#i left the heater on since i was showering later

[duoduotian]

just got scolded for not turning off the kitchen light damn how was i supposed to know u were going to sleep? was not aware i was psychic

[nerujikam]

Old Sweater

ushijima wakatoshi x fem!reader

tags 18+, fluff and smut, timeskip!ushijima, pwp, sleepy sex, clothed sex, cunnilingus, creampie, aftercare, pet nickname, i was ovulating

words 2,174

a/n and so, behold... my first smut... *thunder cracks* this was a pretty old draft dating back to may '22 lmao. figured i'm a lot more comfortable in my writing now, why not post it? this was crossposted on ao3 ! anws, happy reading or something!

art is @hk_smith_man’s on twt

Ushijima comes home late again. This time he finds it a little odd when the only source of light that came from the living room was the table lamp beside the couch, with a book you’re reading under it. You never forget to turn off every light when you go to sleep. Though, it does feel kind of lonely since you were practically a night owl on your working days. Now that you finally got your days off, you started to sleep earlier than usual. He misses the sight of you in the late of night, you can say.

He turns the lights off after putting his shoes on the rack. A faint beat can be heard from your shared bedroom, questioning him whether you’re awake or not.

Your body slump under the blanket. Though the heater’s on, the winter wind seems to have its own way seeping through the walls, shuddering you under the covers. Just like how you left it before, the small reading light next to you was still on.

He walks up to you, eyes closed as your breath steady. Seems you got defeated by your own drowsiness while trying to continue reading another book in your hands. He takes it away from your hand, placing the bookmark in the current page before putting it down next to the table lamp. He decides to turn it off later after his shower.

Ushijima closes the bathroom door from the inside, not wanting to wake you up with the loud noise from the hairdryer. He brushes his teeth, puts on his night cream, and turns off the bathroom light before joining you under the cover. He realized that the sweater from his high school volleyball team framed your body. He’s an even bigger and stronger guy now compared to then, yet his sweater still fits loosely on your frame. He wonders if it would make any difference if he met you in high school.

The thought of that tightened his arms around your waist, causing you squirming under him. He realized he woke you up when he heard a faint, “Toshi,” and a cold palm on his cheek. He grabs your cold hand to warm them, placing longing kisses on its knuckles, “sorry, did I wake you up?” You shake your head, turning back to your former position.

“I don’t mind,” you reassure. Ushijima pressed his forehead on your nape and kissed in between it and your spine, carrying out a soft “I missed you,” from your lips.

Ushijima never was a person who relies on verbal affection, so he alternates them more with acts of service, especially in giving. Warm baths after working overtime, a new shelf for your little trinkets, your favorite scented candles, sometimes even phoning his own dad, asking how to season the porridge properly when you had a cold. In rare cases, he'd mutter an “I missed you, too” back, instead of pressing his body closer into you like right now. He squeezes tight, not letting the cold get in between the two of you. He slides his hand down to your thigh to knead them gently before putting it in between them.

His eyelids flutter back awake as he feels a damp spot on your underwear. He gazes down at your eyelashes as you let out a sigh when he puts his hand down there. “You missed me this much?” he teases with a slight naught on his tone. You let out another sigh as he stroked your inner thighs, letting his wrist rub against your wet spot.

The blanket ruffles as his hand makes its ways to your—his—sweater, lifting it up to feel the warmth of your belly. His lips now behind your ear, fluttering kisses and sucking on the skin around it. Your hand found his when he started to slide down, playing with the waistband, eventually slithered inside, stroking between your folds.

So wet, he groans, wondering how you kept this long enough without doing anything about it.

“Want me to do something with this?” he whispered, asking one more time, fingers circling between you. Whining at his motion, you sigh, "please... Toshi,” you let out a breathy voice to call his name.

With your plea, he flips you up, rolls himself on top of you to lower himself, marking down your jaws, trailing up kisses to your lips. You nip gradually on his bottom lip before receiving his tongue. He tilts his head, deepening the kiss. Your hands stroking alongside his neat undercut. You opened your eyes slowly when he pulled back to see his own eyelids hung low, looking either very tired or very much turned on. The edge of his lips were soft from the toothpaste and the lip balm you share with him, smooth and glistening prior to your make out session.

“Keep this on,” he demands as he slides his whole body down. His hands trails up to your breasts, exposing them to the cold air whilst still keeping his sweater intact on you. He positions his shoulders under your thighs. You were surprised that, The Ushijima Wakatoshi, is willing to deal with something that was your own consequences, with his own mouth and tongue. You held it hours ago, wanting his way first rather than relying on your toys. You’re sure that he’ll come home eventually for this before eventually giving in to your heavy eyelids.

He places one, two, three kisses on the inner thigh slowly leading them up to the center of your wet panties. He pushes down your thighs towards him, licking the damp spot as if making out on it. You let out a high pitched whine from your lips. He ever so slowly pulls down your underwear you’ve been so desperate to be out of. His hot breath blows cold air between them with an eventful languid stroke. Your brain clouded, eyes rolled shut at the sight in the dark. You see nothing but flashes of sparks from the noises he made lapping his tongue over you.

Just as you feel his wet muscle fiddling around the sensitive bud, he (with the audacity) decided to suck on it, alternating between licking wet stripes along the core. You finally let out a moan, grabbing the sheets and his hair messy, pushing him further into you, grinding your own crotch towards him. One finger found his way, rubbing your entrance as the tip of his tongue fiddling your clit.

You throw your head back with your face behind your hand as his middle finger finally reaches in, unsteadily sliding in and out up till the spot where you buck your hips to its contact. Feeling your reaction, he slides in another finger, pressing and focusing them more on the gummy spot within, curling them ever so often. His jaw hardened, constantly fiddling his tongue around your clit, putting pressure on it while the tips of his dominant fingers hitting the same spot, bringing you closer and closer to the edge.

Your walls start to squeeze as your breath gets shaky. His fingers never stop thrusting in and out with a pace you never felt even when you do it yourself. Your back arches before being held down by his non-dominant hand, pressing down on your pelvis as your leg becomes a moving mess before you feel the snap under your belly. You shake as your thighs close around his head, feet pushing on his shoulders unaware. Your vision slurs.

Lips soaked in your own slick, Ushijima licked you down clean as if collecting it after your intense height, giving them one more wet smooch before hovering his body above you. He sucks down his middle and ring finger, cleaning up your mess on him. You raise your hands and grab his cheeks to give yourself a taste, tongue constantly encountering his in between kisses. You push him up, rolling up on your knees, positioning yourself on his lap, not separating your lips.

You eventually pull away with a kiss on his cheek, your hands on his jaw as you find yourself out of breath. You give yourself a view of him with your thumb on his chin. He licked the bottom of his lip before biting them, eyes hazed staring up to yours. His whole face became more and more of a mess, hair disheveled from your constant pulling, lips swollen and soaked down until his chin. You always love seeing him all wet from his own work on you.

It was impossible for you to not get turned on by him all messy and drunk from your cunt. You tug on his waistband, pulling down his PJs alongside his boxers. It’s obvious how hard he is with the ill bulge he had the whole time. His cock springs up as you pull his boxers down, tip flushed and slick, desperate to be inside you. You stroke along the shaft, spreading his own precum as you readied yourself on him. But he insisted. He rolls you back down on your back, holding the back of your thighs, teasing his tip around on your core.

You didn’t have a chance to look where the both of you met before gasping at the sudden intrusion. You were still sensitive and the slick of your pussy prior to his work makes the both of you moan as he slides in. His hips rolled and bucked on you, thrusting deliciously, tip reaching up to the familiar gummy spot.

“You look so good fucked in my sweater like that, dove,” he moans in your ear in the pleasure of your hips meeting his, pelvis to pelvis. The way he whispered that little pet nickname and moaned right into your ears clutches your core. You put your arms around his shoulders, legs wrapping around him, holding on for life as he pounds harder (you swore the bed could crack any minute).

“I’m…” you gasp in between thrusts before you continue, “I’m on birth— ah!” 

You couldn’t continue as he pushed one deep thrust, already knowing what you meant. He groans feeling your tightened walls sucking him in as he starts to roll his hips in a way it touches the parts you never knew you’d reach. He pushes your knees to your chest, thrusting in deeper. You feel his skin constantly slapping on your clit, building you up to another climax.

With a groan and his head buried into your shoulder, he came in a rut. Pace went sloppy and eventually filled his warmth inside you. His moans cracked a higher pitch before he finally emptied out on his last thrust. Both of you laid there catching your breath.

He pulls himself out of you, leaving a whine from your lips from the sudden emptiness. You sigh, feeling his cum slowly spilling out of you. Ushijima muttered a low, "fuck," as he looks down and squeezed your thighs, eyeing the sight of you leaking from his cum.

Making sure you’re fine, he hovers above you, a hand on your jaw as he kisses the edge of your lips. Raising his head to look at you as you open your eyes. Greeted by the sight of his softened features, you smile with a sigh and caress his cheek.

He’s worried, you thought. Ushijima brushes out the strands of hair from your face and places a soft, longing kiss on your temple before walking up towards the bathroom.

You hear the tap running for a while before he comes out with a warm damp towel. He gently grabs your thigh to wipe down the remaining of his cum that has spilled out of you. You sigh from the warmth of the towel.

“You need to go to the toilet,” he states suddenly. You furrow your eyebrows trying to process his instruction before realizing what he meant. You nod, “right,” you prop yourself up to sit.

“Can you walk?” he asks. You thought a bit before nodding as he grabbed onto you in case you wobble and fall. You chuckle in contrast to his worry because you did walk fine. Just a little sore. You walked to the bathroom to pee and clean yourself while Ushijima in the kitchen for some water.

You come back with him already finished putting back his boxer. You realize you don’t wanna sleep in soiled panties so you grab a fresh pair and throw the used one out into the hamper. You jump back on the bed with him. You take the glass of water he gave you before laying back down. He spoons you like how he did before. You shuffle as you turn your body towards him, brushing away his messy hair out of his face.

“Should I wear this more so I can get fucked like that more often?” you ask, referring to how his high school sweater on you turns him on. He let out a tired laugh, “just don’t wear that in front of anyone but me.”

---

ushy gushy always be on my top #1 daddy big balls alongside erwin smith

[vicsnook]

Driving You Home Pt. 2 | Scott Miller x Reader

word count: 2967

warnings: Smut, 18+, unprotected p in v

notes: Hello! Here is part 2 as promised of Never Left Me. I’m sorry that I left y’all hanging with that cliffhanger but I swear the slowburn is so worth it. Hope you enjoy & please don’t forget to like+reblog 🫶🏼.

The sound of rain and Scott cursing wakes me up and I realize I’ve been asleep for a while since it’s now dark outside. Looking around I realize we’re stopped somewhere along the highway and he’s standing outside in the rain yelling at someone on the phone. Guess some things never change.

We make eye contact and I shoot him a pointed look, my brow arched and he shakes his head. I unbuckle myself and step outside and immediately regret it as the cold rain hits my skin.

“So,” I say, approaching Scott as he finally hangs up, “What’s going on?” and the look he gives me is enough to make me want to get back in the SUV.

“We have a flat, Y/N and Goddamn Triple A can’t get here for another 2 fucking hours.” He says, kicking the very flat tire and I have to hold back a laugh.

I calmly walk to the trunk and pop it open, shoving our bags to the side and pulling up the floor mat and low and behold the spare is there and a jack sits right beside it.

“Hey smarty pants, come give me a hand!” I yell to Scott and he rolls his eyes but still helps me pull the tire out. Thankfully it looks like it’s in good condition. “You know how to change a tire?”

He feigns offense. “Of course, but I’d rather not in this rain.”

“Scott, you’re a terrible liar. Pass me the lug wrench and step back.”

“The what?”

I look up at him and notice the slight blush in his cheeks. Of course, he’s probably never changed a tire in his life.

30 minutes later I’m drenched but the new tire is on and the old one is back in the trunk. “Let’s get this show on the road,” I say, eager to get out of the rain.

Scott turns on the heater as we get back in and I shoot him a grateful smile. “Uh, thanks for changing the tire.” He says awkwardly as we pull back out onto the highway.

I shrug. “It was nothing. Should we pull off and get some rest? There’s a motel a few miles from here.”

“Sure thing,” he replies and then we sit in silence ‘til he pulls up to the motel.

-

“Sorry man, but we only have one room left.” The hotel clerk tells Scott and I watch as he winces as if it pains him to share a room with me. “Well, is it a double bed at least?”

I watch the hope shatter from his face as the clerk tells him it’s a single queen bed. He looks at me and I shrug my shoulders so he turns around and tells the clerk that we’ll take it.

The walk back to the SUV is silent and as we gather the bags I can’t help the laugh that escapes me. “What?”

“Nothing, sorry it’s been a long day.” I respond, not wanting to tell him the real reason, which is that we seem to be a living book trope.

I follow him into the room and set my bag on the shabby desk and watch as he takes off his still damp shirt. My eyes trailing through his body shamelessly. Why does he have to look like a Greek God?

“Hey, take a picture, it'll last longer.” He says, snapping me out of my trance and I can feel my cheeks heating up. He smirks at me and heads to the bathroom to I assume take a shower and I can’t help the thoughts that creep into my mind. Stop it! You’re supposed to hate his guts.

When Scott comes out of the bathroom, I look up from my book only to be met with only a towel hanging loosely from his waist and water still dripping from his chest. Lord please have mercy on me. His hair is curly and it takes everything in me not to cross the room and run my hands through it so instead I grab my bag and run into the now empty bathroom.

I shiver under the cold shower since Scott used up all the hot water but the cold water seems to help with my steamy thoughts. Well maybe not. I get dressed and slowly do my nightly routine to avoid spending time with Scott. When I finally emerge back into the room to a thankfully dressed Scott, he’s laying on the bed reading a book.

“Took you long enough. What you couldn’t stop thinking about me naked?” He asks, as I set my stuff by the door and the urge to smack him or fuck him consumes me.

“In your dreams dipshit. I’m going to sleep.” I reply, laying on the bed as far from him as I can.

He clears his throat and I turn to look at him and notice he’s holding some chips and a soda out to me. “Figured you’d be hungry and this was the only thing at the vending machine.”

“Uh, thanks,” I murmur and he nods, returning to his book. My stomach is in knotts as I try to eat because my body is too aware of the man sitting next to me. There was a time I wouldn’t have hesitated to act on my thoughts but that was before he got me fired.

I hear him breathing beside me while I scroll through my phone and it makes me want to scream. Although the meanest thing he’s ever done to me was get me fired I’d rather be stuck with anyone else.

“I’m gonna get some fresh air,” I say, getting up from the bed and walking to the door. “Wait up, I think I’ll get some too,” Scott replies, getting up too. Fucking hell I can’t get away from him.

“No!” I yell, before thinking and he stops, looking at me like I’ve grown another head or something. “I just need some space, okay?”

His face falls as I say that and honestly I feel terrible but it’s true. I don’t trust myself around him. He nods and gets back in the bed and I walk outside, softly shutting the door behind me.

I lean against the door and take a few deep breaths reminding myself that stopping for the night was my idea. The night air is cool and I walk over to the SUV and try the handle and lucky me it’s unlocked.

I recline back in the passenger seat and close my eyes trying to calm my thoughts and before I know it I’ve fallen asleep. Light knocking on the window startles me awake what feels like a few minutes later but according to Scott it’s been an hour.

“You’re not going to sleep in here to avoid sharing a bed with me, are you? Cause if that’s the case I’ll take the car or the room floor.” He says, and I look into his eyes and can tell he’s being sincere which makes me feel like an even bigger asshole.

