#i’ll fix it when we’re back home monday

[d3ltanu]

" i'll show you how valuable elle woods can be ! " / © 

[dreamwritesimagines]

Sunshine [2]- Summer Breeze

AN: My loves, thank you so so much for your wonderful support and lovely comments and HCs on the first chapter! ❤️ You're amazing! ❤️

I hope you like this as well, and please don't forget to tell me what you think, thank you! 🥰

Pairing: Logan Howlett x Female!Reader

Summary: Summer breeze can be enchanting.

Word Count: 3464

Series Masterlist

There were some days that you just knew it wouldn’t be a good day, and today was exactly one of these days.

It wasn’t because it was Monday morning and you had slept through your alarm. It wasn’t because while taking the fastest shower of your life you realized you had run out of body wash.

It was because while driving Theo to school your car had broken down, and though you didn’t know much about mutant schools, you were pretty sure that they cared about punctuality just like any other school.

“Isn’t this fun, bean?” you asked as you walked with Theo’s hand in yours through the gates, pretending you weren’t stressed out at all so that he would have a good day. “It’s like we’re explorers.”

“It is!” he said, looking around the vast of greenery surrounding you. “Professor X says the mansion was built ages and ages ago.”

“Ages and ages ago?” you asked with a gasp, his backpack slung over your shoulder. “Really?”

“Yes! And Ralph says if we tried to explore the grounds, it would take us a week!”

“Who’s Ralph?”

“He’s my friend,” he said. “He can breathe underwater!”

“Wow,” you said. “That’s impressive.”

“Isn’t it?” he asked, excitement laced in his voice. “He said he saw so many pretty fish in the lake—mommy, can we get a pet fish? Wait no, can we get two?”

“Um…” you trailed off while you approached the mansion with him, students running around in the yard. “Why two?”

“Because we can’t get just one, he’d get bored without a friend!” Theo insisted as the roar of a motorcycle reached you. “Can we get a really big aquarium? Ralph says fish need huge aquariums.”

“We can’t get a huge aquarium, bean,” you said, crouching down to fix his hair and he pulled his brows together.

“But why not?”

“Because.”

“But why not?”

“Because we have no place to put a big aquarium in,” you said patiently and he pouted.

“I’d keep it in my room!”

“Bean.”

“They’d keep you company when I’m here and you come home from work! You said we couldn’t get a dog, but fish don’t need a yard or anything, just an aquarium!”

“Bean, that’s not…”

“I already have names for them both!” he insisted, making you pull your brows together. “The orange one will be Cheeto, and the white one will be Popcorn.”

“Very creative my love, but—”

“Please!” he said. “Please please please? I’ll take care of them when I’m home, I promise!”

“Theo,” you said. “It’s time for your class. Apologize to your teacher for being late, and tell them the car broke down, okay? They can call me if they—”

“Good morning Mr. Wolverine sir!” Theo smiled at someone behind you and you turned your head to look over your shoulder, your heartbeat speeding up as soon as you did.

Oh.

Alright, so as it turned out, you weren’t daydreaming last week and he was in fact as hot as you remembered.

The leather jacket he was wearing fit him perfectly, making you gawk at his broad figure for a moment before you remembered to look up at his handsome face, but that seemed to make your heartbeat even faster so you shot him a small smile and averted your gaze from him to Theo quickly.

“Logan is fine, bub,” he told Theo and Theo nodded so eagerly that his glasses slipped down his nose, making you reach out to fix them.

“Okay Mr. Logan sir,” he said. “Mommy, if we get an aquarium—”

“We’ll talk about it later bean,” you said as you slipped his backpack off your shoulder and helped him put his arms through the straps. You straightened your back at the same time he reached back to open the zipper of the backpack, the simple motion making him stumble backwards but Logan had already grabbed him by the backpack with one hand and lifted him up in the air to put him back on his feet, Theo letting out a cheerful “whee!”.

“Thanks,” you murmured and ruffled Theo’s hair. “Straight to the class, come on.”

Theo gave you a bright smile, then hugged your legs before turning around to run through the hallway.

“Theo don’t—” you started but heaved a sigh. “Great.”

You could hear Logan huff out a chuckle and you swallowed thickly, then turned to look at him better, the fluttering in your stomach getting even worse upon seeing his gaze on you.

“Hi.”

“Hey,” he said and you took a deep breath, shifting your weight.

“It was—it was nice to see you,” you stammered, taking a step past him but stopped when you heard him say your name. The fact that he had remembered your name wasn’t supposed to make your chest tingle, you were sure of it, but you didn’t even try to stop the tentative smile pulling at your lips.

“Yes?” you asked, blinking up at him and he stared at you, then frowned like he was trying to pull himself together.

“Your car broke down?”

“Um, yeah,” you said, pointing at the yard. “Like a mile down the road.”

“You walked here?”

“Uh huh,” you said, rocking back and forth on the balls of your feet. “I don’t mind, really. I’ll just go back to the car and call my friend, she knows a guy so I’m like ninety percent sure I can get out of it without having to declare bankruptcy—”

“I can fix it,” he said, motioning at the motorcycle. “Let’s go.”

Your eyes widened and you gawked at him for a moment, then scoffed a nervous laugh and waved a hand in the air.

“Oh no no, there’s no need to…” you trailed off. “Please, I’d hate to be a bother.”

“You’re not,” he said, already walking to the bike and you lingered there for a moment before rushing to catch up with his long strides.

“Are you sure it’s okay?” you asked him. “Seriously, if you’re busy or anything, I don’t think—”

“I’m not busy.”

“And your motorcycle looks like a one-person type of motorcycle, I can just walk if you—”

“Are you always this polite, princess?”

Well, that was a sure way to shut you up. Your breath caught in your throat, your head spinning for a moment because of how fast adrenaline rush hit you, warmth blooming in your chest.

“…Yeah,” you said after a pause. “Bites me in the ass most of the time.”

The corners of his mouth twitched and he grabbed the only helmet on the back of the motorcycle, then held it out, making you snap out of your thoughts.

“You?” you asked and he shook his head.

“I don’t need it.”

You took the helmet from him to put it on before he got on the bike and started the engine, and almost automatically your hand shot up to your lips but it hit the helmet, making you grimace. You dug your fingernails into your palms before unclenching your hands again, then got on the bike as well, slowly wrapping your arms around his torso. He took a deep breath as if he had just smelled something sweet, then cleared his throat.

“You’re gonna have to hold on tighter than that.”

“Oh I don’t want to accidentally hurt you,” you said, and the simple sentence managed to coax a chuckle out of him. He turned his head sideways to look at you out of the corner of his eye, your cheeks burning before he turned his head again and the engine roared before it sped off down the road, the movement making you gasp and hold onto him tighter to make sure you wouldn’t fall down.

Fine, maybe today was a good one after all.

Back in high school -and the first year of college-, you had never understood why people were into motorcycle. If anything, they looked rather uncomfortable, not to mention incredibly dangerous, and if it rained it would rain on them, and it would be cold and wet and just unpleasant but now—

Now, hanging onto Logan as the wind whipped around you, trees wheezing past, you were starting to get the appeal.

Logan stopped the motorcycle when you pointed at your car parked at the side of the road, and you pulled back from him even if you didn’t want to, then got off the bike, taking your helmet off and fixing your hair in a haste.

“I didn’t die,” you announced, making him shoot you an amused glance. “That’s nice.”

“That was the expectation?” he asked as you both made your way to your car and you nodded.

“Kind of?” you said, unlocking the car before Logan lifted the hood up to look inside, then tilted his head.

“Hold on,” he muttered and he started unbuttoning his flannel, making your eyes widen. Your heart climbed up to your throat, a sudden warmth swirling your insides and when he slipped his flannel to reveal his very tight white shirt underneath, you gulped, unable to drag your gaze away from him. He didn’t even need to hear your heartbeat, your flustered state was clear as day and your brain recognized him saying something you didn’t even hear with a couple of seconds delay, making your head snap up.

“Huh?”

A cocky smirk curled his lips and you shifted your weight.

“I was um—I was thinking about something,” you stammered and his smirk widened.

“Uh huh,” he said. “I’m gonna go under the car for a moment.”

Never in your entire life had you wanted to be a car more.

“I don’t know if I have that lifter thing—” you started, trying to pull your thoughts together but before you could even finish your sentence, he had already reached down underneath the bumper and lifted the car a bit to get under, making your jaw drop.

Oh alright, so this was just…

You were just fantasizing about him and this whole thing in general, that was the only explanation you could possibly come up with. Any minute now, your alarm would start blaring and you would wake up and go to work with no sign of a very specific, incredibly hot and strong guy.

Jesus, he looked like that and he could lift a car?

“Um—Logan are you okay down there?” you asked, approaching the car to bend down a little. “Do you need help?”

“Nope,” he said, his voice not even strained as if he wasn’t holding up the car with one hand. “Just checking something.”

“The car isn’t gonna fall on you, right?”

“No, I’m holding it.”

“Yeah because that’s the normal answer to that question,” you said, nodding your head. “Sure. Uh, another question, how do you know you can in fact hold up a car? As in, have you tried this before? Because if you die, not only will I be very sad but also I will go to jail and I don’t think I’d survive there, I watched a lot of shows like that and I like flavored coffee a bit too much, and I also don’t know who’d be taking care of Theo—”

“Relax princess,” he cut off your rambling with a chuckle. “It’s fine.”

You hoped your hormones wouldn’t get the best of you and by the time he got out from under the car, you wouldn’t be checking Pinterest for wedding venues but before you could even grab your phone, you heard a car coming to a stop behind you, making you look over your shoulder. The man inside looked you up and down, making you shift your weight, discomfort hitting you out of nowhere as you clenched and unclenched your fists.

You recognized that look just fine.

“Hey there,” he said with a small grin. “Car problems?”

You plastered a well-practiced polite smile on your face. “Yeah but it’s fine, thank you.”

“Get in, I can drive you to the nearest station.”

“Um no sir, thank you,” you said. “I’m actually handling it.”

“Oh come on now,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’m not a bad guy. Just being helpful.”

You opened your mouth to answer, but before you could say anything else, the car groaned as Logan lifted it a little and got out from under it. You didn’t even need to turn your head to know he was glaring at the man, the look of complete fear crossing the man’s face was enough of a clue and you bit back your smile, raising your brows at him while Logan stood at full height behind you, towering over you.

“She said she’s handling it,” he said, his deep growl making your heart do a happy flip and you nodded.

“Thank you though!” you said with the most customer service level of cheerful voice you could muster without bursting into laughter and the man’s eyes went from you to him, and he gulped down.

“Ye—yeah okay,” he said and drove off, making you let out a giggle and turn to look up at Logan.

“I think you scared him off.”

Logan glared at the direction the man drove off as if he was genuinely contemplating whether to go after him or not, then gritted his teeth and glanced down at you.

“You okay?”

“Sure,” you said. “I have a knife in the glove compartment, just in case. Theo isn’t allowed to open it.”

He shook his head slightly, then went to the motorcycle to grab a couple of tools, wiping the motor oil on his hands onto his shirt. You had to physically force yourself to look up at the sky just so that you could stop the sound threatening to spill from your lips, then rubbed at your eyes as he started working on the car. You lingered in your spot for a moment, then opened the car door to climb up to sit on the roof of the car, making him glance at you over the hood.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m keeping you company,” you said with a shrug of your shoulders. “It’s easier to talk like this.”

He didn’t comment on it, instead returned back to what he was doing and you pressed your lips together, keeping your gaze on him.

“So how’s the crying going?” he asked and you scrunched up your nose.

“It’s going well actually, thank you for asking,” you told him. “I already cried this morning so…”

“Why?”

“There was this cat video,” you said. “It was so adorable. I keep telling Theo he can’t have a pet, I need to remind myself that as well.”

“He wants a fish now?”

“He wants to have a lot of animals,” you told him. “He wants a dog and a cat and now fish. Apparently, his new friend told him there are many pretty ones in the lake, and I’m glad he’s making friends but I’m gonna be so screwed when he finds one who can talk to like, horses or something.”

He scoffed a laugh. “He made friends pretty easily.”

“Oh he could make friends in an empty room.”

“He got that from you or his father?”

“Me,” you said, barely aware of the proud tone in your voice. “He gets everything from me, or at least that’s what I’ve been told.”

“Yeah?”

“Mm hm,” you said, nodding your head. “But I mean, it makes sense when you think about it, considering…”

Logan’s gaze on you was almost too hot. “He’s not around?”

You bit at your thumb, shaking your head. “No.”

Thankfully.

“Um, how about you?” you asked, trying to change the topic. “What do you do when you’re not fixing cars and scaring off creeps? Do you teach at school?”

“Sometimes,” he said. “I work for Charles.”

“As a teacher?”

“Not necessarily.”

You pulled your knees up to your chest and rested your chin on top of them, your arms wrapping around legs.

“An open book, aren’t you?” you asked, making him chuckle.

“Mm, pretty much.”

“Now why would a mysterious man give such short answers?”

He shot you a mischievous smile. “Probably the same reason why a pretty girl would ask so many questions.”

Your heart skipped a happy beat as you felt your cheeks burn, and you had to resist the urge to bury your face to your knees with a squeal so you bit down on your lip, smiling at him. He held your gaze for a moment, making fire spread through your veins before he nodded at you.

“You mind if I try to start it?”

“Oh go ahead,” you said, and he got into your car, then you heard him slide the driver’s seat back to adjust it to his height. “But I had the mechanic check the car like a month ago, so I don’t really think…”

You stopped talking immediately when you heard the roar of the engine as it came to life and a gasp left your lips.

“Are you serious?” you exclaimed while Logan got out of the car and you slid off the roof to jump to the ground.

“Yeah, the next time it happens, just—” he was cut off when you flung yourself to him to hug him tight.

“Thank you thank you thank you!” you said with a huge smile. “Seriously Logan, you saved my life!”

 A small chuckle escaped from his lips and his arm sneaked around your waist, and if you didn’t know if better, you could’ve sworn he tilted his head down to get closer to your hair and took a deep breath.

“Not a problem,” he said, his deep voice vibrating in his chest and all of a sudden all your senses were filled with him; his warm body against yours, the pleasant scent of leather, smoke and pine in your lungs, his voice in your ears. You swallowed thickly, your heartbeat getting faster as you forced yourself to pull back, then craned your head up to look at him.

“Sorry!” you said. “Sorry I’m…me and my friend took this test and apparently my love language is physical touch and I’m not very sure about it really because I kind of feel like it’s a scam but also is it though, because I used to have a cat when I was little and um, I refused to put her down, I always carried her everywhere so that I could hug her all the time and weirdly enough she liked it, which you wouldn’t expect from a cat most of the time but—um—” you paused. “Sorry about that.”

“No problem,” he said, his intense gaze pinning you to your spot and you nibbled on your lip, then willed yourself to take a step back, your hand shooting up to your mouth again.

“How—how do I repay you?”

