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hoe4hotchner · 4 months ago

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Hi it’s the anonymous from the doctor and the neighbor ideas again (I hope I’m not giving you too much to write cause I have so many more 😭😭)

Here we go again!

Reader and Hotch are neighbors again. Same trope, they’re friends, she watches jack, they have each other’s keys. But I was thinking this time, reader has a bakery down the street, and you know that thing when you nervous you stress eat? Well reader stress bake. Hotch thinks it’s time for the team to meet basically the only friend he has out of work (reader) and decides to do a game night (again lol) for all of them.

Reader was nervous about meeting them, so guess what happened? Her gas bill will be very expensive this month 😭. She goes to hotch's house with like a bunch of Tupperwares full of cookies, cupcakes, macarons, whatever else you can think she could humanly hold (in my mind she’s entering his house with her key with so many containers her vision is obstructed by them) And she’s like all adorably smiley and hoping they like her, like she hasn’t just become each team member’s nutritionist and dentist's deepest nightmare 😭😭

Sweet Treats

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Reader (x BAU)

Warnings: Nothing unless you're allergic to sugar. I think the reader is gender neutral in this, but my eyes have been staring at the words for so long that I might've missed something.

Word count: 881.

A/N: HIIIII anonnn 🫶 I love all your requests!!! They're always sooo cuteeee😍😭 Somehow I managed to get this done 10 minutes before I had to leave for work. So enjoy <3

You paced around your kitchen, the smell of freshly baked muffins, macarons, and meringues filling the air. The island and counters were covered in trays and Tupperware, each filled with sugary treats that you’d been baking over the last few hours out of pure stress. You glanced at the clock—it was almost time to head next door to Hotch’s.

Your heart skipped a beat as you thought about meeting his team. Aaron had told you so much about them and their cases, and from everything you’d heard, they seemed nice. But still, you were nervous; you weren’t good at meeting new people outside of your customers, and these people were important to him. You wanted to make a good impression.

Before you knew it, your kitchen was overflowing with desserts, with no space left unfilled. There was so much that you started to wonder if you'd gone a tad bit overboard, but there was no turning back now. You started packing everything into containers, stacking them as carefully as possible.

“This should be enough, right?” you murmured to yourself, eyeing the mountain of sweets. How you were going to get them safely next door was still a mystery to you.

Trying your best to gather all the containers, your arms were loaded with so many that you could barely see over the top or out the sides. You took a deep breath as you headed out the door and made your way across your front lawn. It was quicker this way instead of going onto the sidewalk. You knew Aaron didn’t mind you stepping on his lawn.

Balancing everything precariously, you managed to fumble your key into the lock and let yourself in. “Aaron?” you called out, your voice slightly muffled by the stack of Tupperware in front of your face.

“In here,” his voice replied from the living room.

You shuffled toward the sound of his voice, hoping you wouldn’t trip over anything along the way. When you finally reached the living room, you found Aaron standing with his team, who all turned to look at you as you awkwardly maneuvered through the door.

“Hi!” you chirped, a little too enthusiastically, as you nearly toppled over under the weight of all the containers. You could barely see their faces, but you were pretty sure they were staring at you.

“You didn’t have to bring all of this.” Aaron quickly moved to help you, taking a few containers from your arms. He sent you a soft smile, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice, trying to figure out how you’d even managed to get out of your own house with no vision and basically no arms to help you.

“I, uh, got a little nervous,” you admitted with a bashful grin as you finally set down the remaining containers on the coffee table. “So… I baked. A lot.”

The team members exchanged glances, their initial surprise quickly giving way to grins and curious glances at the mountain of sweets you had brought along.

“You made all of this?” asked a woman with long, dark hair, whom you recognized as Emily from the pictures Aaron had shown you.

“Y-Yeah.” You felt your nerves bubble up again. “I hope you like them.”

“Are you kidding?” Derek smiled, already reaching for a cupcake. “This is amazing!”

“Did you make these from scratch? They look perfect,” Spencer asked, peering at the macarons with wide eyes.

You nodded, feeling your face heat up at the compliments. “I’m just really glad I could share them with you guys.”

As everyone started sampling the desserts, you noticed Aaron watching you with a fond look in his eyes. He stepped closer, leaning in to speak quietly, just for you to hear.

“You didn’t need to do all of this to impress them, you know. They were going to love you no matter what.”

Your heart fluttered at his words, but before you could respond, Garcia bounced over, vibrating with excitement. “Oh my gosh, you are like a real-life fairy godmother! These are delicious! Can I be your best friend?”

You laughed, feeling the last of your nerves melt away. “I think I can manage that.”

The rest of the night passed in a blur of laughter, games, and way too much sugar. The team insisted on sampling everything, and by the end of the night, they were all raving about your baking skills. You felt like you’d known them forever, and the warm, welcoming energy they exuded made you feel right at home among them.

As the night wound down, Aaron walked you back to your house, the others busy chatting in the living room. “Thank you for doing this,” he said softly, his eyes full of that same warmth you’d come to love. “You really didn’t have to go to all that trouble.”

You smiled up at him, feeling your heart swell with affection. “I wanted to. They’re important to you, so they’re important to me.”

He paused as if considering his next words carefully. “You’re important to me, too. I’m glad you finally got to meet them.”

Your breath caught, and for a moment, you just stood there, feeling the weight of his words sink in. Then you smiled, a little shyly. “Me too.”

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throneofsapphics · 1 year ago

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Hi I was wondering if I could request either a feysand or rowaelin x reader? About how the reader is insecure and a really nice person and is like friends with everyone. And theres this one toxic friend of hers that like makes her believe that Rowaelin or feysand don't care about her because they don't spend eough time with her. Because feysand or rowaelin are really busy with their duties they don't have time for the reader and are really stresses about something so when the reader asks if they could take a bit of time off to spend time with the reader they snap at her? And you could maybe continue of from their if that okay? Could it have like a fluffy ending?

Sorry if thats too long and I really love your writing by the way !

how long will I bleed

Feysand x Reader

Summary: Tired of being ignored, reader finally reaches her limit.

Warnings: anxiety

A/N: ahh thank you! and please don't be sorry! I haven’t written feysand in a while so I apologize if it's a bit off, thank you for the request :)

“How often do you actually see them?”

“Every day,” you frowned, not sure where she was going with this.

“I know, I know. You sleep in their bed.” Their bed? As far as you were concerned, it belonged to all three of you. “How often do they spend time with you, besides what they’re obligated to?”

Obligated. That didn’t sit right with you, and whether she meant it or not - your friend was striking a deep insecurity, tucked away in your subconscious.

“I don’t mean it in a bad way,” she patted a hand on your shoulder, you fought the urge to flinch. Absolutely she meant it that way. “Just something to think about.” Right now, it’s the very last thing you want to think about now. Thankfully, she prattled on about something else.

For a while, you only watched. Observed. After some time passed, you subtly tried to nudge towards spending more time together. But, they were always busy, always tired, always had an obligation.

Obligations that ranged from formal events in hewn city, to gatherings with some of their friends either here or from other courts. Gatherings you didn’t attend, mainly because you couldn’t tell if you were invited. There was never an explicit, come with us, or we want you there. It started to feel like they didn’t care.

Actually see them. Obligated. Their bed. The words from your friend echoed like an ugly melody. Each week, she’d bring it up again. Each time, you brushed it off or shut it down. Reducing the time you spent with her would be the smart thing to do, but you couldn’t find it in you to cut her off like that. Even with the subtle digs and harsh comments, she’d been with you since before your relationship with the High Lord and Lady, and ending your friendship felt like breaking away from the past too much.

It took you a few months to accept that if you wanted it to change, you needed to tell them.

“Do you think we could spend some time together?” you asked over breakfast, pointedly keeping your eyes on your plate.

“That’s what we’re doing, isn’t it?” Rhys sounded vaguely amused. Briefly flicking your eyes to him, the angle of his head told you he was already glancing at the clock.

“Maybe … maybe we could take a day off together?” You couldn’t remember the last time you spent an entire day together, just the three of you.

Feyre’s mouth pressed into a tight line, “I don’t think we’ll be able to.”

“I can work around your schedule,” it would be easy enough for you to get time off from work.

“We don’t have time to spare,” she snapped. Spare. Feyre didn’t mean it, but it felt like she was calling you a spare. Their second choice, always coming behind compared to the two of them. A small tear welled in the corner of your eye. “I didn’t mean it like that,” she said, a tad more gently. Rhys glanced at the clock again, then back to Feyre, eyes glazing.

Lost enough in your own spiral, you didn’t care that they were having a silent conversation in front of you. After a few minutes, they finally deigned to speak aloud.

“We have to leave for Court business. We’ll be back in a week.”

“Oh.” How long have they known about this trip? You didn’t want to ask. “Alright,” you finally said, throat bobbing. “When do you go?”

“In the next few minutes,” Rhys looked distracted.

Fine, that was fine. At least they told you before they left.

“I’ll miss you,” you tried. It was like your words floated right over them, only getting a gentle smile from Feyre, your words echoed with little sincerity. Rhys offered you a half-smile, and a gentle caress against your mind. They each kissed you before they left, winnowing on the spot to … they hadn’t even told you where they were going. Maybe your friend was right. If they cared, they would’ve made time for you.

Nice, you were always nice. That’s how everyone described you - kind, nice, gentle, a variety of synonyms. At this point, nice started to feel another word for pushover. You threw your heart out, only from them to stomp over it, not recognizing the trail of blood in their wake. The worst is, they weren’t doing it on purpose. Crushing you was an unintentional, careless, and passive habit. It was their default.

This time, they’d pushed you right to the edge, to a place they’d actually have to try to drag you back from.

A week was more than enough time to move out and crash with your cousin. She didn’t ask too many prying questions, only offered up her home and spare room.

Rhys was excited to see you. He did feel a bit guilty at how they shot down your idea, how they had to leave you with such little notice. Time, that’s all you’d asked for, and they could manage that. If not this month, then the next. Stress had gotten the best of both of them recently, what felt like a thousand different negotiations to go through, a plethora of contracts and trade negotiations to review, left little time to spend with you, beyond the brief moment over breakfast occasionally, or before bed. Until you’d mentioned it, until he had some spare moments to reflect, Rhys didn’t realize just how bad it had gotten.

He knew something was wrong as soon as they entered the Riverhouse. Your scent was … stale, and faint. Like you hadn’t been here in a week. Maybe you’d gone to stay with your cousin or a friend, a big house can be lonely by yourself. That’s what he probably would’ve done. Rhys tried to extend a mental bridge, to reach your mind, but was greeted with a wall of stone. A wall he’d taught you, designed to keep him out.

“Can you reach her?” He asked Feyre.

A few seconds pause. She shook her head.

Walking through the house, he carefully looked for any signs of distress. Could someone have broken in here and taken you? His mind went to the worst case scenario, heart beginning to race.

A note, pinned under the salt shaker on their breakfast table.

I’m tired of being pushed aside.

Sorry to leave like this, but it’s for the best.

Two lines, not even your name signed at the bottom. A small spot smudged the last word, like a tear had dropped onto it. Hurt, anger, betrayal, fear, and regret flooded him at once.

It was the worst and best week of your life. Worst, because you missed them more than you wanted to, and they kept showing up in your dreams - uninvited. Best, because you finally felt free. With the pressure of a falling relationship gone, you could breathe again.

Anticipation filled you as the week came to the end. Would they try to find you? Would they care enough to? The question you really needed to ask yourself, is if you’d take them back. After their return, you’d learn just how much you meant to them. You’d learn if you truly were the spare.

Eight days after you left, you dragged yourself out of bed for an early shift, regretting the extra glass of wine you indulged in last night.

Slipping through the alley, around the back door, you didn’t notice him at first. Fumbling with your keys, you finally managed to slide it into the lock when you heard your name. The voice that had haunted your dreams for the last week.

A squeak, and keys clattered down on the cobblestone, the sound echoing. Bracing your hand on the door, you took deep breaths to slow your heart, before turning to face him.

Rhys stood there, looking like he hadn’t slept at all, blue-purple half moons under his eyes, messy hair like he’d been running his hands through it. He raised one hand, a small piece of paper balanced between two fingers. Your note. It was quite brief, but you’d been angry at the time and couldn’t find it in yourself to come up with flowery words.

“For the best,” he quoted. “Do you really believe that?”

Oh, that put you right on the defensive. “I said it, didn’t I?”

The paper vanished, and he tucked his hands into his pockets. “I don’t want it to end like this.”

It. One tiny word to sum up three years. “But you want it to end?” your voice came out small.

“No,” he said harshly, closing the space between the two of you. “I don’t.” You didn’t reply. You didn’t know what to say. “When do you get off?” He finally asked. Gentle claws poked at your mind, but you slammed your shields back up.

“Two,” then your coworker would come take over.

“We’ll be here,” he reached out, running his thumb over your cheek. It took all of your self control not to lean into the touch. Taking a step back, he winnowed.

That entire morning and afternoon, you were … off, to say the least. But, work helped relieve some of your anxiety, falling into the monotonous tasks you’d done for years.

We’ll be here. What did he expect to happen? What did you want to happen?

By the time two came around, your coworker arrived a few minutes early, you were a ball of anxiety, your entire body tense, heart beating fast, mind swirling.

“There’s two someones waiting out there for you,” she nudged your shoulder, tilting her chin towards the alley. Giving her a tight smile, you gathered up the rest of your things, to take a few breaths. In and out. You could do this.

Feyre’s eyes lit up as you swung the door open, excitement tinged with a bit of melancholy. You chose to focus on the excitement.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, and even with the lingering hint of resentment you felt more loved than you had in months. Part of you recognized that might be a red flag, that even a few hours of attention could have that effect on you, but it was easily brushed aside.

You were nestled between the two of them, on a bench overlooking the Sidra. Rhys’s hand ran lazy strokes up and down your thigh, Feyre’s arm curled over your shoulders as you leaned into her. Gentle currents rolled back and forth, bouncing off of the stone walls caging in the river, music floating through the streets. Loud enough to hear clearly, but not so loud that it could drown out any conversation.

“Come home with us,” she said softly.

A moment of hesitation, but you knew you couldn’t resist.

“I will.”

#feysand x reader #feysand x y/n #poly!feysand x y/n #poly!feysand x reader #acotar drabble #rhysand x y/n #feyre archeron x reader #rhysand x reader #feyre archeron x y/n #rhys x reader #rhys x y/n #acotar imagine

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pearlesscentt · 6 months ago

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of cool guys and part-time jobs

mark x reader, college!au, fluff, 752 words

having a job at a small bookstore was relatively stress-free compared to other part-time jobs you’d had in the past. this particular day was slow; you spent most of your time taking care of incoming shipments and doing inventory, with only a handful of customers coming in occasionally.

you loved days like this because they allowed you to put on some music and just do your thing. as if today couldn't get any more perfect, you and mark were able to squeeze in a lunch date.

mark worked at a café a few blocks away. on lucky days when they weren’t short-staffed, he visited and brought sandwiches and drinks for both of you to share—like today.

currently, you were munching on a caesar salad sub while listening to him rant about a regular who rotated between five different coffee orders and somehow expected them to know which one he was in the mood for during each visit.

“babe, we get hundreds of customers daily! does he think he’s special? why can’t he just—” something caught his eye. “wait, are those minions?”

“huh?” your eyes darted in the direction he was looking. you raised your eyebrows at him, confused about why he’d be distracted by minions.

he stood up, making a beeline toward the area where blind box toys and figures were kept. “oh, they’re not minions,” he said, leaning down to see the display closer. “what are these guys?”

they were smiskis. you walked over to his spot where he continued staring at them. “i can’t believe you cut your story short because of these,” you said, giggling.

“what are they? are they like shortcake?” he reached for one to examine the box closer. “like sonny angels but a different edition? they have similar packaging.”

“they’re smiskis.”

“smith-skis?”

“smiski,” you repeated, dragging the letters for emphasis. “i guess they’re kinda like sonny angels ‘cause they come in blind boxes too.”

“cool, cool, cool.”

“wanna know something cooler?” you asked. he nodded in response, still drawn to the bright yellow boxes. “they glow in the dark.”

“what? really?” his eyes were wide with excitement as if you’d just told him the best news of his life.

“cool, right?” you smiled at his reaction, then started walking back to the desk where you were having lunch.

he jogged to catch up with you. “babe, should we get one? let’s throw shortcake out and swap it with a cool guy.”

“shortcake is a him, not an it."

“can he glow in the dark?”

“he can’t, but so what? he’s cute!” you argued. “you can’t glow in the dark. should i throw you out too?”

“i was joking!” he chuckled, raising his hands in defense. when he saw you trying not to smile while playfully rolling your eyes, he pulled you by the waist and nuzzled his head on the crook of your neck. “baby, don’t throw me out. i’ll be good so you can keep me forever,” he whined.

giggling, you pushed him away playfully. “speaking of throwing you out,” you paused to point at the clock hanging on the wall, “your manager probably will if you don’t leave now.”

“oh shit,” he muttered. “i’ll see you later, okay?” he gave you a quick kiss on the lips before gathering his things as fast as he could and making a run for it.

you watched him with a smile as he disappeared from view. after making sure he was gone, you walked back to the smiski display and picked up the box mark was holding earlier.

“shortcake, let’s get you a new friend.”

after your shift at the bookstore, you headed straight to the café where mark worked; he only had fifteen minutes left, so it wasn’t that long of a wait. when he walked through the back door, you immediately held out a small paper bag for him.

“ta-da!”

he quickly made his way to give you a hug. “gift?” he asked when you pulled away to put it in his hands.

“open it, open it!”

when he did, he saw a familiar box. “no way! wait, no, don’t do this to me. dude, no way, you got me a cool guy!”

