#i’m trying to forget about that time done highlight it

[washoping]

Welcome distraction

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Emily Prentiss x reader

summary: Emily notices you're having a hard time working on your assignment, so she decides it's time for you to take a break.

tags: smut, teasing, praise kink, sex

f/f │ 2.9k words │ ao3

a/n: english isn't my first language so all typos and mistakes are mine!

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The room was heavy with the weight of yet another long exhausting day of studying. The clock was ticking past eight already as you tried to use the last drops of your energy on the assignment you were working on. The laptop screen casted a cold blue glow over your desk that was embarrassingly messy compared to what it was usually like. The neatness you were accustomed to was replaced by notebooks, notes, pens and highlighters scattered all over, piled on top of each other, a half-drunk coffee mug being the cherry on top.

Your eyes felt tired. They were burning from hours of reading. The words on the screen had started blurring together what felt like ages ago but you had tried your best to just power through, telling yourself you’d be done soon. But every tick of the clock on the wall next to you felt like a reminder of just how much you still had left to do.

A quiet knock at the door broke through your concentration, making you look up from the screen your eyes had been glued to for hours. It took you few seconds to adjust. You saw Emily standing in the doorway with her arms crossed, taking you in with the warmest of eyes. The softness in her gaze when seeing you made you feel like she had been waiting for this moment, to force you away from your screen.

”Hey”, she said, her voice a gentle murmur. ”You’ve been at this for hours already. How much longer are you planning to go for?”

You exhaled, rubbing your eyes, feeling glad about your decision not to wear makeup today.

”I’m just trying to finish this section, but I still have a lot left. It feels never-ending.”

You thought about the amount of work there was left to do. It felt like you had been writing the same damn sentence again and again for the past few hours, making no progress, because you were exhausted. That was something you couldn’t tell Emily. Nor the fact that you could feel a headache forming in the distance as well.

Emily stepped closer, her gaze sweeping over the mess of notes, school supplies and the stained coffee mug on your desk. You half-expected for her to make a comment, to be disappointed in you and the fact that you hadn’t taken care of it. But instead, she didn’t really show any emotion. She just turned her gaze to you instead of the mess.

”Is the assignment due tonight?”

You shook your head, feeling your cheeks heating up a bit after hearing the commanding tone of Emily’s voice. You could guess what was coming. It was crazy what her voice alone could do to you. You felt nervous all of a sudden.

”Not technically”, you answered with your own voice trembling a bit. You escaped Emily’s eyes by turning your gaze back to the open document on your laptop’s screen.

You heard Emily chuckle softly and could imagine the slight smile forming on her face without even looking at her. She walked to you, her hands settling on your shoulders. You shivered and felt your breath hitching as her thumbs started working into the tense muscles on your shoulders and upper back. It was so easy to melt under her touch almost immediately. Your eyes closed, involuntarily. Emily’s hands made it easy for you to forget about the assignment. Like magic.

Slowly she moved even closer to you and it sent shivers down your spine. You bit your lip, trying to keep your composure.

”Then it can wait, honey”, she whispered, her breath warm against your ear. You couldn’t help but lean against her head a bit to recover from the shivers her whisper caused. ”You’ve been at this all day. The assignment will still be here tomorrow, I promise. But I need my baby right now.”

”Em”, you protested quickly, not knowing if you really even wanted to protest. Your voice sounded unconvincing, even to yourself. You let yourself lean back a bit further when Emily’s hands continued massaging your shoulders soothingly. ”I really should finish…”

Before you could go on for any longer, Emily stopped you.

”Babe, it’s 8 pm”, she said more firmly this time around and the authoritative tone in her voice sent the butterflies in your stomach flying. She was always hot, but this demanding bossy side of her made your brain mush. ”You’re done for the day if I say so.”

You opened your eyes to look at her, torn between your sense of responsibility and the pull of her insistent gaze. You were turned on. She was standing so close you could smell her perfume, feel her warmth. So alluring. For a moment there you forget about the screen in front of you.

”But I’ll feel better if I get a little bit more done today”, you still tried to insist, even though your tough demeanor act slipped away further and further with each press of Emily’s fingers on your skin.

And then she stopped completely.

She didn’t start arguing, didn’t say anything - instead she moved to sit beside you in the other chair in front of your desk, her chin propped in her hand as she started watching you. The determination in her eyes didn’t disappear, it just was quiet now. It still told you that she was willing to wait as long as it took. Emily wasn’t one to give up if she wanted something.

And she wanted you.

You looked at your screen, feeling her gaze glued to you while you did. It was nearly impossible to focus with her sitting so close, her presence so strong, her perfume filling your nostrils. You were screwed, but you couldn’t admit your loss in this game so easily.

Out of the corner of your eye you noticed Emily’s hand caressing along her own cheek. Her fingertips tracing the curve of her neck, then dipping lower, coming to rest on top of her breast. The subtle movement was enough to pull you out of your so-called focus, your eyes flicking to her involuntarily as she gently massaged her own breast through her shirt. You couldn’t believe your eyes.

”Emily”, you murmured now wide-eyed, your voice half-pleading, half-warning.

”Yes?” she asked, sounding completely sweet and innocent while her fingers travelled from cupping her breast to her legs, stroking the top of her thighs back and forth. You couldn’t help but steal a look again, right when she moved her fingers closer to her… ”Something wrong?”

”I… I can’t focus when you’re doing that”, you admitted with an unsteady voice, nodding towards her, looking at her fingers now resting on the waistband of her trousers. You needed her to move them inside them, and her panties. To hear her gasp, moan, anything. You needed her so bad your pussy clenched.

Emily raised an eyebrow, her signature move when teasing you. A mischievous smile tugged at her lips.

”That’s too bad”, she said, not taking her eyes off you for a single second. Her other hand came to the collar of her shirt, stretching it just enough to reveal a hint of skin at her collarbone. Her eyes didn’t leave yours. She was fully aware of the effect she had on you and she wasn’t about to stop. You wiggled in your chair, feeling so turned on that it was starting to get a bit difficult to sit still.

You looked back at your screen again, determined to push through the last section no matter what. But you should’ve known it was impossible already. Emily shifted closer, her hand now brushing over your arm, gliding with that familiar gentle pressure that left your skin tingling for more.

”Em, please…” you whispered with your breath catching as she moved even closer, her lips nearly brushing against your cheek now. You expected a kiss. A peck on your cheek. Maybe her hands on your shoulders again? Anything, any contact.

But no. Instead of all that Emily slipped down from her chair, sinking gracefully down on her knees right in front of you. You felt her hands on your knees and your heart rate picked up when she gazed up at you with her big brown eyes from down there. You would’ve done anything for her.

”Emily…” you mumbled her name again. Your fingers came to grip the edge of your chair as her hands trailed upwards, a clear sign to her that you had finally given up. She took her sweet time, not hurrying one bit.

”Yes, baby?” she asked innocently with a smirk on her face, inching even closer to you, her hands gripping your thighs as her eyes remained locked on yours. She stroked your thighs, her hands slowly but surely making their way underneath your night shorts you wore around the house. Easy access. You bit your lip as you felt Emily’s fingers kneading the soft skin, making their way closer and closer to your heated center. You knew you were wet. Without a question. Emily felt the warmth radiating from you and flashed you a smile laced with satisfaction at seeing you giving in.

You opened your mouth to try another weak protest but right when you were about to say something Emily’s fingers touched you through your panties and instead of words, a moan escaped your mouth. With your eyes closed you slapped the lid off your laptop down, no longer giving a damn about the assignment.

”There you go, finally… that’s my girl”, you heard Emily saying, hearing the huge smile on her face from her voice. She won and she was so happy about it.

You moaned, trying to move your hips on the chair so that Emily’s fingers would touch you again. You needed the contact so bad, but clearly she wasn’t done with the teasing yet. She grabbed the waistband of your shorts, ushering you to lift your hips a little so she could pull them off, leaving you in your panties.

”Oh baby, you’re absolutely soaked”, she chuckled when she saw how your arousal had stained your white panties with a wet spot. She touched it with her thumb, pressing the fabric against you to saturate it even more with your wetness. You squirmed. Every tiniest thing she did turned you on more and more.

When you saw her pressing her lips against the wet fabric you had to bite your lip in order to stay quiet. She looked up at you while pressing a gentle kiss on your pussy through it.

”I can stop if you really want me to”, she still dared to tease you.

You felt helpless. You swallowed hard, barely able to hold back another gasp as Emily planted another kiss on your pussy through your panties.

”I… I don’t… please… don’t stop.”

Emily smiled, pressing one final little kiss on the damp fabric before pulling it aside with her fingers and coming in direct contact with your pussy to give it a single long lick. You sighed out loud. Finally.

”Now, just relax baby and let me take care of you”, she whispered as she she settled between your legs properly, her free hand coming up to your breast to grab it. Her fingers didn’t waste any time pinching your nipple in between them, giving it a little twist. You gasped and decided to quickly undress, throwing your shirt off to the floor next to your shorts.

Air escaped your lungs as you looked down at Emily between your legs. The way she was so lovingly looking at your exposed body made it impossible for you to stay still. Her adoring eyes roamed all over your body, appreciating every single part of it. Your hips bucked, needing contact.

Emily looked up and saw the way you begged for her with your eyes. She knew that look. Her hands wandered from your boobs to your lower stomach, gently massaging it, then moving to the insides of your thighs. Before you could say the now familiar word ’please' again, her mouth finally latched on your pussy. She moaned as she tasted you and god, it was the most beautiful sound you had ever heard.

Your eyes closed and your hands flew to Emily’s hair, using your tight grip on it to keep her head exactly where you needed it to be. You caressed her scalp, the back of her neck, her hair. She gave you no mercy and worked around your clit like a game of hot and cold. Her lips came close to it and when your hips thrusted forward trying to guide her mouth to touch it, she pulled away. She wouldn’t stop teasing you.

You whimpered in frustration.

”Patience, my love”, she spoke. She knew you didn’t have it and it was especially torturous right now when she had been teasing you for a good while already.

She pressed her mouth against you again, careful not to touch your clit. Her chin rubbed against your wetness when you started to grind your pussy against her face. Her steadying hand came to your stomach, pressing down on it to make sure you would stay still and not slip further down the chair’s edge you were sitting on. When she made sure you wouldn’t fall she moved her hand to grab yours, intertwining your fingers quickly. You grabbed her hand back tightly - maybe a bit too tightly, but you couldn’t control yourself. Normally you would’ve had sheets to grab, but Emily’s hand was the victim now. You loved it when she held your hand during sex. It made the connection you felt to her even deeper.

”Oh god, just…” you spoke with a trembling voice.

”What, baby? Speak up. Tell me what you need”, she spoke as slowly as she could, making you feel her warm breath on you.

”I need you to… ah! To stop teasing me and just suck my… my clit already”, you whimpered breathily with your eyes closed, biting your lip afterwards. You were sure you would come like this too in no time, but you needed it. Emily laughed amusingly and the next thing you felt was her flicking your clit with her tongue and then sucking it, releasing it from between her lips followed with a wet sound.

You began panting, no longer in control of how your body behaved at all. You wriggled and moved your hips against Emily’s face. She moaned as she ate you out like her life depended on it and it just fired you up even more. Your free hand grabbed her hair again, pushing her closer to your pussy.

Incoherent moans and whimpers escaped your mouth as Emily picked up her already quick pace. She alternated between rapid flicks and bold strokes, which made your head spin. When you least expected it, she suddenly stuffed her tongue inside you as far as she just physically could, causing pressure against your asshole with her chin at the same time.

Your thighs clamped down as a result. Emily’s face was between them and for a second you were afraid you hurt her, but when you opened your eyes and saw from her eyes that she was clearly happy to be right there with your thighs pressed tightly around her head, your worries disappeared. Emily’s tongue flew back to your clit to play with it.

”I’m about to come”, you announced out of breath, your eyes glued to Emily’s.

