#i need to go to the fabric store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i need to buy summer fabrics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fiendishartist2]

need a girl who will take me to the fabric store

[kookooluvr]

Teach Me How To Love - Part 3

pairing: professor!jungkook x (fem) professor!reader, fwb to lovers

genre: fluff, angst, smut, fwb au, economicsprofessor!jungkook, politicalscienceprofessor!reader, slow burn, some emotional constipation, some sappy moments, lots of sexy moments.

summary: jeon jungkook, a fellow professor at yonsei university, is your friend, co-worker, and secret bed buddy. you have rules set in place to make sure there are no misunderstandings in your little arrangement. the #1 rule is as clear as day; no catching feelings. simple, right? wrong. let's see how un-simple it gets when a certain economics professor falls for an emotionally unavailable political science professor.

rating: 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

word count: 6.7k

warnings: we get to know the besties a bit, jihyo and tae being our cutesie side characters <3 oc and jk both spill the beans to their friends,mentions of the infamous ex (booo, throwing tomatoes), oc buys and wears lingerie for jk, she sends him a photo in said lingerie, explicit sexual content; making out, oral sex (f. receiving), unprotected sex, missionary, squirting, soft dom jk, multiple orgasms, jk learns something new about oc, jk's in his feelings, my poor baby, jk's also a teeny tiny bit of a stalker...but in a sweet way if that makes any sense :)

author's note: part 3 took longer than i would've liked bc my procrastination was kicking my ass. anyway, pls enjoy !!! things will start being a bit more eventful from part 4 onwards so bear with me 🤪🫶🏼 as usual, make sure to like, reblog and pleeeaaase share all your thoughts and feelings about these kiddos <3

taglist: @rpwprpwprpwprw @mimi1097 @livinluvl @bumblebee-21s-blog @koosluvss @sou-17 @puppybunnyjkay @svnbangtansworld @junecat18 @shrek-the-destroyer @tastykookoonut @sturniolowrld @palomanazareth

find tmhtl masterlist here

It's been a week since Jungkook came over. You spoke here and there in passing but you haven't had a chance to actually hang out again after that night because you're both just too busy prepping for final exams before the long awaited summer break. This time of year is always a bit crazy for both the students and the educators, which leaves you with almost no time to mess around with cute economics professors.

You've been a bit stressed out all week, so you really weren't planning on spending your Saturday in a busy mall, looking through racks of lingerie, and yet that's exactly what you're doing. Why? Because Jihyo texted you saying she needed your help in buying something sexy to wear on an upcoming date she has with some guy she met at work. His name's Mark and from what she's told you about him, he sounds...promising.

Jihyo, unlike you, is looking for a boyfriend. Boy, is she looking. She's gone on about seven dates with five different men in the past couple of months and she is yet to find her Mr. Right. From what she's told you, she's looking for someone educated, tall, handsome, funny, and someone who can "match her freak". The closest she got to that was some guy she met at a club two months ago, who was lucky enough to get three whole dates before he eventually gave her the ick by referring to his mother as 'mommy'. For her own sanity, you hope Mark won't make that same mistake.

However, Jihyo's mind isn't on Mark right now. Oh no, she's much more focused on the man you're seeing.

"___, come on. We've been best friends since the fifth grade. Are you really going to look me in my eye and tell me you're not seeing anyone? And don't lie to me."

You roll your eyes, scanning the rack of pink satin and red lace, feeling the different fabrics between your fingers. One minute, you were asking her about Mark and how they met, and the next thing you know, you're being interrogated in the middle of a lingerie store.

"I'm not looking you in your eye. I'm looking at lingerie. Ooh, this is pretty."

Jihyo loves you, really, she does. You've known each other for most of your lives. That means she supports you in everything you do. That also means she can see right through your bullshit when no one else can. She's been suspicious of you and your apparent mystery man for a while now, and she won't stop asking you about him until she gets answers.

"I'm serious. I know you're seeing someone. You're not slick, babe. I know you inside and out, and I have really good intuition...and I might have seen a text I shouldn't have when your phone was on the table at the restaurant during lunch."

Dammit.

"I don't know what you're talking about." You feign ignorance, refusing to spill the beans even after practically getting caught. You and Jungkook both swore to keep it between the two of you. It's one of the rules. Who knows what will happen if you just start breaking rules all willy-nilly. Sure, it's not that big of a deal if you tell one friend, especially your best friend, but that's how it starts. You're breaking this rule, and then another and another until you're Robin Thicke and the lines are blurred.

"Cut the shit," Jihyo says dryly, crossing her arms over her chest, clearly unwilling to drop the subject. "Who is this mysterious 'prof jeon' and why was he asking you when you're free to see him?"

You let out a defeated sigh, looking over at her. You know that look on her face. She's just going to keep asking if you don't tell her and it's pointless lying about it. She can be a pain in your ass at times but she's definitely not stupid. And besides, she's your best friend. You'd be a bad best friend for not telling her that you're basically getting the best sex of your life, right?

Screw it.

"Okay, I'm not even supposed to tell anyone about it and it's really not a big deal but...I'm kinda sleeping with one of the other professors at work." You quickly press your lips together as soon as the words leave your mouth, looking back at the lingerie to avoid her eyes and all the questions you know you're about to be bombarded with in a second.

"What?!"

"Can you keep your voice down?" you whisper-yell, noticing a few people turning their heads to see what the sudden outburst was about.

"Sorry," she mutters with a snort, clearly not expecting that news. "Who is this professor? What's his name? Jeon who? Why didn't I know about this sooner? Since when have you-"

You cut her off before she can get the rest of her questions out.

"His name is Jungkook, he teaches economics, and before you ask, no, he's not my boyfriend or anything like that. I'm still not ready for that. We met a few months after I transferred to work at the university and we were just work-friends for the most part, but then we hooked up one night last year and it wasn't really supposed to happen again because we were a bit drunk but it was so good, and then it happened two more times and then...well, then we just agreed to keep having casual sex. That's it."

Jihyo is quiet for a moment, processing the information that was just thrown at her. How have you been sleeping with this man for a year and she had no idea? She's actually quite impressed that you could keep it a secret for that long.

"Wow."

"That's it? That's all you're gonna say?" you chuckle, turning around to look at her with a light blue lacey set in your hands.

"I just...I'm happy for you. I'm glad you're putting yourself out there again after Sunghoon. I really thought you were going to swear off men for the rest of your life after him."

And there it is. The reminder of the man you spent most of your teenage and early adulthood loving, the man who you thought you would grow old with, the bane of your existence. If it's not your friends or your mother reminding you of him, it's your own brain. You don't blame her for bringing him up, though. He is the main reason why you're so opposed to actually committing yourself to someone again.

"Yeah, well...it's not like Jungkook and I are dating or anything. It's just sex. No big deal," you mutter, not wanting to go down that road right now.

Jihyo knows your love life (or lack thereof) is a bit of a sensitive subject for you. She was there for you when Sunghoon broke your heart. She let you stay over at her apartment when you were too sad to be alone. She sat with you as you cried on her bathroom floor, so this is a big deal to her. This means that you don't spend your nights crying over that human shit stain anymore, and she doesn't blame you for keeping it private. All she really wants is for you to be happy.

"Still. It's progress, babe."

"Yeah, I guess it is."

"So, uhh... how is he?" She grins, gesturing to her genital area, wanting all the long, girthy, veiny details. She can't help but be a little nosey. Besides, what's the point of having a best friend of almost two decades if you can't ask her about the juicy details of her sex life.

"I'm not telling you that, you pervert," you laugh, holding the lacey lingerie out for her to take. She takes it without even looking at it, her focus solely on you and your professor friend.

"You have to tell me. Okay fine, just give me a number from one to ten then... Looks?"

You sigh but decide to indulge her anyway. "Ten."

"You lucky bitch," she scoffs, looking very impressed. "Skills in the bedroom?"

"Nine point five."

"And you're exclusively hooking up, right?"

You nod.

"Okay, ___, please explain to me why we're in a lingerie store and you're not buying something to make this man drool over you," Jihyo deadpans, looking at you like you're insane.

"Don't be ridiculous, we're not here for me. We're here for you and your date."

"And we're not leaving until we both get something." She starts looking through the racks with more determination. "You said Professor Sexyboots is a ten. You have to wear something sexy for him. At least for my sake."

"Professor Sexyboots? I'm sure he'd love that," you scoff, rolling your eyes at her ridiculous nickname for him.

Jihyo is about to respond when she looks up at something and freezes, her eyes widening, causing you to turn your head to follow her line of sight, your eyebrows raising. On one of the mannequins sits a stunning deep-red bra and matching thong, looking like something straight off a Victoria's Secret runway. It's gorgeous, with intricate lace detailing, and it's completely out of your comfort zone.

"No way, I can't."

"What are you talking about?! You'd look so hot. C'mon, it would be so fun. You could send him a little sneak peek and invite him over and he can take it off with his teeth," she snickers, having way too much fun with this whole thing.

You're not sure how exactly you let Jihyo convince you to buy the skimpy lingerie, but you did, which is why you're sitting in a rather suggestive pose in front of your floor-length mirror in your bedroom. It's silly to feel nervous about sending him a naughty photo. He's seen you naked more times in this past year than you can count, and yet this makes you nervous.

You take the photo and press send before quickly tossing your phone on the bed, letting out a deep sigh.

Jungkook is in the middle of watching some random show on Natural Geographic when he gets your text. He unlocks his phone and all the air gets knocked out of his lungs when his eyes land on the photo of you wrapped in the delicate dark red lace, muttering a breathless, "Sweet baby Jesus".

His fingers shake as he types out a reply, his heart hammering in his chest.

prof jeon [9:46pm]: i've never really been a very religious man prof jeon [9:46pm]: but damn, god is good 😳

You [9:47pm]: LMAO You [9:47pm]: come over

prof jeon [9:48pm]: aye-aye captain 🫡

He rushes to his room to get a hoodie, quickly putting it on while getting a confused look from a half-asleep Bam. He walks over to give the sleepy dog a quick kiss on his forehead and some scratches before getting his car keys, his body working faster than his brain. “Bam, daddy’s gotta go take care of aunty ___, okay? I’ll be back later.” And with that, he’s out the door.

He makes his way downstairs to the parking lot and gets in his car, fumbling with the car keys in a rush to get to your apartment. He knows he probably looks like a teenage virgin right now, but he doesn't care. You always manage to make his midsection tingle and his brain feel all scattered. When he finally manages to get the car started, it takes everything in him to stay within the speed limit as he drives over to you.

You're about to text him to ask how far he is from your apartment, when there's a knock at the front door. You wrap a robe around your body and go to answer the door, seeing a breathless Jungkook leaning his arm up against the wall in the hallway.

"Good evening, Professor," he grins, straightening up to walk inside, eyeing you from head to toe as you close the door behind him. Before you can get a chance to respond, his lips are on yours, his hands cradling your jaw as he kisses you, completely taking you by surprise.

You pull away to look up at him with wide eyes, letting out a little chuckle. "So just straight to the point? No small talk, nothing?"

"Is that what you want?" he asks, looking down at your robe-clad body. "Small talk? Want me to ask you how your day was before I spread your legs?"

"Not really, no."

"Yeah, I didn't think so," he mutters before his lips are back on yours. He picks you up by the back of your thighs in one swift motion, your arms wrapped around his neck as he carries you to your bedroom, eager to get that damn robe off.

He gets to the bedroom and gently lays you down on your back before hurriedly removing his glasses, pulling his hoodie over his head, his t-shirt following quickly behind. He leans down to hover over you, his lips kissing from your neck up to your lips, sensually licking into your mouth to taste more of you while his fingers trail up your thigh under the robe.

He pulls back to look down at you with heavy-lidded eyes, his fingers slowly opening your robe. "Can I take this off?"

You nod and your robe is off within seconds, leaving you in nothing but the skimpy lingerie. His throat goes completely dry. "Fuck. You're trying to give me an asthma attack."

"You don't have asthma," you laugh, rolling your eyes.

"The point is that you're fucking hot, ___."

You scoff and pull him back down to crash your lips onto his, his tongue slipping into your mouth with ease. Your hands lightly travel up his biceps and shoulders, the sensation sending shivers down his spine. You slide your fingers through his hair and give it a little tug, pulling a soft moan from his lips. He loves when you play with his hair, and he especially loves when you tug on it, whether it's while he's kissing you or eating you out.

You pull away slightly to press a few light pecks to his lips, his stomach erupting with butterflies. "You're so good at that," he mutters, gently tugging on your bottom lip with his teeth.

"At what, kissing?"

"Mm," he hums with a lazy little grin on his face. "Might need you to demonstrate again, just to make sure."

You laugh, placing another kiss to his lips, lingering there for a bit before pulling away.

"Mm, one more," he whispers before his mouth is back on yours, his tongue tangling with yours as the kiss grows more heated.

He reluctantly breaks away from your mouth, his lips trailing down your neck, leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses on your skin.

He nips at your pulse point, his teeth leaving a little red spot on your flesh.

"Jungkook, I'm going to kill you if there's a mark," you mutter, but the huff of laughter he lets out tells you he doesn't care.

"You'll be fine," he chuckles, his voice hoarse with desire, his tongue tracing the mark he left behind. He leans on one hand while the other slowly trails up the side of your ribs, making its way to the back of your bra.

"This is so pretty," he whispers, giving your earlobe a little tug with his teeth. "Can I take it off yet?"

"Mhm," you nod, slightly arching your back off the bed to let him unclasp the bra. He slowly slides the fabric off your body and tosses it aside, kissing his way down to your breasts. He licks and sucks on each of your nipples before trailing slow, soft kisses down your stomach.

"Lift your hips for me, baby." You do as he says, his fingers hooking into the sides of the tiny lace thong, slowly pulling the fabric down your legs.

You spread your legs for him, showing him your glistening folds. The sight alone makes his sweatpants feel tighter. He kneels down at the edge of the bed, spreading your legs further apart. He kisses his way up your leg from your calf to your inner thigh, holding your ankle over his broad shoulder.

His lips inch even closer to your pussy, just a few centimeters from where you need him most. "Jungkook," you whine, your arousal growing by the second.

He chuckles teasingly, stopping at your inner thigh. "You're so whiny."

"Don't tease, Kook."

He grins, hovering his mouth over your pussy, his breath fanning over your folds. "Love seeing you all worked up for me," he murmurs, slowly licking his lips before pressing a feather-like kiss to your mound.

"Just shut up and eat me out."

"Yes, ma'am."

He starts slow with wet little kisses and licks to your clit, slowly building up a steady pace. He loves eating you out. He could go for hours if you let him, like a starved man getting a taste of his favourite food. Jungkook's always been more of a giver than a taker, your pleasure bringing him pleasure.

He's incredibly skilled with his tongue, knowing exactly what to do to have your legs trembling. He swirls and flicks his tongue, sucking and lapping at your clit to make your eyes roll back in your head.

"Fuck, Jungkook...feels so good," you sigh, your eyes fluttering shut.

He smiles against your pussy, feeling proud of every little sigh and moan he pulls from your lips. "You taste so good," he mutters before diving back in, licking a long stripe from your leaking entrance to your clit, his hands gripping your thighs to keep them open.

"Just like that...oh my god, don't stop..."

He looks up at you with a dazed look in his eyes, his tongue lapping at you with skilled precision that makes your toes curl, your fingers gripping the sheets beneath you.

"F-fuck, 'm gonna cum," you gasp, grabbing onto his hair to hold him in place, your eyes squeezing shut, your head spinning as the pleasure reaches a peak.

A few more sucks and flicks of his tongue and you're cumming, his hands holding you in place as he laps at your pussy, helping you ride out your high. He feels your thighs quivering, looking quite proud of himself. "You taste so fucking good," he murmurs, pressing a few soft kisses to your clit.

"Holy shit." You're breathless, your pussy pulsating, your heart racing.

He crawls up to hover over you, giving your lips a quick peck, his lips and chin glistening. "Still with me?"

"Mhmm," you grin, slowly opening your eyes to look up at him.

He smiles down at you, taking in your flushed cheeks, your disheveled hair, your pretty eyes. He gently brushes some of your hair out of your face, his thumb lightly stroking your cheek. "You're beautiful, ___," he whispers, his voice laced with tenderness.

"Don't say that."