He shot you a reprimanding look. “You don’t.”

“No but seriously,” you insisted. “There has to be something.”

That had sounded more grateful and less like a porn dialogue in your head.

“It’s nothing,” he said. “Change your mechanic though, seems like the engine hasn’t been checked in a while.”

“Okay,” you said, forcing yourself to lower your hand. “Thank you. Again.”

“My pleasure,” he said with a small smile and you lingered in your spot for a moment, then got in the car, almost falling on your ass since he had slid the seat back to adjust it to his height. You cleared your throat, trying to keep it cool as you slid it forward, and as soon as the brochures on the dashboard caught your eye, you reached out to grab one and looked up at Logan out the open window.

“I found a way to thank you,” you said with a proud smile, your heart was beating in your throat. “I work at this diner, you should drop by. It’ll be on the house, and the pie is amazing.”

A small smirk curled his lips as he eyed the brochure you were holding up.

“You sure about that?” he asked. “If you feed me, I might come back.”

The warmth bloomed underneath your skin as your smile widened.

“Looking forward to it,” you said, raising the brochure just a little and he chuckled, then took the brochure from you.

“Drive safe,” he said, patting the roof of the car and you nodded your head.

“See you around, Logan,” you said before you drove off, checking him out from the rear mirror until you slowed down at the road junction, then turned the car and let out a breath, trying to keep your attention on the road.

“Oh fuck,” you muttered to yourself. “Fuck, he’s too hot.”

[3] - Downpour

[puck-luck]

the art of loving you | john marino

warnings: none really, just some sweet anniversary sex between jm and his girl <3 (italics = flashback) pairing: john marino x fem!reader summary: “maybe he gets back from an away game and him and reader have been together for a while so when he gets home its practically desperate the way they want each other and it's like super needy but also intimate because they just know each other like the back of their hands after so long together" wc: 2201

“Hey,” comes John’s soft voice from the darkness of the night. He kneels by your side of the bed and shakes you awake. The sunlight is starting to peek through the curtains. His thumb caresses your cheek, causing you to scrunch your nose from restlessness. “I’m headed to the rink. We’re leaving from there. I’ll be back on Monday, take you to dinner and all.”

“Mmm, okay, baby. Love you,” You slur, voice thick with sleep. You didn’t have to be up for another few hours and normally, you’d pout when John woke you up so early, but things were different. He was headed out on a week-long roadie and he had a game on the west coast on your second anniversary– meaning you two wouldn’t get to spend that together. Despite being sleepy, you pucker your lips to give John a goodbye kiss.

“Love you too,” John whispers, delicately cupping your jaw and pecking your lips twice. “Be back before you know it.”

He stands from his position next to the bed and gathers his things, heading towards the bedroom door.

“Play good,” You call out after him.

“First star every night, just for my girl,” John promises with a smile, closing the door with a soft click behind him.

A week later, John was headed back to Jersey and you had put on your favorite little black dress for your anniversary date. He hadn’t been named first star of the game during any of their games, but he had gotten one of his rare goals on your anniversary, and his celly ended in a kiss blown towards the camera that touched your heart. 

You were waiting by the door when John came home and you jump him before he even gets the chance to cross the threshold.

“Hi,” John greets. “Missed you.”

“Missed you,” You reply, arms looped around his neck. You pull him into a hug, feeling his hands wrap around your waist and press your bodies flush against each other.

You two stay in the hug for a few minutes, waiting for your breath to sync and for John to start rocking you from side to side the way he always does when your touch goes on for too long. As much as he loves to touch you, he’s never been one for hugs, unlike you. To you, John’s hugs are like crack and you take your fix anytime you can get it.

“Dinner?” John asks, pulling away and rubbing your arms like he’s warming you up.

“Rezzi at the normal place,” You confirm. You give his chest a firm pat. “Go change. This is our anniversary dinner, after all. Want you to wear something nice.”

“Gonna propose to me or something?” John teases, finally letting the apartment door fall shut behind him.

You drag his suitcase to the bedroom, parking it next to the chair before sitting on the edge of the bed. “Isn’t that your job?”

“All in good time,” John replies, following you down the hall with his hockey bag over his shoulder. He opens the door to the balcony and sets his personal pads out on the chair to air out. He also sets his dirty clothes on the chair– something you’ve chided him for in the past, since he could just throw them in the wash and kill the smell that way. 

You watch John change into a suit, smiling widely when he sneaks little peeks at you every few minutes. 

“Really did miss you, you know,” John says, focusing on tying his tie in the mirror on the back of the closet door. “Mercer tried to sprinkle rose petals in my locker on our anniversary to make me miss you less.”

“He’s so supportive.” You laugh, eyes crinkling at the sides. 

“Tried to take me to dinner too,” John continues. “Said he might as well take me out if we were going back to the hotel together anyway. What kind of girl does he take me for?”

“Maybe he was trying to recreate our love story,” You say. “It wasn’t exactly the most conventional of meetings for us. You took me for one of those girls.”

“Yeah, but you asked me what I was doing later, I was just being honest.”

“You’re lucky it worked out for you.”

John makes a kissy face at you, then walks over and reaches out to take your hand and help you up. “Dinner?” He asks.

“Let’s go,” You answer, leading him out of the bedroom and back down the hall, out of the apartment and down to the garage.

John drives, naturally. You’d appointed yourself his passenger princess long ago and he’d never asked you to drive. He orders your wine and meal for you at the restaurant, knowing that you’ll get the same thing you always get. He takes the menu away from you, too, so you can’t even pretend to peruse the offerings. He did so with a knowing look and you replied with an embarrassed smile, rolling your eyes because your boyfriend knows you so well.

When your food comes, John cuts his meat into precise cubes and you steal a piece or two off of his plate, despite the fact that you have your own food to pick at. John allows you to do so with only a few noises of protest, only a few teasing and threatening inflections of his fork at your wandering utensil.

You two make small talk– about John’s games, about your week at work, about the upcoming inspections your landlord is doing for the plumbing in your apartment after John tried (and failed) to adjust the water pressure to your liking. You’ve been in this relationship so long that you don’t need to have the deep conversations all the time, or plan out the future in a lengthy conversation over some red wine.

John is your future, and you’re his.

When you arrive home, John takes you to the bedroom and kneels at your feet, unstrapping your high heels and prying them away from you. He rubs your feet a little bit to soothe the ache of wearing heels all night, a small smile on his face the whole time. You brush his hair out of his face and take in his small details– the moles on his cheek near his mouth, the button of his nose, the scar from the stray puck that marred his skin and left behind the mark that you love to kiss.

“You look pretty down there,” You say, breaking the silence. 

John shoots you a look and tries to hide his smile, hide the blush that always spreads across his cheeks when you call him pretty. He kisses your knee and rises to sit next to you on the bed. “Happy anniversary,” He says softly, like it’s a secret between the two of you. 

“Happy anniversary, Johnny,” You reply. You press your lips to his, the kisses smooth and slow even as John makes his way down your neck to your shoulder. 

Your movements are a language of their own. John’s fingers light fires on your arms as he feels your goosebumps. Your knee presses into his thigh, the connection of your skin on his stronger than a dam. His tongue moves against yours insistently when he makes his way back up to your mouth.

“You gonna let me fuck you like I wanted to the other night?”

You moan into John’s mouth. “Hard?”

“Mm-mm,” John hums, shaking his head. He reaches down, pulls your panties to the side, and starts to slide a finger into you. “Slow,” He breathes out, not even a hair’s distance from your lips. “I’m going to touch you everywhere, angel. You’re gonna feel every bit of me.”

“Even better,” You say. “Want you to fill me up.”

John thrusts his finger inside you and works a second in, scissoring and curling his fingers until you’re a moaning mess beside him.

Your hand is gripping his shoulder so hard that your fingernails might as well tear his shirt. You’re panting, mouth perpetually open. The pressure between your legs is insurmountable, aching and throbbing as John pulls you closer to the edge.

“Johnny, Johnny,” You plead, pushing at his arm. “Fuck me, want to come when you fuck me.”

“Finger yourself,” John commands, pulling away from you to shrug his suit jacket off. He unbuttons his top as you shove three fingers inside your cunt, hungry for more. Really, you’re keeping yourself full while he acts as eye candy. You’re not trying to chase an orgasm, like you normally are when you and Johnny fuck. No, today you’re just here, just waiting to feel his cock enter you and satisfy you in a way that your fingers never could. 

He strips hurriedly, standing just mere inches from the bed. He throws the clothes around the room, not caring where they land. You track each movement, having seen his naked chest plenty of times to have it memorized by now. His underwear make their way to the arm of the chair in the corner, and it’s when you realize that he’s naked that your eyes return to his figure.

His cock is just as wonderful as ever– you’ve been in love with John for a long time, but his beautiful cock and the way he fucks you always makes you love him just a little bit more. He knows it, too, from the way he smirks at you– he knows that you love him, but if he was a shit fuck, you would tell him that you have the capacity to love him more. Maybe that’s crazy.

You pull your fingers out of your entrance and use them to spread your lips, showing John the expanse of the part of you that’s just for him. 

John smiles, takes his cock in his hand, and pumps himself a few times. 

You bite your lip and return his smile, watching the precum bubble and drip from his slit.

“Fuck me, J,” You beg. “Please.”

John joins you again on the bed, pushing you down onto your back and opting to forego your little black dress altogether and slide your panties down your legs instead. “You look so pretty,” John compliments. 

“Thank you,” You reply, feeling shy all of a sudden.

“Wanna see how your tits bounce in this dress while I fuck you,” John continues, leaning over you on the bed and lining himself up with your core. One of his legs pins your knee to the bed, while the other stays straight and braces against the floor. 

His words seem to steal all the thoughts from your mind, leaving nothing but the feeling between the two of you as he pushes the bulbous head of his cock into you. 

John moves slowly, like he promised. He fills you, warms you from the inside-out. He punctuates each drag with a sharp push into your core, causing your body to shift up on the bed. He raises a hand and grasps your breast, both keeping you in place and filling his palm with one of his favorite body parts of yours. 

You don’t exchange words, minus a reassuring, hushed “I know,” that drips from John’s lips and into your ear when you become close. He fishes your boob out of your dress and dips down to attach his mouth to your nipple, reaching his other hand down to soothe circles onto your clit. The added stimulation sends you into a whirlwind and John can practically feel the pitter-patter of your heart from where he’s sucking at your chest. 

“Johnny,” You cry, clutching his shoulder and arching your back beneath him.

“Yeah, honey. I know, my angel,” He mumbles against your skin. He leaves burning kisses along your body up to your lips. 

“Please,” You say, high strung and wanting so much that you’re almost shaking with it.

John moans, wrenching himself away from your lips to press a kiss to your cheek, then returning to your lips. His thrusts grow stuttered and desperate, no longer slow. They’re just as passionate, just as fulfilling, and John coaxes the orgasm out of you just as he unravels himself.

He holds you like you’re a precious liquid that is slipping through his fingers. 

You almost want to cry from the feeling, the knowledge that you and John share so much love between the two of you and there will be nights like this for the rest of your life.

John leads you over the edge and guides you through it, holding you and murmuring sweet nothings into your ear until your breath returns to normal. He traces your cheek, then draws his fingers down your neck.

“You’re everything,” John says. “I meant it. I’m going to marry you… all in due time.”

Instead of a response, you take his hand in yours and press a kiss to the back of it. You lace your fingers together and bring your interlocked hands to your chest, resting them over your heart. All you can do, really, is smile and cuddle closer to John, feeling his heat fill the bed and making you doze off.

note: just finished watching "you've got mail" for the first time. sigh. what a movie. devastating. sooo invisible string. corporations need to stop winning.

[thomatri]

Awkwardly dying hair

Synopsis- Osamu accidentally told Atsumu that you like him so instead of you guys confronting it you both awkwardly avoid each other until Suna mentions Atsumu dire need of a touch up on his hair which you usually do

Paring - Atsumu Miya x reader

Warning- cursing

———————————————————————-

“Alright im gonna start” I say and I see his head nod as he sits on his bathroom floor. I retouch his roots

We sit in awkward silence that’s usually filled with banter,laughing and even a little flirting here and there

I don’t even know how Suna convinced me to do this. Well I actually better start from the beginning and why I’m awkwardly dying Atsumu hair

Flashback Monday

——————-

I scroll on my phone as Atsumu and Osamu argue as usual. Suna basically watching whatever I’m watching

Atsumu says something that makes me and Suna perk up mid argument

“Well atleast I actually pull instead of having a crush who doesn’t like me back” Atsumu says and Osamu looked like he was actually hurt. I was about to step in when Osamu said something that made my heart clench

“Oh you asshole I don’t even fucking know why Y/n likes you. Your a dumbass who can’t even make good comebacks” Osamu says rolling his eyes

….

“Fuck” Osamu says glancing over to me nervously

If you were to ask me in the moment how I felt after he said that. In all honesty I’d tell you I’d want to cry and run away but instead I just sat there stunned

“You okay?” Suna asks and I nod not daring to look at Atsumu

For the rest of the week we ignored each other which was extremely hard because we had every class together plus a assignment we had to do in a class together. I was completely about to stop coming to there practices but Suna told me not to as if he read my mind mentioning he’s still my friend and he wants me to cheer him on

As for Osamu he apologized all week until I finally talked to him on Wednesday

“Im so fucking sorry Y/n I just wanted to hurt him I did not mean to hurt you in the process please forgive me” Osamu says and I sigh

“It’s fine still fucked up and im definitely still mad but I’ll get over it” I say sighing

“Well I mean look on the bright side you can use this opportunity to finally go out with Atsumu” he says with a crooked smile making me glare

“You of all people see how freaking awkward we are” I say feeling like I want to cry again

Im sad,embarrassed, a little happy Osamu saved me a confession, and most of all absolutely fucking terrified I just lost my best friend

“I’m gonna fix this” Osamu says and I nod not really believing him but still hopeful

After school I sit on the bleachers wait for Suna,Osamu,and Atsumu so we can walk home like usually but to my surprise Aran and Kita walk up to me

“You okay?” Kita says bluntly which makes me smile

“Yeah…no” I say about to lie but I remember it’s Kita and Aran the two most green flags ever

“What’s up?” Aran asks

“Uh in short Osamu accidentally told Atsumu I liked him mid argument” I say and Aran looks shocked like Kita looks at me with slight pitying look

“I’m sorry that happened” Kita says and I thank him

“It’s fine I’ll work it out” I say trying to convince them and myself

“Well please do it soon Atsumu been playing pretty bad and I’m pretty sure this is affecting his volleyball performance” Kita says bluntly

“KITA?!” Aran says and I laugh

“Kita Never stop being You” I say with a smile and he returns it, for some reason Kita bluntness made me feel a lot better and as if on cue Suna,Osamu,and Atsumu walk out a little after

As we’re walking to the train station Suna breaks the silence in Suna fashion

“Your hair looks like shit” Suna says to Atsumu

“Gee thanks” he says rolling his eyes

“No I’m serious you need a touch up” Suna says shrugging

I’m confused why right now of all times he’s bringing it up until I catch him smirking at me

Oh that little

———————————

And that’s what brings us to the current moment. He’s washing his hair as I scroll on my phone

“Y/n we need to talk” he says making me almost drop my phone

“Sure” I say and he sits on the floor with me

“Uh I think this past week has been awkward” he says avoiding eye contact

You know you know your ready to get rejected but when the time actually comes trust me your not

“Yeah” I say trying not to let it be known I’m about to burst into tears any second

“I’ve given it some thought, ok let me be honest Osamu gave me thoughts” he says and I snicker

“I’m so sorry for ignoring you, I was scared you hated me for not saying anything in the moment” he says looking down

“Atsumu” I say and he looks at me for the first time in what feels like forever

“Your an overthinking idiot and I thought my overthinking was bad” I say jokingly with a smirk

He beams

“We were all shocked at Osamu idiotic outburst “ I say shrugging

“Does this mean we can stop ignoring each other” he says with a hopeful look

“Yeah… but I can’t ignore my feelings. If you don’t like me back that’s fine and I’ll eventually move on but if there’s a slim chance you do li-“ I say but Atsumu suddenly brings me in a hug

I start to tear up

“I love you so much I’m sorry for everything” he says and I hug him back tightly

“I love you too Atsumu” I say laughing

———————————————————————

Bonus

———————————————

As Suna,Osamu,Atsumu and I eat our lunch Osamu and Atsumu are back to arguing

“Oh please Osamu you can’t say shit you have a fatass crush on Suna” Atsumu says

“YOU BITCH”

“IM JUST RETURNING THE ENERGY”

[disciplinedselfrya]

Let's get in shape! 🌟💪🍁

Before I dive into my autumn goals, I want to be real with you, loves.

