#i was breaking down the lighting on each scene in the theater

[futzfuck]

Me, talkign to my friends: yeah theres this neat action film coming out soon that dev patel stars in/wrote/directed, i hope its fun

Me, going into the theater: im ready to have a good time, hopefully this will be like bullet train and have some cool visuals and fun acting :)))

Me, exiting the theater:

IN THAT ORDER

[traveler-at-heart]

Doctor's In - Part 6

Summary: Your relationship with Wanda is put to the test when someone from her past stops by.

Wanda Maximoff x F!R

You’re an adult. You’re an adult.

You have to tell yourself over and over again, because it’s been forever since you’ve been to the movies and the popcorn smells delicious, the candy assorment is incredible and you want to buy it all.

“Can we get nachos too?” Tommy says and your mouth waters.

“Oh my God, nachos”

By the time you join Billy and Wanda at the theater, you’re carrying two buckets of popcorn, four sodas, nachos and gummies.

“You are never getting the food for movie night again” Wanda glares, thinking about the sugar high she’ll have to deal with if the twins actually eat everything.

“Babe, it’s ok. I’ll eat everything before the kids can” you joke. Wanda rolls her eyes and you keep your promise, checking that they’re not gulfing down everything before the movie starts.

Ever since you told the kids about you two, you’ve tried to make time for at least one family day as you call it, every week. So, today they wanted to see Inside Out 2 (after making you watch the first one) and you were happy to comply.

Wanda has to stop herself from laughing at the way you react to the movie. You make the same faces and noises as her two children, laughing especially hard at the scene where Anger attacks Pouchy.

“I’m so full” Billy complains.

“Me too” Tommy says.

“Me three” you join, making them laugh.

“Whose fault is that?” Wanda says, playfully pinching your side and you smile.

“Sorry, love. Next time we’ll just get the popcorn”

Walking around the mall, you decide to take them to the arcade so they can exhaust themselves playing.

“Nothing with guns” Wanda warns in her stern mom voice.

“Come on, you two against me on foosball” you challenge, a hand behind your back to make it seem like it’s the easiest thing in the world to play against them. Still, you tie and on the last ball, you’re about to score when you feel Wanda’s hands on your face, making you turn to kiss her.

Her lips are soft and she looks so gorgeous, you melt against the contact, forgetting the game.

“Not fair” you say when you realise you lost the last point. Wanda laughs against your lips when you kiss her again, while the boys go play air hockey.

Once they’ve spent enough time exhausting themselves, you decide to head back home.

“Teeth and pajamas” Wanda says to the kids as they go up the stairs.

“What about me?” you follow her to the kitchen, cornering her against the counter. “Can I get a little sweet treat before bed?”

“And what would that sweet treat be?”

“You”

Wanda’s eyes darken, remembering how you ate her out right in this spot a few weeks ago.

“But you were a bit naughty, getting all that candy” she teases, turning her face when you lean forward to kiss her. “You’ve had enough sweets for the day, don’t want you getting cavities”

“Just one more, I promise” you plead, hand going behind her to cup her ass through her jeans.

She finally gives in to your advances, initiating a sensual kiss that makes you weak in the knees.

“Mom, I was ready for bed first!” Tommy shouts from upstairs, because they’re always making it a competition.

“Do they happen to go to summer camp? Winter camp? Anything camp?” you joke as she breaks the kiss, laughing.

“Come on” she leads you upstairs, where you usually lean against the doorway as Wanda tucks them in.

There, you see with adoration as Wanda makes sure they’re all set for the night, kissing their foreheads and whispering something in Sokovian. You know by the sounds of the room that sometimes they stay up after that, but they’re just talking to each other while they feel tired enough to sleep.

Once you’re at Wanda’s room, you sit in her bed, because the favorite part of this little routine is watching her while she’s in front of the mirror of her dresser. First, she takes off her jewelry, then the very light makeup she usually has and at the end, Wanda applies some skincare product because she insists there are wrinkles around her eyes that make her feel old. Even if she doesn’t tell you, Wanda enjoys how you take in every little movement she makes, and the look of complete love in your face.

“Think they’ll ever want their own rooms? Or not want to share as much as they do now?”

“Maybe when they’re teenagers. I remember Pietro and I just started to talk to more people and make other friends in high school. But he was still my best friend, at the end of the day. I think he’s the only person that knows everything about me”

“Everything?” you repeat, enjoying how Wanda moves over to your lap as soon as she finishes with her makeup. “Does he know about me?”

“Yeah, I knew the boys would tell him if I didn’t” she laughs and you smile, kissing her neck. “Had to convince him to not book the first flight here, because he wanted to come and give you the shovel talk”

“Bring it”

“Maybe later. I don’t want him to scare you off, baby”

“Nothing can and nothing will” you promise, carrying her so she’s laying in bed. You smile, enjoying how beautiful she looks. “Now, about that sweet treat”

—

Lazy Sundays are a thing that you recently discovered, and they have become your favorite.

It usually starts with waking up next to Wanda, cuddled up in bed, sharing kisses until you hear the unmistakable noise of small footsteps trying to get some morning cookies.

Then, you wake up, and play with the kids for a little, while Wanda makes breakfast. You always clean up, making sure she doesn’t do anything more than strictly necessary.

This morning is no different, and you’re excited because the plan for today is drive to the Natural History Museum. You can’t wait for the kids to see all the cool fossils.

“Darling, can you go to the car and check if I left my charger there? My phone’s dead”

“Sure, baby” you smile, giving her a playful smack on the butt as you walk to the door.

You’re still yawning, rubbing the sleep off your eyes while you step outside. You hear a motorcycle and perk up, wondering if it’s a certain someone you know. But whoever is driving parks right outside of Wanda’s driveway, and a man with short blonde hair and blue eyes gets off, carrying a duffel bag.

“Oh, sorry. I must have the wrong house” he says as you walk out the door.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Wanda Maximoff”

“No, you’re in the right place. Can I help you?” you say, your heart beating fast. This man is definitely not Pietro, as you’ve seen him in pictures before.

“Steve? Oh, my God!” you hear Wanda shout behind you and she runs past you, right into his arms. You’re taken aback by her excitement over someone whose name you’ve never even heard.

“Uncle Steve!” the kids join, and he stops spinning Wanda in the air (like out of a fucking romcom) and goes to greet the kids. You stan there, feeling uncomfortable until Wanda asks him to step inside and sees you.

“Oh, pardon my manners. Steve, this is Y/N”

Not my girlfriend, but Y/N.

Right.

“Nice to meet you”

“Captain Steve Rogers” he says, making sure you know he is a captain.

Oh, big man with a big title. Asshole.

“Doctor Y/N Y/L/N” you hit back.

“We grew up together. Well, he was a few years older than us, but the Rogers were so nice and welcoming when we first moved to the US” Wanda says, practically giving the man heart eyes. “And now, well, he’s in the army so we don’t see each other as much”

“Had a couple of days off, thought I’d stop by. I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had company” he eyes you curiously and then to Wanda. “I’ll find a place to stay”

“None of that, you’re staying with us. Y/N lives across the street”

“Yeah, I do” you nod. “We were just going to the museum today”

“On such a nice day? We could go and play some baseball” he says, and you have to resist the urge to punch him in his very defined jaw.

But the twins agree and Wanda is quick to follow suit, so you just smile politely.

“Come on, I want to hear everything” Wanda pulls him inside, her arm around his.

You look back to your place and sigh.

“Whatever” you mutter, going back to your own house.

Wanda doesn’t even notice until they are getting ready to leave for their baseball game.

“Aren’t you coming?” she asks as soon as you open the door.

“No, I’m more of an indoors type of person. Have fun, catch up with your friend”

“You’re still having dinner with us, right?”

“Sure” you say, knowing full well you’ll run to the hospital under the excuse of an emergency at the last minute.

“Everything ok? I didn’t mean to… ignore you back there. I was just so surprised about Steve”

“It’s fine” you lie.

“Ok. I love you” she stands on her toes to kiss you and you smile, appreciating how the words sooth your heart in spite of everything.

You’re restless, so you run to the gym and spend a good hour just listening to music and working out. By the time you’re back, completely exhausted, there’s another god damn bike on your driveway.

“Where the hell have you been?” Carol says as soon as you step on to your house.

“Wow, what’s gotten into you?”

“I have a lesbian emergency. And you’re the only other lesbian I trust enough!” she hisses, looking like a mad woman.

“Ok, chill, will ya? Let me take a shower and we’ll talk about it”

“Maria wants kids” Carol blurts out, following you upstairs.

“Ok, so?”

“So! It’s too soon”

“You’ve been dating since med school. By gay standards that’s like a good ten years of marriage, Carol” you’re about to step into the room to shower when you turn around. “Can I help you?”

“I’ve been to your room!”

“When we were fuck buddies. Now you’re engaged and I have a girlfriend, so wait downstairs for me” you say, because there’s no way in hell you’re letting her in just like that. You know Wanda would be upset about it.

“You’re mean”

“And you are a baby, Danvers” you stick your tongue out, closing the door to shower.

When you go downstairs, there’s Chinese food waiting and a couple of beers.

“I’m stress eating” she explains. You nod, taking out the food to the porch where you can enjoy the cool breeze. “Whose bike is that?”

“A friend of Wanda’s”

“Do I detect a hint of jealousy?”

“So, Maria wants to have kids?” you retort, making her groan. “Come on, this can’t be a surprise to you. Unless she recently changed her mind”

“It’s not about having them, it’s about when” she says, playing with her food. “We agreed we’d get married, travel for a bit. Have a life outside of work and then think about kids. But she left, and we broke it off for a while”

“So, you’re worried it’s too soon because of the time apart”

“I’m angry” Carol says and it seems like it takes an enormous amount of effort to even admit it. “I stayed, I didn’t change our plans together. And now, she came back and wants to change things again. It doesn’t seem fair that Maria is calling all the shots”

“Did you tell her that?” you take a sip of your beer, enjoying the taste. You’ve only had wine for the last couple of weeks.

“I just said I’d think about it” Carol admits. “And then I ran here”

“I see” you nod, taking a breath before asking something you’ve thought in the past. “Are you afraid you’ll be a bad parent?”

“Yes” Carol answers immediately.

You’ve seen so many surgeons struggle to keep up with their personal life while doing their job. Hell, even Stark and Pepper had their rough patch when Morgan was a baby.

“I think you’d be a great mom, Carol” you admit, knowing how good she is with kids. “Maybe you can compromise on the timeline. Like at least have a wedding even if it’s small and a honeymoon. Because once a baby comes, it’s gonna be your job 24/7”

“Speaking from experience with two kids?” she wiggles her eyebrows and you chuckle. “Wanna tell me about the friend?”

“He showed up unannounced and Wanda acted like this… teenager with a crush. Oh, and get this, I wasn’t introduced as her girlfriend, she only used my name”

“That’s kinda annoying. Very I’m still in the closet vibes”

“Her brother knows about us, though” you say. Unless that was a lie.

“Well, you should tell her it’s bothering you. I’ve seen you make so many changes to your life for her, Y/N. You take time off and help her, and that speaks volumes about you”

“Maybe I moved foo fast” you think, sipping your beer.

“You are a lesbian” she points out and you both laugh.

For the next hour, you keep talking about work and other stuff, until you see Wanda’s car approaching. You’re hit with a pang of jealousy when you see Steve driving, and opening the car door for Wanda.

“Dude is buff” Carol comments, and she whistles. “Yeap, I see what you mean”

Wanda barely looks at your place, and she only pays attention when she catches up to Carol sitting next to you.

“That’s my cue to go. Good luck” Carol says, taking her jacket.

“Drive safely” you say. “Or maybe take a cab?”

“I only had half a beer. See ya, princess” Carol says loud enough for Wanda to hear. Your girlfriend glares at her retreating figure and then looks at you.

“Is that why you didn’t want to come with us?”

“I didn’t even know Carol was going to come, Wanda. She needed some relationship advice” you say, standing up to pick up the trash. “And I’m not the one who cancelled our plans to hang with a total stranger. You know I only get one Sunday off every three weeks and I worked extra hours to be with you for the weekend”

“Steve isn’t a stranger”

It annoys you that she ignores your comment about the time off you work hard to get. To spend time together, no less.

“He is to me”

“You’re right. Just come over and meet him? I promise you once you do everything will be fine”

“Sure” you say. That’s the last thing you want to do, but you feel the tension between you and Wanda, and if you say no to dinner or skip at the last minute how you had originally planned, you’ll get into a fight.

You can get through one dinner, right?

As soon as you walk in to Wanda’s home, you wish you had just faked a work emergency.

Steve is playing with Billy and Tommy, clearly not understanding how the control of the console works.

“Dragons are kinda lame” he jokes. Or not, who knows.

“Spyro isn’t lame” Billy says and you smile proudly. That’s your boy.

“Hey” the man greets you as you walk to the kitchen to find Wanda. “Your friend has a nice bike. Too bad she drinks and drives”

You give him a dirty look from across the room, figuring it’s better to ignore him.

“Do you drink and drive too?” he asks, and now you’re certain you will kick his ass.

“Oh, so glad you’re here” Wanda walks in, carrying a couple of plates. “Mind helping me with the salad?”

“Sure” you say, eager to get away from Captain Morality.

Unfortunately, he seems to be in a chatty mood during dinner and you have to resist the urge to ignore him every time he asks a question.

“What about your family?” he asks at one point and you think you might break the Hippocratic Oath and stick your fork in his hand.

“What about them?” you dodge the question, taking a bite of your chicken.

“Yeah, what do your parents do? Any siblings?”

“My mom’s a teacher, my dad’s dead” you say without any more context.

“Sorry” the man says.

“Maybe we can talk about something else” Wanda says, and it’s the first time in all night that she’s had some consideration towards you. She asks him about another friend of theirs and you’re allowed to eat peacefully, happy that Captain Ass is leaving you alone.

“You ok?” Tommy says next to you and you smile, nodding. “I really wanted to go to the museum”

“Me too, buddy. Some other time”

When everyone’s done you do the usual cleaning, starting with washing the dishes.

Wanda joins you in the kitchen a while later, saving leftovers and putting away some of the spices she used.

“Everything ok?” she asks.

“Fine”

“Are you staying over?”

“I have to go to the hospital” you lie. You’re gonna be restless and can’t stand the idea of just laying in bed thinking about everything that’s happened today. You need the rush of work to clear your head.

“Well, I’m glad you got to know Steve a little better. He’ll only stay for a couple of days before going to visit his parents. Joseph and Sarah are so great”

“Mhm” you give a noncomittal groan and she keeps going.

“It was always so nice for us to spend time with them. And my parents, they just love Steve! My mom always told me we would be great together, but then I met someone else and you know, the twins came along”

“Wow, that’s great”

“Yeah, I always wondered. Maybe we would have been a good couple” she keeps going, completely oblivious to how annoyed you are.

“Lucky you, he’s here now and seems like he’s ready to pick up were you left off”

“What?” 

“I don’t know, Wanda. You’re out here talking about him like he’s God’s greatest gift to this Earth, how you wonder if your life would be better with him. Go be with him if that’s what you want. I won’t be the one to stop you” you finally break, finishing the dishes and drying your hands.

“Do you hear yourself? You’re being incredibly immature” Wanda hisses, looking at the kitchen door, concerned that her friend or her children will listen.

“I’m being honest. How do you think it makes me feel to listen to this?”

“Oh, please. I’m not the one who is all cozy with her ex” she retorts.

“Carol and I work together and you knew about us before you and I started dating”

“What do you want me to do? Kick my friend out because you’re insecure?”

“No. I want you to…”

I want you to want me.

The words come back to you from a place you thought was buried, and it hits you like a ton of bricks.

A hand covers your mouth, trying to keep the words in, as if you’re not crumbling down. Taking a breath, you try to steady yourself.

“I have to go” you say, eager to put some distance between you two.

“Wait” Wanda says, her demeanor completely different. She’s never seen you this vulnerable or shaken.

“I’m going to the hospital” you avoid her eyes, leaving in a rush.

All you can do is run.

—

Thank God for work. There’s so much to do, you spend all night running around and by the time you sit, it’s 5 AM.

“My feet are killing me” Carol says; she also came to the hospital to run away from her problems.

“Come on, cheer up” you say, giving her chocolate and a granola bar.

You sit next to her, both of you staring at the wall, caught up in your own thoughts. When Darcy stops by, she tilts her head, eyeing you curiously.

“Girl trouble?”

You both nod and she sighs, sitting between the two.

“Me too”

“You and who?” Carol says.

“Me. I’m the problem with myself” Darcy says and in spite of yourself, you laugh. “Come on, the doctor’s in. Who wants to go first?”

