?" There's no strong evidence that moderate coffee intake stunts growth in teens. However, excessive caffeine intake can have other negative effects, so it's important for teens to be mindful of their intake. - "Does coffee improve your mood?" Coffee can improve alertness and focus, which can indirectly improve mood. However, for people with anxiety disorders, caffeine can worsen mood swings. Listen to Your Body Caffeine affects people in different ways. Start with a small amount and see how you feel. It's all about finding that sweet spot where you get the energy boost without the downsides! Key Takeaways - Coffee's kick isn't instant: It takes time for caffeine to be absorbed and reach your brain. Be patient! - Everyone reacts differently: Your body size, usual caffeine intake, and even your genes play a role in how strongly and quickly coffee wakes you up. - Moderation is key: Enjoy coffee responsibly to get the benefits without the jitters and sleep disruptions. - It's not a magic bullet: While coffee provides a temporary energy boost, a healthy lifestyle with good sleep and nutrition is essential for lasting energy. Using Coffee Wisely Here are some tips to get the most out of your coffee habit: - Know your sweet spot: Experiment to find the amount of coffee that gives you the desired boost without feeling wired. - Cut-off time: For most people, it's wise to avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening to protect your sleep. - Don't drink on an empty stomach: Eat even a small snack with your coffee to help avoid jitters and crashes. - Stay hydrated: Sip water throughout the day, especially if you're enjoying a few cups of java. - Listen to your body: If coffee makes you feel anxious, restless, or disrupts your sleep, cut back or try decaf. Coffee: The Pros and Cons ProsConsMay increase alertness and focusCan cause anxiety or jitters in some peopleCan provide a temporary energy boostCan disrupt sleep if consumed too late in the dayMay temporarily improve moodMay lead to dependence over timeSome studies link coffee with potential health benefitsNot a substitute for a healthy lifestyle, including good sleep and nutrition Note: It's important to present both sides, emphasizing that coffee can be beneficial for some but isn't the perfect solution for everyone. Conclusion Coffee can be a wonderful pick-me-up when enjoyed in the right way. By understanding how caffeine works and listening to your body's signals, you can harness coffee's power for a more energized, focused day. Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions about your health. Read the full article

[brainstreamjournal]

ADHD Blog #1 Navigating the ADHD Rollercoaster: A Personal Journey

Hey there, fellow adventurers,

As I've mentioned before, my blog will cover a range of topics—a direct result of my ADHD. This condition makes it nearly impossible for me to stick to just one interest for an extended period. I'm working around my dopamine deficiency by writing about all the things I love rather than focusing on a single topic.

In 2024, ADHD is a well-known topic, thanks in part to platforms like TikTok. Its fast-paced nature reaches a vast audience quickly, contributing to a broader understanding of ADHD and ADD. Personally, I was diagnosed at the age of 22, a common age for women to receive this diagnosis, whereas it's less common for men who are typically diagnosed at a younger age.

For those who haven't delved into the TikTok rabbit hole or haven't stumbled upon any ADHD-related content, let me provide a brief introduction. Keep in mind that I'm not a doctor or psychiatrist; I've been diagnosed for two years and am still learning. I'll share what I know and learn along the way. If you're interested in topics like these, I highly recommend doing your own research, talking to people, watching videos, reading blogs, or consulting a professional (and that's not me 😊).

ADHD—imagine a quirky and unpredictable ride that shapes the way our minds operate. It's like a rollercoaster—fast-paced, full of twists and turns, always keeping you on your toes. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a medical condition.

Think of it as a bunch of buzzing bees in your brain, each with its own agenda. Sometimes they all buzz at once, and other times, it's a solo performance. Attention becomes a game of tag, and focus decides to take coffee breaks without warning.

ADHD isn't one-size-fits-all; it's more like a buffet of experiences. Some folks have a constant whirlwind of thoughts, while others feel like their brain is taking a leisurely stroll through a park. We're all on this ride together, but each of us has our own ticket to the show.

Now, let's talk about the cool part. ADHD isn't just about challenges; it's also a hotbed for creativity. It's like having a treasure chest of ideas that pop up when you least expect them. Our minds are wired to connect dots that others might miss, turning everyday life into an adventure.

Just like any rollercoaster, there are highs, lows, and unexpected loops in the world of ADHD. Frustration might join you on the steep climbs, but then there's the exhilaration of creativity on the downhill stretches. It's a ride with emotions as diverse as the twists and turns.

In a world that often prefers straight paths, ADHD is our rollercoaster ride. It's a celebration of the fact that we don't all have to take the same route. Our minds are like rollercoasters—wild, unpredictable, and uniquely ours. And that's something worth celebrating.

So, here's to riding the ADHD rollercoaster—the wild journey of twists, turns, and surprises. May we embrace the ride, enjoy the unexpected moments, and remember that our unique minds are what make us shine.

[iambilliejeanok]

Lord forgive my horny ass, but I have a mighty need 🙏

So Shino loves his bugs. Like, deadass, they are everywhere. And we saw just how out of control he became when drunk, army of bugs type stuff. And his sweet, oh so sweet S/o, decided they wanted for their first time..... to have Shino's bugs all over them while they do it- NOW HEAR ME OUT! His bugs are clean! Like who tf keeps dirty bugs on them, and they comunicate through VIBRATIONS! VIBRATIONS DAMNIT! So imagine miny vibrating bullets all over your body.

Andd for fucks sake, Shino did not know his S/o was THAT nasty?! Like??? Having some of his bugs in their mouth while they french kiss, making them even more overstimulated than before ( sorry for the image if it grossed you out, I remembered I have seen some fanart of Shino with bugs on his mouth and went " huh... how's that kissing tho? " lol ), or just his bugs in general while they do the deed? Mans dead and went to heaven, he cannot believe his luck that someone likes his insects... and more 👀

So yeah... I like simping for Shino honestly...

I know exactly what fanart you’re talking about😩😩 and it was so good ong😭

This request mad fucking long it highly feels like a collab more then a thirst ��😩 and I’m not complaining.

✨Thirst✨

Warnings: 18+, sfw, nsfw, bugs everywhere.

Look. You’re dating an Aburame. Please get serious. Bugs can’t freak you out that much if you’re willing to date their homes.

Just two gorgeous people thirsting over Shino and his bugs

Shino is absolutely protective of you. Like almost paranoid. It’s only okay because you’ve both worked together to find a solution for his problem…yes bugs🙂

For one, he uses them to keep track of you. How this would work is that when he truly feels like he’s actually in love with you, he will gift you a female kikaichū to show you how much he cares about you. The females are the most difficult to find so this is a very serious move. The great thing about the females though is that they release a scent that only male kikaichū can smell. It’s the perfect tracker. He can only hope and pray that you accept this.

It’s in a glass box with holes, a pretty bow wrapped around it with a card attached. In his other hand is a huge bouquet of your favorite flowers and and two obnoxiously sized gift bags. The bug is almost like the centerpiece of this gift. “Please be mine…for always”, he asks you, the stars beautifully scattered across the night sky, the breeze just right. He really planned this out so carefully…how can you possibly reject that big juicy bug.

So the bug will naturally crawl inside of you…unless you want him to put it in you👀 he can do that too if you know what I mean hehehe.

But he knows that letting it naturally crawl inside of you when you’re least aware would be less squeamish for you. Overtime, a few male bugs will join the female one inside of you…while you’re hanging out they’ll casually crawl about and slip inside of you…you won’t even notice. The longer the two of y’all stay together, the bigger the hive inside of you grows…until you’re a full fledged Aburame yourself ☺️

The bugs also mask your scent so enemies don’t sniff you out or any other wild animal/insects. It’s great because it greatly improves your ninja skills, helping you sneak in places without being sniffed by guard animals or ninjas with a high sense of smell.

If you’re a busy bee and tend to wander off, his kikaichū will help him locate you. There’s usually a buzzing pattern you’ve noticed. It starts faintly and grows a little more intense depending on the distance or Shino’s emotions. That’s the one thing you love about those bugs…they help the two of you communicate. Maybe you’re too far from each other or maybe you’re trying to express your love for each other in a more sensual way. In a way words cannot handle.

The bugs vibrate in patterns, communicating messages from Shino to you and vice versa. If he feels an overwhelming urge of emotions you’ll feel it too in the way that the bugs inside of you buzz. When you see that he needs a hug you can send him a light buzz that envelopes him like a hug🥺 perfect for when he’s stressed or sad.

Nsfw

Now when you’re making out, considering the fact that the bugs are now apart of you too, they definitely play around a bit. You’ve noticed that when Shino is too comfortable or relaxed, he can’t contain all the kikachū like he normally would, and some of them will escape and adventure outside of his body for a bit. This usually happens when he’s in cuddle mode and wants all the hugs and kisses.

He can tell them to vibrate a certain way and at a certain intensity to stimulate you. You’ll start to feel all these different sensations when he’s slowly kissing you, taking his time with you, pressing kisses all over your body. You can’t fathom the thought of living without Shino and his bugs because of how whole they make you feel. Shino makes you feel whole. He’s the part to you that was missing all these years.

He can and will make them vibrate hard enough to make you cum. When you’re having sex the bugs are everywhere. He can’t focus on keeping them contained and being in the moment with you all at once, so he has to choose. And surprise surprise, he always chooses you.

They end up everywhere though, constantly vibrating in sync with Shino’s excitement. When he eats you out, yes there’s bugs joining in the fun too, and they do crawl into your vagina, only heightening the pleasure with their vibrations, Shino adding his fingers and mouth in the mix to really push you over the edge.

Loves to cum on you. Somewhere. Anywhere. You choose. As long as it’s on you he’ll be ecstatic. The amount of bugs in his cum really depends on how intense the orgasm is because he won’t be able to hold them back if you’re riding him like there’s no tomorrow.

Ava when you’re making out? Good yes it’s so good😭 his lips are so soft and you’ve developed a liking to feeling the bugs crawl into your mouth while you’re tonguing him.

Everything about him is too sexy fuck!

❤️‍🔥 @sodium-noodlez 💐🙈🥰❤️‍🔥 @rahatake 🥰💐❤️‍🔥 @hkzv 💐🤗❤️‍🔥 @feelingsandemotionsnotexplored 🥺🙊💐❤️‍🔥 @smutteedreams 🥰🙊💐

[imangy]

The Reluctant Cheerleader Eddie Munson X OC Part 1

a/n: I’m planning on making this a series that lasts I don’t know how many parts.  I love Eddie so much so here’s my take on a  longer fanfic <3

TW: mentions of bulimia but she’s not bulimic it was a misunderstanding

Beth was less than excited about today. A huge pep rally? Performing in front of the entire school with the cheerleading squad? No thanks.

Contrary to what people believe, not all cheerleaders were super popular and charismatic. That wasn’t Beth’s personality to begin with, not to mention being a transfer senior to Hawkins High didn’t make it any easier. Out of place was an understatement to what Beth was actually feeling.

Begrudgingly, Beth pulled herself out of her quaint twin bed- something she felt a sort of resentment toward. How come she’s 18 but still sleeps in a bed that’s the same size as her younger sister’s? She dug around in her dresser looking for the green and white fabrics that made up her cheerleading uniform and laid them out on her bed next to a pair of white socks that she promised too return to after a freshening up in the bathroom.

“Honey! Come get breakfast!” Her mother called upstairs.

“Coming!” She responded. She tussled her curly brown hair between spread apart fingers to wake the dark spirals up for the day, and looking in the mirror she stared into her terrified eyes giving herself a silent pep talk. Gotta wake up that pep too she figured. Brushing her teeth and running back to her room to get dressed, Beth ran down the stairs to see her mother and sister at the kitchen table eating- cereal for her sister and toast and peanut butter for her mother.

“Hey.” Beth said.

“Morning!” Her younger sister, Joan said to her. The two pigtails on her head bouncing with her excited movements while greeting her sister.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” Her mom replied at the same time. She lifted up another plate of peanut butter toast.

“I made you some.” she said.

Beth looked at it unamused, “I don’t know, Mom.” she said, “I’m not feeling super up to breakfast today.”

Her mother scowled, “Beth, you need to eat today. Don’t you have a pep rally? You can’t perform on an empty stomach.”

Beth rolled her eyes, “You can’t throw up on one either.” she mumbled.

“Bethany...” her mother challenged as Joan yelled “EW!”

“Fine. Fine.” Beth relented, grabbing the plate and ate her meal with her small family. She licked the peanut butter off her fingers and used the slight dampness of them to pick up the crumbs left on the plate. She held the empty dish up to her mother for inspection and said “Happy?.”

Beth’s mother took a sip of coffee and looked to her newspaper. “Extremely.” she replied. This was enough to allow Beth an exit out of the house and to school, but not before kissing her mother and sister goodbye.

“I’ll see you guys after school!” She said, waving from the threshold of the front door. Jumping on her bike, she began her journey to school.

By the time she arrived, excitement was buzzing in the air. Students were talking and moving around much faster than they seemed to on a normal school day all due to the anticipation of the in-school celebration. Beth wanted to be as enthusiastic but had a hard time due to the feeling in her stomach that felt like the physical manifestation of previously mentioned excitement.

Almost as if she were a magnet, four other cheerleaders came running to her side as soon as she stepped on to the property. 

“Hey Beth!” One of the more chipper cheerleaders, Chrissy, greeted her.

‘Hi Chrissy,” she said clutching the straps of her backpack tighter, “How are you doing today?”

“I’m okay.” Chrissy replied, “A little nervous but really excited too! I feel like our performance is gonna be really great today. Something special is in the air.”

“Might just be weed from the stoners in the woods.” Beth mumbled.

Chrissy giggled pushing Beth playfully, “Oh come on, Beth. Embrace the school spirit.” 

Beth turned to look at Chrissy who had finished her sentence in a less peppy way than it had started only to find her staring off into space.

“Chrissy? Are you okay?” She said placing her hand on the young cheerleader’s shoulder. 

Chrissy shook her blonde head, “Oh. Yeah!” She said, “Just I thought I saw- never mind.” 

“Um okay.” Beth said quietly.

Chrissy firmly grasped Beth’s hand and began to drag her forward, “Come on, slowpoke! Let’s go set up for the rally!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Students were filing in to the gymnasium and taking their seats in the bleachers as Beth stood in the corner trying to calm her bubbling nerves. She turned around incited by a tap on her shoulder to see Chrissy standing behind her.

“You’re going to do great.” Chrissy said bringing her into a hug.

Beth slowly pat Chrissy’s back, “Thanks, Chrissy.”

“Ladies and Gentleman! Please welcome your Hawkins High cheer squad!” The announcer shouted through the gym.

“Show time.” Chrissy smiled, leading all the cheerleaders to the middle of the floor waving her pom poms high in the air. Beth followed behind.

Loud music played in time to their synchronized movements and the crowd of students cheered loudly, their voices bouncing off the walls. Beth could feel every sound reverberated through her body in the most uncomfortable way possible. But she persisted, comforted by the fact that it would be over soon. And soon it was. The music stopped as the squad ended in their final pose evoking a wild mix of applause and cheers from her peers in the bleachers.

But Beth couldn’t really hear them the sound was muffled by the wave of anxiety that she was finally able to feel after the adrenaline of the performance wore off. Luckily for her, the basketball team began to run through the banner which provided excellent cover for Beth’s escape as she could feel her breakfast about to make a surprise appearance. 

Once in the hallway she ran into the closest bathroom and promptly hurled her guts into the toilet leaving her shaking and gasping on the disgusting bathroom floor. But she had to admit that she did feel a little better. She flushed the disgusting contents down the toilet hoping to flush away the memory of the entire situation too, and exited the stall to wash her hands and mouth when she was paralyzed by the appearance of a row of urinals.

Shit. She ran into the boys bathroom. Good thing she was alone- she would just slip out as discreetly as possible.

But her plan was foiled as soon as she saw the door open and the face of a surprised boy with long hair and a a shirt that read “Hellfire Club”. He smiled at her with wide eyes, “Well would you look at that. What’re you doing in here pom-poms? Meeting your beau?”

Beth’s eyes widened, “N-N-No. I-I. Wrong bathroo-.”

“Ah I get it,” the boy said grabbing a paper towel and handing it to her, “Societal pressure and unfair beauty standards has claimed it newest victim.” He motioned to some stray bile on the side of her mouth.

“It’s not like that” Beth said wiping her face, “I-I just got nervous about the pep rally and I told my mom I didn’t want to eat breakfast because I knew this would happen but she didn’t take no for an answer so I had to eat it quickly and then I had to bike to school already not feeling the greatest and-”

“Woah, woah, slow down Pepa. Wait for Salt.” The boy joked at Beth in hopes she would stop talking which she appreciated because she obviously wasn’t able to stop herself.

“Uh sorry.” Beth said, “Nerves.” she chuckled sheepishly.

“Oh I get it,” he replied, “I used to have maaasive stage fright when I first started performing with my band. Luckily I got an iron stomach,” he patted his firm belly.

Beth laughed- this time for real, “That would be a great band name.” She said.

The long-haired goofball looked at her with his head tilted and a small smile, “Heh. It would.” He said.

“Well. I should get going back. The squad is probably wondering where I went.” Beth said beginning to wash her hands.

“Yea I get ya.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tin, “Here, have an Altoid.”

Beth held out her hand graciously accepted it, “Oh thanks.” she said.

“Anytime, pom-poms.” He smiled as she went to the door.

“Beth.” He stopped and turned around from the stall door he was facing. “My name is Beth. Beth Ferry.”

“Alrighty, Beth. Nice to meet ya, the name’s Eddie. Munson. I’ll see ya around.”

With a nod she left the bathroom and slipped her way back into the gynasium acting as if she had never left.

[wri0thesley]

thank you for infecting me with total naoya brain rot, nat. can i request a breeding kink scenario with him and curvy, thick reader that he thinks looks perfect for bearing him an heir 👀 feel free to make him as nasty as you want, i love to read about this absolute trash fire of a man

Covet - Naoya x Fem!Reader (3.6k)

Naoya wants something from you - you see a chance to get something you want too.

warnings: afab reader, fem pronouns. breeding. power imbalance (reader is a maid at the zen’in estate). talk of pregnancy, knives, misogyny, fingering, coming inside/creampies. the mandatory warning that this fic is about naoya.

You are fairly certain that Naoya Zenin does not know whether you exist. If he has ever noticed you attending to your duties, so much lower and less important than he, he probably doesn’t like you.

At least, you did not think he liked you before this moment. Even now, with his hands on your hips and your body pressed flush against the wall outside his chambers, you’re not certain – there’s a weight to the way he’s holding you, a twist to his lips that you can see from where your cheek has met cool wallpaper. He looks like he’s considering you; sizing you up.

Your cheeks burn as he sizes up your lower half, eyes tracing your hips and ass and thighs without even a hint of remorse, as if it’s his god-given right to look upon you like this even though you’ve barely ever spoken more than a cursory polite; ‘I brought you this, Sir’. That’s what you’ve been taught to do.

Be respectful, stick to the shadows, do what you’re told. It’s an honour to serve the Zenin clan, it’s an honour to be here in the estate – it’s an honour to get a brief moment of any of their time, even if they’re just making demands on you. You sometimes hate yourself, for not being born one of them - you want, you want, you want, like a physical ache. The luxury. The nice treatment. People to think that you merely blessing them with a look is an honour--

It’s an especial honour to be worth Naoya’s time – everybody knows that he’s going to be the next leader. There are always rumours buzzing around the grounds about him; about his power, about his temper, about his personality . . . about which pretty young woman he’ll make his wife and have beside him to rule the clan.

You’re brought back to what’s currently happening by his hands sliding down from where he is clinging onto your hips, generously tracing the curve, admiring just how broad they are.