He furrows his brows in confusion, puzzled by your reaction. "Why not? It's the truth."

"Tell me I'm sexy...not beautiful."

He chuckles, slowly shaking his head, his expression filled with amusement and affection. "You're gorgeous," he whispers, lightly kissing your cheek, his lips trailing over to your ear. "And incredibly sexy."

"You gonna fuck me now?" You tease, your lips curling into a soft smile.

He almost laughs at your bluntness, the way you just get straight to the point, never wasting any time if you want something. Your assertiveness has always been a turn-on for him, not just in the bedroom, but in general.

"That's the plan, yeah."

"Let's get this show on the road then."

He gets up off you and removes his sweatpants and boxers, letting it lay somewhere on your bedroom floor. He's already hard, his cock standing tall, the tip already leaking a bit. He stands at the end of your bed, his hand wrapped around the base, his eyes glued between your legs, slowly trailing up to your face.

He crawls back on top of you, sliding his fingers through your folds, gathering some of your slick and rubbing it over the head of his cock. "Ready, baby?"

You give him a nod and he slowly pushes into you, his hips gently moving forward. "Shit, you feel good," he groans, his voice coming out low and hoarse.

You sharply inhale through your nose, feeling that familiar stretch, your walls molding to the shape of him like it was made for him.

He thrusts slowly, bracing his forearms on either side of your head, his forehead resting against yours. His thrusts get deeper until he bottoms out, his breathing growing heavier, his moans going straight to your core. He buries his face in your neck, feeling your hands gripping the muscles in his back as he thrusts harder.

Your moans grow louder as he thrusts into you, your walls fluttering around him, your legs wrapping around his waist. "Fuck, that feels so good."

"Yeah? You like that, baby?" he grins, pressing wet kisses to your neck and chest.

You've never had a man make you feel the way Jungkook does. He knows exactly how to touch you, how to kiss you, how to have you like putty in his hands. Your skin heats up, your heart pounding faster as he picks up the pace, hitting that spot deep inside you that makes your back arch off the bed.

"Mmm, f-fuck...harder...h-harder, baby," you moan, feeling him lift one of your legs over his shoulder, the tip of his cock repeatedly hitting that sweet spot inside you, the new angle allowing him to thrust even deeper.

"Like that?" He grunts, sitting back on his knees, his thrusts hitting harder, his pace getting faster.

"Oh my god, right there...feels s-so good, Kook."

"Wanna cum again?"

You can barely form a coherent sentence anymore. Your moans mixed with the sound of his skin slapping against yours fills your bedroom, his thrusts making your pussy squelch.

"Use your words, baby."

"Wanna...wanna cum," you whine, feeling him hold your leg next to his head and press wet kisses to your ankle and calf, the pressure and pace of his thrusts feeling just right.

"Hold it." His voice is rough and demanding, a stark contrast to the gentle tone he usually uses with you outside of the bedroom, the sound sending a shiver down your spine.

He ignores your whines and pleas for him to let you cum, thrusting as deep as he can go, his free hand reaching down to push his thumb into your mouth. Your body works on autopilot, sucking on his thumb. You swirl your tongue around it like you would do to his cock, causing his hips to stutter before he regains his composure.

"Such a good girl for me. Gonna make you cum so hard, baby."

He pulls his thumb out of your mouth to rub firm circles over your clit, the pressure paired with his thrusts making your head spin. The pressure starts to build in your lower stomach, and it feels different, better than it usually does, your pussy clenching down harder around his cock.

"Feels...f-feels like I'm gonna...p-pee..."

He lets out a faint chuckle, his hips moving with determination. "You're not gonna pee, baby," he mutters, his tone sounding almost teasing.

"H-how do you know?"

"Trust me, baby, I know. You're not gonna pee." He can tell you're close, your body practically begging for release as he rubs your clit faster. He looks down to where your bodies connect, seeing how swollen and puffy your pussy looks, the sight making his cock twitch. "It's gonna feel so good, baby, I promise."

"Gonna...gonna cum-"

"I know, baby. Let go for me...let it all out."

You cum with a loud cry, your body convulsing beneath him, your vision going blank as the pleasure hits you. It feels relentless, like nothing you've ever felt before, and he's made you cum many times before.

"Fuck, that's my girl." His thrusts slow down but they don't stop, keeping his pace steady to help you through it. "That's it, baby...ride it out..."

Your body trembles as you come down from your high, barely able to register him pulling out. Your eyes are half open as you watch him stroke himself above you, his face contorting in pleasure, his abdomen tensing. He finishes with a guttural moan of your name, painting your stomach and breasts with warm strings of cum.

"Fuck. I think I just saw Jesus," he breathes out, his chest heaving as he gasps for air.

"Yeah? What did he tell you?" You chuckle breathlessly, still feeling the aftershocks of your orgasm.

"He said you squirted."

Your eyes almost bulge out of your head, looking down to find his lower stomach and pelvis drenched.

"Oh my god," you groan, your words muffled by your hands as you cover your face.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed. It was probably the sexiest thing I've ever seen," he murmurs with a faint chuckle, gently pulling your hands away from your face, forcing you to look at him, his face looking rather smug.

"You look very pleased with yourself."

"Can you blame me? I made you feel so good, you practically exploded all over me," he grins, looking down at the mess between your legs. "Ohh, she's so swollen now. She took a bit of a beating, huh?"

You let out bashful scoff, your cheeks heating up at his choice of words.

He quickly gets up to go and clean himself off in the bathroom, coming back to slip his boxers back on. He watches you slowly get up off the messy bed, your knees feeling weak as you clumsily walk off to the bathroom, needing a hot shower after that intense session. He sits on the edge of the bed, leaning back on his hands as he watches you stumble.

"Legs a little wobbly there?" he teases, unable to stop the amused smile from spreading across his face.

"Shut up," you mutter as you make your way to the bathroom, earning a little laugh from him.

While you're in the shower, he takes it upon himself to remove the dirty covers and sheets from your bed, looking for your lavender room-spray on your vanity. He knows you always spray it around the room after sex, and he knows you keep it on your vanity, but for some reason he can't find it there. What he does find, however, is a framed photo he's never seen before. You're in it, and it looks like it was taken on the day of your undergrad graduation ceremony. You're standing next to a younger-looking girl, whose face is quite similar to yours. She is just slightly taller with shorter hair. Jungkook doesn't know much, or rather anything, about your family, but he assumes the girl in the photo is your sister.

He picks up the frame and goes to sit down on the bed, inspecting it closely. He feels a bit guilty, like he's been caught red-handed for snooping when you come out the bathroom wrapped in your robe, your eyes landing on the frame in his hands.

"What're you doing?"

"Sorry," he murmurs, his eyes growing wide, feeling like a child that's been caught stealing. "I just...I was looking for your room spray...or mist, whatever it is, and... I, uhm, I don't know, I guess this just caught my eye. I've been here many times but I've never really looked around, y'know?"

You nod slowly, going to sit next to him at the edge of the bed.

"Is this...your sister?"

You look up at him, seeing the surprise on his face.

You and Jungkook have sex. You work at the same university. You're "work-friends" and that surprise on his face is a reminder of how little he truly knows about you, how little of yourself you actually share with him. He knows you have a cat, but he doesn't know you have a sister. He knows the way you take your coffee, but he doesn't know anything about your childhood. It's a stark contrast to how much you know about him. You know his favourite foods because he's very specific about where he gets his takeout from. You know his favourite brand of beer because he always has it stocked up in his fridge. You know all about his family dynamics because he speaks about them all the time, that his brother just had a baby, that her name is Mijoo. You know all of his hobbies and interests because you're quite observant and he's very open, never feeling the need to keep anything to himself. You're similar in some aspects of your personalities, and yet very different.

"Yeah, that's my sister, Yuna," you murmur softly, looking down at the photo with a tight-lipped smile.

He absorbs this new information, a mix of feelings swirling inside him. Part of him feels slightly hurt. Four years of knowing each other and a year of hooking up, and he's only just found out you have a sister. He's an open book, always sharing all these intimate details about himself with you, yet you keep so many parts of yourself hidden from him. He wonders if it's just in your nature or if you deliberately keep him at arm's length, preventing him from getting too close.

At the same time, a small spark of hope lights up within him. You're not completely shutting him down so that's good. Maybe this is a sign that you're actually opening up to him for once. It might seem minor, but he takes it as a huge step forward with you.

He has a million questions he wants to ask, but settles for, "What's she like?"

There's a beat of silence before you speak. "She's, uhm...she's three years younger than me, and she's probably the most extroverted person you'll ever meet, so we're...very different," you scoff, smiling fondly at the thought of your baby sister.

He listens intently as you talk about your sister. He wants nothing more than for you to let your guard down with him, and this is a start. It's small, but it's something.

"That must make for an interesting sibling dynamic, hm?"

"We actually get along great in spite of that. We grew up super close, so..." You speak softly, feeling a bit uncomfortable with showing even just a hint of vulnerability in front of him. "So, yeah. Now you know that about me."

"Yeah," he murmurs softly, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "Now I know."

You gently take the frame from his hands and walk over to your vanity, putting it back in its place. You pick up the lavender room spray and turn to him with a faint smile. "This what you were looking for?"

"There's the damn thing," he scoffs, the familiar scent filling his nose as you give the room a spritz. "Is that to get rid of the smell of me?"

You chuckle, but you don't deny it.

The room falls silent again, and he takes it as his cue to get out of your hair, seeing as it's already midnight and he doesn't want to push his luck.

"I should, uh...I should go. It's late and I don't wanna keep you out of your beauty sleep," he jokes, slowly getting up to put his clothes back on.

"I'll walk you out." He wishes, just once, that you would ask him to stay, but he knows you won't. He walks behind you, stopping at the front door. He so badly wants to reach out and take your face in his hands, to kiss your lips and ask you to let him spend the night with you, but when you open the door for him, he simply puts his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants and walks out into the hallway.

"Thanks for tonight," he mumbles, looking down at you with a soft look in his eyes. "It was fun."

"Yeah, it was," you smile, tilting your head to lean against the half-open door.

He just looks at you, not making a move to leave. He has so much he wants to say right now, but he swallows it down, just like he always does, not wanting to overstep.

"Well...goodnight."

"Night, Jungkook."

He takes a small step back, reluctantly turning to leave. "Goodnight, ___," he mumbles, looking back at you with a soft smile.

You chuckle, sensing his reluctance to leave. "Goodnight, Jungkook."

He turns and starts walking away, his feet feeling heavier with each step. Just as he's about to make a U-turn and walk back to you, he hears the soft click of your door shutting, the lock echoing in the empty hallway.

He sighs and walks over to the elevators, going down to his car. He mentally kicks himself for feeling so disappointed. He's always known that you keep yourself guarded, and he thought he could handle it, could play by your rules, could be content with a primarily physical relationship. He could before. But right now, sitting in his car in the silent parking lot, he's reminded of how weak he really is.

He leans his forehead forward against the steering wheel, the weight of his feelings sitting heavy in his chest, muttering a soft, "Fuck."

With a heavy sigh, he starts the car and drives home, his brain taunting him with the fact that romance isn't a possibility for you and him.

On Monday, Jungkook is back in work mode. He tries to squeeze in as many revision lectures as he can the closer it gets to final exams. It's around 3pm when he finally gets a breather, so he goes to his usual spot for lunch.

He sits in the empty lounge, like he does almost every day. Why this specific lounge? Because if he looks out the window, he has a perfect view of you sitting below, eating your lunch on your usual bench. Sometimes you're alone, sometimes you're with another lecturer, and on rare days you just have lunch in your office.

"There you are." He hears Taehyung's voice as he walks into the lounge, sitting down across from him with a huff. "You weren't answering your phone."

Jungkook doesn't respond, his eyes not wavering. He looks out the window with a dopey look on his face, watching you eat your gimbap. Taehyung follows his line of sight, catching on rather quickly.

"So... you taking an online course on how to be a stalker, or...?"

"What are you talking about?" He scoffs, looking over at Taehyung before his eyes inevitably drift back down to you.

"You're staring like a creep," Taehyung laughs, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Is she that professor I saw you talking to the other day?"

"Mm." Jungkook knows how nosey his best friend can be, and he knows exactly what's going on in that head of his.

Taehyung gives him a knowing smile. He doesn't even have to say much, already knowing it's only a matter of time before Jungkook spills.

"You have a thing for her, huh?"

Jungkook looks at him with wide eyes, feeling exposed without even confessing anything. "What? I didn't even say anythi-"

"Don't bother," Taehyung chuckles, "You're not very subtle, man. Your eyes give you away."

Jungkook feels his cheeks burn, knowing he's been caught. He hates how transparent he is, that his feelings are written all over his face. "Fine. But it's not a big deal."

Taehyung gives him a look that says, 'You sure about that?'

Jungkook looks at his friend, then down at his lap, twiddling his thumbs. There's a long silence before the word-vomit eventually spills out of him.

"We've been having sex for a year and it was just casual at first, well...it still is casual, and we set a few rules so that there's still boundaries between us, but then I started developing feelings and she's just so guarded, like, she won't open up to me and I know that if she finds out I have feelings for her, she'll pull away and it'll ruin everything," he rambles, the words tumbling out like he's been dying to tell someone. He knows it was supposed to stay between the two of you, but he trusts Taehyung implicitly and he knows his friend would never judge him or the situation.

Taehyung looks at him with raised eyebrows, listening to him ramble on about the whole situation, trying to wrap his head around it. He knows how much of a softie Jungkook is and he never thought he would ever hear him say he has a friend with benefits.

"Damn, dude...you look like you needed to get that off your chest."

"I guess I did, yeah," Jungkook murmurs with a little scoff.

"Okay, so, she explicitly told you she's not interested in you romantically?"

"Well, no, she didn't say it directly, but she doesn't have to," Jungkook sighs. "She's made it clear more than once that she's not looking for anything serious from me."

"Damn," Taehyung murmurs, his face full of sympathy. "Has she said why?"

Jungkook looks back out the window, looking down at you with a melancholy expression on his face. "I know it's something to do with her ex, but she won't tell me the full story, so I don't really know what happened. I know she's been hurt before and she's wary of it happening again. I know she's not ready for anything serious, and I respect that. It's just..."

"You thought it would be enough for you?" Taehyung asks softly, carefully.

"Yeah."

"But it's not?"

"Would it make me an awful, selfish person if I said it's not?"

"No," Taehyung says firmly, a soft smile forming on his face. "It would make you a human being with a soft heart and strong feelings."

Jungkook scoffs, feeling guilty for simply thinking of being with you in a romantic sense. He knows you've been through some hard things in the past, and all he wants is a chance to prove himself to you.

"Do you want to tell her how you feel about her?"

"I don't know," Jungkook mutters, a slight pout forming on his lips. "I keep going back and forth about it in my head. Part of me wants to tell her and lay all my cards out on the table for her...another part of me is scared of pushing her away even further."

Taehyung goes silent for a moment, chewing on his bottom lip in thought. "Is the sex good?"

Jungkook narrows his eyes at his friend. "You have the worst timing."

Taehyung chuckles, shrugging like he just couldn't help but ask.

Jungkook rolls his eyes but gives in, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, it's...it's really good. Probably the best sex I've ever had, if I'm being real."

"Wow," Taehyung scoffs, his eyes wide. "I'd say you should wife her but...y'know..."

Jungkook gives him a dirty look, once again getting a slap from reality, Taehyung subtly wincing at his friend's misfortune.

"Look, I want to say screw her and it's her loss because you're a fuckin’ catch...but I mean, I get that she's just being cautious because of whatever happened with her ex."

Jungkook sighs, nodding slowly.

"Yeah. I just wish I could prove to her that I would never hurt her, that I would respect her and treat her right." Jungkook mentally curses your ex for screwing things up for him. He just wants a fair shot with you. "She's such a beautiful woman and she doesn't even see it."

Taehyung nods, looking out at you through the window. "Yeah, she's very attractive."

"No, I mean, she's stunning, but...the way she speaks, the way she acts, the person she is...she's just so beautiful. I want her for so much more than her physical being," Jungkook murmurs softly, his heart yearning to show you just how lovely he thinks you are.