“Wanda has a surprise guest that looks like a model, and it happens to be a dude she grew up with and her parents loved and wanted them to marry”

“Wow. That’s awful. Is he staying with her now? Are you worried they’re gonna bone?”

“I am now” you frown.

“Ok, good talk!” Darcy says, grimacing. “Carol, wanna go next?”

“No, thanks” she says, afraid Darcy will put new worries in her head like she did with you.

It’s really fucking funny, isn’t it? The dude shows up out of nowhere, is passive agressive when Wanda isn’t looking, you fight and maybe now she’s sad and running into his arms.

Perfect.

Your pager releases you from the new horrors and you spring to action, hoping work takes your mind off of everything else.

There are a few accidents on the road due to the heavy rain, so you focus on that and even scrub in with Carol in what Darcy dubs the Gay Denial Club.

“Go to sleep” Fury says when he catches you drifting off while standing up a few hours later.

“I’m fine” you lie.

“Take a walk, sleep. If you don’t want to go back home now it’s fine. But don’t stay here, you’ve been at the hospital for too long”

“Ok” you rub your eyes, feeling hungry and knowing cafeteria food won’t do the trick for now.

The pier is the one place where you can feel at peace right now, so you pick up some food and eat on a bench, looking out the water. When it gets cold, you do something that only happens once a year.

Smoking is so damn bad, but so good when you’re feeling completely done with the world. Right now you’re wondering why you quit.

Someone walks up to you, and you recognise the parfum instantly.

“That’s bad for you” Wanda says and you let out a dry laugh.

“So I’ve heard. What are you doing here?”

“You weren’t at the hospital and I just had a feeling I’d find you here” she says, sitting.

“Good call” you say, pushing out the smoke away from her.

“I’m sorry”

“What for?”

“The way I acted. And that thing I said… I didn’t mean it like that. When I said I sometimes wondered what my life would be like, I didn’t mean it as if I wanted it to be different… because then I wouldn’t have Billy and Tommy and that’s just simply unconceivable for me”

“I know” you nod, but keep staring at the pier.

“Are you gonna say anything else?”

You shrug your shoulders, debating if it’s worth it to open up about what’s bothering you.

“My mom didn’t want me” you finally say, putting out the cigarrette and coughing. You feel the need to light up another one immediately. “I heard her once or twice, saying it would have been easier if it was only her and her new family.”

“That’s awful. I never meant to make you feel that way” she says, trying to reach for your hand, but you move it away.

“I know. In my head, logically, I get what you meant. But all I feel is like a second choice. And I really, really, don’t want to feel that, you know? I spent my whole life running from that, and I can’t deal with it. I just don’t know how”

“Is there anything I can do?” she asks, sighing. The sound of your pager goes off, and you smile.

“You should go home. And I have work”

“I love you” Wanda says, holding your hand as you walk past her. You nod, looking at her for the first time. She’s so beautiful and perfect and you love her so much, but you know you need to step back and work through the pain this whole thing revived in you.

“I know” you nod, walking away, your pager going off a few more times.

You understand the urgency as you arrive to the hospital.

“There’s a sinkhole in the middle of the city. You and Danvers are going to the site”

“Jesus, alright. Darcy, you’ll handle the ER while I’m gone, Bishop and Parker, come with me” you get ready, packing up the essentials and putting on a windbreaker, as it looks like it will rain all night long.

“Be careful” Chief Fury says as you all get on an ambulance.

“See you on the other side, Chief” you wink at him, closing the door as you enter last.

—

The rain drops hit the windshield, providing a soothing white noise that helps Wanda calm her thougths. She takes her time driving back home, not just because of the storm, but because she wants peace and quiet to think about everything you just told her.

She had hoped that she could fix things and you’d come home with her, but apparently it was a lot more complicated for you.

“Everything ok?” Steve says as soon as she walks in.

“Not really” Wanda admits, locking the door and dragging her feet to the kitchen. “For the first time in ten years I meet someone who wants me, and is nice and amazing and  also loves my two kids… and I managed to make her feel like a second hand toy”

“Is that what she said?”

“No. It isn’t. But I screwed up so bad, Steve” Wanda says, pouring a glass of wine, beating herself up over and over again for what happened.

“It’s not your fault” Steve admits at last, because he knows Wanda can be too hard on herself.

“Yes, it is” Wanda argues, not catching what he’s trying to say.

“I need to tell you something” Steve shifts in his place. “Pietro asked me to check up on you. He said you wouldn’t let him come and that Y/N sounded too good to be true. So I offered to stop by and see for myself… I may have been a bit rude to her when we spoke”

“Are you being serious right now?” Wanda has to bite her tongue, because her children are asleep and she doesn’t want to wake them up. “What gave you the right?”

“Wanda, he worries about you”

“I am a grown woman, with two children, a successful career, a house that I own. I’m more of an adult than Pietro or you”

“We didn’t mean any harm” Steve insists but she raises her hand.

“You should go. Stay over tonight if you have to, but I want you gone tomorrow morning, Steve” she requests, her tone firm. The man nods, leaving the kitchen.

Wanda sighs and downs the last of her glass of wine, hoping she can call you and apologize. If she had known before that Steve was deliberately rude to you…

“Hello?” Darcy picks up. She insists when Wanda doesn’t speak. “Wanda? I see your name in the caller ID”

“Hi, Darcy. Sorry, I was hoping I could speak to Y/N but if she’s busy…”

“We’re all busy” Darcy says, updating the patient list. “Y/N is not here, she was called on site to deal with the sinkhole”

“There’s a sinkhole?”

“Yeah, it’s all over the news. Listen, I picked up the phone just to make sure you didn’t have an emergency, because she’d freak out if something happened to you. But if you’re fine I gotta get back to managing the ER while she’s gone”

“No, I wanted to talk… I’m fine. Just please tell her to call me?”

“Will try. Bye” Darcy says, hanging up as two more ambulances stop at the entrance of the ER.

Wanda walks over to the tv, watching as the local newstation reports on the activity.

“Doctors from Shield Medical Center and Stark Hospital have arrived at the scene to help with trauma patients. We encourage people to stay home as the heavy rain will continue throughout Westview” the anchor woman says. There’s footage of medical personnel walking by the scene but Wanda can’t spot you.

She stays in the living room, hoping to see you, just to make sure you’re ok. Pretty soon, she falls asleep on the couch, but the noise of the tv stays in the background, making her dream of you, and the sadness in your eyes the last time she saw you.

—

“I have to go with this patient” Carol says, while the EMTs get the man on the ambulance. “I’ll try to come back as soon as we stabilize him”

“Be careful” you nod, turning to Kate and Peter next. “What else we got? Parker?”

“I have a head trauma and we’re waiting for an ambulance. Doctor Stark was out of town but flying in right now. I have to prep the patient so he’s ready by the time Stark lands”

“How did he find a flight with this weather?” Kate asks and you chuckle.

“Bishop, he owns a helicopter”

“Oh, right”

“Alright, Peter, you’re taking the next ambulance. Kate?”

“I’m staying” she says and you nod. It’s been four hours since you got here and you’re all soaked. At least most of the people have been evacuated.

“We got two people down here!” someone shouts and you turn in that direction.

“How can we help?” you greet Clint Barton, and he nods your way, greeting you.

“Hey, doc. It’s a small girl and her mom, the woman is trapped under the car”

“Fuck” Kate says, and you hit her arm.

“Language”

“No, fuck is right. The woman needs to have her leg amputated if we want to get her out but it’s too risky to go down there”

“I’ll go” you say.

“It’s seriously risky” Barton insists but you shrug your shoulders and he nods. “Alright everybody, we’re getting the doc down”

“Is this a good idea?” Kate asks when you request the medical equipment.

“It will be fine, trust me. Be prepared to stabilize her as soon as they’re up. And inform Maria about the little girl, she’ll need a consult”

“Right away”

“Hold on to the rope and make sure you don’t move a lot as we set you down, ok? The rain stopped for a little bit so this is our window. If water keeps falling you could go down in a mudslide”

“Ok” you say, trying to ignore your erratic heartbeat. This is not the time to get cold feet. “I’m ready”

You use your flashlight to look around, and then the beam lands on a pair of small eyes that look up at you.

“All set. I’m sending the kid over” you speak through a radio. Barton confirms and then you turn to the girl. “Hey, I’m Y/N. What’s your name? It’s ok”

“I’m Alice” the girl says, staying close to her unconscious mother.

“Alice, hi. Look, I’ll get you out of here, and then I’m staying to help your mom, ok? I’ll be up with her in no time”

“I don’t want to leave her” the girl protests as you get her ready to go up.

“Alice, I need to take care of your mommy and it can be scary. I won’t leave her side, I promise” you say, because there’s no way in hell you’ll let her watch as you cut off her mother’s leg.

“Promise?”

“Pinky swear” you say, and she smiles, nodding. You talk to the radio “The kid’s ready. Bishop, check for injuries once she’s up there”

You get to work, noticing the woman is still unconscious but it’s probably for the best. As you set the equipment for the amputation, a light rain begins again.

“Status report?” Barton says when it seems like the rain is getting stronger.

“60% done”

“You don’t have a lot of time left”

“Great, super helpful comment, Barton” you mutter, struggling with the bone. God, this is the part that always made you dizzy in your resident years. It doesn’t help that you’re doing it in the middle of the ground that could collapse under you any minute.

You pull through the nausea that hits you, letting Barton know that you’re done. His team lowers a gurney and you prepare it for transportation, struggling as you have to drag the woman across the floor.

“All good” you say, watching as she’s lifted.

“We’ll come back for you, stay put”

You light up the area, just to make sure you’re not leaving any equipment behind. Something caughts your eye beyond the truck.

“We’re pulling you up now” Barton says over the radio.

“Hold” you say, quickly approaching the edge of the hole. “There’s someone else here! The car was covering him”

“It’s raining heavily, we can’t have you stay longer” Barton says, the water causing the dirt around you to losen up. You feel the soil beneath you getting softer as well, as if it was about to give in. “Just take the rope, you don’t even know if they’re alive”

“He has a pulse, just hold”

“Grab the rope, damn it” Barton barks over the radio. His words are met with silence, and then a second later, there’s a loud crash. He looks over and sees the car sliding further down, the dirt finally giving in at the weight and water.

You’re nowhere to be found.

—

The sound of thunder wakes Wanda up. She looks around the room, confused.

The TV is still on, and she rubs her eyes, not paying much attention to what is being reported.

That is, until the person on the screen says your name.

“We have reports that as Doctor Y/L Y/L/N was conducting a search and rescue operation, there were some complications. The other person is an unidentified male, and all we know is they were both taken back to Stark Hospital in critical condition”

“No, no, no” she stands up, taking her car keys.

“Where are you going?” Steve says. He has been unable to sleep, feeling guilty over everything that happened.

“I need to go to the hospital, Y/N could be injured”

“It’s dangerous to drive with the storm, Wanda”

“Stay with the kids, ok?” she ignores him.

“Ok. Be careful” he finally agrees, knowing nothing will make her change her mind.

The ten minute drive is probably the longest one of her life. She tries to stay calm, finding the local news on the radio, but there’s no mention of you.

Stark Hospital is full of people waiting for news on their loved ones. Wanda knows the way to the staff door, so she moves quietly and enters, looking back and hoping no one caught her. Everyone’s too busy to question why someone outside the hospital is there.

“Wanda?” Darcy calls as she exits an examination room, confused. The woman turns around, ready to explain why she’s there.

“Why are you calling for Wanda? See, you’re the one with a concussion, Lewis” you mumble.

Wanda sighs with relief when she hears your voice, walking past Darcy to get inside the room. She sees you, scrubs full of mud and a couple of cuts in your face and arms.

“You’re ok” she says, forgetting the conflict between you two, and hugging you. “I’m so relieved. I thought I lost you. I heard on the news…”

“They exaggerate for views”

“She almost died” Darcy accuses with a glare.

“Did not”

“Ok, fine. I’m telling your girlfriend because you’re a knucklehead”

Wanda breaks the hug, laughing and wiping away the tears that fell down the moment you were in her arms. You keep your hand on her waist, sad that you scared her.

“Y/N here has a concussion and a dislocated shoulder. Lucky for her, she managed to take the rope while carrying the man she found in that hole”

“Wouldn’t you call that heroic?”

“I’d call it idiotic. Please take her and don’t let her come for the next week” Darcy pleads to Wanda. “And you, sleep, rest, don’t move that arm and more importantly, come back with lots of cookies”

“Yeah, yeah”

“And no sex!”

Darcy glares at you two one last time, before leaving the room.

There’s a beat of silence and then you turn to Wanda, smiling shyly.

“Could I get a ride home? I can’t drive with this thing” you point at your armsling and she nods.

“Of course, come on” she says, her hands on your cheeks. She knows you need to rest and she’ll happily drive you home, but Wanda still needs a minute to ground herself, your touch enough to remind her you’re ok.

“I’m here” you say, your hand going up and down her back.

Wanda nods, holding back tears.

“I know”

After a few more seconds, she stands back, waiting for you to leave your spot in the hospital bed. You walk slowly, afraid you’ll get dizzy if you move too fast. Wanda is leading the way, holding your hand to steady you.

“Wanda? Is everything ok? Why are you here?” Barton says and you look confused at both of them. Not another almost husband, for the love of God.

“Clint, hi. I’m just taking my girlfriend home” she gestures to you. “Y/N, this is…”

“We’ve met” you say.

“She’s crazy” Clint points to you and Wanda is about to lash out at him when the man smiles. “You saved a man’s life, but try not to do that again”

“Agree” you say, smiling as he pats your good shoulder.

“Drive safely”

“How do you know Barton?” you ask when you’re finally in the car, relaxing against the comfortable seat.

“He’s Laura’s husband” Wanda says, backing out of the parking lot.

“Laura, as in, your editor? Wow, it’s a small world” you mutter, closing your eyes for just a second. Wanda’s voice brings you back to reality.

“We’re here”

“Here where?”

“Home, baby”

You open your eyes, startled.

“Oh. I thought I only closed my eyes for half a second. Thanks for the ride. Gotta shower and take a dozen painkillers”

“Will you let me… will you let me help you?” Wanda asks, reaching for your hand and you nod.

Instead of walking to her place, she leads you across the street, opening the door with the key you gave her weeks ago.

“Did you clean?” you say, looking around. You definitely didn’t leave everything so tidy.

“You know it’s the only thing that calms me when I’m anxious”

“You’re so cute and weird” you chuckle, swaying lightly. Wanda catches you in the air, making you lean on her side.

“You ok? Maybe you should have stayed at the hospital”

“Just tired” you say against her temple, enjoying the warmth of her body after spending all night in the pouring rain.

“Come on, then” she says, going upstairs with you.

It takes Wanda by surprise to notice she’d never actually been in your room before. You’re always at her place, mainly because of the twins.

As she looks at the few pictures scattered across the room, of friends and colleagues (and the lack of family portraits), Wanda realises how much you’ve done to acommodate to her life and needs, while asking very little in return.

“Bathroom’s that way” you yawn, sitting in the bed while Wanda searches for clean clothes.

“Give me a second, baby” she says and you nod, removing the armsling. “Does it hurt a lot?”

“No, but it’s probably because Darcy gave me the good stuff. I might be out for a good couple of hours after cleaning up”

“Noted” she smiles, helping you up. With gentle movements, Wanda pulls down your pants and underwear, while you hold on to her shoulders to keep your balance.

“I can’t lift my shirt” you admit with a blush.

“I got you, baby”

It’s a little difficult to remove the clothes with the limited motion, but you manage, letting out a giggle as Wanda finally throws the scrubs away, leading you to the shower.

“I think they’re too dirty to use them again”

“We’ll worry about that later. How do you like the water?”

“Right now, hot. I spent all night in the freezing rain”

“Ok” Wanda reaches forward to get a feel of the temperature, nodding when it’s ready. However, you stay in your spot, staring. “What is it?”

“Aren’t you getting in?”

“I have nothing to wear for after”

“That’s the opposite of a problem, as far as I’m concerned” you smile, pulling her hand.

Wanda enjoys this, knowing that you still want her. That in spite of your fight, there’s still that look of complete adoration in your eyes when you tease her or admire her figure.

“Alright” she says, stripping down until she’s naked in front of you. “Behave”

“But I just saved a man’s life”

“And got yourself hurt. We don’t wanna come back to the hospital with more injuries and explain to Darcy how that happened”

“Mmm, that would be funny, actually” you mumble, sighing against Wanda’s front when she stands behind you, her hands massaging your scalp. You feel the dirt slide off your skin, and the hot water relaxes your muscles.