Over the past month, I haven’t been eating healthy at all, and the only workout I’ve done is my dance classes. As you’d expect, I’ve gained some fat and lost muscle.

So, I’ve decided to start a "getting-fit" journey, beginning this Monday (September 9th). ❤

Before I explain what this journey is all about, let me be clear: I’m not doing this to lose weight, get skinny, or fit into a smaller size. What I truly want is to feel strong and healthy—to be in shape. And yes, reaching my goals means losing some fat, but I’m not going to sacrifice my mental health or harm my body just to drop a size. My body is my home, and it deserves respect.

On this journey, my focus will be on optimizing my nutrition and workout routine because I want this to be a lifestyle change, not just a short-term fix.

In terms of food:

Cut out ultra-processed foods.

Drink only lemonade, water, and tea—no juices (this one’s easy since I don’t like them anyway).

Sweets only on special occasions or when I’m out with friends or family.

Limit refined carbs. Potatoes (not fried) and rice are fine. Since I’m not in charge of cooking, there will be times when I’ll eat pasta or pizza. On those days, I’ll have half the usual portion and get back on track quickly.

Stick to simple, unprocessed dairy like cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and butter. Milk is okay, but I don’t really like the taste.

Limit nuts.

Fruits, veggies, eggs, meat, and fish are unlimited—I can eat as much as I want.

No calorie counting! It messes with my mindset and makes me anxious.

That’s it. We’re starting on Monday, loves—are you with me?

Now, let’s talk about workouts. Since school is starting, I want to keep my workout schedule simple and easy to stick to because there’s no room for failure this year. I’m not even going to make failure an option.

Here’s the plan:

Monday: Dance class

Tuesday: Full-body dumbbell workout

Wednesday: Dance class

Thursday: Full-body dumbbell workout

Friday: Cardio (whatever feels good—running, dancing, walking)

Saturday: Full-body dumbbell workout

Sunday: Rest day

You might be wondering why I have three full-body sessions per week. When I was creating this plan, I asked ChatGPT for advice based on my goals, and it recommended full-body sessions for both fat loss and strength building—so that’s what I’m going with right now.

Note: Not all my dance classes are intense. I’ve had weeks where we focused on hand movements—so, you can imagine how "sweaty" that was. 😅

If you’re joining me on this journey, feel free to adjust anything that doesn’t work for you! If you prefer Pilates over weights, go for it. If cutting out sweets entirely doesn’t feel right, then don't! The most important part of this journey is not giving up—stick to your plan and prioritize your health over the results.

Keep going! 😎🏆 Rya

[nattinatalia]

Jack Harlow x Reader : RUNNING ERRANDS

It was a Monday afternoon, you and Mia had a plan, and that plan consisted of avoiding Jack and making sure he didn’t see you leave.

“Okay Mia bug, we have to be real quiet and make sure daddy doesn’t see us.” You two are going down the stairs, trying to be quiet since you know Jack was in the kitchen fixing himself a peanut butter sandwich, thank god you convinced him not to mix it with the leftover chicken you had in the refrigerator.

“Okay mommy.” Mia whispers back.

You grab your purse, but as soon as you open the front door Jack is standing on the other side looking at you both with his hands on his waist.

“And where do you think you two are sneaking off to?”

“We’re going to El Mercado.”

“No you’re not, we went two days ago.”

“Daddy, we running errands.” Mia says from behind you.

Jack raised his eyebrows in amusement “Babe, going to Target and Ross isn’t considered errands.”

“To you, to us it definitely does. Plus we’re not going to Ross, only to Target and Zara.”

“Oh I’m definitely coming with you both then.”

“Uh no you’re not. You’re staying here and finishing that swing in the yard. Plus, you have a zoom meeting in a few and the little man is down for his nap .” You remind him.

“Please, only stuff you need.”

You roll your eyes and smile at him, “Okay.”

“I mean it.” He shakes his head.

He already knows you’re about to shop and buy whatever grabs your attention, but he had to try.

He absolutely hates it when you go run your so-called errands. Those errands you claim to run usually means hitting up Target, Costco, Ross, Marshall’s and Zara.

Especially if you take Mia with you, he knows his pockets are about to be hurting for a while.

“I’ll see you later okay?” You go to kiss him goodbye and rush Mia and yourself into your G-Wagon.

•••••••••••••••••

As promised, you only went to Zara and Target, but you also made a quick stop for some lunch. All the shopping got you and Mia hungry.

Three hours later, you and Mia are currently waiting to pay at Target

“Your total is $800, will it be cash or card?”

“Card please.” You slide your card and wait for the confirmation sound that it went through.

“Sorry, the card was declined.”

“Excuse me? There must be a mistake, I just paid not even thirty minutes ago at another store.” You tell the cashier.

“Is there another card you’d like to try?”

You dig through your wallet and take out two more credit cards. “Yes, try these two please.”

“What’s going on mama?” Mia asks from her spot in the cart.

“A misunderstanding baby, it’s okay.” You notice the line getting long, and you start getting nervous and embarrassed.

“Sorry miss, all cards have been declined.”

“Do you accept Apple-pay?” You ask in hope.

“Yes.” She nods.

After you finally pay, you make it to your car and unload your shopping bags.

You call your bank immediately.

“Yes, Mrs Harlow, it seems like your husband called us to get new cards mailed.”

“When was this call made?”

“This afternoon, is everything okay ma’am or was there a mistake?”

“Oh no no, everything is fine. Thank you very much. You have a great day.” You hang up and shake your head.

“Is daddy in trouble mommy?” Mia asks, taking a bite of her cake pop.

“Hmm, I’m not sure yet bug. We’ll see.”

Just then Jack is calling you, but you decide to ignore his call, and every call and text that comes in after that.

••••••••••••

Once you are home, you pull into your driveway, and help Mia out of her seat, she helps you with some bags that aren’t too heavy for her.

Mia is opening the front door and walking into the house.

“I thought something happened, why didn’t your mom answer her phone?” Jack asks Mia, stopping at the foyer of the house.

“Daddy.” Mia rolls her eyes. “We were busy.”

She drops the bags on the floor, crosses her arms and looks at her father. “You’re in trouble, and you need to go help with the rest of the bags.”

You are walking into the house with ten bags from Zara and once you come face to face with your husband, you glare at him.

“W-what happened?” Jack asks you, smirking and scratching his head.

“Oh don’t give me that. You know exactly what happened.” You place the bags on the floor with the ones Mia brought in. “You’re lucky I had Apple Pay. We were in line at Target and my cards kept getting declined. That was embarrassing.”

“You had fifty dollars in your purse, I made sure of that.” He shrugs.

“And how was I supposed to pay the $750?”

“YOU SPEND $800 AT TARGET?”

“Things the kids need, and I got some stuff for your man cave so relax.” You roll your eyes.

“Is this the rest of the bags?” He starts looking through the bags.

You shake your head “No, there’s more.”

“Babe, since when do we need ten candles? And all these Matcha packets?.”

“There was a special, leave me alone.”

“I don’t even want to go get the other bags. I’m scared of what I’ll find.”

“Dad.” Mia interrupts.

“Yes baby?”

“Why do you get mad mama and me run errands?” She crosses her arms, tapping her foot on the floor.

“I’m not mad bug, I just think you two buy random stuff you don’t even need.”

“We got you and Cheesy some stuff too.” She shrugs.

Jack laughs at that. “Things we need or things you and your mama think we need?”

Mia groans and runs off, but comes back just as quick. “You need money? That’s why we can’t use the cards?.” She hands him her swear jar. “You can have some of mine but save some for uncle Dru Dru, he needs even more money.”

“MIA, I AM NOT BROKE.” Jack exclaims.

You can’t help it but laugh. “That’s what you get.”

••••••••••••••

TAG LIST

@heavyhitterheaux @harlowsbby @arination99 @cmalass @jackharloww @minkookie95 @deannaard @jacksmoviestar @harlowcomehome @fdl305 @httpkoylinnn @xoxokiaraaxoxo @hoodharlow @automaticpeachsong @amethyst09 @aliciacat20 @allyson15 @gabbylovesreading @stefansalvatoresgf @violetdreamsworld @carma-fanficaddict @jasminxts @itsaaliyah2 @itsyagirljaz @harrycanyonmoonn @neon-lights-and-glitter @awhore4moree

[mountttmase]

A Mountain To Climb - Part Seven

Note - welcome to your weekly sugar fix, I feel like this chapter is rather sweet if I do say so myself 😂 also the next two chapters you will love I promise, we’re almost there guys 😂 thank you so much for all your lovely comments and please let me know what you think of this one 💙

Pairing - Mason Mount x Reader

Word count - 2.6k

Warnings - series will contain fluff, smut & angst

Masterlist

You knew you wanted to text Mason but you didn’t want to seem to eager. It was only Monday and he said it would be nice to hang out this week but you thought texting him this soon might of been a bit too much.

You couldn’t concentrate at work though, typing out a few messages and deleting them before finally just biting the bullet and texting him.

Excitement rippled through you at the thought of seeing him again, it had seemed like forever since you’d like spent some proper time together and the thought of it being just the two hanging out made you happy but also extremely nervous.

You spent that evening fretting about what your excuse could be as to why you wanted to see him in the first place but after thinking over what you’d spoken about with Freya over the weekend, an idea popped into your head that you couldn’t get out.

You were filled with nerves sat on the way home from work the next day and the smell coming from the bag on your lap wasn’t doing much to help. He offered to pick you up from the station and you popped your things on the back seat before climbing in next to him where he greated you with a wide smile.

‘Here she is, it’s been a while huh?’ He laughed, starting the car and backing out of the space.

‘More than a while’ you commented, smiling back at him when he sent you a wink. ‘I’d almost forgotten what your face looks like in 3D’

‘Very funny, I’m worth the wait though right?’

‘I’ll let you know later’ you winked and he shook his head with a smile before concentrating on the road.

The drive to his house was quick and you walked into the smell of something cooking. Mason quickly ran off to check it was all fine and you met him in the kitchen a few moments later where he was just shutting the oven back up.

‘You’re cooking?’ You questioned with an eyebrow raised.

‘I can cook’ he told you defensively and you smiled at him before he walked over to you with his arms out wide. ‘Come here, I’ve missed you’ he moaned as he wrapped you up in his arms. He smelt like soap and mint but mostly Mason and you nuzzled further into his neck as he swayed you both from side to side lightly.

You wrapped your arms around his back and stroked up and down lightly which caused him to hold you even tighter and you looked up at him with a smile. ‘Missed you, too’ you whispered before he placed a gentle kiss on your forehead causing your whole body to breakout in goosebumps.

‘Sorry, was that too much?’ He whispered and you shook you head as you pulled back a bit. Mason always respected your boundaries, respected them too much sometimes but after you’d initiated that first hug after he gifted you the cookies you could tell it was hard for him to not be as affectionate with you as he was with other people so you figured it was only fair to let him push it a little bit further sometimes plus you actually quite enjoyed it and you’d missed his touch over the past weeks. ‘I guess I need to hurry up and get you that Chelsea shirt now you’re coming to games’ he winked as he let go of you and gestured for you to sit at the kitchen island. ‘I’m still so shocked you were there’

‘I am too’ you laughed and he looked over at you with a shy smile.

You sat and watched him cook, chatting about how your days had gone and he was impressing you with how comfortable he seemed in the kitchen. Every time he reached for something in the cupboard his shirt would rise up and you’d catch a glimpse of his tummy, making your heart thud and it got to the point where you thought he might be doing it on purpose as his skin was continually on show. He told you it was almost ready but to stay where you were as he disappeared around a corner. He kept coming back every few minutes to get something new before asking for your hand so he could take you to where he’d been.

You were confused as his dining table was in the opposite direction but he pulled you in front of him and told you to close your eyes as he led you round a corner. You didn’t know what was round here and assumed it was just an extension of the kitchen but when he said you could open your eyes, your breath got caught in your throat.

He’d set up a cute little table with a fancy table cloth and and candles and a few roses in some bottles in a secret little unused part of his kitchen. You gasped as you turned to him, a shy smile on his face.

‘Mason? What the hell is all this?’ You whispered as he pulled out a chair for you.

‘Well, my tables a bit big for two people so I thought this would be a bit nicer. Is it too much? We can sit out there if you want I just thought this was a bit more intimate I guess’

‘No it’s lovely, honestly. I didn’t even know the room went round here. Is this where you take all the ladies’ you winked at him as he set your plate down and took up the seat next to you.

‘Ladies? Not quite, but me and Chilly eat here all the time. You think this set up is for for you? Nah he absolutely loves red roses’ he winked and you let out a loud laugh at his silliness, loving how much effort he’d put in but still wanted to brush it off like it was nothing.

You were surprised at how good his cooking was when you took your first bite and you looked up to find him eagerly awaiting your response. Your mouth was too full though so you just nodded at him before he smiled brightly at you and dug in himself.

‘Speaking of ladies, what’s the current situation?’ You asked and he seemed surprised at your question.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Are you seeing anyone?’

You had no idea why you were asking, the thought of Mason with someone else made you want to die inside but the intimacy of this little date thing you had going on left you on edge. Thinking maybe if you mentioned other women it would remind Mason you said you two were just friends and nothing more even if your resolve had clearly been slipping away.

