#i'll drown this with a lot of reblogs

[sschmendrick]

ok i've been meaning to send this ask all day but never caught the time. I see so much haikyuu on your blog lately! Tell me more! (funny thing is we are doing a rewatch at home too!) tell me your story and EVERYTHING you want. And also!!!! i can see you shipping hinata and kenma?

OK ok, strap yourself in because I cannot guarantee that this will make any sense. But I’ll do my best.

To be off to a great start, I do not remember how I got into Haikyuu. One day it wasn’t and the next it was. From pictures I have I can say that I was into Haikyuu in my last year of middle school (so 2015-2016). By then I already had mangas but I’m pretty sure I was first attracted to it by the anime so I’d already seen the first season (and maybe the second too) and I had started buying the mangas.

(I shall put a read more here cause this post is LONG, beware!!)

Pictured below is one of my productions during my mandatory stage de troisième. I was in a graphic design agency and I was shy so I’d eat real fast at lunch time and use the rest of the time drawing and my supervisor saw me one day and offered to give me an exercise around it that would make me both enjoy what I was doing and also understand more stuff about graphic design. He was awesome. He really went with all my little cringe interests and encouraged me. The exercise he gave me was to create a cover for Haikyuu. I had a lot of fun with the lettering, understanding the dimensions and everything. He then made me create a brand, understanding why brands are called what they are, making my own logo, and then I worked on one of their (maybe) projects.

(top is the cover I did, the second one is what I was working on when he gave me the assignment, last on is me being crazy and drawing yaoi in a room full of adults at 14 and them going good job, you wanna keep drawing ?)

Yes I already had a favourite character but it will become more apparent soon. I got really into volleyball because Haikyuu made it look so cool. I was never a sports guy so it was really hard to want to have fun while being so bad with endurance and athleticism. All I had to my name was my flexibility because of dancing for years. Once again I think I was very lucky with the people I met. My PE teacher was really nice and could have just let me skip the class but he didn’t. Wait no, this needs more context. I didn’t have many friends in middle school. I spent the first year with nobody. The second year someone approached me and more or less dragged me in the world of people and friends (once again, I met an amazing person that was just selflessly nice to me). She got me speaking to people and I met my friends through her. My best friend from elementary had abandoned me in a matter of days after we started middle school so I felt very awkward in all situations. Anyway, I had a few people I hung out with but that was about it. I wasn’t exactly the bestest of friends with them but they accepted me even if I was awkward and didn’t talk much. They all knew each other for a while and were much closer (and popular), so when PE would come around I didn’t have anyone to pair up with. SO, my teacher instead of turning a blind eye offered to help me with the volley practice (this was in quatrième (before last year of middle school) if I remember right ? but it must not have been before I learned about haikyuu). He took the time to make me practice everything and explain everything and honestly I think that helped a lot with my general technique cause otherwise there’s a lot I would not have understood or just learned wrong and would have to readjust when I got to high school.

Back to last year of middle school. My mind has been overtaken by Haikyuu cause it’s brilliant. I dabble in cosplay and I have no money I can use to buy an aliexpress one (yes the dreaded website but we would go there at the time haha) but I want to cosplay Haikyuu. Lucky me, I have found a group of cosplayer on Paris for the next Paris Manga that’s doing Haikyuu ! I was so pumped up. And they didn’t have my character but they did have his partner so we were all excited about it :) My parents were not very thrilled about it all because I was still just 14 and they were mostly adults but my mom still helped me make my own jersey! I still have it but I’m 100% sure it doesn’t fit anymore :’) Here is me starting to fall for the sport and the cosplay progress pictures I still have

(still so proud of it, I did everything by hand !! and last pic is me with a volley ball cause I was a little deranged already)

Yes I was Akaashi, I loved that character. Acting all polite but an overthinker much with a dash of mischievous and admiration for the people around him. Also nothing grand about him like so many of the characters, but he could still hold up with them. I think I have somewhere on my computer a picture of our group but first I don’t know where it is and second you can only see my face on it so I have no picture of my finished cosplay haha. The con was amazing, I had so much fun with these people, we started hanging out a little more often and going to all the anime cons around Paris as a group and we did more group cosplays. I loved it. However at this con I lost my phone and it was in February so when I needed my dad to come pick me up I had to wait for 45 minutes in short shorts and a thin jersey :’)

After that I kept enjoying Haikyuu as one does, and high school started. Oh high school, a lot happened there. First thing I did was being reborn ! And even though it wasn’t much and only social it helped me be a little more free already. Free enough to allow myself to pursue a certain sport I was looking forward to. Yeah I got the volleyball bug. I was so happy my high school had a volleyball “club” and the first day of it we were only two. It was me and another guy, even smaller than me, who had also loved Haikyuu but we didn’t talk much about it. He was just as fired up about it as I was and we really pushed each other to become better. I don’t know what he’s become now but I hope he kept playing volleyball.