“Pity you have to hide beneath that,” he says, smirking. Your cheeks are hot. “You’re pretty, you know. At least. . .” One hand moves from your hip, thumb and forefinger squeezing your cheeks to turn them more thoroughly towards him. He looks entirely unruffled by the situation, every inch of him at ease that you will bend to what he wants. “Your body is pretty.” Eyes scan over your face, and you’re suddenly aware of every imperfection, every feature you’ve ever scrutinised. “Hm. Not bad either.”

“I . . . I don’t understand,” You find yourself breathing. He raises one elegant eyebrow. The hand that’s on your hip moves, tracing the plush of your ass through fabric, his lip curling into a smirk. He presses a little bit forward and you feel something stiff press against your other cheek (the one not occupied by his hand) – and your throat goes dry as you realise precisely what he means.

Oh.

Oh.

You should run. Good girls do not do what Naoya wants you to do. You have duties to attend to! You have things that must be done, lest your seniors sigh and tut at you and punish you for neglecting your work. But your throat is very dry and your heart is pounding and there is suddenly a strange twist of heat low in your gut, as Naoya Zenin looks down at you with the air of a man who will devour you if you let him.

You can’t deny it’s thrilling to be wanted – more thrilling to be wanted by someone like him.

“I’ll give you ten seconds,” he says, and his tone is patronising. “If you don’t want me to take you to bed and fuck you, I suggest you make yourself scarce.”

He says it so openly, so brazenly – you suppose that’s what comes of being born into this family. He has nothing to fear in these walls. Not like you.

You imagine yourself underneath him for a second, his hair in disarray, hakama abandoned, his perfectly composed face twisted in pleasure. You should not go to his bed. But . . . you want to. And don’t you deserve something you want, when you’ve spent your entire life watching other people enjoy it?

“You don’t need to,” you breathe, swallowing. Naoya pulls back in amusement, his eyes darkening. He seems so much taller and stronger than you. Even swathed in fabric, it’s clear that there is muscle and strength beneath the clothes. He has been trained to within an inch of his life since the day he was born. He makes a considering noise in the back of his throat. A thumb trails over your cheek.

“Are you sure about that?” The smirk in his voice says that he knows you are. “I won’t be gentle with you, you know. I don’t have all day to romance you. I just want to get you on your back . . .” His thumb slides over your jawline, past your earlobe, until he’s taken a hank of your hair and yanks it back roughly, exposing your throat and making you gasp. “And fuck a son into you.”

He must see the look on your face, because he laughs, the sound cruel even to your ears. He’s still pressed so close to you. Nobody who walked down this hallway would mistake the embrace the two of you were currently in for anything clandestine. You suppose he has nothing to worry about – but your reputation? He’d ruin you for marriage.

“Come on,” he murmurs, chuckling. “Have you seen yourself? You’re made for bearing a child, sweetheart.” The pet name is almost mocking, but your heart skips a beat anyway. “Don’t worry too much. You don’t think I could take care of you, if you carried my heir? You’re a servant, right? You already know how to behave.” His smile is like a wolf. “So, I give you my word that if it takes, I’ll take care of you. Sounds fair, huh?” He jerks on your hair again. “Ten seconds,” he reminds you. “If you want to get out of it. You don’t think there are girls lining up around the block to have me?”

(Judging by the whispers about him, you actually don’t think there are – but judging from Naoya’s eyes, he certainly thinks so.)

He lets go. He steps back. His eyes are still on you, but he raises his arms either side of him as if to show you that you’re free to go. And you do consider it – you let the possibility of running flicker through your head. It’s quickly replaced by the thought of Naoya on top of you, an end to the aching between your legs, and the knowledge of just how you might be treated if Naoya did succeed in his mission.

It’s fine to want nice things, every once in a while.

“Five,” he says, warningly, but his eyes are dark with hunger. “Four. Three.”

You turn towards his bedroom door and grasp the handle, and he laughs, the sound very loud.

“Oh,” he says, “so you’re going to be fun.”

The minute his bedroom door clicks behind him, Naoya wastes no time on being on you. He’s full throttle, immediately – hands pulling at your clothes, rough, his mouth on your neck. He avoids your mouth, like he doesn’t quite want to kiss you – but as you bite back a moan as he nips at your throat and he groans in response at the noise, you realise that he wants to hear you.

Figures a man like that wants the reassurance that you’re enjoying yourself. Figures he wants to crow over every whimper that drops from your lips. Hands pull at your kimono, almost ripping it in his hurry to have the fabric out of his way and on the floor. You barely even notice he’s been pushing you across the room until you’re pushed hard down, and your back meets pillows and sheets instead of the floor.

The way you fall makes a perfect tableaux; the material of your outfit pooling around you, your body in the middle of it, clad in only your underwear. His light eyes rake over you hungrily.

“Fuck,” he says. His hands immediately go to your hips, thumbs pressing hard into the soft flesh. You barely fit in his hands, the curve of you dramatic. “You’re going to be perfect for this, huh? Look at you. It’s a fucking shame you’re not knocked up right now--”

Your body reacts to his touch and his look, though you can’t help but be embarrassed by it – it’s one thing to be entranced by someone pretty, you think, but it’s another thing to be entranced by the idea of how pretty someone will look when their stomach is swollen and their breasts have swelled and their hips have filled out because they’re bearing your child.

He doesn’t bother with unclipping your bra. He reaches into his hakama and panic flashes before your eyes when he pulls out a knife, but he uses it merely to slice the gore between your bra cups, right between the cute bow adorning them.

“I—I liked that,” you say, but your voice sounds very wobbly in the room, under Naoya’s gaze, under his hands. He snorts.

“I like you better without it,” he says shortly, as if your likes and dislikes are not a consideration to be taken into account. For him, you suppose they’re not. “Besides.” Hands travel from your hips to cup your breasts, squeezing the meat of the mounds so that you groan and arch your back, desire pooling between your legs. “I wanted to see these. I wanted to touch them.” He grins. “I wanted to imagine how nice they’re going to look when they get bigger.”

He squeezes the point of each of your nipples, so hard that the pleasure almost becomes pain.

“I think I’ll leave marks on you,” he says, conversationally. He pulls an arm back and suddenly has slapped you, your breast stinging, a brief imprint of his hand showing on your skin. He admires how your breast moves with the force – you’re too surprised to even make a noise of pain. “Good girl. I want you to remember how I feel when we’re done.”

You don’t think you could forget. You definitely can’t forget the sting of the second slap, this one making you moan – it hurts, but part of it feels good to be marked by him. You definitely can’t forget his thumbs hooking into your underwear, dragging it past your thighs – the way that he drinks in the wet patch on the fabric. You definitely don’t think you’ll be able to forget the chuckle that leaves his mouth as he spreads your thighs and sees your sex for the first time, already slick.

“You like being treated rough, huh?” He asks you. There’s that grin again; a predator, a man who has never been told no, a man who doesn’t know what it’s like to not have everything he has ever wanted at his fingertips. “Good. I like playing rough.”

He still doesn’t kiss you. He dives his head down, though, his teeth once more nipping at your neck, at your breast, tongue lathing across your nipples. One of his hand delves between your legs, spreading the plump labia, fingers briefly stroking your clit and sending a hot bolt of lightning all through you.

“That’s right,” he murmurs, as he pushes a finger inside of you. You’re slick and tight around his digits, hot and silky – one of his fingers alone is like a vice. You’re going to feel so good. He doesn’t much care whether his cock hurts you or not – but he wants you to be so fucked out by the time he’s come inside you that you don’t care about him leaving your legs propped up so not a single trickle of come leaks out of you. He doesn’t want a whimpering little bitch in his bed – he wants someone who’ll lie there, patiently, prettily, and let him make sure it takes.

You’re going to be good for that, he knows it. With a body like that, and eyes like that, and a clear longing for something better than the shitty hand you’ve been dealt? Oh, yes. You might not know it, but Naoya likes you immensely.

That you’re a servant, who’s been taught your place - that you’ll look at the ground respectfully and walk behind him and agree to whatever he says, like women should? Even better. Perfect. Fuck any of those snooty young women of a clan who think that just because they were born with a name, they were somehow more than a cunt for breeding--

Two fingers. This one gets a cry from you, almost too full – Naoya clicks his tongue against his teeth. He’s not patient, but he slows down, scissoring you open. One of your hands seems to flex out as if going to grab his bicep – but thinks better of it, clutching for purchase on the bed instead. Cute.

He can’t help but watch his fingers dive in and out of you, already coated in your liberal slick. They already look so good – he can’t even imagine how good his cock will look, hilted so deep in you he’s all you can feel.

Three fingers. You’re making soft little noises, circling your hips – there’s a coil in your belly that Naoya’s fingers are stoking in a way you didn’t expect, one that you feel like you’re so close to getting to spring forth – he slides his fingers out of you as he feels you tightening and tensing around him. If you’re close enough to come on his fingers, he reasons, you’re close enough to take his cock.

He didn’t expect to be so entranced by how pretty you looked, all curves and soft on his bed – but there’s time for that later. Right now, his cock is driving a hole through his own underwear. The thought of fucking his seed into you, of having you coming around his cock . . . you moan in frustration at the lack of stimulation as his hands busy themselves peeling off his own clothes.

“What’s the matter?” He asks you, a little breathless. You don’t notice that – good. He hates people witnessing weakness. “You need to be filled up?”

“I—” your teeth dig into your bottom lip, and Naoya has the urge to kiss you that he pushes back.

Not now. Not yet. Not while you’re still scum. He can transform you, and maybe you’ll be worthy of that – but right now, you’re an empty shell, and Naoya needs to mould you into something fuller and better before he’ll lower himself to brush his lips over your own. That’s too intimate. That’s too much.

“You don’t need to use your words,” he purrs. “You’re soaking wet.”

You urge your thighs further apart as Naoya’s clothes slip off of him and you see his cock jutting proud against his stomach. You haven’t had much experience to know whether it’s a nice cock, whether he’s big – but Naoya grins when he sees you looking, ferocity sparking in his expression.

“You may as well look at it,” he tells you, “because it’s going to be buried inside you in just a moment--”

He’s on the bed, his body on top of yours. His hands are clinging to the hips he’s admired so much, his grip tight enough to mark. His face is close enough that you can see the sculpt of his lips and the fan of his eyelashes, the dark pupils. The wet head of his cock smears precome on your thigh as he positions himself at your entrance – and as he sinks inside, your body welcomes him.

He hisses in fluid pleasure as his cock descends inside of you inch by slow, inexorable inch – the stretch, the burn, the slick fluid pleasure. This time, one of your hands does find purchase on his shoulder – but Naoya is enjoying the feeling of your walls kissing his cock, embracing him tight and deep, too much to snap at you for being such an insolent thing. Your nails leave little crescent moon marks in his shoulder that he decides to forgive. After all – you’ll have bruises in the shape of his handprints tomorrow, he knows it. He doesn’t have a single crumb of shame about it.

If he gets his way, you’ll have more than just those as a mark of tonight. He hilts inside you, his skin pressing hot against yours. You’re so full – he feels so very deep, buried as far as he can go. All of your breath has been knocked out of you.

Your eyes meet his for just a moment.

“Better hold on,” he tells you. “I told you I wouldn’t be gentle.”

The first pull out is swift, immediately thrusting back inside you with such force that your body rocks on the bed. He wasn’t lying about not being gentle; his hips quickly establish a punishing rhythm, helped along by the slick glide of your channel, the wetness leaking around his cock. He pulls you a little with every thrust, the hands on his hips assisting him being able to watch his cock drive in and out of your sex. It’s a mark of the strength he has that the only sign that you weigh anything at all is a huff of breath in between his thrusts – you’ve never exactly felt delicate  in your life, but something about Naoya’s way of handling you makes you think that he could break you in half if he tried.

That is, if his rough thrusts in and out of you don’t split you in two first. You give up trying to do anything other than hold onto him, your mouth dropping open in a series of wordless wails and moans.

(Naoya prefers quiet women, he has to admit – but there’s something endearing about you giving up in bed, giving yourself to him in voice as well as body. Perhaps he doesn’t mind a loud woman, as long as the reason she’s loud is because he’s fucking her silly).

His skin slaps against your skin. The sound mixes with your own whimpers and gasps, Naoya’s quieter breathing, the embarrassingly wet sounds of his cock plunging in and out of you. The release that was denied to you earlier with his fingers is creeping back up on you again, all hot pleasure and tight tension. With every thrust, Naoya is hitting a spot amongst your plush walls that has your eyes rolling back in your head and your body all hot and needy. He doesn’t care if you come, really – this isn’t about you – but . . . just another of those things he supposes he could get used to, as the ball of pleasure inside of you finally unravels and you feel yourself come.

And oh, he could get used to that feeling too – how your walls pulsate around him, pulling his cock tighter inside of you, practically milking him. His hips just get faster, snapping against you like a man possessed – heh. Isn’t that funny?

Your chest is heaving, but he’s enjoying the feel of your hips too much to play with your tits again. When they’re all swollen with milk and bigger and rounder, he’ll probably fuck you again, slower . . . and then, he’ll get his feel of touching them. Just like he’ll get his feel of your thighs even plusher, your stomach rounder, your hips even better in his grip--

It’s those thoughts that push him over the edge. Your body softened and rounded with his child – his son, his heir. You’re fucking perfect for it. He groans, his hips snapping and driving so deep inside you that you think he’ll break – and then, he’s groaning, and his cock is pulsing inside you as the sensation of his come painting your walls hot and thick overtakes your senses.

He pumps his cock a few more times inside of you after the initial release, as if he’s trying to push his seed even further within you. You’re shuddering, exhausted, your body aching – and so, you don’t argue beyond a soft noise of pain at the unpleasant prickle as he pulls his cock out of you. You don’t argue when he slides a pillow beneath your hips and says;

“Keep your legs bent like that.”

Naoya takes a moment to admire you. Your pretty cunt is darkened from his aggressive fucking, clit swollen, slick with your own desire-- he frowns as he notices a drop of something whiter and thicker. That won’t do. Two fingers roughly push his come back into you, pressing it deeply, making you groan and your hips weakly thrust against them.

It’s cute that you’re still welcoming to his fingers; that your sex still sucks them in as if it’s greedy to be fucked again. Your eyes are half-lidded, glassy – your lips bitten dark. He thinks he could fuck you again and you wouldn’t even complain.

Yes. He grins at you. Give it a little while, to make sure his come takes – and then, he thinks, he will fuck you again. There’s no harm in being thorough, right?

[literallymitch]

𝐆𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 || 𝐃.𝐃

requested: no

summary: the first part of the reputation series in which the reader first meets Damiano

pairing: Damiano David x famous!reader

word count: 2k

what kind of content: fluff

warnings: drinking

passages written in cursive are flashbacks

some of the lyrics were changed so they would fit the story

Please don’t steal any of my conten and release it elsewhere. Also all of this is fiction. I don’t know these people in real life nor do I know how they act

a/n I I hope you all enjoy this one, as much as I do. I’m so excited about this series jdhidcuheu. What song do you guys think is next? As always please keep in mind english is not my first language. I’m super happy about feedback!!

With a buzzing head I woke up. I shouldn’t have drank so much yesterday. Feeling the after effects of the alcohol I consumed yesterday, I looked at the sleeping figure next to me. A gorgeous man with brown hair and tattoos that fitted him perfectly. I smiled to myself, knowing he was the reason I probably drank a little too much yesterday. There was no way I would have found the courage to actually talk to him otherwise. He looked like an angel sleeping so peacefully in my queen-sized bed. As I looked at his sleeping figure, an idea popped into my head. I grabbed my notebook and went to my balcony that was connected to my bedroom. Looking at him one last time through the huge window in front of me. I opened my notebook and started writing down some lyrics in memory of last night.

You should take it as a compliment That I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk You should think about the consequence Of your magnetic field being a little too strong

“We wanted to start working on our next album soon too.” , the gorgeous man in front of me said with an Italian accent.

After a few drinks I was finally talking to him. I was too busy taking in his beauty that I didn’t really listen  to what he just said to me. All of a sudden, I started giggling.

“You know, your accent is so funny, I love it. Like the way you pronounce some words? Hilarious”.

“Thanks, I guess?”

I cringed a little thinking about this specific moment. If he knew the only reason I was making a fool out of myself in front of him was his magnificent appearance, he would take it as a compliment. He probably already knew that was the reason. How could he not know? It’s not like he has never looked in a mirror. Also, there is no way, I am the first person that had to suffer from his magnetic self. By now he should know what his whole existence is doing to people.

And I got a boyfriend, he's older than us He's in the club doing, I don't know what You're so cool, it makes me hate you so much (I hate you so much)

“Shouldn’t your boyfriend be here as well?” the beautiful Italian boy asked.

“My wha- Oh you mean Andre? He isn’t my boyfriend. The media just made that up after we went out once, and I was caught at two of his games. We haven't talked in months. He’s probably at some club right now, annoying some poor girl.”

At that moment I thought I’ve seen a small smile appear on his face. He then just turned to the bar tender, ordering another beer. God, how could he just keep his cool like this the whole night. Usually it was the other way around. People would stand drunk in front of me trying to make a move, while I just stood there unimpressed. He really made me feel like an insecure fourteen-year-old girl again, and I hated him for that

Whisky on ice, Sunset and Vine You've ruined my life, by not being mine

“The sunset is really beautiful today” Damiano stated sipping on his glass of Whisky. I nodded in agreement while I ate a grape from the vine that was placed on the bar counter.

The bar were at was on top of a small mountain somewhere outside Rome. From there we had a great view over the whole city of Rome and how the sun met the city's skyline. It really was beautiful, still it was nothing compared to him. I wish he would’ve been mine, so I could’ve rested my head on his shoulder right there and then, but he wasn’t.

You should take it as a compliment That I'm talking to everyone here but you (but you, but you)

“I’m glad we’re finally getting a chance to talk after you talked to, well, everyone else at this bar except me.”, the handsome man called me out while he sat down next to me.”

Feeling a bit caught, I just gave him an awkward smile. I tried to come up  with a reasonable excuse, that was less embarrassing than ‘Yeah sorry about that, I was just too scared to talk to you because you look like you’re straight out of my dreams.’

“I’m really sorry about that! It was just that every time I was done talking to someone, the next person already stood behind me wanting to talk.” I lied.

“It’s alright. I guess that's what happens when you’re a world-famous singer.”

And you should think about the consequence Of you touching my hand in the darkened room

It was now 11pm and the sky outside was completely dark. The lights in the bar were also dimmed a bit, creating a cozy atmosphere. Damiano and I were in the middle of our conversation, as he accidentally grabbed my hand, that was resting on the bar counter, instead of his drink. It felt like an electric shock. An electric shock that woke up the butterflies inside my body. My hand started to tingle, and I’m pretty I was full on blushing now.

If you've got a girlfriend, I'm jealous of her But if you're single that's honestly worse 'Cause you're so gorgeous it actually hurts

“So do you have a girlfriend?”,  at this point I was so drunk I didn’t even care how this question came across anymore.

I was pretty sure he in fact had a girlfriend, I mean how could he not looking like this?

“No I don’t.” Thank god. “It’s kinda hard building up a real relationship with someone when you're always busy, but I guess you can tell me a thing or two about it too.”

Oh, yes, I could. Still I would drop everything I was doing right now,  just to be with him.

Chocolate brown eyes looking in mine I feel like I might sink and drown and die

Just as my confidence made a small comeback, I made the mistake to directly look into Damianos beautiful brown eyes. There really wasn’t a single thing about him that wasn’t extremely beautiful. I started to feel a bit dizzy as a wave of heat rushed through my body. What is this man doing to me?