”Come for me, baby. Feel good and come for me”, she murmured against you, her face buried in your pussy.

And you did as you were told. Panting Emily’s name out loud again and again, your eyes rolled back and your back arched as a strong orgasm hit you. You rode the wave, thrusting against Emily’s face that was now covered in your wetness.

”You look so, so pretty like this… My beautiful girl, I’ve got you”, she praised you when you were trying to come down from your high, your chest heaving up and down. She stroked the soft skin of your thighs, supporting you through the aftershocks and shivers of your orgasm. It was a powerful one, all thanks to Emily’s teasing.

”Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me”, you chanted repeatedly, your breath still coming in stutters. Emily got up from her knees to reach you, her hands caressing the skin of your arms in a comforting manner. They moved to grab your face between her hands and she crashed her lips against yours in a kiss that took your breath away. You tasted yourself on her lips as she kissed you, long and passionately.

”Wow”, you whispered, your forehead against Emily’s. She laughed, the sound warming your heart while you tried to slow down your breathing and heart rate. You wanted nothing more than to give the same back to Emily, so when you had calmed down from your orgasm, you kissed her again. You let your fingers slide down her body and when they touched the waistband of her trousers, she laughed again.

”Oh hey, hey… don’t you have an assignment to work on?” she asked with a huge smirk on her face, letting out a delicious moan as your fingers found their way inside her underwear. You smiled. Fuck the assignment.

[daddyjackfrost]

snapchat is actually the biggest joke there is. why are you showing me memories from last year. from three years ago. from five years ago. what makes you think i need to be reminded of that time n

[diorctrl]

FAVOURITE SECRET nishimura riki x reader

𓂂 ˳ older sister’s best friend riki, fluff warnings: intentional lower case, swearing , kissing

opening your eyes, you sit up when you hear the sound of the front door of your home opening , rubbing your eyes you look at the hallway that leads to the living room that you’re currently in.

you hear the familiar voice of your older sister and lay back down on your couch , feeling less alarmed but the deep voice that follows after has you flinching.

you stay still in your position as you hear footsteps coming through the hallway, you had a feeling on who that voice was and the thought made your stomach feel all queasy.

“bro, what are you doing?” the sound of your older sister minji’s voice has you sitting up again, you look at her trying your best to not look at the extremely tall figure beside her.

“what are you doing ?” you ask back in that annoying little sister tone, “school isn’t done yet.”

the girl in her uniform rolls her eyes at you, “exactly school isn’t done, so I should be asking you that, what the heck are you doing home ?”

“mom let me stay home.” you say in a pretentious manner, it was true, you begged your mom to let you stay home because you weren’t “feeling well” and was under the weather, in reality you just put your blow dryer on your forehead for 10 minutes.

minji raised a brow at you like she caught you in a lie, “mom would never make me go to school if you’re staying home.”

you smile mockingly at her, “well maybe if you didn’t leave early this morning, mom would’ve let you stay home too.” a low laugh has you going completely still.

your eyes betrayed you and you take a quick glance at the boy beside your sister, in the quick second you take notice of the way his hair falls over his eyes, the blonde highlights making the brown pop.

you feel your stomach turn, “so why are you home ?” you asked your sister, trying your best not to take a glance at him again.

mini sat down the chair in front of you and let out a sigh,"I left early and brought riki with me." she points at the standing boy who’s eye’s has been on you this entire time.

“why’d you leave early.” you ask as you shift feeling nervous with boys eye’s on you.

minji scrunches up her face, “none your business.”

“I was just asking jeez.” you roll your eyes getting up from the space that you were sitting on, “I’m going to my room.” you begin walking to the stairs but the loud obnoxious clearing of your sister’s throat stops you.

“what ?”

“don’t you have something to say ?”

you let out a deep sigh, “hello riki.” you say hanging your head low, not daring to look at the tall boy.

“hey yn” he says and you can just hear the smirk in his voice.

you turn around quickly and make your way up the stairs, once you reach you room you close the door and slid down to your carpeted floor.

it’s fine you’re just not gonna go downstairs for the rest of the day until mom and dad comes home.

you get up from the floor and head to the stash of cd’s that you have beside your desk, you pick one and place in into the cd player on your wall. you grab your laptop and some school work.

maybe distracting yourself with school work will make you forget he’s there.

and it did.

well, for a little, you spent hours going through missing assignments and assignments that need to be done for this while drowning yourself in music.

it was the voice of your sister that took you out of your zone, “bye riki, i’ll see you tomorrow.” and then you heard the front door close.

the feeling of relief just came rushing into you, your body automatically relaxes and smile comes to your face finally.

you spend a couple more minutes trying to finish up one last assignment and then you’ll head downstairs, but a knock on your window stops you.

you got up from your bed and quietly walked over to your window and opened your curtains, your eyes go wide in shock when you see the person that you were just happy about leaving.

you admire his features for a second, his nose, the shape of his lips and the way his hair falls into his face.

“are you gonna help me in or ?”

you snap out of your daze and reluctantly open your window.

you grab one of his hands to help him climb through.

once he’s in, he lets out a big sigh and puts his hands on his hip while leaning down slightly.

you walk closer to him and roughly dragged him to your bed, you roughly throw him onto it.

“what are you doing here ?” this can’t be happening, your sister is literally down stairs.

he smiles at your slight anger mixed with nervousness, your so cute.

“what ? i can’t see my girlfriend ?” he asks a smug facial expression finds its way to his face.

you feel heat climbing up your neck at him calling you his “girlfriend”, yes you are his girlfriend, but the thought about it always makes your stomach turn, not because you don’t like him, you love him, it’s more of the fact that you guys shouldn’t even be together.

you point to your door, “my sister is downstairs.”

he rolls his eyes and grabs your hands, pulling you to stand between his legs, “I thought you said she doesn’t barge into your room ?”

you down at his bigger hand holding yours, “she doesn’t…-”

“- so what are you so worked up about, i haven’t hung out with you at all this week and you weren’t at school, and you basically ran upstairs when I got here.”

he pulls you closer, “so just relax and spend some time with me.”

you look at you door than at him, before letting out a sigh and moving away from between his legs and laying down on your bed on your back. “I guess you’re right.”

you feel a weight on your chest and you look down to see riki getting himself comfortable.

you put your hand in his hair and he lets out a pleasant hum, “I missed you.” he said quietly.

“I missed you too.”

he moves his head up and places a kiss you your jaw, then your cheek, he sits up placing a quick peck on your lips, then pulling you in for a deeper kiss.

you wrap your hands around his neck pulling his closer and he let’s put a pleased hum.

your door opens, “yn I wanna get snacks wanna com-?.”

you and riki separated form each other quickly, you hitting your head on your head board and him falling off your bed with a big thud.

“ow !” you both say as minji looks at the two of you shock.

“what the fuck ?”

[seungsuki]

groceries - sunday restock with your boyfriend (f!reader)

warning: none

note: i manage to sneak in bachira hehe.. wonder why?

sundays are nagi seishiro’s favourite day. just relaxing and being lazy was something the 190 cm striker loved. top that off, you would baby him and take care of him so he would be well rested for the brutal training monday would force on him

but today wasn’t his favourite sunday 

seishiro spent his day trailing behind you like a lost duckling. it was a nice afternoon and you thought today was the perfect day to restock on groceries. that’s how you both ended up in the bustling supermarket near your place. you pushed the trolley along the isles while nagi in his true nature, clung onto you like his life depended on it. 

his head rested on your shoulder as his arms wrapped securely around your waist forming a somewhat comfortable back hug. you swore seishiro purposely made sure his warm breaths were extra slow to annoy you but you weren’t gonna let him win. you had to restock groceries today or else both of you would be too busy to find any day. 

“do we really need to waste time buying food?”, seishiro spoke as the both of you navigated through the shelves of cereal 

“yes we do- oh found it!”, you smiled as you retreated something you searched far and wide 

“a cereal box..? that was something you wasted so much time on?”, seishiro asked confused

“it’s not just a cereal! it’s a collab with txt!!”, you groaned remembering how terrible seishiro is with names 

“nevermind we’re almost done and then we’ll go home you big baby”

you chuckled when you heard a small ‘yay’ from the laid-back koala you called your boyfriend. he even gave you a small kiss on the neck to celebrate his so-called victory. you couldn’t help but roll your eyes with a small affectionately sigh. you placed the cereal into the cart and strolled away. moving from aisles you’d either have seishiro acting like a cringe teen making fun of the brand names or seishiro mumbling in your ear about how terrible his team was to him (they don’t let him sleep during breaks). 

while you love nagi seishiro with all of your heart, it was these moments that made you want to question just how much of a hassle life was for him. you wonder sometimes.. if you had never asked him out, would he still be alive? yeah he had reo and all but you can’t help but wonder if seishiro had some sort of issues in the past 

you shook your head trying to forget the negative thoughts clouding your head. this was a topic you’d definitely bring up for another day. 

“angel, can we get ice cream too?”, seishiro suddenly added as he watched you pick up the nuggets packet 

“ice cream? yeah sure sure.. anything you want sei”, 

after checking everything in your cart, both of you lined up to pay for your groceries. you recalled a story to seishiro about your university friends trying to force you into acting. your friend dramatically added about how the theatre club was in danger, forcing you to skip your volleyball club practice.

seishiro hums to your story, even though he looks like he doesn’t care, you best believe that he loves gossip. he picked this from reo, another guy who was always hungry for gossip, even if he doesn’t know that person at all. finally, after what seems like eternity, it was your turn 

“good afternoon! hope you guys fin- nagi? no way! whatcha doing here?”, the yellow highlights haired cashier asked 

“bachira.. why are you a cashier?”, seishiro asked puzzled as he frees himself from you 

“oh i picked up a part time job to help my mama. who’s she? hey it’s nice to meet you! i’m bachira!”, bachira introduced himself as he started to scan the products

“i’m [name]... you’re seishiro’s friend?”, you asked, receiving an enthusiastic nod from bachira 

“i didn’t know you had friends other than reo”, you asked again but to the snowy bangs boy 

“i’m trying”, seishrio replied with a shrug 

bachira chatted away with you while preparing your bill. he even added his ‘bff discount’ for the both of you which made you laugh at his antics. waving him goodbye, seishiro and you left the store. it made you feel happy, knowing that sei made friends at blue lock.

it’s not like you hated reo or anything. if anything, you were thankful at how he was always with your lazy genius but you wanted seishiro to branch out. hearing from bachria about his new friends gave you a sense of relief that he had other people to count on 

“you look funny”, sei spoke trying to read your mind 

“i’m just happy”, you said adding a small smile 

“what is there to be happy about? i’m so sad i had to leave my warm bed for this”, seishiro groaned 

“i’m happy you have so many friends. you have so many people who care about you!”, you countered 

“i should be careful! they might steal you from me”, you jokingly added, nudging the soccer player 

“what’s there to worry about? you’re prettier than them”, sei bluntly said making you go red 

“h-hey! don’t just go around saying that!”, you nervously laughed away the butterflies that erupted 

“i'd rather be with my pretty girl than sit with those idiots. it’s a hassle”, sei sighed nearly dropping the bag he was holding 

“...”

“...”