"Honestly, I think the best thing you can do for her is be her friend if that's all she needs for the time being and slowly try to bring down her walls little by little. And if that doesn't work, then I think you should keep your options open. I know this sucks, dude, but you have to think of yourself too. You can't try to mend her while breaking yourself."

Taehyung is a wise man, and Jungkook trusts his judgement. He teaches literature, for crying out loud. He reads Shakespeare for a living. He should be well versed in these things.

"Yeah," Jungkook nods, taking in Taehyung's advice. "I guess you're right, Tae. Thanks for listening to all my crap."

"Hey, you're my best friend. No sweat." He goes quiet before casually asking, "So, do you think she has a friend for m-"

"Tae-"

"Wrong time, my bad."

< Part 2 || Part 4 >

[nabipumpum]

‧₊˚🖇️₊˚⊹Best girl ᵂᵒⁿʸᵒᵘⁿᵍ ˣ ᶠ!ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ

Pairing - Jang Wonyoung X fem!Reader

Genre - fluff

Synopsis - When you met Wonyoung, you never imagined that she would fall in love with you, but she did, so she became a safe connection for you, giving you comfort without even saying anything to you, Wonyoung showed you that connection is worth much more than outer beauty.

Warnings! non idol!au, relationship established, Wonyoung gets jealous. Not reviewed!

Word Count: 1.455

A/N: This one has not been proofread and I also did it in a hurry and sleepy way, so I don't think it's that good, sorry for any mistakes. Anyway, happy new year and happy holidays to all 🤍

Ive masterlist

You clenched your fingers into the fabric of your sweater and sighed heavily as you watched your girlfriend look through a few pieces of clothing, hoping she would choose quickly so you could go home again.

The cold air that came in every time someone opened the store door hit you like little needles, making you shiver even though you were bundled up in warm pants, a fuzzy sweater, a scarf, and boots with at least 3 pairs of socks to warm your feet properly.

“What do you think of this one?” the girl showed you a white skirt.

“Honey, it’s winter, why do you want a skirt?” she lowered her arms dejectedly, as if her question made no sense to her.

“Because summer clothes are cheaper in winter.” she looked at the skirt again “Don’t like this one?” You looked at the piece of clothing, analyzing it and imagining how it would look on the girl.

"It seems good." she smiled and put it in the bag along with some other blouses she had picked up. “Are we done?”

“Aren’t you going to get anything for yourself?”

“I already have enough clothes.” She rolled her eyes and wrapped her arm around yours.

“You're so annoying…” she poked your corner lightly, you laughed and pushed the girl's hand away.

You and Wonyoung met at school, that typical cliché of popular X nerd in which suddenly the popular girl finds herself in love with the nerd she didn't even know existed before, so Wonyoung made you fall in love with her in an instant, even you not believing that she really wanted someone like you, not that you thought you were ugly, but compared to the long list of suitors with you, you never thought you would have the slightest chance for a girl like her.

But then Wonyoung was inviting you to join her and her friends at lunch, or inviting you to the cafeteria near school, then to a park, then to hang out on the weekends and you get into this routine of hanging out together almost every day, until she confesses to you, since you were too shy to do it first.

Somehow Wonyoung changed a lot of things in your life, making you get used to going out with her to parties or getting to know her entire (and huge) circle of friends, then making you become friends with her friends too, then she taught you how to do more elaborate makeup or taking photos that suit you better.

Wonyoung, besides being a friend, was an incredible girlfriend, always being by your side and offering you support whenever you felt bad or overwhelmed, making you forget your problems or making them seem irrelevant when you were with her. Everyone saw Wonyoung as the most beautiful girl in school and so that was it, but you saw and see much more than that, because for you she was the best girl in the world.

“I just don’t think I need any more clothes.” you guided her to the register while she was still saying that you needed to get something.

“So many clothes here would look perfect on you, you should at least look.”

“Wony!” you scolded and the girl laughed.

“Okay, okay, I give up.” she moved closer, brushing his shoulders.

“Yes, it seems like you are telling me that my clothes are old and ugly.”

“Huh? I didn't say that! I said you should buy something, you’re putting words in my mouth.”

“Same thing.” the girl objected but stopped when you arrived to pay, she handed the bag to the saleswoman and then looked for her card “No more stores, right?”

“Just because I’m tired.” you smiled in victory, over the years of dating you ended up getting used to walking for a few hours in the mall or going in and out of random stores in the city center, but sometimes all your feet need is a rest.

The girl paid and took the bag of clothes and basically pulled you out of the store, looking a little annoyed and then walking slower as you left.

"What happened? I’ve never seen you want to leave a store so quickly.” the girl looked at you and then looked ahead again, sighing heavily.

“That attendant kept looking at you, seriously, she was almost drooling over you.” You laughed and stopped the girl, her body almost bumping against yours.

“Are you jealous?” she rolled her eyes before looking at you again.

“Wipe that smile off your face, it’s just because she was staring at you like she’d never seen a woman before.” you agreed.

“Why don’t you just admit it?” she laughs and walks away, pulling you back to walk.

“You didn’t even notice.” In fact, you couldn't even look at anyone else when you had Wonyoung right there next to you.

“I didn’t even look in her direction.”

“You better never do.”

“Was that a threat?” She looked at you.

"Maybe." she looked ahead again, not giving an answer when you questioned her about her answer, only giving you a smile until you arrived in front of the building “We should watch a movie.” you got into the elevator and you agreed “You make the popcorn.”

“How new.” You felt a light slap from the girl on your shoulder and you laughed.

-

You put the popcorn in a large container and separated two glasses of soft drinks, Wonyoung was responsible for arranging the sofa to make it more comfortable and certainly full of sheets and pillows.

You held the glasses and the bucket of popcorn, carefully going to the sofa, avoiding dropping anything, until Wonyoung reached the glasses and helped you place them on the coffee table.

“What did you choose?”

“An action movie, it sounded interesting.” you agreed as you snuggled together with the bucket of popcorn between you and you lightly leaning against the girl.

Watching a movie at least once a week has become a routine between the two of you since the beginning of your relationship, a silent way of spending more time together and conveying security to each other, you always being there to hold her hand when She's scared, assuring you that everything is fine and that there's no reason or anything for her to hide or feel afraid, or when she looks at you with that puppy dog look when the popcorn or soda runs out and you go get more.

Wonyoung feels better when you stroke her head until she falls asleep even during the movie and you just carry her to the bed and make her comfortable and then you sleep together.

She also can't help but just pull you in and capture your lips in a quick kiss, just because she feels like it and can't and won't wait until the movie is over to do so.

-

After the movie, you sank into bed with a new book while you waited for your girlfriend to get out of the shower, the warm blanket and fuzzy pajamas made you feel on cloud nine with the comfort and rest your body finally needed.

The words of the book enveloped you completely, you being completely immersed in the story and not even noticing the outside world, not even when your girlfriend came out of the bathroom and lay down next to you.

You finally heard a loud sigh and looked at the girl next to you.

“Hey, baby… I didn’t realize you had already left, I’m sorry.” you approached and planted a soft kiss on the girl's forehead.

“Can we sleep?” her fingers played with the hem of your shirt.

“Just let me finish this chapter.” She agreed and walked over, hugging your waist as you returned to your own world, immersed in the story again for a few minutes until you finally saw the beginning of a new chapter, signaling that you should close it and lie down, so you did it. You left it on the beside table next to the bed along with your glasses.

Then you looked at the girl clinging to you, you probably took a while since she ended up sleeping, you watched her for a few minutes, just admiring her.

You know that Wonyoung is beautiful, everyone knows that, but you are happy that you are the only one who can kiss her, or admire her while she sleeps, or watches a movie, also the only one she would be jealous of an attendant who to you would never be half of what she is. Wonyoung is the best girl you've ever met.

[treacletartlett]

Watery problems

going to the lake for a swim with your closest friends sounded fun, until you encountered a certain problem, not having a suitable bathing suite really made the nervousness gnaw at your head, but revealing this much of yourself to harry really seemed to catch his attention...

this kinda turned into a Romione fanfic, but they rock so it's fine!!!!

contains sexual content!

spending a hot day at the lake with your favourite people sounded amazing, especially since Harry, who you've been attracted to for quite some time, will be there, meaning you'd see him in less than you've had for ages.

while looking through your luggage, you found absolutely nothing you could wear to swim. the stupidness of your situation really hit, and you realised that it was actually the dumbest thing to forget while spending summer vacation with your friends.

being in Ginny's room, she obviously knew of your situation.

"here, try these. they're my other pair, I'm sure they'll fit you great." she smiled, while handing over the tiniest scrap of fabric over to you.

you and Ginny had very different body types, as she was on the shorter side, being 5'2 (180 cm), pretty skinny with a smaller chest and butt. you, on the other hand, were a couple inches taller and had a fuller chest and a slightly curvier body compared to hers.

it wasn't a rather big difference, but with bathing suits it matters much more than with other clothing types.

"Ginny, I don't think this will fit, or at least cover the necessary parts." you croaked, not wanting to walk around feeling like you're dressed to go to a hooker's house.

Ginny huffed, and turned away to look at herself in the mirror. she was twisting and turning, seeing how her perfect fitting bikini looked on her while talking to you.

"just try it on, okay? even if it showed a little more than you normally wear, it's only us. plus, you've got a hot bod, you need to show it off more." she grinned while turning to look at you.

you blushed, standing in front of Ginny and Hermione, all three of you so exposed in a tiny room really lifted the tension for you, but you noticed Ginny seemed as comfortable as ever.

"she's right you know," Hermione replied. "we've already seen you naked multiple times, and Ron and Harry probably won't mind..." she trailed off, seemingly in a moment of thought. "quite the opposite perhaps. anyway, it doesn't matter. we're all very revealed, and there's going to be no one but us. unless you feel uncomfortable of course.."

her soft voice calmed your nerves. she looked at you expectantly, waiting for you to answer.

the thing is, you weren't really sure. I mean, Ginny and Hermione weren't a problem, but Harry and Ron? Ron would definitely keep his eyes on Hermione, so in principle he didn't matter that much either, but Harry? that was difficult.

"no you're right, both of you. I'll just try it on and see if I'll wear it or not, besides, if I choose not to, I don't have to swim with you guys today. I'll buy a new bathing suite when we go to the stores or something." you shrugged, trying to act like this didn't bother you.

it wasn't that big a deal, but still, something kept making your heart rate go up when you thought of Harry and Ron seeing you like that.

anyway, you stripped from your underwear, leaving you completely naked. first, you slipped the bottom on, which resembled a thong more than anything, and exposed your whole ass. after, you asked Ginny to tie the knots of the top.

looking in the mirror, you observed the flimsy piece of fabric.

the triangles supposed to fit over your breasts only covered parts of them, enough to hide your nipples, but not enough to support and cover your whole breasts. the string tying it all together was thin, instead of being at the bottom of the triangles, it was attached to the corner, which resulted in it being in the middle, making it feel unsecured at the back of your back. the one going to your neck was short, making it feel like the top will jump up at any given moment.

the bottoms were low, stopping just above your pubic bone. a small piece of fabric managed to cover your private parts, but it left your whole ass exposed.

to summarise it, there was a very big chance of you flashing everyone the moment you step into the water. you felt very naked and exposed, thinking about how you would face the boys looking like this.

you knew they've probably seen naked women countless times, but this was different. you were their best friend, and who says this won't warp their image of you to them? if it were the other way around, you didn't think you could ever think the same about them, having seen them so exposed. you already got chills seeing Harry shirtless.

"you look great! see, I knew it would fit perfectly. right Hermione?" Ginny's ecstatic took you by surprise, even more did her words. you weren't sure if she was kidding, was she actually being serious about this bathing suite fitting perfectly? you loved her enthusiasm and support, but still, it has got to be a joke.

"yeah, it's actually not that bad, seeing as it's just us, though if we were going to a public place, I wouldn't agree, but it's just us, so I agree." Hermione smiled gently. she looked absolutely fabulous in her dark pink one piece, classy but gorgeous. Ginny rocked her navy bikini, sitting perfectly on her.

then there were you, wearing almost nothing in red. you almost laughed at the irony, but oh well, what would you do about it?

they were right, it's just us, nothing to worry about. you did want to see Harry's reaction, even though you felt a bit perverted about it...

"I wouldn't say it fits perfectly, but it's alright, I guess." you mumbled, turning away from the mirror and grabbing your stuff.

Ginny and Hermione did the same, all of you tidying up the place a bit before leaving.

while you all dropped your stuff in a bag, there was a knock on the door.

"can I come in? you all better be dressed!" Ron's gruff voice yelled through the door. Hermione instantly blushed, seemingly flustered by the thought of them seeing each other in less than usual for once.

you and Ginny grinned ear to ear, used to Hermione's and Ron's back and forth flirting. it got time they made a move, but they were both too shy and awkward.

"oh no, definitely not Ron, we're all butt naked!" Ginny yelled back while laughing, then she quickly pulled open the door, making Ron scream out of fear, covering his eyes quickly. he was wearing his orange shorts, complimenting his hair and freckles brilliantly.

this made the three of you burst out in laughter, clutching your stomach from how red Ron was getting.

"oh so funny, Gin, you're so hilarious." he spat out, agitated by his little sister's theatrics.

"I know, I'm hilarious, Ron. anyway, what do you want?" she breathed out, coming down from the laughter, also red, but in contrary to Ron, from bursting because of that.

"mum said we're leaving, so you need to come down now-" his words got caught in his chest when he saw Hermione behind us, looking flustered and blushing furiously.

they stared at each other in silence for a couple seconds before Ron spoke up.

"uh- well uh, mum said to call for you because we're waiting a-and she uhh, she made lunch for us to take with." he stammered, all in love and pathetic.

Hermione was so red she could explode. Ginny and I glanced at each other, grinning and trying to hold in our laugh.

as expected, Ron couldn't look at anything other than Hermione. he either looked all around him, avoiding her sight, or he only stared at her, his eyes could burn holes through her as we were walking down the stairs, where Harry awaited.

he was leaning against the back of the couch, wearing his dark blue swimming shorts, looking bored.

you inhaled a deep breath, your heart skipping a beat. butterflies and nerves danced in your stomach, and spread all over you body.

you've seen him shirtless a couple times, but they were all some years ago, when you were both children and immature.

he grew taller, obviously, and his body much more toned. quidditch and all the action making him more muscular.

his arms looked strong, his muscles visible as he rested them on the back of the couch. his quads were incredible, his legs toned and beautiful. his chest, oh God, his chest and stomach. they were sight of Heaven.

his abs weren't too intense, but just perfect.

you couldn't stop staring, and before you knew it your eyesight followed down his v-line, wondering what it led to underneath his shorts.

you caught yourself, turning red at the fact you thought of such things when everyone was around you. scared someone could suddenly read your mind, you looked around you, trying to distract yourself.

when he noticed everyone coming down the stairs he looked up, first, grinning at Ron and Hermione, looking like they wanted to throw up, but also like they wished they were alone and wearing less.

"you seem a tad bit red there, Ron. you alright mate?" he said, not being able to contain his grin. he patted Ron on the back, while Ron shot a glare that could burn this whole house down at him.

Harry chuckled, his chest vibrating with force, something so mundane, it made you clench your thighs.

"right, sorry Ron." he put his fist to his mouth, trying to hide his enjoyment. Ron ignored him and turned away, trying not to look at Hermione but failing.

he turned towards you, Ginny, and Hermione, smiling slightly at her, before looking at you and Ginny.

He greeted you both with a smile, which you both returned.

"hey Harry!" Ginny greeted before turning away to talk with her mother, leaving you standing there awkward and alone, while Hermione and Ron were finally trying to make small talk, resulting in Harry having his whole attention focussed on you.

His eyes skimmed your body briefly. He seemed slightly disconcerted, obviously not expecting you to wear something like this. you thought you saw a hint of judgement in his expression, but for the most part, he hid his thoughts and emotions, his face blank.

You blushed, immediately turning pink. You stood awkwardly, fiddling with your fingers and looking away from his eyes. suddenly feeling self conscious, your arms were wrapped around you. you felt the need to explain yourself.

"I-I didn't have my own bathing suite so I had to borrow Ginny's..." you mumbled, embarrassed and chuckling awkwardly.

"and, heh, as you, uh, can see it's a bit too small." you continued, trying to lessen the tension with humour, but it clearly didn't work, as Harry returned your awkward laugh with his own.