There’s a struggle to stay awake when she’s being so soothing with her touch, but you manage by leaning against the bathroom wall, the water washing away the soap as you’re finally clean and warm.

With the upmost care, Wanda dries you off and brushes your hair, and you yawn as she helps you put on clean clothes. She’s wearing your college sweatshirt, looking adorable with the sleeves too long.

“It’s almost day” you say, looking out the window. Wanda nods, but helps you lay in bed.

“Just get some rest, ok?”

“Will you stay with me?” you ask, settling in bed and smiling up at her.

“Of course” she says, running her hands through your hair.

“For one second, I thought I wouldn’t make it” you confess, trying to stay awake to tell her how you feel. “And all I could think about was how I wished I had kissed you when you came looking for me”

“I’m glad you’re ok. And I’m not going anywhere” she promises, leaning forward to kiss you.

You fall asleep with a smile on your face.

—

The space next to you is empty, and as you regain consciousness, you wonder if it was all a dream. Pain hits every inch of your body when you wake up, to remind you that it was all very much real.

“Wanda?” you say, looking around. She’s nowhere to be found.

You go down the stairs, adjusting the armsling and searching for the other woman. It must be past noon, so maybe she’s home with the twins.

Since you don’t even remember where your phone is, you go across the street, knocking on the Maximoff’s door.

“It’s Y/N!” Billy says excitedly, running to hug you. He’s a little rough with his movements, making you groan. “I’m so happy you’re back, don’t go again. Uncle Steve is so boring”

That’s the best thing the kid has ever said to you, and then Tommy joins in the hug.

“Yeah, he never lets us play videogames and we eat green stuff that tastes like crap. And he says language if we say dude!!”

“Dude, that sucks” you say, enjoying every second of this. They both laugh, hugging you and you pat their heads with your one good arm.

“Boys, give Y/N some space, she’s recovering” Wanda says, smiling as you look at her. “I’m sorry, I had to come back to get lunch ready, I’m sure you’re hungry”

“One thing before that” you smile, pulling her into a kiss. Wanda smiles against your lips, laughing as the kids call you gross and leave in a rush.

Just as you’re sitting in the kitchen counter, Rogers goes down the stairs, carrying his bag.

“Thanks for letting me stay” he says, and Wanda nods, her arm around your shoulders, “Y/N, glad to see you’re ok. I’m sorry if I was a little rude at first. You seem like a great gal”

“Thanks, Cap” you smile. He shakes your hand and goes to say goodbye to the kids, Wanda pressing a kiss against your temple.

“We’re gonna miss you so much” Billy says a bit dramatically, obviously lying. You give him a thumbs up.

As soon as the man’s out the door, the kids run back to the living room, pulling out their videogames.

“Steve’s a little boring” Wanda says against your temple and you smile. “You’re so good with them and we love you so much. Never forget that”

“I love you too” you say, turning to kiss her.

Staying home for the rest of the week is not so bad, especially when you have your family by your side.

[bartxnhood]

blown away | t.o

tyler owens x fem!reader

based on this request: Is it possible to request a Tyler fic where he and reader are in an established relationship, she knows what his job is like. And they get separated during the big tornado that blows through at the end of the movie. Desperate for a toothrotting soft and angsty reunion.

warnings: depictions of tornado, reader gets a few cuts a scrapes, maybe a swear word or two.

w/c: 823

requests open

not proofread

Copyright © 2024 bartxnhood. All rights reserved. This original work is not allowed to be reposted on any platform in any format.

✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵

“okay, baby” tyler begins, shutting the back door on the passenger side of his truck. “we’re headin out”

he turns around to face you, his hands resting on your hips. you frown as you drape your arms over his shoulders. “m’gonna miss you” you say. tyler smiles, “i’ll be back, promise” he said, then leaned in to press a soft kiss on your lips. “always come back to you” he says in between the kiss.

“m’gonna go to the farmers market later, call me when yer comin home. kay?” your hands intertwined with the hair on the naps of his neck.

“mhm” he hums, leaning in to kiss you again. his arms snaking around your waist, pulling you closer.

you giggle in between the kisses, his hands squeeze your ass in a playful manner. “ty!” you pull away, face red.

“what? can’t i show a little appreciation?” he teases, raising his eyebrows. you shake your head, “you’re something else.”

“you be safe, kay?” tyler asks, and you nod. “i always am, babe.” you assure with a peck on his cheek.

“don’t keep the crew waitin.”

the small town was bustling with activity as the farmers market was in full swing. the town square was filled with stands selling fresh produce, handcrafted goods, and home-cooked food.

farmers and merchants from neighboring towns had set up stands to sell their goods. the air was filled with the sound of people bartering and chatting with each other.

children squealed and ran around, playing games and sampling treats from the vendors. the small town was a picturesque scene of rural life on a beautiful spring day.

but, it changed in an instant.

the fierce winds howled like an angry beast as the destructive tornado ripped through the town, leaving a path of destruction and chaos in its wake. the twister tore through buildings, uprooted trees, and sent debris flying through the air.

amidst the chaos, you found ducked into the theater as the tornado roared towards the town. the doors slammed shut behind you, cutting you off from the outside world. you looked around, seeing people huddled together, kids crying, and people crying and screaming.

the only light coming from the emergency lights that faintly illuminated the aisles. as the wind howled outside, you could hear the windows of the theater crack and break, and the sound of chairs and other objects being tossed about.

in the distance, you could hear the sound of people calling out names, no doubt other people who had sought shelter in the theater.

the stormed roared like some sort of beast, ripping the foundations from the theater.

it was truly a horrific sight, people were getting swept away from their loved ones. ear piercing screams and wailing accompanied the roaring storm.

you watched the scene unfold, unsure if you’d be walking out of there alive. you peer your head above one of the theater seats and watch as the wall was ripped away, swallowed by the storm.

“oh, mygod..” you breathe and hunker back down and cover your head with your arms. just like tyler had taught you to do.

tyler finally arrived in the midst of a chaotic situation. he knew you were somewhere nearby. despite the chaos and danger all around, his focus was on only one thing: finding you.

he navigated through the debris-filled streets, scanning the surroundings for any sign of you.

the roaring wind and ominous darkness made it difficult to see anything clearly, but he pushed forward, determined to find you.

tyler knew he was too late, the town was almost flattened. trees uprooted, buildings gone, debris littered the streets.

he hopped out of his truck, the crew following behind him to help the people who fell victim to the storm.

“y/n?!” he hollers, watching people slowly emerge from the rubble.

“baby?!”

tyler finally spotted you walking out of what once was the theater. you look around, your face smeared with dirt and clothes torn, shivering slightly as you tried to regain your composure.

you look around the state of the city, hugging yourself and sniffling.

as he made his way towards you, he couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over him. you looked up at him as he approached, and hour eyes widened in recognition before you stood up, launching yourself into his arms.

“oh, thank god.” he breaths, wrapping his arms around you. “you okay?” he pulls back to push some hair from your face to examine for any injuries.

“m’fine..” you nod. your eyes begin to water as you look up at him. “there was no warning..”

“i know, i know” he hushes your worries and pulls you back to your chest. “it’s okay, you’re okay now” he runs his fingers through your hair, swaying you two back and forth.

“we’ll get you checked out and then go home, kay?” he suggests and you nod. “mmkay.”

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

Hiii <3 can i get something with Tara? i miss her. she and reader have a sleepover and they break friendship rules. smut if you can pls

I have not written girl smut a long time, but with the release of the new Mean Girls in theaters...the words come easily (did I say that? no I didn't)

Warnings: 18+, spoilers for scream 5, nipple play, clit play, fingering

—

You and Tara have been having sleepovers at her house since you were ten. Unfortunately, they had to be paused during Tara’s recovery as she was taking a lot of medication that made her sleepy and, with her broken leg, her cast was taking most of her small bed. Not ideal for sleepovers.

Two months went by, and now her leg was fully healed…which meant sleepovers could start again. 

Like we used to.

‘’I got popcorn and M&Ms this afternoon for the movies,’’ Tara informed as you walked in with your backpack on your shoulder.  

The air felt different as you stepped into Tara's house. Although you hadn’t been there when she got attacked, you couldn’t help but imagine the scene every time you were in her doorway or kitchen. How scared Tara must have been when she opened the door and got greeted with a knife in her stomach. 

You nodded as you took off your shoes and jacket. ‘’Have you picked a movie yet?’’ 

‘’No. You can pick something you like. It was your turn, right?’’ 

Although you didn’t have sleepovers, you’ve been in Tara’s bedroom many times during her recovery. She was sleeping a lot of the time, but you stayed by her side. You even set up fairy lights for her because she didn't feel comfortable alone in the dark. Being brutally attacked leaves trauma behind. 

‘’Have you picked yet?’’ Tara asked, walking in with a huge bowl of popcorn. 

You pulled yourself out of your thoughts and snapped your head toward the bedroom door. ‘’Eh, no. I have not. Do you want horror or a rom-com?’’ 

‘’We can do horror.’’ She climbed on the bed with the popcorn and got under the blankets, her soft leg brushing yours as she settled in comfortably. 

‘’Are you sure?’’

Tara nodded. ‘’No slashers, though,’’ she warned. 

The movie turned out to be a complete mess. You should have read letterboxd reviews before starting it. Between the bad acting, the cheap jumpscares and the storyline that had so many loopholes, you couldn’t tell which was worse. 

Sam came home from work just as you were starting the second movie, stealing some of your leftover M&Ms before going for a shower. Tara complained and threw popcorn at her, making you laugh. 

You let Tara pick the second movie. It was better than the first one, but it had a lot of sex scenes in it. Usually, you didn’t mind sex scenes. They were part of a lot of horror movies nowadays. What made it uncomfortable was how close to Tara you were while watching them. You tried shifting your eyes from the screen, but the brunette with small tits reminded you of your best friend…which you were dying to make a move on.

When the movie ended, Tara turned off the tv and you laid down on your side, pulling the covers higher. It wasn’t cold, just a habit. 

‘’Did you not like the movie?’’ Tara asked in the semi-obscurity, her face close to yours on the pillows. 

‘’It was good,’’ you lied.  

‘’Then why were your eyes off the screen most of the time? You can tell me if you didn’t like it. I’m not gonna get mad and give a whole speech about how great it was like Mindy does.’’

A small laugh left your lips. Mindy had very loud cinephile opinions. You can’t just casually watch a movie with her. It was entertaining to watch her and Amber debate on movie nights. They had different preferences and often contradicted each other’s opinions. 

But that won’t be happening anymore. 

‘’You’re my favorite person,’’ you quietly confessed, the words getting out before you could stop them. 

‘’You’re mine too,’’ Tara responded, her voice small and quiet. She inched closer, her brown eyes looking right at yours. ‘’I missed this — us,’’ she added. ‘’I’ve probably said it already, but thanks for being there. I don’t think I would have gotten through all of this without someone to anchor myself to.’’

Amber’s betrayal had been hard on Tara. Unlike body pains, they couldn’t be appeased by painkillers. 

You reached out and gently grabbed Tara's hand, your thumb brushing over the raised scar. ‘’I’m always gonna be there for you.’’

‘’Promise?’’ She inched closer again; her breath ghosting your lips. 

You nodded. ‘’Promise,’’ you repeated, praying you hadn't read her actions wrong as you closed the remaining distance between you, your lips brushing against hers in a tender, hesitant kiss. 

It was over too quickly, your anxiety telling you she wasn't into you and making you pull away. Congratulations, you just ruined your friendship! But Tara quieted that voice, pressing her mouth back on yours again. 

The covers rustled quietly, Tara's hand finding its way to the side of your face, fingers delicately tracing the outline of your jaw. You kissed her back with a fever that made her gasp, a sound that went straight to your core. 

It was difficult to control your impulses. You’ve been waiting for this moment for so long. 

‘’Tara—’’ 

She shook her head, stopping you. ‘’Kiss me.’’ 

So you did. Again.

You didn’t know where this was going, but you knew you didn’t want to stop it. 

You kept your hand on Tara’s waist, not wanting to rush into things, but Tara was whining and rubbing against you, making it harder for you to not straddle her and get your hands and mouth all over her. Or maybe it was what she wanted? 

Fuck it, you said to yourself, giving in and letting your hands wander under her shirt. If you went too far, she would tell you, right? You slowly kneaded her breasts, alternating. Your fingers traced her nipples which made her let out a very faint moan so you flicked her nipple again. She was so responsive and cute.

Starting to feel hot, Tara pulled off her sleep shirt, exposing her small tits. You had seen them before in the P.E. changing rooms, but now it was different. You didn’t feel wrong for looking — well, staring. 

She noticed your eyes on her and her cheeks got hot. ‘’It’s not much, I know,’’ Tara apologized, embarrassed by her small tits. 

Shaking your head, you shut down her insecurity by laying her back on the bed and taking a nipple into your mouth and sucking on it. 

The sensation made her bite her bottom lip as her eyes fluttered shut. ‘’That feels good.’’ 

As you were doing so, you tentatively reached a hand down to Tara’s pajama shorts and teased her over the cotton, which was quickly soaked through. 

She pushed her hips against your hand. ‘’Please.’’ She paused, her breath uneven. ‘’Touch me.’’

You could feel your own arousal soaking through your panties from her words, her small noises making your cunt tingle.  

Ignoring your own needs, you slipped your hand under her shorts and panties. Tara's back arched as your fingers brushed her wet folds, massaged her cunt softly without adding too much pressure. You didn't want to make her moan too loud, Sam's bedroom was right across from hers. 

You gave attention to her sensitive pink clit, continuously massaging your thumb over it and causing Tara to clutch her pillow as jolts of pleasure filled her. ‘��That feels good— ah,’’ she sighed softly, reaching down to tug on her nipples. 

She was so beautiful like this, laying on her back and her body writhing from your touch. You brought your mouths together again, kissing as your hand that wasn't in Tara's shorts traveled down your body to shove your bottoms down your thighs and play with your clit. You whimpered into Tara's mouth.

You continued your motions until you could feel her climax getting close, waves of pleasure rolling through her body with a last buck of her hips, clenching around your fingers with a death grip as her entire body twitched with the aftershocks.

Withdrawing your hand from her panties, you fell back against the pillows and finished yourself, parting your knees and rubbing your clit so fast it made your eyes roll back. Beside you, an out of breath Tara watched with awe as your arousal dripped on her bedsheets, creating a dark patch. It wasn’t long until your climax crashed over you, joining your best friend in her post-climax haze.  

‘’Well, that was one hell of a sleepover,’’ Tara said, a small giggle coming out of her.

—

Scream taglist: @misfityanii @beautybyfire @iluvscream191 @mariposa555 @bella7866 @o638 @lulubelle14 @luvvtxinityy @frasersgf  @Eddiefrickenmunson @jasperr-the-friendly-ghost @ghostf4cee @thesebitcheslovesosadotcom @wandaswigglywoos @xjennyx2 @jennasslut @thatonesblog  @mikaelsonsstuff @icarly23 @tcddszn  @bt.oliana  @skyesthebomb @a1mzcruml3y @red1culous @iluurmom @popeheywardssecretgf @michaelangdonsslut @byhrxb @kamthecoolest @kattybug @ravenstrueluv @landryslxys @die4niyahhh  @sl4sh3rfuck3r @radiant-whore  @Meadzy21 @luci1fer @nomorespahgetti  @bloodyhw  @depthsofdespairr  @bellysbeach @wilmalovegood @loupiotesworld  @wenvierismycomfort @t-candy  @s-al-em  @darylscvmdumpster  @tommysaxes  @adaydreamaway08 @johannelis2302nely @aqshua @lynbubble @luiise @planetkt @vampyrgoff @adrluvh @mymultiveres  @miqi-16 @not-liah  @lovenats01 @doestalker @lonelywitchv2 @lausley336  @arinexeisnotworking @halforangecuts @l3ndryz  @ilovelandry  @your-platonic-gay-lover @danniackerman  @angelxxrose @lottiefromsam  @thecrowdedstreetin1944 @cinnamonbun222 @angelxxrose @lottiefromsam @zoeynicolas @thecrowdedstreetin1944 @cinnamonbun222 @pumkinnroses @cruzgrecia @sunnysunny133696 @aesthetixhoe  @gizmodecaprio

All and more taglist:  @kenqki  @hawkegfs  @gillybear17   @black-rose-29 @fudge13 @cece05 @laylasbunbunny @gemofthenight @beautyb1ade   @mellabella101 @vxnity713  @bisexualgirlsblog @queenofslytherin889 @thatbxtchesblog @softb-tterfly @ethanlandrycanbreakmyheart  @xyzstar  @graceberman3   @mikeyspinkcup @jackierose902109 @daisydark @laurasdrey @mischieftom @fanatic4niall @peterholland04 @idkwhattonamethisblogs  @lexasaurs634  @notasadgirlipromise @zoeynicolas @thejuleshypothesis @multi-fandom-bi-bitch @lexasaurs634  @notasadgirlipromise @thejuleshypothesis  @katherinejess  @rafesgirlstuff  @lafleshlumpeater @iamluminosity

[rip-quizilla]

We Could Be Beautiful: Dead Girl Walking

Eddie Munson X Fem!Reader

🔹An AU in which you and Eddie are both actors in a community theater production of Heathers: The Musical🔹

Word count: 1.6K

A/N: Just an idea I’ve had rolling around in my head for a while. This will probably become a series of short blurbs within this AU, taking place between the auditions and the cast party following the final performance of the show.