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep here but really I have no problem sharing the bed with you so long as you stay on your side,” I say, getting out of the vehicle and following him back to the room. “Scout’s honor.” He replies, holding up three fingers and I chuckle.

We lay with our backs turned to each other and I hope he can’t feel my heart racing. I close my eyes and try to keep my thoughts away from anything inappropriate and very quickly I fall asleep.

-

I wake up to Scott sitting up on the bed reading and all I can think about is how handsome he looks. Stop it!

Then I think of how bad my hair probably looks and it’s enough to send me tumbling into the bathroom where I find he’s left my bag on the floor for me. Why is he being so nice? ugh

I shower quickly, grateful for the hot water and do my morning routine and by the time I’m packing everything into my bag there’s a soft knock on the door. Scott’s holding a brown bag with what I assume is breakfast when I open it and my stomach involuntarily growls with hunger.

“Perfect timing.” He says, chuckling as I take the bag and sit in the bed while he goes and gets ready for the day and before I can embarrass myself by oogling at him, I decide to wait for him in the car.

-

We drive off and the silence between us is peaceful. Only broken when he needs directions. I feel a spark of relief as we pass the Oklahoma welcome sign. There truly is no place like home.

“What’s going on in that brain of yours?” Scott asks, as we drive by the fields of the place I know we both adore.

“I’m just thinking about how glad I am to be home,” I answer truthfully. “No place really compares to here.”

“I agree. Also, I’m sorry about how things ended between us. I was an asshole and work really isn’t the same without you.” He says, “Or the team.” and I eye him from the corner of my eye and see how tense he is. Apologizing never came easy to Scott so he really must mean it.

“Uh thanks. For what it’s worth, maybe it was for the best. I’m happier now with the wranglers.”

He rolls his eyes and looks at me in disbelief. “You can’t possibly enjoy spending time with those hillbillies.”

“I do. Way more than I ever enjoyed spending time with you,” I spat, defensively and I can see a flash of hurt that he quickly covers with a scowl. So much for getting along.

“Suit yourself,” he responds, pulling off the highway and onto a dirt road. Huh?

“What are you doing?” I ask, aggravated. All I want is to be home and away from him. He turns to look at me and I feel a shiver go through me when I notice his slight smirk.

“We’re not going anywhere until you admit you like me more than Tyler,” He tells me and I notice that this isn’t about the wranglers. This is about us and his ego.

“I never said anything about Tyler.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me you want him more than me. That you don’t miss riding with me and hoping I’d pull over and have my way with you.” He says, and I realize maybe I haven’t been hiding the way I feel as good as I thought. Or Javi fucking snitched.

“You’re delusional Scott. Take me home.” I say, avoiding his eyes and toying with my phone which he takes out of my hands. “Hey!”

“We’re not going anywhere until you answer me, sweetheart.”

I look up at him and I know I’m trapped. I’m the world’s worst liar so plan B it is. Turning away I pull open my door and step out the car, ready to walk back to the highway and hitch a ride. Or get Scott to quit being a baby.

The sound of his door slamming behind me does little to stop me as I pull my bag from the trunk. Until he reaches over and takes my bag and throws it back in. “Stop it Scott! You either take me home or I’ll walk there.” I spat, annoyed at his little game but all he does is laugh at me.

“What’s so funny?”

“That you’d rather walk home than admit you want me.”

“Oh fuck off Scott.” I say, turning away from him and walking back to the passenger seat but he cages me against the back door instead. His warm breath on the back of my neck sends shivers down my spine.

“All you have to say is that you don’t and I promise I’ll drive you home immediately after.” He whispers in my ear but the words are trapped in my throat. I turn to face him and his face is stoic. Fuck, maybe I should’ve stayed facing away from him.

His thumb presses on my bottom lip and pulls it down slightly and our eyes are locked onto each others in a silent war of who’ll give in first. Oh screw it, I think closing the distance between us and kissing him.

His hands immediately find my waist and pull me even closer to him as I run my fingers through his hair and he moans into my mouth as I tug at the ends of it. This man will be the death of me.

He pulls us off the side of the car, still kissing me and I hear as he pulls the back door open. Wordlessly I follow him into the small backseat, pulling the door shut behind me.

I straddle his lap as our kisses become desperate, months of pining and anticipation all coming through. He nips at my bottom lip and I can’t help the moan that escapes my mouth and he takes the opportunity to slide his tongue into my mouth.

My hands are grabbing fistfuls of his shirt as his wander under mine and I feel like my body might explode. He pauses his wandering to help me take off his shirt, buttons flying everywhere.

We stare at each other briefly, our chests quickly going up and down while we try to catch our breath. His hand caresses my cheek and I lean into his touch as I run my fingers down his chest and his very nice abs.

He pulls me closer and rocks me against him and I can’t help the moans that escape. He grins, trailing kisses down my neck. I pull back to help him pull off my shorts and he slides his fingers into my underwear, circling my clit immediately and I nearly scream.

“You ready to admit you want me, honey?” He drawls, as he quickens his pace on my clit and I nearly come undone.

“Shut up and fuck me Scott,” I reply, panting as he edges me closer and closer to my release.

“Tell me baby, tell me it’s always been me,” He says, rocking me against him as he continues drawing circles on my clit and before I can answer I come undone.

My body shakes in pleasure as he coaxes me through my orgasm and all I can think is that I want him. Now.

“It’s always been you, Scott.” I finally manage to say as I come down from my high and the smile that lights up his face as I say that, warms my heart.

But I don’t have time to dwell on it as he pulls me off his lap to undo his jeans and I take the opportunity to undo my bra and pull off my underwear.

His lips are on my nipple as soon as the bra comes off and I moan loudly as he sucks on one and plays with the other. “You like that, baby?”

“Mhmm”

I stroke him and he puts his hand on mine making me go faster and I smile when he closes his eyes and moans my name.

But then he stops me and crashes his lips on to mine, pulling me up and then easing me back down onto him. I moan in his ear as he lifts me and guides me up and down repeatedly. “Le-t m-e ride y-ou,” I finally manage to stutter and he stills us.

And just like that I’m riding him like a stallion that needs to be broken in. We both groan as I set the pace, his lips on mine and then on my neck as I ride him, chasing my high.

He stills me for a second and slides his hand between us, catching on my clit and making circles as I resume the pace and it takes everything in me not to come right then and there.

“Goddammit Y/N,” He growls in my ear as I reach my orgasm, fluttering on him and he takes over fucking me through it and my mind is blank with pleasure.

“That’s it baby girl, cum for me” He says, as I start to come down from my high. “I’m almost there baby, can you hold on?”

I nod and he lays me down on the seat and I put my hands on his shoulders as he slowly slides in and out. The feeling is almost too much. “It’s okay baby, almost there” He coos.

And as he increases his pace my legs tighten around his waist and my nails dig into his back. Both our moans fill the car and I hope that no one lives near here as I scream his name and he comes in me, his thrusts becoming sloppy as he does.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that,” Scott says, his hand caressing my cheek and I smile feeling my cheeks blush at his revelation.

“I’ve thought about it for a while too,” I admit and he grins as he pulls out and slides a towel under me.

He cleans me up carefully, trailing kisses as he goes and my walls slowly chip away as he does. Finally my shirt is on and I’m fully dressed and he pulls me in for a soft kiss and I melt against him.

“Now let’s get you home so we can do that again,” he tells me, winking as he closes my door. I shake my head, grinning,and watch him get onto the drivers side in his semi open shirt thanks to the missing buttons.

And now I hope the car ride goes fast. But for other reasons entirely.

[deceptive-daydreams]

The Under-Ground

Chapter One - Welcome to The Under-Ground

Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 |

Modern!Barista!Eddie AU - In which you work at the local Hawkins coffee shop where you thought you'd be able to escape the horrors that were high school a few years after graduating. Until one of those horrors lands a job in the closing shift with you...and you have to train him.

Enemies to Lovers, Modern!Barista!Eddie AU, Eddie x Fem Reader

5K Words

Warnings - Eddie is an asshole, eventual smut, I don't think there's anything else but please let me know if I missed anything

Author's Note: I finished this sooner than I thought I would...pls let me know what you think, I am having so much fun writing this so far and I can't wait to keep going

Masterlist

Next ->

The chill Autumn air infiltrated the apartment and left you shivering, the wool blanket atop your comforter did little to aid you in getting warm.  That’s what five hundred dollars a month got you in small town Hawkins, it's what you could afford.  Old striped wallpaper that alternated a faded baby blue and pale yellow that seemed to have been glued to the wall since the 70’s barely clung to the walls, a majority of it peeling and begging to be torn off.  The stained white linoleum throughout the kitchen had seen better days and the carpet in the living room and bedroom was dingy, so dingy that no vacuum could possibly come close to cleaning it.  The lock on the door was on the verge of breaking and almost didn’t work��almost.  And of course the heater was definitely broken, the creepy landlord would take his sweet time to fix it, leaving you with a freezing apartment as the seasons changed and Hawkins welcomed the fall.  A broke college student by day and a barista by night, these are the cards you were dealt for now.  

Classes at the community college had finished for the day, rotating to the night courses.  A few papers were due next week, one for your business class on the effects of product promotion in business growth that happened to be stressing you out extra.  Your fingers tapped away at your laptop from your mattress nestled in the corner on the floor of your tiny bedroom.  4:30PM, the time in the corner of the screen read, just half an hour before your shift at The Under-Ground.  With a groan, you click save on the document and shut the laptop which was certain to be opened later tonight after your shift only to continue the torturous essay.  Begrudgingly you began your pre-work ritual of grabbing whatever snack or meal you had in the fridge, scarfing it down, and then tidying your appearance a bit while listening to your daily playlist named “Eh” on Spotify.  Today’s vibe was set by Dreams by Fleetwood Mac.  

The rusty bathroom faucet sputtered water before allowing a full stream to flow into the sink.  You splashed some water on your face to feel more alive although it may have been a mistake in hindsight since the apartment was already cold and rather than feeling refreshed, you felt like a wet dog.  Dabbing your face with a towel hanging from over the rod where the tie dye shower curtain hung as well, you collected any leftover mascara from the previous night beneath your waterline and around your eyelids.  Moving to the compact closet in the bedroom, a simple outfit of jeans and a maroon knitted sweater you’d ‘claimed’ from the lost and found at the college were chosen and paired with your only signature docs.  Lastly, your apron was tied around your waist in a neat knot.  

Grabbing your keys from the laminate countertop and shoving your laptop in your bag, you make your way through the damaged and scratched up wooden door that was the entrance to your apartment, the number seven nailed to the front of it.  “God dammit.” you jam your key in and out of the lock, twisting and repeating until it finally clicks in place.  The door leads right outside into the biting air and you scurry down the concrete stairs while avoiding touching the nasty railing, Mrs. Harrison’s chubby cat, Raphael is perched right at the bottom like he always is.  His large green irises stare up at you, giving the appearance that he was just a fluffy ball of black fur with eyes.  “Ralphy” you mumble your nickname for him affectionately as you steal a pat from his head on your way out of the apartments, a small meow chiming through the air.  

The Under-Ground wasn’t a far walk but it sure did seem that way the colder it got.  You’d been working there since the Spring and so far had no issues with weather but you knew it would bite you at some point.  The walk through downtown Hawkins is crisp and cloudy, leaves blowing delicately from the trees and laying perfectly in the street, colors varying from red, orange, and brown.  It was mid September.  Patrons wander about the streets attending to their daily errands.  Teenagers mess around at the entrance of The Hideout, no doubt attempting to use their fake IDs only to be turned away by the bouncer, Stan.  

Joyce Byers cleans the storefront window of Melvald’s, taking care to not miss a single streak.  Her face lights up as her son, Will approaches the store.  Max Mayfield skateboards past you down the sidewalk at lightning speed, the only reason you know it's her is a flash of her flaming red hair as well as Lucas Sinclair trying to keep up with her on his own board, a nervous expression written on his features as he carefully maneuvers.  Nancy Wheeler hurriedly gets into her car, wrapping up her workday at The Hawkins Post while Jonathan Byers gives her cheek a kiss and heads over toward Will and Joyce.   

The Under-Ground comes into view as you round the corner, the brick building vacant of customers at the moment from what you can tell through the windows.  The evening rush hasn’t picked up yet, usually kicking in at around six when the college students like yourself would make themselves at home and study over lattes and espresso shots.  The bell chimes above the door as you pull it open, the smell of coffee beans and pastries flooding your nose and some upbeat jazz playing through the speakers.  Robin sits atop the counter much to the boss, Ronnie's dismay but he’s not around to scold her.  Her dirty blonde bob is freshly trimmed, bangs laying just right across her forehead while she has a lollipop sticking out her mouth and she skims through a magazine lazily.  One leg is hitched up onto the counter with her bright yellow converse on display, knee to her chest.  She’s wearing jeans with a few holes and a vintage tee.  Her bright blue eyes glance up and land on you, face lighting up as she greets you.  “Hey, Robin!” you greet back, making your way behind the counter to clock in on the computer.  

“You’re lucky, it’s been dead for hours.” she says while setting aside the magazine.  “Think it’s gonna rain too so it’ll probably stay that way.” she continues.  

“Good, I can probably catch up on some homework then.” you hum, punching in your employee number.

“Oh and some new guy is supposed to close with you tonight, I think you’re training him.” she mentions.

“So, no catching up on homework then.” you sigh.  Training someone new wasn't necessarily difficult however it was draining since you already knew how to do everything like the back of your hand.  Dumbing it all down always took a minute since you had to slow down and give them time to catch on.  

“Did Ronnie say who?” you ask, turning to face Robin.  Hawkins was small which meant that everyone knew everyone.  Which was unfortunate sometimes since that also meant everyone knew everyone's business.

Robin hops off the counter, hair bouncing as she does.  “Nope, I just know that it's some dude.” she crunches down on her lollipop and discards the stick in the garbage a few feet away.  

With a sigh, you head to the back room to put your bag in your locker only to find Steve lounging at the lunch table, his feet crossed on top of it while scrolling through his phone and two legs of the chair he occupies off the ground as he balances.  Today he sports some red corduroy pants and an ivory crewneck sweater finished off with converse, just like Robin’s, only black.  “What’s up?” he greets, not once looking up from his phone.  

“Scrolling through Tinder again, Stevie?” you mock while setting your bag in your locker for safe keeping, hooking the lock around the metal and clicking it into place.

“Actually, it’s Grindr.” he says matter of factly.  

“My bad, you find anyone cute?” you ask, peering over his shoulder, his aftershave smelling subtle and pleasant.   

He lands on a cute blonde guy with green eyes, most likely from a town over.  “Not really.” he exhales, running a hand through his voluminous hair.  

“Well what about him?  He’s pretty cute.” you encourage.  

“Dude, it says he likes to do Karaoke for fun.” he glances behind at you with a raised brow.  You shrug, unaware of why that would deter him.  

“If that's not a red flag, I don’t know what is.” he states, shutting his phone off and shoving it in his pocket while standing, making his way to the vending machine.  “What happened to me, Socks?  I used to pull 'em left and right and now no guy or girl will give me the time of day.”  Socks was your nickname given by Steve and Robin after the dreadful incident where a pipe burst from one of the sinks and you happened to be standing in front of it, the bottom half of your pants along with your socks becoming soaked.  The rest of the evening you worked your shift without shoes, only in your sopping wet socks with your jeans rolled up.  It had been an ongoing joke since, although you always reminded them how horrible it is to go around in wet shoes, the squeaky sound they would make against the floor and the squishiness of the soles.  They always disagreed, insisting that it would be worse to work in only socks and how they’d just opt to continue wearing the drenched shoes.  

“Steve, I think Grindr and Tinder and all the dating apps might be giving you unrealistic expectations.” you tell him truthfully.  