‘No, don’t exactly have the time right now’ he told you, trying to brush it off but now you were on the subject you wanted to know more about his romantic history.

‘When was your last relationship?’

‘Like two years ago?’

‘We’re you together long?’

‘I guess so. But we were young and once we’d grown up we realised it wasn’t meant to be’ he told you and you nodded at him with a smile. ‘Are you done interrogating me now?’ He laughed and you felt your face flush. You hadn’t meant to you were just curious but the look he was giving you you knew he was only teasing. ‘What about you anyway? I definitely know you’re not seeing anyone’ he winked with a laugh and you felt yourself go cold as you knew what was coming next. ’When was your last relationship?’

There was the dreaded question, the one you avoided with everyone and the one only you and Freya knew the answer to. You body language must of changed immediately and you felt his hand rest on your knee under the table.

‘It’s alright. Like I said before, you don’t have to tell me anything’ he told you gently and you felt your eyes prick at his words.

‘Sorry, it’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just hard, you know? It wasn’t great and I want to tell you- I will tell you one day I promise, it’ll probably explain a lot but I can’t right now. I’ve held it in for too long to even know where to start’ you told him and he gave you a sympathetic smile to let you know it was okay.

‘It’s fine’ he smiled, grabbing your hand and placing a soft kiss to your knuckles. You melted at his gesture and the urge to close the small gap and kiss him was overwhelming. More overwhelming than it ever had been but you knew it wasn’t right so you shook the thoughts from your brain and gave him a soft smile before you both carried on eating. Mason thankfully changed the subject and you both moved on from the tense atmosphere as Mason told you stories that made you laugh until you had tears in your eyes for a whole different reason.

When you were both finished, he cleared the table and you helped carry everything back into the kitchen so he could clean it, making sure to blow out the candles before joining him.

‘So what did you want to drop over?’ He questioned as he placed the last plate in the dishwasher. You cheeks suddenly flushed as you remembered why you were there and you let out a nervous cough before grabbing the paper bag you’d brought with you to the kitchen and placing it down in front of him on the island.

You wanted to run, to grab your things and flea the scene as to not cause yourself any embarrassment. The only outcomes of this situation in your mind was a disaster, thinking he would laugh at you or think you’re weird but you willed yourself to be uncomfortable in the moment. Mason hadn’t let you down once and you trusted him not to now.

‘Open it then’ you laughed and he sent you a curious smile before peering in the bag before furrowing his eyebrows and digging in to grab out the box inside. You could feel your heart pounding in your ears as he opened it and his eyes met yours in confusion but you could tell he was happy so you dropped your gaze to the counter.

‘Cookies?’ He laughed as he picked one up and you gulped down nervously before nodding .

‘Yeah, you bought me some so I thought I’d make you some’

‘You made these?’

‘Yeah. And I know you’re on a bit of a strict diet so I found a healthy recipe but that doesn’t mean you get to eat them all in one go’ you laughed, finally looking up and he was gazing back at you in a way that he never had before. If heart eyes was a real emotion then a snapshot of Mason in this moment would be the reference. You felt hot and your skin prickled with nerves as he smiled at you, seeming loosing your breath under his stare. ‘What?’ You laughed and he shook his head at you in disbelief.

‘Thank you. Honestly this means a lot to me’

‘It’s just some cookies’ you winked, replaying his words from the night he gave you yours and he laughed shyly at the memory.

‘I know’ he breathed before pulling you into a hug. You were both silent, just holding each other as he rested his cheek on you head. You weren’t sure how long you were stood there for but the longer you were, the more you felt yourself well up. You hasn’t been held like this in such a long time, hadn’t felt this safe since you could remember and it was so overwhelming to feel your walls slowly slip around you as he held you together. You tried to sniff your tears away as discreetly as possible but he caught on, pulling back and holding you by your cheeks so you’d look at him. ‘Hey, what’s wrong?’

‘Nothing’ you laughed as he wiped a few stray tears away.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yeah I just… thank you’ you whimpered, letting your emotions get the better of you as his big brown eyes looked into yours

‘What for?’ He asked confused and you nestled back into his chest, not having the guts to look at him right now. He wrapped his arms around you gently and you’d never felt so safe with anyone. His touch giving you the courage to speak your mind.

‘I never thought it was possible to have someone like you in my life. I’m really glad we’re friends’ you told him through small sobs.

‘Please don’t cry, love’ he told you, the pet name slipping make you nestle further into him and he held you even tighter.

‘They’re happy tears’ you laughed

‘Come on’ he whispered, guiding you to sit on the sofa, draping you legs over his as he pulled you into him as close as he could. ‘You can talk me to me you know. About anything at all’

‘I know. And you can talk to me too’

‘Yeah?’ He laughed and you nodded whilst wiping your eyes. ‘Not sure you can handle all my problems if you’re gonna snot all over me’

‘Masonnn’ you scolded trying to make him feel bad but you couldn’t help but laugh. He always knew what to say to make you smile and you rested yourself back into him so he could hold you. You stayed like that for a little while, sat in silence as you found solace in each others warmth.

‘I didn’t get any dessert, but maybe we can have a cookie?’ He asked, and you nodded before jumping up off his lap.

‘Stay there I’ll get them’ you offered and popped two on a plate before sticking them in the microwave to warm up a bit. He smiled at you brightly when you returned and you slotted yourself in besides him, offering him the plate so he could take one as he wrapped his arm around your shoulders.

‘Fuck me, these are good. Are you sure you made them?’

‘Yes, Mason. Don’t doubt my abilities’ you laughed and he squeezed your shoulder in response.

‘We should host a dinner party, I’ll cook and you can make dessert? That sound fair? I think we’d smash it’

‘As long as Ben does the washing up then I think that could work’ you laughed as he rested his head on top of yours.

For the first time in a long time, you didn’t want to push him off or run away. You were comfortable in his embrace and his company, and seeing the relaxed happy expression on his features because of you made you feel all warm inside. You knew you couldn’t give him all of you, but seeing him happy because of you settled you more than you ever thought it could.

Tagged: @alwaysclassyeagle @ricsaigaslec @cinderellawithashoe @vip-access @majx00

[doc-pickles]

sent to save me | sidney crosby (ch. 8)

series masterlist

summary: Sidney and Annie argue talk about the future

warnings: more angst

notes: I promise i’ll fix all of this next chapter! maybe… hehe

xoxo

nina

“Mr. Sid do you think dolphins have dreams?”

Sid smirks as he looks over at Vivie, her eyes not leaving the coloring book in front of her. It was a Saturday night and he’d offered to cook dinner for her and Annie at his place. 

“Mmm I think so, I think they dream of eating lots of shrimp,” Vivie laughs loudly at Sid’s answer and he wants to record the sound so he can hear it forever. 

“What are you two laughing about,” Annie glides into the room and presses a kiss to Vivie’s forehead before coming over to stand next to Sid, her arm brushing his. “What can I do for you?”

“Sit there and look pretty,” he turns to look down at Annie, their faces only a few inches apart. She blushes under his stare but complies and takes the seat next to Vivie at the island.  

When dinner is finished they all sit together at the island, Vivie in between Sid and Annie while they enjoy their meal. 

“Mr. Sid are you coming to my figure skating practice tomorrow,” Vivie smiles up at him and he swears he melts everytime she does. “We’re gonna work on spins!”

Ever since he’d attended her first practice Vivie had invited Sid to come every week and without fail he had shown up. 

“I would love to Viv but I have a meeting with my friends Kyle and Mario tomorrow,” Vivie and Annie both frown, the latter giving Sid a questioning look. “They wanted to talk over lunch. Usually it’s about a charity event or something.”

Annie nods but doesn’t look convinced. The two of them don’t say anything else through dinner, Vivie filling what would’ve been an awkward an awkward silence. 

After dinner Vivie goes back to her coloring while Sid and Annie wash dishes together. It’s silent for a few minutes before he speaks up, “What’s on your mind?”

There’s a brief silence before Annie sighs and turns to Sid, “Are you going back to the Penguins?”

“Anns, you know I busted my knee right?”

“No I mean…,” Annie shakes her head, dismissing the notion. “Nevermind, forget I said anything.”

She moves to leave but Sid locks her in, placing his hands against the counter on either side of her, “Nope. You’re not escaping this. If any of this, co-parenting or whatever might be in the future for us, is going to work, we need to be honest with each other.”

“I’m just scared that… That you’ll go back to hockey in some capacity and you’ll leave me and Vivie behind,” Annie doesn’t meet his eyes as she whispers the words. “But that’s not my place anymore.”

“Annie-“

“Sid… I don’t have a say in your life anymore,” Annie sighs as she looks up at him. “I know we have Vivie but things aren’t the same as they used to be and I know that.” 

Not wanting to argue anymore Sid simply pulls Annie into his chest and kisses her hair. He knows how stubborn she can be and he doesn’t want to start a fight with her. 

“I’ll let you know what they want as soon as I know,” Sid whispers as he pulls her closer. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Annie sighs out as she melts into his touch. 

+

Sid catches Annie just as she’s coming home from dropping Vivie off at school on Monday. She almost looks shocked to see him, but her face immediately drops as she lets him inside. 

“Annie I haven’t even said anything,” Sid huffs as he follows Annie into her kitchen. She begins busying herself with making tea, but he knows it’s just a distraction. “Can I just talk to you for a minute?”

“Go ahead and talk Sid,” Annie mumbles as she leans over the sink. “I’m all ears.”

“They offered me head coach.”

The kitchen is silent as Annie freezes with the tea kettle in her hand. Finally she turns around and crosses her arms over her chest. 

“They’re looking for something new, something that can take the Penguins back to the Cup,” Sid’s eyes are locked on his hands as he speaks. “Mario said he couldn’t think of anyone better to do it.”

“Well congratulations then,” Annie mutters through gritted teeth. “I’m sure you’ll have fun  jetting around the country and being on the ice again.”

“Stop trying to pick a fight with me,” Sidney snaps. “I’m trying to have an adult conversation with you. I told them I needed time to think about it, that things have changed for me lately.” 

Annie’s voice is harsh as she throws accusatory words over her shoulder, “And did you tell them about Vivie?”

The silence that proceeds tells her more than enough as she continues to putter around the kitchen, ignoring Sidney’s presence. He tries to get up and follow her but she quickly spins around and presses a hand into his chest. 

“You can save whatever excuses you have for me Sidney, I heard them all eight years ago,” Annie’s voice is seething with anger and hurt as she meets Sid’s gaze. “I thought you’d changed but you’re exactly the same as you were. Hockey first and everything else comes second.”

“That’s not fair Annie,” Sid groans as he pulls at his hair. “You haven’t heard anything I’ve said! I didn’t take the job and I didn’t tell them about Vivie because I wanted to ask you first.” 

“But you didn’t say no either Sid,” Annie’s tone takes on a watery tone as she looks away from him. “I’ve been second choice before and I won’t let Vivie feel that way too. So if you want to go chase your glory days on the ice then fine. Don’t let me stop you, I didn’t before.”

“Annie-“

“Spare me the sob story,” Annie grits out. “Get out of my house Sidney.” 

Knowing there’s nothing he can say that will change Annie’s mind Sid sighs in defeat and leaves, his heart aching as he does so. 

[cheesysoup-arlo]

Kids

(Capri sees how you are with your siblings when she comes to hang out while you’re babysitting making her think about how awesome it’s gonna be when you’re both moms together raising a baby of your own)

Your mom asked you to babysit your two little siblings last minute (baby brother(2) Max and little sister(4) Avery) of course you said yes, it was really hard to say no to your mom. “I’ll be back in the morning, I promise I’ll make it up to you” your mom said as she left, you knew she would not be home in the morning like she said but she most definitely wouldn’t make it up to you but it’s ok. Luckily it was Friday afternoon, the school day had already ended Capri was supposed to come over after she finished her- CAPRI IS SUPPOSED TO BE COMING OVER-SHIT you completely forgot. You decide to clean up a little, rushing a little especially since now you had to pick your siblings up from daycare. You decide to text Capri to let her know what’s going on.

(Y/N): hey Cap um my mom really last minute told me I have to babysit today :(

baby💕: can I still come over? I miss you and I wanna spend time with you

baby💕: plus I bet you’ll want some help with the kids

(Y/N): wait you wanna help with the kids?

baby💕: yeah your siblings are literally so adorable your mom has the cutest pics of them on insta

(Y/N): omg I forgot you follow my mom

(Y/N): DO NOT SCROLL PAST 2022

baby💕: too late I already have your very ADORABLE “weird/cringe” pics

(Y/N): NOOOOO BABE DELETE THOSE 😭

baby💕: aww come on you look adorable and I promise they’re for my eyes only

(Y/N): fine keep them i guess 🙄

baby💕: aw someone’s grumpy I guess I won’t come over…

(Y/N): WAIT NOOO PLEASE I MISS YOU ☹️

baby💕: I’ll be over in an hour ok? I’m gonna stop by my house and shower really quick

(Y/N): ok I gotta go pick up the kids in half an hour so if I’m not home just let yourself in

(Y/N): key is under the mat still

baby💕: ok bubs see you soon 💕

(Y/N): see you soon 💞

You smile and set down your phone. You have to leave in about 15 minutes to make it to the daycare before the rush of parents get there so you decide to fix your hair and change into something a little more comfortable knowing you’ll have to chase the little ones around once you get back home. You go with some sweatpants and a t-shirt then throw on a jacket and your shoes and head to your car. The drive was peaceful. You got there a little early and parked in the front, you only had your wait a few minutes before you were allowed to sign them out “SISSY” your little sister yelled running over to you excitedly “hi sweet pea how was your day?” You say pulling her in for a hug “SUPER COOL we got do paint and we had goldfish” she said beaming with energy “that’s so cool, are you ready to go get bug and head home?” You ask grabbing her bag and waving goodbye to the worker “mhm but tan we go get snack fwom da store and den we go home?” she asks “of course we can get snacks, let’s go get Max and then we’ll get you all the snacks you want” you say holding her hand and heading over to the baby room “oh hey y/n, you’re here to pick up Max right?” Darby asks “um yeah, I didn’t know you worked here?” You say a little surprised “oh um yeah it’s my first day” Darby says while another worker brings Max over “sissy” he says reaching for you “hi baby boy” you say grabbing him and his bag from the worker “bye Darby see you on Monday” you say with Max on your hip and holding Avery’s hand. The three of you head to your car, you help Avery in first so she’s not running around the parking lot, then you put Max in. “Ok guys we’re gonna go get snacks then we’re going home” you say as you buckle up and start the car “YAY SNACKS” Avery says bouncing in her seat a little “NACKS” Max say copying Avery. You put on some Disney music for the kids because you know they like it and then drive over to the store by your house to get snacks. You get to the store and text Capri to see if she wants anything

(Y/N): hey baby I’m at the store getting the kids some snacks do you want anything?