Tags: mutual pining, unconfessed feelings, allusions to sex, passing mention of suicide (pertaining to the plot of Heathers), references to Heathers: the Musical, song lyrics

If you’d like a visual for the scene described from the original musical, click here

🔹divider made by @k1ssyoursister 🔹

You took your role as Veronica’s understudy seriously. 

You’d copied down every stage direction, every line, every director’s note- you’d made sure you were prepared. Now, the ultimate test would determine just how prepared for this you really were.

Barb, the actress playing Veronica, had warned you that her sister might go into labor early, and that had been exactly what happened. That meant she would be in the delivery room on opening night, and every program in every audience member’s hand would have a little insert with your picture on it, alongside your name followed by “-will be playing the role of Veronica Sawyer.”

Already, you had managed to make it to the first quarter of the show. “Beautiful” had gone without a hitch, and you’d gotten through “Fight for Me” without your voice cracking. But next was “Dead Girl Walking,” and you were just about ready to fling yourself in front of a bus. Or drink some drain cleaner. 

You hadn’t rehearsed this song with Eddie yet; you knew the words, knew the blocking, knew exactly which note you were expected to sing and every riff you had to hit. But standing behind that velvet curtain as you waited for your cue, you were practically on the verge of a panic attack. When you finally had to enter the stage, you channeled it all- the panic, the nerves, the terror of what comes after tonight.

I need it hard

I’m a dead girl walking

I’m in your yard

I’m a dead girl walking 

You’d watched him sing this song with Barb so many times, and each time you’d wished it was you- now, you had your chance. 

Sorry, but I really had to wake you

See, I’ve decided I must ride you ‘til I break you

Tonight I’m yours, 

I’m your dead girl walking

Get on all fours, 

Kiss this dead girl walking

You knew Eddie’s wide, wet eyes were those of an actor. The eyes of JD as he watches the girl of his dreams. Still, the heat and want you felt right now wasn’t Veronica’s- it was purely yours. So you let it feed Veronica’s words as you held his face in your tender hands and told JD the things you wished you could say to Eddie.

And you know, you know, you know

It’s ‘cause you’re beautiful

You say you’re numb inside

But I can’t agree

You were the one in the blue blazer now. Tonight, he was your JD, and you were scared shitless that when your lips hit his in a stage kiss that was supposed to have so much fire it set the stage ablaze, it might feel a little bit too real. 

So the world’s unfair

Keep it locked out there

In here it’s beautiful

Let’s make this beautiful

Eddie- JD- gazed at you with all the wonder and adoration of a man on his knees for a generous god. His head shook gently, bewildered by his luck as he delivered the next line. “That works for me.”

Then your lips were on him, and for a second you let yourself pretend he was kissing you back and not Veronica. His mouth was warm, his hands hungry as they roamed over your clothes and subtly squeezed until you felt your blazer’s polyester pucker.

When you pulled away for your high note, you gazed into his eyes and saw nothing but truth looking back at you. That fire you’d been feeling all this time was reflected in his eyes tonight. Sure, maybe it’s the stage lights. Maybe he’s just a really good actor. Maybe you’re fucking obsessed with him- but whatever it was, you felt wanted in those eyes. So yeah, you let yourself believe it. You let the script burn you alive.

Full steam ahead, 

Take this dead girl walking

Let’s break the bed,

Rock this dead girl walking

You were drunk on the awe in his gaze, the way he looked up at you like he wasn’t sure if you’d really just barged in through his window to ride him until he was a broken mess, or if you were a fantasy his mind had conjured to fuel his desire to belong to someone who would cherish all he had to give. 

Again, Eddie was a talented actor. You knew that was his interpretation of how his character felt about your character. Still, you let yourself fall into the script as you straddled his tense, shirtless body, his abs crunching under the blue stage lights in a way that made you salivate. You wondered what your spit would look like on his skin. 

You were far too horny to be professional. At least you weren’t so far gone that you couldn’t remember your blocking. 

No sleep tonight for you,

Better chug that Mountain Dew

Your heart fell into your core upon hearing Eddie’s whimpered ‘okay, okay’ in character, needy and submissive beneath you. 

Get your ass in gear,

Make this whole town disappear

His eyebrows pulled together, voice stronger and raspier as it ripped from his chest. ‘Okay, okay!’ His fingers snuck underneath your skirt, fingertips digging into the soft flesh of your ass. You wished it was real. 

You eyed him like a predator eyes a kill, determined to stay in his head until he needed you for real. You ran your palm over your cheek, brought your other hand up to fist in your hair, and pretended both hands were his.

Slap me,

Pull my hair,

You grabbed his wrists forcefully, bringing them up one by one to grope each of your tits. 

Touch me 

There (left tit)

And there (right tit)

And there 

To punctuate the final syllable, you couldn’t stop an involuntary writhe of your torso into Eddie’s hands as he grasped your white button down (which was actually a snap-up) at the chest and pulled hard, simultaneously pinching your nipples through your bright blue bra and ripping open your blouse to showcase the swell of your chest for the whole audience to see. You didn’t notice them, though- you noticed the way he looked at your chest like it was the second coming of Christ. You witnessed that fractional widening of his eyes, the way he was entranced by every move you made as you writhed in his lap. 

And no more talking

Love this dead girl walking

Eddie’s voice was lightning in the wake of thunder, bright and jagged and beautifully raw with power as he crooned a harmony to your lead as the song drew to a close. This song wasn’t an easy one to sing; had you not been so distracted by how it felt to have Eddie’s hips between your thighs you might have been nervous that you’d flub your high notes- but you didn’t. In a moment of sheer improvisation you did what just felt right, and that meant grabbing Eddie by hair at the base of his neck and wrenching his head back as you rolled your hips into his.

You knew your blocking was to arch your back away from him, but instead you brought your face close enough to his that it’s possible his mic picked up your perfect, clear falsetto as you pleaded, ‘Love this dead girl walking’ with the cadence of a lover asking, begging their beloved ‘don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop’. Eddie’s eyes registered your improvisational choice, and maybe you imagined it but behind those big brown button eyes he seemed to come alive with you, sitting up even further and digging one hand into your soft, hot skin while the other flexed against the stage floor to keep him balanced. His little ‘whoa, whoa, hey, hey, yeah yeah’s were short and breathy, sounding more like moans and whimpers as he rolled the sturdy bones of his hips into you as you matched his rhythm. 

If you closed your eyes, you could pretend. If you didn’t have blocking to follow, you might have kissed him again, might have bitten his lip, might have reached for his belt buckle with reckless abandon and let a summer’s worth of pining win over in your mind. Instead, you channeled that passion into the way your hips ground into him with the fervor of a woman with nothing to lose. 

Together the two of you finished out the song with heavy breaths and belted lyrics. You writhed. He thrusted.  ‘Love this dead girl,’ your voices intertwined in a desperate dance for release from the tension between you that, at some point, had grown thick as two oak trees planted near enough to forget where one ends and the other begins.

‘Yeah!’

Your hand on his chest splayed out over faded ink. Your hips swiveled against his groin.

‘Yeah!’

His hand fisted in the plaid fabric of your skirt. That wasn’t in the blocking- had they added that? Was this improv?

‘Yeah!’

Using the grip on your skirt, he tugged you further into him as his hips bucked up just enough to bounce you on his groin and shake your exposed cleavage. Without thinking, your hand flew into his hair, grasping the sweaty curls at the nape of his neck and tugging sharply back. You weren’t supposed to do that. 

‘Ow!’

It wasn’t supposed to be a moan, but that was definitely what you would call the sound you pulled from Eddie’s mouth. A soft yet sharp, breathy moan that existed somewhere in the valley between pleasure and pain and definitely sounded more sexy and less funny, which is how it was supposed to sound. You saw Eddie’s eyes go wide as he too came to this realization. 

No matter; if you played it off, no one in the audience would know the difference. You let go of his hair and flung your hand into the air above you, reaching for heaven and belting out your last ‘Yeah’ into the stage lights that lined the rafters above you. Your back arched, and you felt one final push of Eddie’s pelvis into yours, weaker this time as he too came down from the endorphins that ravaged every thought in both your mind and his. 

Taglist (people I've been talking to about this since the idea spawned): @ghost-proofbaby, @the-unforgivenn, @munson-blurbs, @hellfire--cult

[asexual-juliet]

saw the outsiders musical last night (7/20/24) and thought i would make a little post about some of my favorite parts!! brody, sky & daryl were out so i saw trevor wayne as pony, josh strobl as johnny & henry julián gendron as two-bit!

there’s a bit after pony gets jumped by the socs where darry and soda are cleaning the blood off his face and when they’re done and have gotten up johnny comes and sits next to him and takes out a rag and starts also cleaning pony’s face <3 it’s so so sweet

henry does a couple little opt-ups as two-bit in both grease got a hold and hoods turned heroes where i was like “ooh!” i adore daryl tofa so i was a little disappointed when i found out i wouldn’t be able to see him but henry was SO fantastic!! such a talented dancer and you could tell he was having so much fun with the character! such a standout for me.

was deeply impressed by how many items were successfully thrown and caught in grease got a hold like holy shit dude

the LIGHTING in great expectations has pony pointing his flashlight at darrel on “darrel was on his way up in the world” & johnny on “johnny has no kind of chance in this world” and then as the verse goes on he points it at all of the greasers standing all over the stage and the light lingers on them for the rest of the song it’s so fucking cool-looking! and during the chorus the stage starts to look like a starry sky which is a choice they bring back for the little great expectations reprise at the end of far away from tulsa. 

the moment where pony & johnny do their little cool guy walks over to cherry and marcia at the drive-in with their popped collars was so precious to me

i ADORE cherry valance and i ADORE emma’s take on her!! her little convo with pony at the drive-in was really sweet and i loved that they chose not to make the dynamic feel like a crush on ponyboy’s part it was such a nice moment of two people finding and genuinely understanding each other so deeply <3

lighting sound & everything was so next-level during the fountain scene-bob’s death like i don’t even think i can describe it it was so much and so crisp and so visceral in the absolute best way

staging for run run brother was SO cool — there’s a part at the end where they use the tires and boards from the set to make two platforms that the other actors can roll them back and forth while johnny is on one and pony on the other and they roll them away from each other and they are both reaching out so desperately towards each other its so fantastic

i also really liked the part in run run brother where dally gives pony his jacket like he just wordlessly put it on for him it’s so nice

lighting & subsequent blackout at the end of run run brother as pb&j are in the air after jumping off the “train” was ELITE

pony is holding johnny’s switchblade during death’s at my door and at the end of the song johnny reaches out to take it from him but he doesn’t pull away so he’s just holding pony’s hand and then he puts his other hand over pony’s too and they sit there like that until the lights go down <3

LOVED what they’ve done with darry’s character here!! i know people have some nitpicky things with it but he is such a fascinating character and i’m so glad that the musical theater medium was able to do so much with him that the limited pov of the novel couldn’t — brent comer plays darry so so well and my heart aches for him like fuck dude he cares about his brothers so fucking much and he’s doing his best and he’s so so tired :((( give him a break!!

jason schmidt’s voice is SO fantastic holy fuck throwing in the towel was GORGEOUS!! and the little bit at the end where soda hugs darry and it looks like he maybe kisses him on the head a little is so darling <3

the entire “do i look like julie andrews?” scene is so fucking good… genuinely made me laugh out loud. “fine, paul newman, then!” “…no shit?” is so fantastic and johnny’s little “she is pretty as hell :)” about cherry is adorable. and ofc the “goldilocks and her ugly sister” line is fucking great

the way that johnny perks up when he hears “say hey to johnny for us :)” in soda’s letter is so cute

the church fire scene is perhaps the coolest shit i have ever seen onstage

ponyboy is crying so hard after johnny dies that has to sit down on the floor of the hospital room and soda sits behind him and just holds him <3

ponyboy is like actively crying as he narrates dally’s death its so fucking heartbreaking. i liked that they drew the parallels between the train crashes in order to make dally’s death meaningful despite its departure from the book. and the detail about the train derailing when it hit him was wonderfully written. 

there is a scene where ponyboy is like inconsolable sitting on the living room floor with his head in his arms after johnny and dally die and cherry comes by the house because she has been volunteering at the hospital and no one came to pick up johnny’s clothes after he died and she thought ponyboy should have them and she tells him there’s a letter in the pocket addressed to him and after she leaves he just sits there for a while and when he finally moves he picks up johnny’s jean jacket and fucking like hugs it and buries his face in it and it’s so so so heartbreaking and soda has to come over and start reading the letter to him before johnny appears and starts singing stay gold <3

johnny starts SR at the beginning of stay gold while pony is sitting on the car at SL but he is slowly moving closer to pony as the song goes on and right before they start singing in harmony johnny sits down next to him <3 <3 <3

josh’s stay gold made me CRY!! especially him and trevor singing “i have known a love that many never know / and that love lives on no matter where i go” holy shit. their voices blend together so beautifully

overall i fucking ADORED trevor’s ponyboy!! he embodies the role so so well and has such a fourteen-year-old boy vibe when he’s onstage that i definitely did not expect from an actor in his twenties! i’ve heard that his pony is a little more emotional than brody’s & josh’s and that was a choice i really really vibed with!! and his voice was like jaw-dropping, what a talent!!

stagedoor afterwards was so so wonderful! i made drawings for the entire cast and everyone was so so nice and seemed to really like them! the ensemble & understudies especially seemed really thrilled that i had made something for them

henry in particular was so so sweet and seemed like he couldn’t believe that i had drawn him! he was like “is this me for real?” and someone (i think it was trevor) told him to look at the back where i had written his name and a little note and he was really excited about it!! he actually was like “this is awesome i have to go inside and give this to my mom right now so i don’t lose it” and his family was right inside the stagedoor and he pointed me out to them and they were so excited! he gave me a hug too it was really nice :)

trevor was also really excited and was like “this is a drawing of me for real? not brody?” and he was so happy when he turned it around and saw his name <3

i gave melody and sarahgrace copies of the same drawing of both of them and as soon as i gave it to melody she immediately looked around to find sarahgrace and show it to her (she was still inside but it was very cute) and then she told me they were going to put it on the wall in their dressing room!!

sarahgrace was like “omg you even drew my bracelet!” and was excited when i pointed out the detail i put in for the pattern on her dress!

trevor yelled across the sidewalk to tell josh to stop talking to his (trevor’s) mom as a joke lmfao

everyone except jason & kevin c came out to stagedoor and they were all so so sweet!! got photos with most of them and they all signed my copy of the book!! overall such a fucking fantastic experience! the drawings were a lot of work but it was so nice to see the looks on the cast’s faces when they saw them!!

[dodorimo]

WIP Wednesday

Theater director!Raphael x Tav

He's supposed to be kinda creepy here, so yeah, this is a warning.

· · ──────  ❊  ────── · ·

It is a disaster, a travesty.

He wonders. When Tacitus beheld the charred remains of his beloved Rome, did he feel a similar way?

Chorus girls look to each other for guidance while lead actors traipse over the stage, painfully off-key. He has seen high school productions with more verve than this one.

That he has to share a room with such insipid talent. It is truly heartbreaking.

With a weary sigh, his eyes survey the stage for the weak link, and that’s where he finds her. A girl in the back row, looking a little lost and scared out of her mind.

“Dear God, who does casting these days?” he laments to no one in particular, crossing his legs on the leather seat.

“You do, sir.”

Raphael turns to look at the man beside him, taking in his ill-fitting suit and old-fashioned glasses. Poor fellow. He has neither the knack nor the grip for the job. And the syndicate thought sending this boy would keep him on his toes?

“Oh, I didn’t audition this one or I’d remember her.” There’s a pause while he mulls over his thoughts. “Tell me, Jameson,” he says and ignores when the other man voices a correction. “Why is she here?”