“yes way, i did!” you laughed. it was like watching a kid on christmas day, his eyes sparkling with excitement and a smile so contagious that it made your cheeks hurt.

“i think i’m gonna cry. i really wanted to get one earlier,” he chuckled, wrapping his arms around you again. “thank you, baby.”

click here for more of mark and shortcake! 🍓

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carolperkinsexgirlfriend · 1 year ago

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Steddie Upside-Down AU Part 50

Part 1 Part 49

Steve feels like he’s drowning, always. It’s just hard to care about school too much when he knows there’s a different universe beneath their feet just waiting to gobble him back up. Barbara is anchor. She keeps his feet on this side of the ground with a roll of her eyes and patience beyond her years for his stupid questions.

Every Thursday is like a mad dash to get all of his homework done. She seems to know that he won’t do it any other day of the week. Too busy drowning, always.

Nancy, having heard the words “Study Group,” had joined by the second week. Barbara had pretended to be exasperated, but seemed excited once Jonathan hadn’t made his own appearance.

Where Barbara was all exasperated patience, Nancy never moves past the exasperation. She tries to beat the answers into his head with an iron fist until Barbara will take over, leaving Nancy to work on her own assignments and stew about Steve’s apparent stupidity.

When it gets too stressful, Steve’s mind drifts to Eddie, down the hall in the drama room, telling his stories with his usual dramatic flair. His eyes would be twinkling as he watches the members of Hellfire stumble around making mistake after mistake. God, he misses him.

But, every failed class is another step behind Eddie. What if Eddie wants to move, leave Hawkins in the rearview mirror, leaving Steve along with it? So, he tries his best. He studies. He tries.

Steve doesn’t notice something has changed until Nancy groands. He looks up, ready to drop his English homework at almost no provocation. Carol has slid into the empty seat at their table and is now dragging notebooks out of her backpack like she was invited.

“Can I help you?” Nancy asks, voice practically dripping with disdain.

Carol looks up at her, eyes wide and innocent. “Is this not a public use libaray?” she asks, fishing a pencil out of her back without looking just so she can twirl it around her fingers effortlessly.

Nancy narrows her eyes. “There are other tables.”

“Steve invited me.”

Steve can’t help the snort. If talking to Eddie about it when Carol had happened to walk by counts as an invitation, who is Steve to deny her? This time, both Nancy and Carol glare at him. He holds his hands up placatingly. They’re like sharks though, and there’s blood in the water. He just hopes not too much of it is his.

“What do you mean you invited her?” Nancy demands.

Steve scowls. “I can invite whoever I want!”

Barbara sighs, rolling her eyes as she snaps her book shut. “Can we just get back to–”

“Is this a lover’s spat?” Carol interrupts, smiling at Nancy sweetly the way she does just before her claws swipe. “Oh, wait no. You ditched him, didn’t you?”

Nancy’s cheeks darken with embarassment, but she says hotly, “I did not ditch–”

Carol doesn’t let Nancy finish. “Did you wait until he was out of the hospital, at least, to fall into Byers’ bed?”

“Carol,” Barbara says, sounding pissed. “Can you shut the fuck up?”

But it’s too late. Nancy gathers her things and stalks out of the library in a huff. Steve sighs.

“Was that necessary?” he asks, plunking his head down on the table. God, why were these people even his friends? He misses Eddie ever more. Eddie would never make things so fucking awkward. He latches onto their connection, letting it warm him from the inside out as he watches Carol examine her nails.

“Sorry for defending you,” she says, like she actually believes it.

Steve sighs again, even more wearily, suddenly too tired to keep his eyes open. “You’ve gotta stop starting shit without all the facts, Carol.” he says, not even opening his eyes to look at her. “We figured it out weeks ago.”

The only sound at their table, in the whole library, is the noise of paper fluttering. He peeks through his eye, sees Barbara has opened her book on the table once more. “Why do you think she’s even here?” she says, glaring down at her book. “Do you think Steve would’ve invited her if they hadn’t hashed it out?”

Carol looks down at Steve’s raised eyebrow, knowing him too well. Because yes, yes he would. Steve had been born with a chronic need to make everyone like him. It’s uncurrable and Carol has spent a not inconsiderable amount of time telling people to fuck off on Steve’s behalf.

He glares up at her, refusing to raise his head. She rolls her eyes. “Fine! I’ll apologize to little Miss Wheeler,” she says. When Barbara and Steve just keep staring at her she continues. “Tomorrow, no way in hell am I chasing Wheeler down.”

“Whatever you say,” Steve says, but he dutifully raises his head and opens his own book when Barbara snaps her fingers in his face.

One second he’s looking down, trying to make out the gibberish words of Macbeth, and then he’s there – still in the library, but it’s gone wrong again. There are vines crawling on the carpet, and it’s dark beyond the red light flooding the cracked windows.

Barbara and Carol have disappeared. He grasps onto the tether in his chest and yanks, hoping against hell that it pulls him back to Will. Back to Eddie. Nothing happens.

He keeps his breaths even and closes his eyes, hoping once he opens them, he’ll be back. He opens his eyes.

It doesn’t work.

Everything’s still red, until it’s not. It’s like something vast has steped in front of what passes for a sun in this place. There’s streaks of red like blood painting the walls and carpet, stripes of shadows interspersed, growing thicker and thicker, like whatever is out there is coming closer.

Steve looks up at the window, horrified. He can’t look away from the window. Just sits there and waits for that thing to come get home. Waits for Eddie to come save him. He can’t look away.

That’s why he doesn’t notice the vine until it’s crawling up his ankle and yanks. He hits the carpet, hard.

“Steve?” Barbara asks. She’s crouched beside him, looking worried as Carol laughs, still in her seat. “Are you okay?”

Steve smiles up at Barbara. “Sorry, must have dozed off.”

She furrows her brows, clearly disbelieving as she asks, “are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine!” he says, sitting up painfully from the carpet. He doesn’t look back at Barbara’s expression, but he can feel her pointed glare. “Fine, I twinged my shoulder a bit.”

“The bad one?” she demands, already pulling his sweatshirt off his shoulder to take a look.

That gets Carol’s attention. “You have a bad one?” she asks, sliding out of her chair to sit by him on the floor. He can tell the moment his injury is uncovered by the way her eyes widen. It’s mostly scar now, red and jagged and puckered around the edges. It’s all edge. “What the fuck?”

Barbara examines the wound, as if she even knows what to look for. She hasn’t ever seen it. In the hospital it’d been bandaged, and now he keeps it covered religiously. “I think it’s okay?” she says, like she’s asking him. He nods.

“Okay?” Carol demands. “What the fuck happened?”

Steve closes his eyes, suddenly exhausted. From the questions and the walking nighmare he keeps slipping into. “Can we not?” he asks, voice small.

There’s silence. Steve digs his head into the ground and doesn’t analyze it. “Okay,” Carol says quietly.

They settle back into their respective seats, and each pretend to focus as their designated study session time finishes quietly if unproductively. When the hour ticks over, Steve shoves his papers halfhazardly into his backpack, relieved to get out of there.

Carol and Barbara trail him through the hallways like escorts, but leave him two hallways down at the entrance to the drama room with barely a wave. Steve watches them walk away; their retreating backs look odd together, but people probably say the same thing about Steve and Eddie.

When he walks in, Eddie’s packing up his stuff while the Hellfire boys shout at each other. When the door slips shut with a click, Eddie’s head snaps up, eyes shining brightly. They dim a little when he sees how tired Steve looks, but he still calls, “Stevie!” excitedly.

Steve comes in, dropping down on the chair beside Eddie’s to wait, too tired to keep standing.

“You’ve gotta help us out, buddy,” Doug says, dropping awkwardly to his knees beside Steve, prostrating himself. “Eddie’s had to have told you something, right?”

Eddie scoffs, “you know I don’t DM and tell!” he says, like a liar. Both Uncle Wayne and Steve have been subjected to many a planning session is Eddie works out the kinks to his latest campaign.

“Sorry, Doug,” he says, patting the other boys head. “I don’t know shit.”

Doug groans, levering himself off the floor and dropping into the seat next to Steve with a mumbled curse and a pout.

“You should join then,” Jeff says, smirking over his head toward Eddie. “No way would Eddie kill you off.”

When Steve glances over, Eddie’s cutting his hand over his throat in a slashing motion he turns into the world’s most awkward wave when he catches Steve looking at him.

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Steve replies, grimacing. “Bad enough I have to play with those butt munches.”

“Butt munches?” Gareth asks, arms crossed as he scowls over at Steve.

“You know, they’re about yay high.” Steve holds his hand up insultingly low to the ground. He smiles, can almost hear Dustin’s protest in his ear. “Won’t leave me alone for some goddamn reason.”

Doug, Gareth, and Jeff all trade glances Steve’s too tired to even try to interpret. “Freak,” Gareth says, nodding like they’d all agreed on something. Steve would be insulted, but he says it the same way Eddie does; like it’s the highest compliment he could bestow upon anyone.

The other two nod their agreements while Eddie groans and Steve looks between them bemusedly before looking at Eddie for an answer.

Eddie clears his throat uncomfortably, looks down at the wrist that doesn’t have his watch and says, “oh, look at the time!” he throws his arms in the air, yawning theatrically despite it barely being seven at night. “Time to go, Stevie!”

Steve squints up at him, befuddled. “Freak,” he says, sharing nods with the other three. Doug nods like this is serious business, but Jeff and Gareth bite their lips against a laugh as Eddie groans.

“I never should have introduced you,” he says forlornly, grabbing his stuff and linking his arm with Steve’s to lead him away.

Yeah, it’s been a good day.

Part 51

Taglist: @deany-baby @estrellami-1 @altocumulustranslucidus @evillittleguy @carlprocastinator1000 @1-8oo-wtfbro @hallucinatedjosten @goodolefashionedloverboi @newtstabber @lunabyrd @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @manda-panda-monium @disrespectedgoatman @finntheehumaneater @ive-been-bamboozled @harringrieve @grimmfitzz @is-emily-real @dontstealmycake @angeldreamsoffanfic @a-couchpotato @5ammi90 @mac-attack19 @genderless-spoon @kas-eddie-munson @louismeds @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @pansexuality-activated @ellietheasexylibrarian @nebulainajar @mightbeasleep @neonfruitbowl @beth--b @silenzioperso @best-selling-show

#steddie upsidedown au #steddie fic #my fic #steve harrington #eddie munson

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rafedaddy01 · 7 months ago

Text

Get on top

She’s never had sex before, so imagine her surprise when her two closest friends ask for a threesome.

It was a typical Friday night, Dre and Nick were over along with the rest of the cast and you guys were having a few beers while talking about wrapping up the show.

“You killed it in that last scene, y/n” Rudy said as he took a sip of his beer.

“You think? I feel like I could have done better” you always felt a little insecure being on screen. Madyline and Maddison were so perfect, you had a different image of yourself in your mind. No matter how many times Drew told you you’re gorgeous. But he’s your best friend so he doesn’t count.

“Hey, don’t stress babe. You were amazing as always” Madyline said as he squeezed you in a tight hug. Her and you were probably the closest out of the girls, although you got along with the boys better, Madyline was more layed back and it was easy to talk to her about stuff.

“You want another?” She asked, pointing to your empty beer bottle. “Sure” you gave her the empty one and watched her walk into your kitchen to grab a fresh cold one.

The rest of the night went on. You’ve probably drank 3 or 4 beers and had a few shots of tequila, thag was not your friend.

You weren’t drunk but you definitely wouldn’t remember snippets of the night in the morning.

“Alright, me and mads gonna dip. It’s already 12:00am” chase put his arm around his girlfriend and before you knew it they were gone. Slowly everyone else cleaned out the apartment.

“Don’t worry, we’ll stay and help you clean up” Nick said gathering some empty bottle and putting them in the trash.

Drew smiled warmly at you as he started picking trash off the ground.

“Aww you guys are the best.” You walked over to nick and gave him a kiss, you tried to go for his cheek but his head turned in your direction and captured your lips instead.

Your cheeks flushed as you pulled back, but his lips pulled into a grin. “It’s alright” he eases your mind and brushes it off before going back to cleaning.

Your to tipsy to really focus on the embarrassing moment so you walk over to Drew and start helping him.

“Thanks for staying, you didn’t have too”

“It’s not issue, you’re our girl. We got you” he winks at you charmingly before continuing cleaning.

Your confused. First nick didn’t make and issue out of you kissing him and now Drew’s calling you their girl. Are you reading too much into this?

“Right.. well thanks anyway, both of you”

Once you guys are all done cleaning the mess your friends left behind, it’s practically 1am. “You guys can crash here if you want”

Your all standing in the, nick and drew in front of you as you try not to check them out. They’ve always been hot and you’ve always thought they were, but they were your friends and you know they don’t feel like that about you.

Drew glances that nick and he shrugs, “sure, why not. Put apartments pretty far away and we both drank so it’s safer to just sleep it off”

“Cool, I’ll get you guys some blankets.”

You walk off to grab each of them a couple of blankets and when you walk into the living room your eyes widen and the blankets drop to the floor.

They’re both standing in their underwear. Their toned chests glistening, even in this crappy apartment lighting, that’s how hot they are.

“Uh- haha, sorry” you bend down to pick the blankets up, taking a deep breath to clear your mind and get images that shouldn’t be there out.

“You alright, y/n?” Nick asks as he takes a step forward to help you with the blankets.

“Yeah- I’m-I’m great. Why do you ask?” You clear your throat as you try really hard not to look down.

“What, you’ve never seen a guy in underwear before?” Drew speaks up from behind Nick.

Your cheeks blush, nobody knows your a virgin. But clearly it’s come out now.

“Holy shit. I don’t think she has” Nick says as he grabs the blankets from you.

Your embarrassed now and a little upset that they think it’s funny, “anyway I’m off to bed”

“Y/n, wait. I- I didn’t meant to make you uncomfortable” Drew grabs your shoulder to stop you. “It’s not a bad thing, it’s cute that your a virgin”

You look up and your eyes meet. His expression softens, and he’s so beautiful your breath catches. “Would you- I mean could you-“ your words get twisted but the alcohol still running through your body pulls them out.

“Would you fuck me?” You bite your lip as you watch the shock on Drew’s face turn into interest.

He doesn’t say anything, “I- forget it. It’s stupid, I shouldn’t have-“ before you can turn away drew spins your around, your hands slam into his hard chest and his twists into your hair as he kisses you, hard and soft at the same time. Making your legs turn into jelly, but he holds you up.

You both pull away out of breath. Staring into each others eyes.

“Do you-“ Drew clears his throat before speaking again, “do you want us both?” He completely forgot Nick was here, that caught up in the amazing kiss, until Drew moved a little and nicks standing there. A clear bulge in his underwear.

“A threesome?” Your mind can’t even comprehend the word. You’ve never slept with anyone. And now they’re asking you to sleep with both of them.

“Only if it’s okay with you” Nick comes up behind Drew, reach out for your hand and rubbing small circles on it, his touch brings tingles to your skin. And suddenly you want it all over. “Yes”

They both look at each other before they pounce.

Ones taking off your shirt and bra while the other helps you out of your pants and panties. You don’t even know who’s who. There’s just hands grabbing you at all angles.

“Wait” they both stop what they’re doing and look at you. “Maybe we should take this into the bedroom?” You giggle as a wide smirk plastered both their faces.

Nick picks you up and throws you over his shoulder with Drew following behind. He throws you on the bed, staring at your naked body, all the way from your eyes to your perfect manicured toes.

“What’s wrong” you wonder if suddenly he’s disgusted by you, “nothing, your perfect” he hovers over you, kissing your neck.

He starts sucking and your head rolls to the side, your moans quiet and soft as his hands move over your breasts.

Your eyes open to find Drew, he’s sitting next to you on the bed, his underwear gone and his hand wrapped around his cock as he watched your face.

You look at his angry tip and suddenly want to know what it feels like in your mouth and inside you, you can’t wait.

“How are we gonna do this” you speak between breaths as your eyes are still on Drew’s hand and nicks lips still suck at your sweet spot.

“First we have to warm you up” Nick says as he steps back and takes off his boxers. Your eyes fly to his cock. It’s not as long as Drew’s but it’s thickets and your insides do flips as you watch him sink to his knees.

“What are you-“ you gasp out a moan as you feel the swipe of his tongue against your folds. “So wet” he speaks into your pussy and you gasp more and more as he dives further in, tongue fucking you.

“Shh, it’s okay. Relax, let him make you feel good” you didn’t even realize Drew was behind you, your upper body leaning on him and he massages your breasts, tweaking the nipples. “Fuck” you moan and shit your eyes.

The feelings of nicks tongue and the way Drew teases your nipples becomes to much. “I-i can’t. I’m gonna cum” you moan as nicks grip tightens around your thighs and he pushes his face further in.

“It’s okay, baby. Just let go” Drew soothes you as you feel your orgasm take over and your thighs begin to shake. Nick licks up the mess and pulls away, licking his lips and wiping them with the back of his hand.

You prop yourself up on your elbows and Drew pushes your hair away from your neck, he starts peppering small kisses down the column and your mind goes fuzzy again, ready fore more. “What’s next”

“Your impatient aren’t you” Drew whispers in your ear and the sound of his voice is so sexy, goosebumps cover your skin.

“It’s my turn to make you feel good” Drew gets off the bed and takes nicks place. “Turn around for me” he waits for you to flip onto your stomach and when you look up nicks cock is right in your face.