Anyway we were off to a great start with…two players. But still our coach/PE teacher was kind enough to teach us. We managed to have a few more people to come now and then but it was rough the first year. In my three years (well two but that’ll come later) we never had 6 “full time” people in the club so any kind of competition, even to get completely massacred by the other teams, was out of the question sadly. We would play on a concrete court ! It was REALLY rough haha ! But these courts were situated in a sort of closed courtyard space that was surrounded by school buildings and on the top floor were the Prepa classes (preparatory classes to get in higher education schools like engineering private schools for anyone not French reading this). Unlike the rest of my classmates, they liked playing volleyball. They were soooo tall compared to us but they would play with us and teach us some stuff and they were really good compared to us. Thanks to them we got the actual practice we needed cause you can’t learn enough by just playing 3x3 or worse 2x2 with people who can barely keep the ball in play (I was one of these people, I get to trash talk past me).

In my first year of high school I was taking riding lessons at the military school since we wouldn’t be able to go to our family’s house village with the more apparent divorce and moving out and other difficulties. It was an experience and I don’t regret doing it but it wasn’t a great place. I stopped the next year. And then…then I have memory problems. I cannot remember if it was during my second or last year of high school that I did it, but I would say it was during my second year of high school, that I entered an outside volleyball club. It was a Sunday lesson, it was all adults and it was for beginners. We would mostly do matches but sometimes they would focus on serves or hitting (I only remember one lesson about it though lol). It was super cool, I got to play volleyball on the Wednesday with my school club, whenever at lunch break when the Prepa were playing, and the Sundays at my outside club. By then, I don’t think I was reading or watching much of Haikyuu. I think I might have gotten my adhd ass hooked on something else while waiting for the next season and I had fallen in love with volleyball for the playing not just Haikyuu by then. Also something that I’m working on (and I’ve noticed it has gotten better already) is that I have a hard time appreciating watching people do something I love (usually a sport) as much as I appreciate doing the sport. For example, I never enjoyed watching any horse jumping competition even though I love doing it. I think it might come from the fact that I am bad at the things I love and therefore cannot truly appreciate what’s going on. As of right now I watch volleyball matches and rallies and really enjoy it.

Last year of high school rolls around the corner and…our PE teacher/coach tells us that they are closing the club down cause we aren’t enough and she would rather not run from our practice to the badminton’s practice (that she also coaches) and only work with the badminton’s club. After all they had the regional and potential national champions there meanwhile we had no hope of ever participating in a competition. And I had learned at my last lesson at my outside club that since we weren’t enough coming to the practice they would close down their beginner lesson. It was a bit of a shock to go from two practice per week to none at all. I missed volleyball. I accepted to participate at the badminton’s practices (cause it’s also a sport I like but at leisure, not on a competitive level, and less than volleyball) but it was just to keep me doing something. What happened though is I got to choose which sports I wanted for my BAC (high school diploma) since I was in a club the year prior and I chose the one with volleyball and I aced that. I only resented the top players of our group a little cause it wasn’t their sport at all but since they were pretty athletic and good at sports in general they had no problem being good at it when it took me sooooo long :’) yes I am petty.

Then I don’t know what the heck happened. Well yes I know but I don’t know why when I arrived in Montreal in my school I didn’t try to get into the volleyball club. Anyway, I didn’t play for a whiiiiile, years ! And the only reason I did again was because my best friend’s parents ( @nyaoi-warrior ) invited me to play with them and their friends when I visited. I was bad at communicating when I was playing in France (I often forget to say “j’ai”) but this was in Czech Rep, and we couldn’t communicate in English. It was HARD but I had so much fun !! My team lost all of the sets but it was so cool :D

Recently I was looking for something in my old stuff in the basement of the building. I didn’t find it but what I did find were my old Haikyuu manga. And oh god the flame it awoken in me. So anyway here is me a few weeks later with a volley ball in my hands, I’ve found a place I can sneak in just for the end of the year and I’ve been looking at clubs I can enter (and hopefully get better and then do some competition).