“let’s just go home and i’ll give you some ice cream with extra sprinkles” 

© seungsuki 2024-25 -- do not repost, translate, alter, etc on any platform without permission. Any characters used in my work do not belong to me, they are created by their original creator

[rreskk]

HEADCANONS: Fem!reader in a relationship with the Holy Trinity

MICHAEL DE SANTA – - “Ah, I’m sorry honey. The movies on.” His love language depends on how much quality time interferes with his own interests. While it may seem neglecting, you’ll come to understand that he’s in his own world. And he makes up by gifting you presents – unwanted or not – trying to reamend the many times he’s bailed on dates, etc. - He may have been a charming man at first, but being in a relationship with Michael really highlights his unfamiliarity with intimacy and connection. He’ll find it hard to communicate his wants due to that barrier between short-term desire and long-term love. You’re usually the one to make a move and give him a foundation to build his trust on. - Michael loves to be glamoured with your compliments and praises. One time he bought a new suit and showed you. After commenting on how handsome he looked, it encouraged him to dive deeper, attempting to drink and eat healthier products but also wear more fitting outfits. You make him look more presentable as you provide support and comfort. - He is a father! When dating a father, here comes responsibilities like parenting advice, and what NOT to say. You’ve experienced how dysfunctional he is. Michael knows he’s a troubling father and he listens to your advice – to an extent. He’ll mostly always add a little twist that completely destroys the meaning of your words, but it’s the consideration that counts. And maybe the tearfulness of his children after. And you annoyance because he dismissed your advice. But hey, that’s Michael! - “You’re dating a movie producer, honey.” Michael will always find a way to be prideful. In all cases where you find a flaw, he’ll shrug it off by mentioning how successful he is (in these flaws), making it sound like a good thing by paradox-ing whatever the hell he’s done – whether that’s criminality or being a selfish ass. -Surprisingly vanilla in the bedroom department. The typical rose petals on the bed and his infamous boxer shorts for when sexy time does occur. Though vanilla, it’s charming because it’s Michael. It’s more bonding he focusses on. Because he’s a bit estranged romantically, he tries to ensure sexual activity is maintained. - He invites you into this nostalgic journey. Allowing him to reminisce really brightens his mood. Even more if you engage and ask questions. It may boost his ego, but he’ll assume you are genuinely interested. - Out of the trio, due to his maturity (even that?) and experience, he’s the most likely to keep you out of the criminality, and so he should! Michael protects you from any dangers and will seclude you from his own issues.

TREVOR PHILIPS – - “What do you mean you were busy?” The most clingiest. He’s very dependant when you earn his trust. Everything has to be outwardly expressed, whether that’s a doctors appointment or Jerry from down the road talking about his heater breaking. Trevor won’t even be interested but he’ll feel safe knowing due to his trust issues. You may get interrogated a lot when you forget to tell him certain things, but if you apologise MEANINGFULLY, he’ll forgive you. Maybe… (The grudge stays there though). - He does carry this intense aura around him and it gets a bit uncomfortable. Trevor has got something constantly making him angry or sad, so you’ll have to deal with this baggage, even if that’s listening to him rant or holding him – as requested. It’s better to say nothing because if you try and be rational, he’ll assume you are devaluing his feelings. - “Why are you closing the door? Leave it open. Ain’t no one here except me.” Trevor does not understand privacy and boundaries. You could be going to the bathroom or wanting time to yourself and he’ll demand you leave the door open. For no reason. He just like hearing you shuffle around. It makes him feel less alone and more safe. However, it can be annoying for you since you are forced to deal with his smell and intensive clinginess. - Very touchy and physical. Trevor has a high sex-drive and will crave bedroom time A LOT. From quickies to a passionate 3 session afternoon which leaves you both gasping for water and the bible. He does make you feel loved though. Not an inch of your skin has been left cold. He has touched you all. One way or another… - Unfortunately includes you in his drama a lot. Trevor doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut, let alone his impulses. And he gets into situations all the time. You are either a target of revenge or a cover-up. No in between. SOS babe, you’re in some trouble.

FRANKLIN CLINTON – - He treasures normality out of them all. Franklin craves a normal relationship where you do your own thing, and he does too. Independence is key. However, sometimes you’ll wonder why he hasn’t messaged in days after he left the house last Tuesday. It can strain a bit of your relationship as you don’t share much details about your everyday life, so you have no idea about the activities he gets up to. Vise versa. - “You need a ride out?” Franklin is also observant though. He sees you getting ready and offers you a ride. He sees you looking for something, offers to look. He sees you frustrated, he offers a solution. Despite being the youngest, he’s got a heart of gold towards  the people he loves. - You don’t have to prove your self-worth by being sexually active. Franklin is open-minded enough to understand boundaries and feelings. Just because you’re distant that day doesn’t mean you hate him, and he knows that. Just because you haven’t been sexually active in the past month doesn’t mean you hate him, he knows that too. - Franklin tries to keep you out of his business but sometimes information slips. He can trust the wrong people and get into some trouble, causing you to be a target of revenge. He tries to be private but he’ll talk to people he’ll deem “trustworthy”, and sometimes they can be the wrong people. - Takes you out a lot in dates. You’ll visit new diners, movies, bars, discos. Whatever. Franklin loves quality time and will ensure you are taken out every week. That’s how he bonds. You can share memories and moments together, whether that’s funny memories or romantic, or maybe sad. He finds value in everything. - The people he surround himself with can strain the relationship. Criminals and gangsters. He’ll invite strange people home and you’ll have to deal with their antiques. Franklin shrugs it off as it’s “business”, but you’ll always find the strangers invading your personal space and privacy. Dangerous strangers as well. It puts you on edge.

[randomyuu]

the way it follows you home, the stories i never told

My guy Vox once again graced us with lovely Goyuu fanfics, and the way it follows you home, the stories i never told, made me go FERAL.

Time travel? Two Gojou Satorus? Double affection for our sunshine Yuuji? Yuuji sandwich? What feels like possible continuation of (you'll whisper, serpent tongue) what you fear you have become???

FUCK.

I need to stop indulging my imagination too much. I should’ve been content with writing long-ass comments but noooooo, my brain goes “you gotta draw it”. DAMMIT VOX, YOU AND YOUR DELICIOUS WRITINGS HHHHHH

So… usually I should’ve picked a favourite scene that is within my drawing capability, but I just… love all three chapters??? So I made a questionable time investment? I can’t stop??? Help???

This is probably the most ambitious fanart project I’ve ever done so far. Fair enough, considering I might combust if I keep these welled-up emotions inside from reading Vox’s Goyuu fics. Fuck.

Fic info:

Title: the way it follows you home, the stories i never told

Author: @voxofthevoid

Pairing: YuuGoGo. Future!Yuuji, Future!Gojou, Teen!Gojou

(idk why I laugh writing YuuGoGo. I’m beyond help)

Currently, it is 3 chapters out of 8. And it’s gonna be NSFW chapter 4 onwards, so don’t forget to read the tags first, folks!

The drawings are under Read More, because I have lots of thoughts surrounding each chapter and drawings. It’ll be hella long if I didn’t hide it here. It was a mess down there. A combination of hours before, during, and after I read said fic. I’d say good luck finding the art among the sea of jumbled words but… you’ll find them easily. Don’t worry about it haha

SPOILERS FOR ALL 3 CHAPTERS! I highly recommend reading those first before diving into these drawings!

Also for the comics, read from right to left please!

From here on, I will be referring to the Future!Gojou as Gojou and the teenage one as Satoru.

Overall, drawing all these is fun! Really fun! This project pushed me quite hard, forcing me to test my limit (because I rarely draw this much back to back). Since this is a combination of drawings and comics, the coloring style will not be consistent. In a way, I want to try some brushes I never get to use, as well as try out my new graphic tablet. Drawing these got me giggling because I was finally able to let loose during line art. It's much easier to do so, and sometimes I just get to reread the fic and giggle to myself for the nth time.

CHAPTER 1:

Whooo. Whooooooooo—

Ok, ok, the premise is just that good. It intrigued me, fascinated me, and I just… oomph. I cannot refuse a Time Travel Yuuji Sandwich. Sign me up.

Honestly, there are two scenes that are just… a bit too clear in my mind when reading this chapter. That would be the one I drew above, and the other is when Yaga called Gojou to come outside of the class. I love, loooove how Vox wrote Satoru’s POV. And when Yuuji fucking giggles?

I lost it.

Can you imagine, drawing Yuuji grins, with shiny stuff, maybe some sunlight, just purely happy and indulging Gojou?

Help me, for I am drowning in my love and adoration for Yuuji.

Page 2 is an experiment on using harsh black as shading (kind of?). I really enjoyed colouring Yuuji, and drawing those buffalo skulls! I wish I can grasp the concept of contrast a bit better tho :v

CHAPTER 2:

This is probably the only chapter where I picture still images instead of comic panels. A bit like those cool chapter covers in mangas. The one I really, really want to draw is the scene with Satoru on the table. Can’t pass the opportunity to highlight Satoru being a brat, albeit a really cool brat.

Cool idea drawing always proves to be a challenge, because of course my artistic skill just so happens to be below the requirement. Thank you, Sketchfab, for the chair and desk’s perspective otherwise I’m screwed lmao

The second scene that I want to draw the most is this:

Gojou is one step away from climbing Yuuji. Also, I have a bit of a problem picturing a man pouting that makes him look crazy instead, so please have Gojou pouting adorably instead. Because, as Yuuji said (with love), Gojou is (also) a brat.

This is possibly my favorite art in this project, after Yuuji's in Chapter 1 page 2. It's clean because I don't have to draw background, and I was having a fun time drawing Yuuji. And Gojou's squishy cheek as well.

Oh, actually, there is a “manga” scene in this chapter. It’s when Yuuji said, “I love Satoru.”

I just—

AAAAAHHHHH YUUJIIIIIII YOU AND VOX ARE GONNA BE THE DEATH OF ME. That secure relationship between Yuuji and Gojou? Satoru’s description of how Yuuji’s smile could blot out the sun??? Not me screaming 💀 I also see bits of hints of possible co-dependency, though I could be reading those wrong, but either way I’m good. Secure and possessive relationships are fun to consume hhhhhh

But yeah. There are too many wholesome Yuuji smiles in this fic, and I… I am not confident enough to draw genuine happiness. It’s too much for me ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

For this chapter, another reason why I chose these two scenes is just because I want to try and draw cover-worthy pictures of Yuuji and Satoru, and Yuuji and Gojou (cough)

CHAPTER 3:

We start the chapter with Nanamin. Ah, Nanamin. I forgot what his teen self looked like and was surprised to see his design again lmao

I want to draw Yuuji and Nanami scene because… I just want to, I guess. I have never drawn him before (Yaga as well) so that's an interesting challenge. I got two ideas on how I want to draw it. One is a bit painting-esque, and the other one is like another chapter cover. In the end, I chose the cover one because I want to emphasise the difference between teen!Nanami and the Nanami from Yuuji’s original timeline, and how the watch feels like a connection between the same (yet not) person. It’s a bittersweet feeling? In a way?

I’m not really good at explaining my intention ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

I love Yuuji’s answer to Nanami's question.

AND FINALLY.

A Yuuji SandwichTM scene.

And oh B O I do I love it. Have I told you I like every chapter? I probably have. But this one? Satoru’s curiosity, Yuuji’s on-brand self-deprecation, and Gojou come strolling down to show more of Yuuji to his mini-self. I want to draw this whole scene, from Gojou finding them, feeding Yuuji snacks, bitch-slapping Satoru into the backroom, to Yuuji growling. Them trying to hide a boner from Yuuji’s growl got me cackling so hard I LOVE IT 😭

I love it all. Please love Yuuji in my stead, Satoru and Satonyan :3

Oh! Also! 40-finger Yuuji sounds really, really cool! I’ll be happy with whatever Vox will give us in future chapters, but 40-finger Yuuji… possible scene with this timeline’s Sukuna… my god. The action! The drama! The bloodshed! One can only hope.

However, as much as I love that whole scene, it’s still too much for me :”) I’m still not yet confident in delivering the humour and action. Also my already-long drawing plan had my brain groaning in protest so I can’t push my luck :'D

When Gojou said "He looks sweet, but he's a bit of a beast", I kept picturing Yuuji staring innocently, but there was an edge to his look. As if the moment Satoru looks away, he will pounce. But in the end I just stick with innocent-looking Yuuji because I accidentally drew his eyes that way and I want to keep it in lol

Since Satoru points out how soft and cuddly Yuuji is, I also want to draw soft Yuuji :v

And the last one… is the last scene. For some reason, I read that both Gojou and Satoru share Yuuji’s lap and was having a frustrating yet fun time figuring out how it’s… physically possible, without having their butts on the ground because they both are not small at all. As I lined the art, I reread it again and… perhaps I read it wrong? Satoru is beside Yuuji, and not on his lap? So yeah, this one might be the least accurate, but hey, at least you can view it as a crack drawing or something :v

AAAANNNDDD I HAVE EXCEEDED TODAY’S BRAIN CAPACITY OF FORMING WORDS

Have I told you I love this fic?