Just thinking about it again made my heart beat three times faster.

You make me so happy, it turns back to sad, yeah There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have You are so gorgeous it makes me so mad You make me so happy, it turns back to sad, yeah There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have

For like the million time this evening, he made a laugh. Great, so he wasn’t just incredibly handsome, but also extremely funny. I didn’t realize how happy I was in his presence until I remembered he wasn’t mine. Suddenly I felt kind of sad, thinking about how I maybe would never see him again after tonight. I just wanted to grab his hand and run away with him. Somewhere I could be alone with him. Somewhere he would be only mine.

Guess I'll just stumble on home to my cats Alone, unless you wanna come along

I looked at the clock that was hanging on the wall behind the bar tender. I was shocked when I realized it was already midnight. There was no way we’ve been talking for like three hours now. I scanned the room for my friends, I went here with in the first place.

“Looking for someone specific?” Damiano asked, now also looking in the direction I was looking in.

“Just my friends, but it seems like they already went home. I’ll check if they texted me” I picked up my phone, checking if I had a message from my friends.

‘Hi babe, we already went home, we were kinda tired. Have fun talking to handsome stranger. You better tell us everything tomorrow ;)’

“Did they text you?”

“Yes, my friend texted me that they already went home. Guess I’ll have to go home alone then. At least my cats are waiting for me.” I stood up and tried to make my way over to the wardrobe to get my coat. Unfortunately I forgot how drunk I actually and almost tripped as I tried to walk. Alcohol and heels really are not a good combo. Thankfully Damiano grabbed my arm helping me to stabilize myself.

“You’re sure, you’ll make it home alone?”

“Yes, I am a big girl. Unless you wanna come along.” I said with a cheeky grin on my face.

Damiano left out a soft chuckle. He paid for our drinks and then accompanied me on my way back home.

“It’s already pretty late, if you want to, you can stay over.” I told him after he brought me up to my bedroom.

“That would be nice, thanks.”

After I got myself ready for bed, I basically fell into my cozy bed, cuddling myself up in my soft sheet.

“You mind telling me where your guestroom is before falling asleep?” the Italian boy asked with an amused look on his face.

“Mmh, I don’t know. Just sleep here, it's fine.” I answered him, already half asleep.

After that, I probably fell asleep, since I don’t remember anything else that happened.

You're so gorgeous I can't say anything to your face (to your face) 'Cause look at your face

“Good morning.” I heard a raspy voice say.

I looked up from my notebook and came face to face with Damiano gorgeous figure. His hair was messy, and he still looked a bit sleepy. Since he just wore a pair of boxer shorts, I could finally see all the tattoos that covered his upper body. All of a sudden I felt the same way as I did last night when I saw him for the first time. The words were stuck in my throat and I felt the anxiety build up in my body. How does he manage to make me feel this way by just existing?

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” I somehow managed to say.

“Yes I did thank you. What are you doing?” he asked me curiously as he sat down on the garden chair next to me.

“I’m just writing a song. The idea came to mind when I woke up.”

“Not gonna lie, it’s pretty impressive that you’re able to write a song now after you could barely walk yesterday.” a small laugh left his mouth. “Can I see it?”

“No, it’s kinda awful. I’m to hungover to write something good now. I just wanted to write the idea down.” I lied,  I actually really liked the stuff I wrote so far, but he would probably think I’m a freak when he found out I wrote a song about after knowing him for a day.

“Can you at least tell me what it is about?”

“So you can steal my brilliant idea? No, thanks.” we both started laughing. “I can offer you breakfast though”

“I’m fine with that too” he said flashing me his beautiful smile

And I'm so furious At you for making me feel this way But what can I say? You're gorgeous

We were now sitting on my roof garden eating breakfast. Damiano told me some things about his life and what interests he had. As he did, so I looked at him in awe. I really started crushing on him as he continued to talked about his last tour with a huge smile on his face. I hated it that I was practically on my knees for him already, but how could I not? He’s perfect.

“I could really get used to this, you know?” he said out of nowhere.

“Me too.” I responded, not really questioning what he meant.

I also didn’t care as long as it involved us spending time together. I would make him mine no matter what.

[watchmegetobsessed]

Sparkles - Harry Styles

happy new year folks! this is my NYE gift for all of you, hope 2021 will treat you well and see you soon with hopefully a lot of content! thank you for being here with me this year, 2020 was an emotional ride for me, but tumblr remained my happy place. thank you for all the support you showed me and my art this year, cheers to a new one! enjoy this little soon-to-be-dad!harry piece as celebration

word count: 2.5k

masterlist

Harry finishes up the last touch on the virgin mojitos, adorning his work he did with the sugar-coated edge of the glass, feeling quite proud how he nailed it. He softly hums along the music that’s flowing from the record-player as he cleans up after himself, leaving the kitchen spotless, just when he hears his name called out.

“Harry? Can you help me?” Y/N’s voice comes from their shared bedroom and he is quick to drop everything to come to her rescue.

“Coming!”

He shuffles into the room, finding his very pregnant wife sitting on the edge of their bed, her favorite pair of heels at her feet that go well with the loose dress she is wearing. She has ditched wearing anything tight a while ago, feeling way more comfortable in baggy clothes since her bump started showing. He never tried to convince her to wear her usual clothes, he has read enough to know how much she goes through with her body image during pregnancy, so he just always wanted to make sure she feels comfortable over fashionable. Also, she looks breathtakingly beautiful to him regardless of what she is wearing. Or what she is not wearing…

Her eyes lift up to him as he appears in the room, she is leant back on one arm behind her while her other hand is cupping her bump.

“Can you please help me put them on?” she pouts and Harry is on his knees in front of her without a second thought. It’s not the first time she struggles to put her shoes on, but Harry doesn’t mind helping her do such mundane things, if anything, it just makes him feel involved, like he is able to take just a tiny part of the hard side of pregnancy away even if it’s just as small as putting on her shoes or shaving her legs in the parts where she can’t reach anymore.

“You sure you’ll be fine in heels all night, baby?” he asks, carefully sliding her slightly swollen feet into the heels, but they luckily still fit.

“Already packed a change, don’t worry,” she grins, her hand running up and down her stomach as Harry finishes up the task. Smirking up at her he leans forward and presses a gentle kiss to her bump, cupping the sides in his palms. Though he can’t wait to finally meet their little baby girl in just three short weeks, he gotta admit he’ll miss the bump.

Over the course of this pregnancy, he has grown to love this state of the woman he is in love with. See her go through the changes, experience new things and grow a new life in her own body, it’s been a privilege to be by her side through the journey and Harry can’t wait to see her do it again whenever the time is going to be right.

Standing up he helps her to her feet, she smoothes out the soft fabric of the dress that reaches just above her knees.

“You look amazing, baby,” he smiles, kissing her lips softly.

“Thank you. What time is it, should we leave?”

“Let’s drink our cocktails and then we can leave,” Harry nods. They move out to the kitchen and she squeals in happiness seeing the mojitos she requested from him earlier.

“These look so nice!” she gasps doing a little happy dance as she takes the one Harry hands her. “Is yours alcohol free too?”

“Of course.”

“You know you can drink, right? I don’t mind it.”

“I know. But I don’t want to,” he smiles down at her, clinking his glass against hers. “Cheers, baby.”

She smiles up at him stealing a quick kiss before they both taste the drink.

“Mm, this is amazing, H,” she nods to herself, gulping from the cocktail again and again.

“Yeah? You like it?”

“Yes. Can’t wait to have one with actual alcohol in it,” she smirks making him chuckle. He presses a soft kiss to the top of her head before chugging down his own drink.

Not so much later they get in the car and head over to one of their friends’ New Year’s Eve party they’ve been invited to. Harry was hesitant to accept the invitation at first, knowing well she would be close to full term at this point, but she seemed too excited to go out, something she hasn’t done too much lately. Pregnancy has made her way too tired most of the time to even leave the house, her natural habitat became their king sized bed, wearing mostly Harry’s jumpers with just her knickers.

Upon arriving to the party that’s held in a penthouse, Harry keeps a hand on her lower back at all times, making sure she is okay, whether it’s about needing something to drink, to eat or if she decides to change her shoes. That happens quite fast, barely over an hour into the evening Y/N makes her way to one of the plush couches and Harry gladly helps her get rid of the torturous heels and put on her ballerina shoes.

It’s past eleven when he first lets her out of his sight, only so she could go to the bathroom, though he asks if she needs help with that as well.

“I think I’ll manage,” she smiles at him, hand sliding to the back of his neck to pull him down for a quick kiss.

His eyes cautiously follow her disappear down one of the hallways, nursing the same soda he opened an hour ago. He returns his attention to the conversation they were in before her leaving and barely notices that she is taking way too long in the bathroom. When he realizes that she hasn’t returned, he excuses himself from the little group to go and find his wife. Dodging anyone who tries to pull him into another conversation, he makes his way down the hallway he last saw Y/N waddle away. It’s not his first time here, so he knows exactly where to find the bathroom, however, his eyes fall on something that diverts from his destination.

Walking past one of the many bedrooms, he notices an all too familiar pair of slightly swollen feet propped up on the edge of a bed through the door that’s ajar and a smile falls on his lips right away as he pushes it further open. Lying comfortably on top of the king sized bed, there is Y/N resting on her side, the only position she can sleep these days, hugging one of the giant pillows to herself, snoozing adorably.

Harry knew she would get tired way too early, though she was convinced it wouldn’t be a problem, staying up past midnight, yet here she is, sleeping the night away while the party is still buzzing outside. Her shoes are abandoned at the leg of the bed, purse tossed to the nightstand and Harry swears she probably came in to just lie down for a bit because her back was starting to hurt, but eventually fell asleep.

Walking inside he closes the door behind him, the bedside lamp illuminating the room enough for him to navigate to the other side of the bed as he kicks his shoes off. He couldn’t care less about all the people outside, it doesn’t matter that they probably should be out there mingling, right now he just wants to hold his pregnant wife and have a nap with her, regardless of the fact that they might miss midnight.

As soon as he lies down behind her, his arm circles around her, hand coming to rest just above her popped out belly button and though he tried to be as careful as possible, she still wakes up, blinking at him over her shoulder a little groggily.

“Harry? I fell asleep,” she whispers, partially to herself, rather than to him.

“I know baby. It’s alright.”

“M’sorry, I just came in here to have a breather, but I just felt so tired,” she adds, yawning into her words at the end.

“Don’t worry. Wanna stay a little longer or do you wanna go out?”

“How much time do we have until midnight?” she asks, furrowing her eyebrows before her eyes go wide. “Wait, did I sleep through midnight?”

“No, you didn’t,” he chuckles softly, kissing her shoulder. “Want me to set an alarm for us?”

“Please,” she nods, dropping her head back to the pillow. He fishes his phone out of his back pocket, setting an alarm ten minutes before midnight so they have a little over twenty minutes to rest before they have to emerge from their temporary bedroom.

Dropping the phone behind him to the mattress, he places back his palm to her bump, gently caressing it as she leans back against his body, enjoying the warm embrace of him. They both doze off soon, the party outside is long forgotten as they enjoy some alone time, but those twenty minutes go by faster than they wanted it to and they are shaken up from their shallow sleep by the sound of his phone’s alert.

“Ah fuck,” he slurs, blindly tapping around the mattress behind him until his hand finally finds the phone and he turns it off.

“Why am I so tired?” she breathes out rolling to her back, staring up at the ceiling with sleepy eyes. Harry’s eyes wander down on her body and he can’t help the smile forming on his lips seeing her bump towering high. He is still struggling to wrap his head around the fact that there’s a tiny baby girl in there, his baby girl.

“Because you are growing our baby. That needs a lot of energy,” he mumbles kissing her tummy softly, running his hand up and down on it.

“Do you think she’ll look more like you or me?” she asks excitedly, tangling her graceful fingers through his hair as he presses his cheek gently against the side of her bump.

“I hope she’ll take more after you,” he smiles at her.

“Really?”

“Of course. But like, with a hint of me,” he adds, making her chuckle.

“I want her to have your eyes. I love them,” she muses and reaching out she runs a finger delicately through his left eyebrow, bringing it down the side of his face until it reaches his lips. He turns his head slightly, pressing a kiss to the pad of her finger, tugging her smile wider with the softness of his actions.

They hear the buzzing increase outside, so they figure the countdown is close. Though the both know they should be heading out to be with the rest of the guests, neither of them moves.

“I’m a little afraid though,” she whispers as the smile falls from her lips.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. It’ll be weird that it won’t be just the two of us anymore.”

“Do you… regret…?” he implies hesitantly, a little afraid of her answer even though he knows it.

“Of course not,” she breathes out with a soft smile. “I wanted this. We both wanted, right?” Harry nods at her question. “I just… I’m a little afraid we will lose… us. You know what I mean?”

“I think I do,” he nods again, pushing himself up before he scoots closer, caging her between his arms on the bed as he holds himself up above her. “And I promise you I will never stop working on us. I’ll try my best to keep these sparkles alive for as long as we live.”

“So you still feel the sparkles?” she asks with a shy smile, hands sliding to the back of his neck as she starts playing with his curls.

“Of course I do,” he smirks.

“Even after spending five years with me, you still haven’t gotten bored of me?”

“I could never,” he chuckles shaking his head dramatically, making his curls brush against her forehead.

“Yeah?” she giggles. “Not even when I’m making you watch Big Hero 6 for the millionth time?”

“Not even then,” he assures her. He could never say no to her pouty look whenever she is trying to make him watch it again, because it’s her favorite Disney movie of all times. If anything, he cherishes the moments when she is all cuddled up to his side and quotes the lines perfectly, eyes shining so brightly. He would do anything to make her happy.

“Ten! Nine! Eight!” The countdown begins outside, yet they still don’t move. Staring at each other, they preserve this precious moment, one of the last ones where they are on their own. Her hands go to cup his cheeks, her thumb running along the soft skin under his eyes.

“I love you. So much,” he breathes out, closing his eyes for a short moment to enjoy her soft touch.

“Seven! Six! Five! Four!”

“I love you too,” she whispers, getting lost in his eyes once they lock on hers again.

“Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year, my love. I can’t wait to see what this year brings for us.”

“Happy New Year, baby,” she smiles, pulling him down for a sweet and appreciative kiss, the first one of the year.

They drag the moment a little longer, enjoying the sparkles that are still clearly there, before they pull back, grinning at each other like crazy.

“We should head back, don’t we?”

“Yeah, probably.”

“Can we leave soon though? I don’t think I can stay awake much longer.”

“Of course,” he chuckles pecking her lips one last time before he scoots to the edge of the bed to get off of it.

“Harry?” she calls out and when his eyes return to her frame, she is still lying in the same position.

“Love, we really shouldn’t stay any longer in here,” he huffs, eyes soft on her, but she shakes her head.

“It’s not that. I think… I think I need some help getting up,” she admits chuckling.

“Oh right,” he mumbles shuffling over to her side to grab her hands and gently pull her up until she sits on the edge of the bed. He kneels down without a second thought, putting on her shoes, making her smile. “There,” he breathes out, helping her to her feet. She circles her arms around his neck, pulling him as close as possible with her bump.

“You are going to be such an amazing dad, Harry,” she breathes out kissing him delicately.

“I hope so,” he chuckles nervously, his hands squeezing her hips gently. “Come on, let’s schmooze a little longer so we can go home and sleep.”

“That’s the best thing you said tonight,” she sighs dramatically, making his eyes go wide.

“Oh really? That was the best?”

“Just kidding!” she chuckles pinching his cheek before adding in a mumble: “Kinda.”

“You’re lucky you are pregnant, I wouldn't let this slide otherwise,” he shakes his head, taking her hand as they head towards the door.

“Oh, but you love me too much to get mad at me, right?”

Smirking he opens the door and holds it open for her.

“I do love you a lot.”

Thank you for reading! Like/reblog if you liked it and leave a feedback!

[down-in-devildom]

Idk if you’d be interested in running with this concept, but I’ve always kind of liked the idea of Lesser Demons (or at least other demons) trying to get to the brothers through MC. How would the brothers (whichever you wanted to do ig) react to seeing that MC is being used? Originally I thought it would be extra angsty if the MC had a crush on the other demon, but you can take the idea wherever you want to if you’re interested!

First off, I am very sorry for taking so long with this prompt. My brain went on vacation and it was hard to get in contact with it. These turned out super long because I wouldn't shut up so I'm splitting these 3 and 3. Next part can be found here: Part 2 Anyways, thank you for your patience and enjoy!

MC being Used by Lesser Demons (Lucifer, Mammon, and Satan)

CW: Violence, Torture, Manipulation, Murder...general demonic behavior

Lucifer

Lucifer was used to demons wanting something from him. He was one of the most powerful demons in the Devildom and he did not make mistakes in his opinion. With power and prestige going hand to hand in the social hierarchy, it was in almost everybody’s best interest to try to get in a higher demon’s favor

To say Lucifer was hard to get close to was a severe understatement. He had built so many walls around himself after the fall and only Lord Diavolo was brazen enough to crash through them, until MC came along, that is. They were just so foolheartedly friendly and open to anybody that approached them. They demanded his attention, rather he wanted to grant it or not.  

It was hard not to notice the Lesser Demons that swarmed the MC like flies all of a sudden when he started to walk MC down the hallways at RAD from time to time. The other demons looked absolutely pathetic with how much they scrambled trying to impress the MC and do little favors for them. They would collect notes for them or conveniently find the pen MC had lost in their shared Spellcasting Class. It was all harmless to him at first until Lucifer started to notice one Lesser Demon in particular kept popping up almost like clock-work.

Lucifer brushed it off as a fragile budding friendship until MC started to look at the other demon with bright smiles and their eyes would shift to the demon in fleeting glances. No reason to get bent up by MC having a crush but the Lesser Demon appeared to have started to notice and was getting a bit too cocksure about their advantage. They would soon be found hanging around MC more than Mammon.

Usually MC would wait outside the student council office for him to get out when his workload wasn’t too hectic but soon it became both MC and the Lesser Demon. After a few times of Lucifer’s alone time with the human being interrupted by the other demon trying to lay on some thinly veiled praises to his hard work, Lucifer was getting irritated. The Lesser Demon would walk between Lucifer and MC and would sometimes not even give MC enough space in the hallways to walk side by side with them, leaving them to lag behind. MC would always hang on the Lesser Demon’s every word and wild gestures but not once did the demon look in their direction or give them time to speak.

One day, when Lucifer walked out of the student council room, it was only the Lesser Demon waiting for him. He asked where MC was and the other demon had the gall to say that the MC suddenly had an errand to run and could not make it. The Lesser Demon then started to commend Lucifer on putting up with such a weak human and how much self-control he had not to just consume them with how blindly trusting they were. Rather or not MC genuinely had errands to run that day or they were sent away to get something this demon wanted in an attempt to get Lucifer alone, the Avatar of Pride was not going to let this opportunity pass to get rid of some of the more annoying pest that have clung to him recently.

“You are correct. It is quite hard to hold back. You may understand more than anybody how irritating it is when you are being bombarded by demons that do not know their place trying to take advantage of Lord Diavolo’s exchange student. Or rather, I’m I speaking more from a personal experience?”

Lucifer takes a sickly amount of pleasure from watching the color drain from the Lesser Demon’s face as they try to stammer out excuses about having to find the MC to help them with their errands. The Lesser Demon does not get very far at all before being strangled by Lucifer in his full demon form and teleported to the dungeons where their screams echoed off the walls but nobody outside could hear.