“The girl has promise,” comes the curt response. “She was highly recommended.”

The vague answer does nothing to placate his quickly dampening mood. “Recommended by who? Her parents? Her elementary teacher, perhaps?”

A few cleaning women choose this moment to walk past their seats, prompting the man to lower his voice. “The Royal, sir.”

Raphael reclines back in his seat. There we have it.

What these newcomers fail to understand is that admission to a fancy college isn’t nearly enough accolades for his standards. He didn’t build his reputation by bowing down to paper-pushers and sycophants. In this theater, he dictates the rules. In this theater, he is king.

With a wave of his hand and a few scathing words, he orders the session to be dismissed, much to the relief of those present.

“May I suggest a break instead?”

“You did well today, Johnson. You may take the rest of the day off,” he replies, his tone final.

The man opens his mouth to protest, but turns to leave the room instead. The buzz of conversation slowly dwindles as cast and crew head backstage. They turn off the lights on their way out, leaving the theater in semi-penumbra.

Despite his predisposition for pomp and extravagance, Raphael always thought he worked better on a smaller stage.

“Not you.” He points to the girl tailgating the group. “I’d like to have a word.”

The girl stops in her tracks, a thousand emotions flashing across her face, before settling on fear.

While he waits for her to come around, he pulls two chairs and rearranges them facing each other in the middle of the stage, right below where the headlights shine brightest. The girl moves to sit on one of the chairs, shaking like a foal standing on its hind legs for the first time.

“Fear not. This will only take a moment,” he says, his smile deceptively warm—a skill honed after many years in the business.

She is a pretty little thing, this new choir girl. But then, again, most choir girls are. If her theater career falls to pieces, he can imagine a profession or two where she would excel at. 

“What do you say we start from the beginning of act two?” he suggests, tone amicable as to not alarm her further.

The girl scrambles to flip through the pages of the script, her eyes skimming over the words in rapid succession.

This won’t do. An easier question, then.

“What is your name, dear?”

“River, sir. My name is River.”

“My man told me you came from the capital. Do you like it there?”

“I like it very much, yes.” The small talk seems to calm her enough to allow her to find the right page. What she finds there, however, does not please her in the slightest.

“Sir, this is a scene for two…” she trails off, eyes fearful.

“Make the best of it. Improvise. I can play the part of your would-be lover if you wish.” The abrasive approach isn’t to his liking. Unfortunately for this girl, he is short on patience.

If he had any hope that under the veneer of the ingénue might hide a true thespian spirit, it vanishes the moment she utters the first line.

He stands up and paces aimlessly around the stage. The girl stares at him, dumbfounded.

“You have been on the run. This man, this stranger, offers you solace and a roof above your head. He is charming and not too hard on the eyes. You feel indebted to him. You’re young, naive and you’ve never been properly courted.”

The deviation from the script wouldn’t pose an issue. He is the author, after all, and the play, a successful piece from his earlier career. “Updated” for modern audiences. The word alone is enough to make him grit his teeth. None of his plays needed “updating”. Younger audiences can take their grievances back to their food-stained couches. They had no respect for the classics.

His little summary provokes the intended reaction. He sees the pieces falling into place in her mind.

“Harlequin…” she tries again, this time with more passion. And is that the hint of tears he sees in her eyes? “I've never met anyone like you. If only I could repay you in kind.”

“Good, good… much better.” He returns to his seat.

“Say the word and my body will be yours.” She leans forward, exposing just enough of her cleavage for his eager eyes. It’s a bold move, but not unwelcome. His fingers twitch on his lap. This little dove may surprise him still.

Raphael recites the words that have become second nature to him. “Columbina. I’d rather you not return to your old ways. If you choose to lie with me, it must be of your own free will.” If his voice sounded more condescending than the play requires, it’s just an act of improvisation on his part.

He points to the script in her hand. It’s the cue for her musical number.

If the girl clearly struggled with the finer nuances of the text before, here she needs no assistance. Hers is a voice of singular beauty, the likes of which emerge once in a generation. He suddenly understood why James was so hellbent on bringing her here. It wasn’t just the charming Harlequin who was finding himself enthralled.

When it’s done, he takes off his glasses without saying a word and puts them carefully in his pocket.

“Oh dear, this is…” Beautiful, stupendous, awe-inspiring, his mind supplies. “A little crude, if you don’t mind my directness.”

The girl looks positively devastated, her lips quivering as if about to cry.

“But even the roughest of rocks can be polished into a beautiful piece of jewelry. Isn’t this what they say? Meet me at my office after tomorrow’s rehearsal. I expect you to be well acquainted with the text by then.”

“Thank you, sir. I won’t disappoint you.”

“Call me Raphael.”

“Raphael…” Her voice rings like angelic bells to his ears. “Until tomorrow.”

[rwrbmovie]

BTS of #RWRBMovie: cakegate

From Collider:

ML: "It was hundreds of extras, it was cake, it was a vision, it was choreography through space, and it was a lot of dialogue. That was three days of me, just gritting my teeth. I can’t tell you that I had fun on those three days. I knew that I had to get it right, in so many different ways. But I had a great team, and I had Nick and Taylor, and we got through those days. When people see the movie, you don’t see all the real effort that went into that filming that scene."

From AV Club:

The entire wedding reception scene took three days to shoot on location at the Royal Naval College in London (which served as the setting for the receiving line) and Goldsmiths’ Hall in the city’s financial district (where the reception takes place). But López began preparing for it long before he got to the set. Together with production designer Miren Marañón, he tested the physics of bringing down the cake using models and filming smaller cakes in motion to see how they would fall. “We were really scientific about it,” he says. “Would it slide? Would it tumble? Is it sort of like a tree coming down or does it break apart? What we decided was that actually what happens is not necessarily Alex knocks over the cake, Alex breaks the table, which then sends it over. We realized that it was a question of a cascading series of events leading to the cake falling on them.” Taylor Zakhar Perez, who plays Alex, and Nicholas Galitzine, who plays Henry, were both game for anything when it came to the physicality of the scene. To help block the sequence for maximum comedic effect, López brought on theater director Cal McCrystal, who had previously worked as a physical comedy consultant on the Paddington films. The actors rehearsed with McCrystal to get each beat of the scene right before Alex is knocked into the table, which was rigged with hydraulics to make it collapse on cue. The crew spent a day and a half filming the reception before it came time to tackle the cake scene. There were two cakes created for the scene, a fake one made of foam and latex that could not only hold up under the lights for long periods of time but safely be dropped on the actors without injuring them, and a real one made of sponge and buttercream frosting to dump on them once they hit the ground. “We shot the scene many times with the fake one coming down, just this big cake coming down on top of them,” López says. “We shot it from all different angles. Then we reached the point of no return and we had to drop actual cake on them.”

That’s where the fun part came in. The crew brought in several white industrial “buckets of buttercream” frosting and chunks of real cake to throw on top of the actors. “We set up three cameras, and my production designer and I carefully lined up the shot. And I counted to three and we tossed the cake into their faces.” The cast and crew had planned to film the scene multiple times, and there was time built into the shooting schedule for the actors to shower and change into clean costumes in between takes, a process that could potentially take up to an hour. But, according to López, in the end it wasn’t necessary. “That first take we hit the bullseye. And I went back to look at it with my director of photography and my producers, and I’m looking at it and I’m like, we have it. Let’s move on. Let’s not waste our time. One take of hitting their faces, and then we just got the rest of it.” López describes the mood on set that day as “very, very focused” but there was still a sense that they were creating something special. It turned out to be one of his favorite days on set. Even the background players, many of whom were themselves in the cake splash zone, erupted in applause once it was finished. “The boys were in a very good mood, which helped. But I think, for an actor, it’s like the ultimate fantasy, right? As a kid, you want to be in an enormous food fight. And then here they are getting paid to be covered in cake. So yeah, it was the most technical bit of filmmaking we had to do on this movie. That said, everybody, for as focused as they were, everybody was in a very good mood that day. And it must be said that we had a lot of fun.”

From EW:

In the film's opening sequence, Galitzine's Henry and Taylor Zakhar Perez's Alex, the First Son of the United States, create an international incident after a spat leads them to crash into and destroy a royal wedding cake. In the process, they both become utterly covered in cake and frosting. But Galitzine didn't find it so bad. "You would get quite peckish throughout the day," he tells EW in an interview conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. "The fact that you could just have a snack peeling off your body, you can have a little nibble there, was super convenient." Things got even messier when the crew tried to turn the sequence into a food fight. "A lot of the crew were very keen to get involved and throw cake at us in the second half when the cake's already hit us," says Galitzine. "But it was a really fun experience getting to work within that physical comedy space, very slapstick with icing on the suit, then the whiskey being used to dab the suit, and the cake coming down on top of us." Galitzine could, at least, clean up relatively quickly once they wrapped — the English estate where they were filming had a shower upstairs that the cast could access. "Afterwards, I went and stood in the shower for a good half an hour," he says, with a laugh. But he still couldn't escape the cake. "Even that evening and the next morning, I'd find something in my ear or behind my ears, and be like, 'What is that?'" he explains. "And it was bits of icing. I didn't eat those."

From CineMagna:

NG: The cake dropping scene was probably one of the most fun scenes to film. It was just such a couple days. First of all, I just love being with the rest of the cast. It’s just mostly been Taylor and me throughout the entire process, but when you get to really spend time with the other actors, it’s just so much fun, the group of us together. There was so much pomp within this room. We had about 200 extras dressed to the nines, and just the act of this cake falling on top of us is just a very bizarre day at work that most people don’t get to experience.

[iamgonnagetyouback]

𝟷.𝟹𝚔 || 𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

♡ ︎ꜱʜɪᴘ: Neil Perry x fem!reader

♡ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ : part 1 | part 2 (coming soon)

The auditorium buzzed with excitement, the overhead lights reflecting off the polished wooden floors. It was opening night of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and you had been cast opposite Neil Perry as Hermia. It wasn’t your first time on stage, but you could feel the extra weight of the evening. Tonight had to be perfect.

From the moment you first met Neil during rehearsals, there had been something magnetic between the two of you. His passion for acting radiated from him, filling the room with a fire that seemed to catch everyone in its blaze. He wasn’t just playing his part; he became Lysander, drawing you into the role of Hermia so effortlessly, it felt real.

It was during one of the final rehearsals that everything started to change.

Rehearsal Room

You and Neil had stayed late, running lines together after everyone else had left. The echo of your voices in the empty theater added a level of intimacy that neither of you could ignore. It started as a simple conversation about the play—about love, rebellion, and freedom—but it soon morphed into something more.

“You really believe in all of this, don’t you?” you asked, leaning on the edge of the stage.

Neil looked up at you, a soft smile playing on his lips. “What do you mean?”

“Freedom. Passion. Love,” you listed, using your fingers to count each one. “It’s not just acting for you. You… feel it.”

Neil paused, his gaze softening. “Yeah. I do. I guess I’m chasing something that feels… real. Something that’s bigger than all of this,” he motioned to the theater, “and bigger than what people expect of me.”

He stared into your eyes with such intensity that it made your heart race. In that moment, Lysander and Hermia felt like a reflection of you and Neil, two souls entangled in a world that didn’t quite understand them.

You nodded. “Me too.”

There was a long pause, the air between you charged with something unsaid. Neil’s hand, warm and tentative, brushed against yours.

“Let’s make this real,” he whispered.

Opening Night

Now, standing backstage, waiting for the curtains to rise, you stole a glance at Neil. He was pacing, a nervous smile on his lips. Your heart thudded in your chest, not just because of the play but because of him.

“Hey,” you said softly, stepping up beside him. “You’re going to be amazing.”

Neil looked at you, his nerves melting away for a moment. “Only because you’re here.”

The warmth in his voice made your breath hitch, and before you could think, you whispered, “Break a leg, Lysander.”

His eyes sparkled with something unspoken. “You too, Hermia.”

The show was perfect. The audience disappeared, and it was just you and Neil on that stage. By the time you reached the final scene, you weren’t sure where the play ended and where reality began.

After the Show

The applause had barely died down when you found Neil backstage, the weight of the performance still lingering between you. For a moment, the two of you stood there, just looking at each other, hearts racing, breaths still heavy from the performance.

But before either of you could speak, you heard a stern voice cut through the air.

“Neil.”

Neil’s face fell as his father, Mr. Perry, approached. You could feel the tension rise instantly, the warmth between you and Neil freezing over as his father’s presence loomed.

“We’re leaving,” Mr. Perry said, his tone cold and commanding.

Neil shot you an apologetic look, and before you could stop him, he turned to follow his father.

Your heart clenched, a mix of emotions swirling in your chest. You couldn’t let him go like this. Not without saying something. Summoning your courage, you called after him, your voice soft but steady.

“The course of true love never did run smooth.”

Neil paused, his back still to you, but you saw his shoulders tense. Slowly, he turned his head, just enough to meet your gaze. There was a flicker of something—understanding, perhaps, or maybe hope—in his eyes before he nodded, the barest of smiles tugging at his lips.

He mouthed, “I know,” before following his father out the door.

The Bad Feeling

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. You went through the motions—congratulations from the cast, excited chatter about the show—but your mind was elsewhere. Something didn’t feel right. A knot of unease had settled in your stomach from the moment Neil walked out that door, and no amount of distractions could shake it.

By the time you returned to your dorm, exhaustion had taken over. You collapsed onto your bed, replaying the night in your mind. That final look from Neil haunted you—the sadness in his eyes, the way his smile didn’t quite reach his face.

As you drifted off to sleep, the unease twisted tighter, a foreboding sense that something was wrong. You dreamed of the stage, of you and Neil running through lines, but the words were jumbled, lost in echoes that didn’t make sense.

Then suddenly, a loud knock shattered your dream. You jolted awake, disoriented, your heart racing.

“Wake up!” a voice hissed urgently from the other side of the door.

[familyvideostevie]

eddie with “gently wipes your tears away” from the romantic gestures list? 🥺 tysm <33

your wish is my command! | gently wiping your tears __

"That lady is gonna think I'm breaking up with you," Eddie says, his arm tight around your shoulder as you cry.

"Maybe I should," you sniffle. "Serves you right for taking me to see the saddest movie of all time."

There are quite a few people out for a chilly evening and you are getting a few strange looks as you and Eddie walk away from the movie theater. His hand rubs up and down your arm and you lean on him for warmth and maybe a little emotional support.

"It wasn't that sad," he says, bumping your hip with his. You glare at him. "Not that I'm saying you shouldn't be crying, sweetheart."

A few more tears drop from your lashes, even though the intense feelings are dissipating and leaving your chest feel less tight.

"Oh, don't you try and pretend that you didn't cry at the end, Eddie Munson," you say. His cheeks redden but he ignores you and blows a piece of hair out of his face.

"Harrington told me it was the movie to see. 'Take her to Stand by Me, Munson,' he said. Perfect date night."

"He said that about Top Gun, too, and we all cried during that one." Eddie laughs your favorite laugh, the one where he throws his head back and closes his eyes. It makes you smile.

"And then he saw it like, 6 times," Eddie chuckles. He pulls you to a stop and maneuvers so that you're facing each other. "Listen, I'm sorry the movie made you cry like a dying hyena--"

"Hey--"

"--but how 'bout I make it up to you by getting you garlic knots and lava cake with our pizza? How's that sound, hm?" Eddie's ringed hands gently cup your face and his thumbs swipe under your eyes, wiping away the lingering moisture as well as the mascara stains you're sure you're sporting.

"Fine," you tell him, trying and failing to keep your expression neutral. It never fails to amaze you how beautiful Eddie is up close with his huge brown eyes and the light smattering of freckles across his nose and the open tenderness with which he looks at you, even when he's teasing you.

"Yeah?" he asks. You nod and he grins, your own smile cracking through your fake foul mood. He leans in and presses a messy peck to your lips with a smacking sound before grabbing your hand and pulling you down the street.

"You were totally crying during that one scene," you tell him. He squeezes your hand and laughs again and it warms you down to your toes.

request a prompt here!

[yanderepuck]

Kinktober Day 8

AND WE'RE BACK FOR A FOURTH TIME. It's that lovely time of the year where I write mediocre smut with no plot for a whole month. So sit your ass down and take a few minutes to read some smut.

As always, kinktober is held by our local Napoleon simp, @xxsycamore

If you'd like to read the last three years, go here

Remember to reblog and tell me what you think

Workplace Sex | Sex in a vehicle

Opening night was over and everything was a success. You and Will are the last ones at the theater, making sure everything is where it should be and to lock up.

You just finished your rounds and you sit on some props back stage, letting out a huge sigh of relief.