…I probably have.

Have an amazing week (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*

[baronessblixen]

Fictober Day 20: And In This Moment I Knew

Prompt: "I saw your eyes light up"

Scully remembers something Ethan said to her years ago when they broke up. Rating: T, wc: 826

Tagging @today-in-fic @xffictober24

This is their first sleepover – or rather, the first one they’ve planned. Neither of them is sick or injured and neither of them has fallen asleep on the couch in the middle of watching a movie or doing work.

Mulder is surprised at how much it tickles him. He has a girlfriend. He is a boyfriend. This hasn’t happened in longer than he cares to admit. And it’s Scully.

Their relationship is still so new that he gets giddy every time he sees her and gets to kiss her. Though that might just be because it’s her. Even before they started dating, he couldn’t wait to be around her and spend time with her.

Brushing his teeth next to her is the highlight of his day. He watches her so often that he forgets to move his toothbrush, just brushing the same tooth over and over again. Scully smiles at him through the mirror, and he’s convinced that this is what heaven must be like.

“Did I ever tell you that I was dating someone when we first started working together?” Scully asks once they’re both done and she’s starting an elaborate skin regime that he’s fascinated to observe.

“I remember.” He had seen the man once when he picked up Scully from the airport. They had needed to take different exits and said goodbye at the gate. Mulder had turned around, maybe wanting to say something like ‘see you on Monday’.

He never got the chance. He saw Scully and the other man—her boyfriend—share a friendly embrace, like two old friends. Back then, he hadn’t allowed himself to question it or have an opinion. Scully was just a co-worker, someone he was convinced had been sent to spy on him. He wore that idea like a well-worn coat for about a month. By then, her boyfriend was history, too.

“Ethan,” Scully goes on. “That was his name. I haven’t thought about him in years.”

“Why are you thinking about him now?” Mulder asks from the side of the tub where he’s sitting, waiting for her.

“I don’t know,” she admits, glancing at him. “Something he said back then. You know, I didn’t break up with him, he broke up with me.” That comes as a surprise to Mulder. He never thought much about the relationship. Scully never mentioned Ethan and then one day she said that she and her boyfriend had broken up. They hadn’t been friends yet and he didn’t feel like asking her about it.

“I’m not sure I follow. I hope you’re not worried I’m about to break up with you.” He tries to make light of the situation. Scully turns to him with a raised eyebrow. Her expression misses her mark because she’s entirely too cute with various face creams all over her face.

“That’s not it,” she assures him. “It’s a bit embarrassing.”

“I’m all ears.” He grins at her.

“I was looking forward to tonight.”

“So was I.”

“And then you got here and I-” she pauses and Mulder’s no longer sure this is a story he wants to hear. “I couldn’t stop smiling,” she finishes in a soft voice and he longs to cut in and declare his love for her. This is not his moment, though. She isn’t done recounting her story. There’s more to it. He can’t interrupt or rush her because if he does, chances are that she’ll retreat.

“It reminded me of Ethan. Or not of him, but of what he said when he broke up with me.” Mulder waits for her to go on, but she falls quiet. The only noise is the sound of her closing the jars she’s been using. He’s dying to ask, but he’s trying to be more patient. He watches her, hoping she’ll take pity on him.

“Scully?” he asks when he can’t hold it in any longer.

“You want to know what he said,” she says with a smile, stepping between his legs. He puts his hands on her hips and glances up at her.

“He said, and I quote ‘I saw your eyes light up when you talk about that Mulder guy’.”

“Me?” Mulder asks surprised and she nods. “We barely knew each other.”

“I know. I laughed it off. I didn’t believe him and thought he was reaching. I thought he was just saying it so he could blame me.”

“And now?”

“Now I think he may have been on to something,” she says quietly, running her fingers through his hair.

“I think so, too.”

“Should we send him a thank you note?” He thinks that maybe they should invite him to the wedding, but he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself and scare Scully off. It took them long enough to get to here.

“I’ll think about it. Now, let’s get to bed.” He silently thanks Ethan in his mind as he and Scully walk hand in hand into her bedroom.

[moonstruckme]

hello!!

I've seen a couple of your fics coming across my recommended and I love them!! you write amazingly. They get me smiling every time!

I have no idea if your requests are open and I've never requested a fic before so please feel free to ignore this haha

I was wondering if you would want to write a piece about the marauders (preferably poly!marauders but only one is perfect too) where the reader is super stressed about an upcoming test? I have a massive test coming up worth 30% of my grade and I have never done something this big I don't even know where to start studying.

Anyway sorry this is so long, I hope you have an amazing rest of your day/evening and thank you!

Hi lovely, thank you for requesting!! Hope you have an amazing day/evening as well <3

Sirius Black x fem!reader ♡ 637 words

“I don’t know how to do this,” you say, fingers pushing into your temples. “It’s too much.” 

“You’ve got it,” Sirius replies, flipping the page in his book. He’s spread out like a cat next to you on the couch, oozing calm. It’s vaguely irritating. “Just look over your notes, babe.” 

Look over them? “This is, like, a huge percentage of my grade.” You shake your head, overwhelmed. You feel like you’re caught up in a tornado. Or maybe more like you can see a tornado about to catch you up, and don’t know how to get ready for it. It seems like you might just sit here until you get swept away. “I can’t just memorize all of my notes.” 

“So just memorize the important ones.” 

“I don’t know which ones are important!” You sound shrill even to your own ears, and Sirius looks over in surprise, the ease sapping from his expression. “I don’t know what’s going to be on the test, and if I don’t prepare well enough I’m going to fail, so I need to figure it out but I don’t know how to tell—” 

“Hey, hey, baby.” Sirius sets down his book to take your hand, forcing you to drop the pen you didn’t realize you’ve been tapping anxiously against your leg. The side of your knee is a mishmash of inky lines. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to tease you. I know this test is important.” His touch soothes over your hand, uncurling your fingers and brushing up against your pulse. “Have you never studied for something like this before?” 

“No,” you huff. It comes out more like a sigh, your frustration losing steam. 

His eyebrows pinch. “I’m sorry,” he says again. Earnest. “We’ll do it together, okay?” 

Sirius doesn’t wait for a response, reaching past you to dig in your pencil case. He pulls out a highlighter and bends down to your level, hunched over your papers. “We just scan them for the parts that seem most important, and highlight those. That way we can concentrate on the main points to memorize. That’s what works for me, at least.” 

You look over at your boyfriend, perplexed. “Do you study?” 

He flashes a grin like a sheep hidden behind a wolf. “Don’t tell. But yes, occasionally the answers don’t just come to me intuitively,” he shrugs, “in which case some effort is required.” 

You smile wryly. You can forget how smart Sirius is sometimes. It seems like all he ever does is think up witty remarks and ridiculous nicknames for you. 

“So I just…skim?” You eye your stack of notes warily. 

“Just skim,” he confirms, stamping a quick kiss on the side of your head. “You’ll remember the main points as you go, and it’ll get easier.” 

You nod, rallying your determination and what’s left of your energy. “Okay. Got it.” 

Sirius laughs. You turn towards him, and he’s already reaching for your chin, gripping it firmly. “You look like you’re going to war,” he teases. “Perk up, buttercup. I’ll make you some tea. And every lesson you get through earns you a kiss, how about that?” 

You tamp down a smile, narrowing your eyes at him. “What kind of kiss? A good one?” 

He levels you with a dispassionate look. “They’re all good, babe.” 

“Can I get some payment up front?” 

Sirius pulls your face toward him, and you close your eyes, expectant. You can feel him closing the distance between you, his nose tickling your cheek. His lips brush yours, and—and that’s it. 

You open your eyes to find him grinning fiendishly. He releases his grip on your face, standing. 

“That doesn’t count!” you protest. 

“It’s a taste,” he promises, going towards the kitchen to make your tea. “Finish highlighting the first lesson, and you’ll get a real one.”

[gortashs-skidmark]

There are many brilliant ideas about Gortash and Durge. I would like to point some out below. Not all are mine.

HEADCANONS -

!! Some bulletpoints were taken from sources, from Gortash Fanficition. I have highlight the ones I know I got from fanfiction, I’ve linked all original source posts !! READ PLS !!

!! I do not want to be a plagiarist! if it's your fanfic, pls let me know if it makes you uncomfortable and I will remove it !!

*Orange means it's canon

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

The way Durge and Gortash know their doom is inevitable, but it was nice while it lasted trope.

<3

Durge’s Prayers to Bhaal for forgiveness: Every time durgetash do the nasty, Durge whispers little prayer of forgiveness to their god.

<3 found reference!

Durge is the “good child” out of Bhaal’s children. Which means they have an image to keep up, and keep up with Bhaal’s plans. They’re under constant stress and fear from their father. Treating him like a father and God gets tough.

<3

Gale’s line “with you, I forget my goddess” I love the idea of applying that to Durgetash: “You scare me. You make me feel like an individual, not like the spawn I am destined to be. I should not see you as an equal or take your companionship. But when I’m with you, I forget my god.” Something along those lines.

<3 found reference!

Durge is a fierce maniac but in no way competitive. I think there’s a laziness Durge and Gortash share. Unkempt. Uninterested in competition. Gortash just makes them an employee instead of killing them.

I love the idea Ketheric is just done with their bs. They’re two reasonable individuals but little giggly school girls in love at a catholic boarding house.

This headcanon is shared across Durge lovers! I will add one example but it is not unknown across the community!

<3 example!

Durge has personality. Scared to lose the rest of themself but scared to indulge when they’re with Enver. On one hand- handsome tyrant who wants to rules the world with them and peepaw. The other- fulfilling the worlds suffering for their father. Do they want either outcome. Durge’s neutral is to feel bittersweet or somber. (Or carnal damning lust)

When Durge has all those holes poked in their brain, and they’re with their travelling companions. They get nauseous after battle, they gotta sit down for a few. Sickened with themselves, or, feeling too much lust at once. Gale doesn’t ask why they need a rest, his knees need a break.

Durge has unusually soft spots on their skin. Made from Bhaal’s balls. Or from Bhaal’s inner arms, like the inner bicep or forearm. Soft and plush, possibly looser, where the skin is tougher. “He made me in his own image” fucked up kinda stuff.

Durge doesn’t harm Gortash. “When I like something I keep it good condition, I cherish it, I hone it, I keep it polished”

Durge is a clean person. Sloppy perhaps but their room is made up of minimalist decorations. A bookshelf and a small desk. They sleep on the softest fluffiest bed, anything to try and sleep as an insomniac. Bottles of empty angelic sleeping potions around the bed and on the side tables. They make their room up themselves. Some part of them wished they could share as much personality as their room does, so openly.

Durge has a hobby. Only hinted to those who are close. Cooking, cleaning, knitting, whatever you like. But it’s not something they share so much. They might comment on the poor stitching quality at Carmen’s Garms. Or how the fishermen on the docks will lie about the cod being sea bass, only a real cook would know.

Durge did/does temple services. I think they said that in the game. Lead everything. But also the Bhaalists are LAZY AS FUCK. And the Bhaalspawn spends hours cleaning the alter and other parts of the temple. The blood and guts and possible diseases?? Bhaalists def die off from blood diseases.

Being a Bhaalist means that it’s about the number of kills and the suffering of their victims, something Sarevok prefaced in game. Durge takes a different stance, placebo-ing themselves so they only kill a small number to last for awhile without blacking out and losing control. Like “I killed them in a manner I haven’t before- I’ll take satisfaction in their unique death more than usual”- spiraling and trying to make up for their guilt. OCD behavior.