“Okay, but who the hell else am I gonna find in Hawkins?  Been there, done that, this is my only option."  He inserts a dollar into the vending machine and punches in his selection, shortly after a bag of pretzels falls.  

“Pretzels, Steve?  Really?” you taunt.  “How bland of you.” you deadpan.  He pulls open the packaging and tosses a pretzel in his mouth all while giving you his signature pout.  “Maybe that's your issue, you dumb yourself down for these people you don’t even know.” you continue.

“Wow.” he raises his arms in disbelief, a hint of humor evident.  “That…” he flings a pretzel at you, hitting your chest.  “...was mean.” he sasses.  “But probably true.” he finishes.  “Don’t you have a job or something?” his head tilts toward the door.  

“Yeah, and so do you.” you shoot back, grabbing his apron from where it hung over one of the breakroom chairs and throwing it at him.  

Exiting the room, you hear Steve chime in one more time.  “I’m off in like fifteen!”  Your shifts always overlapped with Steve and Robin’s, them usually taking the morning to afternoon shift and you taking over closing.  Ronnie would always hang out in the back office so you didn’t have to close alone but that was pretty much the extent of his labor.  The beans needed to be ground for the next day, chairs stacked on the tables, bathroom tidied, ingredients prepped, counters wiped down, etc.  And you were always the one to do it, not that you minded so much.  Ronnie never micromanaged and you had gotten good at closing so it became somewhat of a meditation time.  The town winded down and the dim lighting provided a relaxing glow, almost as if you were in a spa.  You could at least pretend anyway.

Robin was making herself a latte, carefully pouring the milk over the coffee in an attempt to make a design.  She’d been practicing for weeks with no success.  “Dammit!  Another wasted latte!” she slams the small pitcher of cream onto the counter.  

“That for me?” you question over her shoulder, spotting the blob of white draped over the coffee.  You ended up drinking them most of the time, always looking forward to your daily latte handcrafted by Robin.  

Letting a breath out, she hangs her head in defeat.  “It is now.” 

Steve saunters out from the back, stopping in his tracks right next to Robin.  “Another one?  Seriously?” he mutters before continuing to the espresso machine to make probably his fourth drink of the day.  

“When is the new guy scheduled to come in?” you ask as you pour yourself an iced coffee.  Everyone was allowed one free drink a day however it was never enforced unless the owner, Ronnie’s mom was around.  She owned The Under-Ground while her husband owned The Hideout.

“5:30, I think?” Robin answers.  The clock on the register currently reads 5:20.  Steve glances at you, trying to hide a smirk as he quickly looks in the other direction.  

“What?” you demand.  Shaking his head he continues pouring an espresso shot into paper to go cup.  A tug on his sleeve doesn’t get him to budge.  “Steve, why did you give me that look?!” you hound him.  

“Nothing!” he raises his hands in defense, a shit eating grin on his face.  

“Steve.” you narrow your eyes at him, brows knit in frustration.  

“Yeah, Steve.  What do you know that I don’t?” Robin steps towards him while crossing her arms in offense.  

“Nothing!” He lies, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Steve.” Robin glares at him.

“Y’know, this is already getting to me.” he points to his cup.  “I gotta run to the bathroom.” he rushes to the back once again, holding his stomach and pretending to grimace in pain.

“What’s up with him?” you look at Robin, the two of you left standing there without any idea.  She shrugs, handing you the botched latte she just made.  

Pushing aside your theories, you begin setting up for your shift, restocking the cups and making sure there’s enough whip cream in the canister.  The Under-Ground had a very cozy vibe, dark mahogany woods decorating the interior, little twinkly lights draped above the windows, and a snug book nook tucked away in the back corner with large shelves that took up the whole wall.  Accompanying it are a few tables and chairs, their wood matching the counter and on top of each table sits various houseplants that you’d have to remind yourself to water.  

Robin tops off the pastries as she always does at the end of her shift, adding some chocolate croissants, blueberry muffins, brownies, and a brand new lemon loaf to the case.  She finishes off by wiping off the glass with a rag and then ensures the display of gift cards and bags of coffee beans on the counter is dusted off and pristine.  

You busy yourself by restocking the to-go sandwiches in the open cooler at the front of the counter, making a note to also grab a few more parfaits from the back since those were running low as well.  A few books are scattered among one of the tables so you take it upon yourself to collect them and tuck them neatly back on the book shelf.  Other than that, nothing else is left to do and you should be ready to start training the new hire without any distractions.  You reward yourself by sipping on the latte, the bitter taste gracing your tongue and warmth coating your throat.  Robin disappears to the back briefly, coming back out with her bag while shoving her apron into it, ready to clock out the second it hits 5:30.

The roaring of an engine suddenly echoes in the streets, an obnoxious sputtering filling your ears as you glance up and out of the front window.  It comes to a screeching halt as a motorcycle pulls up into one of the parking spots horizontally rather than vertically like the rest of the vehicles.  Jackass, you think to yourself as the owner kicks the kickstand down.  He wears a standard black motorcycle helmet, a leather jacket, ripped black jeans, and some combat boots, a walking stereotype for some kind of punk ass kid.  

Jim Hopper catches him, his cop car parked a few spaces away while he does his crossword in the driver’s seat.  You can’t quite make out what's being said but as Hopper exits his car in a hurry,  you can tell they have most likely had run-ins like this before.  The jackass looks up in aggravation as he still straddles the bike, the sky reflected in the visor of his helmet.  Hopper appears to be telling him off but not giving him a ticket when he most definitely should.  Jackass reparks the bike correctly, gesturing to it as if he’d performed a magic trick, Hopper with a hand on his hip and a scowl on his face.  He points a finger at him, muttering one last thing before retreating back to his own car, eyes never leaving the guy.  

Steve emerges from the back again, carefully.  “Shit.” he mumbles.

Your gaze moves from the scene outside to behind you at Steve who is also now looking out the window.  This provokes you to look back outside.  Just as you’re about to ask, the jackass removes his helmet, revealing a head of wild brunette curls, his hand adorned in chunky rings as he grips the helmet.  Rolling your eyes, you turn your attention back to inputting some inventory in the computer.  Out of the corner of your eye you can see that he’s making his way toward the door.  “Are you kidding me?” you say under your breath.  

“Thought trendy coffee wasn’t his style.” you say to no one in particular.  Steve inhales as if waiting for some kind of impact.  

“Oh…” Robin says in some kind of realization.  

The bell above the door rings as he swings it open, striding across the shop and in front of the counter, his eyes are a dark abyss as he looks from you to Robin and then to Steve.  

“Munson.” Steve acknowledges him.

“Harrington.” he says back, a tinge of disgust rolling off his tongue.  Robin’s eyes are wide as they shift between you two.

“What do you want, Eddie?” you bite, voice full of malice as you glare up at him.

Bringing his hand to his chest, his face contorting into a mock pout, he sets the helmet on the counter.  “Ouch.  That make you feel better, sweetheart?”  Sarcasm drips from his tone.

You scoff about to tell him to leave but he just continues.  “Make you feel all big and bad?  Get it out of your system yet?” he taunts, a smirk playing on his lips.  

“Oh no.” Robin says quietly, leaning over you to clock out and then subtly making her way around the counter.  

“Why don’t you get the hell out of here and find someone else to dick around with?” you snap, grabbing his helmet and forcing it into his hands. 

A cocky look takes over his features.  “Well what if I’m a paying customer?” 

 “I have the right to refuse service so, I’m refusing.” you can feel anger coursing through your veins, blood running hot.  

“That’s unfortunate.” he frowns, moving to make his way behind the counter.  “For you.” his stare burns into you, two black holes nearly swallowing you up.  

“I don’t have time-” you begin but are cut off when he reaches over you and starts typing away at the computer, clocking in.  His cheap cologne and cigarette smoke flood your nose.

Steve looks at you apologetically as Eddie passes him on his way to the back.  A silence lingers as you process that you’ll be forced to work with the one person in this town you can’t stand.  Eddie Munson was the new hire and of course he had to be scheduled on the closing shift with you.  Life couldn’t get any worse than this, a shitty apartment, and now a shitty job that you used to love combined with mountains of homework.  Your eternal hell.  Work was supposed to be a place you could briefly escape.  Sure it was still work but you didn’t mind.

“Steve!” both you and Robin scold him at the same time.  He squeezes his eyes shut in preparation for more yelling.  

“You knew Ronnie hired him and you just didn’t tell me!” you seethe.  “You could have warned me!  I could have switched shifts or something-or, or–or tell Ronnie he’s a criminal or something!  So he wouldn’t get hired!” your eyes are bulging out of your head as you reprimand the poor guy.  

“Okay, see, the way you're reacting right now doesn’t give me any confidence that you would have reacted any differently if I told you earlier.” Steve explains while clocking out.  

“So you think springing it on her like that was any better!” Robin says loudly.  Steve contemplates for a moment.

“Look, Socks.  I’m sorry.” he apologizes sincerely.  

“Socks?” Eddie stands in the doorway that leads to the back, now free of his leather jacket and wearing a black Metallica tee.  “What kinda fucked up thing did you do for a nickname like that?” he asks, a smug grin on his face.

“Oh, kill me now.” you drag your hands down your face in agony.  Steve and Robin slowly make their way toward the front door, looking at you sympathetically.

“See you tomorrow?” Robin awkwardly points finger guns at you before they speed up and shuffle out the door.

You sigh heavily, dropping your arms limply to your sides.  Turning around, Eddie is about to speak up again but you cut him off. 

“I don’t wanna hear it.  You don’t talk unless it's about work.  I’ll train you today and then I’ll ask Ronnie to move you to mornings or something.” you tell him in one breath.  

He laughs before replying.  “You’d like that wouldn’t you?  Hate to be the bearer of bad news but you’re stuck with me, doll.” he chuckles lowly.  “I only work nights.” he says with that stupid grin.  

“Who did I piss off for this to happen?” you mumble to yourself, rubbing at your temples.  “Put this on.” you shove an apron at his chest.

He grunts at the impact.  “No.” he simply says, refusing to grab it from you.  His expression is blank.

Scoffing, you shove it against him even harder.  “This is work.  We work here.  Stop acting like a damn child.” you say sternly.  

Now taking the apron in his hand, you think he’s finally come to his senses until he bunches it up and tosses it onto one of the counters, eliciting a groan from you.  You were foolish to think he would play nice.

–

Trying to train Eddie was as useful as training a fly.  He didn’t listen and would purposely mess things up claiming he didn’t know any better and he almost charged one of your only customers that night double the actual cost.  It was like watching a toddler, you couldn’t take your eyes away from him or all hell would break loose.  The cherry on top was all the snide comments he would make which led to more bickering.  

When it came to closing time at 9:00, you were exhausted and could practically feel the eyebags hanging off your face.  There was not enough espresso in the world to keep up with Eddie’s antics.  You were counting the money from the register, making sure all was accounted for, Eddie watching as he was supposed to be learning when really he was zoned out.  

“Alright, Socks, are we done here?” he says with a bored tone.  

You glance between him and the cash, still counting under your breath while ignoring him.  Poking your arm, he tries again.  “Socks.  I got things to do.” he continues.  “Hey, I’m talking to you–”

“--Oh my god, just go.” you break, finally completing your counting and setting the money back in the drawer neatly.  

“Fuck yeah.” he whispers, rushing to the back to collect his things.  Pinching the bridge of your nose, you only hope he quits before you have to work another shift with him.  Eddie wasn’t just an asshole, he was the asshole who was partially responsible for your shitty high school experience.  You know it's dumb, there’s no reason to let something keep a hold on you for so long but it just does.  It makes you cringe, it's like the equivalent to peaking in high school but opposite, and yet you can’t seem to look past it.

Nothing but the twinkly lights and the dim overhead lights lit up the shop, a moment of peace taking over you while the town outside laid itself to rest.  Shutting off the music and untying your apron to drape it over your arm, you do one more scan to make sure everything is set for tomorrow.  Satisfied, you head to the back to retrieve your bag.  Eddie passes you, almost running you over on his way out, his stupid helmet in hand.  

“See ya tomorrow, Socks.” he salutes as he clocks out, shortly after you hear the bell chime signaling that he had left.  He was overusing that nickname but you knew it would only please him to call it out.  You had to keep your cool until he figured out he didn’t fit in here and quit.  Exhaling, you unlock your locker, grabbing your bag and tossing your apron in before exiting and heading for the door.  

The door is locked and double checked as you step out onto the sidewalk only to find that it was still raining.  Just my luck.  Eddie’s dumb motorcycle roars to life again a few feet away from you, a nuisance to the tranquil town around you.  Rolling your eyes, you begin your damp journey home.  It’s not until you’re in front of the movie theater that you hear that damn bike behind you.  You think he’s going to speed past you, maybe splash some water on you while he’s at it but the engine rumbles as if right next to you–which it was.  

“Are you lost?” you spit, continuing to walk.  

He rides beside you slowly, irritating you to your core.  “Need a ride home?” he asks, slightly muffled by his helmet.  

You huff before responding.  “No.  I don’t need anything from you.  Get the hell out of here.”  You keep your gaze straight ahead as you walk, him still following behind.

“Sweetheart–”

“--Do NOT call me that.  Ever.  Again.” you scold, taking a moment to point your finger at him, your face displaying disdain toward him.

“Look, I may be an asshole but it's raining.  I can give you a ride.” he coaxes but it doesn’t work.  You keep on, the rain drops collecting on your eyelashes.  

“Get bent, Eddie.” you say, now walking faster, hoping to evade him.

He lifts the visor on the helmet, now showing his eyes as he keeps up with you.  “Get on the damn bike.”

“Fuck you.” you snap at him.

Desperate, you start jogging across the crosswalk and that's when he gives up.  Glancing behind you, he flips the visor down and revs the bike before speeding off.  You weren’t stupid and you weren’t going to play into his little sadist games.  Life was already steamrolling you and you did not need some jackass to factor into it.  After a few minutes of walking, you finally rounded the corner and the faded powder blue apartments came into view, street lights illuminating the way.  The streets were sleek with rain and oil, giving off reflections of the traffic lights and buildings.  You were careful to scurry your way across the parking lot to avoid any of the creeps that hung around late at night.  It wasn’t exactly the best area, being notorious for drug deals and any other illegal side hustles.  

Raphael’s spot on the stairs was vacant due to the downpour which you frowned at, you always looked forward to seeing him upon coming home.  A few skeezy looking men stood nearby however they seemed to be involved in their own drama as they argued and took no interest in you.  Gratefully, you continued quietly up the stairs and hurriedly unlocked the door, jamming the key in the lock until it gave out to you.  

Slipping into your nightly routine, you begin to unwind as much as you can.  A quick shower awaited you since the hot water was limited and you couldn’t wait to munch on one of the sandwiches you snagged from work.  In your defense Ronnie had ordered way too many for the week and the back fridge was overflowing with them.  The local deli they came from, Anderson’s had some fairly good quality meats and cheeses so for that you were thankful as they pretty much kept you fed.  Tonight’s would be turkey and swiss with mayo on sourdough, your favorite.  The lights flickered on as you hit the switch, another quirk that came with the run down apartment.  The living room and entryway were now bathed in a warm and quite dim glow, or in other words if you wanted to read a book, it’d be quite difficult to see.  Shivering from being drenched in rain, you set your bag on the kitchen counter adjacent to the entryway and start taking off your damp clothes, peering into your room to toss them into the hamper and slipping into the bathroom.  It was a tight space, not a whole lot of room to do much but it was home.  