baby💕: um yeah sure

baby💕: just get me anything

(Y/N): ok babe see you in a little bit

baby💕: I love you honey see you in a few 💕

(Y/N): I love you baby💞

“Who dat?” Avery asks “oh it’s Capri, you remember Capri right sweet pea?” You say helping the small girl out of the car “the girl in da picture on you phone?” She asks a little confused “yes sweet pea the girl in the pictures on my phone” you say with a smile “her pretty” Avery says happily “you think she’s pretty?” You ask, she responds with a nod “do you want to meet her?” “YES PWEASE” “ok let’s get your snacks super fast then go see her, she’s coming to the house” “me house” “mhm our house, so we gotta hurry”

You and the kids get your snacks then head back home surprisingly arriving before Capri. As you’re getting the kids out of the car Capri arrives “hey bubs” Capri says as her hands wrap around your waist “Capri baby, I love you soo very much but if I don’t get this lovely little girl in the house she is going to pee in my car” you say as you help Avery unbuckle “oh sorry honey” Capri say backing away to give you some space “is there anything I can help with?” She asks “um yeah can you get Max out?” You say unlocking the front door and letting Avery run inside. Capri brings Max inside the house plus the bags you left in the car “oh baby you didn’t have to do that” you say helping her out by grabbing Max and setting him on the couch then helping her take the snacks to the kitchen and you put two frozen pizzas in the oven. Avery runs out of the bathroom excited to meet Capri “Sweet pea no running, you know the rules” you say in a slightly authoritative tone “sowwy” Avery says looking at the ground “aw so this is the sweet pea I’ve heard about, what’s your name?” Capri says squatting down to be eye contact with Avery, Avery immediately runs behind you “sweet pea I thought you wanted to say hi?” You say trying to look at her “I scared” she says in a loud whisper “she’s nice I promise” you whisper back, Avery still holding on to you stands by your side and waves at Capri “hi, I Avery” “hi Avery I’m Capri, it’s nice to meet you” Avery goes over and hugs Capri “aww” Capri says as she hugs Avery “you my fwiend now” Avery says looking Capri in the eyes “absolutely I’d love to be your friend” Capri says as you walk over to the two of them “hey Aves you wanna go get some toys to play with while we watch a movie?” You say as you wrap your arm around Capri’s waist “otay I go but don’t eat me snacks” Avery says going to her room, you pull Capri in for a kiss “I missed you” you say “I missed you too” Capri says “sissy” Max says yanking at your pants “yes bug?” You say squatting to his level “eat?” He say “oh you’re hungry we’ll remember we got some snacks?” “CHEESE” “yes bug I got you cheese, go get some toys while I set up the movie, ok?” You say as he excitedly goes to his room to get some toys “they are absolutely adorable” Capri says “EAT” max says running to the living room with some toys “BUG NO RUNNING IN THE HOUSE” you yell slightly frustrated “Sweet pea, movie time” you say down the hallway “MOVIE” Avery says walking down the hallway with a blanket and some toys plopping down on the cushions you put on the floor for them. Capri takes the pizzas out and helps set up their snack trays “hey babe does Max have a sippy cup or does he use a normal cup?” She asks putting cheese on his tray “he has a sippy cup, it should be in the fridge next to Avery’s juice boxes” you say looking through movies with the kiddos and them both shaking their heads no at every movie you show them “are you guys being silly?” You say looking at them “noooooo” Avery says then giggles, max starts giggling too “ok that’s it you little tricksters” you say starting to tickle them causing them to giggle more and louder. Capri comes over with both of the snack trays for the little ones “oh what’s going on in here? You guys look silly” Capri says with a laugh, both kids are laying on you and the three of you are giggling “sorry the tickle monster had to get these silly kids under control” you say as both kids get off of you to go in their spots for snacks “tank you capi” Avery says starting to eat her snacks “aw you’re welcome” Capri says “hey goofballs should we let Capri pick the movie since she’s our guest?” You ask them, Max nods with a mouth full of cheese “yeah her pick” Avery says giving you a thumbs up “alright Capri, what shall it be?” You say handing her the remote “tangled?” She suggests “ESS” Max says putting his hands up “he wikes dat one a lot” Avery says with a giggle “that’s a great choice Capri” you say from the kitchen while she starts the movie. You make a snack tray for you and Capri to share grabbing drinks for the both of you.

The kids sit quietly eating their snacks and watching the movie. You sit next to Capri wrapping an arm around her and passing her drink “thank you babe” she says giving to a quick peck on the lips. The kids finish their snacks and play for a little but about 3/4ths of the way into the movie they both start to doze off “aw they’re so sleepy” Capri whispered “I’m gonna take Max first, I’ll be back for Aves” you whisper kissing Capri’s forehead, you gently pick up Max, he shifts a little wrapping his little arms around you then you take him to his room tucking him into bed “good night bug, sweet dreams” you say giving him a kiss on the forehead then heading back to the living room you see that Avery has moved to sit next to Capri, you decide to lean on the wall and just watch them for a minute “capi?” Avery says looking up at Capri “yes?” Capri says looking down at the small girl “you stay so me see you in morning? Pwease” Avery asks “Of course I’ll stay” Capri says with a smile her heart absolutely melting at how adorable this is, you decide to make your presence known “psst, sweet pea” you say motioning her to come to you, she comes over to you and you squat down to her level “are we doing story time tonight?” You ask “yes pwease” she says with a nod followed by a small yawn “do you want to do it on the couch or your room?” You ask “couch, me want capi too” she says excitedly “ok go pick a book and bring it to the couch” you say with a smile, standing up and moving out of her way so she can go in her room “so…are you spending the night?” You ask sitting next to Capri “is that ok?” Capri says looking up at you “of course it’s ok” you say leaning in for a kiss “oh thank goodness because Avery already asked and I said yes” Capri said with a small giggle then connected your lips to hers, it’s a short but sweet kiss. You both pull away a few short seconds after Avery enters the living room with a small book “stowy time” the little girl says as she sits in your lap while also leaning her head on Capri. You read the book and about 5 pages in Avery had fallen asleep “psst, y/n” capri said interrupting you reading “yeah?” “She’s asleep” Capri says and you look down to see an adorable sleeping girl “alright sweet pea, let’s get you in your bed” you said scooping up the small girl and taking her to her room, you come back to see Capri in the kitchen cleaning up, you come up behind her and wrap your arms around her waist “hi baby” you whisper “oh shit y/n you scared me” Capri says a little startled “oh I’m sorry” you say pressing a gentle kiss on her neck “mmm” Capri hums in content, “we can clean in the morning baby, let’s just go in my room and cuddle please” you say then kiss her shoulder “hmm ok babe let’s go” she says turning to face you then giving you a quick kiss, you hold her hand and pull her into your room, you both plop on your bed “do you want to change or are your clothes ok? You ask sitting up but leaning in your forearms “can I borrow some of your clothes?” She asks “of course you can baby “ you say getting up and heading to your closet, you grab the hoodie of your she always likes and some Pyjama shorts “thank you babe” she says when you hand her the clothes, you pull your shirt off and Capri’s eyes linger on you, she comes over and wraps her arms around your bare waist “mmm baby what are you doing” you say with your hand on her arm rubbing it gently with your thumb “nothing you just looked really pretty so I wanted to hug you” she said kissing the back of your neck causing you breath to hitch “nothing more than kisses tonight, ok?” You say Capri turns you around and pulls you in for a kiss “I love you“ Capri says pulling you in for another kiss then hugging you “ok not that I don’t like it but why are you being so clingy? Is everything ok?” You ask “mhm I’m good” the two decide to lay down “babe” “yes baby” “do you think we’ll ever have kids…like together?” Capri asks

“yeah baby I think I’d like that, wait why are you bringing that up?” you say gently massaging Capri’s scalp “seeing you today with Avery and Max, I don’t know I guess it just made me wonder about us” she says getting a little shy “aw baby, really?” You ask kissing her forehead “yeah, I think you’d make an amazing mom” Capri says rubbing her thumb along your knuckles “you’d be an amazing mom too baby, seeing you especially with Avery who typically doesn’t like new people made my heart just full of joy, I can’t wait to see where life takes us” you say giving her a gentle kiss, she then lets out a small yawn “mmm babe I’m tired” she mumbles into your neck “me too baby” you say as you pull her in close to cuddle “good night my love” capri says with her head on your chest “good night baby” you say, you both doze off and dream about your future together

[stevetonyweekly]

SteveTony Weekly - May 7th

 HELLO MY LOVELY FRIENDS I MISSED YOU!!! Last week was a mess BUT I closed on my house Monday (OMG) and now we’re in the home stretch before we move (!!!!!). Quick note: 

I’m going to be moving May 21, so the rec list might be kinda off that weekend, but I’ll pre-plan something! Enjoy and be sure to drop a kudos/comment for your author! 

~*~ 

Mark Zero by enkiduu

Tony wears his lack of soulmark with pride.

lover, we always fall by enkiduu

Dying in a world with reincarnation is easy. Living in one is hard, because history inevitably follows you, and you can't always decide what your legacy is.

You try to change history, but your Icarus only ever chooses the same thing he's always chosen.

(In which Tony is Icarus and Steve is the ocean.)

ignorance is (not) bliss by earliebirb

One of Tony’s hands shoots up to grab his wrist, gripping it tightly. Slowly, Tony opens his eyes.

Steve’s blood freezes in his veins. His heart sinks with dread. 

“Tony?” Steve hopes that this is just some weird bout of sleepwalking, but Tony doesn’t sleepwalk, and from the thoughtful way Tony regards him, Steve knows that Tony is somehow very much awake, which means—

Tony swallows, his eyes wide and alert in a way Steve didn’t think they were capable of being twenty minutes ago. 

“Steve,” he says, the single word carrying too much weight.

the stark-tangled man with a crappy plan by Serinah for AvengersNewB

*At first, it seemed to be an easy job: find the O, secure the O, and hand him over to his guardian and the fiance. Simple. Unfortunately, the omega wasn't onboard. At all.*

OR:

Steve has to return a runaway omega to his guardian Mr. Stane.

Where Lies A Home by XtaticPearl

They're in the middle of the most complicated and risky fight of their lives, placing their bets on a distant memory right now, and basically in deep trouble if the plan doesn't work out. Steve knows he should be stressed and somewhere in the corner of his mind, he is a little. Mostly though, he's having fun and strangely, so is Tony.

Yes, Just Like This by gottalovev

Tony wakes up in a hospital on another planet missing his memories of the last eleven years. It's now 2023, and he learns the Avengers saved half the universe. Unfortunately, not everything he forgot is good news.

(An Endgame Alternate Universe AND Civil-War fix-it and get together story, weaved through a space road trip with Steve, Carol and Nebula. Complete but cut in 5 chapters for ease of reading.)

messages from the stars by Thahire

Steve's not expecting to find anything remotely of interest when he steps into Macy’s, of all places, in a last-ditch effort to find a present for Tony.

Somehow, he ends up leaving with an engagement ring.

Still Got It by KandiSheek 

Ever since Tony's close call in their battle against Thanos Steve treats him like he's going to break at the slightest pressure. He won't so much as look at the bionic arm either. So Tony takes matters into his own hands to prove that he can still handle himself just fine.

Soul Searching (The Hop, Skip, Jump Remix) by navaan

Tony lives a peaceful life in Irondale and then Steve Rogers drifts into town. It's the beginning of a romance — and not all is what it seems.

Code Icarus by FestiveFerret

Steve Rogers hates falling, but he hates being caught even more.

Truths, Lies and the Tipping Point by BlackEyedGirl

The news report seems more interested in the argument between the team during the fight than the way they eventually won. And then it gets worse.

Me in You by Captain_Panda

What if J.A.R.V.I.S. was Tony?

That is, what if a lonely genius Velveteen Rabbited his computer program into a real being instead of just his own thoughts talking back at him?

A deep dive into a broken psyche, contemplating Tony's loneliness, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s protectiveness, and the mother of all broken genius families. Mostly because Howard Stark never hugged his son.

Depthless by Captain_Panda

"Depthless: (1) unfathomably deep; (2) shallow and superficial."

Weeks after defrosting Captain America, S.H.I.E.L.D. finds Steve Rogers lying at the bottom of a pool. Assumptions are made. They have no idea what they are dealing with.

Meanwhile, Tony Stark, the man-in-the-spotlight, has demons lurking off-radar that are literally filling his lungs with water.

Ignoring either problem was never an option. This is the story of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark's collision course.

For What It's Worth by Captain_Panda

S.H.I.E.L.D. thaws out Captain America, expecting a combat-ready soldier to greet them.

They get Steve Rogers instead, a broken artist who turns to the violin for salvation.

hold your fire by JenTheSweetie

He watched Tony eat an entire steak and listened to him talk about the work he was doing on the Milano while he downed glass after glass of expensive scotch. Just as Steve was about to suggest they head back to the jet, Tony finished his last glass, put it down firmly, and said, "I want to blow you."

Steve stared at him.

"Let's get a hotel room," Tony said, like that was that, and somehow - and Steve never could explain how, not then and not now and not later - it was.

Say It Now by ishipallthings 

“I’m glad you’re here, Tony,” Steve tells him. It’s not everything he wants to say, but it’s enough.

Steve thinks it might be one of the most important things he’s ever said.

(Steve and Tony have a conversation the night before the time heist. Maybe second chances aren’t impossible after all.)

a hop, skip, and a jump by IronSwordStarShield (SweetFanfics)

“Before I go, I was wondering if I could ask you some questions.”

“About?” they ask they return the stone to its place.

“Timelines. Alternate realities.”

--

Steve returns the stones to their rightful places in time, gets his dance with Peggy, and then embarks on a whole new search.

Give Me Just A Little More Time by Robin_tCJ 

Spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. A full summary will live in the author’s notes, so you have to click to read it, but the premise is that this is technically canon divergent in the sense that I’m treating it as… a few deleted scenes in the middle, there. It’ll only make sense if you’ve seen the movie, and if you haven’t seen the movie it will definitely spoil you for it. Written in kind of a sketchy, lots-of-really-short-scenes style.

falling like the stars by complicationstoo

When Tony starts at MIT, he's excited to finally be in the same city as his older brother, Bucky, again. Then he meets Bucky's roommate and best friend Steve Rogers and falls faster than he would have ever thought possible.

[morgan-weston]

there never seems to be enough time || self-thread

WHO: Morgan Weston & Anita Weston

WHERE: Morgan's ranch

WHEN: Monday the 11th of November

WHY: Morgan gets a phonecall about his granddad.

TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of heart attack and illness

SONG INSPIRATION: Jim Croce - Time in a Bottle

Morgan was busy fixing a broken gate on the ranch when his phone rang, vibrating insistently in the pocket of his worn jeans. The sun was already setting, casting long shadows over the fields, and he was in the middle of tightening a stubborn bolt. He pulled out his phone, not recognizing the number at first, but the area code was Montana. He wiped his brow and answered, half-focused on the gate in front of him.