"Finally. Done," you yawn and look around, trying to listen to figure out where Will is. "What time is it?" You mumble to yourself. It's got to be close to midnight.

You hear footsteps and start to stand up. Once you are up Will is standing right next to you.

"Many thanks," he kisses you.

"I'm glad to help," you smile. You push one of his longer pieces of hair out of his face.

Will sits down on the floor to relax for a bit. "Did thee enjoy the play?"

"I did!" You sit back down next to him. "It was so romantic. The way the two characters loved each other was beautiful."

You sigh happily and lay back. You look up at the ceiling where there's a bunch of ropes and lights hanging. The lights are dimmed until the two of you have and turn them off the rest of the way.

"I was really surprised by the one scene."

"Hm? Which one?"

He looks at you a little concerned, not sure if it's a good surprise.

"The love scene. In a lot of plays, the writers just allude to them having sex, but you come out and say it. I would have thought the people of this time would find that scandalous."

Will can't help but laugh. Did you offend him? Or did you get it wrong? Are you remembering the play right?

"Writing those scenes is nothing new to me," he lays down on his side propping his head up from his elbow. "I wrote them even in my own time."

"You did?" You are quickly trying to remember all his plays at once, trying to think of another time he has done it.

"It has been some time. For that I have you to blame," he closes the gap and kisses you.

"Me? But why me?"

"You are my muse," you quickly see a smirk on his face before he gets on top of you, kissing you again. "Who else would make me wish to write scenes so 'scandalous'?"

"I can't possibly be that inspirational," even though you are fully aware he only started to write romances again because of you.

"Oh you are," his hands find yours, interlocking your fingers and holding them against the wooden floor. "Why not inspire me more?" His two colored eyes look down at you, teasing you, telling you what to do.

You lean up and kiss him. He kisses you back harder. You match his roughness. No. You get rougher. It becomes a battle of who is rougher.

Will holds your hands tighter. You tilt your head, opening your mouth into the kiss. Starting to moan, your body lifts off the floor to press against his.

You try to break your hands away. The first tug didn't work but the second tug did. He let your hands go so he could touch your body, pulling up your shirt.

Your hands graze across the front of his pants, wanting to feel how hard he is. You hear a hitch in his breath. Your fingers go to the waist of his pants trying to get them off.

The kiss finally breaks when you're both starting to undress.

"Let us use the bed," he sits up, pushing hair out of his face.

"The bed? Isn't it just a prop?" you look over, it's not that far away from you, but is it stable?

"It is safe," he stands up and pulls you to your feet. When the bed isn't needed for a play it is normally covered in boxes and other props. It can definitely hold some weight.

Leading you to the bed, you ditch your shirt along the way. You quickly sit on the edge, your hands getting his pants undone and to the floor. As you scoot back onto the bed you kick your skirt off and watch him lift his shirt over his head.

By the time you are settled he is on top of you, between your legs and ready. He kisses you again and spreads your legs wider. You feel his tip press against you.

You try to move closer, trying to get his tip in you.

"You were so tired, but now," he chuckles.

"J-just hurry."

I'm a swift motion his cock slides into you. You had gotten wet so quickly that he slid all the way in no issue.

Your arms wrap around him, keeping him close. His cock slid in and out with ease. Your moans quickly pick up, echoing through the empty theater.

He lifts one of your legs and thrusts rougher.

"Ahh! F-fuck!"

His hand runs through your hair, pulling it as he goes. The bed creaks under you, but with Will so deep in you it's not even on your mind.

"Seeing your face when you're filled gives me all the inspiration I need."

"W-Will," you moan his name, you nails going across his back.

"Louder," he smirks and leans in to talk in your ear. "The back row needs to hear you."

He tugs your hair more while his other hand grabs your hip, shifting you slightly.

"Will!" You buck your hips up for him, and claw at his back. You start panting

"Good girl," his lips move from your ear down to your neck, starting to kiss you there. "Now say your next line."

He tugs your head to one side while his tongue glides across your neck.

You pause for a moment, not quite sure what he's asking for you to say.

"Y-your cock feels so goo-ahh!" Before you can finish your sentence Wills fangs pierce into your neck. The pain barely lasts a second before you get overwhelmed with pleasure to the point of cumming.

Your nails dig into him while you tighten around him. He keeps going, getting rougher as he feels himself getting closer.

"Ungh..ahh Will, give me y-your cum."

Just as he removes his fangs from you, he thrusts into you roughly, emptying himself into you. His fingers dig into your hip and only release once he's done.

The two of you lay there panting, trying to get yourselves together before you try finding the energy to collect your clothes.

"Don't we have to come back here tomorrow? Why don't we just sleep here," you grumble, not wanting to get up.

Will chuckles and sits up, starting to get off the bed. "I shall call us a carriage so you don't need to walk."

[starfleetshrimps]

i love star trek bc it's actually a high school theater production most of the time. We focus a lot on the over-acting, theatricality of the actors and the directors, and that's all well and amazing, but /I/ want to focus on the /TECH/ bc ASHAijnjsdnbhgaARREghghhuuagjkshdmhbAHJBSSHJHIEJBnkjsdjhbsdhjBmahbsjshsbHkjnswkjshsn yea.

FIRST THE SETS?!? they're so silly and stupid? i know they get a lot of shit but the amount of work (not to mention styrofoam) that went into building individual sets for each planet they went to? like sure about 50% of the away missions take place in the california desert (the arena, *cough cough*, etc) but the rest of them have individually made sets that look PRETTY GOOD MAN. they get the point across, they're FUN, and innovative, and they really don't reuse planet sets all that often as well.

PLUS they used traditionally /theatrical/ cycloramas with painted backgrounds and classical cyc lighting (reminiscent of mariano fortuny's domed cyc! i WILL talk more about lighting) which look really cool and once again get shit for being unrealistic.

it's not supposed to look realistic it's supposed to look cool as shit. and it does. shut up. <3

if you view the sets as being modern TV sets then yeah, they're weird, and they look sorta bad, but THEYRE NOT modern TV sets: they're THEATRICAL SETS FROM THE 60-70S. AND I LOVE THEM.

SECONDLY, THE

lighting

while it's true that some shows in the 60s were developing new lighting styles specifically for TV, remember that in the year 1950 less that 10 percent of US homes had a television. this shit was new. COLOR tv was ESPECIALLY new. nobody knew how to light these things! and actually why would you need a new lighting style, we already KNEW how to light dramatic productions, why would we ever need to reinvent the wheel Stanley Mccandles, Mariano Fortuny, and Gene Rosenthall already invented says Gene Roddenberry and Jerry Finnerman (the head lighting designer). and oh my god i am so ridiculously glad. because the lighting. is so good.

i HAVE seen others talking about how good it is in the super early episodes (Charlie X and the conscious of the King, etc.) and i do agree! but i disagree that the quality goes down. i think it just got a tad bit more subtle as the show went on and it gets less in your face, harder to notice. but i noticed. because I'M the WORST (and also a lighting tech)

the impossibility of listing every example of amazing theater lighting choice they made is absolutely horrific and nasty so i'll just lost some my my favorites:

the cyc! i mentioned before but the cyc they used on away missions was only painted when they needed a specific scene in the background, otherwise? that bitch was LIT. and i LOVE IT.

any of the scenes where they light spock's face have green and half pink? or even just washing the walls behind him? i eat that shit UP. the METAPHOR. the CONFLICT. i will acquiesce that green and pink are (and were) pretty goddamn industry standard gels (color-films) to add to lights, for subtle contrast, but this is not subtle. it is LOUD. was it purposefully done from a storytelling perspective? no idea. is it cool as shit and interpret-able as hell? absolutely. also sometimes they do it with just green when they want to emphasize his vulcan-ness and other him a bit. like they do it a lot when he's in his room in amok time. anyway.

whenever they shutter a light so they can emphasize a character's (kirk, we're talking abt kirk here. and *sometimes* spock, and also Charlie in Charlie X but yeah mostly kirk) eyes when they say something #Deep, or just pre-commercial break closure worthy line. it's so SHJSDJBFEJNKN. to add onto this, they'll do a striking half-wash over half of their face sometimes in conjunction and it looks So Good

The GOBOS. sometimes, they'll just throw light through a gobo, or wall screen, or something, for /visual interest/ and it looks so silly i love it sm. does it make sense from a realism pov? nO. but star trek is a theater production actually and they lit everything using mainly naturalistic techniques! amazing!

honorable mentions: the glowing time donut, and the entirely random colors in the hallway.

there are so many other examples but this post is long enough lmao. notice the lights next time you watch tos!!,! please!!! <3

[invitationtoher]

You're in my Way, Cage. | Chapter 3: Johnny

Masterlist

Summery: Kitana Edenia, smart, beautiful, and stressed. With dreams of becoming a doctor due to her sister, Mileena, having a major case of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Throughout her entire school life she's been focused on her goal of getting into the very same college that her mother and father went to and fell in love at, Mortal Kampus University (MKU), an ivy league school where the only people are intelligent as they are talented. Kitana vows to make her mother proud with no distractions, at least that was the plan until she met an obnoxious dirty blonde in her English Class.

Jonathan Carlton? No, he's Johnny Cage! Hollywood's next big star! He may not act as smart as he actually is, but he shines when it comes to entertainment, if it's on the screen or behind the scenes Johnny can do it all, thanks to the Carlton family being in the film industry for generations. Thanks to his parents money and his acting and martial arts talents (as well as writing), he got a scholarship to MKU's theater department! He knows MKU will be a good time, it's his chance to make his own name. When he sees a pretty girl in his English class whose walls seem unbreakable, he vows to break down those walls and see the real her by showing her a film.

“What’s your name?”

            “Kitana Edenia.”

            “What’s your major?”

            “Medical sciences.”

            “Age?

            “19.”

            Her voice is nonchalant as she answers my questions, her dainty hands in her lap as I scribble her answer on my paper. Even as I write I can’t stop myself from looking at her light blue nail polish that shined under the fluorescent lights of the classroom.

            “That’s cool, what do you want to do after school?”

            I asked, looking over at her with a charming smile, making sure to flash my teeth to her the same way I made the girl in my lighting design class blush. The smile didn’t affect her the way I wanted it to, the way it always worked on girls. Kitana was a tough cookie, one that I wanted to break and get inside to see what makes her tick.

            “A doctor.”

            Of course, she was smart. Kitana furrowed her eyebrows and let out a scoff that was loud enough for me to hear, she shook her head and looked down at her paper with a pretty blue and silver ballpoint pen in her hand.

            “Name?”

            “Johnathan. But call me Johnny.”

            She was quick to scribble down my name in elegant handwriting with the black ink pen of the twist pen. It was practically hypnotizing with the way her hand wrote out my name, the loop of the J and how each letter she connected each letter that read ‘Johnny.’ I’ve seen cursive before, but this was like no other. My mothers autographing wasn’t even this-

            “Ahem.”

            I was snapped out of my trance by the sound of her clearing her throat, I shot my eyes up to look into her hazel eyes.

            “Last name too.”

            She said, her tone showing hints of her annoyance- she’s probably been asking the question for a while- my smile faltered a bit. My family’s fame and wealth being a blessing for opportunities and a ball and chain at the same time. In any class that has to do with theater I knew I couldn’t escape my family name. At least I was able to use my stage name in those classes, but in general courses I never know what to expect since my parents and sister were practically campus idols that made it big time on the West Coast. If I even utter my last name, I immediately get questions about my parents and Janet, the conversation that was once about me eventually becoming about my family yet again.

            “Um, it’s Carlton. Does that�� sound familiar?”

            Kitana shook her head, looking down at the paper and wrote down my answer. She was unphased by my answer, if she was acting like she didn’t care, she was pretty damn good at it.

            “Major?’

            “Theater and creative writing.”

            She let out a small half laugh half scoff, I raised an eyebrow at the sweet sound, my smile growing a bit as she looked back up when she finished writing my major.

            “What’s so funny?”

            “Of course you’re a theater major, you think you’re going to be the next teenage heart throb with those dentures?”

            She asked with sarcasm, I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth. Now she wants to start being funny?

            “First of all, my teeth are 100% all real, doc, no false teeth here. Second, there’s no teenage heart throb here, I’m for the cute college girls that like action heroes and single mothers that need to get off.”

            She rolled her eyes and wrote on the paper, I can see her biting her bottom lip as she failed to try to contain her smile to my joke.

            “So, I’m assuming you’re an actor?”

           “Yup, and then you can say that you went to school with Johnny Cage, Hollywood’s biggest star.”

           Kitana shook her head as she let out another laugh, it finally clicked. She doesn’t know who my family is, she doesn’t know that I come from a large line of Hollywood’s biggest actors and actresses.

          “Uh huh, okay… should I put that down for favorite celebrity too, Cage? And a stage name?”

          “Duh, I’m the best actor you’ll ever see, sweetheart.”

          I wasn’t sure if I liked the fact she didn’t know about the Carltons, that she didn’t know about me. It sounds narcissistic but it’s not something I was used to, but it was sort of… refreshing in a way. It’s rare since generations of my family are in the most mainstream movies and tv shows as well as cult classics. Her nose scrunched a bit, exactly how it did when I called her ‘princess’ when we were told that we’re gonna have the buddy system.

          “Yeah, I use a stage name in case those freak fans want to steal my last name.”

          My smile was genuine now, yeah, I wasn’t exactly telling the full truth with that answer, but the little laugh I was able to crack out of her already cracking exterior was worth it.

         “Okay, that’s actually… surprisingly smart.”

         “You’ll be saying that a lot, princess.”

         “I doubt it, Cage.”

         “I welcome the challenge.”

         “Alright, Cage. How old are you?”

         She asked, looking back down at the paper and reading the next question. I leaned back in my seat, my grin growing at the sight of her half-up half-down hairstyle that was held together by a clear rubber band. I wonder if it hurts to take out. Janet always said it does, that’s why she moved to black hair ties.

         “18.”

         She hummed, as she wrote on the paper, I looked down at mine to ask her the next question, hobbies.

         “Reading and studying, I guess.”

         Weird hobbies, favorite food,

         “Pasta with marinara sauce.”

         Favorite celebrity,

         “Oscar Wilde.”

         I raise an eyebrow and give her a look, my writing halting. She shifts in her seat as she plays with the embroidered cuffs of her blue crew neck.

         “He was an author.”

         She seemed embarrassed by her own answer, her cheeks were slightly pink with blush. I nod my head and look back at the paper, I knew the guy, my mother wanted to turn one of his books into a show or movie. However, Netflix got to it first, which they butchered, and my mother was grumpy for the next few months.

         “Favorite movie?”

         I stared down at my paper, waiting for her answer. Instead of answering immediately like the other questions, she was silent. Maybe she didn’t hear me?

         “Favorite movie?”

         I ask again, I turn to look at her, she looks around the room as if she was looking for the answer.

         “I don’t… have one?”

         I scoffed a bit,

         “What do you mean? Everyone has one. Okay, give me top five then.”

         She’s silent for a few moments, she looks down at her lap. Her thumbs tracing the embroidered flowers on her cuffs, she murmured that she didn’t have five.

         “Then what’s your favorite movie? C’mon, I won’t make fun of it… much.”

         She let out a small sigh before looking back up at me, her smile gone and her cheeks now red. Suddenly, it clicked.

         “Oh my god, have you ever seen a movie?”

         I asked, leaning closer to Kitana. Her body froze up, but she shook her head. Everything now makes sense how she didn’t recognize my family name despite my family being in almost every genre of tv shows and movies. My eyes widened and I let out a shocked laugh. Kitana sunk a bit in her seat, opening her mouth quickly to explain herself.

         “I mean, of course I’ve seen a movie, but I’ve never really sat and watched it. It’s more like, my sister was watching it, and I was doing my own thing.”

         I gave her a look, which made her scoff.

         “I’m too busy for that stuff.”

         She says, her ‘I’m-too-good-for-everything’ attitude from when I met her returning as she sits up in her seat. I feel a smirk crawl onto my face and shake my head.

         “Not anymore, free up your calendar, princess. We’re gonna go see a movie as soon as possible.”

© invitationtoher 2024

[ponyosmom35]

Don't Say Things That You Don't Mean

bittersweet chapter thirty six

steve harrington x fem oc

synopsis: as the drugs wear off the truth starts to come out.

link to master list:

https://www.tumblr.com/ponyosmom35/733401347573088256/simon-ghost-riley?source=share

The drugs started to take effect almost immediately, and a giggle bubbled up from Indie's chest. The room seemed to spin in a kaleidoscope of colors, the sterile white walls turning a soft, dreamy shade. Steve's laughter joined hers, a contagious, carefree sound that filled the small, grimy room.