The next day, Lucifer informed the MC about their little demon friend having to go to the countryside to take care of some family business and had to drop out of RAD. Rather or not MC knows enough about the Lesser Demon to know that would be a lie, Lucifer did not care. MC can heal from a little broken heart but the Lesser Demon will have a hard time healing from being torn limb from limb. It is so much easier to concentrate with one less fly buzzing around and it would seem like the other Lesser Demons picked up on the warning without him having to hang the corpse up from the rafters.

Mammon

Mammon was used to people and demons alike wanting things from him. He was The Great Mammon and despite his attitude, he was really strong. There is a reason why so many witches want to do things for him or let him “borrow” something from them. They want to be repaid tenfold but too bad because Mammon owes nobody nothing!

Now, one thing that Mammon will have to begrudgingly admit is that he likes hanging out with MC almost as much as he likes getting expensive items and Grimm. So it comes to no surprise when a Lesser Demon first tried to spend time with the MC when they were already going to spend the whole day with him, although he didn’t tell them that, he was throwing a mini tantrum. The dumb demon had approached you both while at the cafeteria and asked to sit with you all. MC was way too nice sometimes and readily agreed and so now Mammon had to share.

Mammon’s tune quickly changed when the Lesser Demon nonchalantly gave both him and the MC some gold earrings that they claimed they bought on accident and couldn’t return. Ah, well, who was Mammon but a generous demon for taking these off their hands. And the gifts didn’t stop. Each day, Mammon was slowly losing his precious alone time with the MC but he was gaining so many luxury gifts and trinkets that he didn’t notice anything amiss right away.

The Lesser Demon was always around whenever Mammon and the MC were together and they all started to get closer. Soon enough, when MC and Mammon were hanging out in his room one day after pretending to study and just laughing at videos on DevilTube, MC said they may actually like the Lesser Demon. Like, like like the demon?!

The two actually agreed to hang out that coming weekend and MC was super excited. This was the first demon outside of the student council that they have really interacted with and they were a bit nervous to see how things panned out. MC asked Mammon to kindly not try to tag along so that maybe they can move the relationship forward into something a little more than just friends.

Mammon was trying to act like he didn’t really care that the MC had a date but then he started to fidget around and couldn’t focus on the funny videos. Why would they decide spending time with the Lesser Demon was better than spending time with him? Sure, they gave some really awesome stuff away but he is pretty sure he can get more Grimm in a night at the casino than the Lesser Demon could earn in a year!....Maybe it wasn’t about the money though.

The day of the date, Mammon followed MC, ya know, to make sure that they were safe. Mammon peaked at the Lesser Demon and MC from his spot in the bushes at the public park and watched. MC walked up to the waiting demon and looked to be pretty excited judging from the large smile on their face. The Lesser Demon doesn’t really acknowledge them at first and keeps looking around searching for something. When the MC appear to speak again, the Lesser Demon’s face seems to contort out of its friendly façade and into one of irritation before they push a wrapped gift into the MC’s chest rather hard and walk away.

Mammon was rightly mad about the Lesser Demon just leaving the MC and decides to swoop in and save the day. He casually walks by the meeting place and “happens” to run into the MC. MC appears like they aren’t that surprised to see him but hands him the wrapped gift that Lesser Demon gave them with slightly watery eyes and says it was actually a gift for him. Mammon is too mad and busy sorting out his feelings about the MC possibly being ditched in hopes that he would show up, that he had to quickly remove himself with the excuse that he was going to run to catch up with the Lesser Demon and thank them for the present.

Mammon was unnaturally quick with how fast he ran after the other demon. He was sure the MC was out of sight before grabbing the demon and forcefully shoving the small, palm sized wrapped box into the Lesser Demon’s mouth, as far down the throat as he could get it while the other demon struggled against the assault and for air. When Mammon was satisfied about not even being able to see the present from the entrance of the demon’s mouth and the throat was expanded unnaturally, he rushed back to the MC’s side and offered to get them some ice cream, his treat...this time. If the MC wonders why the Lesser Demon suddenly stopped showing up at school, Mammon just said their luck ran out at the casino or something and they were too embarrassed to come back to RAD.

Satan

Satan is not very approachable to the average demon. He was polite, smart, snarky, and an unabashed animal lover, but not approachable. Maybe it had to do with him being the Avatar of Wrath or it can be because he would sometimes treat the demons around him more like lab rats than individuals. He was a gentleman though and it was fairly easy to build up some sort of rapport with him if a demon had a great thirst for knowledge and knew how to stay out of the way when his patience thinned. 

MC was one of those rare instances where he did not seem to expect for them to understand the finer workings of a particular particle spell to get his respect and it would seem other demons have taken notice. Satan enjoyed the quiet moments where he and the MC would spend hours reading their respective books in the royal library or when they would visit one of the local cat cafes and have laps full of lazy little kittens. The tranquility did not last forever it would seem because a few demons suddenly appear to think that they have what it takes to approach him.

Things were innocent enough. MC had texted Stan ahead of time that some Lesser Demon in their Potions class was really struggling and had begged to study with them to ace the next exam. It would come to no surprise that MC’s grades improved thanks to Satan’s meticulous note taking so the MC thought that he could help the Lesser Demon as well. Plus, the MC seemed a bit desperate to make some friends outside of the circle they found themselves forced into. Satan begrudgingly agreed. It was only an hour or two and he can still get some time in with MC away from his brothers afterwards.

The. Demon. Will. Not. Leave. Satan is practically grinding his teeth with how close the Lesser Demon decided to sit to him at the study table, spouting nonsense about having poor vision. Demons don’t even need eye corrective measures! MC bought the flimsy excuse though and was trying their best to quiz the Lesser Demon on material they went over in class. The other demon was doing suspiciously well answering the questions for a demon worried about their grades. When it was the MC’s turn to answer the questions on the cue cards, the Lesser Demon was being unnecessarily harsh. They wouldn’t give the MC enough time to reply before blurting out the answer or would snidely elaborate on certain topics well past the scope of the exam needed when the MC was able to speak in time.

Satan was trying to not cause a scene in the library but he could feel his resolve cracking. What made matters worse were the little glances the Lesser Demon would give him out of the corners of their eyes whenever they found themselves able to spew out more information about subjects. The more the Lesser Demon talked, the more MC seemed to shrink in on themselves and the Lesser Demon appeared to be getting some sort of pleasure out of it. Could this dimwit of a demon not feel the temperature of the room start to plummet?

Satan had to excuse himself from the library to catch his breath and walked down the halls for a bit to calm his nerves. He was on high alert so he wasn’t all that surprised when he heard footsteps try to quickly catch up with him before someone gently grabbed his elbow. He didn’t lash out because he recognized the sound of the MC approaching well before they caught up to him. He turned around to face them just to see the MC looking off to the side looking a bit embarrassed. They quietly explain that they were trying to impress the Lesser Demon with their knowledge of Potions but it did not appear to be going all that well.

Satan gave off a bit of an irritated snort but it wasn’t directed at the MC. Of course he could tell that the MC was trying to show off but the Lesser Demon seemed set on trying to make an idiot out of them. MC is way too kind and trusting to know when some demon was blatantly being malicious and trying to use them to make themselves look good. So Satan decided against fighting his sin and was going to release some steam. He told the MC he was going to get their stuff from the library really quick and they can head to the cat café to help unwind after a productive study session. “Wait just a moment, please, MC”.

When Satan stormed back into the library, his demon form was on full display. Not that it would serve as much of a warning to the Lesser Demon when Satan immediately captures them and uses his claws to gouge their eyes. While the other demon was wailing and crying about their eyes, he got fed up and threw them out one of the giant stained glass windows. The other demon should’ve known better than to cause such a ruckus in the library. When Satan met the MC in the hallway with both their stuff and without the Lesser Demon, he said that the other demon decided to drop out of RAD suddenly because they could not keep up with the studies. Suspicious? Yes. Does he care? Not particularly...

-----

Did I need to describe the violence? No. But these guys are demons so I feel like making them not so friendly sometimes. Please keep an eye out for part 2-Leo

Part 2 found here

[shadowsinger11]

Inspiration

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader

Requested by anon: Could you do a Fred Weasley imagine where he falls in love with Harry’s younger sister. (Maybe a after the war where he lives)

Word Count: 3.3k (my hand slipped oops)

Genre: Fluff, childhood friends to lovers, mutual pining etc.

Warnings: Slight innuendo, Fred being cute and hot simultaneously

Tags: @self-ship-love @susceptible-but-siriusexual @hufflexpuff @neovannii @jenniweasley @elf-punk @heart-of-tempered-steel @itseatyourdamnapples

Message me if you'd like to be added!

Masterlist

Ottery St Catchpole, Devon, England, July 16, 2000

It was a chilly Sunday evening. The summer air buzzed with excitement and the tender aroma of magnolia as tiny white and pink petals were gracefully falling from the huge cherry trees, carried by the light breeze. Twilight painted the horizon in liquid gold and fiery red, soon followed by mellow shades of dark blue that brought countless sparkling stars.

It was getting the slightest bit colder, but it did not matter; nothing else mattered but the loud cheers and cheerful music, celebrating the official bond between a Potter and a Weasley under the wide night sky.

You couldn't have been happier for your older brother, Harry, who was currently dancing with Ginny, his now wife - now and for the rest of his, hopefully, but not really likely, peaceful life. For the longest time you've been wondering how he'd always manage to get into trouble even as a small First year with no experience in the wizarding world whatsoever. Or, perhaps, that was the exact reason as to why evil-battling and rule-breaking were such common practices when hanging out with him.

However, there was no fighting that day. There was no room for worry and fear when the entire Weasley family and their loved ones were gathered on the clearing in front of the Burrow, chatting, laughing, dancing, singing, drinking, celebrating and living for what seemed to be the first time since Lord Voldemort's fall. Danger was practically nonexistent in that blissful moment which was frozen in time, once having looked agonizingly distant and impossible to hope for. But that dream was no longer just a foolish fantasy to heal wounded hearts. It was there, and it was happening in the most beautiful way imaginable.

And suddenly, all those clichés of a married life weren't even clichés. They were simply humble wishes of people who had witnessed far too many horrors in such a short period of time, and only craved stability among the massive chaos. So when you glanced at Ginny, a twirling blur of flaming red hair and a gorgeous wedding dress, you didn't feel the need to comment on how banal the color white was. You genuinely smiled, admiring the pure, exuberant joy, visible in her eyes and scarlet cheeks. Harry looked just as, if not even happier than his wife, dancing in the ridiculous but wholehearted way that only he could, and old memories of him winning the golden egg, training Dumbledore's Army and kissing Ginny in the common room for the very first time flooded into your mind.

It had truly been a long time since you had seen Harry careless and free like that.

You yourself had spent an ungodly amount of hours preparing the yard for the ceremony all day; rearranging chairs, decorating, making sure everything was going by schedule, only to then dance your tired feet off, and though you wanted to continue having fun with Hermione, Luna and the rest of the girls waiting for you, you really needed a break. And a drink.

Excusing yourself to leave the particularly interesting conversation you were having with distant Weasley relatives, you slipped off your black flats that, despite looking absolutely stunning, hurt your feet terribly after an entire day of fussing over the color of napkins and flower bouquets. Barefoot on the grass, you walked over to a chair next to a table which seemed to have been occupied, but judging by the mostly empty glasses and plates, the guests weren't coming back anytime soon.

You tossed your shoes aside with a sigh and rushed to rub your aching toes, hissing from how sore they were.

How has Ginny been dancing like that for hours?

"Enjoying the party, I see?" a familiar deep, slightly husky voice commented, causing you to look up.

It was none other than Fred Weasley, dear friend from childhood, staring down at you, his ever-present charming smirk resting on features and hands shoved into the pockets of his dragonskin suit. But it was his flaming red hair that made your eyes widen - it was carefully smoothed back, shining under the moonlight like liquid iron.

Fred's eyes still contained their famous, loveable mischief, except now slightly tamer and calmer. His firm biceps had visibly grown in size, stretching out the fabric of his coat just a bit to give you a prominent silhouette that caught you off guard.

It had been two years; he had changed so much.

And you were afraid to admit you had too.

You blinked in surprise, processing his uncharacteristically sophisticated appearance before realizing what he had asked you.

"Would've enjoyed it far more if my legs weren't killing me," you groaned half-heartedly and leaned back on your chair. "What's with your hair?"

"What's with your feet?"

"I asked you first," you cut him off. "I bet Ginny is responsible for this."

"Actually…" Fred trailed off, and, whether on purpose or not, ran a hand through the ginger locks to keep them in place, unaware of how you suddenly wished the hand doing the graceful motion wasn't his. "Mum insisted that I looked my best. What can I say, it's not like George and I usually listen to her, but we thought we'd make an exception this time; our sister doesn't get married every day. But honestly, Ginny couldn't care less about how we looked as long we showed up."

"So like usual, you mean?" you giggled. "Showing up is an achievement for you even if you're underdressed?"

Fred beamed, pearly white smile complementing his formal outfit. You wondered if he used that exact smile to effortlessly allure costumers and business partners at work.

He rested an elbow on the table as he leaned forward.

"Come on now, darling. I know you find my messy hair irresistible either way."

His cockiness only caused you to laugh, though Fred was quick to spot the flash of nervousness in your eyes; it brought him immense pride to know he was the one to turn you from confident to adorably bashful and flustered in the matter of seconds.

He was looking at you intensely, expectantly waiting for you to deny his flirty accusation despite your shyness.

"Nah, Weasley. It only reminds me that even at twenty-two you still do not know how to use a comb."

Fred's eyebrows shot straight up to his hairline, mouth agape. For the first time, he actually needed a second to form a reply.

"Didn't see that coming, I give you that. Courageous one, you are."

Your heart fluttered with joy and you openly grinned, shrugging in half-hearted humbleness.

"Perhaps I am."

Speaking to him felt unusually energizing, as though you had jumped headfirst into a chilly lake. It was unfamiliar and it set your nerves on fire, causing your stomach to twist and turn with sensations that left you dizzy, but unbelievably thrilled. And you wanted more of it, you wanted more of him.

"Fancy a drink?" Fred offered, already pouring champagne into a glass before handing it to you, and you keenly took it.

"Thanks, I've been thirsty with all the preparations I was doing."

"Is that why your legs are killing you?"

"Exactly, I've been running around all day, making sure everything was in order… you know, a lot of organizing and the like."

"It must hurt quite a bit then," Fred commented with a pained grimace. "But I absolutely get you, Georgie and I are just like that when it comes to the shop. It's a lot of accounting if I'm being honest, though I admit he's way better at it. We need to be completely precise; we can't allow any mistakes."

"Woah," you laughed. "Control freak much?"

He wettened his lips, never breaking eye contact.

"Perhaps I am."

You tilted your head to the side, gaze piercing into his in hopes of finding out what those gorgeous brown eyes were hiding. The tiny playful flames in them were eloquent.

Shifting slightly in your seat, you smoothed out your bridesmaid dress and raised your glass, the ghost of a smirk playing on your lips.

"Cheers to us control freaks then."

Fred mirrored your smug expression and your glasses met with a clink. The bubbly liquid tingled your throat, undoubtedly refreshing you and cooling you off. You glanced at the people dancing in the centre of the clearing and giggled - Ginny had apparently thrown away her white shoes long ago, bare feet stepping elegantly on the grass.

"You see, I'd like to chat a bit more with you, but I'm afraid it's a bit too loud here. What about we go to the pond across the field?" Fred suggested, pointing at the woods behind his back. You had visited them countless times when staying with Harry at the Burrow during holidays years ago; the tall trees and the glistening waters had never ceased to bring you comfort.

The noise started to become bothersome, and you felt it even more necessary to continue your conversation somewhere private, the unknown causing butterflies to erupt in your stomach. Fred's presence could only be compared to a shot of whiskey, or the sensation of anticipating a tidal wave to crash into you in less than a second. It was wild and the tiniest bit terrifying, but oh so tempting as it pulled you in.

"I'd love that, but… you know," you grinned and playfully swang your sore feet. "Can't really walk."

But this didn't at all seem like a problem to Fred Weasley who only shrugged and stood up, "You don't have to. I'll carry you."

"Merlin, no! Please, it's not necessary."

Fred frowned, but his confused expression was soon replaced by an amused one.

"You said it yourself that your feet hurt like hell. And even if carrying you around isn't necessary, it doesn't mean I don't want to."

You attempted to tame the butterflies.

"No, no! You seriously don't have to, I promise," you frantically protested as you held up your hands in front of you to reassure him, but he only gave you a weird look. "I can walk on my own. I'll be too heavy for you."

"There's only one way to find out."

Fred walked over to you and leaned down, one hand sneaking around your waist and the other slipping under your knees. You shrieked in terror, arms flying to clutch at his shoulders, and heat rose to your cheeks from the abrupt contact. Your chests were pressed together, and you were afraid he'd be able to feel your racing heart. His skin was warmer than you had thought, and it successfully fought off the night summer chill.

"Are we going?" Fred whispered down at you, lips so close to yours that you recognized the nuance of champagne in his breath, mixing unbelievably well with the scent of cinnamon and sandalwood of his cologne.

Not only is he sinfully attractive, but he smells heavenly too?

"Yes," you breathed and let Fred effortlessly walk across the meadow with you in his arms. They brought this new, odd, yet familiar sense of security, and you allowed your head to rest against his chest, nervous gaze wandering off into the distance in hopes of not meeting his. Nevertheless, curiosity eventually took the best of you, and your eyes would occasionally flicker to his, which were now completely black under the night sky. They could swallow you whole, you swore.

Minutes later, you found yourselves in the company of old, enormous willows which surrounded the pond you so vividly remembered from your teenage years. You thanked Fred as he carefully let you down, and took a few steps forward to look around and drench in the misty moonlight that enveloped the area. The waters were crystal clear and completely still, reflecting the moon and its majestic silver glow. The bushes had grown significantly over the time you were away, and you fondly looked back at the moments when you would pick up colorful wildflowers in the summer before your fourth year.

"Shall we sit?" Fred asked quietly from right behind your shoulder, and you followed him with a nod. You found a comfortable spot on the fresh grass to sit, a few feet away from where the water met the soil and moved back and forth ever so slightly.

"It's more beautiful than I remember," you noted, lips curled up in a barely visible smile. Fred hummed in agreement.

"That's why I always make sure to come here every chance I get when I return. But, unfortunately, that's very rare in my case."

For a moment, there was only the chirping of crickets and the soft bubbling of water.

Fred turned to you.

"Remember when mum used to call for us to de-gnome the garden and we'd hide here? We could stay in the bushes for hours before we eventually came back," he recalled, seeming deep in thought. It was an extraordinary sight; for once the playful spark in his eyes was more mellow, there was no cockiness seeping into the way he was holding himself. He was just Fred, the man who was currently thinking with so much adoration and love about his childhood, the most significant memories of it being marked by you.

You wondered, given you ever had the chance to spend with Fred as much time as your older brother did, if the charismatic prankster would have fallen for you like you had done. You wondered, given the chance you had let Fred get to know you better all those summers ago, if his heart would have belonged to you by now just like yours did to him.

Had you possibly missed your chance?

"Oh, I do," you sighed, the tension in your chest vanishing as warm nostalgia crept in like an old friend. "I also remember when I got this really bad nightmare that night. I was so terrified that you took me on a ride with your broom in the middle of the night to cheer me up."

"That's true! My parents don't know about it to this day," he replied smugly. "I can still hear you screaming like a lunatic."

You jokingly smacked his arm, "I was twelve!"

Fred's grin grew wider.

"Excuses…"

This only caused you to stare at him in disbelief and cross your arms, managing your most serious expression, but Fred was aware you were on the verge of failing to keep your stern facade. He squinted his eyes as a teasing attempt to provoke you, smile threatening to split his face in two.