Now more about Haikyuu. What an amazing sports manga/anime it is. Of course, with the protagonist being a spiker most people when they start volleyball because of Haikyuu want to spike. I was lucky enough to be in the tall half of my year in high school but now I am tiny compared to most volleyball players. And a thing I love in volleyball I quickly discovered is diving for the ball. I’d be running far back or on the side, sliding until my knees burn to keep that ball in play. I thank Haikyuu for giving each role a time in the spotlight in almost every game they play, cause with what we learned in my school club or outside club I would never have heard of the libero. Ofc when you play for leisure having a libero is a bit meh but now I know that if I ever want to play competitive this is the role I should gun for (or maybe setter but I’m still pretty small so idk).

I just finished watching the season 4 recently and I’m on my way to catch up, and then finish with the scans (and then buying the mangas too). I got spoiled about what happens at the nationals after season 4 and what happens after, the time skip etc but just in the grand lines and I’m fine with that. I don’t think that it takes away from it too much. And (IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AFTER/DURING TIME SKIP DON’T READ BUT ALSO WE WON’T HAVE A FULL TIME SKIP ANIMATED SO IF YOU’RE JUST WATCHING THE ANIME I’D SAY MIGHT AS WELL READ IT BUT ALSO IT’S EVERYWHERE SO YOU MIGHT KNOW IT ALREADY) I freaking love Hinata in Brazil. It’s very funny to me too cause here is this little dude who got me into volleyball, with whom I had an anime-level betrayal and tragedy with my clubs, and now I’m learning Portuguese because of my Brazilian friends and I wanna go to Brazil and HE WENT TOO ?? That was hilarious to me. Maybe I should look into beach volleyball hehehe.

About the ships; I started with the “basic” ones, the most obvious ones that come from the strong bonds and non-stop interactions and how they are shown as more or less pairs by the manga/anime (so kagehina, asanoya, daisuga, bokuaka, etc etc etc) but I am a multi shipper now. I don’t know I have a much more relaxed approach to shipping now, especially for big casts where there isn’t clear cut villains, same with one piece. They all have great relationships with everyone around them and I like many of them. And yeah I stumbled upon kenhina recently and I really like their dynamic. I love kagehina just as much, and also the hilarious way Hinata seems to fascinate all setters. I have seen some really funny tsukkihina fanarts too. I’ve put a lot of stuff in my queue so you got some yakunoya coming soon as well haha. Also from what I’ve heard (haven’t got to see it yet) (yes the premiere was Sunday and it’s only out today) that the movie has big kenhina energy so I’m here for it.

This little red-head guy just makes me so happy. I’m so glad I got to discover one of, if not my favourite sport out there (and that says a lot coming from a horsegirl) and I want to keep it in my life. I’m asking around for clubs and selections and I hope I am accepted. And I’ll be celebrating my birthday watching Olympic volleyball matches :D

OH ! Another thing. During my intensive studying period for my current school’s diploma, I was with friends and before we started studying each morning we would put on music or some kind of stuff, and we put anime opening blind tests and one of them had the first Haikyuu opening (which is still my favourite cause yk…it’s the one that started it all) and I was hit with a wall of memories…yeah :’)

I think that’s all I might have forgotten a few things, I don’t know at this point.

I can’t believe you got me writing more about volleyball, in English, in 2 hrs than I’ve written for my THESIS in a WEEK. This is 5 word pages WITHOUT THE PICTURES.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Eartha Kitt (Anna Lucasta, St. Louis Blues)—My friend and I have a saying: NOBODY is Eartha Kitt. A thousand have tried, and they've all come up empty and will continue to do so. Everyone knows her for something: from "Santa Baby" to Yzma in Emperor's New Groove to Catwoman to making Lady Bird Johnson cry for the Vietnam War. She was a master of comedy and sex, an extremely vocal activist, and she aged like fine wine... I honestly don't know what I can say about her that hasn't already been said, so I'll stick to linking all my propaganda. Like what else do you want from me. She was iconic at everything she ever did. Literally name another. How can anyone even think of her and not want to absolutely drown?

Hedy Lamarr (Samson and Delilah, Ziegfeld Girl)—Look. I'm sure someone has already submitted Hedy Lamarr because she was spectacularly beautiful, and a very strong lady too: she fled both an abusive marriage AND nazi persecution at a very young age and rebuilt a life for herself pursuing her love for acting all on her own!! Her career as an actress was stellar; while she began acting outside of Hollywood (her very first movie, Ecstasy, won a prize at the Venice Film Festival), she conquered American hearts very quickly with her first movie in the US, Algiers, and then just kept getting better and better. If all this isn't enough, she was also an inventor: her invention of the frequency-hopping spread spectrum radio transmission technique forms the base of bluetooth and has a lot of applications in all kinds of communication technologies. I think that deserves a prize, don't you?