“Tell me if you need me to stop” you feel Drew’s tip rub at your clit. He runs it through your folds, getting it nice and wet before slowly pushing in. Your mouth forms an O as you squeak out from the pain. “Doin okay?” Nicks pushes a strand of hair behind your ear and you nod. “I’m good, just keep going. Fuck”

Drew pushes the rest of the way in. Stopping when his balls hit your clit. “I’m gonna start moving now, and nicks gonna stuff that pretty face. So if you need either of us to stop just squeeze his tight. Got it?” Drew says behind you, his voice is strained, likes it’s taking everything in him not to fuck you silly right now. “Yes” your drooling at the thought of getting fucked while tasting nicks cock in your mouth.

“Good girl” Drew slaps your ass lightly before he pulls back and slams back in. Your mouth opens in a gasp and nicks shoves his cock in there.

The bed squeaks as Drew continues snapping his hips into you. Nick groans as he stuffs your mouth over and over, loving the way you look up at him through your lashes and the way your drooling. You moan around him and he grips your hair, tugging a little.

“Fucking hell, gonna make me cum” he throws his head back as you feel your mouth swell and a warm liquid hits the back of your throat.

He pulls out of your mouth and sighs, “shit, that’s the fastest I’ve ever come” he chuckles as he takes a seat on the bed to continue enjoying the show.

“Fuck, she’s squeezing me so tight” Drew groans and your head drops to the bed, your nails dig into the sheets and your a babbling moans mess as Drew cock hits deeper and deeper with each stroke.

He pulls out and you whimper. “Come here” nick calls you over. You muster the energy and crawl over to him. “Get on top”

Taglist

@f4ll-for-you @rafeysworldim19 @baby19sthings @sevenwivesofrafecameron @rxfecameronsslut @findapenny @r1vrsefx @spencerreidsrealgf @rafescokenostril @thievin-stealing @rafemotherfuckingcameron @dilvcv @starkeysheart

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clarisse0o · 4 months ago

Text

Camp Wiegman-Part 70

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe: Military School

Words: 6K

TW: Smut

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Saturday, March 19th; 10:30 AM - At Lucy's place.

I sigh as I look at my study notes, which have taken over Lucy’s personal space. At least... if I can still call it that. I’ve slowly started filling it with my presence. Ever since I decided to move in after school, I’ve been bringing my stuff. I already brought a large suitcase from home last week, and I plan to do the same on our next trip to Barcelona. I’ll leave a few things there just in case, but most of it will be moved here. I should be resting, but I can’t. I was on the couch with Lucy, trying to start a series, but I didn’t last long. I was bored and felt useless. We’ve been moving around so much lately that I’m not used to staying still anymore. That’s how I ended up in this situation. I haven’t been feeling great lately, I must admit. I’m stressed out because of a few rejections I finally received from galleries. It’s only a small handful, but it’s unsettling. On top of that, I got feedback from Mr. Fields, and it wasn’t good. He’s not going to change his mind about his offer in Cardiff. I’m taking my time to give him an answer, but let’s just say I don’t want to accept it. And of course, our professors decided to schedule their exams for the two weeks before the break... That’s not helping my stress. I was about to start reading a new chapter when the sound of shuffling papers caught my attention. I look up to see Lucy gathering my notes that were scattered across the table.

- "What are you doing?" I asked, perplexed.

- "You’re unbelievable. No matter what I do, you always find something to cling to like a kind of drug when you start to lose control. Well... you know what I mean, right?" she backpedaled after realizing what she’d just said.

I smiled softly, crossing my arms as she continued to pile up my notes in her hands. For a moment, I wondered if she was respecting the order of my chapters or if I’d have to sort them all out later. Those thoughts quickly disappeared when she spoke again.

- "You need to detach yourself from studying, so we’re going out."

- "Really?" I raised an eyebrow.

- "Yes. You’re going to lose your mind if you keep studying this much."

I bit my lip as she held out her hand for me to give her the paper I was holding like my life depended on it.

- "I don’t think-"

- "Oh yes, it’s a great idea," she interrupted me. "Come on."

- "Fine..." I muttered, handing it over. "So, what do you have planned?"

- "We’re going to help the girls at the gym."

- "The gym...? You mean the studio?"

- "Yeah, the gym," she said, putting the stack of papers in my organizer. "I texted Jenni, and it seems they’re in the middle of renovations, so it’s the perfect time to lend a hand."

- "Alright..." I sighed.

I’m far from motivated, but it seems like it’s for a good cause.

- "Who’s there?"

- "Jenni, Aitana, Beth, and Alexia."

- "Alexia?" I repeated in surprise. "She didn’t tell me she was staying."

- "It wasn’t planned. Jenni hosted her last night. Their transport got canceled, apparently."

I raised an eyebrow. I’m really surprised she didn’t tell me, to be honest. Well, we haven’t talked since we parted ways yesterday.

- "What about Alba?"

- "As if I went that far in my questioning," she rolled her eyes. "You can ask her yourself in a few minutes. Go change first. Do you have any old clothes?"

- "Uh, no."

I blushed at the thought. I haven’t brought any of that yet. I prioritized what I wear regularly.

- "Well, I’ll have to find you something."

After getting ready, we were set to leave. I was wearing Lucy’s clothes, and nothing could make me happier. Surprisingly, traffic was light for a Saturday morning. The weather was warming up, finally allowing a few rays of sunshine to appear. Well, it wasn’t Barcelona’s twenty-five degrees, but I wasn’t going to complain. Seeing the outside world was doing me a lot of good, surprisingly. Lucy parked in the same spot as last time. I recognized Jenni’s car near ours. I assumed the other two cars belonged to the friends she had mentioned. I was excited to see them again. I hadn’t seen them since our trip to the Alps.

- "Are you mad at me?" I asked as she opened the rear door of the building for me.

- "Mad at you for what?"

- "For isolating myself whenever things get tough in my life instead of coming to talk to you..."

I turned to see her walking behind me. She met my gaze with a smile plastered on her face.

- "I’d be mad if it wasn’t so obvious, yes. But don’t worry, that’s not the case. I know you, and I know what’s bothering you right now. I’ll never force you to talk, but you know communication is important, and if you ever feel the need to talk, I’m here."

- "Thanks... I think I just need a hug right now."

- "Then I think I’ll offer my arms for that."

I laughed as I melted into her embrace when she opened her arms. In the end, I might be regretting the couch now. I’ll think about it next time. I sighed softly, inhaling her scent. It’s become my favorite. It’s fruity, yet soft, with a hint of coffee. It’s strange, but totally harmonious thanks to her natural body smell.

- « te amo," I murmured against her neck.

- « Te amo también, mi amor."

The doors to the main room creaked open a bit farther down. I didn’t even need to turn around to know, given how loud they were.

- "Ah, I knew I heard some noise!"

I turned around, recognizing Alexia’s voice. She had a huge, toothy smile. At least we could be sure she was happy to see us.

- "I’m so glad you’re here. We needed a bit more muscle around here. Don’t just stand there. We were waiting for you."

We walked over to greet her with a kiss on each cheek. We entered the room, where upbeat music filled the space. We greeted the guys as well, though it was less pleasant since their cheeks were sticky with sweat. It wasn’t surprising. They hadn’t slacked off this morning. They had already started tearing everything apart. The mirrors were dismantled, and the door on the right had been removed, revealing the hallway Lucy mentioned last time. If I remember correctly, the classrooms will be there.

- "Wow. Looks like you’ve made good progress," Lucy commented.

- "Yeah, pretty much," Aitana replied. "Jenni knows how to keep us motivated."

We laughed as she raised the beer she was drinking. A pack was lying in a corner, along with a few empty glass bottles. I wasn’t sure how long they’d been there, but it seemed like they’d been working since early this morning.

- "We didn’t know where to start, so we decided to tackle this area."

- "Yeah, yeah, it’s fine," Lucy said, making the same observation as me. "Have you started on the locker rooms yet?" she asked, glancing in the other direction.

- "No, that’s the next step," her best friend admitted.

- "Alright. Well, I think that’s a priority, along with the break room at the back. The furniture for those two rooms will arrive in a few weeks."

- "Okay, we’ll keep working on that then. We were just waiting for your orders, Commander."

Alexia and I stifled a laugh. It was quickly stopped by her mock-serious glare. Jenni gave us a knowing smile. After all, that nickname was here to stay. It suited her personality. But honestly, we couldn’t deny that we’d all be lost without her. Even now, she was playing the role of project manager.

- "Do you already have plans for how it’ll look?" I asked her.

- "Of course. We worked with an architect. Do you want to see the final design?"

- "Well, yeah!" I feigned offense that she hadn’t shown me yet.

- "Oh, sorry," she teased. "Jenni, where did you put the copies of the plans?"

"Uh, I think upstairs, in the office. We didn’t need them today. »

- Thank you.

- Can I come with you? Ale asks as I grab Lucy's hand.

- Yeah, sure, my girlfriend replies.

We head upstairs. Nothing has been touched here yet. I doubt much needs to be redone. It's a bit old, but it will just need a fresh coat of paint and probably some cleaning too. We stand at the front of the office while Lucy rummages through the drawers one by one.

- Ah, here they are.

She places them in front of us with a triumphant look. I smile, noticing how proud she is of her work. And she should be—it all looks fantastic. The color scheme is navy blue and white, with black aluminum accents like the entryway they plan to install. It gives an industrial vibe, a style I often see and love. At least I won’t worry about our tastes clashing if we ever decide to pick or even build a house together. Despite that, they've still kept the authenticity and charm of the stone walls.

- Do you like it? The plans can still be changed, but we can’t alter the major parts anymore.

She's talking fast, and her expression is a bit tense. Our opinions must matter a lot. I don’t answer right away, lingering over the locker room plans. There will be cabins on one side and showers on the other, with a small private stall for privacy. The idea is well thought out. Of course, there are also toilets. The color theme remains the same, and it looks like the mirrors they removed from the main room will be reused here.

- It’s great, I break the suspense first. What do you think?

- Same here, Ale responds. Honestly, you guys made excellent choices.

I continue examining the plans for the back area, where they plan to refresh the hallway. The toilets won’t be touched, but the break room will be completely redone. Again, the blue stands out, with minimalist furniture and a blue accent wall.

- That must have taken a lot of work, she adds.

- Quite a bit, yeah, but between weekends and my evenings at the dorm, we managed to make it happen.

The final plans are for the rooms reserved for common classes. I also notice a room marked as an office.

- What’s this room for? I ask, pointing to it.

- It’s for personal follow-ups. We thought it would be better to have a room that offers privacy.

- Why not use this office? I ask, gesturing to the one we’re standing in.

- We didn’t want members to have access to the back area. A sign will be put up saying it's staff-only. I don’t think people will linger here, but the idea isn’t to supervise them all the time. Plus, important documents and storage will be kept here.

I nod. It makes sense. At least they won’t have to worry about surveillance. I frown, lingering over the other classroom plans. Oddly enough, they seem very plain—just white walls, which is strange compared to the rest.

- Why won’t the classrooms be decorated?

- Ah, you noticed? I was wondering the same thing, Ale points out.

We both look up at Lucy. My question seems to have amused her.

- To be honest, Jenni and I talked about it for a while. We want you to handle the decor for those rooms.

I’m speechless. Ale gives me a big smile and pats my back in support.

- A-are you serious?

- Yeah! I’ve seen what you did with your room in Barcelona. You’re totally capable of this. I was going to ask you about it—I just hadn’t had the chance yet. These rooms don’t need repairs, just renovation and decoration, so there’s no rush. What do you think? Will you take it on?

- Of course she’ll accept! Ale exclaims. That would be awesome!

I blush, flattered that she thought of me for this task.

- Yeah, sure… I think I can do that if you really want me to. Do you have any ideas already?

- Not really, she admits. We held off so you’d have the freedom to imagine what you want. But we can give you some suggestions if you prefer.

- Honestly, you caught me off guard, I chuckle nervously. We’ll have to talk more about it.

She smiles knowingly, and I think I understand. My little guess was right.

- If it becomes your next obsession, that’s fine with me.

I roll my eyes, laughing. Alexia watches us, not fully understanding the situation but wisely choosing not to intrude, sensing it’s a private conversation between us.

- Well, how about we go help the others? That’s what we’re here for, right?

That’s how we spent the rest of the day, helping our friends. Lucy was right. I needed to see something different, to enjoy life. I was happy to spend time with them. Everything was done in good spirits. The girls were demolishing things while we, the girls, were in charge of loading the van Jenni rented with the old furniture. We made several trips to the nearest dump. It took most of our time because of the traffic, but it was fun. We also went to the mall across the street to restock water and beer since we were running low. It’s really convenient having a building like that so close. I’m sure it’ll attract a lot of people—after all, everyone goes to the mall, so they won’t miss the gym’s sign. One thing’s for sure: we laughed a lot throughout the day. I was finally able to forget about my life for a while. Lucy and Alexia got along so well. I’m even starting to wonder if she might prefer Alexia to Mapi. I guess I’ll never know. It’s not something Lucy would admit, knowing her. By the end of the afternoon, we’d cleared out the break room. Lucy promised the guys we’d come back next week to help with the locker rooms, which are much bigger. In any case, I was happy to be there. At least I knew I’d be doing something other than studying. Our friends suggested we stay for dinner, and we agreed. We ended up at a pizza place nearby. Something tells me we’ll become regulars there. They serve pizzas, but also pasta dishes. Tonight, we all had pizza. Lucy and I ordered two different ones so we could share. They were excellent, but next time I think I’ll try the pasta to see if it’s as good.

The day came to an end. We said our goodbyes late at night before everyone headed home. Surprisingly, I wasn’t as exhausted when we left as I’d been when we arrived. Lucy seemed to feel the same way.

- We could make cookies, I suggested.

- Cookies? she laughed. Why cookies?

- Well, we’re not tired. Might as well do something productive. We could bring them to the girls tomorrow. They’d love that.

- Wow... why not? But I’m not sure I have everything we need, she said, already checking her cupboards.

- Well, how about a chocolate cake then? You must have some chocolate, right?

Lucy laughed and finally pulled out a bar of dark chocolate.

- Yes, I do. That’s doable.

- Cool! Let’s get to work, then.

I rolled up my sleeves, making Lucy laugh.

- Slow down, master chef. Start by washing your hands.

- You just had to kill my enthusiasm, huh? I said with a playful pout.

- No, I’m teaching you. A good chef knows you always wash your hands before starting, she teased with a wink.

I laughed but followed her advice. After everything we did today, it wasn’t exactly sanitary to start cooking without cleaning up first.

- Maybe we should shower before starting, huh? We’ve been sweating all day.

- No, I’d lose my motivation, I admitted.

- True, you’re right. Alright, let’s get to work.

After washing her hands too, she pulled out a cookbook. I had to admit, I’d never made a chocolate cake before. I felt a little embarrassed because it’s such a basic thing.

- So, I’ll read the ingredients, and you get them out.

- Maybe it makes more sense to do it the other way around, right? Since you know where everything is.

- Alright, if you say so, she teased.

I list the ingredients for her, and she places them on the countertop. It's time to begin. She preheats the oven, and then we get to work. Everything is done with a cheerful mood. Nothing is too serious. She has me follow the recipe, pouring the ingredients into a bowl, while she takes care of melting the butter and chocolate over a bain-marie.

"Why don't you just use the microwave, since you have one?" I teased.

"I prefer doing it this way. It's how I was taught. It's supposed to be better. Plus, no microwaves involved."

"Hmm... if you say so."

I dip my finger into the melted mixture and bring it to my mouth once everything has melted, abandoning my bowl that's been ready for a while.

"Hey, don’t touch that."

"We could totally eat this as is too."

"Unless you want a stomachache, sure, we can," she teased.

I pouted to show my dissatisfaction.

"My grandmother used to forbid me from eating the batter like that, but she always let me lick the bowl at the end," I shared.

"Well, you can lick the bowl too if you want," she laughed. "Alright, all that's left is to mix everything together. Do you want to handle it?"

"Can you do it? I never managed to do it right when I was a kid."

"You've grown up since then, you know?" she teased. "Come on, you'll do it."

She tugged on the sleeve of my sweater to pull me in front of her. I frowned but took the whisk and mixed our two bowls together. Lucy finished up when she noticed my movements were slowing down. Smiling playfully, I dabbed my finger in the mix and smeared it on her face. Lucy gasped in surprise.

"You dared!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I moved closer to lick her cheek, trying to erase the evidence. Lucy backed away immediately, but it was too late—I had already cleaned it up. She wiped her face with her sleeve.

"Oh, so you want to play, huh?"

She dipped her fingers into the batter, and I laughed as she pinned me against the counter before I could escape. She slowly dragged her fingers from my forehead to my chin, smearing the rest down my neck.

"Come on, that’s over the top," I giggled.

"What? I’m just going to clean it up like you did," she said mischievously.

I tried to wriggle out of her grip, but it was a lost cause. She was holding me too tightly, her body fully pressed against mine. There was no way out.

"It's my turn to get even," she whispered before kissing my forehead.

I kept laughing as she continued her "clean-up" down my nose. I had stopped resisting. I was the one who had started the playful mess, so I wasn't going to stop her. Things got more intense when she reached my lips. She lingered particularly long where the last bit of chocolate had been. We kissed, devouring each other’s mouths, before she moved down to my chin. Our eyes locked with heavy intensity. A warmth stirred deep in my stomach. It had been a long time since anyone had looked at me with such desire. I bit my lip as she moved even lower after finishing with my chin. She ended up at my neck, and I realized why she had smeared so much chocolate there.

Breathing shallowly, I closed my eyes. She knew exactly what she was doing. I gripped the counter behind me to keep my balance. She alternated between using her tongue, sucking, and giving soft kisses. A moan escaped my lips, and I immediately covered my mouth with my hand. I realized she had just bitten the edge of my collarbone. She lifted her head to meet my eyes again. The knot in my stomach tightened even more. There was a delicious tension in the air. She wanted me—it was clear from her eyes. We stayed in that position for a moment, neither of us breaking the silence that was filled with meaning. It was now or never. She was waiting for me to react, but I didn’t know what to do. Inside, I was panicking, but I wanted this. I could feel it in every part of me. When she started to pull back, I couldn’t let it end like that. I grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her passionately. I needed her. My move surprised her, and she leaned into me with her full weight. We were dangerously close to breaking apart. We devoured each other with our eyes, silently asking what was next.