"it's alright, not that bad, it's just us here." Harry assured you. he turned away, relieving you of his gaze on your revealed form.

Ginny walked back, a bag of food in her hands which she handed over to Harry to carry. Ron and Hermione quieted, and got ready to leave.

while the guys carried all the heavy stuff, you and the girls carried your own bag and talked while walking. you kept thinking of Harry's gaze, of him assessing your body, even if it was brief, for some reason it turned you on.

you felt ridiculous, desperate, and self conscious. it didn't seem as if he thought you were attractive, but he didn't show any thought about you at all.

the lake wasn't far away. first you had to walk a path that went through part of the forest, but when you arrived you were mesmerised by the sight in front of you.

while Harry and Ron set up the space, placing towels, the parasol, and a small table with chairs, you and the girls set down your bags and watched them.

when they finished everyone took their spot on their towel, grabbing food from the bag Ron's mother gave you. you noticed your towel was right next to Harry's. he was on the far end, having Ron's next to Hermione's.

you ate in silence while the rest talked. you felt to awkward to talk to Harry, constantly having to fix your bathing suite every couple minutes.

on the contrary, Harry seemed at ease for the first time in a long time. he was smiling constantly and laughing, his shoulders hung, his hair falling in front of his face. it was purely and angelic sight.

his eyes met yours, and at that moment you realised you were staring at him for a good couple minutes, and your face flushed. Harry cocked his head sideways, his brow raised.

for some reason, you felt even more heat licking your insides, embarrassment filling you even more.

harry finished his sandwich, and beckoned you to him with his hands. surprise filled you until you played it off and cleaned the crumbs off yourself. you crawled on his towel and sat next him, his body heat engulfed you completely, his skin touching yours, making arousal grow inside you even more.

he bend slightly to whisper something in your ear, his hot breath like a caress against your skin. your breath shook, your heartbeat increased eratically.

"I can see it on your bottoms." he whispered, making sure no one else could see.

you turned your head to look at him, your lips close enough that less than an inch movement would result in collision. his big green eyes stared at you, almost like a deer. the sight made a shiver wrack up your body, awakening a need so deep you weren't sure you could function without satiating it.

"w-what?" confusion laced your question, your mind out of the riddles, only focused on the half naked Harry in beside you.

"your bottoms, I can see the spot," his answer didn't clear the air at all, and you weren't sure he meant literally or not, so you hadn't dared to look down.

"they're soaked." he finished, his sentence caught in your mind, your throat suddenly dry. you turned away from him, shame filled your guts to the point you felt you would explode from embarrassment.

you closed your legs, hoping everything was still covered and harry wouldn't be able to see your arousal anymore. he kept looking at you, as if waiting for your reply. suddenly, his hand found your shoulder, his warm skin resting on yours, sending tingles down your spine. he gently squeezed, lowering his head towards you, trying to catch your eye.

"no one has noticed," he chuckled slightly. "except for me." his soft and low voice sent butterflies frantic in your stomach, having to hold in your breath in case something other than a breath would escape you.

he didn't even do anything to you, and for some reason you still feel the need to let out a soft moan. suppressing yourself took all your strength, and harry moving closer to you, his side touching your back completely, didn't help at all.

"y/n," his hand wind up in your hair, rubbing your head soothingly. "look at me please." he urged slightly, this all taking you by surprise, but also mortifying you, and still, for some reason, turning you on.

his request lingered for a couple seconds, then, you turned to him. his eyes were already on you, his face expressionless. his hand was still in your head, his arm resting on your shoulder, his other hand was in his lap.

"don't," he smiled slightly. "be embarrassed."

you felt his words didn't help you at all, in contrary bringing more shame upon you than before. you looked down again, your back hurting from your hunched over posture. playing with your fingers, a thing you did often when you're nervous, harry's hands found yours, stopping you from squirming.

"it's okay, really." he pushed, seemingly desperate to make you open up. "what were you thinking about?"

his question startled you, speeding up your heart rate, your mind scrambling for a reply.

when harry noticed you struggle, he spoke up, nudging you softly, in a jokingly matter. "you can tell me, I promise."

you stayed silent, this whole conversation throwing you off balance. you weren't sure if you should be honest, and tell him you were thinking about him. he was your best friend after all, and nothing happened years prior that would indicate otherwise. it would either make everything awkward between you two, or end in something that could possibly bring you either regret or pleasure.

"you," you whispered back, taking the risk, since life is about taking risks after all, right?

"I figured." he smiled. silence filled the space except for the chatter behind you, reminding you of your friends' presence.

"oi y/n and I are gonna leave for a bit don't wait up with getting in the water yeah?" harry suddenly called out, surprising you completely.

he stood up and grabbed your arm, pulling you with him while the others nodded and resumed talking. he walked you through the forest, arriving at a place where it's completely quiet, your friends's voices unheard.

"harry, what are you doing?" you asked, nervous and butterflies dancing in your stomach. he pushed you against a large tree, darkness surrounded you seeing as the greens were covering the sky by how tall they were.

"thought we could use a more private space," he answered, still talking softly even though no one could hear you. "don't you think?" his hands caged you in, his face inches from yours. his torso not quite pressed against you but still feeling his warmth.

you nodded, all words in your vocabulary fleeting from your mind. your arms hing at your sides, you felt paralysed, standing rigid against the tree while harry stood so confidently in front of you.

"y/n, what were you thinking about me?" he asked, his big green eyes giving him an innocent look. his hand found your face again, caressing your cheek while admiring your features. "it's okay, you can be honest." he encouraged you, feeling that you hesitated.

"w-well I thought about y-you with me." embarrassment filled you, your feeble answer making you look and feel weak, knowing harry thought that about you too.

"and what happens when I'm with you?" he pressed slightly.

"we're all alone, a-and," you took a deep breath. "we didn't have any clothes on, and we're laying on the floor, next to each other." looking down, you realised it sounded more ridiculous out loud than in your head, which burned your face even more.

"why are we laying on the floor? what happened? what were you thinking about?" harry bombarded you, gently, but obviously waiting for your answer.

"well, we had sex, on the floor where I put on this bathing suit, and you found me. and the only thing I could think about was you, almost naked, and how you looked like underneath." you whispered the last part, feeling it's too erotic to say out loud.

"more? was that it, or is there something else?" he urged, your words not affecting him by the slightest. his finger tilted your chin up, forcing you to make eye contact with him.

"I thought about what you would be thinking seeing me like this, I- I wanted to see how you would react to this, and how pretty you are, and how I've always been attracted to you, and always wanted something- something more." word by word you grew some confidence, harry seemed to like hearing your thoughts, not the least bit thrown off or uncomfortable, the opposite actually.

"you really think I'm pretty?" he asked, his voice containing a hint of vulnerability, his cheeks getting a rosy tint. of all the things he could say, this was the last thing you expected. you couldn't really imagine harry blushing, especially not by something you said, so seeing it in real life made your heart stop for a second.

"I do." you replied, smiling slightly at him. he smiled back, leaning in slowly, until your lips touched for the first time.

it felt better than you've ever imagined. his soft lips only made the gentles contact with yours for milliseconds, and still, it exceeded all your expectations.

when you broke apart, heart beating out of your chest, harry smiled, keeping eye contact with you. you knew where this was heading, and even though you both haven't done this, you were anticipating the moment.

"are you okay with all of this?" harry asked, which elevated your feelings and anticipation even more. you nodded, trying to constrict your smile but failing miserably. it was all going so fast, and you weren't sure what to think.

"say it, y/n. and don't hide your smile, I love it."

your heart burst.

"y-yes, I'm okay." you managed to croak out, impatient for harry's touch on your skin.

the second the words left your mouth he began kissing you, rough and needy, but still giving you time to adjust and devour each other. his hands found their way to your bikini strings, and pulled, making your top fall to the ground.

you gasped in his mouth, your hands quickly went to cover yourself, but harry stopped you, holding your hands in his, and kissing the tops of your fingers.

"it's okay, you're beautiful." he mumbled, admiring you. you admitted there wasn't much difference to you with the top on, but still, it made you a little nervous being so exposed to harry.

but your worries calmed immediately, harry's smile and sprinkling eyes settling your nerves and make you feel good about everything, including yourself.

he led your hands to the elastic waistband of his shorts, guiding you to taking them off of him. he slid them down his legs until he removed them entirely, leaving him completely naked.

you felt better with him exposing himself entirely first, making it feel safer for you. he was an absolute piece of art. even though you've already seen most of him, you get to see his most private parts, which you loved.

he was beautiful. absolutely mesmerising, and you couldn't and didn't want to take your eyes off of him.

he was already hard, and his eyes were watching your face, seemingly waiting for a reaction, or response.

"harry," you whispered to him, stepping closer until his cock touched your leg. you wrapped your arms around his shoulders, his hands meeting your waist instantly. "you're so beautiful."

harry blushed immediately, apparently not used to getting compliments like that before. it made your heart ache, knowing he doesn't get genuine compliments often, but also knowing he obviously loved getting them from you and feeling grateful sends butterflies swarming in your stomach.

"t-thank you," he answered, not knowing how to show that he appreciated it more than you think, but he didn't have to, you thought, you knew how he felt by his eyes.

you kissed him again, and harry came back in his element, pushing you completely flat against the tree, his hands finding your thighs, spreading them lightly. his fingers found your clit, eliciting a low moan from you.

he pulled back, watching you intently while moving his fingers through your folds, wetness coating every inch of you. he gently pushed one finger inside you, moving softly deeper and deeper, letting you adjust and just seeing what's comfortable. when he found a good pace, his fingers moved rhythmically in and out, making you throw your head back, the sounds of your moans filling the space around you.

"harry, please." you breathed, not entirely sure what you're begging for.

but harry seemed to understand, and removed his fingers from inside of you, standing flush between your thighs, lifting you slightly, pubic bones touching, and him hard and warm against your wetness.

"I know, baby." he mumbled, holding your head, brushing your hair from your face. his other hand held you, supporting you by your waist.

tears formed in your eyes, your lips parted, breathing heavily. when you and harry made eye contact, something shifted in the air, and suddenly you got the urge to laugh.

it seemed harry had the same feeling, because as soon as your lips broke into a wide smile, harry began laughing softly, you joining him not long after.

"God, you're perfect, did you know that?" harry said, after catching his breath. you smiled shyly, a blush spreading on your already rosy cheeks, yet again.

he pushed your bikini to the side, admiring you. then, slowly, he sinked into you, stretching you an unbearable amount. he groaned, while you let out a soft moan, relishing in the warm feeling of him filling you up completely.

at first, it hurt a little, not used to the feeling, but after you adjusted, and he began moving into you slowly, pain turned into pleasure, making you throw your head back.

"oh my God, harry." you moaned, your hands found his hair, tugging at it gently. harry's lips were parted, his nose and cheeks tinted pink, breathing heavily.

he leaned down, kissing your neck. one of his hands left your thigh to hold your breast. his thumb worked your nipple while he squeezed, eliciting a load cry from you, the pleasure overtaking your body.

he thrusted into you faster and faster until he found a steady pace to keep up. you cried out, and harry moaned into your ear, his hot breath tickling your skin. the sounds of you and skin hitting skin filled the forest, and you silently prayed ginny, ron, and hermione couldn't hear you.

you didn't bother keeping the noise down, though. it all felt too good that you didn't want to bother yourself with something like that. you loved hearing harry's sounds, his moans and cries elevating the pleasure.

"oh, y/n. you feel so good." he whined into your neck, his lips and tongue touching every part of skin they can reach, including your chest, and up, kissing and biting at your collarbone and going to your jaw, licking every part. when he reached your lips he kissed you so fiercely, not giving you the opportunity to catch your breath.

the hand that's holding you up was digging into your thigh so hard you were sure it would leave marks, aside the scratching of your back against the tree, surely turning your entire back red. but at the moment, you didn't care. harry was touching you everywhere, and that's the only thing crossing your mind right now.

you grew wetter and wetter, your arousal dripping down your legs while harry's thrusting into you hard. he entered himself completely, not even leaving an inch of himself to go without you. it felt like he was in your stomach, even though you knew that would be impossible. but the visual of his print inside you on your stomach when you looked down got you close to the tipping point. you didn't think it was possible for him, or anything else in that matter, to go deeper, feeling like he was constantly hitting the end of you, pushing against your cervix.

you pulled away, taking in as much air as possible, harry's face against the side of yours, breathing against you. his hair was falling over his eyes, sweat laced both of your bodies, both of your wetness coating your skin.

"oh, harry, I'm close, so close." you cried out, feeling the sinking feeling of being thrown over the edge, wave after wave crashing into you. harry's mouth lowered to your nipples, his warmth engulfing them, his finger to your clit, rubbing it up and down fastly.

"go on baby, come, for me." and that's all it took for you to fall over the edge.

your orgasm hit you so hard you lost your breath. pleasure overtook your body completely, making you cry out to harry loudly, clinging on to him while bucking and moving against him. harry's arms wrapped around you, holding you tightly until you came down, making sure to support you.

"God, harry." you yelled, feeling like it would never end. you tightened against him, feeling him come closer and closer. the after waves of your orgasm hit you hard, with harry's continued thrusts lengthening the ongoing shivers.

"y/n," harry called, and you knew immediately he's going to come. you pulsed around him, moving against him to meet him faster. "come, harry, please." after pulling his hair, and licking and sucking his neck, he came with a moan.

his pace became sloppy, and he slowed while riding out his orgasm. his hot cum filled you, covering your walls. after he came down, he pulled out slowly, making sure you're supported and slowly lowering you again.

he leaned his forehead against you while you both caught your breaths. he chuckled, holding your face and leaving a kiss on your lips. you smiled at him, hugging him to you tightly.

"you were great." he suddenly whispered to you. he held you tighter against him, resting his head on your shoulder. you did the same, breathing in his scent.

you realised you had to go back sometime, but for now you opted to stay with here with harry for just a while longer.

[sserpente]

Montana Blues

Synopsis: When you moved to Hawkins, Billy Hargrove quickly became the pain of your existence. As an arrogant fuckboy trying to lure you into his bed, you take absolute pleasure in turning him down times and times again—even if he’s getting on your nerves. But when you find out that Billy practically threatened the entire male population of Hawkins to keep their hands off you because you are his, you snap. How fucking dare he?!

Words: 3714 Warnings: smut, lots of f-bombs

In retrospect, foregoing wearing a bra had been a really bad idea. The Indiana summer heat was near unbearable and it hadn’t even hit July yet. Fanning yourself some air with your hand, you breathed out audibly and tucked your white tanktop away from your sweaty skin with the other. You were soaked which had resulted in your nipples happily showing through the now see-through fabric.

Not a single summer back home in Montana could have ever prepared you for the boiling temperatures here in Hawkins. Naturally, you were not equipped for the change of weather yet. You had one old bathing suit and a pair of flip-flops that was on the verge of falling apart. A large bag, some beach towels, and some new swimwear were high on your shopping list but until your next salary rolled in, your hands were tied and the public pool was out of reach.

“Just this, please.” You placed the ice cream on the counter along with a dollar bill, envying the clerk behind the till because he got to stay inside this air-conditioned gas station all day while you, in just a moment, had to go back outside and melt.

The fact that you ran into Billy Hargrove of all people when you left the small store didn’t exactly help either. That man was sex on two legs and you were already too hot. Unfortunately though, his arrogant demeanour made him quite unattractive for the most part. You knew him because you’d given his sister Max a ride a couple of times. She’d been skating home despite the pouring rain so you’d offered to pick her up from the pavement on your way home from work.

He’d been trying to woo you ever since, only his usual tactics didn’t work with you. You’d seen right through them. A charming smile, a few flattering words, cheesy compliments, a nice dinner and then… sex and then of course the infamous promise that he would call but then never did.

“Hey, Montana. Enjoying your day?”

You rolled your eyes, unwrapping your ice cream in the process. In your current state… hardly. His sly smile was proof enough that he’d noticed your very visible nipples through your shirt.

“I don’t know how you guys cope in this heat,” you gave back.

Billy shrugged. “California’s worse. Why aren’t you at the pool?” He was topless, wearing only a red pair of trunks. Lifeguarding duties. He must have been on his break and getting a snack given the public swimming pool was right across the street.