This is the final poll of the Hot & Vintage Movie Women Tournament. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

THIS POLL LASTS FOR 24 HOURS.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Eartha Kitt:

"A hot vintage woman who was not just known for her voice, beauty, poise, and presence, but also her unapologetic ways of speaking about how she was mistreated in the show business as a girl who grew up on cotton fields in South Carolina in the 1930s through the 1940s coming to Broadway first and then Hollywood."

"Have you watched her sing?? Have you seen her face?? Have you heard her talk?? How could you not fall instantly in love. She makes me incoherent with how hot she is."

"She can ACT she can SING she can speak FOUR LANGUAGES she is a GODDESS!!! Although she is (rightfully) remembered for her singing, TV appearances (Catwoman my beloved), and later film roles, her early appearances in film are no less impressive or noteworthy!! She’s an amazing actress with so much charisma in every role. She was also blacklisted from Hollywood for 10 years for criticizing the Johnson administration/Vietnam War, so. Iconic. Also Orson Welles apparently called her “the most exciting woman in the world.”

"She had such a stunning, remarkable appearance, like she could tear you to shreds with just a glance- but the most undeniable part of her hotness was her voice, and it makes sense that it's what most people nowadays know her for. Nothing encapsulates the sheer magnetism of her singing better than this clip of her and Nat King Cole in St. Louis Blues, she pops in at 2:49. Also I know it's post-1970 but her song that was cut from Emperor's New Groove is likely to make you feel Feelings."

"Even with as racist as Hollywood was in the 1950s and 60s, Eartha Kitt STILL managed to have a thriving career. She also once had a threesome with Paul Newman and James Dean, and called out LBJ over the Vietnam War so hard that it made First Lady Johnson cry. Eartha Kitt was talented, sexy, and a total badass activist."

Hedy Lamarr:

"The only person you can find both on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in the Inventor's Hall of Fame--her radio-frequency-hopping technology forms the basis for cordless phones, wi-fi, and a dozen other aspects of modern life. She was also passionate in her efforts to aid the Allies in WWII (unsurprising for a Jewish-Austrian Emigree to America), and her name served as the backbone for one of the best running jokes in what is possibly Mel Brooks' best movie. Look, Louis B. Mayer apparently believed he could plausibly promote her as "The world's most beautiful woman". Is an entire website full of people going to be less audacious than one Louis B. Mayer? I didn't think so!"

"Described as "Hedy has the most incredible personal sophistication. She knows the peculiarly European art of being womanly; she knows what men want in a beautiful woman, what attracts them, and she forces herself to be these things. She has magnetism with warmth, something that neither Dietrich nor Garbo has managed to achieve" by Howard Sharpe, she managed to escape her controlling husband (and Nazi Germany) by a) Disguising as her maid and fleeing to Paris or b) Convincing the husband to let her wear all of her jewelry to a dinner, only to disappear afterwards. Also she was particularly clever and helped develop Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum (I can't really explain it but anyway...)"

"Her depiction of Delilah and Samson and Delilah just lives rent free in my head. The woman was gorgeous."

"One of the most beautiful women ever in film, spoken by many critics and fans. Beautiful shapely figure, deeper seductive voice, and often played femme fatale roles. She was also brilliant and an inventor. Mainly self-taught, she invested her spare time, including on set between takes, in designing and drafting inventions, which included an improved traffic stoplight and a tablet that would dissolve in water to create a flavored carbonated drink, and much more."

"Gorgeous and brilliant pioneer of modern technology and the middle part."

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

a ghost of the past. l Javier Peña. 

💔 a few ways to break your heart 💔

Summary: he broke your heart many times and now he's back

Warnings: angst, obroken heart, reminiscing about Colombia, engagement, some nasty words

A/N: the second season of broken hearts. I'm tired. I don't know how I wrote this. I'll probably regret it when I have to fix it.

your feedback is very important to me and I thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. 🖤 sorry for all the mistakes

a few ways to break a heart [masterlist]

The first time he broke your heart was when you were seventeen. He kissed you while you were sitting in an empty school playground on a summer night. Your first kiss, and it was with him. Happiness filled you to the brim. The pages of your diary were filled with hundreds of words, describing his brown eyes, soft lips, big hands. Javier was your friend and you had been in love with him for a few years. A week later, you saw him with a girl from another class.

The second time he broke your heart was when you were hoping he would go to the prom with you. You looked really beautiful. You still remembered the color of your dress and the smell of the perfume you wore. Javier showed up to the prom with Lorraine. You were still his best friend. The only one he had.

The third time he broke your heart was when he showed up at your house at night. He said he could only trust you, that you were always there for him, that you were the only person who understood him. Your heart was pounding in your chest like crazy when he grabbed your hand. That's when you found out he had decided to propose to Lorraine.