"Alright then, that's enough about me," you announced, and Fred nodded in mock agreement as he studied your playful pretence. "If you're so much better than me, Mr Darcy, what else do you do aside from stealing ladies away?"

"Stealing their hearts," he said confidently, flashing you a seductive smirk, reserved only for special girls back in your Hogwarts days. You giggled, finding his antic utterly ridiculous, but you hated to admit that it still turned your blood into liquid fire. Fred apparently saw right through you, because when your eyes landed on his, they appeared completely dark once again, but, you suspected, for a reason other than the lack of light.

Your throat went dry, and you found it hard to swallow down the lump that cut your breath short.

He ran a hand through his ginger hair as he began to explain, "I'm kidding, you know. But to answer your question, George and I have been working on this potion that should be able to change the color of the eyes and hair. Fun for those who enjoy experimenting with their appearance, but it can also be useful to the Ministry. They're actually going to send a team of a couple of aurors to visit us next month so we can update them on our progress and negotiate the details."

"Wow! That's certainly exciting!"

"Is it? I mean, it probably is, but I've been having second thoughts lately if I'm being honest." He scratched the back of his neck, and you realised you had only witnessed him being anxious when it came to his greatest passion. "I'm afraid we might not be done on time, there's still plenty left to improve."

You put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, and said, "I'm sure you'll figure it all out eventually. Keep working as you normally do, try not to stress too much over the deadline, and even if things go wrong at some point, don't go too hard on yourself. It wouldn't take away any progress you've made so far."

Fred's body relaxed just a bit and he looked down at you. He couldn't deny the sense of serenity that he felt only when he was with you. Even as a careless young boy, he was able to pinpoint the way his midriff would clench every time you'd laugh at his jokes or ask him to play with you, without knowing what it all meant.

But now, as a grown man, he had a word to describe the bittersweet fire within.

"You know what?" He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. "I could really benefit from having someone like you around to give me motivation."

"Motivation, huh?" you raised an eyebrow, fighting back a smile. Fred sneaked a hand around your waist and pulled you closer.

"Yes, motivation."

"Motivation for what?"

"Marketing strategies, work projects…" he shrugged nonchalantly, "...among other things."

You quickly caught on, suddenly becoming way too self-aware of the way you were practically cuddled into Fred's side, hand resting on his shoulder while his were wrapped around your waist. But his shining confidence seemed to rub off on you, because you asked.

"What's with you offering me a job all of a sudden?"

His bottom lip was tucked between his teeth as he took his sweet time devouring you with his darkened gaze. You didn't know whether you wanted to hide from it, or expose yourself even further to the way it burned its way straight to your core.

"Well…" Fred dragged out in his low, hoarse voice, and caressed your cheek with his thumb before slipping it under your chin to guide it towards his face. You could nearly taste the remaining flavour of champagne on his lips. "I've certainly been feeling…"

Fred went quiet as he got lost in the way you fit so perfectly in his arms; you had always meant to be there, he realised. His mouth crashed into yours, hands tightly gripping your waist, and you let out a gasp. Fred's lips were soft, although slightly chapped, and they moved gently but firmly against yours, turning you into their slave. Your palms naturally slid up his chest and he closed any remaining distance between your bodies by placing you to straddle his lap. The kiss was a dance of pushing forward and pulling back, two lovers having finally found their rhythm after years of living in fearful desire. You were positively drunk on his taste, on him, and you wished to never become sober.

When your need for air overcame the one for physical contact, you pulled away. Your chests were heaving with rapid, shallow breaths, hearts beating in synch like they had always done. You let a finger tenderly trace his cheekbone down to his jawline, then it came back up to draw different affectionate patterns on his face.

"What were you saying?" you asked, clearly out of breath. "How were you feeling?"

He fondly took your hand that was caressing his skin, and lifted it up to press feather-light kisses on your knuckles. His lips retraced their path until they reached the tips of your fingers, and he kissed those with the gentlest of touch.

You heart ached pleasurably from the way he was handling you with such care, much more than you ever believed he was capable of.

After minutes of worshipping you by the moonlit lake, Fred looked back at you as though you were his entire world. And replied with a smile.

"Inspired."

Reblogs and feedback are greatly appreciated!

Masterlist

[captains-simp]

Valkyrie ~ Queen's Stress Relief

Valkyrie X fem!Reader Smut

Word Count: 2,752

Includes: established fwb (kinda) relationship, dom!Valkyrie, spanking, degrading, oral and strap on

[ masterlist ]

Buy me a coffee ☕

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Everyone knew that being the Queen of Asgard was no doubt a very stressful job.

On the good days it consisted of settling petty debates very few people cared about. On the bad days it including making hard decisions that could lead to some sleepless nights.

Valkyrie excelled at the role of Queen, just as everyone predicted. But despite this the stress of the job could sometimes get to her.

To her people she was a fearless leader who was firm but fair, never failing to do right by them. But you saw past the sterdy walls she had built. You knew she hated when there were things that were just out of her control. So you tried to help your Queen in anyway you could.

It was an arrangement. That was what you had offered. When things became tough and she needed something to take her mind off of her responsibilities, you would be there.

Granted, it was mainly just sex. A way for Valkyrie to regain some form of control and have something to provide her with a kind of stress relief. Something to give her full, undivided attention to. Moments in which it felt as though you too were the only ones that existed in the world.

But as you spent longer around your Queen you found yourself helping her in other ways. She never kicked you out after sex, so you prepared meals for her when you knew she wasn't eating. You put things away when her house was becoming cluttered. You ran small errands for her so she had time for more important things. You did everything you could.

All she had to do was send a quick text. Your job at the town pub hardly took up much of your time and allowed for you to be at Valkyrie's beck and call, not that your arrangement was all that regular. She rarely had the time and a quickie wouldn't cut it.

You never asked questions about what was on her mind. That wasn't what you had offered and you knew she would have denied the arrangement if that was what you had pitched. She appreciated that you understood that. But that didn't stop you from subtly dropping that you were a great listener every now and then. She always smiled at that.

It was late on a Friday night. You had just finished covering a shift for a friend at the bar and decided to walk the long way home on that particularly quiet night, catching a glimpse of the sun setting over the calm sea.

There were a lot of bonuses to living in an asgardian village, one of which was never having to worry about not being safe in the town. You could stroll through it at midnight without a single concern, never once considering who or what was lurking in the shadows. So it was baffling to hear that the rest of Earth wasn't the same way and that people didn't feel safe walking alone so late.

Your phone buzzed from your jacket pocket so you went to look at it without hesitation. You smiled as you saw it was a message from Valkyrie.

It's been a while, want to come over? It read. You agreed instantly and altered your course to head towards Valkyrie's house in the middle of town.

It had been a while. You'd be lying if you said you didn't miss it. Miss her.

You arrived at the Queen's house in no time, probably aided by the fact you had half skipped most of the way, and tapped at the door three times.

Valkyrie answered in less than 10 seconds and looked as beautiful as ever.

She wore her lazy day outfit that you thought always made her look so warm and inviting, like you would be able to stay in her embrace for hours on end. You knew you shouldn't think like that. Shouldn't make up scenarios, no matter how short, about your Queen. But scolding yourself never stopped the thoughts.

"Hey." Valkyrie greeted with a small smile.

"Hey." You smiled brightly, looking more excited than you had planned to let show. Valkyrie didn't notice though, and if she did she didn't say it.

You glanced up at her mesmerizing brown eyes to see her looking at you with that 'I know you're not paying attention' look that always made you weak at the knees.

"I'm sorry." You muttered, realizing she had told you to come in.

"Long night?" She enquired, it was the only sort of small talk that would happen.

You hummed in response as she placing her hand on your lower back over your jacket and pushed you lightly in the direction of her room.

Despite knowing the layout of her house as well as your own, you let Valkyrie guide you through her home silently, too focused on the light touch of her hand on your back to think of anything to say and barely taking in your surroundings. It wasn't an awkward silence, but one filled with tension.

You were vaguely aware of going through the living room and arriving at the foot of the stairs. Her hand left your back and your body yearned for it to come back.

Instead, she called over her shoulder as she continued towards the kitchen counter. "Upstairs." Was all she said. 

You took the stairs two, sometimes three, at a time and almost leapt in Valkyirie's room.

Nothing had changed since you had last been there. Different clothes were scattered across the floor and you spied a couple of empty beer bottles next to the bin, but over all she was doing well. Her King sized bed looked as inviting as ever and you were quick to scramble onto it and place your jacket on the chair near the bed.

You smiled to yourself as you undid the button and zip of your jeans and lowered them slightly. Valkyrie's steps were heard on the stairs so you leant back on your hands and tried to paste an unreadable expression on your face.

She strolled back over to you, her eyes never leaving your own, as she came to kneel on the bed and parted your legs, crawling slightly to meet you all while you held your breath.

Her hand trailed up your jean clad legs and came to rest on the zipper that you had undone yourself. Valkyrie hummed as her fingers slipped between the zips to brush against the thin fabric of your panties.

"Someone's impatient." Valkyrie stated more to herself than you. She gripped your hips suddenly and flipped your whole body onto your front as though she was turning over a piece of paper.

Just as you pictured how her muscles might have strained a little under her jumper you were snapped out of your thoughts when you felt a harsh smack against your ass. You moaned slightly as you jolted forward, not expecting the motion but definetly being aroused by it.

"I haven't even taken your jeans off yet." Valkyrie chuckled as she pressed herself against your back and breathed lightly on your neck. You arched your neck slightly in an automatic response to her close proximity and felt her hands snake around your stomach.

Her hand caressed the bare skin of your stomach, relishing in the way your slight stomach muscles tightened at her touch. They then wandering down to the hem of your jeans again.

"I bet you'll look so weak below me when there's nothing between us." She husked as she bit your earlobe and unzipped your jeans.

That was something Valkyrie always liked to do. Act like she didn't know exactly how these nights would play out. Like she hadn't memorised every inch of you. Like she didn't know the ways she could pleasure you and how much she enjoyed doing so.

You couldn't form a response to her words and only tilted your neck more for her in a hopeful attempt to have her attention there. You were glad to feel the sensitive skin being met with her warm, soft lips.

As she kissed and sucked on patches of skin along your, neck her fingers slipped into your jeans and didn't hesitate to rub your lower lips over your soaking panties.

"Such a needy slut, desperate for my touch." You moaned quietly in response and closed your eyes to the feeling if your wetness spreading.

Valkyrie was holding you down by the space between your shoulder blades while her fingers altered to massaging slow circles against your clit.

You bit back a moan at the sensation, almost wanting to speak up and ask her to remove the barrier. Valkyrie always wanted to do things at her pace, which could drastically vary from one time you see her to the next.

She pulled down your jeans and tossed them across the room before lifting your ass up into the air and taking your ruined panties off too.

You turned around to catch a glimpse of her but was met with one of her warning glares that sent shivers down your spine that never failed to rest between your legs.

"Look forward." Valkyrie ordered as she rubbed the smooth skin beneath your panties. "And count." She finished.

Just as you registered what she was saying you felt a sting across your ass and a loud smacking sound echoing throughout the room.

"One!" You moaned out and pressed your head against the sheets. Valkyrie didn't give any kind of recognition before bringing her hand down harshly across your ass again. You whimpered slightly as you managed to speak again.

"Two." More of a whisper this time. It wasn't common for Valkyrie to spank you, in fact it was rare. It meant something hadn't gone her way

"God you're such a slut for pain." She spat with a smirk. "You're going to be a mess in no time." The degrading backed up your theory. Not that you were complaining, just a little worried. You would try your luck with talking to her later.

She spanked you again, just as hard as the previous two but hurting more due to your fragile skin. As much as you loved what she was doing, it hadn't happened in a long time so your tollerence to it was nowhere near what it once was. You couldn't help but be filled with excitement at the thought, having craves that kind of pain for a while.

"Three!" You moaned into the sheets.

Valkyrie continued this unrelenting for 20 hits before rubbing your ass soothingly and soaking up the view of you exposed glistening folds.

"Such a predictable whore." Valkyrie said coldly. You blushed deeply at her words, your core squeezing around nothing in response. Of course, with your luck, she noticed.

"Oh? You like it when I treat you like the pathetic little slut you are?" You moaned out into the sheets from arousal, but this wasn't what she wanted. "Answer me." She demanded and pulled your hair back roughly to force you to look at her.

"Yes...! I love it." You admitted and felt yourself gush with wetness at the feeling of her fingers trailing lightly over your folds.

She flipped you back onto your back and aching ass before kneeling down infront of you, maintaining eye contact as she licked a strip through your folds.

You moaned and arched my back the moment her tongue made contact, feeling the older woman smirk against you and hum softly.

She wrapped her full lips around your clit and sucked eagerly. You continued to moan breathlessly at the action and felt a knock immediately grow in your abdomen the longer she sucked the sensitive bud. She dipped her tongue into your folds to taste your juices and moaned against you. The vibrations made you shudder in the most unsubtle way possible.

Her tongue sunk further into your weeping channel and you found yourself gripping the sheets beneath you even tighter, your knuckles soon turning white with every passing moment of having Valkyrie's tongue inside you.

"Mistress! I'm gonna-"

"Not yet." Valkyrie said clearly as she leaned back. You should have been glad at that, knowing you would have been embarrassed if she had made you cum so quickly.

And yet, you were still about to whine in displeasure until I saw her throw her sweatpants across the room to join your own discarded clothes. She stared into your eyes as she did so and revealed to you the strap she had been packing.

The sight of the strap firmly attached to the harness that clung to your Queen's curves made you want her all the more.

Valkyrie returned to the bed where she swiftly straddled your sides before taking your top off. She reached back to unhooking your bra and didn't suppress the pleased smile on her lips. 

She leaned down to kiss the areas around your nipples and occasionally nipped and sucked on small patches of skin. I moaned lightly at her actions and closed your eyes with a smile. You wanted to grip her hair to push her to actually giving your nipples attention and eventually further down, but you didn't dare.

You sensed the older woman's hips shift on you and brush her strap against your throbbing clit. You whined lowly at the teasing feeling across your body.

She finally captured one of your nipples in her mouth and swirled her tongue over it. You gasped out at the sensation, even more so when she pinched the other nipple between her thumb and forefinger.

The older woman kissed up your neck again as the strap parted your folds for her. Valkyrie pushed onwards and very soon the tip of the strap sunk itself into your wet channel.

You moaned at the feeling of Valkyrie filling you up quickly and without hesitation. You clenched around the invader as she pushed onwards and stretched you to accommodate the girthy strap.

"Your cunt takes my strap so well, baby." Valkyrie moaned above you as her hands moved to either side of your head, her face inches from your own and locking you in an unbreakable gaze.

Once she bottomed out with an unexpected force she stilled for a short.moment before retracting her hips and snapping them back in place.

You could even hear the noise of your wet pussy everyone the strap returned to you between the heavy breathing and moaning you couldn't contain.

Being so close to your Queen after all that time made the heat between your legs grow and you knew Valkyrie could pick up on how much you gushed with wetness.

"Oh fuck." You moaned below her as her hips picked up speed. You gripped onto Valkyrie's back like a lifeline and prayed she wouldn't protest. Instead, she took the motion with a new vigour in her ruthless thrusting.

"Mistress!" You moaned louder as you dug your nails into her smooth skin.

"Please...don't stop!" You begged, too engrossed in the pleasure to care how desperate you sounded.

She complied without a word, her hips guiding the strap to mercilessly thrust into you at an overwhelming pace that was nothing short of pure bliss.

"I'm gonna cum." You moaned out, her pace unrelenting and hitting the back of your pussy without fail every time.

"Cum." Was all she said as you came hard on her fake cock, staring into each other's eyes and seeing the immense amount of pleasure you were receiving from your Queen.

She watched as though in a trance as you rode out your hide, clenching desleretlt around the strap as her pace finally slowed and she pulled away, leaving you feeling empty.

Valkyrie handed you a glass of water as she fell down beside you and waited for you to finish. You had expected her to get up and shower like she usually did, but instead Valkyrie wrapped one of her strong arms around your waist, closing her own eyes as she held you close to her. You smiled at the extremly rare gesture.

Sure, the arrangement had started out as just sex. But you had eventually learnt that these affectionate gestures helped your Queen settle her nerves too. It had taken her a long time to display this and it was always very limited. You loved every second of it.

Always willing to provide whatever Valkyire needed and secretly hoped that one day it could grow to become more.

[hangovercurse]

The Things We Can’t Tell Pete About

Pete invites you to meet his friends from The Dirt and makes you promise not to flirt with any of them, which is a lot easier said than done, especially when Colson Baker acts like that.

Request: “Hey so I love all your writing and I just thought you should know that! But also I’d your requests are on still would you mind writing a youre Pete’s little sister but kells got a crush xx”

Colson x reader

Warnings: Drug use, Cursing

A/N: I know, Dom (Yungblud) wrote the song, but also I am the writer and I say that Y/N wrote it :) Anyways, enjoy. This is only part 1 of what is probably going to be a fun, cute lil series. Also thank you to the anon who sent this! You made my day(s)

Word Count: 2411

| ii | iii | iv | v |

masterlist

New York was lonely without your brother. He had been filming in New Orleans for the past three months, leaving you alone. You had some friends, but Pete was your best friend. You were only eight months younger than him and practically attached at the hip. You supposed going through trauma together would do that to people.

He facetimed you all the time from set, updating you on things in his life, showing you cool stuff from the set, and introducing you to his castmates. You had kept him updated on your music, playing him demos of songs you were writing and getting his opinion on them.

Him being away wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it definitely sucked for you. So, when Pete texted you that he was having a few friends from the movie over the night he got back, you were ecstatic.

Before you left your apartment to walk to his, he texted you.

You’re not allowed to flirt with any of my friends

You rolled your eyes as you locked your door, preparing a response.

I’ll try my best

Your phone buzzed seconds later.

I’m serious. I don’t trust any of them with you.

And I don’t need that kind of awkwardness in my life

Like if you date one of my friends and it goes badly

I don’t wanna deal with that shit

You chuckled at his chain of texts.

Don’t flirt with your friends because they’re dicks, got it

Don’t worry bro, I know the sibling code

 You came to find out that that was a lot easier said than done. When you walked into his place, everyone in the room turned to look at you. You recognized most of them from your facetimes with Pete, but you doubted they remembered who you were. One who did remember you was Colson, Pete’s new best friend. He made eye contact with you from across the room, a sly grin on his lips. You sent him a small smile, Pete’s text running through your head briefly.

You found your brother lounging on the couch, a huge grin on his face. He was definitely tripping on mushrooms. “Y/N!” He yelled. “This is my baby sister, everyone.”

You rolled your eyes, walking further into the room, grabbing a drink from the cooler, and taking an empty seat on the opposite couch. “I’m less than a year younger than you, Pete.”

You heard a snicker from the one of the guys, looking over to see Colson covering up the smile on his face. “But you’re still younger than me so it counts.”

Everyone went back to their own conversations, which you were thankful for. “Y/N, you remember Colson, right?” Pete motioned to the blond guy.

“Yeah.” You nodded, looking him up and down. His muscle tank exposed the sleeves of tattoos, which seemed to cover every inch of his skin. “Your hair was different, but yeah I remember you.” You opened the beer on the coffee table, taking a swig.

“You’re the musician, right?” He asked you, leaning back onto the couch.

You nodded, “Aspiring musician but, yeah.”

“Oh, she’s great. You should hear her sometime.” Pete butted in, grinning like an idiot at you.

You rolled your eyes but had a smile on your face. “I work primarily as a songwriter and editor right now, but I’m trying to work on putting out some of my own stuff.”