“I want this,” I whispered. “Please.”

I was grateful she hadn’t asked the question first. I preferred making the choice myself. She appreciated my response, as I could tell by the low growl that escaped her throat.

“Are you sure…?” she asked.

I nodded as I returned to her lips. I could feel her smile as my arms wrapped around her neck, pulling her closer. I heard her chuckle when she suddenly lifted me off the ground. Her lips didn’t give me time to cry out.

“It’s all for you tonight, Princess,” she whispered, attacking my neck again.

Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around her waist and tilted my head to the side. I never knew where she got her strength from, but I wasn’t surprised anymore. She paused for a moment at the edge of the kitchen, and I realized she was turning off the oven. Then, expertly, she returned to my neck as we headed down the hallway. I didn’t even notice what was happening around us before I was pinned against the wall of our bedroom. That thought alone heightened my excitement. Lucy’s hips ground against my most sensitive spot, and if I wasn’t sure before, I could now feel the dampness there. I would have loved for her to come back to my lips to muffle the sounds I could barely contain. Lucy must have noticed because she stopped her sweet torture on my neck, which was probably well-marked by now. She knew it was one of my weak points. Her warm breath sent shivers down my body. She nibbled on my earlobe before whispering:

“Don’t hold back your pleasure, baby,” she murmured. “I want to hear you. I need to know how you’re feeling.”

After her words, she hit just the right spot, and I couldn’t hold back the sound that escaped my lips. Damn.

"That's much better," she teased with a playful smile. "No more holding back, okay?"

I squeaked as she continued to tease between my legs with her hips, punishing me with waves of pleasure, eliciting more moans. Unable to form words, I nodded to show I understood. She didn’t give me a chance to react or even think about it—probably for the best. She kissed me again, more softly this time, as she carried me to our bed. My heart raced as her hands wandered under my sweater. I lifted my arms to help her remove the barrier that seemed to be bothering her. Her lips wanted to return to my now burning body, but I held her back for a moment.

“I-I want to see you too, please.”

My voice was fragile, pleading in the moment. Lucy laughed softly but nodded. For the first time, she gave me a bit of space, sitting up on top of me.

"You don’t have to ask, you know. You just need to undress me..."

I smiled timidly and pulled off her sweater, tossing it somewhere in the room.

"You don’t really give me the time," I teased her.

She laughed, and to my surprise, she quickly removed her bra, letting it join the pile of clothes. I was mesmerized by the sight before me. Lucy was a stunning woman. I still wondered what I had done to deserve her...

"Is this better?" she murmured.

I nodded, bringing my gaze back to hers. I blushed, knowing she had caught me staring.

"Go ahead," she whispered. "Don’t be shy. Everything is yours, my love."

With a touch of shyness, I brought my hand to her left breast. She shivered slightly at the contact. I noticed her watching me with a small smile. I lingered on her perfect chest. It wasn’t too large or too small. As soon as my finger grazed her nipple, it hardened instantly, a clear sign that her excitement matched mine. I finally looked back up into her eyes, and she nodded, giving me silent permission. I gently cupped her breast, caressing it more fully. I had been waiting for this moment for so long. It fit perfectly in my palm. I took my time. I wanted to explore every inch of her body. I rolled us over so that I was on top. With my occupied hand, I continued to caress her more confidently. My other hand supported me as I leaned down to focus on her other breast with my mouth. I kissed every part I could, even letting my tongue trail over certain spots. My excitement was building fast, and it seemed Lucy’s was too, given how she squirmed beneath me. I gained confidence as she didn’t hold back her sounds. The most intense moment came when I sucked her nipple hard. I wanted to take my time, to savor the moment, but that clearly wasn’t in her plans. Her hands quickly found their way to my back. The need to feel her bare skin against mine prompted me to let her undress me too. I gasped when she suddenly flipped us over, letting our chests press against each other for the first time after she had removed my last piece of clothing from the top.

- I said it was for you tonight. I intend to keep my promise.

- Bab-

I don’t have time to protest before she returns to my lips, my neck, and finally my chest. She kisses me everywhere, her tongue joining the dance from the start. I close my eyes to savor the sensation I had almost forgotten. With Feli, everything was quick. She didn’t linger on foreplay, preferring to get straight to the point. Experiencing such tenderness again brings tears to my eyes. Lucy, unaware of my tears, continues her torment, alternating between each breast with her hand or her mouth. She��s everywhere, for my perfect pleasure. It’s when she moves back up towards me that she notices my state.

- Hey, what’s wrong? We can stop if it’s too much for you.

- N-no, don’t... D-don’t stop, p-please.

Despite myself, tears come in streams. I didn’t want to ruin this moment. Not in any way. Lucy slides her fingers under my eyelids, as she has become accustomed to doing.

- D-don’t stop, please, I beg her.

She kisses me tenderly. This gesture calms me a bit. I return her sweet kisses, adding more passion to the next ones. She reignites the flame with her hands continuing to caress my chest.

- It’s going to be okay, she whispers. Tell me what I should do. Or show me if you prefer.

I nod and try to stop my tears once and for all. She still wants me, even with my disheveled mind and the tears that must have affected my appearance. My heart burns as much as my body. I linger my hands on her jeans, struggling with her belt with my trembling hands. I want to go faster, and Lucy chuckles at my sudden impatience.

- Okay, wait. Slow down.

She lifts herself to help me undress her. We soon find ourselves both in just our underwear, warm as embers after multiple caresses and kisses. Everything is soft. Lucy returns to my chest, now as marked by her as my neck. Her body fits perfectly with mine, moving slowly, making sure our thighs touch each other. I press against her from time to time, without realizing it. She was heating me up, and my desire quickly becomes too powerful and uncontrollable. Then comes the moment I was most apprehensive about. She starts to move down, but by reflex, I pull her back towards me.

- Relax, darling. Trust me.

I let her go with those simple words after a final exchanged kiss. She kisses my stomach first to tease me, though I was already at my limit. To make things difficult, I don’t make it easy for her. I squirm, though I have to keep my stomach contracted the entire time. I recognize some places where she lingers. They are where my scars are. I also flinch when she playfully nibbles. Then, she stops when she reaches my last piece of underwear. Surprisingly, she doesn’t remove it. She prefers to go lower, starting again from my knee. It’s too much. It tickles, as I am sensitive there. I try to close my thighs together, but Lucy holds them open with a laugh.

- Stop torturing me, I reply in a short breath.

- Come on, baby. You won’t escape this, she teases, continuing her trail of kisses. I want to kiss every part of your body.

I moan as she continues inside my thighs. Damn. I can’t resist much longer.

- P-promise me you’ll come back up after, I beg. I want you with me.

I don’t want to be the only one having pleasure tonight. I don’t know what she had planned, but I want us to come together for our first time.

- Alright, she murmurs against my warm skin. I promise.

She continues her path gradually, passing over my legs. I don’t remember being this sensitive here. I can’t stay still. Lucy keeps me pinned down with one hand on my stomach and the other on my thigh. I can’t close them or escape. She understands that she needs to hold them firmly to achieve her goal. A goal she eventually reaches. I don’t even dare to look down. All I know is that my panties must be quite wet in her eyes. I feel the coolness as Lucy breathes on it to tease me.

- Look at me.

I do so with difficulty. Seeing her at my center, holding my legs, makes my stomach churn. I’m struggling to realize that this is happening. The woman who, a few months ago, was tormenting me with training sessions to bring me down to earth, is now between my legs. I don’t protest when she pulls on the waistband of my black lace thong. I don’t know what possessed me to wear it this morning, but I’m thankful now. She does it gently to give me time to push her away if needed, but I don’t. Especially not in my state. I want her. Now. Still, she takes wicked pleasure in driving me crazy like she did a few minutes ago with her kisses.

- Luce, I complain.

- Oh, are you impatient now?

I move my hips as she has long since removed my last barrier. She gazes at me, and I blush. I thought I would feel vulnerable when this happened, but the way she looks at me makes me melt. With a smile, she teases my clitoris with her finger.

- I should make you beg.

- Y-you wouldn’t dare!

- And why not?

She plays with me and even dares to laugh. I plan to get my revenge when it’s her turn. As if she could read my thoughts, she dives right into my center to kiss it. I can still feel her smile. Just from the contact, I moan loudly. Her tongue takes over before she sucks on my sensitive skin. I cry out, propping myself up on my elbows at the sensation.

- Oh, fuck!

I can feel Lucy’s smile again. She doesn’t say anything, just pulls me down with her arm. I let myself fall back, closing my eyes. The sensation is exquisite. I had forgotten what it felt like to experience such pleasure. Her tongue explores every inch of my little garden, eliciting more than one moan or cry of pleasure. I cling to the sheets as best I can to avoid pulling her hair. If she had been at my level, her back would be covered in scratches. She mixes it with some sucking before going even lower. It’s the last straw. My moans fill the room, and I quickly grab her hair. I no longer know if I want to restrain her or pull her away. My head isn’t in the game anymore, and Lucy takes wicked pleasure in building the pressure in my stomach. I’ve never felt such pleasure before. When I reach my peak, I pull her hair. She quickly understands the message, finishing the moment with a final little kiss before coming back up. The absence of her mouth is already replaced by her hand. My own can now scratch her back. With my other hand, I quickly venture under her completely wet underwear. A short breath escapes her. It’s my turn to leave her with no opportunity. I take her lips, covered in my moisture. We caress each other while kissing. When she inserts a finger into me, I have to break the connection.

- O-oh my God.

I contract around her finger, no longer used to such presence. Lucy, who had started moving, stops immediately.

- Are you okay? she murmurs with concern.

- Y-yes! Don’t stop.

Understanding the meaning of my positive reaction, she waits for me to relax before adding a second finger. She doesn’t give me time to think and starts a gentle rhythm. I’m tense at first, but pleasure soon takes over as she speeds up. I realize I’ve fallen behind on my end. I have to concentrate fully to reciprocate. It’s intense. We are making love. The room echoes with our sounds. Lucy manages to find my lips to seal them together one last time. I struggle to return the kiss. My focus is much lower. Especially as our last acceleration takes its toll on us. We scream one final time in unison when we climax. I’m overwhelmed by her intensity. My teeth sink into Lucy’s shoulder, but it doesn’t seem to bother her. She’s in the same state as me, against my neck. The room eventually quiets down, with only our ragged breathing filling the space. It took us both a moment to recover. She’s the first to remove her fingers before I do. I’m exhausted, and my eyelids have become heavy. Still, I remain awake. Lucy kisses me one last time before getting up. I watch her carefully as she removes her underwear that had stayed on until the end. It must be quite a mess now. She pulls back the covers, and with a tremendous effort, I slip underneath. She immediately joins me, wrapping her arms around me. I smile, realizing what just happened.

- I love you, I murmur.

- I love you even more, she whispers, kissing my temple. Have sweet dreams, my love.

Under her words, I finally let myself drift off to sleep.

#woso #lucy bronze #woso community #ona batlle #barca femeni #woso soccer #lionesses #sefutbol fem #ona batlle x lucy bronze

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love-lilly02 · 11 months ago

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The Challenge pt. 5

Authors Note: this one is gonna make yall mad, i already know it. Also i think i'm gonna have to create a schedule of posting on weekends as apperently all my ideas for this story hit on fridays.

Chapter warnings:

minor character death, mentions of suicide

“You can’t do that!!”

“I can and I will.” Laswell said, closing the file. “She’s on a solo Op and that’s final.”

The boys all rolled their eyes, sighing heavily.

“Let one of us go, Las. We can’t just let her walk into the lions den-“

“Price, that’s enough. She has her assignment, you have yours.”

“But we don’t have an assignment.” Price stressed.

“Exactly.”

Another round of complaints.

You had left the room long ago, departing as soon as you had received your mission. A solo op, just an intel gathering. Get in, get the information, get out.

Get out of one of the most heavily guarded buildings in all of Russia.

What could go wrong?

“Okay, I’ll be the one to say it.” Kyle stepped up, leaning forward in his chair. “I don’t trust that she’ll be able to get out of this place. Even with her level of skill, that’s something no one’s been able to pull off without dying.”

“If you’re worried about her, you can say that you know.” Laswell said simply, raising an eyebrow.

The whole room went quiet.

“Alright, look. I don’t know what’s going on between you four and her, but get it under control. I had enough of it when you lot-“ she points to Ghost and Price-“ wanted those two-“ She points at soap and Gaz- “to join your… whatever this is. I’m not dealing with four children mooning over my best asset.”

“We are not moonin’-“ Ghost protested at the same time Price said “I thought I was your best asset?”

Laswell just rolled her eyes.

“I’ll put you boys on cam duty. How’s that?”

“It’s enough.” All the boys agreed.

You could feel their eyes on you as you adjusted your weapons for the fiftieth time. The suit they had you in was very different from the gear you normally wore, instead of cargo pants and a vest you had on a completely black bodysuit with a matching hood and shoes. Various knives and fewer guns than you would like were hidden among your body, and you kept anxiously touching them to be sure they were actually there.

You looked like the Black Widow from the Avengers. As far as you could tell, the boys thought so too, with the way they kept sizing you up.

You weren’t entirely sure if you liked that fact or not.

You knew exactly why they had chosen you instead of Ghost or Kyle for this mission- you were a lot quieter. They could think quickly and kill faster, but at the end of the day you moved around quieter, left much less noticeable tracks than they did.

This stupid challenge supported that idea.

“Keep touching ‘em and they’re gonna rust, lass.” Soap called over the comms, and you shot him a glare. For the sake of the mission- and your life- you had decided to temporarily cast aside your feelings for their last behavior, allowing them to talk to you again. Some people, like Gaz and Price, understood you would need space after what happened. Ghost and Soap, however, did not get the memo.

“She’s allowed to touch ‘em, Johnny. They’re her knives. ‘Sides, I don’t suppose knives can rust by just touching ‘em anywho.”

“Awh yea they can! I’ve seen it ‘appen me self.”

“Drop it,” Price warned.

Both boys responded with a simple, “Sorry captain,” and the helicopter was silent again.

“Okay. One more time, what are you doing?” Price couldn’t help but be nervous as your drop zone crept closer and closer.

“I get dropped off and enter through a side window, go through some rooms and get to the main center to put the information on the computer with a red chip into a flash drive.

Price nodded and ran his hand along his beard, a nervous habit you noticed he developed.

“Okay, good. The boys and I will tell you where to go and when it’s safe over comms, and-“

“Price. I’ve heard the debrief over fifteen times now. I got it.” You said, doing one more quick pat down to make sure all your knives were in order. “I trust you. Now you need to trust me.”

“Drop zone approaching!” The pilot called, and they all watched as the plane opened to reveal the darkness of the night.

“Wish me luck,” You said, pulling the hood over your head.

“Luck,” they all chorused back weakly.

And you jumped out of the plane.

Anxiety coursed through Ghosts veins as he watched you jump. A while after, thirty seconds as planned, you deployed a parachute, barely visible in the night. It was dangerous to have a black parachute in the dark but it was a risk they needed to take.

There was complete radio silence the entire time you landed. That was another rule, unless you were receiving directions or telling them something important you were to be radio silent at all times. To “make sure no one hears or picks up anything,” as Laswell said.

Ghost thought it was a load of bullshit.

Simon agreed.

Truth be told, he worried for you. Both of him did. This was something he wouldn’t be able to pull off, not even with years of training for it. And they were sending you in with less than a few hours notice?

A suicide mission.

He hadn’t asked, if this was what you wanted to do. He didn’t ask if you were okay with risking your life, possibly dying, for the “greater good.” He honestly wanted you to disagree, he wanted you to protest, say they were stupid for sending you on this mission.

But you had just listened quietly and took the file.

“At the drop zone, headed to the entrance.” Your messages were short and to the point, and he could see the others relax at your words.

“Right, stay on standby,” Ghost said, loading up the cameras.

“Copy.” Then silence.

Once he got the feed loaded he quickly scanned the cameras for you, his eyes flicking back and fourth.

“There,” Kyle said, pointing to one screen. You were kneeling behind a bunch of crates, watching the entrance carefully.

“Okay. Move left, there’s a side entrance, you might have to pick a lock or two.”

“Copy,” and you moved towards the door. They watched as you crawled, seemingly gliding across the concrete floor. Once you reached the door, it took a total of three seconds for you to slip inside.

“Door’s are locked. What’s the next move?”

“Shit, that was locked?” Soap asked, even though his comms were off.

“Suppose so. Two desks down to your right.”

And so it continued. They gave you directions and watched as you absolutely flew though the levels of the building. Till finally, you were where you needed to be.

“Okay, transferring the information.” It shouldn’t take that long, Ghost told himself. He watched as you stayed crouched behind a wall, nervously tapping on your thigh as the transfer commenced.

“Done!” They could all head the relief in your voice, even if you tried to hide it. You put the computer back where it belonged, tucking the flash drive in your pocket.

“Good job, now head out the way you came, it’s-“ Ghost stopped short when he saw two men walk into the room. They were soldiers for the enemy team, the Russian flags in the middle of their vests displaying that. To your credit, you heard the voices and stayed pointedly in place.

The two of them spoke in gruff Russian to each other, monitoring the room carefully. They were going a bit too slow, getting a bit too close for Ghost’s liking. And, based on the way Kyle was gripping his shoulder, for him too.