“My inventory isn’t cut out for that yet. Besides, I’ve got more unpacking to do.”

“You’re still unpacking? You moved here six months ago.”

“Yes. Alone, and buying bit after bit. I’m on a budget, you know.”

Billy rolled his shoulders. “Sounds like you need a day off. Are you free Saturday evening?”

Saturday, aka the summer-BBQ-ball. The whole town had been behaving like high schoolers all week, asking each other out as if it was prom all over again. You’d heard of it and to be frank, you’d hoped that a cute guy would ask you to accompany him—not that you needed that sort of validation. It would just be… nice. A date with Billy, however, could only end in sex. Hot and really good sex maybe, but you did not move to Hawkins to get your heart broken.

You sighed. “You never give up, huh? I don’t know yet.”

“So you’ll think about it.”

“That’s not what I said.”

Billy grinned. “It wasn’t a no either though.”

“Will you ever give up? I’ve said no plenty of times. Take a hint, Hargrove.”

Billy only chuckled, almost as if he knew something you didn’t. “Enjoy your ice cream,” he said with a nod to your hand. You cursed. The chocolate on it was already running down your wrist.

He was good at getting under people’s skin, you had to give him that. And he had quite possibly tried everything in his book to seduce you. Needed your new bookshelves assembled? Billy had shown up with a toolbox the same day. Your bathroom tab was not working? He’d had it fixed the next day.

Come to think of it, the man was quite protective over you too. You’d never seen a man more determined to get you into his bed. The thought of giving in to his advances had crossed your mind more than once of course. But you weren’t the type for one-night stands. No. Once you tasted blood, you were back for more and you sincerely doubted that Billy was going to give it to you. Or was he? What would that be called? An enemy-with-benefits relationship?

The fact that the electricity between you was practically sizzling didn’t exactly help either. You wanted to fuck him just as bad as he wanted to fuck you. You might have evaporated if he touched you or at least melted into his arms and let him do whatever he wanted to you, preferably with his face between your legs. You’d been dancing around each other for months now—to the point where your friends had claimed that it was only a matter of time until you’d both explode and pounce on each other like wild animals.

Luckily though, you soon didn’t have to think about that particular issue anymore. After you’d finished your ice cream, you stopped by the local building store to get paint for your bedroom when you ran into Andreas. He was a cute young man with dark curls working there part-time to save up for a house—for a family, he’d said the first time you’d spoken.

There were sparks between you for sure. Andreas was future husband material—so much more suitable than Billy, only… only a little less panties-wetting maybe.

“So, uh…” Andreas said as he rang you up, “… you going to the summer-BBQ-ball?”

“Maybe. It depends.”

“Has, uh… anyone asked you yet?”

You smiled at him. “Not yet.”

“O-okay. Then, well… consider this an official invitation? Do you, um… wanna go with me as in… you know, my date?”

His hand was warm when you gave him a twenty-dollar bill. “I would love to, Andreas.”

Take that, Billy. You’d show up with Andreas, have a good time and let him kiss you good night rather than let him tear your clothes off in your bedroom after taking you home. It had been about time.

“Guess who has a date for the summer-BBQ-ball!” Andreas was beaming when he entered the bar and joined his friends at their table, waving for the bartender to bring him a beer. He’d just clocked out and was ready to celebrate now that he’d finally mustered the courage to ask you out.

“Who? Dude, tell us who you’re going with!”

Proudly, Andreas spoke your name—noticing only from the corner of his eye how the head of a certain Billy Hargrove whipped around in an instant.

Andreas tensed up when he watched him get up and approach with his beer in hand, smelling trouble the closer he came.

“I’m sorry, I must have misunderstood. I heard you’re taking my girl to the summer-BBQ-ball?” Billy put his arm around him, leaning against him slightly as if to prove how heavy he was—and hence, how much damage he could do.

“She’s not your girl. As far as I’m concerned, she’s single,” Andreas explained and swallowed.

“Yeah, come on, Hargrove, you can’t have them all. Leave some girls for the rest of us. You can’t chase after her forever.”

“What did you just say to me?”

“Billy, come on…”

“Listen… Andreas, is it? You take my girl out to that barbeque ball and I will give you not one but two black eyes and a couple of broken bones to go with that. Have I made myself clear?”

Andreas swallowed. “T-then why did she agree to go on a date with me, huh?”

“It’s complicated. But if you talk to her again, if you even look at her again, you’ll pay, understood?”

“Understood.” None of his friends made a move. Billy was not one to mess with even though he was outnumbered.

“Oh, hey, Andreas!” Your phone had rung right after you’d finished blowdrying your hair after a shower. Now that the clock had struck seven, the heat finally became a little more bearable and you were ready to call it a day and enjoy your evening.

“Hey… uh… listen… I have a little problem,” his voice sounded at the other end of the line. “Something came up and I’ll… I’ll be out of town this Saturday. So… I won’t be able to take you to the summer-BBQ-ball after all.”

Your heart sank. “I’m sorry… what?”

“I’m really sorry, it’s… something I can’t postpone came in between and…”

“Cut the bullshit. I know you’re lying. Just tell me the real reason.” And I might leave your crown jewels intact, you added silently. You gnashed your teeth, anger mixing with disappointment.

It went silent on the other end of the line. Then, Andreas sighed your name.

“Okay, listen… you’re really nice and you probably don’t deserve that. But you didn’t hear this from me, okay? It’s… it’s Hargrove.”

You blinked. “What do you mean it’s Hargrove?”

“Well, as long as you’re on and off… no one wants to risk it.”

“What do you mean, on and off?”

“Come on,” Andreas said, repeating your name, “Hargrove clearly still has a thing for you. He won’t let any guy come near you. I thought you guys were done when I asked you out on a date today but he quickly proved me wrong.”

“What do you mean proved you wrong?” You were speaking slowly, putting stress on every single word.

“He threatened to beat me up, alright? Call me a pussy but Hargrove’s a bag of walking testosterone. I don’t have a death wish.”

“He did what?” you shrieked.

“Yeah… look, if you’re done with him, you’ll have to let him know. He’s been telling every single man in town to keep his hands off of you for months.”

“What?” You were screaming now.

Andreas whined.  “Now I’m deaf…”

“Sorry… Andreas, okay, just… forget about the summer-BBQ-ball, I’ll talk to Billy, alright? Thanks for the call.”

“Yeah… see you at the store I guess. I’m really sorry.”

The line went dead and you smashed the phone back on the hook.

“Oh, fuck me!” This was it. This had been going on for long enough. One by one, the puzzle pieces fell into place. Why no one had dared to ask you out for the summer-BBQ-ball. Why no man so much as looked in your direction which, even though you didn’t make your life dependent on a man’s attention of all things, had been nibbling away on your confidence. Andreas was the first man who’d shown you proper courtesy today. It hadn’t always been like that either. A young woman, strong and independent, you had caught the eye of a lot of men in town and then, one day, it had simply… stopped as if they’d found out you were practicing witchcraft or something.

Rejecting Billy was one thing but him ruining the prospect of a relationship for you? Not cool. Determined, you grabbed your car keys and rushed out of the house, almost forgetting to lock your door in the process and speeding along the way.

When you arrived at his house, your frantic knocking even alarmed the neighbour who was sitting on a bench on the porch. It was Max who opened, clearly disturbed.

“Where is he? Is he home yet?” you snapped. Max stared at you blankly and then stepped aside. She knew who you were here for, obviously. You stormed past her and toward the door that had a “Keep the fuck out” sign on it—without a doubt Billy’s bedroom—and barged through the door without knocking.

Funnily enough, he didn’t even seem to notice. He had his muscular back to you, lifting weights with a pair of headphones on. Sweat was glistening on his naked arms. The only two reasons that stopped you from licking it right off him were a, your seething anger and b, the fact that it almost traumatised you he was working out in this heat after a lifeguard shift. Oh, you’d lied. Three reasons. C was that you certainly wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of acting on your filthy thoughts.

With a scoff, you slammed his door shut behind you and then ripped the headphones right off his head.

“What the hell…” He turned, probably expecting to see Max. Visible surprise danced across his handsome face when he recognised you instead and set the weights down.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” you yelled, not even giving him a second to think about why you were in his bedroom—the one place you had not, under any circumstances, wanted to end up in.

“It’s nice to see you too, Montana. To what do I owe the pleasure of a home visit?”

“You told Andreas you’d beat him up if he went to the summer-BBQ-ball with me!”

Billy raised his eyebrows, seemingly unfazed. “The fucker told you?”

“He also told me that you threatened the entire male population of Hawkins to leave me alone! You have no fucking right to do that, who do you think you are, you arrogant prick? Can your fragile little ego not take a scratch? Is it so hard to believe there are women on this planet who don’t want to fuck you?”

“My fragile little ego? You want me, Montana. Why would I go after a woman that doesn’t want to fuck me when there’s so many that do, including you?”

Yes, you did and that was another fucking problem. You wanted him so bad you’d admitted to wanting to lick the sweat off his body only a moment ago—but you were certainly not about to tell him that. “For Fuck’s sake, Billy! I moved here only six months ago and you fucking find a way to ruin it! You fucking untell them, do you hear me? You tell him that we’re not a thing and that you don’t mind me dating other guys.”

“Untell them?” He grinned.

You glared at him. “You’re not even taking this seriously! You can’t just claim ownership over me like I’m a fucking object, Billy, I’m a person!”

“Come to the barbeque ball with me.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said come to the barbeque ball with me.”

“You’re joking. You’re fucking joking! I’m not gonna go out on a fucking date with you now that I know that you—“ You didn’t get to finish your sentence, not before Billy’s lips came crashing down on yours. He cupped your face, devouring your mouth like his last meal. His kiss was passionate and demanding and just like that… you were melting for entirely different reasons, your body reciprocating his kiss on its own accord.

Your body embraced him as if you’d been made for each other, the tension between you finally finding release. Billy’s hands slid over your collarbones and the side of your breasts, down to your waist and your hips. He stepped forward, forcing you backwards until the back of your knees hit the edge of his unmade bed.

He pushed you down on it without your lips parting, crawling on top of you to keep you from an escape you didn’t want to attempt. All hell broke loose in your mind, your brain ceasing to function any longer. All you could think of was Billy and how you wanted his hands everywhere on your naked body, especially between your legs.

He was quick to peel you out of your clothing when he finally let you catch your breath. He was still sweaty from his workout and you too were sticky again from the car ride because you hadn’t turned on the AC in your rage and hurry. They all landed on a messy pile on his floor until you were naked beneath him.

There were no breaks. Billy assaulted your neck by leaving a trail of wet kisses on the sensitive skin, a moan escaping your lips the moment his hands cupped your bare breasts. You parted your legs, allowing him to kneel between them. He got rid of his tanktop and tossed it away, revealing his upper body to you. You bit your lower lip, too distracted by his abs to notice him shuffling further away from you so he could comfortably place his hands on your knees.

“Want me to show what you’ve been missing out on, doll?” He didn’t leave you time to reply, instead buried his face between your legs. His tongue came darting forward to taste your arousal, teasing your entrance, nibbling at your outer lips and then… he flicked it over your clit—again, and again, and again, and again…

Billy closed his mouth around your sensitive bundle of nerves, sucking gently all the while his tongue kept playing with it. Your toes curled, your fingernails digging into his sheets. You threw your head back and moaned.

Fuck, he certainly knew what he was doing. Billy had you on the brink of orgasm in no time. You were about to see stars when he pushed two fingers into your slick warmth and fucked you lazily. But then… just when you were about to let go and fall over the edge, your walls aready clenching around his digits… he pulled away.

“What the fuck, Billy?”

“I want you cumming around my cock. Repeatedly.” Repeatedly? Oh fuck…

“C-condom…” you choked out.

“I’m on it, doll…” Billy reached for his bedside table and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a small and shiny square package. It didn’t take him long to get rid of his boxers, revealing his erection to you. Motherfucker, that man was very well equipped indeed. Average in length but a little thicker than the guys you had slept with before him. He stood proudly, his red tip leaking a little bit of precum.

You licked your lips, imagining sucking him off like a popsicle when he ripped the condom packaging open with his teeth and quickly rolled the thin layer of latex over his throbbing cock. His lips were on yours again only seconds before you could feel his tip press against your entrance, sliding in with no resistance whatsoever. Inch by inch, Billy sheathed himself inside you until you wrapped your legs around his hips, willing him even deeper.

“You good, doll?” he whispered against your lips.

“Yes, yes! Just fuck me already!”

“Been waiting to hear these words out of your pretty little mouth ever since you fucking moved here.”

But he obeyed, eliciting moan after moan from your lips when he started moving inside of you, fucking you senseless. He wasn’t gentle. Hell, he was rough and you loved it.

Every single stroke of his knocked all air from you. Billy withdrew almost entirely only to plunge himself back into you with so much force he kept hitting your cervix. Pleasure mixed with a slight hint of pain and your fast-approaching orgasm now that he sneaked his hand down to where your bodies met, playing your clit like an instrument.

“Cum for me, pretty girl.”

You couldn’t have resisted even if you had wanted to because only a fraction of a second later, you burst into a million pieces like a glass vase shattering its shards all across the room. You came with his name on your lips, clawed at his naked back, leaving angry red marks for sure as you kept contracting around him, milking him for all he was worth. Billy shuddered, you could feel it but he didn’t stop. As soon as you’d calmed down enough for your hazy gaze to return to him, he kept on rutting into you like an animal in heat.

“Again,” he ordered, his skilled fingers returning to your clit. You flinched as it was more sensitive than now but fuck, it felt good. So good that…

“Oh my god!” You arched your back when you came a second time and pulsed around Billy’s cock. At this point, you couldn’t tell anymore where you ended and he began as he fucked you through your climax.

“Again, doll.”

“No, Billy, I can’t… I…” You were tingly all over and you were pretty sure you couldn’t tell where up and down was anymore. Trapped in pleasure, desire and lust you were putty in Billy’s hands.

“Yes, you can. You can give me one more. Come on.” He was right, you could. You could when he wrapped one of his hands around your throat and put just enough pressure on the sides to remind you of his dominance and fuck, you loved it.

But you could tell that he too was fighting to keep his composure and hold out for a while longer. As soon as your third orgasm washed over you like a tidal wave, Billy grunted, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He gave you a couple more frantic thrusts before he stilled and jerked inside of you, filling the condom with his seed. Fuck, next time you wanted to suck him dry and taste him.

Once you had both come down from your highs at last, he withdrew to get rid of the condom. His chuckle when you whined at the loss instantly made your heart beat faster.

Then, when he leaned back on his bed and crossed his fingers behind his back, you snuggled up against his sweaty chest. You two were a complete and utter mess in dire need of a shower.

“I’ll go to the damn summer-BBQ-ball with you,” you said into the surprisingly comfortable silence.

Billy chuckled triumphantly. “Good. Wear something pretty. I’ll show you off like a goddamn princess.”

Whatever would happen from here, you didn’t know. Perhaps Billy Hargrove would break your heart now that he’d gotten what he’d wanted. Perhaps you’d just officially become enemies with benefits. But you had to admit there was a slight chance that he’d just officially declared you his girlfriend too.

A/N: Check out my blog for more Imagines and my novels! ♥

[thefreakandthehair]

@eddiemonth prompt, oct 29th:  Trick or Treating | I Put A Spell On You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins | Skeptical ao3 masterpost | tumblr masterlist

October 1978

It’s cold. 

October in Indiana swings in one of two directions: unseasonably warm or ungodly cold and there’s seldom a middle ground. And tonight, it’s cold. 

“You ready, kid?” Wayne asks, popping his head into Eddie’s bedroom. 

Eddie looks in the mirror and adjusts the fangs that sit on his teeth. For the first time that he can remember, Eddie has an actual costume. Not a paper bag over his head, not a white sheet with a few holes cut through the fabric, not a blanket tied around his shoulders as a cape. It’s a real costume that Wayne bought him from the wall at the costume store. 

“Definitely,” he replies around the plastic in his mouth and whips the cape in front of the bottom half of his face. “I feed on blood and candy.” 

Wayne chuckles and shakes his head, tapping on the doorframe as he leans away. “Meet ya outside then, Count Dracula.”

He’d chosen a vampire immediately, drawn to the sharp teeth, velvety cape, and allure of the undead and immortality. There’s no way he could’ve known how prophetic that choice would one day be. 