Sarevok and Durge are toxic besties. Sarevok hates Durge but Durge comes back bc they’re lonely and need friends to relate to. Until Gortash.

Durge takes a liking to the Intellect Devourers before their fall- that special one named “Us”. Their brief interaction on the Nautiloid Ship when they lose their memories, Us was something they felt connected to. Adored it like a puppy. They feel a sense of incredible loss when they wake up on the beach without Us. But why? It’s a nasty brain with scaly claws, they shouldn’t feel sad.

[hxney-lemcn]

Runaway — Farmworld! Finn Mertens x gn! reader

summary: reader finds themself being pulled towards Finn like a magnet, but their advances seem unwanted and they flee in guilt. wanting to leave, they find themself in Prismo's cube.

tw: no vocal consent for a kiss, angst

a/n: this one may be triggering as the reader doesn't ask for consent to kiss, so skip this one if you aren't willing to read that (they don't force themself or anything, but always ask for consent before doing anything!!!!)

wc: 0.6k

Chapter Four

Master List | Chapter One

The sound of crackling fire was the only thing you could hear. The warm orange glow bathing the room in a soft gentle lighting. A cozy warmth overtook me, as the company I held was warm as well. It was late at night, Finn and I sitting together in front of the furnace. A ritual that seemed to have formed during my stay. 

The longer I stayed here, the more I questioned the entire situation. The thought of staying grew every day. Each day, the less I thought of home, and I grew to doubt that Prismo even knew my whereabouts. It’s gotten to the point where I wouldn’t care if that was the truth. I felt at home, something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

I looked over to Finn from the corner of my eye. The orange glow hit his face so beautifully. His hat was nowhere to be seen, his blonde hair exposed. I knew that he was showing a more vulnerable side to him, as his hair was streaked with white highlights. I wasn’t told much, but with his aversion to the crown and the further evidence of white streaking his hair, I could only assume in this universe, he had worn the crown. Even Simon couldn’t escape his crown wearing self, as his hair also had a white streak in it. A constant reminder of the past. 

Finn met my gaze and I felt my blood pump faster. Neither of us backed down, and stared at the other with a sense of adoration. I didn’t even notice when our faces drew nearer, breaths mingling together. The crackling of the fire seemed to go louder, all my senses trying to focus on something to ground myself. I searched his eyes, no uncertainty to be found. 

I carefully placed my lips on top of his. They weren’t the softest, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Except for the fact that he was reciprocating. 

I pulled back, nearly falling to the floor due to the force. My heart beat faster, this time with fear instead of enamor. My entire body felt like it was on fire, my skin felt like it was crawling. Oh glob did I actually do that?

“I-i’m so sorry,” I said desperately, unable to meet his eyes. “I-I should’ve asked first and…glob I’m so sorry.” 

I stumbled back, nearly knocking into the kitchen table before running out the door, missing the fact that he reached his hand out to try and stop me from leaving. I ignored the chill of the outside air as I took to the sky, flying over the forest and away from the house. I wasn’t sure where I was going, only thinking about the weight I currently felt on my chest, and the tears that threatened to fall out of my eyes. When I felt far enough from the house, I descended into the forest, sitting under a tree. I rubbed my arms, trying to warm myself up.

I felt like a monster. How could I have done that? I thought I was better than that. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tugged at my hair, wanting to forget everything. A few tears fell before I stood up. I need to make a campfire, get my mind off of what happened until I can think more clearly. Gathering some big and small branches, I managed to get a decent sized fire going. I stared blankly into the flames, heart clenching at how just a few hours ago the situation was vastly different. Once the fire dwindled, I decided to lay down, wrapping my wings around myself like a blanket. Closing my eyes, I wished I could be anywhere but here. And like that, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

That was until my surroundings became a blinding white. And suddenly, I was in that familiar yellow cube, with a pink figure smiling sheepishly at me.

← Previous Chapter Farmworld Finn Ending | Original Finn Ending

[raainberry]

Studious Confession

« Done deliberately or with a purpose in mind. »

Yunjin x gn!reader

Fluff

synopsis - you and your friend yunjin get sidetracked while speed running revisions for finals

wordcount - 1.8K

A/N - save me scholar yunjin, save me…

Absolute academic weapons.

That’s what you and Yunjin aimed to be when you scheduled a study session at your campus library. Exam season was breathing down your necks, and you ignored it for as long as you could, taking each other on the most impromptu hang-outs instead.

Convenience store runs that lead to mukbangs, walks around campus that somehow turned into treetop adventures, late night drives after a long day of classes you spent screaming to whatever she played on the aux… Risking your education (and probably your future) had never been so fun, but all good things must come to an end.

As the end of your junior year approached you were the first one to bring up studying, suggesting you should probably pump the breaks on the distractions. She only called you a nerd, but gave in when you proposed to study together.

The time itself wouldn’t be fun at all, but at least she’d spend it with you. “A win is a win.”, she’d said over the phone, and it only took a few more days to actually motivate yourselves. Reserving a study room was a step in the right direction, but what happened in there would only make you take two steps back.

“That doesn’t even look like me.” You said after she revealed her doodle in the corner of your notebook.

She spent the last five minutes trying to sketch your features out on the bit of blank paper left on your notes instead of focusing on her own.

“Yes it does, look!” She gestured at the messy drawing. “That’s your eyes and your mouth.”

“I am looking, I’m just not seeing.”

It actually did look like you, Yunjin was too talented for it not to. You were just looking at it upside down as you sat across the table from her.

“Well look harder!”

“I don’t want to, stop distracting me!” You whined, switching your pen for a highlighter.

“You’re so mean! Give me my airpod back.” She whined back, actually catching your attention this time.

“What?”

“I don’t want to share my music with you anymore. I need to listen to sad music alone because you’re so mean to me.” She argued, her hand out waiting for the airpod in your ear.

“Are you serious?” You asked, and she only stared at you, retreating her hand only to fold her arms over her chest. “If I say it does look like me, can I keep it?”

“You can keep the drawing, yeah.” She scoffed and you sighed.

You were unsure whether she was serious or not, so you decided to try something that could only have a positive outcome.

“Coffee break?” You proposed, and just like that, her smile was back.

Relief washed over you when her hand found yours, dragging you down to the nearest vending machine. The latter was familiar, it has seen your faces more times than the study rooms as you sometimes only came by to get a coffee from the machine right next to it.

That’s where you met Yunjin, on one of the rare nights she dedicated to her due projects. You’d offered her one of those cheap paper cups, a hole in your student wallet but nothing compared to the world she invited you in afterwards.

Her own little world, the person she was within it, the things she saw and built… It was all so beautiful. You’d get her a thousand of them if it meant learning one new thing every time.

Sometimes you brought her here in hopes for it, and it never failed. The same thing would happen: you’d get her a coffee, she would fight you, try to pay for yours, and you’d ask her about something you’d noticed about her to change the subject. Small details you’d noticed; a pretty necklace, some new earrings, a new hairstyle or the way her makeup looked. Sometimes her mood stood out to you, had you curious. She’d soon forget about her self-imposed debt, getting caught up in the excitment of whatever had caught your attention that day.

“I like your glasses today. How many pairs do you have?” You asked after she sighed out your name. “This is like the fifth pair I’ve seen you wear.”

“Thank you. I have a few. Even more back home.” She said, making you raise an eyebrow.

Her answer was shorter than usual. No spilling over to another subject that your question reminded her of. No squealing about where she got them from, holding your arm as she practically begged for you to come check the small store out with her next time.

Her hands stayed put in her pockets, below the sweater you’d asked about a few weeks ago. It looked comfortable and cozy, and she seemed to grow fond of it based on the way she pulled her hands into the sleeves so often.

“Do they even help you see?” You asked, joking around in an attempt to pull a little more out of her.

“Only two of them do. These aren’t one of them, though.” She giggled to herself, and you could only shake your head at her absurdity.

“Do you even want to pass?” You chuckled as the machine made all kinds of mechanical noises, signaling that the coffee was ready.

She rolled her eyes, getting her hands out of her pockets to grab the cup from yours. The heat emanating from it was the last thing she needed on this fair weather day, but the taste of that coffee was just too good to pass on.

The taste wasn’t the only thing that pushed her to accept each and every one of the cups you offered her. She didn’t even pay attention to it at first, but as time went on, she started looking forward to it. Sometimes to the point of craving it.

Caffeine was dangerous, sure, but she’d come to realise it wasn’t what she had become addicted to.

“How long are you going to keep this up?”

She broke the small silence that had taken its place between the two of you. One of your favorite songs was playing at a faint volume from the airpods you were still sharing, filling in for the lack of words. Your mind had drifted off, long gone and barely listening to your favorite melody as thoughts of her occupied the back of it.

The sound of her voice brought you back, all conscious and hiding how crazy you felt thinking about someone standing right next to you.

A curious hum resonated from your chest, and your eyes met her questioning ones.

“The coffee. When are you gonna let me pay you back?” She asked, and you smiled.

“You don’t need to.”

“But I want to. You spent like a hundred dollars since the beginning of the year.” She frowned.

“That’s a bit excessive. I’d say 30 dollars at the most. It’s really cheap coffee.” You pointed out.

It took everything in her not to call you a smartass. It seemed like a terrible way to confess her feelings. Especially when what she felt, the light she saw you in painted you as far more than a smartass. The opposite, or maybe a more positive and kind alternative.

“You really don’t want me to pay you back?” She insisted, and you shook your head, amused.

This wasn’t the first time she was asking, and you didn’t expect it to be the last, but your answer would remain the same.

You didn’t want her money.

“You could at least admit you want something in return.”

Her words wiped the delectation right off your face. The lighthearted atmosphere suddenly vanished, replaced by a heavy and uncomfortable one.

You had trouble finding the right way to breathe, scared it would shift the conversation into a much too unpredictable path.

“Wh—what?” You stuttered, furrowing your eyebrows in the most natural way you could.

Yunjin wasn’t having it, although in a simpler moment she would have laughed at your poor attempt.

“Come on, Y/n.” She probed. “No one gives out that many compliments out of pure kindness only.”

“There probably are a few people—” You started, but the way she stared at you kept you from rambling further.

There was no escaping it, she obviously knew what was going on. In theory, you couldn’t be surprised as you hoped for your actions to be obvious, or at the least for her to notice them.

Now that she did, you weren’t sure what to do. Hell, you didn’t even know where or how to stand anymore, you hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“Well—I mean, I kind of have been doing this to get to know you a little more.” You mumbled.

One of her eyebrows furrowed, and you sighed. This wasn’t exactly ideal for the embarrassment you felt.

“We’ve been friends for months, is it so difficult to do that? Am I that hard to read?” She wondered, amused.

“I don’t know, it feels easier this way… For me at least.” You looked down, eyes sweeping the floor as you did your best to avoid her gaze.

Embarrassed was only the start to describing how this whole thing made you feel. Everything you did, everything you told and asked her in order to find out more, as sincere and truthful it all was… It all seemed so silly. Collecting all those bits of her personnality, of her mind; piecing them all together in sercret and falling behind closed doors…

What was the point of putting yourself through so much if it would all come to light anyway?

Would it even be worth it?

“Right. Well…” She trailed off, and your eyes were pulled by the sudden movement of her hand between the two of you.

You watched as it hesitantly approached yours, waiting to see if it would welcome it only for you to wrap your fingers around her palm in a heartbeat— that was to say it happened fast as your heart had picked up the pace for a while now.

Yunjin kept her smile to herself, hiding her appreciation behind treacherous eyes that she focused on your joined hands. The spark she held in her gaze whenever she looked at you was hard to erase—she couldn’t believe you hadn’t noticed it.

“Let your wallet rest a bit.” She joked, finally looking up at you. “Whatever you want to know, next time you can just ask.”

“Do you like me?”

“Oh.” Her eyebrows raised in surprise as you shared a laugh over the sudden, bold question.