Turning the faucet to ‘hot’, you wait for the water to get warm enough to bear, the fluorescent lighting of the bathroom still bothered you no matter how long you lived there.  You stood on the bath mat feeling the water with your finger until it was to your satisfaction, stepping in and feeling welcomed by the sudden warmth you’d been waiting for all day.  In that moment you feel relief from the pressures of the world, the deadlines, bills, loans, essays, all of it.  Everything melts away for approximately three minutes and that's when the water starts to turn cold again, returning you back to the dreadful reality you wish you could neglect.  

But to your dismay, the cycle just starts all over again, keeping you hostage.

~end~

Next ->

Masterlist

tags - @mmunson86 @haylaansmi

[humunanunga]

top surgery

The morning of the surgery, I woke up a few minutes before my first alarm clock. It was set for 6:00am, like the day before when I had to make sure I was dressed in time for the drive to my pre-op appointment a two-hour drive away. But my ride, my medical power of attorney, my secondhand family, had his alarm clock set for 6:15. So I waited until his went off too so he'd have a chance to brush his teeth before I washed the incision area one more time with the special cleanser. Forgetting I didn't need to wash my hair this time, since I already did the night before, my shower was shorter than planned, and so we still had time to idle before driving the scenic route to the surgery center.

More time to hype up my friends, and more time for them to hype me up.

9:30am finally arrived, and so had we. The door was still locked ten minutes later, so I called the office and the voice on the other end said they'd let the nurse know we were here. My driver and I were let in, I changed into the hospital gown, minutes passed as more doctors trickled in against the weekday morning traffic. They took my heart rate, my blood pressure, a urine sample, and the first doctor tried to install the IV needle into my left hand. She had difficulty chasing my vein, which can happen when patients have to abstain from food and drink before surgery. Needles didn't usually affect me, but hunger and dehydration probably made me more sensitive, because I did get woozy. The anesthesiologist ended up getting it done in a few quick motions on the right hand, taping it securely in place and running me through all the risks of anaesthesia and all the factors that made it more likely I'd wake up nauseous. And the surgeon quizzed me on the prescriptions she'd listed for me the day before, and what to do about the binder (leave it alone). At my request, my dad-in-spirit stepped out for a moment while she drew lines on my skin.

And then I was ready.

And finally, the surgeons were ready.

I was led into a spacious operating room, and I asked if I needed to strip down before getting on. They said I didn't, that they'd take care of that. So I stepped on, they covered my legs in a blanket since the room was chilly. I took note of their caps, one with a pig print on it and another with Carebears. I could hear a loud whirring from a machine somewhere out of my periphery while they finished hooking me up, putting an oxygen mask on me, telling me to take deep breaths.

They warned me earlier that the IV drip may sting, but I didn't feel that. What I did feel was the anaesthesia taking effect, so I said goodnight, I'll seeya later.

…

I remember going under. I remember a vague sense of the passage of time, like when you take a nap on the couch with the TV on but don't remember what you were thinking about whenever you wake up.

It took a lot of insistent pestering to wake me, and at first I thought it was my driver trying to wake me. But then I remembered where I was, and I started to respond. Everything felt heavy and cold, but someone put some kind of heater under my legs and it felt so good to warm up again. I was shivering intensely, but the doctors were patient and helped me into the soft pajamas I brought. Pajamas my roommate gave me.

The nausea never came, and when I had tomato soup for lunch and the potato soup for dinner, I couldn't imagine anything tasting better. I was able to take my first post-op selfie as promised on the way back to the hotel room, where one of my dear friends had sent me flowers. Everyone congragulated me, but once I made it back to the bed with the neck pillow, chest pillow and sleep mask from my roommate and her mother, I was only awake again to eat, drink, take pills or watch day become sunset become night.

And I felt so, so loved.

The the sutures holding my grafts in place and the (admittedly itchy) binding over them were removed this week, and the surgeon was delighted to see how well my nipples were healing this early on. I was still pretty tired from how early I had to wake up for the drive to my post-op appointment, but I was giddy seeing my bare chest in the mirror for the first time.

And, so, here I am now. Still under the care of my roomie, my friends and my family while I wait for mobility in my arms to come back. Able to shower again, as long as I follow instructions. Caring for the incision sites while they heal. Tingling the same way skin does when feeling comes back after escaping the cold. And safe from sweating into a binder through any more summers.

For transparency, it may be worth mentioning that I have a history of ideal health. Compared to my brother, my driver and my friends, I'm lucky that I haven't even had any side-effects to deal with. No post-anaesthesia high or nausea, no pain even when I tested out going off the prescriptions. But there's already enough horror stories out there to fearmonger transness with, or to prepare for all the risks and worst-case scenarios; so how about a happy ending to cleanse the palate with this time.

[teddypines]

The weekend with Alpine (Part 2)

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Sumary: The continuation of weekend with Alpine part 1.

Note: Small warning for sexual contant, nothing happens but Steve gets a bit touchy feely. Alpine and Cat's dialoge is now writen in cursieve (I hope I spelled that the right way). @onedoesnotsimplywriteafanfic gave me the idea. The ending might be a bit short, but I was out of idea's and didn't want to make a part 3. Okay, that's it, hope you enjoy the rest of the story. Art/picture is from Google, credits go to whoever made it.

Part 1.

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That night Alpine slept better than most night’s since Bucky and Steve moved into this apartment. He knew it was because Cat was sleeping next to him. He didn’t mind, it actually made him feel safe and loved. It wasn’t like Steve and Bucky didn’t love him, but sometimes they didn’t understand what was going on inside his mind and he didn’t know how to express it like Cat did. 

Alpine woke up early but he didn’t mind, he got time to look at a still very asleep Cat. Like always she looked like a little cat angel to him. The sun hitting her fur just right. Alpine looked up when he heard footsteps coming from the hallway. It was Steve getting ready for his morning run. Alpine greeted him with a soft meow which made Steve come over with a soft smile on his face. 

“Good morning, Alpine. Did you sleep okay?” Steve whispered, making sure he wouldn’t wake up Cat. He gave Alpine a few soft pats over his head as Alpine meowed in answer. “Good, now I’ll be on my run, Bucky is still asleep so please watch over him for me, okay? You won’t have to leave Cat, I promise. Just make sure to keep the bad dreams away.” Steve said before he quietly left the apartment. Alpine always liked how Steve wanted him to look after Bucky when he left, which made him feel like he was helping both Steve and Bucky feel safe and alright.

After Steve had left, Cat slowly started to wake up. She opened her eyes and was met with The caring blue eyes she knew were Alpine’s. “Good morning, Cat. slept well?” Alpine asked after he gave her head a quick lick to fix her ruffled fur. “It was good, I had a really nice dream. Plus you were really warm, like a little space heater.” Cat Answered as she lay her head back against Alpine. “Good, don’t want you to be all moopy today, we have to make sure Bucky is safe until Steve comes back from his morning run.” Alpine held back a smirk as he lay his head on top of hers. “I’m not moopy!” Cat answered as she hit Alpine with her front paw. “But I will always keep Bucky safe, because Bucky needs protecting”

Moments later Cat and Alpine found themselves in bed with Bucky. Cat against his stomach and Alpine above his head. Both cat’s softly purring away as they protected Bucky in his sleep. 

<--------------------------------------------------------------------->

About 2 and a half hours later Steve got back from his morning run. He was sweaty but wanted to make sure Bucky was okay before he hopped into the shower. He walked into the bedroom and almost melted at the sight of Alpine and Cat sleeping next to Bucky on the bed. Steve carefully made his way onto the bed and started to pepper Bucky’s cheek with kisses. “Bucky, darling, time to wake up.” Bucky groaned at Steve’s words and Alpine slowly woke up hearing Steve’s voice. “Come on, Bucky Bear, I'll let you join me in the shower.” Steve said in an overly sweet voice. “And let you hog all the warm water? No, thank you” Bucky groaned as he petted Cat over the head.

“Not even if I do the thing you like?” Steve teasted Bucky before kissing his yaw. “Not in front of the cat’s Steve!” Bucky answered while trying to hide his reddened cheeks, almost sounding embarrassed that Steve showed him love in front of Alpine and Cat. Alpine just looked at his owners and meows before he hit Steve on the nose with his paw. Telling his dad not to upset his other dad. Steve laughed and picked Alpine up. “Let me love my boyfriend, Alpine, he is not just yours, he is mine too.” Steve jokes, knowing the fluffy cat meant well. He put Alpine back on the bed next to Buck and Cat. “But okay, I'll let you cuddle with the cat’s a bit longer. I’ll go shower really quick.” Steve gave Bucky a quick kiss and left the three of them on the bed.

Bucky grabbed both Cat and Alpine and turned on the bed to lay on his back, pulling both cat’s on his chest. He gave both Cat’s a pet on the head and scratched underneath their chins. “Yeah, you two like that don’t you? Getting all the pats and scratches. I bet Steve would be really jealous that you two get all of my attention.” Bucky laughed to himself and continued to give Alpine and Cat all the love they deserved.

Shortly after Steve got out of the shower and got back into the bedroom. “Hey Buck, do we still have Alpine’s old cat harnesses?” Bucky gave Steve an odd look “Yes, they're probably still in one of the moving boxes. Why do you ask?” Alpine heard the word harness and quickly shut up from the bed. Harness met going out for a walk. walk meant outside. Alpine started to meow in excitement, but Cat didn’t even know what a harness was. 

“Alpine? What is a harness? Why are you so excited about it?” Cat asked Alpine as she looked at the two men and Alpine. Feeling a bit scared about the ‘harness’ they are talking about. “Well it's a bit like a collar, but kinda for the whole part of your upper body.” Alpine answered. “Does it hurt?” “No, it doesn’t hurt, not when they leave enough wiggle room.” Alpine reassured Cat by putting his head against her side. “You promise?” “I promise.”

<------------------------------------------------------------------->

“I think we just broke her, Steve, I think we actually broke her” Bucky said as he looked down at Cat in a green harness on the floor laying there, limp, and hating the feeling of the harness against her fur. “I think you're right, Buck.” Steve answered, slowly sitting down on the floor next to Cat. “Let’s fix this harness for you, Cat. give you a little more wiggle room” He said while putting Cat on his lap before adjusting the harness. Cat meowed up at Steve, like he was committing a crime. “It’s okay Cat, you’ll get used to it in no time.” Bucky said as he helped Alpine into his blue striped harness. “I don’t think she’ll believe you, Buck. Look at her, all angry and pouty at us for putting her in a harness.” 

“Well she kinda has to. Not really, but she has to. We can’t leave her alone in the apartment while we go on a walk with Alpine. That’s unfair for her. besides, she needs to stretch her little legs outside.” Steve explained as he put Cat back on her paws. She stayed upright, so that looked like a step in the right direction. Bucky put Alpine on the floor all pretty in his harness. “Come on Cat. it’s not that bad, you won’t even feel it on your fur after a while.” Alpine nuzzled his nose against Cat, hoping she would start to feel better now that the harness was a bit looser. “I don’t like the feel of it. All icky and it messes up my fur.” Cat whined as she took a few steps with the harness on. “Egh! it ruffles my fur in all the wrong places! I do not like this!!” Cat whined as she flopped back down on the floor. Steve groaned when he saw Cat flop back on the floor. “Oh come on, Cat.” Steve sighed and once again loosened the harness. “Alright, it can’t go any further, so you better be okay with this. We don’t have a bigger one” Cat looked at Steve and nuzzled against him, it did feel better now. 

“It's still itchy, but better.” Cat tells Alpine as she jumped off of Steve’s lap. “Well at least you’re not cranky about it anymore.” Alpine answered. Bucky grabbed a bag of cat treats and gave both Cat and Alpine a few treats. “You two are being really good kitties.” 

“Hey, what about me?” Steve got up and leaned over Bucky. “Come on Buck, I deserve a treat too.” Bucky rolled his eyes and gave Steve the kiss he so desperately wanted. “Now come on Stevie. Let’s go take these kitties on a walk, i'll even let you hold my hand” Bucky teasted as he got up from the couch. “I'll get the leads, you get our jackets.”

Within the hour all four of them made it outside the apartment. Steve holding Bucky’s hand and carrying Cat on his shoulder while holding her lead in his free hand. Alpine was happily trotting next to Bucky, his lead in Bucky’s free hand. The four of them walked along the sidewalk on their way to a little cafe. Of course Steve and Bucky got a lot of stairs and looks. It was odd to some people to see their favorite heroes living a normal life, but it did make a few of them happy knowing Steve and Bucky got to enjoy life like them.

<------------------------------------------------------------------->

Cat and Alpine lay on a sunny window sill next to Steve and Bucky’s table. Bucky was happily chatting with Steve while holding his hot chocolate. Steve smiled at Bucky as he took a big sip of his coffee. 

“And then Natasha was like ‘No Morgan you can not just take your dad’s mask to watch all the movies you want.’ only for Morgan to put the Ironman helmet onto the small table. I’ve never seen Natasha so proud. Morgan sneaking her dad’s helmet out of the lab without her knowing.” Bucky told Steve. of course Steve let Bucky happily yep while petting Alpine and Cat every once in a while. The kind waitress came by to bring them both a piece of pie and some treats for Alpine and Cat. 

“Hey Buck? Do you remember when we used to help ma make pie?” Steve asked Bucky, suddenly feeling a bit nostalgic. “Yes, you wasted a lot of flour that day.” Bucky laughed which made Cat look up at him. She meowed and made her way onto the table. Cat sat down on the table, sniffing a bit at the plates of cake in front of her. Steve quickly picked her up, taking her away from the cake. “No, Cat that is not for you, that is for me and Bucky. You and Alpine have your own treats.” Cat meowed a bit grumpy and put her paws on Steve’s face. “No, Cat you can’t have pie. Thor isn’t even supposed to give you poptarts.” 

“Wait Thor gives Cat poptarts?” Bucky asked, confused. “Only little pieces, but still she is not supposed to eat them.” Steve answered. Putting Cat back next to Alpine on the window sill.

<------------------------------------------------------------------->

The rest of the day went by, Cat and Alpine played and napped most of the time when they got back to the apartment. Alpine actually started to like the new apartment and neighborhood a bit. Mostly because Cat was there, but Steve and Bucky also had more time for him. 

That night both Cat and Alpine slept on the bed with Bucky and Steve. They even fought away the nightmare Bucky was having, comforting him with soft purrs and lots of head buds. Bucky got all the cuddles he could want from both cat’s and Steve. 

Sunday morning both Bucky and Steve went for a morning run. Plus they wanted fresh croissants from the bakery down the street. But this ment Alpine and Cat had the big king sized bed for themselves. So Alpine curled himself around Cat as they lay in the morning sun. “I had a lot of fun this weekend. Thank you for coming to cheer me up” Alpine whispered to Cat which made her smile. Cat purred a bit louder and nuzzled her head into Alpines white fur. “You're welcome. I had a lot of fun too. Might have to ask Loki or Wanda to get me my own harness. I want to go on more walks, they feel nice.” Alpine smiled and started to groom Cat’s head. just giving her a lot of cat kisses. “Maybe Steve and Bucky would let you come to the compound again next time. We could go on a walk together.” “I would love that.” Alpine answered Cat’s request to go to the compound next time and have a walk, just the two of them.