“Hello?”

There was a moment of silence, followed by a familiar voice that sent a chill down his spine.

“Morgan?” It was his mother, Anita. Her voice was tight, holding back something. He could always tell when she was trying not to break, even over the phone.

“Ma?” Morgan dropped the wrench he was holding, turning his full attention to the call. “What’s goin’ on?”

Anita hesitated for a second, and that hesitation felt like a lifetime. Morgan could hear her breathing, slow and deliberate, like she was trying to find the right words. He felt his heart start to pound in his chest, an instinctual dread curling up inside him.

“It’s your granddad,” she finally said, her voice cracking just enough to let a hint of fear slip through. "He- he had a heart attack.”

Morgan’s mind went blank, and it felt like the world around him stopped moving. He leaned against the gate to steady himself, his legs suddenly weak. He could hear the horses rustling in the distance, the gentle clinking of metal from their tack, but it all seemed muffled - like he was underwater.

“Is…is he okay?” Morgan asked, his voice almost a whisper. He didn’t know what answer he was hoping for - only that he needed her to keep talking, to fill the silence with anything other than what he feared most.

“He’s alive,” Anita said quickly, and Morgan could almost feel her trying to reach through the phone to comfort him. “But it’s bad, Morgan. The doctors said it’s not looking good. He-… he’s not responsive.”

The words hit him like a punch to the gut, and he doubled over, his free hand gripping the gate so hard his knuckles turned white. His granddad - his rock, his mentor - was always the strong one. The idea of him lying in a hospital bed, helpless and unresponsive, felt impossible.

“Where are you?” he asked, his voice shaking. “Are you at the hospital?”

“Yes, I’m here with your dad and grandmother,” Anita replied, and Morgan could hear the exhaustion in her voice, the weight of carrying this alone until she called him. His parents must’ve gone back to Montana to make sure what the state of his granddad was like, before calling the kids. 

“You need to come home, Morgan. As soon as you can.” Morgan closed his eyes, trying to hold himself together, but the world felt like it was crumbling around him. “I’ll be there,” he managed to say, his voice rough. “I’ll be there soon.”

There was a pause, and he could hear Anita taking a shaky breath on the other end of the line. “We’re at Saint Joseph’s right, but I’ll call you if he comes home, okay? Be safe.”

“I will,” he promised, his voice sounding distant even to his own ears.

After he hung up, Morgan stood there for a moment, staring down at the phone in his hand, trying to process what he’d just heard. He felt numb, like everything around him had lost its color, its life. He took a deep breath, trying to ground himself, but all he could think about was his granddad - lying in that hospital bed, alone.

The thought snapped him out of his daze. He couldn’t stay here. He couldn’t keep standing still, doing nothing. He had to go, had to be there, had to do something. Morgan shoved his phone back into his pocket and rushed toward the barn, his boots pounding against the gravel, his mind racing ahead of him.

As he saddled up his horse to ride back to the house, he could feel the panic starting to bubble up, his hands shaking as he tightened the girth strap. He needed to pack, book a flight, talk to his co-workers that he was leaving, needed to make a plan for the horses, all the commitments he had, business meetings - but all he could think about was getting to Montana, seeing his granddad, and somehow fixing this - even if he knew in the back of his mind that this wasn’t something he could fix.

The ranch felt empty as he rode toward the house, the long shadows stretching across the dusty yard. For the first time in his life, Morgan didn’t feel at home here - he felt like he was miles away from where he needed to be.

When he reached the house, he didn’t waste a second. He threw his tack in the barn, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste. He pushed open the front door, rushing to his room to grab a bag, his hands moving on autopilot. He grabbed clothes, his toothbrush, his worn leather hat, and a few essentials. He felt like he was in a daze, moving through the motions but not really thinking, not really feeling.

As he zipped up his bag, he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. He looked wild, his eyes wide with worry, his hair disheveled, and his breathing unsteady. He stared at himself for a moment, trying to recognize the man looking back at him. He felt like a stranger in his own skin.

All he could hear was his mother’s voice, and the words she hadn’t said out loud - the fear, the uncertainty, the unspoken possibility that his granddad might not be there when he arrived. Sitting down heavily on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands, he felt the weight of everything pressing down on him. He wanted to cry, to yell, to break something - but he didn’t have time for any of that. He had to keep moving.

He grabbed his bag and rushed out the door, not bothering to lock up behind him. He felt like he was leaving more than just the ranch behind - he was leaving a piece of himself, the part that believed everything would always be okay in the end.

Because right now, everything felt like it was falling apart.

[rhythmic-idealist]

When I needed to pivot careers, a huge part of the reason I wound up going to school for automotive repair was because I felt like, in addition to being a job that I could enjoy and be really good at and get paid well for, it’s some thing that I would be able to do for myself and my partner(s) (only one of my partners has a car, but that’s also relevant to all of us, so I feel like either phrasing would be correct) and my family and other people close to me. And this morning I’ve stayed up all through the night so that I can remember to drive to work before 8 AM because I forgot to bring home the sockets that I need in order to disconnect the battery and reset the trouble codes that I just addressed and fixed on my partners car, so that they can go take and (legitimately, I did actually do a correct repair, not some bullshit) pass a smog inspection. And like, this is why I did this. It feels really good.

Sometime this week, I am desperately trying to carve out time and spoons to change the front brake pads on my own car, which is something I haven’t done before, so I’ll report back on how that goes.

I have achieved two of the more or less four goals that I want to achieve with this career choice: the goal I just explained I’m living out, above, and the financial goal of having enough money that we’re stable.

Two of the other goals I wanted to get out of this were: one, that I felt like, as opposed to teaching, where I found myself continuing a lot of the mental load of that job in my off hours unpaid, a job in the trades will be one that really begins on Monday and ends on Friday, and I am more likely to finally have my weekends again to be in a band or jazz combo. And two, that for similar reasons (and for reasons of financial stability), I would be able to involve myself back into on the ground activism again.

[masespace]

monday | 20 october

pretty sure the last time i cracked this bad boy open my balls hadn’t dropped. it was the end of middle school and you were determined to make your high school experience different…

well it’s senior year now, and sorry to past mase but i’m not sure that i did what i thought i was going to do. to future mase… i dunno, but hopefully things work out better for you.

everyone always says that teenagers think that the world is ending, that our feelings are magnified. maybe it’s the hormones. i don’t know. but this it doesn’t feel like an exaggeration to say that i never thought that shit was going to be this bad.

to catch future me up in case that one time i got drunk at a party does come back to bite me in the ass, or i develop alzheimer's like meredith’s mom let’s do a quick run down.

congrats, you definitely managed to make the cheerios, and sue was even worse a human than you heard. she might actually be a worse person than when you joined the squad freshman year. doesn’t matter. all those summers running drills paid off. so congrats on that. you even helped put a couple more national title trophies in the mckinley trophy case.

the glee club was revived your freshman year so all those summer karaoke nights also paid off… unfortunately the new directions aren’t nearly as dedicated as the cheerios. sure, there’s definitely talent and it’s only safe to admit it here, some people might actually land a spot on broadway. 

if they are gonna win anything it won’t be with you because you definitely quit...

you sorta came out… thankfully it wasn’t a big thing? those incest jokes never really went anywhere and the half of the people that didn’t think you were banging your sister already assumed you were some flavor of queer. thankfully the parents haven’t found out yet… unsure of how they’d handle the whole thing. so it’s pretty important that you don’t forget about this journal future mase so i can find out how that goes for you…

you only sorta came out for a boy. a cute boy. but that crashed and burned because as you already know… you’re cursed. it sucks, but that’s life and so i’m already over it. or as over it as i can be while everything is still fresh. i’m sure the me that’s reading this in the future is even more over it and is laughing at everything that went down… hopefully it feels funny by then.

you sorta got your wish of being more independent.

congrats! started with that job at vinyl destination… it’s hell and you definitely weren’t paid nearly enough. still, it was time away from home in a place that always smelled like dust no matter how much clearing you did.

this should be under the cheerios section, but i guess this is what i get for writing in pen… but even the cheerios doesn’t feel the same as it used to. maybe it’s temporary because we’re as good as ever despite everything that’s happened there…. i’m not worried about the alzheimers snatching those memories because they’re just too juicy… but still… 

i spent a lot of time wanting to be seen as something other than just a twin… as a person, but all of the things i’ve used to give myself identity feel too small. i don’t want to say that i’ve out grown them… but more than ever i feel adrift. getting to tick off another day closer to graduation is the highlight of my day, which sounds even more depressing when i allow myself to admit it. it seems silly to think that getting out of ohio will really be the thing that fixes all my problem when i’m look at pages of hopes that just getting to wmhs would be the thing that fixes me. maybe i’m not fixable and i’ll always be a little broken. somehow being broken in a place that doesn’t know i’ve always been this way feels more reassuring, like it won’t matter as much… i can be like the caricature of a 1940s actor that gets a lot of work done and disappears into hollywood with a made up name and a made up story and all of america will play along because nobody ever really cared about the person… now more than ever disappearing feels more and more like perfect escape.

i’m going to try and be better about keeping up with this… not so much because it was cathartic, but it did give me something to do. 

i don’t think that i’m going to keep them though. maybe winding up like meredith’s mom would be better than remembering how it felt to stay up late and feeling this miserable.

mm.

[manicpixiedreamjop]

26 Solving for the prompts? :3c

“You’re going to jail for this.”

John started, looking around to see where the voice — strangely casual for its harsh words — had come from. He’d been certain he was alone at his little bench, tucked away in the corner of the park with his book, but he had forgotten there was another smaller path coming out of the trees behind him, connecting them to the other half of the park. He heard the man speak again before he came into view.

“You are. You’re going to jail. And I’m not going to do anything about it. They’re going to come and accuse you of theft and I’m not going to cover for you.”

His words were firm but slightly condescending, as if explaining something to a particularly stubborn child, and it wasn’t until finally he stepped out of the trees that John understood what was happening.

The man — the broad, hairy, unquestionably handsome man — had perhaps the largest, fluffiest dog John had ever seen with him, a tiny plush rat clamped delicately in its large jaws.

“Are you listening to me?” asked the man, still looking very seriously down at the dog. “You’re going to do hard time, Bear. Years, maybe.”

The dog, unsurprisingly, did not reply.

John let out a shocked little laugh before he could stop himself, and the man finally looked up, noticing for the first time that he and his dog were not alone.

“Well, shit,” said the man, fixing John with a grin that made his insides feel as if they were about to turn to jelly. “Look at that, Bear, you’ve got a witness to your crime. Now I’ll have to turn you in, can’t make this nice gentleman an accomplice.”

“I could be an accomplice,” John choked out, despite never having been an accomplice to anything in his entire life.

“Yeah?” asked the man, looking John up and down, taking him in from his sweater-vest to his freshly polished oxfords and smirking. “To what, tax evasion?”

John wanted to protest, but he hardly could, not when his boss quite literally had been arrested on charges of tax evasion not two years earlier.

“What’s he done, then?” he asked instead.

“Stolen this rat from one of the other dogs at the park,” said the man. “It’s so small and she’s so big I didn’t even realise ‘til we’d left already.”

“I walk through there,” said John quickly, words coming out of his mouth before he even had time to consider them. “On my way home. If you like I can put it on a bench or something. Maybe they’ll come back for it.”

“Oh, I can—” the man began, before pausing, seeming to consider something. “Yeah, alright,” he said finally, squatting down in front of the dog. “Guess you’re not a narc after all. Drop it, Bear.”

“High praise,” said John, and the man’s smile came back again as he caught the rat that Bear deposited gently in his hands.

“I’m Sol, by the way,” he said, getting back to his feet, stepping towards John, closer than he needed to reach out and hand him the slightly damp toy. Their fingers brushed as John accepted it. “We’re here Mondays and Fridays usually. If you want to let me know how it goes.”

“Sure,” said John, not quite understanding what he meant by it. It was only a stuffed rat. Why would John need to let him know how it goes?

It wasn’t until Sol and Bear had said their goodbyes and walked away that the realisation hit John that Sol might have been flirting with him. It wasn’t until John had dropped the rat on a bench and made it all the way back home that he allowed himself to accept that he didn’t think he would mind if Sol had been.

[scolbert22]

Incident Report

Written based on a photo submission by  @TJtheGuard on Twitter.

Home Owner’s Association Incident Case #58887269342

Reported by HOA Agent Edward Bland (Badge #H438)

At 6:38pm Eastern Standard Time, I was making my rounds when I knocked on the door of a 5875 Poplar Drive. The home was emitting noise levels that were well above the limit outlined by the Home Owner’s Association, specifically Paragraph II, Subheading 4 (Unpermitted Recreational Noise After 2:00 PM).  Homeowners Ralph and Garrett O’Malley.

 (The following is a transcript of the exchange that led to the Incident herein reported.)

GO: Hey, Kev-! Oh sorry, you’re not Kevin!

Agent Bland: Good Evening, Mr. O’Malley. I’m Agent Bland of the Home Owner’s Association. 

GO: Oh, Hi there. Let me get my dad, he owns the place

(After 48 seconds, GO Returns with RO)

RO: Hi there, what’s this about? We paid our dues by mail this month, was there an issue?

Agent Bland: No sir, I’m here about the noise level on your premises. It’s above the maximum noise levels permitted after 2 PM by the HOA Guidelines.

RO: Oh, I’m sorry, we weren’t meaning to bother anyone. Has someone complained?

Agent Bland: No one has complained as of yet, but-

RO: Well, Agent Bland, would you be willing to let it slide just this once? I mean its the super bowl, my son is off from college. We won’t bother anyone, I promise!

Agent Bland:  I understand Mr. O’ Malley, but as I’m sure you are aware you signed a contract promising not to disrupt the peace of this neighborhood, and you are currently in violation of that contract.

GO: Dude, can’t you lighten up a little? It’s not like We’re playing metal music or something, it’s just a football game.

Agent Bland: I’m sorry Sir, but there are no exceptions permitted in the HOA Guidelines.

GO: Who cares? That’s the dumbest [EXPLETIVE] I’ve ever heard in my life!

Agent Bland: Please calm down Sir, or I’ll be given no choice but to-

RO: Are you [EXPLETIVE] threatening my son? Get the [EXPLETIVE] off my property, we aren’t hurting anyone.

Agent Bland: Sir, is this verbal confirmation that you do not intend to correct your violation of HOA Guidlines?

RO: This is my  [EXPLETIVE] verbal confirmation that I’ll be as loud as I [EXPLETIVE] please on my own  [EXPLETIVE] property!

(At this point it became clear that the homeowners were hostile, so I utilized the HKM Mark 7 Personality Neutralizer at Subject RO. After a preliminary scan of the subject, the HKM Mark 7 Personality Neutralizer  elected to neutralize subject’s aggression, intelligence, and free will. The subject’s athleticism was also neutralized, causing significant weight gain and wardrobe alteration.  HKM Mark 7 Personality Neutralizer inadvertently fired twice, doubling the effect. Subject GO reacted extremely.)