They kept snooping, till finally one of them jumped out into your hiding spot.

It was absolute chaos after that.

You stabbed the one who found you, using his body as a shield when the other started shooting. You fired your own shots and landed one with rough time to drop the guy you were holding and run out of the room.

By this point, multiple alarms had been tripped, and you abandoned all sense of decorum, flying down steps quickly.

“Get the fuck out of there!” Ghost yelled over comms.

Apparently that didn’t warrant a response.

The cameras he was using to track you were being taken over, and he was quickly loosing visuals.

“Mirage, do you copy?”

“Mirage, what is your position.”

“Damnit Y/N, answer me!”

But he was met with silence.

And for the first time since Las Almas, Ghost felt truly afraid.

For what it was worth, you had heard Ghost yelling over comms. And you had wanted to respond to him, but the current circumstances made that harder than you would have liked.

There were soldiers shooting at you almost constantly, and maybe about two or three snipers on other buildings. And you had about five more stories to get down, not to mention an entire parking lot- which was swarming with soldiers, you checked- and somehow get back on the evac vehicle alive.

One step at a time.

Having cleared two floors already, you burst through a nearby office, breathing out a small sigh of relief when no one occupies it. Over the comms you hear a voice saying something, but it’s Price now instead of Ghost.

“Mirage, there’s a supply drop headed your way, what’s your location?” He doesn’t sound as worried, and you can’t help but wonder where Ghost went.

“I’m hidden in an office, sir. If there was a drop there would be no way for me to reach it without being ambushed.”

You’re met with silence for a moment, before Price comes back into your ear.

“Copy that, just get to the parking lot in one piece. We’ll take it from there.”

You just roll your eyes. As if that wasn’t your plan to begin with.

The stairs seem endless as you run, down flight after flight after flight. You seriously considered taking the elevator but decided against it- they were Russian, not stupid. Once you make it to the room you entered the building through you’re throughly disappointed to find it’s occupied by a few armed guards. Nothing you couldn’t handle, so long as you went out quietly.

Carefully, you made your way behind the first one, pulling one of the longer knives out of your thigh holster. In your other hand, you slip a throwing knife, crouching silently.

It takes a good few minutes before you’re able to make a move, throwing the knife in the eye of the guard at the door before you stab the one in front of you in the neck. The other two load their guns, but you’re faster, flinging two more throwing knives across the room into their heads. You allow yourself the time to collect your knives and slip out of the door, just in time to hear more gaurds enter behind you.

Close calls that just keep getting closer.

You’re able to see the parking lot now. And as you expected, it’s absolutely swamped with enemies. There were small cracks in the defenses, however, just small enough for you to slip through if you were careful.

You stuck to the shadow of the trees, figuring darkness was your best cover. Carefully, you picked your way through the ranks of men receiving instruction, having to duck to hide behind cars multiple times. Finally, you were close enough to make a break for it and just test your luck.

And that dammed supply drop just had to show up.

Immediately, it set off widespread panic, and in the chaos one of the soldiers stumbled over to your hiding spot. Before you understood what was going on you were being hoisted up by multiple soldiers and brought into the center of a light, surrounded by angry Russians who were yelling at you in one of the few languages you couldn’t understand.

Finally, one man walked up to you and said simply, “Where is the band of coonies you work for?” He looked kind of familiar, with almost a dad bod and dark eyes to match.

“Don’t respond, that’s our target.” Price insisted, and as if he could hear him, the target looked up to your ear.

“American.” He spat out the word like a curse, and looked at you with an even nastier scowl. “A shame, you are very pretty.” He said something in Russian, and the men all raised their guns and pointed them at you.

“Wait!” You shouted, and to your surprise, the target stopped. He turned to you slowly, and raised an eyebrow, signaling for you to continue. Carefully, you moved your hand to where the flash drive hid, pulling it out. It glinted red in the bright spotlights, and the target stopped dead in his tracks.

“What is that?” He asked, stalking closer to you.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” You teased further. God you had a bad habit of teasing men. Maybe it’s what got you into these situations.

“Give it to me,” He said, practically running at you.

“Mirage, whatever you’re about to do, don’t. Do it.” Price was yelling, and you could hear the chaos of the helicopter behind you.

“Listen to me, American girl. I will give you one chance to give me that flash drive. And maybe we will let you out alive.” The target stopped a good distance away from you, holding out his hand. You just smiled.

With a flick of your wrist, the flash drive was replaced with a pin. “Over my dead body.”

And a grenade went off- right where you were standing.

Authors Note: this is completely random but i've decided to open my inbox for requests, not just COD but across all fandoms, and i'm doing a bit of blog reorganizing so i'll get to them fairly quickly (tonight that is)

also don't hate me lol the next chapter will be out next week if all goes well

My Masterlist

#cod x reader #poly 141 x reader #task force 141 x reader #poly 141 #simon riley x reader #john price x reader #simon ghost x reader #john soap mactavish #kyle gaz garrick

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inkdrinkerworld · 10 months ago

Note

Wait I think you already got a similar request to the one I just sent in.. so maybe remus with reader who got made fun of?

“You’re so weird! Who even does that?” The words are practically yelled at you as you mock an audio that’s been stuck in your ear all day.

You hadn’t actually realized you’d said it out loud, but apparently the people sitting near you in the cafe had heard.

“I do,” you mumble meekly, feeling pressure building behind your eyes at the oncoming tears

“Well it’s very annoying. Some of us came here to socialise, not be bothered with some freak mocking people.”

“I’m not a freak,” you defend yourself staunchly, looking past the table to the door when you hear the bell ring. It’s Remus, he’s only a couple minutes late- two to be exact, most likely because he was looking for a parking spot.

But you know if he sees you like this, shoulders pulled up under your ears, eyes wide and wild and a little teary and your voice all sorts of stressed and tense that he’ll make this a thing.

“Hi dove,” he drops a kiss to your forehead as he pulls out the chair opposite you. “Those people giving you a hard time?”

You hadn’t even realised he’d assessed the entire situation. Remus is like this, hyper vigilant when he’s with you, and ready to defend and protect you to whatever end.

“No?” It comes out more like a question. You don’t want any more attention from them than you’ve already gathered.

“Telling me the truth?” You sigh and Remus leans onto the table, elbow and palm holding his head up as he looks at you.

It would take you till the time you’re leaving to realise what he’d done- blocked them from your view.

“My echolalia has been acting up a bit more and I’ve had audios in my head all day and they heard me saying some and started calling me ‘weird’ and a ‘freak’. Which I know isn’t true.”

“They’re dickheads. And mean. I’m sorry people are idiotic and judgy even though they don’t know you.”

You nod, reaching for your drink on the table. “Would you be mad if I asked to leave after you ordered?”

Remus tuts, “Not at all, angel. I’ll get you an extra pain au chocolat and we can go to the park or on the coast okay?”

You smile gratefully, beaming even more when Remus passes his hands through your hair and raises your chin a little.

“Thanks Remmy,” he shakes his head, standing so he’s towering over you a little.

“You’re welcome but that’s not necessary. I love you,” he kisses you before you can answer back and then goes place his order.

#remuslupin #remus lupin #remus lupin one shot #remus lupin fanfiction #remus lupin imagine #remus lupin blurb #remus lupin fluff #remus lupin drabble #remus lupin fic #remus lupin x black!reader #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin x you #remus lupin x yn #remus lupin x y/n

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chaoscharme · 1 year ago

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Self Care Activities that Actually Help

My list of practical, achievable and useful self care tips that will actually improve your mood instead of enabling you to wallow.

Reply to your correspondence

Often if we feel low or our motivation is down, we find it tricky to respond to messages and calls from others. This allows unopened messages to pile up which creates stress and even panic. Instead of trying to ignore this problem, set a timer for 15 minutes. Then give yourself those 15 minutes to respond to as many of those messages as possible, starting with the most urgent messages first. If you cannot complete all the messages, take a minute to reevaluate. Can you give yourself another 15 minutes to finish the task today? If not, that’s fine. Assign the task for tomorrow, and repeat the process when you feel refreshed. If you are not able to give a thorough response to all of your contacts, I recommend drafting a universal message to send, stating that you are currently occupied and you hope to offer them a more appropriate message over the coming days. You can tailor this message to suit your needs and circumstances, and it reduces the amount of pressure on you to offer explanations for your absences.

Wash your clothes

Take the clothes you are wearing off. All of them. Strip your bed. Gather up any towels or tea cloths you can find. Wash them all. I cannot overstate the benefit of living in a clean environment, and wearing clean clothes. Even if you can’t wash everything, wash the essentials, and make sure you are wearing fresh clothes from head to toe. You can swap pyjamas out for more pyjamas, what you wear doesn’t matter. Just make sure they’re clean.

Water

Drink a pint of water with nothing added, no fruit, no cordial, nothing. Just drink a pint of water in one sitting. You are almost definitely dehydrated, just like everyone else. Hydration provides mental clarity, energy, and even relives stress. It reduces pains and aches in the body. It helps quell nausea and heartburn. Water is the quickest and easiest way to reduce physical pain or discomfort throughout the day. By keeping hydrated, you’re improving your quality of life almost instantly.

Stretch in bed or on the sofa

The last thing most of us want to do when we feel low or unmotivated is going for a run, or working out at the gym. Instead of pushing yourself to get a serious or intense workout in, try some stretches you can do from the comfort of your bed or sofa. Stretches will help relieve tension in the body and can increase your energy throughout the day. You don’t have to do anything crazy, just a couple of simple, effective stretches will do the trick.

Eat a “healthy” carb

People so often try to avoid eating carbs as they think carbohydrates are inherently unhealthy. This is simply not the case. While carbohydrates are often used in the production of unhealthy treats such as cakes, cookies and pies, they are not fundamentally bad for you. Carbs are our main source of energy, and if you’re feeling low energy is exactly what you need. Try eating a healthier alternative to those instant sugar rush carbs, such as rice, wholemeal pastas or breads, potatoes or oats. You can add other ingredients to these meals, such as berries to oats or some veg to pasta, to make a more filling meal. Everyone eats differently, but we all need carbohydrates in our diet to provide energy and nutrition, alongside other food groups. Creating a balanced diet is much more important than eating “healthy” all the time. Respect your body by fuelling it appropriately and regularly.

Clean yourself as best you can

Have a shower. Take your makeup off. Brush your hair. Clip your nails. Put deodorant on. Brush your teeth. Wash your hands. You might not have the energy for a full “everything shower” but you can probably do one of the things listed above to make yourself feel better about yourself and your hygiene. Don’t berate yourself if you’ve gone a while without practicing any of these for a while, life can be pretty difficult. Just accept your current situation and try to better it as best you can with the energy you now have.

Please reach out to a trusted person or a qualified professional if you feel you need extra support for any reason. You are not alone and you do not need to suffer in silence. Support is there.

Mwah, Chaoscharme

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redux-iterum · 2 months ago

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Charred Legacy: Chapter Thirty-Three

(AO3 counterpart here.)

Bluestar was not informed about the dogs that night. In fact, no one spoke to her except Fireheart and Whitecloud. That was probably for the best.

“Still, we should keep her in camp,” Fireheart said to Whitecloud as he returned from the leader’s den. “What if she tries to go out and we’re not there to stop her?”

Whitecloud gave him a look that he didn’t quite know how to interpret, but he said, “That’s a sound idea. Let me and Speckletail decide where to put her, though.”

Fireheart thought that was perfectly fine, until the tom came into camp with Bluestar staggering along behind him. She was escorted to the elder’s den. No one remarked on this.

The night concluded as the snow picked up, but throughout the day Fireheart would wake up with a ball of stress in his chest. He’d manage to fall asleep again, only for the stress to grow into dread as he woke up later in the afternoon and the snow piled higher outside. Every time, he was too tired to figure out where these feelings were coming from.

He found out pretty quickly as dusk came.

“Help!”

Fireheart barely could open his eyes, his head swimming in exhaustion.

“Someone! Get up! Please!”

Aspenpaw’s voice, he realized as he lifted his head, was cracking with panic. Around him were the confused mumbles of the just-awoken. He forced himself to his feet, ignoring the dizziness in his sleep-deprived head, and exited the warrior’s den.

“What’s going on?” he asked, eyes still a little blurry. He blinked hard and managed to focus on the grey blob forming into a frightened Aspenpaw.

“They’re gone!” she cried, shaking hard enough for the downpouring snow to fall off of her sides. “Ashpaw and Brightpaw!”

Fireheart’s head cleared a little, barely enough for him to register her words. “What do you mean?”

“I’m so stupid,” Aspenpaw moaned, pacing in a circle, only to whip around and cry out again. “They said they wanted to do something about the dogs last night, and I didn’t think they were serious, but they’re gone! I didn’t say anything! Why didn’t I say anything?!”

“Easy, easy…” Fireheart raised a paw halfway up, trying a calming gesture despite his own steadily rising fear. “What specifically are they doing?”

“They wanted to find where the dogs are staying, I think—” Aspenpaw wobbled where she stood. “Oh, stars, I should’ve told someone—”

“We’re going to find them,” Speckletail said, stepping up beside Fireheart. “Take a breath, Aspenpaw. We’ll get them home.”

Aspenpaw breathed in deeply, choking a bit.

“Wait—” Frostfur nearly shoved past Fireheart, her eyes wide. “Brightpaw?”

“And Ashpaw,” Aspenpaw said miserably.

Frostfur’s back and tail bristled like she was about to be struck by a car.

“Oh, stars…” Swifttail now, looking no less panicked. “They’re going to get themselves killed!”

Frostfur silently bolted for the camp entrance, Swifttail close behind her. They disappeared through the tunnel before Fireheart could blink.

“Wait!” Speckletail shouted, chasing them until she stopped at the tunnel. She visibly forced her fur to relax and turned to the now fully-awake Clan gathered in the clearing. “I need three search parties to search the northern part of the forest. Who can go?”

“I can,” Fireheart said immediately, echoed by the rest of the warriors.

“I can!” Thornpaw called, having rushed out of the apprentice’s den at the shouting of Aspenpaw.

“Me too!” Brackenpaw stepped forward.

Speckletail shook her head. “This is too dangerous for apprentices.”

“But it’s our sister!” Brackenpaw protested.

“We hafta help,” agreed Thornpaw, standing tall. “Let us go on a patrol.”

“When you have your names,” Speckletail said firmly. “This is a warriors-only mission.”

The brothers opened their mouths to argue, but Snowpaw had finally awoken and was nudging both of them. They turned around to him chattering his teeth questioningly. Quickly, they explained the situation, their signing scrambled and blink-fast. Snowpaw jolted and started forward for the entrance, but Willowpelt blocked his path and shook her head when he looked at her.

“Teaselfoot, Willowpelt, and Darkstripe,” Speckletail said. “You three will come with me. Whitecloud, take Dustpelt, Lizardtail, and Sandstorm, and Fireheart, you take Mousefur, Ravenwing, and Greystripe. We’ll all go north unless we see prints leading elsewhere.” She turned to the remaining cats. “Stay close to camp until you get word otherwise. Keep the apprentices and elders safe. The rest of you, let’s go.”

The groups gathered quickly, Speckletail leading the way out. Brackenpaw and Thornpaw were still protesting when Fireheart passed through the briar tunnel and could no longer hear them.

Once everyone was out, Speckletail raised her tail for silence. She turned around to face all of them and spoke barely above a whisper.

“We don’t need the dogs to hear us coming,” she said. “Don’t call for Ashpaw and Brightpaw until you’re certain you’re on their trail and close enough to catch them.”

Fireheart shivered as fat snowflakes settled happily on his spine and shoulders. “And if we smell dogs?”

“Then hide,” Speckletail said simply. She jerked her head in a “come on” gesture, setting off at as fast of a run as she could go in the painfully thick blanket of snow on the ground, everyone doing their best to chase after her.

It was impossible to see anything in this weather: the snow was relentless in its efforts to cover the earth, the flakes cramming the air and forcing the warriors to shake their heads repeatedly to get snow out of their eyes. Combined with that, a winter’s fog had settled in the forest, silent, stiflingly cold, and painfully wet. Fireheart was shivering in moments, even moving as fast as he could.

The warriors reached the edge of the burned woods, and here Speckletail stopped. She didn’t say it out loud, but it was very clear she was looking for tracks in the perfectly pristine snow and was starting to flounder.

Fireheart stepped up and spoke. “My party can look at Snakerocks.”

“Oh—” Speckletail turned around and nodded quickly. “Yes, that’ll work. Whitecloud, take your party to the road closest to Fourtrees. We’ll look around the road past that.” She was still quiet, but her every word was emphasized. “None of you are to confront the dogs. If you see them, stay silent and hide or get away.”

“Even if they have the apprentices?” Dustpelt asked.

Grimly, Speckletail lowered her chin.

A unified shiver ran through the gathered cats.

“Let’s get moving.” Speckletail started forward, into the burned woods, her party behind her. Whitecloud went to the left, branching out past Speckletail and disappearing into the fog. Only Fireheart’s group stayed still for a moment, watching them go.

“We can’t just let them get killed,” Greystripe hissed. “We have to do something if we find them.”

“I agree,” Mousefur said, teeth gritted. “I’m not letting Brightpaw die.”

Fireheart used his paw in a calming gesture. “We need to find them first.” He stared into the woods, clicking his teeth. “But it’s impossible to tell in this weather where—”

“Here!”

Fireheart wasn’t sure whether to yell or sigh as he looked over and saw a pale ginger face rushing towards him, impressively quick for how high the snow stood around him.

“Cloudpaw, what are you doing?” Ravenwing stepped up by Fireheart’s side. “You need to go home—”

“Please let me help,” Cloudpaw said breathlessly. “I– I can find them.”

Greystripe stared at him. “How did you get out here without us hearing you?”