[the-kr8tor]

I was melting when I wrote the I've always been yours, always line. Daily Hobie HC! Another Webpunk chapter; Hair Dye Helper! Syn sighed loudly in the bathroom, bouncing their leg impatiently against the white tiles of the bathroom, a plastic bowl with red dye beside them as they held the brush up to a strip of the top layer, the light bouncing off the white in the bathroom just barely making the faded red visible against their hair. “To be ‘onest, I fink the lemon bleach did well, ‘ey luv?” Hobie called out from the doorway, leaning across it with a tired expression, his tongue flicking out to moisten his lips from his nap with the heater instead of Syn. “Ah, Bie. Nice cuddling session with the heater?” Syn playfully jabbed at him, chuckling as he walked over behind them, taking a seat on the toilet and drumming his fingers against the closed lid. “Nah, you’re better.” Hobie yawned, rubbing his eyes as he tried to wake up properly after that nap. Syn tried their best not to break out into laughter, due to being focused on re-dyeing their usual calico hair. Yet they couldn’t help themselves since Hobie was out for around 2 hours already with the heater on in the room. Syn could only imagine the heat trapped in there. They watched as Hobie silently left to grab a drink of water, before returning a few minutes later and sitting back down again, watching Syn with a more intent gaze on his resting bitch face. “Can I ‘elp?” He spoke up, leaning onto his feet as he got up with his arms finding comfort on Syn’s hips. “Go ahead..I can’t get the back strands anyways.” Syn shrugged with a fond sigh as they spoke, pushing the plastic bowl more outwardly so Hobie could reach it with the hair dye brush. Before Hobie began to work on Syn’s hair, he brought them back on the seat, letting Syn sit in between his legs and just rest for a while. Hobie began to brush red on Syn’s selected hair sections, ignoring the red dye staining his fingers and making it look like he had brutally murdered someone. “So, whose blood did you ‘arvest for this?” He teased, initiating an eye roll from the other person. “Hmm..I think I got a mix this time, you know?” Syn played along with a chuckle, one of their hands resting on Hobie’s lower thigh with their thumb rubbing small circles into it. “A mix, ‘ey? No list?” Hobie rose a cocky brow towards them, dipping the brush into the dye and continuing to work on the back layers of Syn’s hair, not failing to wrap them after he was finished to not let it taint the rest of their hair. “List? Fine…let’s see..your shitty government, one of my shitty government officials…” Syn feigned thought, tapping their cheek and accidentally getting red dye on it. After an hour of dying, plus a few more hours of Syn having to walk around looking like some sort of alien and almost beating Hobie for teasing them, Syn retreated to the shower to wash their hair. In the shower, they took off the protective layer one by one, making sure to wash off all the excess dye before letting it rest against their black and blond streaks. Once Syn had washed away all the excess red dye down the drain, causing the shower to look like a murder scene, they began to dry and restyle their hair into the iconic messy wolf cut they usually had. Once Syn came out, Hobie was leaning against the kitchen counter, seemingly waiting for something, judging by the sweet aroma that was filling the area from the oven. -🐦‍⬛

It fired my synapses into a frenzy!

Daily Hobie HC ❤️❤️❤️

Yay more webpunk!

Lmaoooo Hobie cuddling with a heater made me guffaw 🤣 bro wasn't satisfied with just the pillow apparently 😂

He's so sweet 😍 he's just patiently watching syn dye their hair!!!

Now I want him to dye my hair 😭😭 I bet he's really good at dyeing ppls hair!!

Lol whose blood did u harvest for this 😂 How morbid, hobie! 🤣🤣 As someone who has dyed their hair red I agree, corrupt officials are the best source! 😂😂😂

Oh to come out of the shower all fresh to some warm pastries the love of your life baked for you 🥹😍

[jule1122]

Malex Fic - Dog Days are Over

My March fic for the 2023 Year of the OTP event.  I picked the prompt “make me.”  It’s just a little future Malex fic featuring some silliness, my favorite dog and St. Patrick’s Day. 

Dog Days are Over on AO3

Summary: It only takes one person to change Michael's luck. 

Title from the Florence+ The Machine song.

Michael woke up when he hit the floor.

“Fuck,” he groaned without opening his eyes.  The bed wasn’t that far off the ground, but landing on the floor still fucking hurt.

He opened his eyes to see Mojo staring at him over the edge of the bed.  “Don’t start,” he warned the dog, “this is all your fault.

Michael had been sleeping on Alex’s side of the bed the past few days while Alex was away, and he and Mojo had been negotiating for space on Alex’s pillow.  Looks like Mo had shoved Michael out of the bed while he was sleeping.

Once he dragged himself up, Michael went back to his own side of the bed.  Mo licked Michael’s face before curling up in a ball on Alex’s pillow, sighing contently.  “Fine, you win,” Michael grumbled, without any real heat.  “But I’m telling Alex you fight dirty.”

Michael shifted around until he found a marginally comfortable position, mindful of the bruises already forming.  Just as he started to drift off, his alarm went off, startling him into almost falling off the bed for a second time.  He slapped his phone until it finally stopped and stumbled into the bathroom.

He turned the water on in the shower while he brushed his teeth so it would have plenty of time to warm up.  Daydreaming of coffee, Michael stepped into the shower.  “Fuck!” he shrieked when the ice cold water hit his skin.  He turned off the water, threw the nearest towel around his waist and stomped his way down the stairs to the basement.

“Of fucking course,” Michael kicked at the water heater when he saw the pilot light was out.  Michael put his towel down on the floor since there was no way he was getting down there naked.  Half a box of matches later, he finally remembered he had fucking fire powers and got the pilot light going again.

Leaving his towel behind on the basement floor, he trudged back up the stairs.  When he looked at the clock, Michael realized he didn’t have time for coffee let alone time to wait for the water to heat up and shower.  He threw on his clothes from the night before since there was no reason to waste clean clothes at this point, filled Mojo’s bowl and headed to the garage.

His truck started on the first try so Michael figured maybe his luck was already turning around.  He was wrong.

Michael figured if he took the back roads and avoided the morning traffic rush, he had enough time to stop at the Crashdown for coffee.  Before he could take his first sip, he slammed on his breaks to avoid a cat that darted across the road and sent his coffee flying.  Michael didn’t even bother trying to clean it up, just pushed the empty cup to the floor and hoped the smell of caffeine would be enough to get him going.

Five minutes from the junkyard, he heard sirens behind him and since he was the only car on the road, there was no mystery about who was getting pulled over.  Of course it was a new deputy, hired after Max left for Oasis so Michael couldn’t barter Max’s name, or even Jenna’s, for leniency.  Michael isn’t sure if the deputy decided to take a nap while he ran Michael’s license, but he was losing whatever time advantage the back roads had given him.  When he finally returned, Michael accepted the ticket with a grimace, shoving it in his glove compartment before getting back on the road - barely remembering not to floor it so he didn’t set a record for two tickets in under an hour.

When he pulled in, Sanders was waiting for him.

“About time you got here,” he scolded Michael.  “You go on a bender with your hubby gone?” Sanders looked him over and sniffed.

“I wish,” Michael snorted.  He knew how he looked - coffee splashed on his clothes which were the same ones he wore yesterday, hair damp but not washed, stubble more than a day overdue for a trim.  Michael was also pretty sure his right eye was twitching from irritation.  “You wouldn’t believe the morning I’ve had.”

“Never mind,” Sanders waved him off.  “Just get to work.  Already got three cars lined up for you.”

Work had always been Michael’s safe place.  While it didn’t quiet his head like music did, it usually focused him enough to block out the rest of the world.  Before lunch, he’d dropped three wrenches, hit his head on two car hoods and spilled another cup of coffee.  Sanders had given up on him, wandering off mumbling something about a breathalyzer.

But Sanders came back with lunch for the two of them and made Michael take a break to eat with him in his trailer.  “You ok, kid?” he asked as he cleaned up.

“Yeah,” Michael forced himself to stop bouncing his leg.  “It’s just hard when Alex is gone.”

“Still on your honeymoon two years in,”  Sanders laughed.

“No, it’s not that.  I mean I miss him, but since yesterday he’s been out of communication range.  Makes me antsy,” Michael picked at the seam of his jeans.  “I know it’s stupid.  He’s not alone and has regular check ins with Eduardo, but not being able to talk to him makes him start searching the desert.”

“It’s not stupid,” Sanders said gently, or at least as gently as Sanders could be.  “Illogical maybe.  How many alien sinkholes can one man fall into?”

“It’s Roswell,” Michael interrupted, and they both laughed.

“It’s not stupid to worry about the people you love or to miss them,” Sanders continued.  “I bet Alex misses you just as much and is working his ass off to get back home to you.”

“Maybe,” Michael sighed.  He knew Sanders was probably right, but he couldn’t help worrying.

“Alright, enough of your moping. Get back to work.  Nothing like an engine repair to take your mind off your heartache.”  Sanders stood up and shooed Michael out the door.

Michael went willing, happy for another few hours of distraction.  The afternoon was better - he was still clumsier than normal, but time did pass quicker.  When he left he was surprised to discover it had rained while he’d been working.  He kicked the tires when he got to the truck and remembered he’d left the windows down.  It had been sunny in the morning, and he wanted to air out the smell of his spilled coffee.

Even using his sweatshirt as a towel couldn’t stop him from arriving home with a wet ass in addition to being tired and dirty.  Michael consoled himself with the thought of a nice hot shower since the hot water would be back by now.  His first sign that something was wrong was the silence that greeted him when he walked in the door.  Normally Mojo was waiting for him - eager for both dinner and attention.

Michael spotted the muddy paw prints leading out of the mudroom and realized he’d forgotten to close the door that kept Mojo confined to the mudroom and kitchen, giving the dog access to the whole house as well as the muddy backyard.  Michael groaned thinking of how much Mo loved jumping through puddles.

“Mo,” Michael called as he stepped into the living room.  A minute later, Mojo trotted out of the bedroom, stretching before licking Michael’s hand.  “How much trouble did you get into?”

Michael filled Mojo’s bowl and went to inspect the damage.  He sighed when he saw the bed was trashed.  Mojo had obviously spent a large part of his day sleeping in the bed and it was covered in mud, still damp in some places.  “So much for a shower and dinner,” Michael grumbled.

After he stripped the bed and threw everything in the washer, he tackled the trail of muddy footprints Mo left throughout the house.  Once Michael finally got his shower, he felt refreshed enough to heat up some leftovers at dinner.  Mojo sat at his feet, and even though Michael glared at him, he still slipped him a few treats.

By the time he finished eating, it was time to switch the laundry to the dryer.  Still feeling at loose ends without Alex, Michael decided to get out of the house for an hour or two so he didn’t spend the night pacing and looking for something to do.  After making sure Mojo was properly contained, he drove out to the Wild Pony.  Even if no one else was around, Maria could probably spare some time to keep him company.

The number of cars at the Pony surprised Michael.  He actually circled the lot twice looking for a parking space, something never happens during the week.  The noise hit him as soon as he opened the door, and he shouldered his way to the bar with an annoyed sigh.  Maria had the whole crew working, but Michael still managed to catch her eye.

“Taking a break from your moping, I see,” Maria teased when she reached his end of the bar.

“I don’t mope,” Michael protested.

“Please,” Maria rolled her eyes. “You pout worse than that dog of yours when Alex is gone.  But as a reward for making an effort, the first one’s on the house.”

Michael’s eyes widened when Maria put a glass of green beer in front of him.  It hit him at once that the majority of the crowd was wearing green, and when he looked around he finally noticed the shamrocks and gold coins decorating the bar.  “Are you kidding me,” he groaned.

“Are you telling me you really didn’t know it was St. Patrick’s Day?” Maria laughed, delighted.  

“But come on, DeLuca, green beer?”

“You never complained before.”

She wasn’t wrong, but Michael liked to think he was in a place in his life where he didn’t have to settle for the cheapest option. “How about some Irish whiskey?  Would that count as staying in the spirit of the day?” 

“You’re out of luck there.”  Maria wrinkled her nose and pointed to a table filled with the mayor’s son and his obnoxious cronies.  “They bought me out.” 

“Anything stronger than this will do,” Michael pushed the beer back in her direction.  “If you knew what a shit day I’ve had you’d understand.”

Maria looked like she was going to argue, but then her expression softened.  “I think your luck’s about to change.”

Before he could ask what she meant, Michael was hugged from behind.  He looked down and spotted a familiar ring on the hands wrapped around his waist.

“Alex!” Michael shouted, turning around so fast he almost unbalanced them.  “What are you doing here?”

“Surprising my husband,” Alex smiled and kissed him.  

Michael leaned back against the bar and pulled Alex between his legs. He moaned when Alex threaded his fingers through his hair, tugging gently to guide Michael to a better angle. Michael had just opened his mouth, savoring the feel of Alex’s tongue against his, when something poked him in the back - hard.

“You two are taking up valuable bar space.  Go home if you want to suck face,” Maria scolded them, but she was smiling, eyes sparkling.

Alex flipped Maria off before he turned his attention back to Michael.  “Hi.”

“What are you doing here?” Michael asked again, mostly to distract himself from kissing Alex again.

“Finished early,” Alex shrugged.  “Stop by the house, but Mo didn’t know where you were so I took a chance that I’d find you here.”

Michael laughed.  Alex’s insistence on talking about Mojo like he was a person never failed to amuse him.  “We are going to have words about that dog, but I’m too happy to complain right now.”

“That happy, huh,” Alex smiled.

One of the shamrock decorations caught Michael’s eye.  “Luckiest guy in the world.”

Alex leaned closer and whispered in Michael’s ear, “Do you want to stay here and drink some watered down green beer or go home and see if you can rub some of that luck off on me.”

Michael snorted and poked Alex in his chest.  “You are lucky I love love and also that you are extremely good in bed because your sex jokes are terrible.”

“Are you trying to tell me I suck?”  Alex asked with a leer.

“Seriously, Alex,” Michael groaned.  “Stop.”

“Make me,” Alex teased back with a laugh that was much closer to a giggle than Michael expected.

When he looked closer, he could see the bags under Alex’s eyes and the lines of exhaustion around his mouth.  He thought back to what Sanders said earlier about Alex wanting to get back to him and realized he was right.  His husband had definitely pulled a few all nighters to get home early.

Michael gently rubbed his thumb under Alex’s eye like he could wipe his exhaustion away.  “I can do that,” he said softly and leaned up for a kiss.  But before their lips could meet, a towel snapped against his back.

“Out both of you,” Maria pointed at the door when Michael turned around.  “I mean it.”  Despite the sternness of his voice, Michael knew she wasn’t mad.

They didn’t bother to say goodbye, just made their way through the crowd hand in hand.  Just as they reached the door Michael stopped - remembering the bed was still unmade.

“What’s wrong?” Alex asked.

“Nothing,” Michael said.  Alex was back, that was all that mattered.  Besides after almost a week apart, he knew they’d never make it past the couch.

[sleepyfaceandsnark]

I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

TK comes home freezing. Carlos warms him up.

AO3

Heading to bed. Left some food in the fridge. You can reheat it if you're hungry when you get home. See you in the morning <3.  TK reads his text from Carlos. 

He texts back:Thanks, babe. Sorry, it's such a late night. Love you.

Carlos smiles at his phone. He hated when they weren’t working at the same time. Carlos misses TK, even more, when his mind isn't occupied with work. He checks the weather prediction through the night and hopes TK remembered to take the extra jacket Carlos told him to grab before he left earlier.

Love you too. Carlos types.Get home safe :). He hits send and takes his phone with him as he makes his way to the bedroom to get himself ready for bed. 

TK locks his phone again and puts it away with a smile. As soon as he does, the emergency bell starts ringing. Everyone scrambles to their respective vehicles. It isn't the first call of the night and it certainly won’t be the last.

Carlos is fast asleep when he wakes suddenly with something ice cold touching his leg. He jerks back quickly on the bed. "Jesus!" 

"Sorry, sorry!" Tk whispers as he moves away from Carlos. 

"TK?" Carlos calls out, confused. His brain still hasn't caught up from being woken up so suddenly.  

"Yeah. I'm sorry I woke you." 

"I didn't even hear you come in," Not that Carlos was the lighter sleeper. "Did you eat?"

"No, " TK sighs. "Ended up getting off a lot later than I thought. Showered at the station. Just got home." 