GO: Dad! What happened to you?!

RO: [UNINTELLIGIBLE]

GO: What did you do to my dad? He’s drooling! Change him back! I’ll [EXPLETIVE] kill you!

(I was forced to once again discharge the HKM Mark 7 Personality Neutralizer, this time at subject GO. Subject experienced a similar effect to RO, including altered wardrobe and weight, but appeared to have a better grip on his mental faculties post blast. The HKM Mark 7 Personality Neutralizer fired only once )

GO: What the fudge did you do to us? fudge. Why do I keep saying fudge instead of fudge?

RO:  fudge

Agent Bland: Agents of the HOA are licensed to neutralize hostile personalities in the event of a confrontation.

GO: Please fix my father mister, I would be very grateful

Agent Bland: It’s regrettable what happened to your father young man, but unfortunately in order to have a personality neutralization reversed, you must file a request with the Home Owner’s Association Office between the hours of 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Thursday.

GO: (SILENT FOR SEVERAL SECONDS) What do we do now?

Agent Bland: Why don’t the two of you turn off the TV and work on a jigsaw puzzle? It’s a good way, HOA approved way to pass the time, and you’ll be in bed by 8:30.

GO: Okay Sir, you have a nice day. Come on Father, let’s do as the Agent says.

RO: Puzzle 

(End of Transcript.)

I am recommending no further disciplinary action at this time, but continued monitoring of 5875 Poplar Drive until such time as the HOA has determined Subjects have permanently ceased disruptive activity.

[elsanna-shenanigans]

March/April 2023 Contest Submission #2: I Left My Heart in Sanity's Rest

Words: ca. 6,000 Setting: Modern, small town Lemon: no Content: Car accident (but no one gets hurt except for the car), story briefly takes place in an abandoned mental asylum

Anna buries her hands into the thick of her hair as she inspects the external damage on the car. There’s a sizable crack in the windshield and the front right tire is angled outward; even if they could get this thing out of the ditch, there’s no chance it’ll be drivable.

“Great, just great,” she says to herself as she lets her hands drop to her sides. Two days ago, she finalized her breakup with her high school sweetheart, and now this. She leers at the cause of her one-car accident: a cow, idling fifty feet away. “What are you even doing out in the forest?!” she shouts.

The cow ignores her outburst with a flap of its raggedy tail.

“Stupid…” she grumbles as she fishes her phone out of her pocket. “This is why I drink oat milk.”

Thankfully, there’s enough signal amidst this sea of trees that she’s able to get a hold of a nearby tow truck. She sits begrudgingly on the grass while her poor car silently lays behind her; no other cars pass by.

Obviously it’s not the cow’s fault that this happened. She was the one that decided to drive back home for Spring Break instead of going on that trip to Spain with the rest of her friends. And she was the one that decided to take the scenic route back to ‘clear her head’ when reconciling with Maren didn’t work. And she was the one that got too caught up looking at Maren’s latest Instagram post to notice the chonky milk-maker ambling across the street like a joke with a bad punchline.

Bad decision after bad decision after bad decision. Just once, Anna wishes she could make a good one.

Twenty minutes later, she hears a rumbling sound getting closer. She stands up and pats the dirt and grass off her jeans just as a large, rusty tow truck comes to a hissing stop on the other side of the road. Despite the size of this crimson beast, the driver still has to squeeze his way out of the truck door. As he walks closer to her, Anna becomes increasingly intimidated at just how much he towers over her. But she eventually realizes that she has nothing to worry about.

She exchanges pleasantries with the burly man who introduces himself simply as The Woodsman (“Or Woody, if you’re feeling up for it.”). He ends up being very sweet underneath the grease stains and unkept beard, and soon he’s hitched up Anna’s car and is giving her a ride to the nearby town.

Anna entertains him unintentionally by recalling the events that led up to her accident, and after he lets out a barrel-chested laugh, she asks him, “So, how bad is it?”

“How bad is what?” Woody asks.

“My car. I mean you got a good look at it when you were putting the hook in the thingie, right?” She raps her knuckles against her knee. “I just need to know how long it’ll take to fix it. I need to be back on campus by Monday.”

He nods and lets out a soft grunt, “Well, I wish I could give you some kinda diagnosis, but the truth is I won’t really know what’s going on until we get back to my shop.”

“Oh…” Anna tightens her lips and looks down at the floor, burrs and leaves are scattered around her feet.

“But don’t you worry, we’re just about fifteen minutes away from Sanity’s Rest. I promise I’ll give your car a look-see as soon as we’re in town.”

“Sanity’s Rest?” Anna asks.

“Eeyup, the only piece of civilization for the next fifty miles or so. Town got its name on account of the mental asylum up on the hilltop.” When Woody turns to see Anna’s stressed expression, he holds up his hand. “Ah, don’t worry. The place has been closed for thirty years, the only loonies you’ll see out here anymore are tourists.”

Anna tries to remember if she’s ever heard of a place called Sanity’s Rest, maybe on an old brochure or some random TikTok, but nothing comes to mind. Then again, these small, out-of-the-way towns exist everywhere, it was only a matter of time that she’d visit one.

Woody’s meaty hand pats her on the head and it bonks her out of her thoughts. “Trust me, there ain’t a town better than good ol’ Sanity’s Rest. You’re gonna love it!”

Well, Anna sure hopes so. Because knowing her luck, she’s not going anywhere else anytime soon.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Anna doesn’t know what she’s expecting when they get to Sanity’s Rest, but she’s definitely not prepared for how…vertical it is.

The town is primarily built around a long, winding road that snakes up to the aforementioned hilltop where an ominous, white building sits. Stacked along this road as if in some unconventional tier system are rows and rows of buildings, more length than they are width. The first couple of tiers are made up of shops, eateries, and galleries, the kind of places you’d see in a city’s downtown district. But higher up on the road is where more of the private residences are, along with a church and a very small library to remind you that people actually live here.

Woody’s garage is on one of the middle tiers, right below one of the two inns that Sanity’s Rest is ‘known for’. As promised, he inspects Anna’s car right away and discerns that the repairs will take about two days- something about parts he needs delivered.

Two days isn't too bad. In fact, if she books it out of here as soon as her car is fixed, she’ll probably make it in time for her second class. But it’s still not ideal, and now she has to stay at an inn that’s half the size of her childhood home.

“Warm Hearth is the coziest place to get a good night’s sleep, I tell ya,” Woody encourages her before she leaves his garage. “Elsa takes mighty pride in the place and it shows. Tell her Woody sent you along and she may even give you a discount.”

The vote of confidence still isn’t enough to get Anna to just stride right into the place, especially when a cat bolts out from a bush in front of the porch stairs. “Why are all these animals trying to give me a heart attack today?!” she hisses. After her heartbeat returns to a normal rhythm, she presses her foot against the first blue, wooden stair, watching to see if it will crack under her weight. When it doesn’t, she tentatively steps onto the porch and pushes the also blue front door open.

It’s heavier than it looks, and the prolonged groan it lets out as Anna opens it further is so loud that she’s convinced everyone in the town is now looking at and silently judging her. As soon as she gets inside, she closes the door with an amusing sense of urgency. Maybe not amusing to her, but certainly to anyone that’s in here with her.

Which, once she looks at the lobby, turns out to be no one.

The lobby, or so she assumes, is deceptively spacious. Two adjacent chairs and a coffee table between them sit right in front of the window, and in the other corners are a small bookshelf, a circular standing table with an open book on it, and a set of stairs that lead to the second floor. Unlike the front door, the interior doors are white with gold-tinted accents that look like some kind of flower. As Anna goes to get a closer look at one of the doors, it opens…

And she’s greeted by a goddess.

The woman she has the privilege of seeing in front of her has the fairest of fair skin, only interrupted by a star chart of freckles across her face. Her silk blonde hair is fashioned into a tight ponytail, though a couple of strands have escaped to mark across her icy blue eyes. And rather than wearing a toga, or armor, or whatever deities wear, she’s adorned in a flowery (and floury) red apron, an off-white undershirt, and shorts that are shorter than the apron. Which means Anna also gets to look at her fabulous knees as if that’s a thing people are attracted to.

“Oh my-”, the goddess exclaims as she straightens up in surprise. “I’m sorry, I thought I heard…I mean I didn’t expect…hi.”

“Hi,” Anna says reactively, her head still trying to catch up to her heart. “I’m sorry for scaring you.”

“Ah, what? You didn’t scare me, this is how I always greet people. I shout at them and jump right out of my shoes.” She lets out a breathy chuckle and pats her hands against her apron. “Like a cat.”

“If it makes you feel better, you didn’t shout at me. And you definitely don’t look like a cat.”

“You sure?” The woman tilts her head and lightly pats her hair. “Oh, I guess I must have left my ears in the office.”

Anna lets out a noise that’s supposed to sound like a laugh, it comes out more like a childish giggle. After twenty-five years of gayness, she’s still a mess around pretty girls; especially when they’re some kind of baker, or an innkeeper’s daughter, or some random that broke into an inn to steal their flour. Before Anna can make a bigger fool of herself, she says, “I-I’m new in town, and- well, I’m not like moving in or something. Not that this place isn’t nice or anything like that, but I need a place to stay and Woody, he…”

Well, so much for that.

The woman nods and puts her out of her misery. “Woody? I’m guessing you’re having some car troubles and he pointed you towards my place until he can fix it?”

Anna’s eyes widen, “This place is yours?”

The woman smiles proudly and stretches out her hand, “Elsa Henley, proud owner of the Warm Hearth Inn.”

Elsa Henley. Elsa. Of course her name would be just as beautiful as the rest of her. Anna wipes her far-too-sweaty palm against her jeans before shaking Elsa’s hand. It’s soft and a little cold. “Holy baloney, this is yours?” Cool people say holy baloney, right?

Elsa chuckles, “Well, yes and no. I bought it off the original owners a few years ago. I kept a lot of the outside intact, but I changed a lot of the interior.”

“Well, it’s beautiful,” Anna says truthfully. “This whole place is beautiful, and you are-” She stammers to a halt and coughs for good measure, letting go of Elsa’s hand. “You have a good eye for stuff. Like chairs.”

Elsa’s proud grin turns into a warm smile. “Thank you. So, how many days are you planning to stay?”

She walks over to another closed door and Anna follows her like a hopeless puppy. Through the door is a small, almost closet-sized office where they get to talking about the logistics of Anna’s stay.

For the next two days and two nights, Anna will be staying in what Elsa calls the ‘White Room’, which she promises is the coziest one in the inn. They must really like that word here in Sanity’s Rest. When they get to the White Room, Anna immediately adds the word to her own vocabulary.

The space reminds her a lot of the attic of her childhood home, except the wooden floor is shinier and the drapes against the window are a pristine white rather than a drab gray. And instead of boxes of old photos, there’s a large, fluffy bed, an antique-looking nightstand, and another bookshelf. So, it actually doesn’t look anything like her attic, but the vibes are still there.

“There’s a key to the bathroom in the nightstand, you’re free to put your stuff wherever you want in the room, and you can open the drapes or keep them closed. Completely up to you, I just want you to be comfortable,” Elsa explains as she gestures around the room.

Anna walks in and gently sets her backpack and luggage on the floor next to the bookshelf. She sits on the side of the bed, the fluffiness almost causing her to fall right onto it. “Big bed,” she comments after righting her posture. “Definitely bigger than the one I have.”

Elsa gives her a small, knowing smile, “Usually couples are the ones who rent the White Room.”

“Makes sense,” Anna replies as she tries to ignore the annoying loneliness gnawing at her side. Maybe if she’s lucky, Elsa will sit right next to her and she’ll feel less-

Oh, that’s exactly what she’s doing.

“I understand there might be a bit of an implication there, but don’t worry, I take a lot of pride in cleaning my rooms.” Elsa is still a professional distance away, enough for another human to sit in between them, but that doesn’t stop the warmth that spreads from Anna’s shoulder to the rest of her body. “Any questions?”

With the apron off, Anna can see a sliver of her waist. Pale as the rest of her, and maybe just as soft.

“Anna?”

Yep, that’s her name- wait, why is Elsa saying her name?

Anna lifts her eyes back up and blinks away something non-existent, “Y- uh, what? Hi. Hi?”

Elsa tilts her head with a look that’s between confusion and amusement. Or maybe she caught Anna staring and is now silently judging her. Gosh, that would be the worst. “I asked if you have any questions.”

“Oh! I…uh…” Anna scrambles to ask something random, something that will keep Elsa from leaving. “What can I do? To pass the time, I mean.”

Elsa nods, not giving any indication for whether or not she’s judging. “Well, if you haven’t gotten a chance to look around at the shops, you’ll have the next couple of days to do so. The owners are all locals, so they’ll talk your ears off if you let them- especially Woody, or Mrs. Harrel who runs the apothecary. Tomorrow afternoon, the mayor’s doing a reading at the park from his poetry book which should be…interesting. Oh, and I’m pretty sure tomorrow night is the Asylum Tour.”

“Asylum? Like the one on the hilltop?” Anna’s eyes narrow with uneasiness.

“Don’t worry, it’s totally safe. The tour guide is adamant that everyone stay in the lit areas, and officers regularly patrol the building to make sure no one’s hanging around in there that shouldn’t be.”

Not yet convinced, Anna frowns at her while also trying to subtly nudge her hand closer to Elsa’s on the bed. Because that’s the kind of woman she is, and she’s totally fine with it. “I don’t know. If you need the police to patrol a tourist destination, that doesn’t sound a hundred percent safe to me.”

“No one’s ever gotten hurt or gone missing on these tours. And there’s always a handful of local volunteers to help out as well. If it will help, I can come with you tomorrow night.”

It takes Anna a second to realize the proposition Elsa’s laid out for her. She blinks and leans forward a little more than she thinks to. “You’d come with me?” she asks, hoping she doesn’t sound too intrigued at the thought.

Elsa shrugs, it’s casual and cordial like she’s offered this to all of her customers. “Only if you want to.”

Admittedly, Anna’s hesitance to get anywhere near the asylum is softened by Elsa’s offer. Even if it’s just an off-handed remark from a polite and very pretty innkeeper, it still makes Anna feel more at ease. But, at the same time, what does she actually think is going to happen here?

She’s leaving in two days and chances are this will be the last time she ever steps foot in Sanity’s Rest. She cannot fall so hard for a woman she’ll never see again. With a sigh, she lets Elsa, and herself, down easy.

“Iyou’re there, then I’ll think about it.”

’ll go if you’re there.“

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

The asylum is huge, and it only grew in stature the closer Anna got to it. The dirty, white building is bathed in harsh brightness from an array of flood lights, several of the glass windows are broken and the long-dead plants stick out of the rocks like boney fingers. Had she come here alone, Anna would never find the nerve to get anywhere near the entrance. But thankfully, there’s a small crowd here that’s just as crazy as she is.