“It’s not hard.” Cloudpaw waved his paw dismissively, speaking to Fireheart now. “I found tracks going that way.” He pointed with his tail into the woods, in the direction of Snakerocks. “Let me go with you. Please.”

Greystripe squinted. “I don’t see tracks.”

“They’re that way, I swear.” Cloudpaw looked pleadingly to his uncle. “I can follow them. I promise I can help.”

Fireheart was aware of the many eyes on him now. He briefly reflected on the responsibility he had to make the right choice before breathing in slowly and then nodding.

“Take the lead,” he said.

Ravenwing balked. “Are you serious? He could get hurt!”

“Let’s see these tracks first,” Mousefur said to Ravenwing. “And sending him home alone, I think that’s a bad idea right now.”

“And I’ve seen him track,” Fireheart added as he hastened after Cloudpaw, who had already begun running to where he had pointed. “If anyone can find them, it’s him. He’s an asset right now.”

Ravenwing didn’t look particularly convinced, but he said nothing, just moved along with the party. Fireheart caught him questioningly looking at Greystripe. The big tom just rolled a shoulder and continued on.

“I don’t know if you heard Speckletail,” Fireheart said, catching up to Cloudpaw, “but we need to keep quiet, no matter what we see or hear.”

“I will, I promise.” Cloudpaw struggled through the snow. “Look, over there, that’s what I saw.”

Fireheart had to squint and crane his neck forward, but through the snowflakes and fog he thought he caught very faint imprints in the snow leading away from them.

“The snow, when it’s trampled, it flattens,” Cloudpaw explained. “So these are from the daytime, I think, and the snow couldn’t cover them up all the way.”

Fireheart took a moment to look at his nephew, impressed. “I never taught you that.”

“It’s super obvious.” Cloudpaw flicked his tail dismissively. “Here, c’mon, this way.”

Despite his ginger markings, the fluffy apprentice nearly blended into the snow, leaving his uncle to rely on the carved path through the stuff that was forming ahead of him. The party went single-file, Cloudpaw at the lead and Greystripe at the back. No one spoke for a long time, and with the effort it took to make any degree of advancement in this weather, time seemed to freeze along with the charred trees around them.

Then Cloudpaw stopped and swiveled his ears. “Did you hear that?”

The warriors stopped too. Fireheart strained his hearing as hard as he could. Faintly, far off in the distance, a high, desperate noise sounded off.

“That sounded like a scream,” Mousefur said. Her voice sharpened in fear. “Cloudpaw, hurry.”

Cloudpaw didn’t need convincing; he rushed forward, even as his breath turned to pants and weariness lowered his tail and ears. The warriors followed silently, all too afraid to say what they suspected that scream came from.

Or who, rather.

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed before the faint shape of the piled up Snakerocks was visible through the fog and snow. Nothing moved as they approached, which was lucky, because Cloudpaw suddenly cried out and fought violently to get through the obstruction of white powder.

“Cloudpaw!” Fireheart caught up to him. “We need to be quiet—”

“They’re hurt!” Cloudpaw looked up at his uncle desperately. “Can’t you smell that?!”

Fireheart paused and sniffed. Just smellable out of the wetness of the fog…

Brindleface’s torn-apart body flashed in front of his eyes.

He leaped forward, stumbling as he landed. Cloudpaw joined him quickly, the rest of the party close behind. Ravenwing was whispering something that sounded like a prayer.

They finally made it to the clearing around the treacherous rocks, and the smell of blood and meat clogged Fireheart’s nose before his eyes found its source.

Two fluffy bodies lay sprawled on one side of the stones. The grey one was in halves, most of the smell of carnage coming from him. The other was all red, her pretty ginger-and-white pelt completely coated. Blood oozed from her head and neck.

“Brightpaw!” Mousefur shouted, making Fireheart jump. The dusky molly shoved past him and rushed for her apprentice, pawing her and circling around her body. “Brightpaw, please be alive, come on—”

“H-hold on,” Ravenwing said unsteadily. He tottered forward, looking like he was fighting the urge to be sick. Joining Mousefur, he put his ear to Brightpaw’s mouth, paused, and then lifted his head again. “She’s breathing.”

“He’s not,” Greystripe said quietly, stepping up to Ashpaw. “Stars above…”

Fireheart, forcing himself out of his frozen state, looked at the apprentice beside him. Cloudpaw was staring between his friend and his brother, trembling like a leaf. Gently, Fireheart reached out a paw and brushed it against Cloudpaw’s shoulder. Cloudpaw didn’t react.

“I can smell the dogs.” Greystripe looked up to Fireheart, his face queasy. “We need to get out of here with these two, fast.”

Yes, that oily stink was strong. Fireheart took a breath and blinked hard to clear his mind. “Yeah, I agree. Let’s get their bodies together.”

A yowl of anguish made all of them jump; in an instant, Frostfur burst out of the twiggy undergrowth and trees, her eyes bulging and pale with horror. She was panting hard, like she hadn’t stopped running since she’d left camp. She paused only for a moment to flinch at Ashpaw’s remains before her eyes caught the pile of bloody fur before her.

“Brightpaw!” she wailed, scrambling to rush forward and stand over her daughter. She looked up desperately at Ravenwing. “Is she alive?!”

“She is,” Ravenwing said, startled. “Look, she’s still breathing.”

Frostfur whined and nosed Brightpaw. “Wake up, wake up—”

“Frostfur—” Fireheart hurried over to her, speaking kindly but as authoritatively as he could. “We need to get her home before the dogs return. Where’s Swifttail?”

Frostfur shook her head weakly. “I– I don’t know, we split off… He said he thought he heard Brightpaw, and he… he ran the other way, I just kept going…”

“Alright.” Fireheart placed a paw on her leg like he had done for Cloudpaw, speaking in a soothing voice. “It’ll be okay. Let’s take Brightpaw home.” He looked to Ravenwing. “Get Brightpaw on her back.”

Ravenwing, not looking much better than Frostfur, nodded numbly.

“Wait—” Mousefur stood up straight. “I can carry her.”

“We need an adult to try and find Swifttail,” Fireheart said, kind as he could. “And you catch scents faster than the rest of us.” Mousefur opened her mouth. “I don’t want to send Cloudpaw out with just one or two warriors to protect him. He needs to come home anyway.” Mousefur closed her mouth. Fireheart looked at Greystripe. “Go with her out in the direction we heard that scream. If you see or hear the dogs, turn around immediately.”

Greystripe dipped his head, the order seeming to recover some of his steadiness.

“Cloudpaw…” Fireheart turned to him and spoke softly. “Go home with Frostfur. Ravenwing, once you get Brightpaw on Frostfur’s back, can you help me carry Ashpaw?”

“I– yeah.” Ravenwing’s tail shook. “Yeah.”

Fireheart looked around the gathered cats. “Let’s hurry. Every heartbeat we spend standing here is a heartbeat too long.”

This got them into motion; Ravenwing assisted Frostfur with Brightpaw, and the molly set off with Cloudpaw trailing behind her in silence. Mousefur cast one painfully sad look at her apprentice before she and Greystripe disappeared back into the woods, heading east. Ravenwing and Fireheart met at Ashpaw’s remains, and the pair stood together for a moment, staring down at them.

“I can take the back half, if that’s easier for you,” Fireheart murmured to his friend.

Ravenwing shuddered with another numb nod.

Carefully, trying to keep his organs in what was left of his body, Fireheart picked up the rear half by the spine. He positioned his mouth so he wouldn’t touch any open flesh. Ravenwing held the rest by the scruff, eyes wet with grief.

Without saying a word, the pair walked in Frostfur’s trail. Neither noticed that the snow had lightened up to a slow drizzle, nor that the fog had lifted a little.

There wasn’t much reason to celebrate that. They had already found what they were looking for.

#warrior cats #cw mildly described gore #redux iterum #iterum #chapter #chapter thirty three #book three #arc one #charred legacy

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waters-and-the-wilde · 7 months ago

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okay i was thinking about. the way Juno and Nureyev think. like the way their minds complement each other is just so goddamn neat to me.

(I've touched on something like this before in my 'Nureyev's coping mechanisms backfiring when misapplied' post, the bit about 'Juno’s intelligence is geared toward gathering clues and then assembling narratives, getting good insight checks and putting together a bigger picture that Nureyev has trained himself out of being able to see. they’re both very good at reading people but Nureyev’s strength is being quick on his feet and handling people and situations in the moment while Juno is good at mapping people’s inner landscapes and motivations')

and now another thing that strikes me about Juno's whole detective brain thing is the way his knowledge and memory is incredibly interconnected and associative, the way little pieces crop up in his mind and he knows they're important but not necessarily why, and has to hang onto them until he can see how they fit. The way he basically lives for his 'I connected the dots!!!' moments. he doesn't seem to have the same command over recall the way Nureyev does -- Nureyev's being extremely deliberate and structured, whereas Juno's pattern recognition and responses to prompts and triggers look a lot more instinctive, even if it's just that the way he works has allowed that talent to flourish

And from there you have an equally fascinating contrast in how heavily Nureyev also relies on his knowledge and memory, and yet his method hinges on that ability to compartmentalize, and how the the pieces stay extremely discrete. it's like. Nureyev's constantly putting shit away in filing cabinets, and Juno's constantly leaving stuff around all the time because How Else Would He Know Where It Is, it'll be there when he needs it

and then that leads to fascinating stuff like Nureyev's knowledge being incredibly precise yet fragmented, very purposefully weighed and deployed in the scenario he knows how to apply it to. and how that catches him off the back foot so spectacularly in Man In Glass by relegating useful context as extraneous so thoroughly he literally dissociates it. In Juno's case, the way he can see how things relate to each other backfires on him when he gets carried away, jumps to conclusions without necessarily having the groundwork/evidence/ability to show his work and back it up

ALSO. jury's out on how much Nureyev has actually considered whether his 'focus on the guard not the queen' mentality was shooting himself in the foot before Man In Glass but. something something Train From Nowhere 'i trust your eyes, for a start. and I trust your mind! a master detective's' etc. I get the sense that he recognizes what Juno does as a strength and a complementary skill (at least initially/on an instinctive level/when he's at his best. obv there's still him getting stuck on his Rules of Thieving/forgetting to listen/getting condescending and dismissive under stress but i think that sorta highlights the whole point that they're at their best when they're confident in that trust in each other.)

(also given the CMP heist it's not exactly just Nureyev and I kinda have to wonder if maybe the Aurinkos have Juno's jumping to conclusions tendency work great sometimes and then backfire a bunch of others so they can't always let him have a full head of steam at a precarious moment. i know i've seen ppl get frustrated about that bit and like yes it is a frustrating device but it still strikes me as different from the way that sort of thing is usually deployed, in that it has plenty of plausible grounding in the characterization and communication styles)

like yes i'm a simple man i go bonkers for them being competent at their chosen skills but 'we work well together' is such a cornerstone of their relationship and the way their minds are so different and dovetail so effectively is just. the drift compatibility is built into their psyches and it's absolutely *chef's kiss*

#the penumbra podcast #juno steel #peter nureyev #tpp #jupeter

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neo-my-geo · 1 year ago

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Hey gang, it’s your old pal Neo here. If you know me, it’s probably from one of the several very stupid TF2 comics I’ve posted to Tumblr.

However! I am also an English major (unfortunately). One who has read millions of words worth of fanfiction in their life. I have been part of the Sherlock, BNHA, Disco Elysium, and, of course, TF2 fandoms; I’ve been around the block.

The further I’ve progressed into my English education, the more I’ve noticed which mistakes are the most common in fanfiction. Many of them are easily fixable; writers just need to be pointed in the right direction.

“Neo! Does this mean you think people shouldn’t be allowed to post their works online without a background in formal English education?”

Of course not! I can explain why if you’d care to venture below the cut with me!

Yes, I will explain how to use commas.

It’s important to note that this is NOT a post about formal writing. You aren’t writing an essay. Please, for the love of god, do not write fiction like you’re writing an essay.

There are no stakes to writing fanfic. No one is going to get hurt if an author doesn’t know what a dangling participle is. One of my favourite things about fanfiction is that it’s one of the only art forms left that’s done exclusively for fun! You should write what you enjoy, and share what you make with like-minded people.

What I want to do is provide assistance as best I can to writers who want to improve their fundamentals without having to take the same university courses I did. Nobody is going to be getting a formal education to write fanfiction unless they’re ridiculously dedicated, and I’m not expecting that of anyone.

The point I need to stress is that knowing these grammar fundamentals can instantly improve the flow of your writing. Punctuation is a ridiculously important tool for writers, ESPECIALLY in fiction. Commas, semicolons, and full stops (including periods, exclamation points, and question marks) steer the pacing in the reader’s mind; did you notice how your brain stopped for a second after that semicolon? I can show you how to do that.

You may be wondering why I’m going through so much effort to teach all of this to strangers on the internet. The answer is that I enjoy sharing this knowledge with others and helping them grow. By seeing this, my goal is to help you become more proficient at self-editing. Showing this to people who actually want to learn will, hopefully, benefit the community as a whole, and I think that’s very worth it.

Also, while this post is obviously themed around TF2, the points I’m making can be applied to any fiction. Grammar is for everyone, and the church of the semicolon always has room for more initiates.

Also also, as an edit, I should clarify that this is meant to cover the more objective facets of self-editing, which is why I'm mostly covering punctuation. Maybe I'll do another post about using adjectives someday.

With that out of the way, let’s get going!

I’ve teamed up with several English teachers (real ones! One of which may or may not be my mom!) and an editor to gather a list of the most common problems we see in amateur fiction. This post is going to be split into three broad sections: apostrophes, commas/semicolons, and other common problems.

The apostrophe

This section is short, but it holds weight. Other than commas, apostrophes are the most typoed grammatical tool in any fanfiction I’ve edited. This is because, much like the rest of English, the rules surrounding them can be annoying and inconsistent.

Apostrophes have two main uses: possessives and conjunctions.

A possessive is a word that denotes the ownership of one thing over another. The vast majority of the time, this is done using an apostrophe and an S.

There is, however, one glaring exception to this rule, and it’s the bane of my existence.

When denoting possession of an object over something else while using the pronoun ‘it,’ you do NOT add an apostrophe before the S.

A conjunction, on the other hand, is when a writer uses an apostrophe to combine two words. The following are examples of common conjunctions:

What’s (what is)

They’re (they are)

It’s (it is)

Conjunctions are not often used in formal writing. Thankfully, we aren’t dealing in formal writing. Go crazy.

Time for a lightning round of the most commonly mistaken for each other possessives and conjunctions!

Your is possessive. You’re is a conjunction of ‘you’ and ‘are.’ When you can’t decide which one to use, imagine replacing it with ‘you are’ and seeing if it makes sense. If it doesn’t, use your.

Their is possessive. There indicates a location. They’re is a conjunction of ‘they’ and ‘are.’

The comma and the semicolon

You knew it was coming. I knew it was coming. It’s time to talk about commas.

Commas and semicolons are far and away the biggest grammatical hole in the toolset of fanfiction writers everywhere. They’re often treated like the rules surrounding them are complicated and difficult to understand, but the exact opposite is true!

The big issue I’ve heard time and time again is that the rules of commas are often explained through metaphor instead of example; this means that writers everywhere have slightly different ideas of how you’re supposed to use them. The fact of the matter is that, yes, there are correct and incorrect ways to use commas. Knowing when they’re appropriate and when they aren’t is easily the fastest way to bring your writing from looking amateurish to sounding professional and experienced.

In order to know how to use a comma, you must first understand the difference between a dependent and an independent clause.

An independent clause is a section of writing that functions perfectly well as its own sentence. It MUST have both a subject and an action/verb.

A sentence without an independent clause is known as a fragment, and they’re the bane of English teachers with highlighters everywhere.

A dependent clause is a section of writing that does not have both a subject and an action; it does not function as its own sentence.

Now, let’s say you want to combine the two. When joining a dependent clause to an independent clause, the order in which they are placed is crucial to whether you use a comma or not.

When joining a dependent to an independent with the independent clause first, you do not need to use a comma.

When joining a dependent to an independent with the dependent clause first, you MUST use a comma.

Keep in mind that, if one strives for total grammatical perfection, all narrative sentences MUST have an independent clause. This, however, does not apply to dialogue. Human beings do not think about whether what they’re saying is a dependent clause, and neither would the vast majority of fictional characters. Don’t be afraid to break the rules of grammar as long as it’s contained within quotation marks.

Alright, that’s the easy part. Time to learn about joining two independent clauses. It’s semicolon time, baby!

If you join two independent clauses without properly using a comma or a semicolon, it is a run-on sentence. You do not want these in your writing. They’re awkward to read and mess up the flow.

When joining two independent clauses, you can use EITHER a comma or a semicolon. You just need to follow these rules:

If you’re joining two independent clauses with a comma, you MUST use a joining word (and, but, so, etc.) AFTER the comma.

If you’re joining two independent clauses with a semicolon, you do NOT need to use a joining word.

Did you know that a sentence with a comma counts as its own independent clause? This means that you can make a sentence that includes a mix of both without it being a run-on! Just make sure that, no matter what, the semicolon is between two independent clauses.

Still, try not to write more than two clauses in a sentence too often. Sentences with a lot of punctuation are very attention-grabbing, but shouldn’t be overused. Full stops aren’t your enemy and variety is the spice of life.

It’s also important to remember that you should avoid using more than one comma in a clause (with the exception of the rule below). That part loops back to the 'avoiding run-ons' bit.

It’s really that easy!

Commas are also used in informal writing to inject a separate thought or descriptor mid-sentence without breaking the flow by adding a period. This is often used when describing the perspective of a character experiencing something in a story, but not (usually) when using omniscient perspectives.