It wasn’t exactly unlike you, but judging on the past couple minutes, neither of you really expected it.

“I do like you.” She admitted, a shy smile letting you know she wasn’t as cool about it as she tried to be before adding. “When you’re not nagging me about finals.”

“If this is one of your ways to get out of studying I’m gonna be so mad.” You half-joked.

It would be a pretty insane thing to pull, but you wouldn’t put it past her. She loved to avoid schoolwork, no matter the excuse.

“If it was I wouldn’t ask you to get back to it.”

“You haven’t.”

“I am now.” She smiled, tugging on your hand the same way she had to bring you here.

You could only follow as she jogged back to your study room. Whether her excitment came from studying or the progression of your relationship, you had a small idea. It put a smile on your face that you wouldn’t be able to get rid of for as long as she was the one holding your hand.

And wherever she’d lead you, you’d follow.

[the-orion-scribe]

A critique of Northwest Mansion Mystery – how Pacifica nearly upended the show’s narrative

Note: This essay has been in the works some months before the Book of Bill release. But my opinion hasn't changed much, and highlights concerns from other GF fans.

This might be a little controversial. Don’t get me wrong, for first of all, I’m a dipcifica shipper and I like the episode very much. But every time when people ask around in the fandom (particularly on Reddit) what’s the best episode, Northwest Mansion Mystery would certainly be among the top choices. Reasons would, of course, include the darker tone and visuals, the mystery, the backstory, lore and, above all, the hints of a romance that kicked off the fandom’s most popular ship. It certainly scored very well in terms of the mystery and dark elements that are key to its popularity.

NMM certainly also fleshed out Pacifica a lot more, giving depth to what was initially a rather one-dimensional antagonist. In this episode, we are offered a glimpse of her family’s dark history and her struggle against their expectations. All of that humanized Pacifica, turning her from the stereotypical “mean girl” into a more sympathetic figure. This transformation was one of the episode’s strongest points.

But, unfortunately, as a Gravity Falls episode, it isn’t really the greatest. Truthfully I think the episode also had set false expectations of what was to come, and is rather reflective of the pro-dipcifica reddit side of the fandom and what they wanted more of the show, despite it going against some of Hirsch’s expectations and intentions.

Let me explain.

In my opinion, sometimes the fandom tends to forget what is actually core to the show. Yes, the mystery element is certainly one thing. But there’s another which doesn’t get talked about as often – the sibling bond in the show. What’s sorely lacking in this episode, and what many really overlooked, is the lack of any sibling moments between Dipper and Mabel. Ok, we still have the beginning when Mabel nudged and urged Dipper to negotiate with Pacifica three invites for the party, but after that, the twins went their separate ways.

I understand of course that Pacifica specifically requested for Dipper’s help, and Mabel might not be as attuned to the supernatural. But of all possible things the writers could have done with Mabel and co, they sidelined her to another romance subplot. Really? They could have perhaps made better use of her and her friends at the gala (some fans I've spoken to even suggested she could have joined with Wendy to uncover the ghost backstory). I can get the girls wanting to have fun, but I think it's a bit boring to fall back to some crush rivalry subplot. Especially after what happened in Sock Opera and her trying to move on from failed crushes in Society of the Blind Eye.

It’s actually a chronic issue not rather unique to this episode, I would add. In much of the first half of S2, while Dipper takes the lead in solving the mystery of the mysterious Author, Mabel takes more of the backseat and becomes goofier. This is quite a change from S1, when in episodes like Headhunters and Irrational Treasure, both twins worked together as the Mystery Twins and Mabel still considerably contributed in both cases. Into the Bunker is what I identify as the turning point where Mabel’s character and role regressed to being that goofy sister that messes things up (mostly by accident – I must add) instead of being the supplementary role to Dipper’s mystery-hunting. And that quite led to much of the fandom overlooking what actually was core to the entire series, and also fuelling a bit of the Mabel hate in the fandom. By pushing Pacifica into the spotlight and hinting at a potential romance with Dipper, the episode diverted the fandom's attention from this central theme.

The show quite elevated Pacifica’s character and her importance, to the extent that some in the fandom believed she would play more of a part in the show afterwards. This is rather implied from a few moringmark comics showing her moving in with the Pines. Understandably, this builds from the Bill tapestry at the end of that episode. However, she was never planned to be important to begin with, and she ended up playing very little part in the WMG episodes. It was largely only due to her popularity in S1 that she was given a character arc over two additional episodes. As Hirsch has discussed in past commentaries, he never even planned to develop her in the first place, since she was mainly a foil to Mabel, like how Gideon was to Dipper, but did so for the fan service.

Sometimes I feel like he cares about what fandom thinks too much. But as we've seen in other interviews, he thinks of himself as a fellow fan in the service of the fandom and not just the fandom god. Nevertheless, It’s great that Hirsch never detracted away from his vision of the show. After this episode, he returned the narrative to its original focus on the core mystery and the sibling bond between Dipper and Mabel, while drawing some parallels with the Stans twins.

This certainly left some fans feeling disappointed, as the character development and relationships they got invested in were not given the resolution or continuation they had hoped for. In many ways, this episode highlighted a conflict between fan service and narrative integrity. I would agree it’s certainly a missed opportunity to give a bigger part for Pacifica after the episode, but we already had a much shorter runway to Weirdmageddon. The remainder of the show barely juggled featuring Ford more, and so there was already no way to feature more of Pacifica or even build a romance the fandom so desired. The only nod to that tapestry in the show in the end is Preston attempting to make a deal with Bill, which, of course we know how that ended up.

In conclusion, while Northwest Mansion Mystery is undoubtedly a fan-favorite episode, it kind of stuck out as a sore thumb given it nearly disrupted the show’s delicate balance between mystery, sibling bond, and character development. This shift, though temporary, had some impact on the fandom’s expectations and the perceptions of the show’s later episodes. Nevertheless, Hirsch compensated this by featuring Pacifica more in some supplementary material in Lost Legends and as of late, The Book of Bill, to satisfy the fans.

Ultimately, Gravity Falls remained true to its core themes, but Northwest Mansion Mystery stands as a testament to the challenges of maintaining narrative cohesion while exploring new character arcs and storylines.

Check out more of my essays here! Feel free to comment and reblog!

[mamadarama]

Slightly late to the Madara madness but I’m dragging it back into conversation because you’ve reminded me of the sheer amount of emotions I have about Madara’s first appearance to Alkaloid (and audience to a degree)

The gang just got done having an encouraging talk with each other and then Hiiro’s immediately like “speaking of communicating with each other I should tell you there’s some spooky ass energy going on behind that door” and Tatsumi opens it to protect the others, is greeted by the fucking hulk who tells him his name but that says they can just call him mama. He then takes one look at Tatsumi and decides “oh I could probably pick you up” and just. Does it. And then puts him back down when he asks because Tatsumi knows if he didn’t Hiiro would start biting people. Then IMMEDIATELY transitions into trying to get hired by the boys to train them because thwarting Eichi sounds fun, sees Mayoi and again IMMEDIATELY transitions into “man if only one of your buddies here happened to be a cryptic ass dance instructor. They should totally dance battle me about it not because I took one look at them and decided I was allowed to be the only schizophrenic in the room but for your guys’ stake… please” and then he gets his ass handed to him and just. Doesn’t leave. And continues to just watch them practice.

Now for something literally completely unrelated I don’t know too much about Chiaki but the more I look at him the more I just see the anti Madara/Mayoi. With them on the “If I form an even slightly close relationship with someone I have to return to nature until they forget my existence” and him on the “If I don’t leave our very first conversation with their number, an address and an itinerary for our week hangout next month I did it wrong” end

LITERALLYYYY ITS SO FUNNY. HE KNEW HE WOULD LOSE THE BATTLE TOO . HE KNEW MAYOI WAS A BETTER DANCER THAN HIM . HE DID IT CUZ HE KNEW MAYOI WOULD NEVER OFFER TO BE THEIR OFFICIAL TRAINER OTHERWISE AND IF HIS PLAN BACKFIRES THEN HE GETS TO MESS W EICHI . SO WIN WIN . BUT OFC HE DOES IT IN THE MOST ROUNDABOUT WAY POSSIBLE. GOD.

also yes chiaki and madara being foils was definitely intentional . chiaki is everything madara hoped to become as a kid and what he wishes he couldve been now, as well as a living reminder of his own shortcomings. chiakis presence also reinforces and draws attention to madaras social alienation by highlighting how when madara was exiled, he left all sorts of holes in the lives of his friends and family that chiaki has now filled in his absence— ryuseitai captain*, the reliable bright kid his family (and kanatas family) saw him as that granted him his position as kanatas caretaker, someone his friends can count on, and most importantly, kanatas hero.

* madara himself handed down the position of captain to chiaki when he left ryuseitai, but part of that choice (as well as the choice to isolate himself and become a solo unit) was him acknowledging chiaki is better suited to the role and finally surrendering after years of fighting to become what chiaki currently is, and accepting his fate (or more accurately what he believes his fate to be) of being past his point of usefulness, now destined to be alone, biding his time and waiting until his death after having failed the one purpose he believes he was born to fulfill (saving kanata). tldr; madara handed chiaki the role of ryuseitai captain because he believed chiaki was better suited to the role and to denote that hes given up on himself (hence his reasoning for forming double face and taking the risks he does: having nothing left to lose now that hes already lost everything. but thats getting into a different topic so i digress)

[milesgmoralles]

Hi! Do you mind sharing your coloring tutorial or tips? especially for the animation ones, they're so good! your gifs are crisp and HD

hi, anon. tysm! 🫶 i don't mind at all since i’ve gotten more than a few requests from before, ig it's time to give it a go. (more) details are under the cut. 😁

before we start, i want you to take note of the following things that will be helpful in the process of making/coloring gifs.

if you want to get the know-how on making gifs, @redbelles did us a solid and gave us this comprehensive guide that will save me the time for explaining lmao. 😅✌️

make gifsets without skipping frames. keep frame delay 0.05 and 0.06 for less than 25 frames. anything more or less is too fast or too slow. additionally, it's also important to note that if you're dealing w videos that are faster than 30fps you change the frame delay to 0.04.

gif using the the new dimensions (in this tutorial i used the dimensions of 540px x 510px since it's all about big gifs now 🙄).

use the standard sharpening settings (smart sharpen, amount 500%, radius 0.3px, remove gaussian blur and tick more accurate) also note the sharpening settings for 2d as you've specifically requested.

 you can use action that will convert your gif back to frames and set your timing to 0.05 with a single click. basically photoshop will follow out all of these time-consuming steps for you! just download the action and double click it. it should now be added to your list of actions.  to see your actions, go to window > actions. find the folder that says "GIF ACTION" and select the lines that says "CLICK HERE" and voila! ps will do all the hard work for you.

the coloring on your gifs will look good if you have a good base so try not to skip on video qualities. use high quality copies like 1080p or 2160p (4k ones are good) the higher the gb the better. it makes coloring so much easier and reduces grains.