And a certain someone is waving at her from that crowd.

Anna hurries her pace despite her already frazzled nerves. Elsa had arrived here earlier to help set everything up for the tour, she still looks fantastic in a pair of khaki shorts and a white t-shirt that reads I Lost My Sanity on the Sanity’s Rest Asylum Tour.

“Hey!” Elsa says when they finally catch up to each other. “I’m glad you were able to figure out where to go.”

Anna raises an eyebrow, “It’s a straight walk up a hill. I’m not that hopeless.” Though the fact that she agreed to do this begs to differ.

Elsa chuckles, “You’d be surprised at how many tourists ask us every day where the asylum is. Though I guess it’s a little harder to find since the sign fell off.”

A sense of worry streaks across Anna’s face from that throwaway comment. She gives the building another look and frowns, “Are you sure this place is, uh…sturdy?”

“Absolutely, you have nothing to worry about.” Once again, just like magic, Anna finds it easy to believe Elsa. She reaches a hand out toward the newcomer and says, “Come on, the tour’s about to start.”

A hand. Elsa’s reaching out a hand…to take her hand; that can’t be right. They’ve only known each other for two days, a fact that Anna’s been trying desperately to keep telling herself despite the fact that they’ve already had a couple of conversations and even ate lunch together earlier today. Okay, well technically it was more like Anna went to a cafe for lunch and Elsa walked in when she was halfway done with her sandwich. But Elsa did take a bite from the scone she bought.

She’s trying not to get too attached, her breakup is still so new and she’s going back on the road tomorrow morning. Elsa might not even have feelings for her, maybe she’s just this nice to all of her customers.

She has to think logically about this, she can’t take Elsa’s hand. She can’t. And she won’t. But she will. Because she’s weak and dumb and Elsa’s smile is freaking breathtaking.

Reality, however, comes at her as fast as that cow on the road did, and Elsa drops her hand back at her side with a frown. “Sorry, I held my hand out without thinking. That wasn’t professional.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Anna says, disappointment seeping through every vein in her body.

They make it back into the crowd just as the tour guide begins her speech, keeping a respectable yet agonizing distance away from each other.

The tour guide is wearing the same outfit as Elsa’s, except her shorts are a little lower on the knees and she has a headset with an external speaker that accentuates her cheerful tone. “Welcome, everyone, to Sanity Rest’s 56th Asylum Tour! My name is Evelyn- yes, like the actress- and I’ll be your guide for tonight, it’s going to be so much fun and you’re going to love every minute of it.”

She goes into a formal rundown of the rules for tonight, and Elsa seems to have recovered from the awkwardness first, because she quips, “Bet you twenty dollars she ends her speech with a pun.”

Anna scoffs, “That’s not a fair bet, you live here.”

“Hey, you never know, I could be bluffing.”

“Are you?” Anna turns to look at her and all she sees is the same heart-melting smile that’s pulled her out here tonight.

Elsa’s smile turns into a grin, “No. I wouldn’t lie to you like that. You’re my guest after all.”

Of course, she wishes she was more than that.

“What was that?”

Crap. Anna turns to the side, pretending like she heard someone else say their own hopeless romantic thoughts out loud. “Hmm? Wh- uh, did you hear something?”

“I thought you said…never mind.”

The tour guide leads them all inside the asylum. When Anna crosses the threshold, a puff of cold air hits the top of her head and shoulders. She yelps and looks back at the doorway, but there’s nothing there. Pressing a hand against the back of her neck, she turns to Elsa.

“There’s a sensor on the door,” Elsa explains, seeming to have read her mind, “On random occasions, cold air gets blown in from these hidden tubes that’s strong enough for people to get a little spooked.”

Anna pouts, “Isn’t that a little dishonest?”

“A little. But the tricks are harmless and they’ve helped to boost ticket sales, so I can’t complain.”

“Well, I can. You’ve probably noticed by now that I get freaked out pretty easily.”

“I have noticed that. It’s cute.”

“I- well…that's…shut up.” If these mixed messages get any worse, Anna’s going to have to check herself into this asylum.

“Tell you what. I’ve been on this tour at least ten times by now, I’ll let you know every time a trick is coming up so you can prepare for it. Does that sound good?”

Anna takes her hand off her neck and grumbles, “Fine.”

“Good.” Elsa nudges her with her shoulder, and the momentum makes the backs of their hands touch. The chill that Anna felt earlier is nothing compared to the jolt that goes through her when from that fleeting contact of skin.

“We will now be making our way to the cafeteria, where it was once rumored that a patient tried to boil one of the cooks in a large stew pot like Bugs Bunny!” Evelyn the tour guide gets their attention, looking far too excited talking about that whole stew thing. “That, of course, turned out to be a hoax. But what isn't a hoax is the homemade brownies waiting for you on the cafeteria benches!”

The cafeteria doors open with a long, low creak. As they walk through them, Elsa whispers to Anna, “Don’t eat the brownies that are on plastic plates. They have candy eyeballs in them.”

Anna shudders, “Thanks. I’m not a fan of eyeballs in my food.”

“Neither am I. Look at that, we have something in common.”

“Heh, yeah we do.” Mixing her metaphors, Anna decides to bite the bullet and test the waters. “I wonder if we have other things in common too.”

“Only one way to find out,” Elsa responds…with a wink.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

The brownie is delicious, though not as good as the information that Anna learns about her newish companion. She learns that Elsa’s thirty years old, a Sagittarius (which makes sense), and moved to Sanity’s Rest seven years ago just to ‘get away from everything’. The community welcomed her with open arms and, in no time at all, she felt like she belonged here. Also, she likes lilies, the color blue, and geckos.

As they head further into the asylum, Elsa’s words and gestures become a little more…forward. Even Anna’s cautionary standards aren’t enough to innocently explain away the way Elsa brushes her hair back when it gets in her face; or when she gently grabs her by the shoulders when she’s about to walk past another cold air sensor; or the way she offhandedly mentions they go to the park ‘next time she visits’.

Anna will laugh or play along when Elsa does something that could be considered flirty, but she tries not to get her hopes up. Elsa’s just…nice. Kind. Sweet. And unbearably cute.

The words and gestures finally come to a head when they’re exploring one of the second-floor hallways and Elsa takes her- by the hand- towards a smaller corridor that leads to a library. Or, at least, what’s left of it. It has concrete walls and a dirty floor like the rest of the asylum, but Elsa’s so good at describing it as a place that you’d actually want to go to.

She walks around the small room, the size of her inn’s lobby, talking about how the angle of the windows could bathe the whole room in sunlight at the right time of day, pondering over what books she’d put on the shelves, and debating on whether she should put one rocking chair or two.

“A rocking chair seems a little cliche, don’t you think?” Anna asks as she peers out the corridor. No one’s coming to get them, maybe no one even noticed they split off from the group.

“Some cliches are nice,” Elsa reasons. “Like rocking chairs in a reading nook, or laughter being the best medicine, or meet cutes.”

“Meat cubes?”

Elsa laughs, hopefully because she’s amused and not because she thinks Anna’s an idiot. “Yeah, those charming, quirky moments in a book or a movie when the two romantic partners meet for the first time. It’s one of my favorites.”

Anna takes a step towards her. “Has it ever happened to you before?”

Elsa looks around with her hands clasped behind her back and her lips pursed. Either she’s thinking about her question or she’s wondering where she’d put the circular coffee tables. “Yeah, I think it has.”

Her response is both assuring and perturbing. Elsa could be talking about literally anyone else, but if she’s talking about her…screw it, she’s leaving tomorrow. “Has it happened…recently?” Anna asks as she takes another step forward.

Elsa grins and closes the gap with a step of her own. She reaches out her hand and runs it across Anna’s hair and down her arm. “Very,” she replies softly.

Well, that answer couldn’t have been any more obvious. The feelings are mutual, the two of them have a thing for the other, and they’re all alone in a not-so-scary-anymore asylum. Elsa’s fingers linger, grazing against her knuckles, and Anna takes it as a sign to take those fingers in hers.

“So…” Elsa says. There’s a heaviness to that word; Anna can’t leave here without giving an answer. She knows what she wants to say, but there’s that nagging sense of need. The responsible response that’s influenced by the fact that, again, she’s leaving tomorrow. When she first got here, her stupid mind was too blinded by Elsa’s beauty to keep her from trekking through an asylum at night. This time, she needs to think clearly.

Anna takes the deepest sigh of her life, the weight of her next words already crushing her. “Elsa, I feel the same way, but I-”

“Don’t.”

Anna winces, not expecting Elsa to respond so quickly. When Anna looks at her, however, she still has a soft, disarming smile on her face.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything else,” Elsa continues. “I’m just glad we had tonight.”

“Elsa…”

“We should probably catch up with everyone else.” Elsa lets go of her hand and walks out of the library, Anna fights the urge to stay in here for the rest of her miserable life.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Anna lets out another long yawn and wipes tired tears out of her eyes with her wrist. Last night was the worst sleep she’s had in years, she’ll need the tallest, strongest cup of coffee she can find for the rest of her trip.

She and Elsa didn’t talk at all for the rest of the night until they made it back to the inn, and all Elsa did was remind her of the night time rules. No soft smiles, no errant hand touches, no more of her heart on display.

When Anna tried to sleep, her dreams were either about Elsa or her recurring, lore-heavy war against the Pumpkin Brigade, So, instead of sleeping, all Anna did was think about what she should and shouldn’t have said. After all that thinking, she’s come to the conclusion that she’s made a mistake. With Elsa. By rejecting her.

She was thinking too much about how it would hurt both of them to fall for each other if she wasn’t staying long, but if Elsa was worth coming back to, then surely she’d come back here, right?

This isn’t the 1900s where it takes six years just to travel fifty miles; she has a car, a phone that can connect to the Internet. Long-distance relationships have never been this easy to maintain in all of recorded history, except for maybe the days when everyone lived in caves right next door to each other. She wants something with Elsa, and with luck Elsa still wants something between them too.

All it’ll take is one more conversation…hopefully. And maybe the other thing she got up to last night instead of sleeping will help smooth things over.

Anna pats down the remaining wrinkles on the blanket and gives her room one final look to make sure it’s cleaner than when she first got here. After a confirming nod, she leaves with her backpack and luggage in tow. Two days passed by a lot faster than she expected; she’s a little upset no one checked up on her.

As she’s going down the stairs, she hears a conversation in the lobby. A young, bright-eyed couple is busy filling out the same paperwork she had to, and sitting on her rolling chair is the woman she was hoping to see this morning. Their eyes meet as Anna descends the last step, she gives the innkeeper a polite wave and gets the same in return. That’s probably a good sign.

“Give me one second,” Elsa says to the couple before walking out of her office and towards Anna. She keeps on her professional smile, it’s nice but it’s missing the same warmth from the last two days. “Hey, how was your sleep?” she asks.

“Good,” Anna lies. “How did-”

“I just need your key and you’re free to go.”

Anna’s breath catches when Elsa holds out her hand. This definitely isn’t a good sign. Has the door already closed on them? Did Elsa already move on? Or is she keeping up appearances because there are customers right behind her? Needing to keep her sanity, Anna tells herself it’s the third option as she takes the room key out of her pocket and places it in her palm.

“Thanks,” Elsa says neutrally, but she’s not able to go back to the couple. Not when Anna’s closed her hand against hers.

It can’t end like this. “Can I talk to you when you’re done?” Anna whispers. “Please?”

Elsa’s facade fades, she quickly looks back at her customers before turning her attention to Anna. After taking a breath, she whispers, “Meet me out on the porch.”

Fifteen minutes later, Elsa opens the front door of her inn and leans against the deck next to Anna. It’s a calm Monday morning, most of the shops aren’t open yet and the locals are still inside doing their morning routines. For now, it’s just the two of them.

Anna is the one to break the silence: “Hey.”

“Hey,” Elsa replies.

“What room did they choose?” Anna points a thumb back towards the inn.

“The Blue Room,” she answers. “The guy said his fiance gets cold at night, and the bed in there has the thickest sheets.”

“Would you have given them the White Room if I wasn’t in it?”

“Maybe. I’d still have to clean it up a bit. Though, considering the work you put in cleaning the bathroom, I’m assuming I wouldn’t have to do much.”

“Oh, you already noticed that.” Anna bites her lip, she hoped that she’d be long gone before Elsa noticed how much she’d cleaned up the place. “I couldn’t sleep last night, and I figured some manual labor would tire me out.”

Elsa looks at her confused, “I thought you said you slept pretty well.”

“Yeah, I…may have lied about that.”

“Oh.”

Knowing she can’t waste any more time, Anna starts to say the words she’d been thinking about all night, “Elsa, I need to apologize for what I did to you last night.”

Elsa winces so hard that she closes her eyes. “You really don’t have to do that.”

“No, I do. I owe you an apology, and an explanation, and I need to tell you why I made the wrong choice.”

“If you’re just trying to let me down easy-”

“I'm not.” Anna braves a step in Elsa’s direction and places a hand on her shoulder. When she doesn’t pull away, Anna softens her tone and says, “I’m not. Elsa, could you look at me?”

A few agonizing seconds pass. Each one brings about a different kind of scenario, most of them ending with Elsa leaving her on the front porch to think about the consequences of her actions. But finally, Elsa does look at her, and there’s a sadness in her eyes that Anna hopes she can get rid of.

“Elsa, I like you…I really like you. And I should have told you that last night, I shouldn’t have let you down, but I got too into my own head. I didn’t want to lead you on knowing that I was going to leave a few hours later, you deserve better than that. But then I realized that I don’t get to choose what you deserve. You do. And you chose me.”

“I did,” Elsa responds, though it’s so soft and subtle that it feels more like she’s saying it to herself. Anna still heard it, though, and she noticed that Elsa didn’t say those words with any sense of regret. This is the best sign she could have asked for.

Anna scoots her free hand closer to Elsa’s. “I want to try. With us. If there’s still some part of you that has feelings for me, could we start over?”

She had more to say, most of it being her laying out her plan to make the long-distance relationship thing work (it would involve frozen yogurt, bracelets, and soundproof doors). But ending there felt right, even if it meant she now had to wait for however long it would take Elsa to respond.

“No.”

Oh, well that didn’t take long at all.

This is an outcome that Anna expected, but not one she ever prepared herself for. As she feels the ground beneath her feet give way, she begins to scoot away from Elsa in order to keep the woman from falling with her. However, Elsa doesn’t let her. She quickly and strongly takes Anna’s hand into hers, keeping her from falling, and she finishes her thought with another soft smile.

“…but we can continue where we left off.”

Confusion turns into intrigue which finally gives way to happiness. They both lean in at the same time, pressing their lips against each other’s as their grip on each other’s hands tightens. Anna came to Sanity’s Rest seeking refuge after her own idiocy, and though she’s getting back on the road today she knows she’s not really leaving.

Because as long as Elsa’s here, a part of her will be too.