October 1986

Everyone tells him it’s cold but Eddie can’t feel it. Temperatures don’t change anymore, not to his static form anyways. If he needs to find a bright side to the whole Eternal and Unchanging Life thing, it’s that the sudden shift from summer to autumn in Indiana doesn’t touch him anymore. That, and he never needs to buy a Halloween costume again. 

“Very convincing this year, Eddie!” Nancy jokes, nudging him in the ribs. He barely feels it. 

“Ha ha, very funny,” Eddie rolls his eyes and subconsciously runs his tongue over his teeth. 

His fangs aren’t as sharp as they make them in the movies or costume stores, at least not at rest. When he needs to feed, they expand, constricting back into his mouth when he’s had his fill. Robin’s theory is that it’s an evolutionary thing to trick humans into thinking they’re safe. That if Eddie were more predatory, he could lure them in under the guise that he’s just like them. 

Thankfully, he doesn’t need to do that. Not with a very willing, very consenting partner in Steve. Steve, who he knows has bite marks littering both thighs, some old and some from just this morning when Steve reminded him of how long it’d been and how many people he’d be around tonight. As they round up the kids to head out into the neighborhood, Eddie tosses Steve a grateful glance. 

“You ready?” He asks, his voice an octave lower, his question carrying double meanings. 

Eddie catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror– another myth that’d been disproven when he came out of the Upside Down a vampire– and bares his teeth, checking to ensure his fangs are properly retracted. 

With a curt nod, he smiles and gestures toward the door. “Let’s go get the little monsters some candy.” 

[roboticchibitan]

Okay, list of projects either in progress or I have supplies for and are time sensitive, because I gotta finish some things before I lose my mind

WIPs

1. My sibling's Yule gift (armwarmers) - second one is coming out huge so I need to frog it and start over

2. Peace sign pin design - have bought additional supplies (oil pastels) for mixed media experimentation

3. Turquoise pants - everything is cut out and embroidered, ready to be sewn together

4. Geshela's socks - 1/2 done with first sock, need to finish before winter is over

5. Celestial cardigan - long term project, not urgent

6. Peace sign vest - nearly finished, got maybe 3-5 rows left

6. Dye notes binder cover - pretty sure I finished the embroidery and it just needs sewn together

7 - outdoor meditation cushion - half sewn together and then abandoned when it got too cold to meditate outside

Things I have supplies for that are time sensitive but haven't started yet

1. Grandma's Yule gift - a zippered tote with a zippered pocket

2. Watercolor painting bookmark - to go with the book I got grandpa for yule

3. Wool pants (medium weight) - needs pieced cuz the fabric I got from the art thrift store is only 4 yds of 22"/55.88cm, want to finish before winter is over

4. Wool pants (lightweight) - fabric less warm than expected but should still finish before spring

5. Marsha P Johnson inspired "my pronouns are pay it/no mind" pin design

Project I need to buy supplies for cuz I want the thing and it's time sensitive

1. Cotton rainbow peace sign Granny square blanket - want to finish before summer (waiting for a knitpicks sale)

[fashionsfromhistory]

As someone who can't wear fabrics that are itchy, (rough) even if it washed in softener. Can you give advice on what to look for? I need more business clothes but it seems all the work pants I find for the office is made of that fabric.

Oh this is a tough one. Unfortunately, you might have to go for a higher price point. A fix that worked for an actress I used to work with was wearing satiny cuddl duds in the winter and tights in the summer under all of her pants but YMMV.

(this next part assumes you're US American but I think the idea is applicable everywhere)

First, I would recommend going a slightly fancy department store like Nordstroms. You don't have to buy anything, just feel some clothing to figure out what fabrics you like and write it down. I would recommend going to a higher end store vs like JC Pennys because manufactures like to lie about fabric content and in my personal experience it's less of an issue if you go to a more expensive store. If you're like me, anything rayon, wool, or polyester is a no-go. Semi synthetic fabrics are hit or miss. I'm personally good with silks, satins, linens, and cottons. (If you're not allergic to wool, apparently merino wool is great)

If you're close to a bigger city, you'll probably be good to shop in store. Smaller towns you'll probably have to do online shoping in order to avoid certain fabrics. I haven't shopped at all these but off the top of my head some good stores to check out might be: Quince, Universal Standard, Good American, Amour Vet, Madewell, and Macy's but be real vigilant about checking the fabric content. Rich People Goodwill can have some great stuff but with the rise of thrifting it can be a slog (and real frustrating depending on your size)

May the odds be in your favor on the hunt for non scratchy clothes <3

[starakex]

Warden Ingo Cosplay Build Log

Hey Legends Arceus / Submas / Pokémon fans ! I spent two months last year making a Warden Ingo costume because the game made me fall in love with the franchise all over again (and because I love sad amnesia uncle, of course). I'm pretty proud of it, so I thought it'd be fun to share the process here in painstaking details. I've been cosplaying for over a decade now and I learned a bunch from so many defunct cosplay tutorials on this website, so I thought I'd give back. This isn't a guide, persay, but rather a dive into the methods and decisions I picked to complete this project. Any pre-made items or patterns that are available online will be linked! I'll be splitting down each piece of the costume into its own section for easier reading. This is gonna be a long one with a bunch of pictures, so I'd suggest viewing on the blog directly! Without further ado, all aboard!

Station 0: The Guidelines

Before getting into the build itself, I wanted to preface this wall of text with the guidelines I set myself for this project.These core pillars inform a lot of the decision-making, and some people might feel like using this log as reference for their own cosplays, so I thought it'd be good to put them here to explain why I did some stuff the way I did. Comfort first: I knew I was gonna wear it in the summer, and stand around all day at a convention, so it needed to be lightweight and comfortable. (well, as much as a cosplay can be, anyways.) Realism: Ok, that's kinda weird to associate "realism" to a Pokémon costume (unless you're Detective Pikachu I guess), but I wanted to look more natural instead of translating a shiny fancy 3D model straight to real life (nothing against that, it just wasn't my goal). This meant adapting certain elements that only really worked in stylized Pokémon graphics. Be a huge cheapskate: I didn't wanna break the bank with this one, so if I could save money thrifting or reusing stuff I had lying around, I was going to do it. Whenever you see me pull some material out of my ass that wasn't entirely fit for the job, that's why. After putting these down, jotted down a battle plan for the project (basically just a huge compartmentalized list of all the material I expected to need and the steps to complete the costume), and then it was time to get to work.

Station 1: Thrift Shop Pit Stop

I like starting every project with a quick trip to the local thrift stores to see what I can find. I hate sewing pants with a passion, so my priority was to grab some navy suit pants to match the coat's fabric to later. I also found a long sleeve black shirt for Ingo's undershirt, a belt I ended up not using, and lucked out with some excellent clown shoes with removeable insoles. After slapping in my own insoles, replacing the shoelaces and fixing up the pants' button, we were good to go on every element that could be done without any extra work on my end. Moving on.

Station 2: Three Refined Metals For A Hat

I'll be honest here: when I initially planned out the entire project in my notebook, the hat was scary as hell. I had no clear idea how I was going to do it; I didn't really want to buy a similar pre-made hat cause roughing it up would've been stupid hard to get to look right. I figured I could probably make it out of EVA Foam (a certified cosplay classic), but I've never patterned a shape this complex before. Turns out Kamui Cosplay made a foam pattern for the same kinda hat. Score! I purchased the pattern and assembled the hat using 6mm EVA Foam and Contact Cement according to the instructions. I then destroyed some poor polyester cord trim from the bottom of my scrap bin and glued it into the base for the... sticky-outies? The damaged bits. Y'know.

With the base finished, I drafted a pattern for the fabric covering, cut my pieces out of navy twill, sewed it up and slid it over the hat. I did the same for the inside with some cheap black muslin leftovers from another project, glued it all to the base in strategic spots, and then patterned, sewed and glued the band on. Finally, I took my seam ripper and scissors and opened up the seams where the little piles of sad polyester scraps were lining up to free them. With the main part of the hat complete, I cut up a disc of 10mm EVA foam for the insignia, scored the design on with a hobby knife and heated it up to form a bit of a curve. It was then sealed with flexbond, painted and sealed with a clear coat, and glued on! All that was left after this was weathering the hat. It's a little hard to photograph this piece properly, so I'll show the weathering process when we get to the coat.

I apologize for basically pulling a "rest of the fucking owl" here, but honestly a lot of the process was improvising and somehow not destroying the entirety of my progress, so I have no pictures of the hat building process beyond this.

Station 3: Sneasels Ripped My Coat

Ingo's coat started with a heavily modified version of a commercial pattern. Specifically, it's the D Coat from Simplicity's 4789. I could've probably found a pattern closer to the Subway Bosses' coat design, but this one had already been in my pile of "patterns I bought for an abandonned project and will totally use someday, I swear" and it was close enough, so I used it. Modifications included extending the collar, making the coat a little longer in proportion to my body, the sleeves wider at the ends, and adding inner pockets (a cosplayer's best friend). Oh, and the white bias tape on the edges and the orange stripes, of course. You may have noticed I'm not showing the pattern with all the modifications here. That's because as part of the Cheapskate Protocol, I really wanted to use this old Simplicity pattern to save money. A pattern I bought when I was a teen way back when. the misses sized pattern enveloppe. So I had to size up the entire damn thing. The biggest size on this pattern was like 7 inches off my measurements. It's a paper Frankenstein golem. It looks godawful. The actual adjustments to make the pattern Submas-ready are incomprehensible in there. But hey, I saved like 10 dollars! I started by assembling the base coat (undamaged) out of navy twill. I added heavy interfacing in the collar to help it stay up. I considered adding a lining to it to really sell the fact this used to be a modern machine-assembled piece of clothing, but it wouldn't have looked as good with the rips and tears later on. As a bonus, it's one layer less in the fight against heat exhaustion! However, if I were to make this coat for Pre-Eeby-Deebied Ingo, I'd definitively do a lining.

Next step was the stripes! I used some double fold white bias tape to finish the edges of the coat and topstitched the ones on the back of the coat on. I then used the same orange cotton as the hat band for the three orange stripes,which were topstitched on. Cheapskate Protocol made me buy barely enough orange cotton this time around because I was tired of building up the pile in the fabric scrap bin, so I had to improvise to make it work by snipping the bands in strategic spots in order to cover to whole coat properly. It's not like the parts that would be cut off later for the damage would need them, anyways. ✨Optimization✨

After rolling my rock up the hill of a Hell of my own creation, I booted up the game, dragged my avatar to the Ingo enclosure and marveled at the magnificent creature to see where the coat was ripped. I traced a loose guide of the tear designs with washable fabric chalk and crudely cut up the bottom edge, sleeves and collar to have the basic shape down.

All that was left was to add the armband and the buttons. Turns out the only metal buttonsI could find that were big enough were those buttons kits to cover with fabric. Since I wanted to go for realism here (and be able to throw the whole thing in the wash after sweating in it all day), I wanted to avoid crafting them myself. With the main construction done, it was time to do the weathering! ... ... ... OH GOD I FORGOT TO ADD POCKETS

Behold, the world's most awful pockets. Two stupid little bags sewn in such a way you hopefully can't tell from the outside that I completely forgot that I wanted these. They literally only exist so I can have my phone handy at a convention. There's a buttonhole to close it too, I guess. They're shamefully hidden with all my lining-less, raw seam sins. Ok now we can destroy the coat

Station 4: Stinky And Dirty

I mentionned earlier during the hat section that I was going to get back to the weathering process. This is happening now. For the sake of Realism™️, I wanted the damage to look natural in real life, so I had to make it look believable. Luckily this wasn't my first rodeo with the Dirt, so I had plenty of weathering experience under my belt. To break up the awkward scissor cuts from earlier on the edges and fray everything up, I pulled out the sandpaper and started... Sanding the fabric. Might sound weird to some, but a lot of costume makers swear by it. It's also great for ripped jeans (if those are still popular today) and general natural wear. I also refined the shape along the way with scissor to break up any long straight cuts before fraying the edges. I took care to reinforce any newly destroyed seams with a sneaky staystitch so it doesn't unravel in the future. I then mixed up a bunch of different shades of brownish grime with fabric paints (I had black, brown, yellow, orange and green on hand) to dirty the whole thing up. This doesn't look as realistic as some other methods like weathering powders and Just Using Real Dirt, but as mentionned earlier I wanted to be able to just throw it in the washing machine at the end of the day to sanitize it. (If you're interested in actually learning how to weather a costume, this guide is where I started my journey.) I prioritized the ripped edges and any spots where grime would realistically accumulate in over time, like under the edge of the hat band. Paint was dabbed, stippled and rubbed on with whatever garbage tools I could find, which in my case were some old crusty brushes, sponges and toothbrushes I could get really violent with. (brushes were harmed in the making of this costume, but not my good brushes.)

The whole thing was then sealed with heat using a flat iron as per the fabric paint instructions. With the coat done, all of Ingo's old Subway Boss uniform was complete!

Station 5: A Warden's Garb

Next step on the list was making the Pearl Clan uniform. Thankfully, there's a fun little piece of concept art that shows Ingo without his signature coat, so from it we can confirm that his clan outfit has short sleeves (good for the comfort goal) and consists of two pieces: a tunic and some kind of hip sash. I omitted the hood on the tunic because I was realistically never going to wear it up and it would have just bunched up under the coat anyways. Now you'll be painfully aware of that terrible corner cutting truth whenever you scroll down and see photos of the costume. Sorry. I drafted out a quick pattern for both pieces of the clan garb through the power of math for the sash (a couple half circles with another piece for the border) and tracing over a tunic in my wardrobe for the shirt. I assembled a test version out of scrap muslin to make sure it worked properly, then set the pattern aside so I could prepare the fabric. In order to have all of the tunic elements match together, I picked up a bunch of white stretch knit fabric and a bottle of purple synthetic dye so I could reach the shade of dusty lavender I wanted. I measured out two squares of fabric based on the pattern. One square was for the darker border on the waist sash, while the rest was the lighter color for the whole outfit. I boiled water according to the dye instruction and worked on my Fabric Soup.

With the fabric dyed and washed, I cut my pattern pieces out and assembled everything together. Nothing special happened there since the pattern had been tested and adjusted prior to sewing the real deal. Ok, one thing happened actually. My sewing machine absolutely hated how thin this fabric was and kept trying to eat my costume. By the end I was about ready to throw the machine out the window, but things worked out.

It's pretty sneaky and totally not visible on the outside, but the sash is held closed with two snap buttons on the front. It's easily the single jankiest piece of the costume due to the aforementioned attempt by my sewing machine to have fabric dinner. But hey, it works and the jank isn't visible so who caaaares (I care)

Final step for the Pearl Clan outfit was adding the logo on the front. I wasn't sure how I wanted to do this, at first, but to keep the fabric's stretch and keep with the idea that this is a hand-sewn garment from old Hisui, I decided to go with hand embroidery. I grabbed some scrap white cotton, dyed it purple, then cut it out in the shape of the logo. It was then painstakingly applique'd to the tunic by hand with embroidery floss.

With that done, the tunic was completed! It looks absolutely depressing on a coat hanger, but when worn with a belt it's all nice and cozy. As a bonus, it layers with the coat well enough that I don't have to wear a binder under everything to hide obvious boob shapes. Another win for the Comfort team! 👏 With all the sewing done, all that's left is the Warden bracelet and the hair.

Station 6: Noble Sneasler's Cool Bling

Ingo's got a bestie bracelet of his best pal Sneasler, so we gotta make that. The build should be pretty standard to anyone that's made anything out of EVA Foam for a cosplay. I drafted the pieces by referencing the in-game model, cut them out of different thicknesses of the material to create some depth, and glued everything together with contact cement and hot glue. (The main bracelet is 6mm foam, the details are 2mm foam and the black parts for the base of the head and the gem are 4mm foam.) I added an elastic on the wrist to keep the bangle secured to my arm while still being able to easily slip it on and off.

The whole thing was then sealed with flexbond, painted and then sealed with a spray clear coat. Honestly, it was the simplest part of the build and it actually went without a hitch this time around.

With the accessories done, it was now time to get to what I am convinced is every Submas cosplayer's worst nightmare: The Goddamn Hair.