*cracks knuckles* let's start!

for 2d animation's sharpening settings, it usually varies so i just move the amount around and see what looks or works better for a specific gif. i used amount: 189 and radius: 0.2 for this ponyo gif. anything can work between 189 to 350 for me but i maintain the radius at 0.2. again, you can just play the amount around until you find the one that looks good for your gif.

when i’m making gifs. i look for that notorious contrast between the light and dark parts. i think it gives life to the gif- so exposure, levels and curves are best to achieve that. for curves, just go to layer > new adjustment layer > curves. this layer is going to help brighten up the gif in certain areas, and darken others. select the white eyedropper. click the lighter part of the gif like the white/light part of the ship.

next, select the black eyedropper and click on a black/dark area of the gif (refer to the arrow bc i don't know which part of the ship is that called lmao).

you can skip the black eyedropper if you're already satisfied w the result of the white one.

color balance and selective color are your two best buddies. they’re great when you’re trying to change some tones or specific colors of the gif, like the skin tone which is very tricky.

using selective color is pretty simple, here’s a really useful guide:

if you pull any of the tabs to the right, it increases the amount of color (cyan, magenta, yellow and black), and reduces the amount of opposite color (red, green, blue and white).

i also use the blacks and whites in selective color especially if the gif is saturated w colors to tone down some parts and make shadows more visible (idk if this is still making sense 😅).

in working with color balance, i use midtones and highlights sparingly. it's really helpful in removing or balancing out a certain tone.

here's my save setting ⬆️

idk why but ps puts the default frame delay to 0.07/0.03 so open your gif in ps again and don't forget to change the delay to 0.05.

and we're done!

i sometimes go back and forth and do some tweaking until i’m satisfied with the result. this is how i color and i know it’s not perfect but i learn by constant practice. there’s really no standard in coloring so you can make yours the way you like it. just enjoy- until you get the hang of it and it becomes less daunting (or something like that). i hope this helps. if you have more questions, my askbox is always open 😊.

[raynehmms]

“Wait I’m scared.” “Of what? Ma you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.” You shake your head your newly black lace front with pink highlights swaying lightly. “I wanna do it I swear.” “Mama are you sure.” You roll your eyes, your eyelashes fluttering. “Yes just give it to me.” You gesture to the blunt in his hand putting your hand out for him to put it in. He grabs your hand squeezes it over the dashboard, taking a drag from the blunt and blowing it in your face. “Let me do sum first” as he takes another drag he grabs your face pressing his lips to yours and blowing the smoke into your mouth. You inhale choking a little and push him away breathing out the smoke and grabbing a water bottle chugging half of it. “Why would you do that?” You say coughing into your arm. He shrugs his shoulders sitting back into his seat and handing you the blunt “still wanna try it?” Not backing down you say “hell yeah.”

You take the blunt into your hands making sure your freshly done hello kitty nails aren’t in the way. You take a drag as Fatal Attraction by 6lack playing lowly in the background. As you inhale you close your eyes and open them as you exhale. You feel yourself starting to feel relaxed, stress free even. “You good ma?” He says still holding one of your hands gently squeezing it and running his thumb on the back of your palm. “Yeah m’sorry just got lost in the moment.” You hand the blunt back flipping the mirror down in the car and checking your brown lined glossy lips. “You look very pretty mama. S’pretty all the time” you look over to see him looking at you. Even though his eyes are low you can still see his emerald green eyes sparkling in the moonlight and his shiny diamond grills shining through his lips. “Thank you.” You sit back in the seat, completely letting the feeling take over as you stare into ceiling.

After a while of sitting there and letting the music play you look at him seeing his eyes closed, the blunt no longer existing. “Are you sleep?” Your voice sounds softer and more weightless. “Nah what’s up mama? You good?” “Yeah… I’m hungry.” He laughs at this shaking his head and starting the car. “Whatchu want to eat.” He puts his hand on your thigh not bothering to put his seatbelt on. “Steak fries. You know my order?” “Yeah how could I forget.” He smiles at you before grabbing his phone and ordering via phone call. While still keeping his hand on your thigh he drives out of the abandoned Walmart parking lot. “Thank you bae.” You say leaning over and kissing his cheek. “Anything for you.”

So I don’t know who this was about so whoever you want it to be about it is🫶🏽

[steddieasitgoes]

Pulling triple duty with this one.

Written for @steddiemas Day 29: Holiday Parties and @thefreakandthehair Spicy Six Winter Fanworks Challenge. It's also a holiday sequel to my big bang fic Signed, Sealed Delivered, I'm Yours

My prompt for the Winter Fanworks Challenge was: “If I wear that sweater to work, my boss will kill me."

Tags: Established relationships, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Mailman Steve, Platonic Soulmate Steve Harrington & Robin Buckley, Slice of Life

wc: 4003 | Rating: T

Read on ao3 | ao3 collection

The Brookbridge Post Office holiday party is a tradition that dates back long before Steve joined the ranks. Every year Warren splurges on renting out a private room at a restaurant or banquet hall before passing all the planning off to his assistant of the month. The only rule, as far as Steve’s aware, is that it has to be tied to some charity organization so that he can write the whole thing off later.

This year is no different as the invitation he finds shoved into his work locker has the Toys for Tots logo front and center. What is different is the attire section that requests all guests break out their best holiday sweaters for the occasion.

Steve’s not sure what constitutes a holiday sweater, but he has a closet full of knit red and green ones that’ll surely work. No sweat off his back. Especially since he’s also done with the toy shopping.

The holiday party isn’t Steve’s favorite way to spend a random Saturday in December, but he always sucks it up and goes. Usually drags Robin along with him so they can stand in the corner getting drunk off free drinks while making fun of Tommy and his gang of mini-me’s as they try to hit on everyone’s plus ones.

It’s not the highlight of their holiday season by any means, but it's a tradition they’ve had going for years now. One he’s not sure he wants to break this year even though he could take Eddie as his romantic plus one. Which is exactly what he tells Robin during their Saturday movie marathon.

They’re sprawled out on the couch, Dumpster between them, with Christmas Vacation playing in the background. They’ve seen it enough times to quote the entire thing from memory so neither minds the interruption. It’s not like they ever actually watch movies on their Saturday movie afternoons anyway.

“Are you kidding me, Steve?” Robin snorts, lobbing a pillow at his head. “Of course, you’re taking Eddie!”

“But we always go together.”

“Only because you never have a date!”

“So, what? You’ve been going all these years as my pity plus one?” Steve asks, nudging her with his knee.

“I’m sorry, did you think I liked hanging out in some stuffy banquet hall listening to Hagan and his little groupies try to hit on me?”

“Don’t forget the year Warren hit on you.” Robin retches, startling Dumpster from her slumber. The cat yawns before slowly climbing off the couch and down the hallway in search of somewhere quieter to sleep.

“Take Eddie. It’ll be fun!”

“Don’t you think two months of dating is too soon to be taking him to work events?”

This time it’s Robin’s bony knee that jabs into the meaty flesh of his thigh.“Jesus, Robs,” he hisses, pulling the hem of his shorts up to check for instant bruising.

“You’re dumber than I thought if you really think you and Eddie have only been dating for two months. What about all those months before, huh?” Steve doesn’t say anything, just rolls his eyes in silent protest. She’s not wrong, but she’s not right either. “Besides, it’s not like he hasn’t already met some of the people from work when he goes to the post office.”

“I mean, yeah, I guess you’re right,” Steve sighs. Still, there’s something lingering in the pit of his stomach. A gnawing, unpleasant weight that he can’t shake. He takes a moment to collect his thoughts before he brings a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Tommy’s going to be there, though.”

The same Tommy who has been a Grade-A douchebag since getting removed from Steve’s route and put back on sorter/greeter duty. Steve’s not sure why he doesn’t just quit if he’s so miserable but every day he finds himself on the receiving end of a lackluster death glare.

Also, the same Tommy who gave Eddie the nickname “Mr. Dreamy.” The same Tommy who relentlessly hit on Eddie until he finally got thrown out of his house once and for all.

The same Tommy who has no idea that the guy Steve is seeing, because yes, Tommy knows Steve is seeing someone and teases him about it daily, is said, Mr. Dreamy.

Bringing Eddie into that is a recipe for disaster. One Steve’s not sure he even wants to subject himself to, let alone Eddie.

“On second thought,” Robin says, scrambling to sit up. “Can you take two guests? I will suffer the gross gazes and bad pick-up lines of your male coworkers just so I can see Hagan’s face fall when he realizes you’re dating the guy he was after.”

Steve laughs despite himself, shaking his head. If there’s one thing Robin loves, it’s being a fly on the wall for some good, old-fashioned drama.

📬 🎄 📬

With Robin officially denying his plus-one invitation, Steve sets out to ask Eddie.

It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, he knows this, but something about it also feels like a Big Deal — with a capital B and D. Sure, they’ve branched out from their routine lunch dates — they have a standing Sunday brunch double date with the girls and make a point to go out at least once during the week, plus Steve regularly stops by the shop now, but it's different inviting Eddie to go to a work event with him.

It’s another step in their relationship.

One toward a more permanent future and Steve doesn’t want to fuck it up by scaring Eddie away.

So he spends a week testing the waters. Asks Eddie about his holiday plans over Toasty Treats’ legendary holiday turkey sandwich on Tuesday. Brings up Tommy’s latest fuck up over chili leftovers on Thursday to gage Eddie’s feelings about him (“Jesus H. Christ he really is an idiot,” he laughs, clearly poking fun, but not in the teasing way he does with Steve that always makes his cheeks heat up). During brunch on Sunday, he goads Robin into sharing a fun anecdote from last year's party where one too many cocktails had her and Steve taking over the karaoke machine serenading guests all night with off-key renditions of Christmas carols.

When Steve steals a glance at Eddie he finds him smiling and laughing along with the story.

And just like that the seed is planted.

Steve finally gets the courage to ask the question he’s been dancing around for a week on Tuesday over leftover Chinese takeout.

“Course I’ll be your plus-one, Stevie,” Eddie answers mouthful of Chow-Mien. “I’ll be your plus-one anytime, anywhere, any—”

“Alright, you sap,” Steve laughs, leaning over the table to steal a kiss.

“Does this mean I’m finally going to see the back room where the mail sorter fairies work?”

“Unfortunately not. The party’s at the banquet hall in town.”

“Dammit,” Eddie sighs.

“Oh, and you have to wear a Christmas sweater.”

“Love me a good theme!”

📬 🎄 📬

Turns out, what Steve considers a Christmas sweater is very different from what Eddie considers a Christmas sweater. A fact he’s currently in the midst of learning as he glances around Eddie’s bedroom.

“Stevie, sweetheart, love of my life,” Eddie says, clasping his hands in front of him as he rocks on the balls of his feet. “That is not a Christmas sweater.”

Steve glances down at the knit sweater he’s wearing before fisting the hem and pulling it away from his chest to get a better look. He’s not sure what Eddie’s talking about. It’s totally a Christmas sweater!

“Yeah it is, Eds,” he defends. “It has a reindeer and a tree on it. That’s pretty Christmas.”

Eddie gawks for a moment before scrubbing a hand down his face. Steve knows he only does that when he’s frustrated so he braces for whatever he’s going to say.

“Objectively speaking, yes, it is a Christmas sweater. But it’s also not a Christmas sweater.”

This time it’s Steve who gawks at Eddie. He’s used to Eddie getting worked up over random things, but this is a new one. “Okay Christmas Sweater expert, what is an appropriate Christmas sweater then.”

“I’m glad you asked,” Eddie grins before stalking over to the pile of clothes on his bed. He shuffles through the clothes for a moment, tossing a few shirts to the wayside before he shouts victoriously and turns around clutching a red sweater in his hands. “Now this is a Christmas sweater.”

Steve can’t help the cackle that escapes him the minute his eyes land on the sweater. It’s a red monstrosity with an upside-down snowman sprawled out over the entire thing. A plastic carrot of some sort protrudes off and hanhs low, blending with the tinsel on the hat and two blue ornament balls that also dangle low

“If I wear that sweater to work, my boss will kill me,” Steve says through laughter.

“Oh come on, it’s not that bad!”

“Eddie!” Steve squawks, brows knitted together. “It’s literally a dick and balls!”

“Warren is a buzz kill,” Eddie sighs, tossing the sweater aside. Without another word, he reaches for another sweater from the mess on his bed and turns around. “What about this one?”

This one is green with a gingerbread man smiling in the middle. It looks innocent enough except for the fact that the gingerbread has bloodshot eyes and the words “let’s get baked” are stitched in big white letters followed by a marijuana leaf.

“Are you trying to get me fired? Again!”

“Hey,” Eddie scolds playfully. “I didn’t get you fired, I got you demoted. And we agreed it was both our fault. Don’t be putting the blame on me! Besides I’m just sticking with the theme.”