"You could've showered here."

TK lets out a small laugh. "Oh, trust me. It's better I didn't." 

"Fun last call?" 

"Oh yes," TK says lightly, but he sounds exhausted. Carlos doesn't even want to move around to look at the clock to check the time. Then he remembers the ice pick on his leg that caused him to wake up in the first place. 

He moves to lie on his side facing TK. He reaches out his arm for him and cups his face. "You're freezing," He comments as he feels TK's cheek. 

"Yeah," TK says.

Carlos can hear his voice shaking. He's sure his body is as well.

"Temperature dropped more than I thought it would." 

Carlos feels the covers move as TK tries to bundle up. He moves his hand from TK's check to under the covers again. He finds TK's hand and pulls his arm towards him. 

"Come here," Carlos says. "Let me warm you up." 

TK doesn't fight it or hesitate. He tries to scootch over towards Carlos as Carlos moves closer to him. TK really is freezing and Carlos knows how warm his body would feel. He wraps TK into him. TK's arms move under Carlos' and they hold each other in a lying embrace. 

"Mmm," TK gives a small moan. "You are warm." 

"Mhmm," Carlos agrees as he rubs TK's arm up and down.

TK breathes in and out as Carlos warms him up. His shaking starts to subside, but Carlos isn't sure TK is warm enough. He moves slightly out of their embrace and readies himself to get up. 

"Want me to put on the heater?" he asks. 

"No," TK pulls Carlos back to him. "You're all I need." 

And while TK might think that's true in this situation,  Carlos can still feel TKs body shaking under him. 

"I'll be right back," Carlos says as he gives TK a soft kiss on his head. 

"Hmm?" TK lets out.

Carlos moves away from TK slowly as he pulls his arm out from under him. TK groans as he feels Carlos' warm body move away from him. 

"Where going?" TK manages to get out, losing some words due to exhaustion. 

"I'm getting you more blankets." 

TK whines. "Just need you." 

Carlos lets out a small laugh. "I appreciate that, but babe, you're literally shaking."

He palms TK's hair. "I'll be right back," He says again. 

TK doesn't protest again as Carlos goes to their closet to search for some blankets. He swears he can hear TK's teeth catering from where he is, but that's not possible. 

TK tries to hide it, but Carlos knows he gets even more anxious about the cold since the accident on the ice last year. And Carlos himself would be lying if he said he doesn't get worried for TK anytime the temperature drops. 

Carlos looks at the blankets in his hand and back to his fiance moving around in the bed. He has an idea. 

"Give me ten more minutes," Carlos calls back as he opens the sliding doors. He gets a groan from TK as acknowledgment.

Carlos goes to their dryer, turns the nob to Quick Fluff, and puts the blankets in. He hisses as he makes his way to the kitchen. His feet spend too much time on the cold floor. He really should turn the heat on, but he knows the smell of burning dust will make them both uncomfortable right now. Besides TK was sensitive to the heater.  

He goes to the cabinet and looks through their teas for a non-caffeinated option. He pulls out boxes of tea as well as bags of the loose-leaf kind. Peppermint could work, Camomile. Then he sees the oh-so-familiar but comforting image of a bear in a rocking chair, tea in hand.

Sleepytime Tea. Perfect. 

He smiles to himself as he fills the kettle with water. He tries to time it so that both the dryer alarm and the kettle won't whistle to alert TK and wake him up more than Carlos intended, but unfortunately, he was also somewhat half awake. 

He hears the buzz of the dryer and curses under his breath as he quickly makes his way to it before a second buzz goes off. He just manages to open the door to stop it when he hears a high-pitched whistle coming from the kitchen. 

He groans and tries to quickly make his way back to the kitchen without making noise. He stops the kettle before it gets loud enough to wake the neighbors and pours the boiling water into the cup. He leaves the cup and goes back for the newly warmed blankets. He drapes the over his arm and goes back for the tea. He slides the door open carefully with his free hand, hoping he didn't wake TK with the noise. 

But when he opens the sliding door, he finds TK sitting on the edge of the bed, the covers around his shoulders. 

Carlos looks at him, guilty. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." 

TK shrugs. "Can't sleep without you by me anyways," He grins tiredly. 

Carlos lets out a suppressed laugh and shakes his head.

"Is that tea?" TK asks, looking at the mug in Carlos' hand. 

"Mhmm," Carlos smiles as he hands the cup to TK. He can see his hands shake as TK reaches for the cup. He watches TK blow on it, the steam moving around him. 

"It's still pretty hot," Carlos warns. TK just nods and holds it. "Got you some warm blankets too." Carlos lifts his arm where the blankets hang. 

TK sighs. "You didn't have to do all this." 

"I know," Carlos smiles as he lowers the comforter around TK and replaces it with not one but two warmed-up blankets. "But I love you, and you're freezing." He kisses TK's head. "Now, drink your tea."

TK moves further in the bed as Carlos moves back under the covers. 

Carlos lays on the backboard of their bed. TK sits with two blankets over his shoulders and their comforter back to cover the bottom half of his body and starts to sip his tea. When the liquid in the cup lowers, TK finds his way back to Carlos' chest. His head lies right below Carlos' collarbone as Carlos massages the tops of TK's head with his hand.

They didn't call it Sleepytime tea for no reason. Soon as TK finishes, Carlos can feel his head falling and rising against his chest. TK tries to stay awake as he holds the cup. Carlos rubs his own eyes. He must've zoned out while TK drank. Carlos takes the cup away from his fiance and places it on the nightstand by him. He knows they’re not getting up anytime soon, nor does he want to. Carlos gently moves TK down further into the bed as he lowers himself. He grabs TK back as soon as he's settled, the other man already starting to stir without Carlos right by him.  They wrap in each other and fall asleep just like that. Together and warm. 

[ephxmerrxl]

i’m in a mood and the 30th by billie eilish is the only thing getting me through this so if i have to suffer all of you do as well.

Alive

read on ao3 here

Geordi / gn! Cutie

cw: angst, car crash, near death experience of a fictional character, no no i’m not sorry.

A fog rolled over the city of dahlia and the surrounding area’s, people were using their brights as they drove through the misty roads. Although it didn’t help that it was early morning and people had work. Geordi was no exception to this, this cafè was the one spot he enjoyed working at but to have to endure being practically blind to your surroundings was rather scary.

The running water of the shower was stopped as the curtain was moved back, metal rings gliding across the pole they were latched around. Cutie was already awake as they gotten up before Geordi to get themselves ready for work, but it wasn’t long before Geordi woke up after feeling they weren’t in the soft bed the two love so much. Their department uniform was underneath a blazer, last they needed was their shoes and they would be off but not before saying goodbye to their lover.

“You’re not leaving without giving me a kiss goodbye right?” Geordi spoke as he walked into the room, towel still wrapped around his waist, hair wet and slightly dripping. “How could I survive my shift without your kisses?” They said before pulling him close, lips closing in on one another before stopping as the two just admired one another.

“Anyone ever tell you the wet hair look suits you pretty well?” They said with their hands now cupping his cheeks. “Oh- well no one has…actually um, thank you.” he said with surprise in his voice, he couldn’t help the smile that popped up on his face. The two kissed once more before Cutie finally let go of his face “I gotta get going now, but if you need me i’m just a call away okay?“ they quickly smooched his nose, “I love you” Geordi returned the little peck on the nose “I love you too Cutie, be safe okay? It’s foggy and dark so just be careful okay?” They appreciated his concern, they felt truly cared for.

“Thank you Geordi, be safe too okay? I’ll be home later tonight, and we can plan from there alright?” He nodded before giving them one more kiss as they got their work boots on and left the house, with that it didn’t take long for Geordi to get his outfit for the day settled and put on. He left, locked up and went in his car onto the road, and it was definitely hard to see that was for sure.

“Jesus christ how can anyone see anything in this?” he spoke as the warm air of the heater glided throughout the car, the air freshener giving off a smell Geordi couldn’t quite describe but at least it smelled nice. There was an occasional car in the opposing lane who would also have their brights on. Luckily the fog stopped the light from being utterly blinding yet still distinguishable.

The outline of trees were the border to Geordi’s peripheral view, they were slightly shaking from the wind but were rather serene he thought in that moment. Although it didn’t occur that this next turn was going to lead him to the highway that he always takes to get to the other side of town, why did it always have to be so far especially today of all days? He found himself thinking just how bad it would be if he just turned back and didn’t go in today, but of course that’s not how things work.

There were little to no cars as far as Geordi could tell but he did get a glimpse of that one store you couldn’t help but mention to him every now and then, you wanted to take him so many times to go shopping there but that damn department always keeps you so late. He turned onto the highway as he signaled to go into the right which was the slow lane since he wasn’t in a big rush but also just so other people more so in a hurry can get by instead.

—

Cutie couldn’t help but think about their boyfriend as they got out of the car to enter the department building, it was barely visible as the faint grayish blue light of the sun coming through exposed the silhouette of the building. Although they almost caught their boot on the curb, the fog was that dense.

What they couldn’t help though was feeling for Geordi’s presence, after all a certain relative always does it before he comes to visit briefly. James always spooked Cutie when he got close enough to speak in their mind but it was always nice, although this time it was just a sense of security that they needed. They had to feel him for just a second and they did.

His indistinguishable thoughts but familiar voice was all they needed to keep themselves going for the day. They opened the door as they were greeted by a colleague, all was well.

until

snap

the link broke

the link never broke that suddenly before right?

As a born telepath, they never had any issues when it came to mastering their ability none the less fully certified so this was completely new. They tried moving back a bit, even going back outside where they knew the link was fine but still nothing. Just the very faint static sounds of Cuties loose end trying to tether its way back into Geordi’s mind but to no avail.

Their breathing picked up, eyes slightly beginning to water. Nothing happened…right? Usually when you’re that far away and you get out of range it simply fades, it doesn’t just cut off in an instant but why now? They’re conflicted as they try to tell themselves it’s fine. But it wasn’t fine. Something was off but they pushed back through the doors before a familiar Stealth stopped them.

“Oh hey, have you seen this fog? it’s crazy! I turned too sharp since I couldn’t really see where I was going and that never happens. Honestly I wonder where all of it came…from.” They slowed down their statement of their day, as they noticed their co-workers distressed demeanor. “Hey is everything okay?” they said readjusting the files tucked underneath their arm.

Their breath hitched a bit before breathing out deeply, “If i’m being honest…no, I don’t know if I’m overthinking it but something is wrong.” They went on to explain the situation as they walked and talked and moved to a more empty part of the building.

“Telepathic links can’t break on the spot can they?” They said to the stealth, but something about it felt like they were also speaking to themselves. “Well…you’re the telepath so I would assume you know right?” Of course asking a non telepath would yield no results why bother. “I’m sorry just…sorry.” they breathed out before ignoring the stealth’s call to come back.

They opened the front doors once more before taking out their phone as they desperately looked for his contact, and after finding it the phone began to ring. Once, twice, three times. Only for it to be moved to voicemail, immediately they called once again, and again. Yet those three calls still went to voicemail, sure Geordi is on the highway and so he can’t quite answer his phone but his phone automatically connects to the bluetooth of the car right? It would show on the display their call? He could answer from that.

Sure they’ll have to talk to their supervisor to make up the time but right now they need to go personally to Geordi’s work and see if he’s okay, he’s okay, yeah he…he’s okay. The faint buzz in their head still trying to connect yet failing as they headed back into their car and left. Trying so hard not to go above and beyond the speed limit for something that could be nothing bad in the first place.

After a few turns they were on the road that would eventually turn into the highway that leads you to the cafè, it just had to be on the other side of town huh? They drove and slowly began to pick up speed, yet their heart fell even deeper into their stomach as they saw the flashes of red and blue hidden inside the fog.

They one handedly, pulled out their badge from the department from the middle console as they saw more and more passing cars going by slowly. Of course they didn’t have the time, so they maneuvered until they were behind the ambulance, three to four cop cars and a fire truck. They quick got out as the badge dangled from their neck, a few cops looked at them before they got closer to the scene.

Of course getting closer is all they needed because what they saw was a glimpse at that damn car and they knew almost immediately, at this point they were running to the car before paramedics stopped them. “Please! Please you need to let me through that’s my partner in that car and I need to know if he’s okay please please let me through!” They we’re desperate and the hurt in their voice made it very apparent, it didn’t take long for the medical team to explain the crash, a semi truck who thought the barely visible sunlight was better than brights hit Geordi’s car and sandwiched him between another car in front of him. Obviously the car was totaled but that was the least of their concerns.

They were eyeing the wreck as the fire fighters pried off the door, they so badly wanted to investigate but they also know to let the professionals do their jobs. But they need to know what’s happening, sure they’ll ask to enter their boyfriends mind at home. But here they can enter anyones and at the moment they can’t hear their lover so what better than someone with direct access? The fire fighters.

pulse

check for a pulse

wake up

faint

alive he’s alive

he’s alive

“he’s alive…” they muttered under their breath, using the metal guarding of the ambulance to sit. They felt relief wash over them as they just felt the tears let loose from their eyes, hands covering their face despite the fog already covering them already. The paramedic who spoke to them quickly hopped into the ambulance to pull out a stretcher, Cutie quickly hopped out of the fire fighter’s minds as they followed suite with the medic.

They stayed put out of the way as they saw the outline of their beloved, the one thing that makes them feel home, safe, and alive. But seeing him do hurt bring them a terrible feeling, a feeling they never wanna have to experience again. Geordi was propped onto the stretcher as he was strapped down and wheeled away. They quickly stepped to the stretcher as the voice of the paramedic reassuring Geordi filled their ears.

“Geordi! Geordi fuck! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Their voice hitched as his eyes slightly opened as they were the first thing he saw. “Babe…” barely audible but he was able to speak, and that’s enough for now. Their hands gripped the railing of the stretcher as they walked with the medic, so desperately wanting to grab his hands but they weren’t sure just where he was hurt, only the hospital could find out every injury.

“Can…” They coughed as they rubbed away the tears. “Can I ride in the back with him please?” They said looking at the medic with slightly reddish eyes, “No issue, get in.” He didn’t need to speak twice for them to get in, Geordi was eventually wheeled in and that’s when the full view hit them, so much blood, so many scars, but he’s alive.

“I w…was so scared” all he could say as he stared at his partner

“I was too my love, but you’re alive. You’re alive. You are alive.” they repeated to him but also to themselves, just the thought of losing him, losing something so precious. All cutie could of was lightly lean their head down on the railing and cry tears of…relief? joy? sadness? Whatever emotion was being presented, all they cared about was that Geordi is alive.

He is alive

He’s alive

Alive

[brokenmusicboxwolfe]

Everything is going badly right now, so I apologize for not only for not replying, but that my posting generally might run into trouble. My queue is running dry, and I haven’t had time for making new drafts. I’ve got tons of pics and months of sculpting, but I can’t just zap them up here.

Example of things getting to me:

Yesterday I put off my shopping, partly because of the rain and partly because of a scary heart spell and partly because I injured myself the previous day. I meant to take it easy. I didn’t. I was busy and “stuff” happened. Let’s just say it was officially a bad day.

So I get to the evening and light the hot water heater, eager to wash dishes and get to bed. And hour and a half later and…the water is cold. The hot water heater had gone out!

I got determined to try to figure out it out. If I was sensible I would have gone to bed, but I knew I would be unable to sleep with all the thinking about it. Besides, I have this thing about always bathing before bed. I may never find a chance to put lotion on my hands**, and I long ago accepted that my hair was going to be a rats nest whatever I do, but I’ll be damned if I am going to bed without washing away the dirt from my messy life!

Anyway, the hot water heater means kerosene, soot, and the filth caused by cats on the back porch that find that area extra snuggly on winter nights. Basically….ewwwww! Now I REALLY need to get clean.