The doctors, having retreated for a moment, returned with a renewed sense of urgency, their expressions grim. They started asking the same questions again, their voices sharp and impatient. But to Indie and Steve, it was just background noise. The sight of the doctors pulling out weapons only made them laugh harder, their laughter ringing through the room with an unsettling giddiness.

One of the doctors approached Steve, grabbing his hand with a rough grip and yanking his nail, trying to make him talk. The pain was sharp, but Steve's reaction was to burst into hysterical laughter. Indie laughed along with him, unable to stop, even as the situation grew increasingly dire.

Between fits of laughter, Indie managed to shout out, "We cracked the code! We're gonna be found!" Her words were slurred, but they were filled with a wild, frenzied joy.

Steve added, still chuckling, "Dustin's gonna call Hopper! We're gonna be saved!"

The alarm blared suddenly, its shrill sound slicing through their laughter. The room seemed to vibrate with the noise, adding to the surreal atmosphere. The doctors, clearly startled, rushed out, leaving Indie and Steve alone.

A few moments later, Dustin burst into the room, his face a mixture of relief and determination. Without hesitation, he pulled out a taser and zapped one of the doctors, who crumpled to the floor, twitching. Indie's laughter turned into cheers, her voice filled with exhilaration.

"Yes! Dustin, you're a hero!" she shouted, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

With the doctors incapacitated, Dustin quickly worked on freeing them from their binds. Indie stumbled to her feet, her legs unsteady from the drugs. She grabbed onto Steve, who steadied her with a concerned but affectionate look. Together, they navigated through the corridors, their movements clumsy but full of a strange, joyous abandon.

They took turns making fun of each other as they stumbled down the hallways, their laughter echoing off the walls. Steve tripped over his own feet, falling in a heap on the floor. Indie couldn't help but laugh, her giggles escaping uncontrollably. 

"I wanted a hot dog!" she said through her laughter, still giggling.

Steve, grinning despite himself, replied, "The Russians took the keys, remember?"

They finally made it back to the outside, their laughter fading into exhausted smiles. They ran through the mall corridors, weaving and stumbling, their spirits lifted by the unexpected freedom.

Sneaking into a movie theater, they found a secluded spot and plopped down next to each other. Indie leaned in close, her breath warm against Steve's ear as she whispered something that made them both laugh even harder. The movie screen lit up with the opening credits of *Back to the Future*, and their laughter only grew louder with each passing scene.

Robin and Dustin went to make calls for help, while Erica kept an eye on Indie and Steve. The two of them decided to take a break and get some water. Indie pushed Steve off the water fountain and grabbed a drink, still giggling.

As they stood by the fountain, Indie looked up at the lights and the windows, her giggles fading into an uncomfortable silence. She suddenly felt a wave of nausea, her stomach churning. "Steve, I think I'm gonna—"

Before she could finish, she dashed into the bathroom, Steve hot on her heels. They both made it to the stalls just in time, and the next few minutes were a blur of painful, retching heaves. Indie's head spun as she threw up, her stomach protesting violently. 

When she finally finished, she leaned against the wall, feeling utterly drained. Her tears mixed with the sweat on her face as she tried to calm her racing heart. Steve was in a stall nearby, his own retching sounds a harsh reminder of their shared ordeal.

After what felt like an eternity, Indie wiped her mouth and her tears, her hands trembling. She looked at Steve, who was finally emerging from his stall, his face pale and sweat-drenched.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked, his voice soft but concerned.

Indie nodded weakly, feeling slightly better but still shaken. "I think so. I feel... a bit better now."

Steve's eyes searched hers, his expression serious. "You need to talk to Robin," she said, knowing the real reason behind her own turmoil.

Steve looked confused. "Why would I need to talk to Robin?"

Indie sighed, her frustration rising. "The way you were talking about your feelings for her, I think you should tell her"

Steve cut her off by crawling into her stall, leaning against the other door while he looks at her his expression earnest. "I wasn't talking about Robin," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Indie's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening in disbelief. She stared at him, trying to process his words. "Who were you talking about then?"

Steve's gaze softened, his eyes searching hers with a vulnerability she'd never seen before. "I was talking about you."

"What?" Her breath caught in her throat, her mind reeling. "But I'm nothing like Nancy or Jessie or any of the other girls you were with," she said, her voice trembling.

"That's why I like you," Steve replied earnestly. "You're not like anyone else. You make me laugh harder than anyone else, and you're smarter than I could ever be. From the day that I saw you, I couldn't keep my eyes off of you. I was scared to talk to you because I didn't want to be made fun of. But now, I'm done with all that bullshit. I wish I'd found you sooner."

Indie's eyes filled with tears, her heart aching with a mix of hope and fear. She shook her head, trying to hold back her emotions. "Please don't say something you don't mean just because you're high," she pleaded.

Steve's face fell, his expression pained. He reached out, placing a hand gently on her knee.

Before Steve could respond, Dustin and Erica burst into the bathroom, their faces showing concern and relief. The moment was broken, and Indie and Steve shared a final, lingering look before their reality shifted back into focus. Thankful that the high seemed to begin to wear off. Indie stands and hurries out of the bathroom, trying to get as far away from Steve as she could. Her heart broken as she wondered why he would say those things to her when he would never mean them. 

[unikittybigbrightworldau]

Man, our trip is going by so fast. Here we are at Day Four!

[Image Description: Spike and Marcella are at a dinner theater called The Painted Shoal. Around them, there are bioluminescent fish of various shades of blue swimming. They are glowing as they swim. Marcella is dressed in a dress that is somewhat similar to traditional Marevian robes. It has a peachy top with a long, dark golden pleated skirt. She is also wearing a hairpiece with a large light yellow sea leaf on it, and two golden pearl necklaces. Her hair is styled in a folded updo. Spike is dressed in a dark gray suit with a bow tie made of a yellowish rock and orange sea leaves. The button on his suit is a small bluish-gray rock. He is also wearing a long brownish-orange skirt that’s parted towards the right to match the leaves on his tie. Spike is up on the stage singing with a bright spotlight on him. His mic is on its stand, and as he sings, he is looking towards Marcella. She is seated at a blue stone table, gazing up at him lovingly. She is thinking of the two of them dancing together with their arms spread in different directions. They are against a purplish-blue backdrop, and there are numerous curving lines behind them that emphasize their movement. To both their left and their right are fronds of green, swaying seaweed. /End ID.]

We’ve now reached the days centered around the OC x OC pairings seen in the Big Bright World AU. Today, we’re diving down into Marevi to see Spike and Marcella, or Butterpearl, as she’s colloquially known. Their ship is what I like to call Spicella, or Butterspike.

How many more times can I draw Spike performing someplace while Marcella looks on? But yeah- I did the Singing on Stage prompt, because Spike loves to sing for Marcie. She’s sitting at a front-row table at The Painted Shoal, a dinner theater, nightclub-type restaurant that Spike and his theater friends like to perform at. Marcella’s made time to see him after a long, fun day of adventuring, and she’s imagining them dancing together. I took influence from Sway, the latest addition to my Spicella playlist. Marevian dancing heavily emphasizes the arms.

Are you also going to have Spike break into song, or maybe turn things around and have Marcella do it? Can you come up with a scene of one protecting the other, or them protecting each other from something threatening? Will you show them lovingly kissing, as they often do? I love these two so much, so I just can’t wait for you to show me!

[sissytobitch10seconds]

Gentle Hands and Warm Hearts

Fandom: Grishaverse: Six of Crows Summary: The whole point of the polycule is so that each of them can get the care that they need without putting it all on one other person. That should, arguably, mean that Jesper and Nina don't have to do this but they find themselves hiding it away every time they do, as if it's something shameful. Or, the five times that Jesper and Nina got caught together and the one time that they sought their partners out. Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, haphephobia, mentions of sexual abuse, minor sexual content, and anxiety Word Count: 6,226 Ship(s): Nina Zenik/Jesper Fahey/Wylan Van Eck/Matthias Helvar/Inej Ghafa/Kaz Brekker

Archive link!

A/N: So I really like this idea but I'm not entirely happy with the execution. I feel like the dialogue in this fic is a bit awkward and I had to correct a lot of stuff. I think that it's come out a little bit better than when I found it, but I'm not entirely happy with it yet. I hope that you can all still enjoy it, though! Stay sissy and bitchy everyone &lt;3

1.

They were all clamored around each other, as they often were on date nights. Matthias had his arm looped around Wylan’s hips to keep the smaller man somewhat close to him, though they would both take several minute breaks whenever the touch began to get too much for them. It was hard to adjust to having so many partners when they had gone almost their entire life with touch being out of reach, after all. Kaz knew the feeling, since, while he had been able to overcome his haphephobia enough to maintain the kind of relationship that he wanted with his partners on most days, there were times that he still felt the waters of the harbor lapping at his ankles. He knew that Inej was going through the same thing, wading through hip-deep memories of when she had been in the same place as the people that she was now saving.

They reached the theater without anyone stopping them and with very few people staring at them. The only exception was when Nina had begun begging Kaz and Matthias to let her have some of the fried bread that was being sold in a cart outside of the entrance. They had given into her almost immediately, neither of them were very good about saying no to her when she looked at them with that delicately pouting lip.

They were shown up to the private box that Kaz had reserved for them so that they could watch the show without having to worry about people behind them. He sat in the front row with Inej beside him, though there was a chair between them so that they could speak to each other without being overwhelmed. Matthias and Wylan sat with a chair between them and the other duo, though they were next to each other with the arm down between them.

“Why are you sitting so far away from us?” Kaz asked when he turned and saw that Jesper had taken up residence in the row behind them.

“Nina and I are going to be very annoying during this show,” Jesper explained with a half shrug. “We didn’t want to ruin it for everyone else by making fun of every other thing the whole time.”

That was a reasonable enough explanation for everyone, so they turned their attention back to the stage. None of them turned around when they heard Nina return to their box with the concessions that she had slipped away to buy for herself. She dropped a candybar down into each of their laps without touching any of them and then flopped down into the chair beside Jesper so that she mirrored the other duo.

The stage lights lit up as everything else was dimmed so that their attention was on the actors alone. The music picked up when the two leads stepped out on stage during their first scene together, keeping each member of the polycule transfixed on what was happening. The score mixed very well with the script that the troupe had chosen. The story itself was a little bit dull, but the performance, combined with the aerialists swinging through the air in increasingly complicated styles, were enough to keep the entire audience fixated on the stage.

Throughout the entire play, just as they had promised, Jesper and Nina whispered to each other as they made jokes about what was happening. 

The intermission for the play came at about an hour into the proceedings. The curtain lowered and the aerialists climbed into the catwalk above so that they could reset for whatever was going to happen next. Nina and Jesper began to talk to each other louder to continue the jokes that they had been making when the rest of the theater came alive as well.

Kaz got up so that he could stretch out his leg in the cramped box. Matthias disappeared so that he could get something to eat while Wylan stretched out, long and cat-like in his seat. He turned to Inej so that he could strike up a conversation with her about what went into the tricks that they were doing on the stage, which she was very happy to entertain.

Kaz watched her talk for a while, admiring the side of her face and the shining brightness that she somehow always seemed to bring with her. He wished that he could hold her beauty in his hands at all times, to admire her elegance and the warmth that she flooded into the world no matter what. 

He was growing bored since he was listening to a conversation that he had with her more times than he could count. He turned his attention away from the giddy way that his girlfriend spoke to his boyfriend and instead directed it to Jesper and Nina.

She had a handful of popcorn halfway to her mouth while he balanced a kernel on the tip of his nose, his mouth wide open like it was somehow guaranteed that treat would fall down in that specific direction if it began to tip. Nina laughed with the joy of someone that was truly healed and free, no more the shaking, scared woman that she had been on the ship after she had taken the parem so that they could be free from Fjerda. Jesper looked brighter and happier, yet at the same time more grounded, than he had been in a very long time. Kaz knew that they were helping each other with their powers and learning how to love that part of themselves, something that none of the others could really relate to.

He let his eyes travel down and then smirked slightly when he realized what they were doing. Jesper’s dark brown skin stood starkly against the pale yet freckled shade that Nina’s was. Their fingers were also wildly different sizes, but they still fit together like a key sliding into the lock that it was made for.

Kaz leaned forward on the chairs, tilting his hips so that the throbbing pain decreased as much as it ever did. “Are you sure that the two of you didn’t just sit back there so that you could hold hands?” he asked, jerking them both from their activities.

Despite the odds, the kernel of popcorn did roll down off Jesper’s nose and directly into his open mouth. He threw both of his hands up into the air at the same time, which got the attention of their other two partners. Kaz noticed, with a bit of disappointment, that Nina had dropped his hand so that she could continue to shovel popcorn into her mouth. 

She stood and dumped the bucket down into Inej’s lap as she said, “I know that Matthias said he was going to go get some more but he’s so distracted with Wylan tonight that he’s likely to forget my sweet Inej, so I want to make sure that you had some.”

“Thank you, love,” Inej laughed, that warmth and brightness flooding out of her like an endless river. Kaz was then distracted from the confusion that the duo separating so quickly had brought to him, focusing instead on the antics that the rest of his partners were pulling.

2.

It was a very cold day in Ketterdam, but those were common. Wylan had grown up in the city in his entire life and even though he was often hidden behind big doors and windows that kept him separated both physically and metaphorically from the weather, he had been aware of it. He liked the cold, it made it easier for him to work in his lab without overheating. It also meant that he was more likely to find a cuddly Jesper when he walked home for lunch after his meetings with the Merchant Council.

He knew why they liked to meet in the mornings, since it was before a lot of the boats that they needed to do business with docked back in the harbors, but his lovers pulled so many late nights that if often left Wylan feeling absolutely exhausted.

He stifled a yawn behind the back of his hand and then pulled his heavy coat tighter around his body. He walked past one of the dewey storefront windows and had to stop for a minute so that he could examine himself. He had done something similar several years ago, when he was wearing the face of one of their closest friends.

This was far different than that was. He had the face that he had known the entire time that he was growing up, even if he had let Genya go a little further than he really should have. He had the same pale skin and bright blue eyes that he had seen over and over again when he had discovered that his mother was still alive. His chin had a gentle curve that went with the near-button nose in the center of his face. The thing that was different than when he normally looked at himself was his clothing.

He had been dressed in white button up shirts and pressed slacks for as long as he could remember, but wearing the black vests and overcoats that were typical of Merchers felt like he was putting on another costume. He knew that Kaz dressed like a Mercher to make the men that hoarded that power uncomfortable, a costume of sorts for him as well, but it was strange for Wylan to do the same thing. On one hand, he had inherited all of the land and fortune that his father had tried to deny him due to his inability to read, so he was actually a Mercher. On the other hand, he was still one of the international criminals that had broken into the Ice Court and stole one of the most wanted people in the entire world.

Wylan shook his head to clear it of the thoughts and continued home. He knew that everything felt heavier after one of those meetings because they took so much out of him. He wanted nothing more than to go home and check on the puppies that should have been fully whelped seeing as Matthias’ favorite bitch, a wolfhound named Mila, had gone into labor the night before. Coming home meant he also got to see most of his favorite people in the entire world, even if Kaz was going to be at work and Inej was one another one of her long voyages.

So he carried through the streets of Ketterdam until he approached East Stave. He slipped into the back alleys were no one would be able to tell where he was or follow him. He hadn’t known the paths of the city as well as Kaz had only a few years ago, but days of traveling using only them had piled into his repertoire so he could walk through any part of the city using any path.

He walked through the back door of his home and smiled when he heard the low voice of two of his partners in the living room, combined with the sound of a crackling fire. Wylan shed his heavy coat and hung it on the hook so that the wool would dry out, a couple droplets of rain had begun to come down when he had been on the last leg of his journey. He set the briefcase full of papers down in the office that he and Kaz used for when they had to bring their work home. Wylan was about to go on vacation so he didn’t have to find someone to help him read them just yet. 

Instead, he traveled up to the bedroom so that he could change into something that was more comfortable. The starched shirt and stiff pants were hung back up in the closet like they always were when he came back from one of his missions. He changed them out for a pair of comfortable brown slacks and a baggy gray shirt that kept out some of the cold that was still leaking through the well-sealed windows.

He traveled back down the stairs and then peaked into the massive room where Matthias kept his dogs, the only other door in it leading to the dog run that they had in their backyard. He was about to go check on the squirming mass of fur when he heard a snore emitting from his boyfriend. The birth of puppies was the most stressful part of breeding, according to Matthias, so he always stayed up to make sure that everything went smoothly when one of his bitches went into labor. Given that it had been early in the evening when Mila had started nesting, Wylan knew that Matthias had been awake almost all night.