“Baby, the theme is Christmas sweaters not whatever this is,” Steve says waving his hands in the air.

“These are Christmas sweaters.”

“I mean, yeah, they’re technically Christmas sweaters but they’re not appropriate!” Steve laughs. “Where did you even find them?”

“Are you forgetting I work with artists all day? Me and the guys make them.”

“You made these?” Steve asks, snatching the sweater from his hands to get a better look.

Up close it's easier to tell that they’re homemade. The stitches are slightly askew, a missing thread or two here and there. Overall though they’re store-like quality. He didn’t even know Eddie could sew let alone sew an entire inappropriate Christmas sweater. If the tattooing thing doesn’t work out, maybe he and the Hellfire guys should start a clothing line.

“That’s pretty impressive actually.”

“So, does that mean you’ll wear one?”

“To my work party? Absolutely not,” Steve laughs.

“Come on,” Eddie whines. “Nowhere on that invite does it say it has to be appropriate!”

“I’m pretty sure it’s implied! Maybe you can get away with that at the shop's holiday parties, but Brookbridge is full of stuck-up employees. Warren might be sleeping with his assistant but I don’t think he’ll appreciate this,” Steve says, lifting the gingerbread sweater.

“I guess that means I should change then.”

“Wait, you’re wearing one of these right now?” Eddie nods, coaxing another chuckle from Steve. “What does yours look like?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

With eyes shining with mirth and that crooked smile, Steve loves so much, Eddie slowly peels off his leather jacket revealing the Christmas sweater he’s been wearing. It’s hunter-green and looks incredibly soft to the touch. Unfortunately, the words “Well Hung” are stitched in a bright green across the chest. Four baubles are stitched on underneath in various sizes trying their best to make the phrase Christmas-appropriate instead of the innuendo it is.

“Oh my god,” Steve wheezes, doubling over in laughter. It takes him a minute to compose himself and when he does Eddie is standing there beaming with pride. “S’clever and definitely true.” Eddie’s smile grows even wider at that. “But yeah, I think you should change, baby.”

“Ugh, you’re no fun,” Eddie groans.

“Hey, I’m plenty fun,” he says, quickly closing the distance between them. Steve gets his hands on Eddie, wrapping them around his middle and pulling him flush with his chest before searing a kiss to his lips. “But I don’t want to give Tommy any ideas. Don’t think he’d back off if he saw you advertising yourself like this.”

Eddie hums in consideration before reluctantly agreeing. Wiggling out of Steve’s grasp, he yanks the sweater off and tosses it onto the bed with the other rejected sweaters. Then, he sulks over to his closet to search for another sweater. A few minutes pass, nothing but the sounds of plastic hangers clanging against the metal rod filling the room before Eddie turns around with a huff.

“So, turns out I don’t have any appropriate Christmas sweaters.”

Steve laughs, shaking his head. “Don’t worry, I have a spare lying around. We’ll just stop by my place before heading over.”

📬 🎄 📬

They get intercepted by Debbie as they’re trying to leave, costing them an extra ten minutes they don’t have to spare. That added with the detour to Steve’s place and the inevitable quickie that follows when they realize Robin isn’t home makes them an hour late to the party.

But it’s not a big deal. Hardly anyone but Betty even realizes they’re late. And the only reason she notices is because she’s smoking outside the door when they get there.

“You clean up nice,” she says like she does every holiday party. Tossing the cigarette to the floor, she snubs it out with the toe of her boots before slowly dragging her eyes up Eddie. “You do too, Eddie, right?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m Eddie. And thank you, ma’am.”

Betty tsks, waving her hand in the air. “None of this ma’am crap. Just Betty is fine. Steve’s told me lots about you. Have you made a decision on that P.O. Box yet?”

Steve has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from snorting. That day doesn’t leave the best taste in his mouth considering how it ended, but it did start out with a lot of promise.

“Oh, uh, I don’t think it’s for me. S’much easier to have my mail delivered to me. Especially when he’s doing it.”

Betty glances at Steve and gives him another slow once over before winking at the both of them. “M’sure it is,” she laughs. “You boys better get in there. Don’t want to miss the fun.”

📬 🎄 📬

The banquet hall is decorated just as it always is. A giant Christmas tree sits in the middle. A handful of tables surround a small dance floor. There’s a buffet of food on one end, the donation table on the other. A small band is set up on stage, serenading the crowd with a mix of Top 40s and holiday hits. No karaoke machine this year much to Eddie’s chagrin.

After a round of drinks, Steve gets to mingling, introducing Eddie to the handful of coworkers he actually likes. The introductions are brief and his co-workers are quick to share embarrassing stories about Steve’s early days on the job with Eddie who listens and laughs along.

Eventually, Warren finds them, his wife draped lovingly on his arm while his assistant throws daggers his way from the bar. Steve puts on his best smile and expertly navigates the small talk, making a point to compliment Warren’s wife and joke about her being out of his league. Warren’s quick to excuse the both of them after that.

“He gives me the creeps,” Eddie shivers, watching as he guides his wife through the sea of people with a hand on the small of her back all the while making eyes with his assistant across the room.

“He’s definitely a douchebag,” Steve agrees.

He takes a sip of his drink as he scans the room. They’ve been here for almost two hours now and he hasn’t spotted Tommy once. Usually, he’s the center of attention at these things. Dancing up a storm and making it a point to flirt with everyone’s plus ones. Maybe he’s already staked his claim on someone and is getting lucky in the bathroom, Steve thinks before shaking the thought from his head. Who is he kidding, Tommy doesn’t have that kind of luck.

If he’s honest with himself, he’s sort of bummed that Tommy hasn’t made his presence known to him yet. Not because he wants to see him, he’d be happy going the rest of his life without having to share the same room with the guy, but because he wants to show Eddie off. And, okay, maybe he also wants to see Tommy’s face fall like Robin wanted to.

📬 🎄 📬

Steve is swaying with Eddie on the dance floor when the devil that is Tommy shithead Hagan finally materializes. He’s beyond tipsy, uneven on his feet, and freckled face flushed redder than Steve’s ever seen it. His eyes are glossy and his lips are curled in a way that sends alarm bells blaring in Steve’s head.

Trouble is afoot.

Afoot? Christ he’s spending too much time with Eddie.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Harrington.” He practically spits before whipping his head to stare at Eddie. “And oh, look what the postman dragged in. Yesterday’s mail!”

“I’m sorry,” Eddie says, taking a step toward Tommy. He gives Steve a mischievous look before cocking his head to the side as he gives Tommy his full attention. “Do I know you?”

“Oh don’t play coy in front of your little boy toy, darling,” Tommy slurs, reaching out to rest a hand on Eddie’s shoulder.

It takes all the strength in Steve’s body not to reach out and yank his arm away. Thankfully, Eddie does it for him, shrugging the offending hand off with more force than necessary.

“Oh come on,” Tommy scoffs, more of a whine than anything else. “Don’t pretend like we didn’t have the best times when Harrington got himself demoted. What’s it like getting my sloppy seconds, Harrington?”

“Watch it, Tommy,” Steve scolds, taking a step closer to Hagan. He’s not going to make a scene, he’s not. But he’s also not going to stand here and let him talk about Eddie like that.

Eddie scoffs, shaking his head. “If I’m anyone’s sloppy seconds I’m Steve’s. And they are very sloppy if you catch my drift.”

Steve bites the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He knows he shouldn’t encourage this, but it's hard to be the bigger person when Tommy is standing right there purposely antagonizing him for his own gain. Sue him for wanting to play the game just a little.

“Sorry, Tommy, but Eds here is right,” Steve says, placing a delicate hand on Eddie’s shoulder before squeezing it. “Don’t you remember, I got demoted for hooking up with a “bombshell” in the van? Well, guess what, you’re looking at him.”

“That— that’s not what happened,” Tommy says, directing his words at Steve, not Eddie. “You weren’t with him! Aaron said you were with…”

Steve watches the metaphorical gears turning in Tommy’s head as he trails off. Can tell the moment things start clicking. He really had no clue that the guy Steve had been seeing was Eddie. Steve watches the stunned look spread across his face the same way it spread across his all those months ago when he caught Tommy leaving Eddie’s place. The gross realization that they actually do have the same type after all.

“Why don’t you keep moving Hagan,” Steve says, nodding his head in the opposite direction.

“Nah, I think I’m good right here, actually,” he says, confidence returning.

This guy just doesn’t know when to quit.

“Tommy seriously,” Steve tries again. “Go bother someone else. We’re not interested.”

“Oh, so you’re speaking for him now too?”

“Please,” Eddie scoffs. “You know I’m not interested in you. Never have been and never will be.”

That does it.

Steve sees the moment Tommy’s confident facade breaks. The rosiness of his cheeks grows into an angry red, flooding his body. His eyes, once glossy, are now laser-sharp and squinted. His fingers curl into fists at his side as he readies himself.

Steve’s faster though, stepping in front of Eddie at the same moment Tommy lunges. It would be easy to put an end to this once and for all. Give Tommy the gift of a black eye or bruised rib with one skilled punch that Steve would love to throw. But Tommy shithead Hagan isn’t worth losing his job for, so he reigns in his own anger and instead gets his palms on Tommy’s chest to hold him back.

“Don’t be stupid, Hagan,” Steve says. “Warren’s watching. Do you really want to lose your job for good this time?”

The words are supposed to knock some sense into the guy, calm him down. But it does the opposite, riling him up even more until Steve can practically feel his skin vibrating under his hands. Thankfully, Aaron and the rest of his minions are there in an instant, pulling him away and holding him back.

They try their best to calm him down but Steve can see Tommy’s anger growing by the second. He’s only seen him this angry once before — two months ago when Warren removed him from the route. He doesn’t need to see an encore performance so instead he reaches for Eddie’s hand and drags them away from the impending doom.

📬 🎄 📬

“Part of me still thinks you should have let him have it,” Eddie laughs, shoveling a mouthful of chocolate chip pancakes into his mouth.

“Tommy’s not worth it.”

“I would have been so pissed if I missed you deck him,” Robin says, working her way through her own mountain of pancakes.

“That’s the real reason you didn’t punch him, isn’t it?” Eddie teases.

“Oh yeah,” Steve deadpans, rolling his eyes. “Promised Robin I wouldn’t punch anyone unless she was there to witness it.”

“Does she also have to refrain from punching people,” Chrissy asks.

Robin shakes her head. “Why? Is there someone I need to punch in your honor?”

“Not yet,” Chrissy says, nuzzling into her side. “But if Eddie makes us go to the Birchwood Holiday party in these tonight, you might need to. Debbie’s nephew is in town and he keeps staring at me from the window.”

“Again with the sweaters,” Eddie huffs, letting his fork clatter to the table. “They’re cozy and hilarious. You guys are just boring! Besides, people are going to love my sweater. You’ll see. They’re going to be all the rage one day.”

“Debbie already thinks they are,” Chrissy giggles. “I saw her wearing the one that says “I’m So Good Santa Came Twice” the other day while she was taking out the trash.”

“You gave Debbie one?” Steve shouts, nearly spitting out his orange juice in the process. Robin does spit out her drink, through her nose as usual as she chokes on her own laughter.

“She cornered me and I panicked! I didn’t think she’d wear it!”

“Look on the bright side, Eddie,” Robin says between shrieks of laughter. “With Debbie’s help, every suburban mom in Brookbridge will be walking around in one by next Christmas.”

“It’s a good thing you know a great delivery man,” Steve teases. “Because they’re going to be flying off the shelves.”

“I’ve made a terrible mistake,” he groans.

As the table erupts into another fit of laughter, Steve can’t help but tug Eddie towards him before giving him a soft, syrup-infused kiss. And if he whispers something about feeling inspired by the inappropriate sweater Eddie’s picked out for him to wear later, well, that’s between him and Eddie and whoever’s bedroom they end up in when they leave Murray’s.

Besides, he still owes him for not punching Tommy himself at that holiday party.

And Steve always delivers.