You felt a little intimidated talking to Machine Gun Kelly about music, seeing as he was one of the best in the industry, but he seemed to be genuinely interested in your work. “Well, if you ever want some help or someone to listen to it, I’d be willing.” He flashed a smile, his bright blue eyes sparkling.

“Thanks, that’s really cool of you.” You bit your lip slightly, trying to hide the fact that you were totally breaking Pete’s rule.

Pete sent a glare your way to which you raised your eyebrow. You weren’t really flirting; you were just… making connections. “Anyways,” he cleared his throat, “I’ve been working on this sketch idea, Y/N, and I need your opinion.”

You nodded, letting him talk. “So, I was thinking like, there’s this guy with posters all over his wall. Like life size posters of a bunch of different people. And he falls asleep while doing homework and he dreams about them coming to life. And it plays out like one of those really bad commercials that encourage kids to stay in school and shit. Like the posters are telling him to study for his test, but then there’s this one poster that’s like, very sexy. And she’s just like, talking about hot dogs and everyone else gets really sick of it and one of the other posters tries to like, tear down her poster or something.”

Throughout his description, you got more and more confused. “Pete, that’s not funny that’s just fuckin weird.” His mouth hung open in shock. “Dude, seriously? The big punchline is the playboy poster girl talking about hot dogs until the other poster people get tired of it?”

“Yes.” Pete said, as if it were obvious. “That’s hilarious.” You glanced at Colson with a questioning look on your face. He seemed as unsure of the joke as you were.

“Pete, man, that’s not your best work.” Colson clapped him on the shoulder and you giggled at Pete’s disappointed expression.

“You guys are mean.” He pouted and you two laughed. “Ok, well, how would you make it funny?”

“I don’t know if you can, bro.” Colson’s laugh was contagious. When he laughed his whole body shook, his feet stomping and everything.

“What are the other posters?” You asked, trying to be supportive but knowing this wouldn’t turn out very good.

“Well, I was thinking maybe one is like a video game character. Like that lady from Wreck-It-Ralph. The mean one. And then like a snowboarder who is definitely high, and someone else, I dunno.” He shrugged, taking a hit from the joint in his hand and passing it to you.

“Okay…” You trailed off, looking at Colson for support. You brought the blunt to your lips, inhaling the smoke and bringing it down, letting the smoke leave your mouth slowly. You passed the joint to Colson, who gladly took it, a smirk on his face.

Pete looked between you two at the small interaction, a frown. “So, the posters,” he brought your attention away from the man again, “they’re all really serious about teaching this dude math. But the hotdog girl just keeps talking about hot dogs in like this really high-pitched voice.”

You watched the smoke fall from Colson’s lips, not fully paying attention to your brother.

“Yeah man, I think that sounds funny.” Colson told Pete, his eyes lingering on you for a little longer than they should have. “It could use some work but if anyone can make it funny, it’s you.” Colson punched your brother on the shoulder, but the look he sent you said the exact opposite.

You held in your giggle, taking another sip of your beer.

The rest of the night followed a similar pattern, you and Colson flirting and Pete trying to get in between you two. At one point, after a few more hits of weed and a couple more drinks, Colson brought out a guitar, insisting you play something for him. Where he got the guitar from, you had no idea, but you didn’t ask questions. Instead, you rolled your eyes, insisting that “if I have to play something, so do you.”

Everyone was too caught up in their own conversations to care about the noise, or too drunk. You started strumming, trying to remember the chords to a song you had started writing a few days ago. “There’s no lyrics yet, just a melody I came up with.” You blushed, feeling very self-conscious suddenly.

“Guess I’ll just free style to it then.” He chuckled as you started to strum, your fingers working the strings like they had your whole life.

The blond man closed his eyes, head nodding as you played and thinking of what to rap.

“Watch me, take a good thing and fuck it all up in one night. Catch me, I’m the one on the run away from the headlights.

No sleep, up all week wastin time with people I don’t like. I think, somethin’s fuckin wrong with me.

You smiled as he sang, watching his expressions change as he tried to think up the next line.

Drown myself in alcohol, that shit never helps at all

I might say some stupid things tonight when you pick up this call

I be hearin silence on the other side for way to long, I can taste it on my tongue, I can tell that somethin’s wrong.”

He opened his eyes, looking rather proud of himself. “I had some of those lyrics already, but I just changed ‘em a little. I really liked that.”

You nodded, “That was impressive.” You smiled, looking back down to the guitar when something hit you.

You began to play the same melody but pitched higher to fit your voice.

“Roll me up, and smoke me love

And we could fly into the night

You take drugs, to let go, and figure it all out on your own

Take drugs, on gravestones, to figure it all out on your own.”

You looked up to Colson, watching his expression change, his eyes wide. Pete had a proud look on his face.

“Pete, you are a sucky hype man. You did her no justice.” Colson hit Pete on the arm.

“Whaddya mean, I told you she was great.”

Colson looked over to you, a stupid smile on his face. “Seriously, that was fucking amazing. Like, we gotta write that shit out some day.”

You bit your lip, trying to stop the blush from reaching your cheeks. “Yeah, that’d be cool.” You were trying your best to keep your cool as Colson kept his gaze on you, but you were completely freaking out on the inside.

A little while later, almost everyone was gone except you, Pete, Colson, and Douglas Booth, who joined your conversation not long after your jam session. Pete let out a yawn, directing your attention to the time.

“Jesus, it’s already 4am?” You asked, a frown on your face.

“Why, you got somewhere to be, darling?” Douglas asked you, your face scrunching up from the nickname.

“I have a writing session at 11 am tomorrow. Or, today, I guess.”

Pete reached out to hit you in the head, playfully, which you dodged. “Go to bed, dummy.”

You shrugged, “I’m gonna be dead at it anyways, might as well keep the party going a little longer.”

Douglas rolled his eyes, patting your shoulder. “Be that as it may, I am ending this party and going home. Goodnight, guys. It was nice meeting you again, Y/N. Good to see you guys.” Douglas and the guys did that little hand slap and hug thing before he left.

“I love you both, but I will also be going to sleep. And you should too.” Pete stood up, stretching his arms out before giving Colson a fist bump and leaving to his bedroom.

Once your older brother left, Colson moved to the couch you were on, his arm falling over your shoulders. You looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. “And how can I help you Mr. Kelly?”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m assuming Pete gave us both very similar talking to’s, given the glares you’ve been receiving all night.”

“You mean the “don’t flirt with my friends” talking to or the other one?” You tilted your head, a sly look on your face.

“That’s the one.” Colson laughed through his nose, an adorable smile on his face. You were both considerably high, but you still knew exactly what you were doing.

You moved closer to Colson’s body, “Well then I guess we’d better not do this.” You said quietly, leaning into him. “Or this,” You grabbed his jaw, inches from his face.

“Or this?” He whispered, connecting your lips. You smiled into the kiss, tasting the weed on his tongue. You adjusted your body so you were facing him, his arm that was once around your shoulder now wrapped around your waist.

His other hand grabbed your leg, pulling you up so you were straddling his lap, and your arms wrapped around his neck. His lips seemed to fit perfectly around yours, and you did all you could to keep yourself from moaning into the kiss as his hand began to travel up your leg.

Realization hit you like a brick wall, and you pulled away, your breathing heavy. “Sorry,” you muttered after a few seconds. You climbed off his lap, smoothing out your shirt. “We shouldn’t do that. I shouldn’t have done that.” You smiled awkwardly down at him.

He nodded, the same realization hitting him. “Yeah, that’s not the best idea. Sorry I wasn’t really thinking.”

You shook your head, cheeks still very red. “No, no, no don’t apologize. It was fine, it’s all fine.”

He nodded, looking down awkwardly. “I should get going.” He stood up, landing a little too close to you.

“Why don’t you just sleep here? Pete won’t mind and it’s a lot easier than going home.” You bit your lip awkwardly, taking a few steps back.

Colson scratched the back of his neck. This was a very different demeanor than he had before, and you found it very cute. “Are you sure?”

You nod. “I’ll get you some blankets and pillows.” You moved towards the guest bedroom, a guilty smile on your face. You moved your hand to your lips, feeling where Colson’s lips had graced you minutes before.

You came back to find Colson laying on the couch, one hand behind his head. “We don’t have to tell Pete about that, right?”

You shook your head, a small smile still playing on your lips. You put the pillow behind his head, watching his eyes as he watched your lips. “Stop looking at me like that or I’ll do something else we can’t tell Pete about.” You said quietly, watching him grin. You pulled the blanket over him, leaning down to be level with his face.

“I kind of like the things we can’t tell Pete about.” Colson chuckled, leaning forward to connect your lips again.

[tpwkay]

Medicine (h.s.)

You’re finally given permission to cover the song you’ve wanted to perform for years and a special surprise during your performance sweeps you off of your feet.

Word count: 11.5k

Rating/warnings: NSFW - A lot of this is plot but there is smut as well. Contains explicit language and consensual sex acts between a man and woman. This is a story written in the 2nd person (“self insert"). This isn’t written to be exclusionary, it’s just my preferred style! Author’s note can be found at the end!

"Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot thank you enough for coming out tonight to listen to me and the band. We've got a couple more songs coming up for you but I just wanted to take a minute to tell y'all how much we appreciate you." You gesture to yourself and the band behind you as the lights on stage come up a bit. "We wouldn't be where we are without your support. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!"

The crowd cheers and you can't help but experience an insurmountable feeling of joy. It never gets old. You'd been in the spotlight for a few years now, already at the end of touring your second album, though the size and scope of venues this time around was much, much larger. There was nothing that compared to being able to sing your own songs and have a crowd of thousands scream them right back at you.

Being an up-and-coming singer and songwriter in the genre of country music hadn't been easy. Girls your type had been a dime a dozen, hoards of Taylor Swift-wannabes covering "Teardrops on My Guitar" during open mic night. You held nothing against them; there was a path to success for everyone, but yours had been, well, different. 

It was a karaoke cover of Brooks & Dunn's "Boot Scootin' Boogie", a song that you'd been singing since you were a toddler, that had gotten you noticed by a recording artist one night while out with your girlfriends, which led you to where you stand now, performing in front of thousands. You were liked for the range of your voice, with it's easy easy transitions from the sounds of pop to country and rock, in addition to the way you performed, and your take-no-shit attitude towards the entirety of the industry. People liked that you were forward and left nothing on the table, though you had to admit that it was mostly an act, a means of coping with the pressure of working your way to the top.

///

"It's refreshing!" Jax, your manager, had shouted one day, arms flailing as you had argued that maybe your attitude was going to get you into trouble one of these days.

"Aren't you, as, you know, my manager, supposed to be the one keeps me in line?"

"You aren't out doing coke, killing anyone, public indecency and all that," he had shrugged. "Far as I'm concerned, you are in line. People talk about you because of your attitude. They like it! They like you. Why is that so hard for you to accept sometimes?"

"Maybe I just haven't been caught doing those things," you grinned, effectively dodging his question. Fame hadn't helped break down the walls that you'd long ago built around yourself. If anything, you had done some reinforcing, built a moat even, in an effort to ensure that you protected yourself from getting too close to anyone that would only end up using you in the end. You had seen the way people in life had been used, and what it ultimately led them to, and you had promised yourself long ago that even if it meant being known as the Boot Scootin' Bitch, you would protect yourself and your heart at all costs. 

"Your momma would tan your hide for much less than any of those, you know. Hell, you should be more afraid of her than you are of me or anyone else… 'cept maybe God."

///

You shake your head, working the memories free from your mind as you grab a bottle of water from the platform on which the drum set rests.

There's one more song of yours to sing before you performed a new cover, the one you had been looking forward to for months. Although you'd gotten permission to perform it not long into the start of your tour, the set list had been rehearsed already and every other detail ironed out around it. You'd convinced Jax and the crew to let you slot it into the last concert of the tour, Austin, Texas. These folks knew their music and for some reason, they liked you so you were thrilled to be able to share something new with the crowd that had welcomed you to their city with open arms. 

You grab your guitar off its stand and slide the strap over your shoulders, adjusting it as you step forwards to the mic stand. A shimmering blue shirt catches your eye in the crowd and you do a double take because surely it can't be Harry because he's—

And it's not him, of course, though the fashion of the gentleman in the pit area would surely catch his eye as well as it's right up his alley. It's not him - it can't be him - because you know exactly where he is right now and it's not in the pit of your Austin performance. 

A grin stretches over your face as you think of him. You strum the first chord of the first song you'd ever written about him, although there had been many more since. He probably knew this one was about him, having come just after your first meeting. 

/// 

A friend of yours was good friends with Kacey, who had been the guest artist that night. Her name had been added to the VIP list and in the summer of 2018, just as you were hitting your own stride in your career, you tagged along with her to Harry Styles' live tour performance in your hometown of Nashville. 

If you were being honest, prior to his concert, you hadn't heard much of his solo work, apart from the various huge hits like his Kiwi or Watermelon Sugar and a few other ballads. You liked his sound, seemingly influenced heavily by rock stars of days past, but you'd had other influences to worry about in your own side of the industry. 

Sure, he had country music connections through the likes of Kacey Musgraves and Cam, and legends like Stevie Nicks, but his pop and soft rock style was pretty far removed from most country playlists that you yourself had graced. Your genres just didn't cross paths and the two of you seemingly operated in different realms of the music industry, topping your own charts and breaking your own peer's records. 

Of course, you hadn't been completely oblivious to The Harry Styles. One Direction had been too big of a deal to ignore and you'd often found yourself bopping along to their old hits, singing along as they played amongst the other nostalgic pop hits to which you listened. 

The concert had been in June, a hot sunny day followed by a perfect breezy evening. Downtown Nashville was always busy, but that night the city seemed to buzz, bright with music and life. After meeting for drinks at Acme on the River, you allowed yourself to luxuriate in getting lost in the crowd that milled about on Broadway. It was a surprising thing to not be recognized in your hometown, but you weren't one to complain about it. It was one reason that you value your time in Nashville over other music-centric cities like Los Angeles - it seemed that people here respected the private lives of musicians. There was an odd fan here and there, but you'd lived a majority of your "famous" life in Nashville in relative peace. 

You were early to the venue, your friend having wanted to have a chance to see Kacey backstage. You were excited to finally meet the star - though you'd been around the block of fame a bit already, there would always be people that you never had an opportunity to meet in passing. You had been greeted at will call and had been led backstage.

The arena was alive with excitement. At that point, you yourself had never toured a venue that large, so the experience of being backstage and seeing the operations first hand were thrilling and a bit overwhelming. In her dressing room, Kacey pulled you straight into a hug, gushing about how excited she was to watch your career take off. She insisted on sharing her personal cell phone number with you, urging you to call her to get together on a collaboration. You were in shock leaving her room, blown away by her kindness and the way the music industry worked in the most bizarre of ways, when you turned a corner and ran smack into a tall, solid, smiling Harry Styles. His arms had come out quickly to steady you on your heels boots. 

"Fuck," you swore, shaking your head at your clumsiness. "I am so sorry. What a great way to introduce myself."

He laughed and the sound flowed through you, warm and sweet like a cup of tea with honey. "Y'alright?" His eyes looked you over, and you couldn't help but notice the way they lingered. 

Your cheeks blushed and a wave of embarrassment washed over you. "I'm the one that should be asking you that. I don't think your adoring fans would be very happy if I took you out with a textbook tackle right before you're due to go on stage." You took a moment to give him the same appreciative glance he had already given you, admiring the way his deep blue custom-beaded suit jacket fell open to reveal a black dress shirt, unbuttoned halfway down his chest. 

"Ah, 'm fine. Lil' thing like you couldn't do too much damage to me, even in those heels. Don't think they'd be very happy though," he said, nodding his head in acknowledgement of the already-rowdy crowd while offering his hand. "I'm Harry."

You laughed as you introduced yourself, shaking his hand. 

"I've heard that name before, but I'm sorry to say that I don't recognize you. You don't seem like one that's easy to forget."

"I sing, write music," you shrugged, not sure how to explain to a superstar that you were on the way up, yet still somewhere much farther down the fame totem pole than him. "Country, mostly. Not sure if that's on your radar."

"The new stuff's not, but I may have to change that." He was tapped by one of the event producers, needed for another pre-show procedure. "Where will you be tonight?" 

"To your right, in the pit."

He smiled and you had almost immediately fallen in love with the crinkles that appeared under the corners of his eyes. "I'll look out for you. It was wonderful meeting you. Oh, shit, wait, just remembered— may I?" he gestured for the phone that was in your hand and you unlocked it before passing it to him. 

You watched as he dialed a number and put the phone to his ear. He paused for a moment before he grinned. "Hi Harry, it's you from before the show. This is a message to remind you to text this number and ask the owner of it out on a date. She's the one with the beautiful smile and great tackling skills. You won"t have forgotten her. 'Kay, bye!"

You laughed at an almost embarrassing volume, blown away by his cheek. 

"Why not ask 'her' out now?" you pondered to him as he handed the phone back.

"What, and risk getting shot down? Wouldn't want to be sad and disappointed through my whole show, now would I?"

"It would make the ballads a bit more emotional," you had reasoned with a grin.

"Ouch! They're already filled with emotion, love. You'll see, I'll sing 'em right to you if I have to. Gotta run, thank you for letting me use your phone, that was a very important message!"

You laughed again as he took off. "Harry!" you had shouted to get his attention in the busy hall. He turned quickly, a small smile on his face. "She definitely won't say no, but you can wait until later to ask if you want to."

His grin stretched wider and he'd pumped a fist in the air before turning and jogging down the hallway. 

You liked to joke with anyone who knew the story that your life had changed that day all because you met Kacey. Which wasn't a complete lie - it had been her dressing room you'd come out of before slamming into Harry in the hallway. 

///

Singing the last lines of one of your songs, your stomach began to flutter in a bit of nervousness and a lot of excitement. Performing the next cover was something you had been looking forward to for months, and the moment that you got to share it with your fans was finally here. 

You retreat from the mic stand to pass your guitar off to a stagehand, taking another sip of water to settle yourself. 

"Doing alright?" Wyatt, your drummer, shouts over the pounding bass drum and you give him a thumbs up before turning back to face the crowd. 

"I've got one more cover to play for y'all tonight," you say, grasping the mic stand to keep your hands from shaking. "I've been working on getting permission to play this one for quite awhile now. I fell in love with it the first time I heard it played and now here I am, performing it for you all. It's an unreleased piece by a very, very good friend of mine, but his performances of it are all over the internet so some of you may know the words. This song is called Medicine."

The song starts out with a steady bass line and the rhythm centers you a bit, steadying any nerves that still linger. The intro gives you a minute to shake out your shoulders and get comfortable at the mic stand once more like Harry does at each performance. You catch yourself having fun mimicking him and feel thankful that you're able to perform one of your favorite songs of his. When the bass drops in pitch and the electric guitar riffs, you slide in close to the mic stand.

"Here to take my medicine, take my medicine," you sang the opening lines, already settling into the sexy rock sound of the song you and the band had rehearsed relentlessly over the last few weeks. No, the genre wasn't one you normally dabbled in, but part of the fun of performing was taking chances, risks. You had to admit, you liked the sound a lot. It tempted you to branch out a bit more on your upcoming album. 

The opening lines of the first verse throw you back into thoughts of meeting Harry that first night. You hadn't imagined what would follow the concert, let alone have the foresight to see it bringing you to this very moment in time. 

///

You had been standing outside the arena after the concert, ears buzzing and heart thumping still from the incredible show Harry had put on. As soon as he disappeared from the backstage hall earlier, you had immediately saved his number to your phone, still in disbelief over the night's events. 

Your heart had soared when your phone began to vibrate, not in a text message but in a voice call. Harry's name appeared on the screen and your friend had nudged you, clearly approving of the night's turn of events. 