The final issue I frequently see with commas in fanfiction is in regards to dialogue. Sometimes you end it with them, and sometimes you don’t. What gives?

Well, my friend, the answer is, thankfully, much simpler than the previous section.

When following dialogue with a dialogue tag, use a comma instead of a full stop. If you’re continuing the previous sentence after the tag, use a comma after it as well.

Note that a dialogue tag is a short phrase that identifies the speaker. It isn’t a complete sentence on its own.

When following dialogue with an action that does not serve as a dialogue tag, use a full stop instead of a comma.

Other common problems

This section is dedicated to putting specific grammatical errors into words, along with how to solve them.

Not sticking to the chosen point of view

Always choose your point of view before you start. Is it in the first, second, or third person? Is it omniscient or limited? Does the point of view switch during the story?

First person perspective is told as if the POV character is directly describing their experience to the reader. The character uses I and we to describe their own actions.

Second person perspective is told as if the reader is a character in the story and their actions are being described to them. This is the rarest, and the most difficult to write.

Third person perspective is the most common and the simplest to write. The events of the story are a separate entity from the reader altogether and the narrator uses they/he/she/it pronouns for characters.

Omniscient perspective means the narrator of the story knows all, including the thoughts and feelings of each character.

Limited perspective means the narrator of the story only knows what the POV character knows.

Past and present tense

When you decide between writing a story in past or present tense, it is crucial that you do not switch between them unless it is narratively intentional. Reading a past tense story that mistakenly switches to the present tense is like being pulled out of the room someone is telling a story in and suddenly taking part in it yourself. It’s disorienting and gives the reader unwanted pause.

Overly-long paragraphs

A common adage spread by English teachers is that most paragraphs should be at least eight sentences long. This is great advice for beginner essays. You’re writing fiction.

If you have a new thought, start a new paragraph! A concise and well-read single-sentence paragraph is infinitely better than one that drags a thought for too long. Aim to have a blend of paragraph lengths when you write, alternating between the descriptive and the punctual.

Dangling participles

A dangling participle is when a word is used to describe a noun that isn’t actually present in the sentence. Much like how a sentence without an action isn’t grammatically correct, neither is a sentence without a subject.

Malapropisms

A malapropism is when an author mistakenly uses one word or phrase instead of another similar-sounding one. I’m not about to list every single malapropism ever made, but these are the ones I notice most often:

To comprehend is to understand something, to apprehend is to arrest someone, and to be apprehensive is to be anxious or fearful of something bad happening.

Could care less means you do care. Couldn’t care less means you don’t.

A lot means a large amount of something. Alot isn’t a word and you shouldn’t use it.

The only real solution to using malapropisms is to make sure you fully understand any words you use in your writing. Never guess, and make sure you always google it. Having beta readers also helps.

If you made it this far, congratulations! You now know the most common errors in amateur fiction and how to solve them! Thank you for listening to me complain for two thousand words.

The most important thing to remember is that it’s okay to make mistakes. First drafts are always gonna be a little bad. The real key to success is knowing what your end goal is, and how you plan on achieving it. Here’s hoping this was a helpful tool for that!

Shoutout to @salmonandsoup for helping me think of the list of issues to address! You're a real one. Also shoutout to my mom, who doesn't have Tumblr. Also the third person. You know who you are.

#grammarposting #tf2 #grammar #educational shitpost #writing #fanfic #fanfiction #writing advice #fanfiction writing advice #team fortress 2 #tf2 fanfiction #bro your participle is dangling

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clangenrising · 7 months ago

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Month 16 - Greenleaf

Prev | First | Next

When Aldertail had volunteered to go herb gathering with him, Oddstripe had been delighted but he had definitely expected her to get tired and lose interest by this point. The day was hot but there was a nice breeze and, as they meandered the territory looking for patches that hadn’t already been harvested, Oddstripe couldn’t help but smile.

“Y’know, I’d really love to find some thyme or juniper,” he said, hopping over a stone in his path.

“What do those do?” Aldertail asked, carefully picking her way after him. Her legs were the best he’d ever seen them. There was almost no redness and the fur had nearly grown back in. Oddstripe was so proud.

“Thyme is very calming and juniper berries are just all around useful. On top of being calming, they soothe belly aches, help with coughs, and they can even treat aching joints when mixed with the proper herbs. I’d love to get some for Sagetooth.”

Aldertail’s ears pressed back briefly. “Mm, would that help?”

“Oh, yes,” Oddstripe nodded. “When she isn’t suffering from her aches, she’s really, actually very kind. It can just be hard for her to stay that way when she’s in a lot of pain.”

“I guess,” Aldertail shrugged. “I feel like you don’t just start being mean to people though, if that makes sense.”

“I get what you mean,” said Oddstripe, “but something you have to remember is that your body and your mind aren’t two separate entities. They’re both you and they influence each other.” Aldertail winced in an attempt to seem less skeptical. Oddstripe laughed a little and tried to think of a better way to explain. “Oh, for example, when your mind starts to run wild, you feel sick to your stomach right?”

“Yeah,” Aldertail nodded.

“So that’s your mind influencing your body!” Oddstripe grinned. “But the inverse is also possible. Like, if you’re very scared, we do those deep breaths and the act of calming your body calms your mind.” Aldertail hummed thoughtfully. “So when Sagetooth’s body aches it makes it harder for her to control the way she speaks to people. You’re right that it doesn’t make her something she isn’t but it’s also not entirely her choice. Even I can get snappy when I’m stressed or ill.”

“Really?” Aldertail didn’t seem convinced. “I can’t picture you snappy.”

Oddstripe blushed and laughed as he replied, “Oh, that’s very sweet of you.”

“It’s true,” she said. “You’ve only ever been kind and gentle.”

“Well, I’ve been lucky that I’ve never felt ill enough to snap at you,” he said, full of pride.

“Mm,” Aldertail chewed her lip. “So where would we find juniper berries?”

“Hmm,” Oddstripe scrunched up his face in thought. “I know a place they’ll definitely be but its a bit of a distance. Would you still want to come along?”

“Of course!” she nodded vigorously. “I like learning about medicine.”

“Really?” asked Oddstripe.

“Mhm,” nodded Aldertail. “It’s so… powerful. I can’t imagine being able to do what you do.”

“Oh, it’s really not that hard to learn,” Oddstripe said, changing course. “I’ll show you.”

As they made their way towards the juniper bushes, Oddstripe went over all of the basics he could think of. Healing was something he was intensely passionate about and Aldertail indulged him in his ramblings for the entirety of their walk. Oddstripe couldn’t remember the last time someone had let him ramble like this. It felt amazing.

They crossed the eastern border and Oddstripe assured Aldertail that everything would be alright. Eventually, the grass petered out and the earth beneath their paws turned to dry, sunbaked mud patterned with cracks and ridges. Oddstripe smiled at the feeling of it under his paws. It had been too long since he’d stepped foot in the desert and he had missed it. They passed little burrows and scurrying lizards and dry looking shrubs and then finally came across the big juniper bush.

“Tada!” Oddstripe declared, unfurling his tail towards the cloudless sky.

“This is a juniper bush?” Aldertail asked, glancing around its leaves as if something would jump out.

“Mhm!” he purred. “The berries near the bottom are usually gone because creatures eat them but we can jump up and snag a few branches to take home. Maybe we could even plant one closer to the territories.”

“That would be a good idea,” Aldertail squirmed. “I don’t like this place.”

“Really?” asked Oddstripe, tilting his head.

“Yeah, it’s too open,” she shuddered. “Let’s hurry up and go home.”

“Alright,” he frowned worriedly. He’d never considered that someone might not enjoy being able to see the world stretch out endlessly around them. He bunched his legs underneath him and sprang into the bush, but failed to grab onto any of the branches. “Mousedung. Let me try again.”

He jumped again, this time snagging a branch in his teeth, and his weight pulled it down to a place where Aldertail could help him snap it off. He handed the branch over to her and tried again. The leaves rattled as he fell through them, this time taking another two tries before he caught another branch in his claws. It nearly slipped and he had to scramble to clamp his jaws down around it, smearing berry juice all over his muzzle.

“Are you okay?” asked Aldertail.

“Uh huh,” he said awkwardly. “‘Ah you ‘reah ih?”

“Oh, right! Sorry!” Aldertail hurried forward to start chewing through the branch.

“S’alrigh’,” he chuckled, feeling silly. She met his eyes and flushed pink, quickly averting her gaze to focus on her work. He laughed again. She was such a sweetheart.

A voice startled them both. “You shouldn’t be out here.”

Aldertail squeaked and flattened herself against the ground. Oddstripe tried to turn around but struggled to do so without letting go of the branch which didn’t occur to him at all. The cat who had spoken, thankfully, stepped to the side into his view. She was a plain looking grey tabby with bright, golden eyes, and she was watching them with an expression that read to Oddstripe as professional.

“Oh, sahhy,” he tried to say around the branch in his teeth.

A small smile poked at the edges of the stranger’s lips and she glanced carefully at Aldertail before asking, “Would you like a paw?”

“Mm!” Oddstripe grinned and nodded clumsily. “Mhm!”

The stranger chuckled softly, dropping her gaze to her paws for a moment, before she stepped up and swatted the branch where Aldertail had been chewing it. The force of the blow was enough to snap it and Oddstripe stumbled away as the rest of the branch sprang noisily back into place. Aldertail squeaked again, and scrunched herself closer to his side.

He laid his tail over her back, dropped the branch, and then licked his muzzle before speaking. “Thank you! I really appreciate the help. My name’s Oddstripe, what’s yours.”

“Oscar,” the she-cat smiled with a polite dip of her head. “I’m glad to be of assistance but I really must urge you to leave this place.”

“Oh?” asked Oddstripe, ears perking. “What for?”

“This is coyote territory,” she said, scanning the area with a sharp gaze. “You aren’t safe here.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize the coyotes had come so far west,” Oddstripe said.

“You live here?” asked Oscar, brow furrowing.

“No, no, but I used to live near here,” he said. “Now I’m out in the grasslands.”

“I see,” Oscar nodded. “Well, I must insist you return home, for your own safety.”

“We will, thank you,” smiled Oddstripe.

Oscar glanced around again and said, “Should you require an escort, I would be happy to oblige.”

“I don’t think it would hurt,” Oddstripe said. “Aldertail, honey, is that alright with you?” Aldertail simply shrugged, eyes wide enough to show the whites.

Oddstripe’s ears drooped in pity. “Oh, you poor thing. Here, let’s head back to camp.” He licked her cheek and helped her stand, then handed her one of the juniper sprigs to carry. Having something in her mouth would keep her occupied, he thought. Picking up his own branch, he glanced at Oscar and said, “It’s just this way.”

“I follow your lead,” she deferred with a bow of the head. Oddstripe blushed, a silly little flutter dancing in his stomach. Something about her seemed right out of a story. He’d never felt that way before.

Shrugging it off, he led the way, tail wrapped around Aldertail’s leg reassuringly. She stayed close to his side, ears flat against her skull, and Oscar stayed on the opposite side of him, at least two tail lengths away. Oddstripe wanted to walk closer but the distance was probably best for Aldertail. How considerate of their new companion, he thought.

“So, Oscar,” he asked, able to speak around the sprig this time, “why are you out here in coyote country?”

“I’m patrolling,” she said. “I look for creatures like you and give them the warning.”

“Creatures?” Oddstripe chuckled but Oscar nodded seriously.

“Yes. Anything I can speak to. Cats, deer, snakes, most birds.”

“Wow!” Oddstripe marveled. “That’s amazing! I didn’t realize you could talk to those kinds of things.”

“It’s simple if you have a teacher,” said Oscar humbly.

“It seems most things are,” laughed Oddstripe.

It wasn’t long before they reached the edge of the grass again. Oscar stopped under a scrubby little tree and said. “I should return to my patrol. Will you be able to get home from here?”

“Oh, yes,” nodded Oddstripe. “Thank you so much, Oscar, it was lovely to meet you.”

She shook her head. “I’m simply doing my duty.”

“Well, thank you anyway,” said Oddstripe. She smiled, dipped her head in a polite bow, and then turned and bounded back into the desert. Oddstripe watched her go like he was trying to catch every last moment of her before she disappeared forever. Eventually, her shape disappeared into the shimmering edge of the horizon.

“Oddstripe?” asked Aldertail quietly.

“Oh,” he blinked and looked down at her. “Yes, dear?”

“I’d like to go home, is that okay?”

“Oh, of course it is,” he said, “let’s go home.”

“Sorry.”

“No, no, that’s alright. Sorry I got distracted.”

“What was her deal?” Aldertail asked, craning her head to see if she could spot Oscar in the distance.

“I don’t know,” Oddstripe breathed softly, doing the same.

#clangenrising #clangen #clan gen #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #clangen oc #clan gen oc #Oddstripe #Aldertail #Oscar #Greenleaf

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shuadotcom · 2 years ago

Text

Polaroid Love | KMG

Summary: The prospect of meeting Mingyu’s family has you feeling a new emotion that you’ve never felt with anyone else.

Pairing: Kim Mingyu x GN!Reader

Genres & AUs: Fluff, slice of life, established relationship au, college au

Rating: PG15

Warnings: Profanity, a make-out scene, mention of something suggestive but otherwise just fluffy

Words: 4.8k

Note: This was supposed to be posted on Mingyu’s birthday, but life happened so here it is now! Thank you to my wonderful beta @playmetheclassics ily Indi mwah! 😘 This banner took me like an hour to make in canva and I’m very proud of it thank you very much. Anyway I love Mingyu 🙂

Net tag: @kflixnet

“Please? It'll be fun!”

“No.”

“Please? You just have to show up and talk to a couple of my family members. It's not a big deal.”

“Mingyu, no.”

“Pleaseeee!”

“I said no, Gyu!”

A chorus of shushes is heard after your outburst, along with glares from the other library patrons. Bowing your head quickly, you whisper apologies while your boyfriend giggles from next to you. A light pinch to his thigh stops him, though.

“Ow!” Mingyu whines, rubbing the sore spot. “That hurt! You're always so mean.”

Rolling your eyes at his dramatics, you stare at your book again. “Don’t be such a baby.”

He’s about to respond when you’re interrupted by your best friend and roommate nearly colliding with your table.

“Did you guys hear!?” Jeongyeon is out of breath as she harshly whispers at you.

“Did we hear what, that you're in love with Park Jimin? The whole campus knows.” You laugh and dodge the pen she throws at you.

“No, smartass! We're going away for spring break.”

“Who is we?”

“All of us! You two, me, Soonyoung, Hansol, Junhui, everyone. Jeonghan was able to convince Seungcheol to help drive us all to the beach for the break.”

“How the hell did he accomplish that? I remember when we brought it up a few months ago, Seungcheol said he’d rather do a pop quiz every day over break before taking all of us anywhere.”

Jeongyeon shrugs. “Who knows? You know Cheol can never say no to Jeonghan.”

“How many vans do you think we'll need to get?” Mingyu asks, leaning over the table in excitement.

Jeongyeon taps her finger against her chin in thought. “Maybe two? There’ll be fifteen of us, so it depends on how many seats they have.”

“Oh, only fifteen? I would’ve thought Jimin would be coming,” you tease, watching her get flustered at another mention of her crush’s name.

“I - I don’t even know what he’s doing for the break.”

“Ask him and see if he’s free. Maybe if you're lucky, you guys will get to sit next to each other for the whole drive.” You watch Jeongyeon's eyes widen, and you can practically hear her mind running at full speed in thought. “Well, I'll leave you with that thought. I'm off to lunch.” You stand up and gather your books with Mingyu right behind you.

“Poor Noona. You’ve left her in there to stress about how she’ll ask Jimin-hyung on the trip," he chuckles, throwing an arm over your shoulders.

Rolling your eyes, you wave off his concern. “She’s fine, I promise. She’s been into him for about two years and frothing at the mouth for a chance to get closer to him. He likes her too if the way he practically drools over her whenever they are within a five-foot radius of each other is any indication. One of them needs to suck it up and ask the other out because they're torturing themselves.”

“If it’ll help, I can talk to Jungkook about it during class later and see if I can get him to mention it to him.”

“Good idea, Gyu,” you praise him, placing a kiss on his hand that’s dangling over your shoulder.

He squeezes your shoulder in response, pulling you closer to his body. “Don’t worry about it. The only thing you need to worry about is picking out an outfit.”

Skeptically you crane your neck up to look at him, brows furrowed. “For what?”

“For my family reunion.”

“No.”

“Please?!”

“I said no. I'm not going.”

“But-”

“No.” You reach the cafeteria then and slip from Mingyu’s embrace. He has a class in the building next door, so you know he won’t pester you anymore for at least an hour.

“Baby!”

“See you later, Gyu!” You blow him a kiss and slip inside before he can say anything else.

The rest of the week is crammed with last-minute assignments, everyone making plans for spring break, and Mingyu bringing up the family reunion any chance he gets.

It's not that you don’t want to go because you dislike Mingyu's family or anything. You’ve never actually met them, which in itself is the real problem. What if they don’t like the way you look? What if they don’t think you’re good enough for Mingyu? What if they end up hating you completely?

You’re not usually one to worry too much about what people think of you, but the idea of anyone as close to Mingyu as his family not liking you fills you with an immeasurable amount of dread. You’ve been dating for nearly a year, and you care about him more than anyone else you’ve ever been with. You’re lucky enough to have been able to fall into his friend group so easily and get along with everyone, but his family is so much deeper than that. You’re not sure you can handle someone like his mom taking one look at you and deciding you’re not right for her son.

You have a few weeks before the reunion, so you figure if you can deny him enough times, he'll forget about it and stop bringing it up. So far, your plan is failing miserably, though, as every other day, he’s bringing it up in person or sending you message after message about it.