Instead of going inside, he carefully shut the door and then walked towards the living room so that he could join the partners that he hadn’t seen yet. He stopped before he crossed the threshold when he noticed that something was off about the room.

Usually there was a long couch directly in front of the mantel, a loveseat kitty corner to the right side, and then a pair of chairs on the other side. They had a table that went in between the chairs and then a large coffee table pinning down the rug in the middle. It made the room closed enough that they felt like they were in a den, but open enough that no one had to be touching anyone else unless they wanted to.

It took Wylan only a minute before he realized what the difference in the space was. Someone had moved the couch back about six inches and had placed the coffee table behind it, including all of the cups and dishes that remained there since their breakfast.

Pinning the rug down instead of their table was a pair of people that Wylan had grown very fond of. Nina was wearing a loose fitting red dress that billowed out around her like a pool of blood, which stood starkly against the pale of her skin and the dark brown of her hair. Jesper was weaning one of his linen button-up shirts and a skirt that as the same color red as Nina’s dress. They were turned towards each other so that their foreheads were pressed together, their hands pulling at each other’s clothes like they were both bored. They were giggling and talking in voices quiet enough that Wylan couldn’t quite make out what they were saying.

He walked over to the loveseat, placing his hands down on the top of it. “Since when did we decide that we would be redecorating the living room?” he asked, trying to resist the grin that was spreading across his features. 

He loved the duo more than he knew how to say, even if his love for them was different. He loved Jesper, Matthias, and Kaz in a way that was deeply romantic and sexual. He loved Inej and Nina in a way that was just as passionate but also so starkly not romantic and clearly not sexual. He wanted to be close to them, to know their innermost workings. He wanted to hold hands and sit beside them, but he didn’t want to kiss them or have sex with them, even when he was having one of those days where he was craving that kind of intimacy.

As soon as he spoke, they sprang apart from each other. Nina climbed up onto one of the chairs as she worked some of the knots out of her long, curly brown hair. Jesper simply rose to his feet so that he was once again towering over the merchant. “Wy! You were gone before we woke up this morning, how did the meeting go?”

He was shocked at how quickly their demeanor had changed, but didn’t say anything about it even when Nina began to pull the couch back to where it belonged. He just told them about the tasks that he wasn’t looking forward to dealing with and the headache that was waiting for him at the end of his vacation. Whatever they were doing was their business, he wasn’t going to pretend like he understood what their love was like.

3.

Long trips wore all of them out, but Matthias always felt exhausted when they finally arrived at their destination. He had a lot of memories wrapped up in travel and he didn’t think that it was something that was ever going to go away. He had spent a lot of his childhood going on very small journeys with his mother when they were heading into town from their home out in the woods and with his father when he was learning how to hunt so that he could provide for his future family. Then when he was with the Druskelle, they had spent a lot of their time traveling between the Ice Court and whatever other training facility that it had been decided would be best for them. When he had actually graduated, he had traveled to every country under the sun and even a couple of others that seemed to be in only darkness so that he could look for the witches that they had been hunting back then.

Even when they were walking down the long, dusty paths so that they could stay with Jesper’s father over the Zemini’s winter holiday, he still ended up feeling like he was trudging through sludge by the time that they got to the cabin. It left him exhausted down to his bones, which made Kaz tease him that he was getting old despite them all being about the same age.

He managed to stay upright on his feet long enough to get all of their bags into the little back room that they were going to be sleeping in before he collapsed down onto his cot. He only managed a nap before the smell of dinner made him wake up. 

Jesper had made Zemini food for them back in Ketterdam fairly often since he was one of the two people in their entire polycule who knew how to cook and Nina liked to stick with baking. He always complained the that the spices and ingredients that they were able to get off the boats in Ketterdam were nothing compared to the fresh ones that he got back home. Now that they were actually in the country that the ingredients originated in, Matthias was excited to be able to try some of their favorites with the flavor that they were meant to have.

He hauled himself up from the cot and then blearily rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He was alerted to how nearly overheated he was when he stood up and his head began to swim. He removed the thick riding shirt that he was wearing so that he was in nothing but the loose cotton undershirt that he had donned back when they were in Shriftport. He was so used to the cold of Fjerda and then the nipping damp of Ketterdam that it actually astounded him that a place could be as warm as Novyi Zem was without the entire place being bleached white from the oppressive force of the sun.

Matthias walked out of the small room and then looked towards the kitchen where Jesper was. He smiled softly when he saw that his partner was dressed in nothing but a cotton undershirt as well, the sweat from standing over the stove having soaked through the garment so that it was clinging to his skin. It was reassuring to know that he wasn’t the only one that was suffering in the heat.

His cheeks turned red when he saw that Nina and Jesper were actually together, the others seemingly elsewhere on the farm. Matthias vaguely remembered something about Wylan and Inej wanting to see Kaz’s magic bird skills in action with the mean chickens that the Faheys owned. Nina was dressed in her slip and bloomers to beat the heat of the kitchen, but they were also clinging to her body with sweat.

Jesper turned around, singing a song in Zemini so softly that it was almost under his breath. Nina was singing along to it as her hands slowly traveled up his arms until they were resting on his shoulders. She threaded her fingers around the back of Jesper’s neck and brought their lips into a slow kiss. They were standing so close that their bodies were pressed together, though Matthias wasn’t quite sure how they were managing that in the heat.

He watched them dance, sharing kisses during the breaks of the song, for as long as he could manage before his stomach gave a loud grumble. The noise let them know that he was there and they sprang apart, both of them blushing furiously, though it might have just been the temperature from the outside combining with the steam raising from the pot on the stove.

“Matty, would you go outside and let the others know that dinner is ready? You’re the most dressed out of all of us and I need to get some of Ma’s old clothes for Nina since all she packed were things that would kill a polar bear in a Fjerdan winter,” Jesper said.

“It’s the winter in Ketterdam! How was I supposed to know that this was when Novyi Zem got hotter?” Nina asked, indignant but smiling. She brushed past Matthias after sharing a very brief kiss with him. He barely had time to say anything before he was being shepherded out of the door with a spoon that was covered in something that smelled absolutely heavenly.

4.

Nina knew that she was cutting it close. Despite what her partners thought, she was actually very good at time keeping. She had to be given that she had been a student during a time of war and had been to more classes than the rest of her peers combined so that she could learn all of the languages that were now familiar to her. She just didn’t care about time when it wasn’t something that was crucial to their survival or wasn’t going to give her something that she wanted.

Now was one of those times. She knew that if she pushed the time that she was supposed to meet up with Matthias the only thing that would be waiting for her would be a grumbling boyfriend who would be soothed with a bat of her eyelashes and a kiss or two. No one was going to die, no teachers were going to come after her, and she would only be a few minutes late at the very least.

So once she was finished tugging her bodice into place over her skirt, she took her time while getting her hair spooled onto the back of her head. She left one of the elaborate ringlets that decorated her head loose around her face so that it made the freckles on her cheeks and nose stand out. 

She figured that she had a bit of time left over after she finished getting dressed despite her late start, so she might as well go find one of her other boyfriends while she was at it. When she finally found him, he was sitting in his room in front of the workbench that he used to clean his guns and practice his Grisha abilities. “Hello, sweetheart,” she beamed as she knocked on the frame of the door to get his attention.

He jerked away from the project that he had been focused on and then beamed at her like she was the sun and moon combined together. “You look beautiful, darling,” he whispered as he reached a hand out towards her.

She stepped into his room and then took it, only to find that he used it to spin her around. He took in the full majesty of the outfit that she had chosen, his other hand grazing against her waist to keep her in the same spot in front of him. Then, he grasped her other hand so that her arms were crossed in front of her. Jesper used that to slip her into a hug, pressing their bodies directly into each other so that they were swaying to the music of their combined heartbeats. For a moment, Nina wished that she could still hear them.

“You’re going to have to let me take you to a dance sometime, especially in this dress,” he growled as he teasingly bit just underneath her jaw.

She giggled and tilted her head away from him so that he would have more space to work. “If we were going to a dance then I think I would wear something more svelte than this. Like that little black number that I got to accompany Wylan to that ball he really didn’t want to go to.”

Jesper moaned into the skin of her neck and she almost felt like she was dying. Wherever his hands were touching felt like they were on fire in a way that she couldn’t get enough of. It was just like the parem had made her feel, but healthier and beneficial to her. “I loved you in that dress.”

“Oh yeah? Show me,” she whispered when their noses were a hair’s breadth apart and she could already feel the arousal burning inside of him.

He didn’t wait even a second as he crashed their lips together in a burning kiss. Nina felt like he was trying to draw her soul out through her mouth and she was happy to let him do it. Their lips moved in perfect time with each other and his hands felt solid and grounding on her hips. His body was warm against her in a way that made butterflies shutter through her system so that she felt almost as though she was flying.

The entire world had melted away until they heard someone stop at the doorway, which caused them to fly away. “Am I really that late?” she asked as she looked to the perpetually broken clock hanging above Jesper’s wall.

“You are. I was worried, even though it looks like I did not need to be,” Matthias chuckled. She knew that it was good natured and there was no malice behind it, but she couldn’t help the shame that was burning in her cheeks at the words. She linked her arm through his and then began to ask him what he thought about her hair and her outfit while she led him back out into the street so that they could start their date.

5.

She let her feet carry her to the easy access points to the roofs of Ketterdam. Gliding from shingled roof to smokestack to flat industrial tents felt like coming home as much as the smell of the sea and bread baking in an oven did. Inej found her thoughts drifting while she traveled back to the home that she had made with her partners, showing her just how little she needed to pay attention to where she was going after all of the time that she had spent flitting over the tops of the city.

She landed on the balcony that led into the master bedroom that they all used when they were feeling up to sleeping with each other. When she noticed that no one was in there, she flipped over to Nina’s balcony. Her girlfriend had apparently recently taken to gardening, based on the geraniums and poppies that she had managed to coax into blooming in the same planter box along the outside of the balcony. Inej imagined that Jesper and Kaz, the duo that had the most previous experience when it came to growing things, had likely tried to tell her not to. Wylan had likely made some sort of special formula that made the ground more fertile so that her beloved blossoms wouldn’t wilt and die. Matthias had most definitely been the person to actually remember to water the flowers.

She smiled fondly as she thought about how desperately she wanted to see them all again. She turned towards the aforementioned woman’s room so that she could see if there was anyone that she could startle in there.

She saw two figures on top of the blankets, but the sky was just dark enough that she wasn’t to make them out properly through the warped glass. She pressed her hand flat against the window and then slipped it open so that she could wiggle her body silently through the opening, but she paused as soon as she had a clear view.

Inej could see a lot more clearly who it was and what they were doing. Jesper’s tall form had his head against the headboard and his toes just barely pressing against the baseboard of Nina’s bed. His entire bare back was on display for her to see, including the silvery white scars from their early time together in the Barrel. His arms were wrapped around a body that was shaped very differently than his. When he rolled over, she was able to see that it was Nina.

They were both totally in the nude but they had a blanket vaguely draped over their legs so that they could avoid the chill of the incoming spring night. Nina had her long hair vaguely tied back so that it was out of her face with the tie that Inej had given her out of the first rope that had snapped on her ship. Jesper had his arms draped lower over Nina’s hips so that he was vaguely holding onto her thighs. Nina was leaned forward so that her forehead was against his neck. Their entire fronts were pressed together in a way that told Inej that Jesper was inside of Nina.

She was expecting to hear moans and see movement, but the only thing that she heard was the sniffling and hiccuping that came with crying. They were still except for the fidgeting that came whenever Jesper wasn’t actively running away from something.

She felt oddly voyeuristic even though she had watched them do a lot of things that were far more dramatic than nude cuddling. So instead of continuing to spy on them, she placed her legs down on the inside of the windowsil so that her toes could brush against the floor. She then knocked on the wall next to her so that they were alerted to her presence.

They jumped and turned towards the sound, both of them obviously confused before the color drained from them both. They separated from each other and scrambled to get their clothes on. Nina was wearing her shift and a pair of bloomers by the time that Inej properly stepped into the room. 

“Inej, you’re back early!”

“I am,” she nodded. 

She opened her mouth to ask what they had been doing before she was interrupted by Jesper saying, “Have the others seen you yet or did you come to visit your favorites first?”

“I don’t have favorites,” she answered, forgetting what had been happening before despite them still getting their clothes back to rights.

+1

Jesper hated having to tell people about things that he was feeling. It was the one thing that made him a terrible boyfriend, outside of the inherent danger that his zowa abilities posed to his partners and his gambling addiction. Thinking about having to admit the reason that he and Nina had been so cagey about their affection with each other during the last six months made his stomach tie itself into an impossibly tight ball that he wasn’t sure he was ever going to get to come undone.

He knew that she was right, though. They had been walked in on when they were cuddling and touching each other more times than they could count and their partners were going to get suspicious. It was strange for them, since they were actually dating each other, to act like they were having an affair. They were dating the most dangerous and intelligent people in Ketterdam so there was no way that they were going to continue to get away with it. 

Nina threaded her fingers together with Jesper’s and then kissed his cheek to remind him that she was going to be by his side through the entire process. That gave him the strength to do what needed to be done, as being touched almost always did.

They headed down the hall and into the main living room where everyone else had already positioned themselves. Matthias and Kaz were discussing some business venture involving another disgraced Druskelle in the chairs. Wylan was stretched over the loveseat while drawing something. Inej was napping on the couch, but she woke up as soon as she heard the two new people walk into the room.

“What’s going on?” she asked, able to pick up on the tense body language from Jesper immediately.

The duo walked so that they were standing in front of the empty fireplace so that no one had to crane their heads or look behind themselves while they had their conversation. “We have to talk to you about something,” Jesper managed to get out before he felt his throat constrict with fear.

“It’s nothing bad,” Nina quickly explained. “It’s just something that we want to explain before it does turn into something bad.”

He nodded in agreement. He looked over his partners and felt suddenly very put on the spot when he noticed that all four pairs of eyes were glued directly onto him. Usually he liked it when everyone was paying attention to him because that fed that part of his ego that made him feel so good. Right now, though, it felt like he was in trouble.

“Nina and I like to cuddle,” he blurted, awkwardly.

“Treasure, we all like to cuddle each other,” Kaz said. “Inej and I slightly less often, sure, but that doesn’t mean that this is something that has never been done within the Crows.”

“That’s just it,” Jesper shook his head. “You have haphephobia, Inej has her trauma from the Menagerie, Matthias gets easily overstimulated by touch, and Wylan doesn’t like having too much of it because of what he went through when he was a kid. Nina and I don’t have any of that so whenever we need the long-lasting touch we go to each other so that we can get it from someone else that wants it.”

“I’m confused, I thought that was the whole point of us all dating each other?” Wylan asked as he set his pad of paper down onto the table next to him.

“I’m confused about you two liking to cuddle specifically. Every time someone else comes into the room you immediately focus on them instead,” Inej commented as she and Wylan shared a look with each other.

“That’s just it! We like cuddling but…” Nina shifted awkwardly as she looked up to Jesper. He gave her the same kind of reassuring smile that she had given to him before they had come into the living room to face the rest of their partners.

They paused for a while, letting the nerves in Jesper’s stomach settle out. “The reason that we’ve been acting so weird around each other is because we don’t want any of the rest of you to feel like you’re inadequate for us because you can’t handle as much touch as we need. We want to make sure that you all feel loved and appreciated without overwhelming you.”

The others were quiet for a long time, simply staring at their partners like the duo had grown an extra head that was keeping them attached at the shoulders. Then Kaz began to laugh behind his gloved hand, shaking his head like he was in utter disbelief despite the turmoil that the whole situation had caused his partners, “Ghezen and all that is Holy. You two are so sweet that you’re going to make my teeth fall out.”

Inej reached across the space with her foot so that she could kick the chair just enough to get him to jerk. She then turned back to the duo with a soft expression, “We really love the fact that you’ve found a way to soothe that facet of yourselves in a way that benefits everyone. Thank you for telling us so we don’t have to worry anymore.”

“I was beginning to worry, it was so strange the way that you were acting,” Wylan nodded in agreement. “I thought that maybe you were hiding some sort of secret Grisha club.”

Matthias gave a small shudder at that and then frowned when he no doubt began to correct his thoughts. None of the other partners plied into what he was thinking when they all began to go back to their own tasks. Nina and Jesper settled down on the rug in front of the hearth after they had moved the coffee table again, talking about their day. This time they were also given insight from Kaz and Wylan, who were now free to listen to them and watch them cuddling even if they weren’t up for the task.