Station 7: The Goddamn Hair

There's a lot of artists credited as character designers in the credits of Pokémon Black & White (2010). This means I can't figure out who to blame for Ingo and Emmet's stupid sideburns that make absolutely no sense in the real world. Instead we're just going to scream at the heavens and find a solution to the geometric flaps. Another fun fact: I'm awful at wigs. Like absolutely awful. I understand the methods involved, but I'm stupid bad at applying that knowledge on an expensive mop of plastic hair I don't want to ruin. So I did some research to figure out how people were making the twins' hair on their own cosplay. Everyone did a great job, but it wasn't really the effect I was looking for, so I decided to start from scratch. Because, you see, I was going to completely avoid styling a wig. I've always interpreted the art as them having some sick sideburns/muttonchops. (This art piece by waltias on twitter was posted like a week after I finished my cosplay and I felt so so validated in my interpretation) I also love Makeup FXs, so I thought "hey, I can look up beard makeup tutorials." I ended up with two ideas: either I could buy crepe wool hair in grey and glue the fibers to my face individually every time I put the costume on, or I could make a reuseable prosthetic. I'm a lazy piece of garbage that likes doing things once so prosthetic it was. I mean, I know how to ventilate wig lace. It'll be reusable and take 4 minutes to apply. Smart! I got the Jett in Light Grey from Arda Wigs, a ventilating hook, matching wefts and the lace. I had a plan, I was ready, it was going to look great. And then I spent 40 hours tying individual strands of plastic hair on a wig lace mesh. For a total surface area of maybe 3 square inch.

(Pictured above: A Fool.) It was hell. I might've incurred a stress injury from the process and then had to let it rest for a week because I did it all over a couple days. Would I recommend doing it? If you're patient, sure. I love the result. But this was, by far, the worst part of the entire project. 40 hours. The entire coat took me like 6 hours. 40 fucking hours.

After painstakingly tying individual hairs to a mesh and realizing I might've reached the Ninth Circle of Hell along the way, I took my couple squares of ventilated wefts and trimmed them to the proper length. The result was awesome, and I don't regret it at all. It looks exactly how I pictured the idea of sideburns would look like. But it also took 40 hours of me just tying some fucking hair to a mesh. Maybe there was a better solution, but there's so little ressources about the process online that I just went with the methods I could find, really. I pray someone starts offering squares of pre-ventilated wig lace someday so no one else has to suffer like I did. As a sidenote, I didn't even bother with the balding hair since I wasn't gonna go through all the effort of heavily modifying a wig and wearing a bald cap if I wasn't even gonna take the hat off.

40 hours.

Station 8: Bits And Bobs From Under the Subway Bench

Honestly, after the absolute nightmare I went through making the sideburns and goatee, The final touches were a cakewalk. After all, the costume is complete! What's next? Warden Ingo uses Pokéballs like a cool guy, so I wanted one. I usually make pretty much everything myself for costumes because it's fun, but after the ventilating adventure I just wanted to rest. I'd been following NisuzCraft's work for a while now, and I loved the wood grain effect on their Hisuian Pokéballs. I wholeheartedly recommend them, their work is awesome.

As a final touch, I grabbed some red cord I had lying around from a previous project to craft a little loop to hook my convention badge onto. I don't really like having the badge show up on photos, so it was a clean way to have it easily accessible while having it be easy to slide out of sight. I based the idea off of the knotted ropes the Galaxy Team member hang their Pokéballs from on their uniforms.

Lastly, though it's not necessarily part of the costume itself, I made an overly indulgent ita bag panel for the first con I took Warden Ingo out to. The collection's grown since then, but here it is:

Chandelure: JellyBearDesigns Ingo & Lady Sneasler: AstroTeenyArts Warden Ingo, Emmet&Ingo Duo: Cynniarts Ingo & Emmet with fingers crossed, Hanging Ingo, Emmet & Warden Ingo: Zhampip Rubber Straps: Official Pokémon Mate Merch Go show them some love!

Terminus: You Have Reached Hisui Station

So, first con wearing Warden Ingo came and went. What's the verdict? Pretty great experience, honestly. It was relatively comfortable to wear despite record heat in the middle of summer. The only real issue was that having a wig and a hat together trapped heat real bad, therefore some wig breaks were needed. I also initially used spirit gum to stick the facial hair on, and I struggled to remove the residue afterwards from the lace mesh, so now I just use body tape to keep it on. Nothing broke, nothing hurt, so I'd say it was a success! I haven't had to modify or repair anything for the future, so I'm very proud of the results. To anyone who read this Build Log to the very end, thank you so, so much for your interest. I hope this may have given you some insight into the process; especially if this helps your in future cosplay projects! If you don't cosplay, I hope it was still an entertaining read.

Hoping to see more wonderful Submas cosplays in the future!

[junypr-camus]

part-time father

I've had a lot of time recently, so I've ended up reflecting on how I was raised and realizing that what I originally thought was a pretty unusual family arrangement is more common than I first imagined. So I wrote a narrative in two voices about it, a sort of collage of all the stories and experiences I've heard. My hope is that someone who's also experienced growing up with a mostly-absent father will read this and feel, like I now feel, that they aren't alone.

I was five when you left for the first time. Not the two-week business-trip and visiting-family kind of leaving. Not leaving for good, either. You were there one bleak morning, then waving goodbye to me through the security lines, steel-gray suitcase and backpack in hand, then gone. House empty. Peaceful.

At first, you and mother call every night. Then every week. Then almost never. The whispers become more like empty screams and I think I hear the phone ring, my mother not picking up, your voice calling for me, me not picking up. I don’t like hearing the screams. I can’t make out the words, but I know what screaming means.

We visited your Shanghai apartment that summer, and I remember the drip of chocolate-dipped ice cream cones, the fan thinly fighting the heat, the plastic covering of the bed that wasn’t my own. I dreamed that blood was pouring from every pore in my skin that night, into the fabric of a foreign-not-foreign country that I can and can’t call my home.

#####

I was seven when you made the business arrangement. Half your year here, with us, half your year there, in the country I knew in my blood but had never seen. Part-time father, my brother called it. I didn’t know what part-time meant. Or maybe he didn’t. 

I draw sketches of you from faded yellow photos, to give when you return. Mother says I’m quite good. A natural-born artist. 

#####

When you come back you bring a suitcase full of gifts. Snacks. I like the thin not-mint hawthorne candies and the rolls of fruit leather in little plastic packages with words I cannot read. You give me a pencil sharpener. It could sharpen a finger. I don’t know why it says “a little girl and boy” on it.

You take me to the department store, and I fidget through hours of escalator rides and check-out lines. You buy a cardboard “A” for me. For the race I am and the grades I am supposed to get — except you forget that I am in kindergarten and do not have those kinds of grades yet. 

#####

When you are home, you wake me up with a steaming mug of coffee in hand, and drive me to school before returning home to work. When you’re not home, my alarm forgets to wake me up on time. I arrive at math late and groggy. 

#####

While you’re gone, we find out that my passport needs renewing. You go to the consulate in Shanghai to get an affidavit notarized, except you’ve gotten my name wrong. It’s Emily, not Emma. 

My mom calls for the first time in weeks, and you make a second trip. I hope you’re properly embarrassed. 

#####

I learn to play the violin. You don’t like my drawings. 

#####

I am in middle school and have a poster of a NASA facility on my door, torn out from a magazine issue. I line my shelves with lego helicopters and 3D prints of robots I clumsily designed. You give me pink unicorn tape and an electric trash can whose lid opens so slowly like the jaws of a steel hippo at the push of a button. I can’t figure out how to turn it off and I don’t know why you couldn’t have gotten one with a pedal. 

You ask me what I want to do, and I say, “physics.” You tell me about your childhood, exaggerating your class ranking. I’ve stopped listening after the third time. 

You say the haircut I gave myself is ugly and my face needs washing. You ask me when I am going to get a boyfriend. Then you ask when I’m going to get married. I think you forget I’m in middle school. 

#####

I’m happy when you’re home, but I can’t pretend everything’s alright. You ask my brother how he enjoys tennis and forget that he is still recovering from a broken wrist that happened a few weeks after you left. He doesn’t say anything, but I can sense his retreat. He digs trenches and throws barbed wire around himself. 

#####

In the mornings, when you’re here, you make yourself a mug of overly-sweetened coffee, until the smell permeates every scrap of wood and I think I’ll never get rid of it. I try to avoid having breakfast with you, but I’m too tired to wake up early and too tired to deal with my mother being mad at me getting up so late. 

I don’t like dinner.

#####

My brother goes to college, and suddenly you’re awakened to his academic mediocrity. I guess you never realized that, with your absences, until he’s packing for a mid-level public school and you’ve become the joke of your ex-pat parties. 

The pressure’s on me, the only child in the house. Mother tries to shield me, but she can’t stop the barrage. Art is a waste, computer science is the only option. I'm dropped out of the painting class I love. Now it’s not good enough to play the violin. Now I have to be the best in the state. I play until my fingers callus, then bleed, then callus again. I didn’t even know that was possible. 

You tell me that I’m not going to waste my life partying and studying statistics like my brother. 

#####

There’s rats in the attic and leaking pipes in the walls but you’ve never bothered to ask how we’re fixing it. The house is your hotel. You walk on carpets with muddy shoes, leave the door open until the hallways are full of dust and flies, and leave us to clean up once you’re gone. 

Dinner conversations are empty. You lecture me on your successes in drugs to fight cancer but never remember the projects I’m working on. You think I should be a doctor. I know better. Look at what you did to my brother and sister.

You insist on salmon or steak every night, as if you’ve been starved in China. I grow tired of the dry flesh and lock myself in my room. I find solace in music.

#####

My brother’s pierced his ears, grown his hair long, and is taking a liking to sky-blue bomber jackets over hoodies and dyed hair. He looks different every time he comes back. I like it. You don’t. Mother blames you for it. Lack of a strong male presence and all. I think she wants a divorce.

Except I’m in the house still, and I’m too busy to waste time worrying. 

#####

We meet at a summer camp. You have no idea what we’re doing. You pretend you’re proud but we know you’re not. We track vanishingly faint asteroids in the sky and realize that we are not alone. Not in the universe, not in our predicament. We’re free. 

It’s a nice feeling. 

#####

It seems like as soon as I'm back from summer camp we move. I slam doors in this old-new house and when my mother asks me why, all I can say is that you keep me up at night, listening to videos without headphones in your study next door, stomping around. 

It’s true. It’s been true for a long time. I can’t really articulate why I hate you.

#####

When I return home and that beautiful, blessed freedom is taken away from me, I shut myself in my room and cry for a long time. I’m alone. I’m one single speck of dust dropped into the velvety black infinite. 

I keep in touch with my friends from camp. They know how I’m feeling. One contacts my mother, who tries to talk to me. But she can’t stop you. I hear raised voices. You think I can’t understand Chinese, but I do. And you say “divorce” in English anyway.

#####

You don’t know that it’s college application season for me, but you act like you’ve been waiting for it your whole life. Except the only question you ask is if I’m applying to an Ivy League. And the only response I can give is yes. 

You don’t know what my dream school is, and you don’t know that I got in. And I’m glad to be going a long, long ways away from home. 

He tells me that his mother’s made it final. She’s keeping the house. He’s been accepted. And he, too, is glad to be going a long, long ways away from home. 

[wojojojo]

We need your help!

Hi everyone.

I know I've been quiet on here for a while now. Literally the entire past year has been one disaster after another; if something could go wrong, it did. From our cat being attacked, our other cat dying suddenly, both Camilla and I getting Covid-19, our power provider screwing up our billing, Camilla being in the hospital 3 times in March and needing to get her gallbladder removed - it's been rough. Now our landlord is trying to evict us, and I don't know what more we can do.

I'm not asking for donations. Instead, I'm asking that you look at our shops and if you can, buy something. If not, please spread this post.

My Depop: a collection of clothes I don't wear anymore and tie-dyed items! Currently doing a 10% off sale of all items through the end of summer, though I do accept fair offers as well.

@camillacantdance Art Portfolio and Shop: Buy directly from Camilla's Portfolio store:

@camillacantdance Etsy: Buy prints, pins, and stickers that are not on Camilla's Portfolio:

@camillacantdance Patreon

I will also be selling some of my yarn and fabric, so keep an eye out for that post!

[advocatingpeanut]

Modest Swimsuits

Some websites to look up if you want to buy a modest swimsuit this second half of summer. Aka if the humidity lets down enough to finally go swimming.

Shein $

[Image ID: A plus size model wearing a dark blue/teal top with a 3/4 zipper that covers her tummy, shoulders, and flares out at the bottom to cover her rear, and in the same color, a pair of fitted shorts that go to her knees.]

Click HERE to get the swimsuit shown above.

Super cheap in price! Especially compared to what you'd pay at a store.

If you've got wide hips like me you'll need to go into the plus size or curvy section. Otherwise, items will only go up to size 12. Everything from bikini to burkini.

Modlilly $-$$

[Image ID: A blonde and tan model wearing a tankini with a watercolor/wavy design in dark brown, light brown/beige, gold, and blue/green. She is also wearing a pair of dark brown short shorts.]

Click HERE to get the swimsuit shown above.

This one was definitely in my top three when was choosing which one to get. Very pretty!

Lots of really cool designs and colors, something I didn't necessarily find in the plus size section on Shein. Lots of tankinis.

Modanisa $$

[Image ID: A tall and slender model wearing dark blue undershirt, loose pants, and swim hijab and over it a white and dark blue swim dress with a leaf pattern that has a high neck, covers her shoulders, and goes down to just below her knees.

Click HERE to get the swimsuit shown above.

This is one of their more expensive swimsuits. Keep in mind there are many as low as $30.

A TON of swimsuits offering half or full coverage. Mostly full. There are a lot of reviews online too.

Sea Secret $$-$$$

[Image ID: A screenshot of Sea Secret's web page, specifically showing their Galaxy swimsuit dress, which is splotches of black, pink, green, and blue. It comes with black or navy blue leggings and a fabric swim cap/head covering in the same colors as the dress.]

Click HERE to get the swimsuit shown above.

You can shop by body shape! I repeat, you can shop by body shape! I love it. As a pear girlie (wide hips, narrow bust) this is great. 2 and 3 piece swim dress sets with capris and cap which cover collarbone, elbows, and knees according to the Judaic laws of modesty (Tznuit). With shipping, think around $100+

Lanuuk $$-$$$

[Image ID: A more fair-skinned model wears a light powder blue bikini with high-waisted bottoms and a top that has thick straps and provides full coverage of the breasts.]

Click HERE to get the swimsuit shown above.

Lol she is more fair skinned than the other models, but there are folks way more pale than her. I should know. I practically glow when I go out into the sun!

Cute designs, nice colors. Expensive, but they seems to be of good quality from the reviews. There a a lot of copycat designs on Shein for way cheaper.

Bazar Al Haya $$$

[Image ID: A woman with a darker skin tone wears a a swim hijab with an attached shawl that covers her shoulders and breasts. She also wears a mask that covers her mouth and nose. She has on a pair of loose swim pants in navy blue, same as the hijab/shawl. And a swimdress in a geometric design with white, pink, and mavy blue.]

Click HERE to get the swimsuit shown above.

They have a small selection of swimsuits that offer total coverage (including concealment of your curves, according to Islamic principles of modesty.) Mostly plain some have prints.

Does anyone else have any recommendations?

[unhingedhearties]

An Enlightening Interview

It was brought to my attention that an interview was done with the costume designer for When Calls The Heart and some interesting things were discussed.

I'll give time stamps for relevant parts of the interview and paraphrase what was said.

3:19 Season 12 will start off in autumn. This is a problem because it'll be summer when they shoot. They'll try to find a happy medium because they don't want to go to blazers and coats right away.

I bring this up because I'm sure someone will complain when the season starts that the clothes don't match the last episode of season 11. I think it's fair to not force the actors to wear long, heavy clothes in summer, especially the kids.

15:55 Jeanette wore an outfit worn by Brooke Shields in an earlier season. The answer is a little rambling but basically: -It was sitting on a hanger doing nothing. -Vancouver apparently doesn't have good fabric stores or resources. -It was in Jeanette's colors. -You didn't see the skirt details when Brooke Shields wore it/they altered it/they changed the buttons/they put a coat over her -18:31 "I think it's just important because otherwise all that other stuff is just in there and hoarding it so it's much better to find a better purpose"

…I can't argue with that. That's actually a really eco-friendly idea.