You’ll be the first to admit that you have a problem opening up and talking about your feelings. You tend to bottle your emotions up inside, keeping them tucked close to you and have been that way as long as you can remember. Because of this, you’ve yet to tell Mingyu the real reason you keep turning him down, at least not yet, not until you can gather the courage to dive into your feelings more.

It’s been a week since you’ve been trying to deter the reunion conversation with Mingyu, at times even turning down hanging out with him completely to doge the topic, citing you being too busy with assignments, which is half-true. Running from your feeling is the other half of that excuse, but he doesn’t need to know that yet.

After your last class on Friday ends, you head to the library, hoping to finish your homework before meeting Jeongyeon for dinner and starting the weekend. While you’re on the last question of your sociology assignment, a noticeable shadow appears over your table. When you glance up, Wonwoo, Mingyu’s roommate, is staring down at you with a stoic expression.

“Yes?”

“Mingyu is very distressed.”

“And?”

“And you should fix it. He's been moping around our room all day and blowing up the group chat nonstop. He keeps whining about how you won't go to his family reunion and meet his family.”

“He's a drama queen,” you mumble. Wonwoo sighs and leans over the table in front of you. Wonwoo is probably one of the guys in your large group of friends you were closest with, besides your boyfriend, of course. The tall, dark-haired man seemed intimidating and cold when you first met, but his looks are deceiving. Wonwoo is nothing but sweet and funny and has proven to be a great listener when you needed to vent when Jeongyeon or Mingyu weren’t around.

“He really likes you, you know. He doesn't shut up about you when you're not around, and it kind of makes the rest of us want to strangle him.” Wonwoo lets out a laugh and looks back at you as you avoid his gaze.

“Look, he wants you to meet his family because he's serious about you. He's only dated three other people in his whole life, and none of them met his family beyond maybe his parents and sister here and there. He never even mentioned bringing any of them around his entire family, so think about that.” He stands upright after his words, giving you one more look.

“I don’t want to pry, so I won’t ask you to tell me why you won’t go, but just know it’s more important to him than he’s probably said to you.” With that, Wonwoo sends you a wave that you feebly return before leaving you alone in your corner of the library.

The thought of just how important the reunion is to Mingyu hadn’t been something you thought about. And the knowledge of you being the only partner of his to meet his whole family has butterflies taking flight in your stomach and dread washing over you. Something new and foreign stirs in your chest at that moment, which has your mind whirling.

Quickly, you stand up and gather your things, sending a brief text to Jeongyeon to bring dinner to your shared room because you have something very important to discuss with her.

Your dorm building is just as busy as it usually is when you get inside, with students kicking soccer balls in the hallways, leaving their doors open while they blast music, or loitering in the halls and chatting. You take the stairs to the second floor to successfully dodge Joshua, who you glimpse heading into the elevator down the hall. Wonwoo had only cornered you to give you a small lecture, but you’re sure Joshua won’t hesitate to bring it up and try to press a little as to why you keep turning Mingyu down.

When you round the corner of your hall, you spot Jeongyeon already there, hanging outside your room while conversing with one of the younger men in your group of friends.

“Beat it, Chan.”

“What?” A look of surprise flashes over his face as he looks between the two of you.

“You heard me. Leave.”

“But earlier this morning Jeongyeon-noona said I could eat dinner with you guys tonight!”

“Yeah, well, Jeongyeon and I have something very important to discuss, and you're not invited.” His intense pout instantly makes you feel bad.

“Sorry, Chan,” you sigh. “I just really have to talk to her about something that’s kind of an emergency. Can we take a rain check?” You soften your tone, hoping to lessen his disappointment.

Chan glances at Jeongyeon, who shrugs. “Alright, fine,” he relents. “But you have to buy me a snack next time for being mean.”

“Deal,” you roll your eyes at both him and the smirk on his face. “I think your boyfriend needs some company anyway. Bye!” He meets your gaze, chuckling at the face you give him, which you know is one of exasperation. You wait until he’s down the hall before turning to face Jeongyeon.

“I guess you weren't joking in your text about something ‘life-changing and imperative’. What's going on?” She asks as she unlocks the door.

“Well, I haven't told you something because I just wanted to keep it to myself because I hoped it would go away soon, but Mingyu is stubborn, so it hasn't.”

“Which is exactly why you two are meant for one another.” You shoot Jeongyeon a look and snatch one of the bento boxes from her hands.

“Could you hang back on the sarcasm while I talk? And just let me get it all out first.”

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead. I'm all ears.”

You each sit on your respective beds facing each other, and you let the word vomit flow. You recount Wonwoo’s words about the family reunion to her and what he had told you about Mingyu’s past partners, and how much this all means to him. You also let out your feelings that you’ve been trying to keep to yourself - about your insecurities and worries about making a good impression and the guilt nagging at you every time you turn Mingyu down.

“This is just so important to him, and I can't even do this one thing! The thought of all of those people there judging me for my major or the way I look or the outfit I decide to wear, or literally anything about me! It's way too overwhelming, and every time I think about it, I go into panic mode, and I start to feel anxious and itchy. I’m terrified that they won’t like me, Jeongyeon.

“What if they try to tell Gyu to break up with me or something? What if we get there, and he sees me being weird and awkward, and I make a bad impression, and he decides that I’m not who he thought I was, and he wants to break up with me on his own? But then I’m so guilty about disappointing him and not going, and I feel like I lose whether I say no to him or whether I go and then fuck everything up. I just don't know what to do!” You let out a groan and flop backwards on the bed. Your forgotten dinner, now getting cold, jostles on the bed next to you.

The room is quiet for a few minutes before Jeongyeon speaks. “You love him.”

You sit up so quickly that your head starts to hurt. “What did you say?”

“I said you love him. That's why you feel so guilty and are so confused. I've known you since we were teenagers, Y/n. You are one of the most stubborn people I have ever met. When you don't want to do something, you simply don't, and you don't give it much of a second thought. Of course, you consider doing things you don’t want to for me and your other friends, but this is different!”

Jeongyeon hops off her bed to sit next to you, offering you a comforting back rub. “You feel the way you do because you love Mingyu, and you’re scared that his family won’t like you, which will break your heart, and you don’t want to lose him.”

You don’t respond to her, so she continues.

“If you want my opinion, I think you should go to the reunion. If you want to stay with Mingyu and keep this relationship going, you’ll have to meet his family eventually. You can’t hide from them forever if you stay together. Plus, I’m willing to bet he feels the same. Mingyu looks at you as if you are an actual ethereal being and like you’re the center of his world. I don’t think you have to worry about his reaction when and if you decide to tell him the truth about everything you’re feeling.”

Jeongyeon’s expression is soft as she looks at you, waiting for your response and giving you time to process everything.

Do you love Mingyu? Sure, you love spending time with him. He’s the most attentive, sweetest, kind-hearted partner you’ve ever had. He pays attention to every detail about you, whether your likes and dislikes or silly, arbitrary things. Every day with him feels like a dream, and you often wonder how the hell you got so lucky to end up with a boyfriend as amazing as Kim Mingyu.

Being with Mingyu is the happiest you’ve ever been, and the idea of loving him - of him being the first person you’ve ever been in true, genuine love with is uncharted waters for you. The mere idea of losing him leaves a gaping hole in your chest - the hypothetical of that situation alone makes your eyes water. Not hugging Mingyu? Not holding hands or sharing laughter with him? Not seeing his beautiful, perfect face in the morning as he snores just the tiniest bit? You and Mingyu haven’t been together for that long, but any world where you have a Mingyu-shaped piece missing from your life isn’t one you ever want to think about.

As if sensing you deep in thought, Jeongyeon gives you a final pat before leaving you alone. She grabs the rest of her dinner, letting you know she’ll be back later and mumbling something about “finally having a breakthrough and needing to take care of something.” You bid her farewell with a simple nod, reaching for your bento box to quiet your grumbling stomach. Eating in silence, you try to sort through the jumbled mess in your head, digesting the new thoughts and feelings you’re experiencing, all for the first stressful time.

You stay holed up in your dorm room the rest of the weekend, thankful now more than ever that you managed to get a schedule with only weekday classes.

Mingyu, being the caring boyfriend he is, knows something is wrong on Saturday morning right away. When you wake up, you have a few texts from him, asking to see you and take you out.

His desperation to check in with you and see you are obvious, even through written words, which makes it hard to turn him away.

[Y/n] I want to be alone this weekend, okay, Gyu? I’m not feeling very social.

[Gyu💖] Are you sure? Is everything okay?

[Y/n] Yeah, I just want alone time, okay? 🙂

[Gyu💖] 🥺

[Gyu💖] Okay, baby. Whatever you want ❤️

You can practically hear the pout in his text, and it feels shitty to turn him away, but you need more time. Since Friday night, when Jeongyeon had planted the seed in your brain, you decide it would be best to avoid Mingyu just to get your thoughts in order.

Jeongyeon passes along the message to the rest of your friends that you’re fine and just need some alone time. It’s the only thing that quiets your phone and stops your various group chats from continuing to go off. Everyone is kind enough to respect your wishes though, allowing you to spend the two days drowning in your thoughts and eating almost half of your and Jeongyeon’s instant ramen stash. It was probably dramatic to hide away all weekend, but it helped you wake up on Monday with a clearer head.

“I hope you plan on talking to Mingyu today,” Jeongyeon says as you get ready for your Monday morning lecture. “I saw him yesterday when I was eating lunch, and he looked like a lost, sad puppy without you there bossing him around. All he needed was a rainstorm and a choreography routine, and he would’ve looked straight out of an early 2000s break-up song music video.”

The image makes you laugh just a little before frowning and feeling bad for leaving him hanging all weekend.

“I am, I promise. I just needed to get my shit together.”

The two of you head out across campus to your shared lecture hall. Mingyu has class is in the building on the other side of campus, so you won’t have to see him for a couple of hours, giving you plenty of time to calm your nerves.

That idea is dismissed when you get inside and spot him by your classroom door. Mingyu’s long legs allow him to reach you in an instant, gently grabbing your arm and whisking you around the corner and into the stairwell. You can already tell he’s unhappy just by the look on his face.

“Are you breaking up with me?” Is the first thing out of his mouth.

“What?”

“I asked if you’re breaking up with me. I know you said you needed time alone, and Jeongyeon told us all the same thing, mentioning that you were just taking a couple of mental health days, but does that mean that you’re breaking up with me and were just taking time to think about doing it?”

“Mingyu, I-”

“Is it because I keep pressuring you to meet my family? You don't have to!”

“It's not that I just-”

“Am I too annoying? I swear I won’t bring it up again! And if there’s anything else that I do that’s too annoying or immature, just tell me, and I'll change, I promise!"

“Mingyu, you don't understand. I just need to-”

“No, you don't understand! I really like you, okay, Y/n? I like you more than anyone I’ve ever dated. Just going two days without being around you killed me! That, on top of the fact that I couldn't even call you or see your face, made it so much worse! I just wanted to break down your door and come in and hold you in my arms even though you'd probably be yelling at me the whole time. I just hated the thought of you being unhappy, and I couldn’t do anything about it.” Mingyu looks almost near tears as he takes in a big breath.

“I don't care if you say that it's too soon, but I just need to say that I think I'm in love with you! You don't have to feel the same yet or say it back, I just needed to say it. Even if you think I'm foolish or that I don't know anything, and-”

“Kim Mingyu, I love you too!” You yank the front of his shirt and pull him closer.

“What did you just say?” Your forehead rests against his, his brown eyes wide as he gapes at you.

“I said that I love you too. That's what I was doing this weekend. I needed time to think about my feelings and figure out if I was in love with you, and I am. I felt bad about saying no to meeting your family, and I felt like such a terrible partner, and I couldn't figure out why, but I was able to think about it, and goddammit, I love you. I love you a lot, and it scares me because I don’t think I’ve ever truly been in love, but I know that I love you.”

You barely have the chance to catch your breath from your speech before Mingyu is leaning down and stealing the air left in your lungs. He presses you against the wall as your arms wind around his neck, and you sigh into the kiss, indulging in the familiar, comforting taste that is Kim Mingyu. He drags his tongue across your bottom lip, asking for entrance which you immediately grant him. The kiss easily deepens as your tongues intertwine, and his grip on your waist gets tighter. If you hadn't needed to breathe, you would've spent the rest of the day exactly the way you are.

Mingyu pulls away, allowing you to breathe, both of you panting, flushed, and smiling like idiots at each other.

“You love me,” Mingyu whispers.

“I love you.”

“Say it again,” you roll your eyes at the wonderful, wide grin he shoots you but repeat yourself, punctuating it with a quick kiss on the tiny mole on his nose.

“And I love you too.” Mingyu murmurs, nuzzling his nose against yours before capturing your lips once again. Your hands move to his hair, fingers grabbing at his soft strands.

“Ahem!” A sudden voice makes the two of you spring apart. When you glance to the doorway, you see Jeongyeon waiting, her face serious and her arms crossed. “Hey, so this is cute and all, don't get me wrong, but we have a lecture to get to like now, Y/n.”

Groaning, Mingyu peeks over his shoulder at Jeongyeon. “Fine, I'll let go.” When he turns back to you still in his arms, a different expression clouds his features. “But this evening, after your last class, I'm coming to your room, and you're all mine.” His words and the look in his eyes make your face heat up, already knowing what you have to look forward to tonight.

“O - okay,” you croak, clearing your throat. Mingyu gives you one more kiss before slipping past Jeongyeon and waving at you both down the hall.

“Ugh, please don't tell me you guys are going to have sex in our room. What about me?!”

You snap out of the trance your boyfriend left you in and side-eye your best friend. “What about you? Why don't you go do the same with Jimin while we're busy? I may have barricaded myself in our room, but I still have a way of knowing things. Like how Professor Ok caught you two making out and having quite the heavy petting session in the back of the cafeteria yesterday.” Jeongyeon’s jaw drops as her cheeks begin to turn bright red.

“How did you know that?!”

“I have my ways.” You smirk as she follows you into your lecture. Even though you were a recluse all weekend, you still checked your phone from time to time. A celebratory message from Seungkwan in your group chat with a few other nosey friends confirmed the news and everyone was relieved to finally have confirmation that Jeongyeon and Jimin had admitted their feelings for one another.

“All I know is, it's about damn time.” You practically skip to your seat, leaving Jeongyeon stuttering out an excuse behind you.

“I'm not moving this van until you all have your seat belts on.” Seungcheol eyes all of you in the rearview mirror and waits until he hears the click of seat belts to pull out of the campus parking lot.

After much debate, all of you decide to spend the week in a hotel near the closest beach to you. Winter has officially left, and spring is now in its place, with weather warm enough for shorts and tank tops. You had all chipped in to rent a fifteen-passenger van and are leaving campus at eight in the morning, thanks to Seokmin’s nagging about getting the best spot on the sand.

Once the van starts to move, Jeongyeon turns around to the row of seats behind her and lays her head on the back of the seat. You look up from your phone to meet her gaze, already knowing what she’s going to ask.

“So, how was the reunion? I didn't get a chance to ask you since you guys got back.” You and Mingyu had gotten back from his parent's house the night before when Jeongyeon was asleep, and with the excitement of getting ready to leave this morning, the two of you hadn’t gotten much time to talk about it.

“It was really fun, actually. His family was super nice and accepting. He threw a fit at one point because his little sister and one of his cousins were attached to my hip. His mom threatened to show me any and every embarrassing picture of him she had if he didn’t stop acting like a baby and that worked.” You let out a quiet snicker, glancing at Mingyu, asleep on your shoulder.

“She was seriously so sweet, though. And the only time I embarrassed myself was when we were going into the house to help her with some of the food, and she said something along the lines of ‘When you two get married,’ which made me trip, and Gyu had to catch me before I ate dirt.”

Jeongyeon stifles a laugh, covering it with a cough. “Well, hey, at least she likes you! You were worried over nothing.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But oh! I take it Jimin had other plans for break?”

She flushes, nodding. “Yeah, he already had a trip booked with his friends, so he couldn’t come. We have a date planned for when we both get back to school, though, so I’m excited about that.” A dopey smile plays on her lips, and you coo at the gesture.

“I’m so glad you two finally admitted that you like each other!”

“Me too!” Soonyoung pipes up from next to Jeongyeon. “Do you know how annoying it was to hear Jimin gush over you in dance class every week? I swear, every time we were partnered up, his first questions were always about how you were doing and if you were seeing anyone. I can only answer back ‘fine’ and ‘no’ so many times before I lose my mind!”

“Shut it, Soonyoung! I thought you were asleep!” He ignores Jeongyeon and turns in his seat to face you.

“I hope I don’t have to hear him talk even more about how great she is! I don’t think I can stand fifty minutes of him running how mouth about how much he likes her and all the dates they go on and how good she is in bed and -”

Jeongyeon sucks her teeth, snatching his tiger plushie from his hands and hitting him over the head with it a few times. “You know all about running your mouth, don’t you?! Stop talking about my relationship!”

“I’m sorry, stop it! Y/n, get her!”

“Sorry, I can’t hear you!” Popping your earbuds in, you gesture to your now occupied ears, dramatically shrugging at your friends.

Mingyu stirs next to you, and you can’t help but brush away a stray piece of hair from his face. The commotion barely phases him as he adjusts to wrap his arms around your waist and bury his face into your neck.

Aside from Jeongyeon threatening Soonyoung’s life, everyone else is either chatting quietly with each other or sleeping, the energy low from getting up so early, but you’re nowhere near tired, still feeling full of warmth and admiration for Mingyu’s family and how well they treated you. Instead of trying to sleep, you settle for laying your head on top of Mingyu's and simply enjoying the warmth of your boyfriend the man that you are wholeheartedly in love with.

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