Since I had spent all that time using that camping shower, I figured I’d boil some water and use that. Ok, first I had to spend twenty minutes trying to find it, but this would be fine for now.

It wouldn’t charge! The only zip it had left was the feeble one from that last time I used it. And the mineral build up had broken loose and now blocked the spray holes. It’s get it to work, but as a trickle.

Boiling the water went sideways too as the kettle decided last night would be a good time to spring a leak on me. I hoped adjusting the screws for the handle would stop it, but nope. The stove became a pond.

When I took a shower the water from the kettle, and the other I boiled, wasn’t enough to keep it from being chilly. Worse, when I dumped the kettle water in the scales of mineral that had built up in it*** decided to finally break loose. Some of it got sucked into the shower, clogging it.

I won’t go into everything I've done trouble shooting it. Let’s say I reached a point where it is either the copper line clogged or the kerosene level being too low.

The kerosene is always low because I can’t afford to buy much, but the way I ration it I should have had a month’s worth. If it is too low I have the mystery of where it is going, with no obvious signs of any leaks. I also have to drive to a gas station 10 miles and then spend more than $60 for 10 gallons.

If the line is clogged, things are possibly worse. If it’s at the opening from the tank it is very difficult to get to clear and likely means the tank is gunked up with rust I can do nothing about. If it’s the line I have disconnect it at both ends, which always goes wrong. Doing it alone kerosene goes everywhere. Disconnecting it from the heater means moving the refrigerator, then putting one arm through a little hole in the wall while reaching around the partition with the other, completely unable to see what you are doing.

And them every single time I work on copper line it breaks!

So then I end up having to patch or replace things. I have to find the special tools, remember how to do it, hope I’m not out of fittings the right size, work damn hard at it only to have it leak! I swear, trying to work on copper line an NOT have it leak makes me crazy. I was soooo proud of myself for getting it all just right after years of work.

If I have to clear the copper line there is a 95% chance I will end up with at least a little leak somewhere. Never mind the safety or cleanliness aspects, I can NOT afford to have a leak!

To test whether it was the line or the kerosene level I decided to tilt the tank. When I’d repaired the tank around five years ago I’d replaced the old rotten base to the spindly legs and got it set up nicely, but over time it had settled, so it could use a little more tilt.

The big crowbar is at the other house. I had to use a much punier one.

I have used up the spare bricks and cinderblocks, so I had to dismantle the steps I use to pour the kerosene in the tank.

The base, which I had made of treated (supposedly) wood and set on bricks had rotted. Not all of it, but one side, that had looked fine, crumbled away as I lifted.

Frantically I had to wedge things to stabilize the tank while holding it. I had to keep it from tilting too much and breaking the line, while also keeping it from falling over sideways, while using things I could reach.

I now need to make a new stand. I have no more suitable wood since some of this proved unsuitable. The shank on the hole saw broke when I made this one, and I found the others big enough either ruined or impossible to get to. The jumbo drill needed for these holes was stored in the metal building where the huge bookcase fell over on it (and it is now unsafe to go into…long story).

And then it rained, so I had to stop working on the tank.

That’s just a taste of how things are going. It got worse. More side troubles. Plus my body ain’t happy.

And to think I actually thought two days ago that this weekend I’d FINALLY finish the book moving**** so I could get started on the REAL work at Mom’s house!

You know, I had enough on my mind

**Can’t do it when I’m eating or feeding the animals. Can’t do it just before bed because I write in my journal. Can’t do it after supper because I’m going to sculpt. Can’t do it when I handle books or papers. Can’t do it when… And then when I’m not doing something where lotion would be a problem I’m out somewhere or am so busy I forget.

*** We have a LOT of mineral in our water. I have to flush the hoses periodically and after many decades of use the bathroom faucet it nearly blocked up inside. It has built up where it drips in the tub like a cave!

****I haven’t talked about it. Basically it’s a continuation of the “moving stuff around so I can work on the plumbing” thing that has ended up being an insanely involved process that has temporarily made the house a complete wreck that it’s almost impossible to get through. And since I am currently dealing with the stuff I had to move from my house because of the collapsed floors, I can’t even be grumpy at anyone for all the damn books! (And comics. And magazines. At least dolls and action figured are light in comparison!)

[popculturebuffet]

Indy Prelude: Carl Barks; The Seven Cities of Cibola! (Comissioned by WeirdKev27)

Hello all you happy adventuerers!

Since I last covered duck comics. While Disney Ducks built this fine institution the fact is other disney properties, other cartoons and comics in general, and general nonsense have simply take up more of my time. But it's always good to return home and just in time as this is also a prelude to something duck adjacent. a franchise that may not exist without good ole scrooge mcduck.

Yup just in time for Dial of Destiny we're taking a look at the indiana jones film quintology! From one of the most loved films of all time with too many quotable lines to count and more nazi's turned to goo than you can shake a staff of ra at, to it's divsive followup featuring the most iconic heart ripping in human history, a future oscar winner, and the directors wife, to the film almost as iconic as the original with sir sean connery, holy grails and more nazis, and all the way into that fourth film what people don't like to talk about with nuclear explosions, greasers, communists and actual cannibal Shia Lebouf, cumulating in a film I.. don't have a ton of antedotes about because it hasn't come out yet? Indy punches a protester and deals with the horrifying consequences of age and america working with the nazis? I dunno, i'm just excited, kev's excited and hopefully you are.

I'm dead serious about Scrooge being part of the reason Indy exists though. While sadly not coming up in the fablemans, though likely because it might've been a bit too much of a LOOK LOOK SEE THE THING THAT WILL MAKE HIM FAMOUS LATER moment the film honestly avoided so I can respect the decision, Young Stevie was a huge fan of Scrooge McDuck, to the point his future succesful self did a forward for one of the many carl barks collections. It's not the only influence and i'm sure as I research Raiders, i'll no doubt find tons more direct ones, but it is a notable one that gets brought up quite a bit and it's easy to see why: Scrooge too is a globetrotting adventurer who has a successful day job (If a far less modest one), cares deeply about the history of what he finds, is a tad gruff, verbally pars with most love intrests, and takes the quick solution when it makes sense, so it's easy to see the compassions. The two are still different enough: Indy isn't in it for the money, generally adventures because he has to not for the thrill like scrooge, and Scrooge's only child we know of isn't a massive embarrassment, but you can still see how it left a mark and see Barks attention to culture, love of slow adventure, and humor in Indy.

That and one certain scene we'll get into in the comic is the direct inspiration for one of the most iconic scenes in film history.. but we'll get for that. For now we're taking a look at one fo the most legendary stories in the duck canon and seeing how it holds up, this is the Seven Citeis of Cibola!

We begin with what you all came to see

It's a neat enough visual gag and a reminder to me that most scrooge stories.. really didn't open with the big splash pages i'm used to in comics nor an actual story title

Though Barks still makes the best of it with the sight gag of Scrooge lieterally bathing in money. The setup to this one is brilliant too: Scrooge reflects on the fact he's got his feathers in just about every industry imaginable. Cannaries, Fisheries, Newspapers, Horse Races, Bibble Removal, Steam Cleaning, Steamed Hams, baseball, both kinds of football, mega football, calvinball, horeshoes, unicorn shoes, abestos, tabacco, cultural apporiation, robots, Goat Cheese Pizza, getting the cool shoeshine universal solvent, fishmobabywhirlmagigs, Spam, Crackers and Milk, Breaking Cat News, allen wrenches, gerbil feeders, toilet seats, electric heaters, trash compactors, juice extractor, shower rods, water meters, walke-talkies, copper wires, saftey googles, radial tiers, bb pellets, rubber mallets, fans , dehumidifiers, picture hangers, paper cutters, waffle irons, window shutters, paint removers, window louves, masking tape, plastic gutters, kitchen faucets, folding tables, weather stripping, jumper cables, hooks and tackle, grout and spackle, power fogers, spoons and ladles, pesticides for fumigation, high peformance lubircation, metal roofing, water proofing, multi purpose insulation, air compressors, brass connectors, wrecking chisels, smoke detectors, tire gagues, hamster cages, thermostats, bug deflectors, trailer hitch demagntizers, automatic circumciers, tennis rackets, angle brackets, Duracells and energizers, soffit panels, circuit brakers, vacuum cleaners, coffee makers, calculators, generators, maatching salt and pepper shakers, horse dewormer, fighting gold, repulsor technology, pym particles, Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosiiiiiiiissssssss, flying pigs, wild pigs, pigssssss innnnnn spaccceeeeeee, wilkins coffee, islands that walk like men, mood slime, chainsaws, saftey films, toner, donald duck abuse, Yoghurt Platinum, Clubmarine, Saltweens, Disco Dairy, Disco Duck, Lard, Trash Bag Wrestling, Superfast Jellyfish, The Gizmonic Institute, Cloning deboning, dethroning, stupid nintendo games, Rusty Shackleford, Molten Boron, SCTV, Squakabilly Taxi's, An Automatic Man, Wells for Boys, Flight Rings, decoder rings, olvatine, Krakoan Gates, Sealabs, Underwater Motor Scooters, Sex Bombs, Good Guy Dolls, The Last cult, Krustyburger,Chalk Tablet Towers, nerderotica, underwear, money, fat, hank.

The problem is he's got no more worlds to conquer: He's invested in everything, and thus can't make money on a NEW venture. Barks gets some great gags out of this too with Scrooge trying and failing to buy Gyro's newest gadget and a peanut stand, only to find out he OWNS both. It really shows that despite his horrifying wealth and influence.. scrooge can't ENJOY it. To him the fun's in the chase. The having's nice too, but the world just dosen't feel the same if there isn't another rainbow to chase, something I get as a book and film collector. It's great to have, but the looking is just as fun. It's something i'm sure most can relate to especially us nerds.

Thankfully Donald and the Boys just happen to drive by: their hunting arrow heads for 50 cents a piece over in the desert for Crazy Harry's House of Cultural Approritaion. That's Crazy Harry, the man with a snake on his face.

As you can guess this story has some dated bits: while Arrowheads are still treasured, I have one my grandpa gave me, it's not nearly as kosher to sell artifacts of someones' culture for fun and profit. Even as far back as 1980 Indy himself was doing it more for the joy of history and famously said it belongs in a museum.. and evne that's starting to slip as I saw on John Oliver last year. You can find his piece bellow.

And of course they use the i word instead of native americans or indegenous peoples.

Which is annoying , but not suprising.

So our heroes go looking for Arrowheads out in the generic desert. Weirdly for Carl Barks this Desert.. isn't a specific place. There's just suddenly a giant desert outside Duckburg. I didn't notice when reading the story for this review as Barks still packs in nice detail and makes it feel real, with our heroes having to conserve water, brave dust storms and track using realistic methods where tribes may of hunted their game. For the record it was the Pueblo who were linked to this, primarily settling in new mexico. I normally woudln't be this harsh on research, I got that bit from wikipedia after all, but given both how much Barks was lauded for it and how much care he usually puts in, it's weird to see him drop the ball a bit

At any rate our heroes soon find a trail and along it some treasures they take in to town to get examined. The curator there reveals their from The Seven Cities of Cibola, seven cities made of gold and gleaming with treasure, similar to EL Dorado, based on real life rumors about lost cities that turned out to be adobe huts, something Donald brings up. Barks does find a clever way for the myth to still be true, and a shockingly modern one: given the people who found it were conquistadors and heard it through rumors, it makes sense that the people they were conquering and mistreating wouldn't tell them where the city REALLY was. It's not phrased that way, but it's still brilliant.

So our heroes decide, well Scrooge and the Boys decide Donald is just sorta swept along by the tide as usual, to go after the city, figuring the trail leads there. THey stop at a diner for some nondescript hamburgers.. and end up evedroppsed on as nearbye the Beagle Boys are kicked out of an Aid for the Poor Center for welfare fraud and are told hey hey why don't you get a job, which has aged like fine milk on the sidewalk. They naturally follow scrooge smelling money and trail our heroes. I do like the Beagle Boys Inc t-shirts they wear in this shirt, before beagle boys inc was bought by feel good inc in the mid 2000's.

Once our heroes get going Barks DOES make up for his previous non-descriptness as he cites actual locations along the trail such as big bluff and the colorado river. We also get a nice tone: normally the adventure is scrooge dragging our heroes along and being a real dick but here there's a real sense of camradery and excitment ala ducktales 2017. The boys gladly use their guidebook to help while Scrooge uses his experince, the guidebook finding them shade. Eventaully it can only go so far and they end up lost, as do their persuers. They refill the canteens but eventuallyt heir dry. It's a nice showing of the dangers of the desret and the realisim Barks really likes to use in his stories. These may be cartoon ducks but they can die just like anyone else… except of old age but you know

Our heroes fortunes don't get better when the beagles blindsight them.. but plan to just up and leave, having had enough fo the desert and having NOT stocked up on water due to being too busy persuing scrooge, leaving our heroes free to persue the cities unabated.. but near death if they do'nt find water soon. Thankfully they find an old spanish galleon and more importantly

That said I do love Donald's expression here. Barks is a master at those. It does provide our heroes with a way forward, as the logbook details both the ships survivors meeting people clad in gold and a clue about the way the ships pointing at long last our heroes reach the seven cities.. and the sight is truly gorgeous.

And inside are countless treasures, a great sequence as we see pools of coins, ruby arrowheads and most importantly an emerald statue.. set on a trap. Yes this is where the parts Indy homages come in, as it's also on a weight trap, though a far more elaborate one that will destroy the city if activated. IT's clever adn I can see why speilberg and lucas reused it and i'ts diffrent enoguh in the indy version to work as Indy tries to actually take the statue and uses clever manuvering.

At any rate we get to the climax and.. this is where the story falls apart for me: it starts well enough: the beagle boys show up, throw our heroes in a bricked up prison and star tlooting..a nd naturally stupidly trigger the trap leading to the second half of the equation for INdy's iconic opening

But again done diffrently.. with indy we actaully SEE it chase him, so Speilberg got the clear diffrence between inspiration and outright theft. He took the basic idea but made something fresh with it.

The ending… is what really weakens the story for me: everyone gets amnesia, no one remembers and the city remains buried, with scrooge not willing to go back for measly arrowheads. This ending… is all kinds of dumb. For one Scrooge talked to the professor man, he might follow up, and two.. ther'es no real reason for it. I get not wanting a white idiot to loot a fantastic city, that part's fine. Everything about the climax works … except the amnesia part. Yes scrooge could dig, but he could also damage everything or there could be nothing left. The amnesia seems tacked on because Barks coudln't be bothered to come up with an actual reason why Scrooge woudln't go back, when the trail coudl've been lost in a storm or something or the beagle boys destroyed it on the way so while Scrooge gets resuced, he has no way back. There are other ways.

Overall the Seven Cities of Cibola is a decent outing. It has a LOT of good stuff, the slow methodical apporach with little action but a lot of intrigue, the gorgeous city, and the threat not being fantastic traps or anythin gbut simply the heat and environment, and the comedy is on point, with Scrooge going from hunting arrowheads to hunting a lost city all wrapping together. Again it's really the amnesia ending that hurts it: without it this would easily be one of my favirotie scrooge tales, a well done caper that again is shockingly slow paced, but in a delebrate well done way. The ending just drops it a few knotchs in my eyes. It's still worth a look, just temper your expectations>

Next Time: Dun dunnn dunn dunn dunn, dun dunn dunn dun dun dun dun dunnn dunn dunn da da da da, da da da da dun dun dun dun da da da, dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dunnnn!