"Harry," you answered, ready to praise him halfway to Sunday on his performance. 

"Let me take you out," he interrupted you. "Right now. Please? Anywhere you want to go." 

You laughed and paused. "Yeah, okay. I might know of a place."

There was a lot of shuffling on his end before his voice came back on the line. "Might've had to do another fist pump."

"Told you she wouldn't say no."

"Where are you?" You heard the smile in his voice, already familiar with it. 

"Demonbreun and John Lewis, headed towards the park."

"Give me 10, I'll pick you up." He paused. "Be careful, okay?"

"I'll stick with the hoards of your fans milling about, maybe ask some of them for the hot gossip on you while I wait."

"Don't believe anything they say," he said, and you could tell he was still smiling as he hung up. 

He and his driver arrived shortly after, Harry's hair damp and covered with a baseball cap, dressed down in black pants and a simple loose white shirt, tattoos peeking out everywhere you looked. He exited the car and opened the back door for you, helping you balance as you stepped up into the large Suburban. 

"We'll go to Pecker's," you said to his driver, laughing as Harry snorted next to you. "Shut up, it's just a bar. Take a right up here onto 24 and it'll take us all the way to Fairfield. It'll be on the right."

He looked at you and smiled before reaching out to hold your hand in the middle seat between you. 

Taking Harry to Pecker's had just felt right. It was where you'd been discovered, where all of your adventures had started, and you weren't sure why but you wanted to share that small part of you with him after watching him up on stage that night. 

"Won't people recognize you? I looked you up before the show, you're apparently a pretty big deal around here." He had asked, smirking, sipping on the locally-brewed beer that Clint, the regular bartender, was serving that night. 

"Locals are pretty good about not interrupting our normal lives. Pecker's isn't as well known to tourists either, so it's a good hideout. This is where a lot of producers, executives and all the other professionals come to unwind." You ignored his comment on your fame and had taken a sip of your margarita instead. "Unless, of course, there's a drag show scheduled, then it's a bit of a madhouse."

Harry laughs into his drink and you grin. "So," he started after a pause, twiddling with the rings on his right hand. "What'd you think?"

"It was incredible," you said without hesitation. "Truly one of the best live shows I've seen in a long time, country acts included. You've got such a magnetism about you that people can't help but want to watch." You blushed a bit, alcohol and the quick comfort of him loosening your lips. "The whole water spraying trick was hot," you admit, making him blush. "And don't tell Stevie, but I think I might prefer your version of The Chain."

"Sacrilege! That's some incredibly high praise," he said, a small smile teasing at the corners of his mouth. 

"Earned and deserved," you said, tilting your glass to his. "Honestly, Harry, you're an incredible musician. There aren't many out there that have the whole package like that."

"What about you? You seem like the whole package."

"I don't know if I'd say that. If you looked me up, you've likely seen what they say about me. 'My attitude won't get me far' and all. But I don't think it's my attitude, so much as it is my willingness to take the risks that others won't. I'm not out here to make music that's just there to be sold. Hell, I couldn't care less about the money. All I want is to create music that makes me feel fulfilled, and I think that honesty scares them." You twirled your finger in the condensation of the glass in front of you. You glanced up to his face finding his eyes already on yours, holding your gaze steadily. "It doesn't scare you, does it?"

"It's the most refreshing thing I've heard in a while. Not many people in the industry are fearless in the face of failure like that."

"I'm definitely not fearless; I just refuse to change who I am to make a buck."

"Who are you then?" Harry had asked, and telling him your story was easy. You couldn't understand how it was so natural, opening up to a stranger, but as the conversation wore on, you realized how similar you and Harry were in terms of the way you conducted your professional lives and that was without apology. 

And you also realized, as the evening continued and you and Harry crept your bar stools closer and closer to one another, feet and knees bumping, his fingers tracing the ridges of your knuckles as you shared life stories like long lost friends, that you didn't want it to end. 

///

"He's acting like a gentleman," you continue, changing up the lyrics slightly as you finish the first verse. The line always made you smile and you let yourself briefly flash back into your reminiscing about the night you'd met Harry, and how, even though he had acted gentlemanly upon dropping you off for the evening, you wanted to be anything but a gentlewoman. 

///

After enjoying drinks late into the evening at Pecker's, Harry had insisted on having his driver take you home rather than allowing you to call an Uber. 

"Such a gentleman," you commented as he opened the car door for you once again. 

"Maybe my gentlemanly actions have motives," he said, sliding his hand along your lower back as you step past him and into the car. Your grin matched his smirk as he shut the door and you decided that he'd been right - not calling an Uber was the right thing to do.

The car ride back to your apartment building was too quick and before you knew it, he was at your door again, offering a hand for you to hold for balance as you exited the car. Neither of you let go as you walked through the lobby towards the elevators. 

"You're uh— You're welcome to come up, if you'd like," you said, suddenly shy but not wanting to chicken out on asking for what you wanted, asking for some continuation of this sweet but likely brief meeting between you two. "For a drink, I mean, or to keep chatting, you know."

Harry smiled and glanced around the empty lobby. His hand in yours smoothed up the length of your arm, over your shoulder, and came to rest at your jaw. "I'd love to, believe me. You have no idea how much I want to." He leaned towards you, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead and your skin burned at the contact of his lips. "But I want to do this the right way. Don't want you to get the wrong idea of me."

"What if I want the wrong idea of you?"

He laughed, the sound open and honest and it had given you hope. "You called me a gentleman earlier and I have to admit that I liked it, coming from you. Would like to keep up the facade that I am, even if it's just for a bit." His face searched yours, each of you trying to read the thoughts that were flying through one another's minds. "You have beautiful lips," he whispered suddenly, his accent thicker than it had been all night. 

Your mouth quirked into a smile, unable to do anything but preen at his compliment. "You do too," you replied, just as softly. 

"Can I kiss you?"

"Please, yes." Before the words had settled he was kissing you, slowly and with too much care, like you would break if he wasn't gentle enough. It was over much too quick but you knew you would remember every moment of it for the rest of your life. 

"Christ, I'd wanted to do that all night." His thumb smoothed over your cheekbone, smiling when you leaned into the touch. He glanced up as the elevator doors swung open and gently nudged you towards them. "Thank you, truly, for a wonderful evening. I promise to give you a call soon."

"I'll send Kacey after you if you don't!" you laughed, stepping into the lift.

"Good night darling." He winked and the doors slid shut, leaving you alone with your thoughts and the delicious ghost of his lips on yours. 

///

"Give me that adrenaline, that adrenaline, think I'm gonna stick with you," you finish the first verse as Ryann rips through the chords on her guitar. You loved that the song built slowly, and even though that meant a quieter beginning, it promised an explosive end. 

Though the crowd had been hesitant at first, you can see that the first few rows of them are nodding along, countless phones out recording the performance. You know that somewhere out there at your request is a member of your press team, professionally filming the cover. You may only be doing it once, but you were determined to make sure you would never forget it.

///

You had enough time at home to check some of your social media accounts, shower and get comfortable in bed before your phone rang again. For the second time that day, your heart soared seeing Harry's name light up your screen.

"If you're going to say that you're downstairs because you've reconsidered my offer for that nightcap, I'll need a few moments to prepare as I'm currently in my pajamas," you said as a greeting and you were met with his warm laughter once again.

"No, no, I had to go back to the arena for a bit anyways, pack up and all of that," he said, still chuckling. "I just— I wanted to make sure you weren't offended by me declining your offer. Because I wanted to— I didn't want the night to end there. There's something about you that's… Transfixing. And I don't want to ruin that and make you think you're just a fling."

"That's quite a compliment," you said, a bit awed by his words.

"What was it you said earlier, "earned and deserved", yeah?" He said, quoting your toast to him at the bar, making you grin. "I want you to be more than that. I'd like to get to know you, the gentlemanly way."

"Okay. Will we have a chaperone at our next date then?" He laughed but didn't correct your referral to that evening as a date. You had snuggled a bit deeper into the sheets, still disbelieving that all of this had been the result of being dragged along to a concert. 

"No chaperones," he chuckled, "but yes, I do want to take you out again, if you'd let me."

"Hmm," you jokingly pondered aloud, as if answering with anything other than a resounding "yes" was on your mind. "I suppose I could fit something into my schedule."

"I hope that's a yes."

"Of course it's a yes! I didn't want the night to end either. And don't you dare say that you just did another fist pump," you had laughed, hearing the familiar shuffling of the phone on his end of the line.

"Me? Never!"

"You're adorable," you had said, a smile stuck on your face.

"And you're beautiful. Two can play this game."

There had been a comforting silence between you for a moment before you had spoken up again. "Harry?"

"Yeah, love?"

You had blushed at the pet name but loved the way it sounded being directed your way. "Thank you," you had whispered. 

"Should be me thanking you. Sleep well sweetheart." You'd fallen asleep with your phone in hand, hopeful that you wouldn't wake up the next morning to realize it had all been a dream.

/// 

It hadn't been a dream, and here you were, nearly two years later, performing one of the songs that Harry himself had sung the night that you'd begun falling for him.

The second verse continued quickly and you let the lyrics wash over you as you sang, loving the way the rock energy of the song sounded with a bit of your band's country influence. 

"Here to take my medicine, take my medicine, rest it on your fingertips," you sang, holding your pointer finger in the air much like Harry did every time he performed the song before bringing it to your lips as you sang the next line. "Up to your mouth, feeling it out, feeling it out."

/// 

Beginning to date Harry - properly date him too, not just make FaceTime calls to one another from across the world and sending texts back and forth until the wee hours of the morning thanks to the differences in time zones, sharing everything and more with one another as best you could digitally - had been the most exhilarating experience of your life, and you had performed in front of sold out crowds and accepted awards on live television. His tour was due to stretch on for almost another month throughout North America and the next time you saw him was when you'd been invited as Harry's guest to his show in Chicago just a few weeks after you'd met. 

While he had put on an incredible show for the United Center, there had been moments that felt like he was performing just for you, glancing over to where you stood in the Friends and Family area, meeting your eyes and grinning. By that point, you could sing along to every song of his and you knew he loved it, loved watching you dance along to the music that he had created and was performing. 

In a moment where you were thankful for the differences between the genres in which you two performed, you hadn't been recognized at all by his fans. You'd both talked about wanting to keep things quiet as you got to know one another, and you hadn't wanted a relationship with him, an already incredibly famous artist, to somehow influence the trajectory of yours. While it had been easy when you were apart, being together without seemingly being together was difficult. Especially in that moment, when all you wanted to do was curl up into him and soak in the post-show bliss with him. Instead, you sat on the couch with him, a cushion apart from one another, holding his hand tightly while you chatted about the concert. 

"Someone is gonna notice that you looked to my side of the pit constantly all night," you said and he grinned guiltily. 

"I like knowing you're in the crowd," he shrugged. "Besides," he scooted closer and threw his arm around you before dragging you in close, "you look incredible, how could I not want to stare at you all night?"

"Anyone could walk in," you pointed out, watching as his eyes followed your lips. 

"Just want a little taste," he said, moving in closer, "Haven't I earned a kiss from my girlfriend after all of that work up on stage?"

Your eyebrows raised in surprise as you looked at him and he seemingly realized his slip-up. 

"I mean— What I meant was— Shit," he scrubbed a hand over his face but you could tell he was hiding a grin. "Wasn't exactly how I wanted to ask you, but… Will you officially be my girlfriend?"

"Yes, H. I'm all yours."

"Love it when you call me H." He pulled you in for a kiss that you both lost yourselves in, finally able to experience the feeling of one another after being denied it for so long. When a knock at the dressing room door came, Harry had to all but drag himself away from you, hair disheveled and lips swollen, scowling at the door. 

You threw your head back and laughed as he stalked over and pulled it open with a flourish. 

"What?"

"The hell's your issue?" you heard Mitch ask before Harry widened the door so he could see you laughing on the couch. You raised a hand in greeting and Harry's scowl deepened as Mitch chuckled, taking in both of your disheveled appearances. "Oh, shit, hey, sorry. Uh, car's ready when you are. See you tomorrow bud." 

"Harry!" you chided once he'd closed the door in Mitch's face, giggles still bubbling out of your mouth. "He was just being polite."

"Interrupting arse is what he is," Harry said, sitting down and pulling you into his lap. "Where were we?"

You threw your arms around his neck and pressed your body as close to his as possible, hoping that he'd thought to lock the door before returning to your embrace. "Right about here, I think." With a hand on your hip, sliding under your shirt to reach warm skin and one at the back of your neck, Harry kissed you until you were breathless and not only wanting more but very seriously needing it. 

"Come back to the hotel with me," he murmured against your lips as you ground your body down on him, reveling in the way the action made him throw his head against the back of the couch and exhale sharply. 

"You sure?" Your hands smoothed over the chest of his skin, tracing the dark swallows with your fingertips as you rolled your hips. 

He shuddered at the light touch and gripped your hips tightly, pressing his up as you pressed yours down and the action made you sigh, the pressure a delicious tease of what was hopefully to come. "Absolutely," he said, his grin telling you he was pleased with the noises he was causing you to make. "Want you so bad, like I won't be able to breathe right until I properly have you."

You leaned in to kiss at his neck, his shower-damp curls tickling your cheek. "The feeling is mutual. Adored watching you up on stage tonight. Have I told you yet how much I love seeing you perform?" You nuzzle at his neck, urging him to tilt his head back farther, exposing more of his skin to you. 

"Yeah, you have, but tell me again," he sighed, his hands running up and down your back. 

"It's like when you get on stage no one else before or after you matters," you said honestly, letting your lips against his skin hide how truthful you were really being, spilling all of your thoughts about seeing Harry up on stage. It was scary, feeling so deeply for him already. But you wanted him to know, at least in part, what it meant to be able to watch him perform. "Something about your live voice just makes my breath catch in my throat, I can't get enough of it."

Harry breathed deeply for a moment, working to center himself while you nosed at the curls around his ear and heaped praise upon him. 

"It's like you connect with every person out in the crowd, like you're singing just for them. You can tell that you're having fun and people want to join you in that. They know you love the attention," you whispered and he hummed in appreciation (or agreement), the sound low in his throat. "They'd stay out there all night for if they could, screaming about how much they love you."

"And you feed into it, playing it up for them. You know exactly what you're doing when you get to act a little bit naughty up there, driving them all mad," you said with a smile. 

He chuckled and you could hear and feel the sound rumble through him. "Played it up for you tonight. Did it work?" 

"You mean did it make me want to jump your bones the second you came off stage? Yeah, it worked."

"Fucking hell," he said, holding you close with his hands on your butt as he stood up. "Our first time is not going to be in a dressing room so we need to go now."

He let you slide down his body and held you steady as you balanced on your legs. "Would be pretty fitting though, don't you think, given how we met and what we do?"

"Yeah, but then I'd think about it every time I was in one. You wanna torture me relentlessly?" He pulled you tight against him, kissing you once more before separating to grab his bags. 

"Yeah, relentless torture sounds like something I might be into." 

He glanced up at your words, eyes dark and hungry, a smirk on his lips. "Careful what you wish for, love." 

///

The bass line increased behind the riff of Ryann's guitar and you leaned into the mic stand, eyes closing as you continued singing the first bridge. "I had a few, got drunk on you and now I'm wasted, and when I sleep I'm gonna dream of how you…"

There were a few fans of yours and Harry's who apparently knew the words as they helped you out, screaming the unwritten word that finished the sentence: "tasted."

///

Harry was quick to say goodbye to everyone on the team before pulling you quickly through back hallways and down quiet staircases, sneaking quick kisses when he was sure there was no one around. You were both out of breath when you finally climbed into the car, grinning like kids getting away with sneaking around. 

The hotel ride was quick, mercifully, but Harry had been anything but patient, his hand at your knee creeping up slowly, closer and closer to the hem of your dress, toying with the hem while he chatted with the driver. 

"I'm gonna head in first with Martin and Eric will loop around and drop you off at the side entrance. I would wait in the lobby for you but this hotel hasn't been the best in the past with uh— containing sensitive information, we'll say, so Martin will meet you on your floor to get your stuff, then bring you up. Is that okay?"

"You sound like you've done this before, Styles," you said with a wink, using humor to cover the nerves that had settled in the pit of your stomach. 

He blushed and you loved knowing you got under his skin so easily. "The band used to stay here when we toured… and I was young and dumb once, yes."

"Just giving you a hard time, H."

His grin stretched as he leaned over to peck your lips once more. "See you in a minute, love."

Harry climbed out and the driver took off once again, slowly circling the block. "He's quite taken with you, you know," he said, glancing up in the rear view mirror as he parked the car at the curb. He got out and opened the door for you in the empty street then used his keycard to unlock the heavy side door of the hotel.

"Thank you," you said, both for his actions and his omission about Harry. Sure, you had talked to him as often as possible over the last weeks and had yourself been on the receiving end of his attention, but it felt validating to hear that Harry's feelings for you may have gone a bit farther than just a small crush if people around him had also noticed his behavior. 

Harry's bodyguard was waiting by the elevators and escorted you to your room to gather your luggage, then led you to Harry's door.

"Car'll be around about 9 tomorrow morning, H. Flight's at 10:30." He turned to you. "I understand you have business to continue here in Chicago?"

"Yes, meetings tomorrow and then I fly back to Nashville in the evening."

"There'll be a driver ready for you tomorrow as well. He's been instructed to take you wherever you need to go and he'll stay until you depart. Have a nice evening," he nodded at Harry, who was smiling in the doorway, before departing.

"You didn't have to do that for me, I could've managed by getting an Uber," you said, stepping into the room past Harry to set your bags down and kick your shoes off. 

"I didn't, was Martin's idea; says he doesn't want anything to happen to the one thing that's made me so happy these last few weeks."

"Oh yeah? I'm the one thing, huh?"

"You're everything, honestly," he replied a bit sheepishly, taking your hands in his. "Think I might like you a bit more than I already should. Lettin' my heart get a bit ahead of my head, I suppose."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," you said softly and he beamed. 

He moved his hands up to cup your face, pulling you close for a sweet kiss that quickly turned insistent, heat rising between the two of you. Harry slid his hands under the hem of your shirt to rest where your spin ended and yours wrapped around his neck, dragging him down to you as you stepped behind you towards the bed. His long legs tangled with yours and you tumbled backwards, laughing as you hit the plush bed and Harry collapsed on top of you.

He propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at you with a smile, pushing the hair that had fallen into your face aside. "Hi baby," he said softly.

"Hi."

"Missed you," he said, leaning down for another sweet kiss. 

"We were apart for like, eight minutes," you giggled between his kisses, your laughter giving way to a sigh as he moved to press a kiss to your nose, your cheek, your chin.

"Doesn't matter," he breathed into the crook of your neck, pressing small open mouth kisses to the soft skin there, "Any time apart is too long."

"The two weeks left of the tour will fly by. You should enjoy them while you can."  

"Wish you could come with me, love performing for you." He kissed his way across the base of your neck, collarbone to collarbone as his fingers trailed to the small straps on your shoulders. "Would you like to take this off?"

"Please," you sighed, desperate and aching for the feeling of his skin against yours. 

Your first time sleeping with Harry had been exactly what you'd wanted and expected - hot and fast, admittedly over a bit more quickly than either of you had wanted, but worth the weeks of wait. 

Harry's skill set hadn't ended at singing and playing instruments. If anything, his vast experience using his hands and mouth only helped him excel in other pastimes that also utilized those parts of his body. To both of your delights, he had proven his adeptness in all areas multiple times that night, and once again in the morning before he had to rush into the shower, dragging you along with him simply to get more time together before you were forced apart once again. 