It's brought up a lot that the clothes get reused on other characters. At 28:57 she says that some of the clothes are falling apart because they can only be recycled so many times and at 34:48 she says they don't have enough people or budget to build everything from scratch.

Honestly, this sounds like a miserable job. She mentioned up above that the area they work in doesn't have good fabric stores or resources and also that there aren't any good places to buy period children's shoes (7:57), they can't find wool suits (24:49), they're running out of what they can find in stores because there isn't enough merchandise that works (19:54), Covid ruined everything and now there's less selection and inventory and stores are closing down (36:42) and finding stuff in Rosemary's colors is impossible now (37:18).

35:50 If they had to make When Calls the Heart at any other time (I assume she means in the present day) she wouldn't have the inventory to do it. The stores she bought clothes from either don't carry the stuff she needs anymore or shut down.

No wonder they reuse stuff.

So I mentioned all that to give better context for the next few things I want to highlight.

20:24 The hosts mention that "some Hearties" were talking about Lucas's suits being loose and hanging on him. I'm guessing they mean big brains saying stuff like this:

So what was the real answer? He's wearing the same stuff that he wore the season before. "If there's any weight shift I didn't have anything to do with it." "There wasn't any specific thought on my part about his suits being loose fitted… we don't have time to accommodate it."

That also pairs well with this:

Liz has convinced herself that this was supposed to be Elizabeth's wedding dress and they added the crystals to change it. If this interview has taught me anything it's that the clothing team has unlimited money and people to do something like this, so clearly it must be true.

22:43 Lucas's suits are not custom and they are not expensive. A lot of the men's suits come from a website and are fitted to the actors.

25:31 Elizabeth and Anna wore white in the episode with Higgins. Was that a symbolic reference to the suffragettes?

The answer is no. The hosts admit that they're looking too much into stuff like this. That is absolutely correct. I don't have a specific example of this but I've seen many people on both teams read a bunch of symbolism and references into the clothes the characters wear. I think after listening to this interview the Hearties should probably do that a lot less.

Anna's dress was also bought for Erin but it didn't fit. It sounds like they just buy stuff and hope they can use it somewhere.

This part is interesting and will pair well with something I want to post in the future.

47:02 They had a consultant for Mei's wedding gown and when picking the pattern they had to make sure it wasn't going to offend anyone or have a secret meaning.

49:45 Mei's light colored dress she wore for the dinner with Hickam was actually built. They sent pictures to Amanda/Mei and she showed them to her grandmother who said what colors to use. So they had a consultant for the Chinese clothes, plus the Chinese actress was involved and got input from her Chinese grandmother.

Hmm… I feel like I might need to bring this up in the future.

[bullet-prooflove]

Young!Les Packer Series: Starburst - Les Packer x Reader

Tagging: @proceduralpassion @crazy4chickennuggets @callsignartemis @kmc1989 @kishie8 @anime-weeb-4-life @oureternalbond  @thanossexual

It’s a starburst, the brand on your shoulder. Les knows it almost as well as he knows himself. He’s spent nights caressing it with his fingertips and his lips. It reminds him of how strong you are, how resilient.

In the wake of the cult’s annihilation the two of you have built a home together, a life. You’ve gone back to school with the intention of completing your GED, something he has no doubt that you’ll accomplish. You work parttime at a bookstore and it seems to suit you. You’ve re-discovered your thirst for literature now that you have the freedom to explore it. In the cult there was only one book, and it was the one the Founder had written himself.

It's been two years since Fallen Star crumbled and Les has not only gained a partner but a daughter as well. He thinks of little Sasha sleeping in the room next door, walls decorated with ponies, a nightlight that shines sparkles on the ceiling because she’s afraid of the dark. The daughter he didn’t even know he wanted until she’d appeared in his life.

Now he can’t imagine a world without her in it. Without breakfast with smiley faced pancakes or school drop offs and pick ups. She’s as ferocious as her mother, bright and adventurous. He thought her time in the cult would have cowed her, but she leaps into everything with a curiosity that amazes him. The world is a bright, dazzling place for her and she’s eager to learn more about it.They go to the library sometimes after school, her favourite book is Funny Bones and Les has spent many bedtimes reading it to her, while you study at the kitchen table.

Les thinks of the two women that approached him today looking for you. He’d been with Sasha at the General Store, sitting outside on the bench where the two of you had first met. They’d been eating popsicles, Sasha’s orange because it was her new favourite colour and his cherry. He hadn’t even registered their approach until he saw Sasha react, he’d never seen her withdraw so fast. Her silence spoke volumes.

He recognises the style of clothing; you all wore similar outfits usually in white or pastels. The first time he’d met you, you’d been wearing a lavender summer dress. He remembers you’d worn your hair tied back, the edges of the brand peeping out from underneath the fabric.

“She doesn’t belong to you anymore.” He reminds them, trying very hard to keep his tone even as not to alarm Sasha.

“Sasha does. She’s his only living relative.”

He’d snarled at them then because the only way they were getting Sasha was over his dead body.

“She’ll come back.” The older of the two had assured him. “She knows where she belongs.”

They’d left after that, but the damage was already done because Sasha may not have remembered their names, but she remembers being ripped away from her mother time and time again by these women. She’s inconsolable until you get home from work because she thinks that it’s happening all over again. He wants to kill them for that. For distressing his child.

When you finally manage to get Sasha settled, you come to bed wearing nothing but one of his t-shirts. You straddle his hips and make love to him with your hand over his mouth to stifle the noise, because when he’s with you like this, he’s loud. There’s an element of control to it, he understands the need to be dominant especially when it feels like the world is starting to crumble underneath your feet.

“I won’t let anything to happen to you.” He promises in the aftermath as he holds you close. “You and Sasha are my family, I’ll protect the two of you until the day I die.”

Love Les? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Want more Les? Check out his Masterlist here!

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[feyresdaughter]

A Court of Frost and Starlight, chapter 13-15:

Rhys POV

I’d grown up in these houses, attending the parties and feasts that lasted long into the night, spending bright summer days lazing on the sloping lawns, cheering the summer boat races on the Sidra.

Imagine little Rhysie attending these parties aw

A small laugh. ���What did you get Feyre?” I slid my hands into my pockets. “This and that.” - “So, nothing.” I dragged a hand through my hair. “Nothing. Any ideas?” - “She’s your mate. Shouldn’t this sort of thing be instinctual?” - “She’s impossible to shop for.” Mor gave me a wry look. “Pathetic.” I nudged her with an elbow. “What did you get her?” - “You’ll have to wait until Solstice evening to see.” Mor’s present-buying abilities had never improved. I had a drawer full of downright hideous cuff links that I’d never worn, each gaudier than the next. I was lucky, though: Cassian had a trunk crammed with silk shirts of varying colors of the rainbow. Some even had ruffles on them. I could only imagine the horrors in store for my mate.

Mor knows Rhys so well it's adorable

“I just— being near them, together …” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “It’s probably what it feels like for you to be around Tamlin.” - “If it’s any consolation, cousin, I behaved rather poorly the other day.” - “Is he dead?” - “No.” - “Then I’d say you controlled yourself admirably.” I laughed. “Bloodthirsty of you, Mor.” She shrugged, again watching the river. “He deserves it.” He did indeed.

So real of Mor

“Does he win if I go?” A quiet, tentative question. “You have to decide that for yourself.” Mor turned toward the ruined house and grounds behind us . Staring not at them, I realized, but eastward. Toward the continent and the lands within. As if wondering what might be waiting there.

We don't have enough Rhys and Mor scenes, I love them

Feyre POV

I had yet to find or even come up with a vague idea for what to give Rhysand for Solstice.

Not them both struggling to find a present for each other 😭 truly mates

Decadent— it felt decadent, and selfish, to shop, even if it was for people I loved. “I know it’s not easy for you,” Elain observed as we drifted through a weaver’s Shop. I turned from a wall covering depicting that very image. “What’s not easy?” Elain’s brown eyes roved over the Night Court insignia. “Buying things without a dire need to do so.” - “We have everything we need,” I admitted to Elain. “Buying presents feels excessive.” - “It’s their tradition, though,” Elain countered, her face still flushed with the cold . “One that they fought and died to protect in the war. Perhaps that’s the better way to think of it, rather than feeling guilty. To remember that this day means something to them. All of them, regardless of who has more, who has less, and in celebrating the traditions, even through the presents, we honor those who fought for its very existence, for the peace this city now has.”

I also love Feyre and Elain together in acofas 🥰

Having been in a void myself, the fabric she’d woven came unnervingly close. “Why?” Her gray eyes shifted toward me again. “My husband didn’t return from the war.” The frank, open words clanged through me. It was an effort to hold her gaze as she continued, “I began trying to create Void the day after I learned he’d fallen." The weaver only stared toward the tapestry. “I thought we’d have a thousand more years together.” She began to coax the loom back into movement. “In the three hundred years we were wed, we never had the chance to have children.”Her fingers moved beautifully, unfaltering despite her words. “I don’t even have a piece of him in that way. He’s gone, and I am not. Void was born of that feeling.”I didn’t know what to say as her words settled in. As she continued working. It could have been me. It could have been Rhys.

THAT'S where Feyre knew she wanted a child with Rhys

“The silver thread,” Elain asked. “What is that called?” The weaver paused the loom again, the colorful strings vibrating. She held my sister’s gaze. No attempt at a smile this time. “I call it Hope.” My throat became unbearably tight, my eyes stinging enough that I had to turn away, to walk back toward that extraordinary tapestry. The weaver explained to my sister, “I made it after I mastered Void.” I stared and stared at the black fabric that was like peering into a pit of hell. And then stared at the iridescent, living silver thread that cut through it, bright despite the darkness that devoured all other light and color. It could have been me . And Rhys. Had very nearly gone that way. The impossible depth of blackness before me, the unlikely defiance of Hope shining through it, whispered the truth before I knew it. Before I knew what I wanted to give Rhys. The weaver’s husband had not come home. But mine had.

That's where Feyre decided she wanted to have a child with Rhys, soon

The tapestry was a gift for no one but myself, and would be delivered to the town house later that afternoon.

YAS FEYRE you deserve to treat yourself

“I’m just glad someone’s using this place. That you are using it,” Ressina added. “I think Polina would have liked you.”

I also think that Polina would have liked Feyre. Because it's just so easy to adore her

And slammed right into the hard, warm chest of my mate. I rebounded off Rhys with a curse, scowling at his laugh as he gripped my arms to steady me against the icy street. “Going somewhere?”

I just realized on this last reread how clumsy Feyre is fr 😭 she's always slamming into something or someone

I blew out a breath and surveyed him , the face dearer to me than anything in the world, the weaver’s words echoing through me. She had lost her husband. I had not. And yet she still wove, still created. I cupped Rhys’s cheek, and he leaned into the touch

“Do you think it’s stupid to wonder if painting might help others, too? Not my painting, I mean. But teaching others to paint. Letting them paint. People who might struggle the same way I do.” His eyes softened. “I don’t think that’s stupid at all.” I traced my thumb over his cheekbone, savoring every inch of contact. “It makes me feel better— perhaps it would do the same for others.”

FEYRE IS SUCH A SWEETHEART PROTECT HER AT ALL COSTS

My nose crinkled as I entered Amren’s toasty apartment. “It smells … interesting in here.” Amren, seated at the long worktable in the center of the space, gave me a slashing grin before gesturing to the four-poster bed. Rumpled sheets and askew pillows said enough about what scents I was detecting. “You could open a window,” I said, waving to the wall of them at the other end of the apartment.

Not Feyre getting hit by a wave of Vamren's previous activities 😭

[garaksapprentice]

Operation Stash-Down

This post was originally published on my blog: https://garaksapprentice.blogspot.com/2024/01/operation-stash-down.html

***

Last month, I spent a week thoroughly cleaning and reorganising my workroom so that I could actually get to all the shelves, and not have my back to the door. I even made space to fit a skinny bookshelf (I can finally have all my books out where I can reach them. It's been more than seven years since that last happened).

Last week, I watched one of my favourite YouTubers issue their now-annual "January is for working on The Pile" challenge. I considered my Piles (what a phrase) and decided this was an excellent use for the rest of January. I went through the mending pile, adding and subtracting as necessary, and updated the running list I keep of the things in there (it's the only way to stop things from disappearing into the aether). I tidied up the cabbage patch, taking the opportunity to go through a few boxes that were stored outside the workroom and sort their contents into piles.

Yesterday, I looked around my workroom (it had once again gone from clean and tidy with actual floor space, to One Big Trip Hazard within half a day), and decided that I have too much bloody stuff.

This was almost completely clear twelve hours ago. L-R, T-B: for coleslaw (green), cabbage once deconstructed (yellow), actual recycling (blue), and rag rug bits (red).

More specifically, I have too many supplies. Despite spending the last two years cleaning and decluttering and KonMari-ing and making a concerted effort to start with what I have before I go shopping for new stuff, I still have overflow.

There's an entire garage shelf in what is technically the spare bedroom (in reality it's my partner's room - they have their own place, but I have air conditioning and they don't) full of knitting yarn, embroidery supplies, and fleeces. There's more fleeces and some sewing notions on top of a bookshelf, and a couple more boxes of knitting yarn on a different bookshelf. To top it all off, there's a whopping monster of a raw wool fleece in the back room.

And, to be clear, this is all stuff left after multiple decluttering rounds. This is all stuff that I absolutely fucking love and have no desire whatsoever to part with. I just... haven't got around to using it yet.

Me when I go through my stash nowadays.

Even though I buy 95+% of my supplies second-hand (between the guild and the plethora of local op shops, I'm remarkably spoiled), I'm still not using things as fast as I'm capable of buying them. Saving things from landfill to repurpose later only works if I actually use the things I'm saving. (Yes, I still need this reminder. Frequently.)

Thus were the seeds from which Operation Stash-down was born.

The Goal

I want to fit all my fibre supplies in my workroom. Every. Single. Thing.

That means all the:

knitting yarn

fabric (stash AND scraps)

embroidery supplies

sewing notions

fleece

weaving, sewing, and spinning tools

leatherworking tools and supplies

whatever other random fibre-related gubbins I pick up along the way

The only exception is for things that need a more controlled climate than my workroom. It's on the western side of the house, with a window in said western wall, and it regularly gets above 30ºC in there during summer. So if I end up with any dyes or other heat-sensitive chemicals, I'll have to find a cooler spot for them.

The Plan

Donating, giving away, and selling things are all options. But that hasn't made a much of a dent the last six times I went through The Stash, so I'm not counting on it doing much this time, either. No, the thing I need to concentrate on right now is using the stash.

So instead of my current "shop the stash then go buy what I need when I don't have it in there", my standard needs to shift to "ONLY use stash things, and if they won't work with what I've planned, change the plan".

How does this translate to actual, practical projects for the year?

Longer warps, and more of them on the floor loom. Lately I've been defaulting to inkle bands, because they're 1) fun, 2) fast, and 3) easy to do in all sorts of cool colour combinations. But they don't use a lot of material - I could weave nothing but narrow wares for the rest of my life and still have yarn left over. And I want to start weaving clothing yardage anyway, so this is a good kick in the pants to actually do it.

Stop putting off those patchwork projects. I have a couple of big ideas I've been procrastinating on for a few years now. Sure, they'll probably take multiple years each to finish, and I'm not sure if I even have enough scrap for one of them (a crazy patchwork coat from all the wrap scrap I've been holding onto), but I won't know unless I actually take the time to start working on them.

Scour more fleece. Out of all the spinning stash, the raw fleeces take up by far the most room. Prepping them to spin might not reduce their volume by much, but actually being able to spin them sure will. (Unfortunately, this strategy will require equipment purchasing. My hand cards aren't fine enough to use with some of the fleeces I have.)

Obviously just doing any project at all will help reduce stash levels, too. Some of the things on my list will make a bigger impact than others, though, and I'm going to try to focus on doing those first. (After I've started to reduce the current WIPs, of course. My 2024 goals are still in effect.)

If all goes to plan, I'll update every few months with progress. Maybe even before and after pictures.

***

If you like my stuff, please consider throwing me a few dollars on my Ko-Fi in support.