[dolce-cavill]

these wounds won’t heal

evan marshall (blood creek)

x fem!oc (no description)

summary: evan returns from helping his brother, but the memories of that night followed him home

warnings: slight nsfw, trauma/ptsd?, nightmares, swearing, mentions of scars (not sh), mentions of blood and death, mentions of n*zis, mentions of missing family member, shitty parent, please let me know if i missed anything 🖤

word count: 1.8k

evan playlist 🎧

my eyes slowly fluttered open and i shivered as the trailers heater struggled to keep the december air at bay. the chill bit at my skin as i woke to evans sudden movements, my head on his chest and his arms tightly around my waist. it was a familiar feeling, the way his hands gripped my shirt tightly, and i looked up at him, his eyebrows furrowed together as he whimpered softly. shifting my body slightly to face him, i gently caressed his face and tried to wake him softly.

“no, please…. don’t….the blood-“ he began to mutter under his breath, repeating the same words and phrases it always was. running a hand through his short hair as he writhed around, the bedsheets gathered around his waist, exposing more of my skin to winter’s unforgiving frigidness.

“evan, honey, wake up.” i soothed, kissing his forehead. i was used to evan having nightmares, as they had been happening ever since he got back with victor from that house. i thought back to that night, now over a month ago but still so fresh in my mind.

***

my heart hammered against my ribcage as i stared up at the disheveled man crouched over me, a hand over my mouth as i tried to scream. as the man shushed me, repeating “it’s me- it’s victor,” i glanced to my left to where evan lay next to me in the small trailer bed, to find him in the same position. calming down enough to have coherent thoughts, the man’s words registered; it was evans brother who had been missing for 2 years.

evan and i had started dating in high school, when i was a junior and he was a senior. i worked at the local library while evan went to school to become a paramedic, and although i suggested we get an apartment together after he graduated, evan said he needed to stay close to his dad; so the trailer it was. his brother victor was in iraq at the time, but i had met him when he returned, and although we were never close, he was always nice to me.

“wake up! it’s me victor- it’s me. it’s me.” victor whisper-yelled, and evans eyes were as wide as mine as he looked over at me to see if i was okay. he looked back at his brother as he spoke again

“i need your help just for tonight; no questions. load the boat and the truck,bring enogh gear for two days out. bring the guns and plenty of ammo. and don’t tell dad,” he ordered evan, and finally removed his hands from our mouths.

“wait, what about miranda-“ evan started to ask, but victor interrupted him.

“no questions,” he repeated, and then looked at me. “she stays here. she doesn’t need to be part of this.”

“i want to help-“

“no you don’t. i promise.” victor insisted, despite my protests. twenty minutes later, after victor had showered and shaved off the long mop of hair and beard he had grown, they were gone, evan leaving me with a kiss on my forehead, and no idea where they were going.

***

“evan-“

“noooo!” he shouted as he jolted upwards, sitting up in bed now, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. my hand rested on his bare shoulder, his body radiating warmth despite the cold temperature.

“it’s okay- you’re here with me. you’re safe,” i assured him, my hands gently cupping his face. he sighed deeply, his eyes closing as he regained his awareness of what was reality and what was not. evan’s arms snaked around me, pulling me into his lap, and burying his face in the crook of my neck. i held him tightly, listening to his heartbeat as it started to slow back down to a normal pace. the moonlight shined through the small window in the kitchen area of the trailer, at the perfect angle to reflect off of evans exposed back. i gently ran my hanger over the large horizontal scar that ran across his shoulder blades, being highlighted by the light. evan shivered under my touch, and i apologized under my breath.

“no it’s okay- your hands are just cold,” he explained softly, his voice muffled as his lips ghosted over the skin of my clavicle. i continued tracing the path of the scar.

evan had told me about that night, not at first, but soon after he came back. knowing what i knew was enough to understand that the horrors of that house would haunt him for a long time. something truly evil had been at that old farmhouse, and evan felt guilty that they had been unable to save the family that lived there.

***

i had come home from work one day to find evan with maps and history books spread out over the table, drawing lines and connecting them in a strange pattern.

“hey ev, what are you doing?” i asked, stepping closer to look over his shoulder at the papers.

“just mapping out deer hunting locations,” he lied; never in the eight years that i had known evan had he ever gone hunting. i wrapped my arms around his waist from behind, resting my head against his back.

“please don’t lie to me, evan,” i pleaded softly. he sighed in response, before shimmying out of my grip and stepping to the side slightly so i could better see the table. “what is all this?”

“at that house- there was this rune stone in the ground; it’s what the nazis were looking for. they thought it’s what could grant them immortality,” he explained. he had told me this before, and i urged him to go on. “that wasn’t the only house that had a stone-“

“evan..no-“ i begged, knowing where this was going.

evan lived to help other people, it was his job, and then he would come home and take care of his dad. i tried to convince evan to let me help with his dad, but evan always refused, saying he had it under control. i think he was trying to protect me from his fathers verbal abuse, but i hated that he had to still deal with it after all these years. evan did everything for his dad and all he got in return was yelling and swearing, and his dad saying he wished evan had gone missing instead of victor. i was furious when i heard him say that, but evan held me back from saying anything to the old man, saying it wasn’t worth it and he would forget it by the morning.

“these people need help, mandy, and i know how to help them now,” he insisted. “nevermind the damage that could be caused if even one of these stones was used. i have to destroy them.”

“YOU do not have to do anything. this isn’t your burden-“

“who else is going to do it? the government isn’t gonna believe in undead nazis or magic rocks, miranda, you know that.”

“then let me help you,” i begged.

“no way- i couldn’t bare something happening to you-“

“and how do you think i feel about you? i can’t lose you, evan; you’re all i have.” tears started to form in my eyes as i spoke. evan sighed, pulling me into his arms.

“okay….okay,” he caved, rubbing circles on my back as i held him tightly. “here’s what i know so far,” he began to explain, gesturing to the map.

***

that night was only a week after evan came back home, and as much as he tried to convince me that he was fine, i knew he was still shaken from what had happened. the nightmares started the first night, and had continued ever since. they weren’t every night anymore, but still happened at least once a week. i had learned that the best thing to help calm him down was to just hold him close, so that’s what i did.

“you’re okay- you’re safe.” i murmured, my hand travelling from his shoulder blade down his arm, to wear the mark of dog teeth were still visible from when he’d been bitten. gently outlining the scar there as well, evan sighed deeply, relaxing finally as he gently placed a kiss on my shoulder.

“i love you,” he whispered, kissing up my neck until he pulled back to look at me. “i’m sorry for waking you up.”

“evan, it’s okay,” i promised, kissing his lips lightly before he repeated the action, deepening the kiss as his arms tightened around me. he laid back down on the bed, pulling me on top of him without breaking the kiss. his hand went to the back of my head and his teeth nibbled at my bottom lip. i whined as his other hand slid up the back of my shirt, sending a shiver down my spine as he rolled us over, now on top of me.

my arms went around his shoulders, my fingers feeling the rough texture of the scar on his back once again.

“i love you too,” i whispered against his lips, and he smiled. “you’re safe with me.” i assured him.

“i know.” he replied, kissing my forehead, before rolling off of me and pulling me towards him, my back pressed against his chest. his arms were tight around me, as if clinging to his only lifeline keeping him grounded in that moment.

“do you want to talk about it?” i asked; i always asked. he usually didn’t, but tonight he was willing to share, although still with some hesitation.

“i don’t want to scare you,” he spoke softly, his voice close to my ear.

“you won’t,” i promised, and he was silent for a moment before he said anything.

“…there was so much blood,” he started. “victors, mine- someone else they had tied up there. i couldn’t save him,” he recalled.

“it’s not your fault, evan.”

“i don’t know how victor survived for two years. i couldn’t even-“ he stopped.

“evan-“ he ignored me again.

“i have to help those other people.” he said.

“i know- we’re going to,” i assured him. in a few days we would be leaving for a road trip to go to another house that had a rune stone on the grounds. “but tonight you need to sleep.” thankfully he laughed lightly. “did you tell victor?” i asked.

“no, he would try to stop us from going.” i could tell he was starting to fall asleep again, as his voice was deeper now. “you’re right, we should try and get some sleep.” he pressed another kiss to my shoulder and pulled the blankets up higher around us.

“goodnight evan.”i hummed.

“goodnight baby.” he replied.

i knew i would never be able to understand the severity of what had happened to victor and evan, and i knew we were embarking on a dangerous journey. there was no guarantee that we would be able to destroy the other the stones, or even that they really were out there. there was no telling what would happen, but at least for now, i knew i would do everything in my power to keep evan safe; and i knew he would do the same for me.

[reasonableapproximation]

After the third time that I got out of the bath to find lots of water on the kitchen floor, I noticed the pattern.

(In my defense, it wasn't obvious how it could have got there. The layout is sort of |h. where | is the bath, the vertical of the h is the wall between the kitchen and the bath, the leg of the h is a cupboard, and the . is where the water was, in front of the cupboard. The bit of the kitchen directly adjacent to the bath wasn't wet, and the cupboard didn't look wet either. But for some reason there's wood on the floor of the cupboard, and some kind of plasticy fake tiles on the wood. So it was just seeping through the wood without seeping up through the tiles.)

By this time we'd told them that Ally had moved out and they'd taken them off the tenancy agreement. So I emailed the property management company, and they let their contractors know, and the contractors called Ally to find out when was a good time to come.

(I guessed they'd done that when they called me and asked "do you still live there?" and then Ally confirmed it when we spoke a few weeks later, our first significant interaction since they'd gone into the hospital. They said it hadn't bothered them.)

Anyway, the plumber came. In between when I sent the email and when the plumber arrived I also had a shower, which didn't get water on the kitchen floor.

The plumber took off the side of the bath to discover that the pipes were just completely disconnected, so that explained it. I probably could have figured that out myself if I'd taken the side off, but I'd figured it would be all gross under there if I did that, and there probably wouldn't be much I could do myself, so I hadn't wanted to. In hindsight I could have used the knowledge to not take a shower.

He vacuumed up the water and put new pipes in. He got me to help with the connections because he couldn't reach around the shower screen to get a hand on both sides. It took us a few tries to figure out how the overflow was supposed to fit together, and then it was hard to screw in - I think the hole in the bath itself wasn't smooth, so it went around jerkily and I didn't know if I'd tightened it as much as I could. I kind of figured he'd do it a bit more after I left the room, but idk if he did. He said to leave the side off for a few days so it would dry properly.

After he left I had a bath and then looked underneath. It seemed wetter than I thought I remembered, but I wasn't sure. I got a space heater to help it dry.

After a few days it seemed decently dry, so I filled the bath to overflowing and, yep, still leaking. Emailed maintenance to get them to send someone again.

A different person came and replaced the shower screen (with a new one that's fixed in place so it's even more awkward to reach around) and the silicone around the tub. I think the previous guy had let them know that those wanted doing. I asked about the overflow and he took another look at his work order and yep, that was there too. He took the cover off and gave it a couple of twists, I think loosening it but not much and I felt too awkward to say anything. He said he'd put silicone around the rubber seal.

He left the side of the bath on and I didn't feel like taking it off when I had a bath the next day. But I just did so today, confirmed it was reasonably dry before bath, small puddle after bath.

Sigh. I've asked them to send someone a third time.

I know this isn't something that's super easy to test - the first guy could have tested by filling the bath to the overflow, but that would have taken a while, and the second guy couldn't because the silicone needed to dry. Still, feels like it shouldn't be that hard to get a good seal?

I know that "hey please send someone to fix my leaky bath, the last two guys did not quite succeed" is a totally reasonable ask, but I (a) don't like feeling like a bother and (b) half expect my landlord to raise my rent next time it's up for renewal anyway, and this seems like it makes it more likely.

(When we told them Ally was moving out they wanted an updated employer reference for me. I was the only official tenant, fully responsible and liable by myself for rent, with Ally a permitted occupier. So I hadn't expected that to be necessary, but I guess for all they knew Ally had an unsteady income that they were helping me out with. Since we moved in in 2019, my salary had gone up 35% or 55% depending on whether they sent the most recent reference before or after applying my most recent raise. And rent's only gone up once, by 10%. So I won't be surprised if they decide to try to get more out of me at the risk I decide not to renew; and the more I ask them to send people to do things, the more likely that seems.)

[eldritchsurveys]

1156.

Have you ever been so tired that your eyes burned? >> that happens to me regularly

Do you have an online game that you play often? >> I play ESO like 4 times a week at least

Are you sitting in a spiny chair at the moment? >> heh, spiny. I've given up trying to use chairs, I find them low-grade uncomfortable at best and it just distracts me and prevents me from enjoying whatever it is I'm doing. I sit on my bed

Do you honestly believe the world is going to end in 2012? >> of course not, but that was a fun time Look to your left, what do you see? >> a bunch of plushies and the wall

How’s the weather where you are? >> partly sunny, milder than it'd been

What is currently sore in your body at the moment? >> nothing

Name one person you’ve never had a fight with? .

What was the name of the last pet of yours that died? .

Any movies out that you’d like to go see? >> I'm vaguely curious about the Godzilla flick since people keep raving about it, but that's actually the only thing that I know for sure is currently in theaters. when I don't have an active theater membership I fall so far out of the loop it's hilarious Are you currently dating anyone? If so, who? >> amn't

What color is the couch closest to you? >> there's only one couch in this apartment and it's goldenrod

What is an old TV show that’s not on anymore that you wish was? . Are you looking forward to anything this week. >> nothing is happening this week Do you wear glasses? >> I don't

Do have another internet window open? If so, what site are you on? >> I have other tabs open but I'm not currently using them (except for the tumblr tab so I can also post this to tumblr when I'm done) What’s the longest you’ve gone without talking to someone when you were mad? >> I have no idea but I don't really go in for the silent treatment/cold shoulder act like that. I'm more aggressive than that

How many lights are on in the room you’re in? >> zero, I didn't even have to put my string lights on today because there's actually some Sun action happening outside for once

What’s the last thing you ate? >> a Ferrero Rocher candy Do you wish you could sprout another arm to make life easier? >> I think that would make my life way harder, considering this is not a world built for people with three arms. what would I even wear Do you know how to drive? >> I do not

Which are you better at, Math or English? . What’s your favorite channel on the TV? .

How long does it take you to normally take a shower? >> 10 minutes is the average Is your bedroom clean? If it’s not, when do you plan on cleaning it? >> it's clean but it could be tidier. I tidy when my executive function gets itself together What kind of accent would you say you like the best? .

What’s the first item you see that’s on the floor in the room you’re in? >> the space heater Have you ever burned incense before? >> many times. I'll probably burn some later. I really have to buy more, though, my collection is at an all-time low

Ever been on a picnic? >> sure

What color is your cell phone? >> black

[strwbrrycrmsoda]

11.2.23

Home alone! Boyfriend got a ride to the grocery store to get our food for a couple weeks. I made the list for him as usual.

Playing some music, on low because god forbid my anxiety lets me drown out the noises around me.

Sitting on my bed mustering up the energy I need for this morning. It's been an hour and a half since I've woken up and I haven't left my spot yet. Scrolling endlessly.

My stomach isn't thrilled with the pizza and hot wings I ate yesterday. That will suck later. Period is helping nothing!

My skin is being dumb as well. You can barely tell I did my routine last night. Clearly I need to get in there this morning and double up on it. Maybe I need a twice a day routine after all.

The heater is finally kicking in and the sun is helping to warm up my room. Feels more like I want to get out of bed now.

My clothes are in the dryer downstairs, I didn't get them myself and boyfriend forgot to get them when I asked. Debating on just wrapping a sheet around me and grabbing them. Also debating putting on old clothes off the floor because I haven't showered yet and they're here upstairs with me.

Also my credit score went back down 1 point. They couldn't stand to see me get ahead lmao