/// 

You had spent the next two months away from one another, Harry having wrapped his tour and immediately beginning work on his next album. You'd spent your own time mixed between writing and recording an upcoming single. You had already written a handful of songs that were inspired by him and you'd wondered, albeit a bit nervously, if the sentiment was shared. When he stopped in Nashville on a long layover, pushing his flight back even longer to stay with you for another night, you'd tried to pry the information out of him. Unfortunately, no amount of sexual teasing or denial had convinced him — he, however, had you singing like a canary almost immediately, teasing you in the best way about how easily you opened up for him, telling him all about the music that he had already inspired.

You had been FaceTiming him late one night weeks later, both tired from long days spent in the studio. He had suddenly gotten shy, biting at the skin around his fingernails. 

"Hey, stop that. What's the matter H?"

"Wanna ask you something," he mumbled, but a smile was peeking through where his fingers were still at his lips. "Jus' don't know how to."

"Baby," you sighed, "you can ask me anything. Y'know that." 

"I know, I know." He paused and took a deep breath before a wide smile stretched across his face. "Would you maybe want to come home with me this Christmas? To London? Wouldn't be for long, maybe just a couple nights, I just wanna introduce you to my mum already, she's been pestering me nonstop lately 'bout meetin' you and Gem's joined in on it now too, so it's two against one when they call and I've told them that—"

"Harry," you said chucking, trying to interrupt his nervous rambling.

"—and she actually called me Harold last time she told me to bring you 'round and that got me a bit worried so I—"

"Harry! Of course I'll come with you. I'd absolutely love to."

You met him at the airport weeks later, desperate to pull him close and kiss him silly in the confines of his darkly tinted car, but you refrained, knowing how seriously Harry took the protection of your relationship from the press. You may not have been able to see anyone straining to capture pictures of you two, but you knew there was always the chance. 

It was an entirely different story, however, when he'd finally pulled the car past the mechanical gate and into his private drive. You both reached for each other immediately, arms tangled and shifter knob pressed uncomfortably against your side, but perfectly content so long as his lips were against yours. 

"Fuck— I missed you— so much," he muttered between kisses. He pulled away, forehead resting against yours, sly smirk pulling at his lips. "Mum won't expect us for a few hours at least."

"What is it that you're insinuating, Mr. Styles?"

"That there's plenty of time to give you a tour around the house, that's all," he said innocently. He gave you a sweet smile before hopping out of the car and coming to the passenger side where he helped you out and picked up your bags.

You were eager to be given a house tour, more than keen to learn all of the things you could about his London life. The house was decorated in a way that made you smile - eclectic but with a definitive air of cohesive taste. It suited Harry to an absolute tee. From the artwork that decorated the walls to the mismatched but homey furniture, you could tell immediately that this was Harry's sanctuary - every inch of the home screamed his name. 

"It's incredible," you said as he led you into the largest room, the master. He walked over to the dresser that sat under the window and pulled open the top two drawers. 

"I know we won't be here long, this time around, but I cleaned out a few drawers for you here, if you want to unpack some things. And there's space in the closet for you too," he nodded towards the door on the other side of the room, dragging a hand through his hair as he talked, "I had too much in there anyways and some of it needed to go and I wanted you to be able to leave some things, if you felt comfortable, of if Mum drags us out shopping and you don't want to take it all home now you can leave it here and-"

"You- you cleared out a drawer for me?"

"Well, yeah," he said, resting his hand on the back of his neck. "Made some space for you in the bathroom too, though I doubt it'll be enough, with all that you bring along to fix yourself up." He paused and thought for a moment. "I know how our lives are. I just wanted you to have some of your own space here; want you to feel as comfortable in my home as I do. Is that too much?" 

"H," you said with a sigh, your lips curling into a smile, "it's perfect, and so thoughtful. I'm sorry I haven't done the same for you in Nashville yet."

"'s alright, love. I've already got a toothbrush there at least. I can take some time when we fly back to come and help if you'd like me to. As long as you don't end up wearing all the clothes that I leave there," he chuckled.

"You know me too well," you said, reaching for his hand. He lifted your entwined fingers to his lips to brush a kiss over your knuckles.

"You do look good in my clothes," he confessed, pulling you close to face him. "Look good in my house. But you always look good anyways."

"Said the pot to the kettle," you said with a smile. "I like being here already," you shrug, hands resting on his shoulders. "It feels like you, like home. Thank you for inviting me," you add, as though the measly voicing of your appreciation is enough to convey what you truly feel. 

"You're welcome anytime, if I'm here or not."

"You trust me that much?"

"Yeah, I do. I'll get you a key and everything." He leaned down to kiss you slowly, relearning the map of your lips and mouth, before pulling away. He laughed when you made a noise of protest.

"The bathroom's over here if you'd like to freshen up." He had pulled at your hand, stepping towards the other open door in the room. "Figured a shower might sound nice after a long day in an airplane. Besides, I've gotta clean up before we go to Mum's anyways."

"Gonna join me?" 

"Yeah, thought I might, if that's okay." His smirk had been wicked as he pushed you the rest of the way into the bathroom. He dropped your hand to reach for the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head quickly. As he reached for the buckle of his pants, he had met your staring eyes. "See something you like, love?"

You definitely had, though you didn't think your attraction — physically or emotionally — for Harry had stopped at something that was as weak as "like." Getting to know him over the last six months had made you worry that there wasn't ever going to be anyone else like him, anyone that made you feel like he did. You had fallen for him, desperately hard, and the realization of it as you stood in front of his half-naked self almost embarrassed you. 

"Babe? You alright?" he asked as he stripped down to his boxers. 

"Yeah, you just got me all distracted," you had grinned, pulling your sweatshirt and remaining clothes off quickly before joining Harry under the warm spray of the water.

Meeting Harry's mom that evening went better than you could've ever dreamt it would. The two of you got on like old friends, and Harry had stared, almost in wonder, at how easily you seemed to bond with her. And then he had stared in horror as Anne offered to pull out the photo albums filled with pictures from Harry's childhood, particularly when Anne offered up the album filled with photos from Harry's and Gemma's emo phases. 

As the evening wore on, you caught Harry on more than one occasion glancing your way, cheeks bright from the red wine he was sipping on and eyes warmly reflecting the bright Christmas lights. He always looked like he was a split second away from saying something, only to shake his head and look away with a small smile. 

Later, in bed, Harry pulled you close to him. He was laying on his back, you on your side, and you threw a leg over his waist, soaking in all of the cuddles you could get on this short trip together. The room was only illuminated by the ambient light coming in through the blinds. 

"Mum liked you a lot," he murmured, gently stroking the skin at the base of your spine, "said I should hang onto you". 

You returned the gesture, running your fingertips along the lines of ink that make up his many tattoos. "I liked her too. She's wonderful, I see where you get it from now."

"Hey now, 'm wonderful all on my own!" He tickled your side and you couldn"t help but arch towards him, shrieking and laughing at the touch. 

"Stop that! You are an absolute pest, you know that?" you said, grinning up at him.

"Ah, you love me," he whispered, and his joking tone made you smile but the way he pulled you tighter as he said it made you brave. 

You let the weight what you were about to say wash over you, aware that things were going to change forever with just a few words. "I do love you, Harry," you whispered, moving up his body to press a kiss to his lips.

"Thank God," he had said, wrapping his arms back around you and pulling you on top of him. "Cause I love you too."

Leaving Harry after that had been even more difficult. All you wanted to do was be with him, but you had too much coming up with the future release of your album and Harry was still in the midst of doing his own writing and recording. 

It was your professions, along with the desire to keep your relationship private, that kept you apart. You weren't sure how you did it, but your relationship had withstood the distance and odd-hours. The only step now would be deciding if, when, and how to confirm the suspicions to tabloids and fans alike that you were an item.

The wait was killing you. All you wanted was to show off to the world that Harry was yours.

///

The bridge of the song was followed quickly by the chorus and the heavy guitar and pounding drums had you rocking on your feet, body swaying into the mic stand as you let yourself get lost in the lyrics. "If you go out tonight, I'm going out 'cause I know you're persuasive."

The crowd was even more into the song now, many picking up on the words quickly and screaming them along with your singing. The rock and roll vibe of the song was coursing through you and the crowd, the arena electric with energy already. 

"You got that something, I got me an appetite, now I can taste it."

You remove the mic from the stand and dance towards one end of the stage, singing as you move to the beat. "We're getting dizzy, oh, we're getting dizzy, oh! La da da da da! You get me dizzy, oh, you get me dizzy, oh!"

///

You had been on the phone with Harry one day in July, nearly five months after the release of your album, having him help you decide what the setlist of your tour would be when it began in November. 

"I wish I could cover one of your songs."

He had laughed and slurped his tea, the sounds comforting to you, even over the phone. "That'd be a bit obvious, wouldn't it love?"

"I don't mean cover Golden or Kiwi," you said, tapping your pen against the pad of paper in front of you. "What about one you wrote for 1D? What about Perfect? Or Stockholm Syndrome! That was always one of my favorites."

"Getting permission on those might be a bit more difficult, s'not just me that's gotta sign off on it. Besides, do you really wanna be the artist that covers a One Direction song on her own headlining tour?"

"Guess I'll stick with singing along to them in the shower then."

You were both quiet for a moment, lost in your own thoughts. 

"What if I covered Medicine?" you asked suddenly, realizing it was the perfect compromise, not to mention your favorite song that Harry himself performed oh his own tour. The rock sound wasn't a far cry from the roots that country music had and you knew it would sound great. "Even if it was just for one stop!"

"Hmm," Harry mused. "It would sound great with the band, I'll give you that. But videos will go around, people will know it's my song you're singing and they'll connect the dots about us."

"H, I'm ready for that if you are. I love you, and I'm ready to be able to share that love that I have for you with the world. Sneaking around has been fun but I want people to know how proud of you I am and how much you're loved and appreciated. Half of our fans know already, it's just a matter of us confirming it. I think that we could really-"

Harry was laughing at your rambling on the other end of the line. "Alright, alright, you drive a hard bargain, love. I think you're right, maybe it is time we stopped sneaking around. I'll try, but Jax and everyone else still have to agree to it too. It might be easier to convince everyone if it's just a one time thing. Pick another cover, something you'd normally do, in case it takes some time to work things out."

"I'll ask him right now! Thank you Harry!"

"I just have one condition," he said, and you could hear the grin that was surely pulling at the corners of his lips. 

"What's that?"

"I get to perform it with you," he had said, and the smile already on your face widened exponentially. "If we're finally gonna make "us" public, may as well do it with a bang."

///

In the moment after the chorus, an 8 count beat is carried by the drummer and guitarist. For this performance, and the only performance you'd put on of this song, you had rehearsed the 8 count repeating once between the chorus and the next verse, as you needed a bit of extra time to announce your guest performer. 

"Ladies and gentlemen," you shout into the mic, grin wide and face beaming already at what was about to take place. "To help me finish this performance, please help me welcome my very good friend, Harry Styles!"

Harry emerges from behind the stage holding his own wireless mic as much of the crowd screams - he may not be a country artist, but he was absolutely known worldwide. You step back with a wave of your arm, smiling as he begins the next chorus. His performance is for the crowd but he's singing the words directly to you. 

"Tingle running through my bones, fingers to my toes, tingle running through my bones," he sings, voice smooth like whiskey, and the crowd adores him, eating out of the palm of his hand. "The boys and the girls are in, I mess around with them, and I'm OK with it." 

You can't help but dance as he sings, his voice and the energy of the crowd propelling you to move. He watches you, eyes no longer on the crowd, as he sings the next lines. Immediately, heat pools low in your belly at his glance and the words. 

"I'm coming down, I figured out I kinda like it. And when I sleep I'm gonna dream of how you…"

You gyrate your hips at the unsung line of "ride it", listening with a sly grin as some in the crowd scream the two words that go unsung. 

///

After giving him a key, Harry had moved some of his clothes to your apartment in Nashville some time while you were away on the first leg of your tour. He had found the city to be incredibly welcoming and inspirational for his upcoming album and had decided to stay there for a spell while you continued to tour around the country. 

You had scheduled a short break between your concerts over New Years, wanting to be able to grab at least one or two nights at home with him to celebrate the holiday before you were back on the road again. 

"So fucking glad you're home," Harry panted, pulling your shirt over your head before attaching his lips to yours once again. "Missed you like crazy."

"Missed you too," you moaned as his lips moved downwards, across your neck and over your collarbones, down the valley between your breasts. Before he could reach around to unhook your bra, you reached for his shirt, as desperate as he was to see and touch what you'd been missing. 

As he pulled the half-unbuttoned blouse over his head, you pulled your leggings off and reached for him, pushing him back onto the bed behind him. He unbuttoned his pants as he scooted up towards the middle of the bed, shoving them and his boxers off in one swoop. 

You climbed on top of him, hurriedly reaching to kiss him as you rubbed your clothed center along the length of his hard cock. 

"Fuck," he hissed, throwing his head back to allow you room to kiss his neck. "Desperate aren't you, darling?"

"Want you so bad it hurts," you whispered, sucking a bright hickey right where it would absolutely be seen by anyone.

You moved to continue kissing down his chest but he stopped you with a hand under your arm. "Not gonna last long, love. Wanna be inside you."

His cheeks and chest were flushed bright red, lips puffy and pupils blown wide. This was when you loved him most, being able to have him like no one else did. The same feeling always hit you at certain moments, particularly ones of domesticity, like when you watched him back the car out of the driveway or when he stood in the kitchen in the morning in nothing but socks, boxers, and his ratty old robe, singing along to old big band jazz as he waited for the coffee to brew. There was Harry Styles the musician, Harry Styles the actor, and Harry Styles the performer, but then there was your Harry. 

"Yeah, okay," you sighed, moving off of him quickly to remove your bra and panties. You climbed back onto the bed and threw your leg over his hips, straddling him. He immediately reached for you and pulled you flush against his chest, his lips capturing yours in a bruising kiss. 

You rocked your hips against him as he held you, your slick arousal gliding along his length, drawing a moan from both of you. 

"Baby, please," he panted, and you could only mod in agreement, lost already to the sweeping feeling of your close release. 

His hands rested on your hips as you positioned him at the entrance between your legs. You groaned in harmony as you worked down him slowly, the only sound in the room was your shared heavy breathing and gasps. 

"Fuck me," he sighed as you set a slow pace, rocking on top of him to reach each spot that you know will get you there. 

"Workin' on it," you grin. A quick swivel of your hips hit at just the right angle and you tossed your head back, repeating the movement over and over again until you shuddered with a final snap of tension, your orgasm rolling over you as Harry helped you move, hands tight on your hips, to wring all you could from the release. 

"You look so beautiful right now, like a fuckin' angel," Harry said, voice low and gravely, accent thick with need. 

"How's that line go?" you said as you slowed down, smirking when a harsh rock of your hips caused Harry to moan. "'Turns out she's a devil in between the sheets'?"

"Fuck," he groaned again, eyes closed tightly. "Can't just go reciting my own lyrics to me while I"m buried in ya like this, love."

"And there's nothing you can do about it," you continued, singing the line of his song this time, and his hips buck up into yours harshly.

"You're gonna pay for that," he had said, quoting another of his songs, before he had flipped you over onto your back and set his own brutal pace.

///

Like he can read your thoughts, Harry beams and wags a finger in your direction and the crowd screams at your chemistry together. You grab your mic from its stand and take a step towards Harry to sing the chorus together.

"If you go out tonight, I'm going out 'cause I know you're persuasive." Harry dances off to the side of the stage, performing once again for the crowd. 

You dance at center stage with your wireless mic, too excited about performing with Harry that you can't stand in one spot. The music and Harry's energy make you want to move. "You got that something, I got me an appetite, now I can taste it." 

"We're getting dizzy, oh, we're getting dizzy, oh! La da da da da!" Harry throws his head back, singing along in his own world and you can't look away from him. He really was a rockstar and getting to share the stage with him like this was an experience you'd never forget. 

"You get me dizzy, oh, you get me dizzy, oh!"

There's a great pause in the lyrics where the guitar, keyboard, and drums play together, increasing the tension of the song. You and Harry take off towards opposite ends of the stage, both reveling in the performance for the crowd as you dance and stomp to the beat. Eventually, with a slide down the keys of the keyboard, the instrumental quiets into just the steady beat of the bass line joined by the hi-hats. 

You and Harry urge the crowd to clap along as you both return to the middle of the stage to sing together once again. He always said that this portion of the song was one of his favorites to perform, the repeated line from the bridge ending abruptly with the lights going out before flashing back on, the added theatrics of the performance elevating the climax of the song completely. Having rehearsed that Harry would sing the following chorus alone, you let yourself get lost in his gaze as it settles on you.

You stand facing one another behind the mic stand, once again singing more to one another rather than to the crowd. You step closer towards him as the lyrics progress, nearly chest to chest now with your voices sharing one another's mics. "I had a few, got drunk on you and now I'm—"

Before you can sing the last word of the line and the lights can blink out as rehearsed, Harry leans forwards and captures your mouth in a hungry kiss. The crowd erupts with screams as the lights above the stage go dark.

You can feel rather than hear him say the words "I love you" against your lips and you have just enough time to repeat them back to him before the drums and guitar pick the beat up once again, the lights flashing back on brightly. He moves away and continues to sing the chorus that follows as if nothing had happened. You're a bit stunned, not having prepared for his relationship-revealing public display of affection to happen during your performance of his song but it was perfect and he knows it. Your smile is wide and you can't help but stand rooted where you are and laugh at what has just finally happened.

"If you go out tonight, I'm going out 'cause I know you're persuasive," he sings, smirking at you while you blush across from him. 

You join him in singing the last lines, your right hand joining his left hand where everyone can see your fingers entwine. 

"You got that something, I got me an appetite, now I can taste it. We're getting dizzy, oh, we're getting dizzy, oh!"

You urge the crowd with a waving hand to join in and they do, singing along with you and Harry. "La da da da da! You get me dizzy, oh, you get me dizzy, oh!"

The drums and guitar end the song on five quick beats and the crowd erupts once again in screams. You immediately jump towards Harry, throwing your arms around his neck in a close embrace. His hands wrap around your waist to hold you close, and you can feel him smile where his face is pressed close to your jaw.

"How was that?" he asks, chuckling against you.

"It was perfect, you're perfect. Thank you, H. For everything."

"Can take you on a proper date now, yeah? Wanna show my girl off to the world."

"Yes, please!" You can't wipe the smile from your face as he sets you down and Harry continues to beam at you as the crowd continues screaming, reeling from your shared performance. 

Harry nudges you gently before turning back to them, lifting his and your arms high in the air and leading you in bending for a bow. He steps away from you and turns, opening his arms wide to you for the crowd to praise and you laugh, tearing up at his gesture and the overwhelming emotions of the performance while you take another bow just for yourself. 

He pulls you into another hug and you can't help but angle your face up towards him, wordlessly asking for another very quick, very public kiss.

He glances down at you, smiling. "You're gonna love this now, aren't you?"

"Course I am. love showing them you're mine."

He leans down to peck your forehead, your nose, and finally, your lips, as the crowd goes wild. "Love showing them you're mine. You've got a show to finish, love. Go kill it."

///

Ahh! So much fun! This has been such a joy to write and I appreciate you taking the time to give it a chance! It’s my first (of hopefully many) Harry fics - reading all of the stories here has been immensely inspiring, and I’m so looking forward to writing more!

Tagging my love @morganlatte​ who is a wonderful hype woman and beta reader. Thanks buddy!

Anyways! Thank you for reading! My love language is words of affirmation (aka I have a praise kink) so leave me a comment here if you feel so inclined!