He broke your heart a fourth time when you showed up at the church on his wedding day, despite everything, and he ran away. No. He didn’t run away with you. You were still clutching the flowers you’d brought with you to the church when Javier called and said he was flying to Colombia. “You’re my best friend. Wait for me.”

And you waited, even though your mind told you it was pointless. You finished college, found a job. Several men came along, but none of them stayed for long. How pathetic was it for you to keep thinking about that man?

Javier Peña. 

You were thousands of miles apart and you were sure he could sense you were thinking about him. You kept thinking about him even though you knew you were doomed. In your head, you were happy together. In your head, everything was better than the reality that was before your eyes.

That's when you met Matthew. He was a dentist, had his own clinic downtown. Tall, handsome, with warm eyes and smooth hands. He took you to the movies, on trips out of town, on good dates. He was funny and really listened to you. He never once broke your heart.

When the diamond ring sparkled on your finger, you felt you were doing the right thing. You couldn't live for a ghost, a specter that would never come back, and certainly not to you. Javier Peña was never yours.

And he never really wanted you either. All the memories of him, all the conversations you had, all the hours you spent together, you packed into a box and placed somewhere deep in your heart, ready to move on.

And then fate turned around and decided to play a trick on you. It wasn't fair. But when you opened the door and saw Javier on your porch, you felt like the ground had fallen from under your feet.

"Hi." he said in that same low and deep voice you remembered so well. He slid his glasses down his nose and looked at you, and you drowned in his eyes. "It's good to see you."

"Javier..." you barely heard your own voice.

He came back home. He was living with his father again to help him on the farm, he wanted to see you. He was driving by and saw the car in front of the house. He took a chance.

"I missed you." he said, a little embarrassed that he dared to say it. "I thought about you, every day."

Your heart sank.

"It's been a few years." you finally answered. "A lot has changed..."

"You haven't."

Was it really that easy? Javier stood before you, even more handsome than you remembered, staring at you like he meant what he said. You were that girl again, just wanting him to notice her.

"Pops said you were engaged." he finally said, putting his hands on his hips. "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Does he treat you well or should I talk to him?"

That smirk. You rolled your eyes, leaning against the door frame. "Matthew's a fantastic guy." you replied. "And yes, he treats me really well."

Javier nodded. "Good, good. You deserve the best."

"Why do you say that?" he looked at you in surprise. You took a deep breath, folding your arms across your chest. "Why did you even show up? All those years of silence from you and now this? Why?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to see you. We're friends, right?"

"Friends." You repeated as if you were pondering the word. "You know, like I said, a lot has changed. I've changed too, Javier."

He watched you closely. Yes, he saw the slight changes in your face and figure, but he still thought you were a beautiful woman. He saw you as the same girl he had left behind in this city when he had fled to Colombia. To him, you were still that.

Only after a moment did he break the silence. "I thought... I guess I thought I could talk to you about what happened while I was gone. Like we used to, you know."

"Right. Because I'm always there for you."

"Of course."

You nodded, feeling tears gather behind your eyelids, a lump growing in your throat. “And who is there for me, Javier?” you asked with difficulty, keeping your voice from shaking. “Who was there for me when things were hard? When I was falling apart? When I needed someone to just listen, hold me, sit with me in silence? Not you, Javier…”

"I wasn't there on vacation." he muttered, trying to defend himself. However, he felt deep in his heart that what he said wasn't fair.

She nodded and quickly wiped away a tear that rolled down your cheek. “And I’m not here to hear your confession right now.”

Gorgeous brown eyes stared at you intensely. Although you were trembling inside, you tried not to show it on the outside. You didn't need a repeat of the past.

"We were teenagers then. I know you had a soft spot for me, but..."

“Go away,” you hissed, anger building inside you. Your fingernails dug painfully into your arms. “Get out of here, Javier, because I can’t vouch for myself.”

The anger was growing in your eyes, he could see it clearly. His friend, the only one he thought about while he was out of the country, was glaring at him. You had every right to be. He had let you down so badly, and now he had reappeared to take advantage of your good heart.

He wanted to say something else, even parted his lips, but the shuffling of wheels in the driveway distracted him. A nice car pulled up, and after a moment a man dressed in a neat shirt and carrying a bouquet of flowers got out.

"Sweetheart." he greeted you, approaching and kissing you on the cheek, and then looking at Javier. "Do we have a guest?"

“Umm, it’s Javier. A friend from school. Came to say hi.” You replied, trying to keep your voice natural.

Matthew reached out and shook Javier’s hand. “Would you like to come for coffee? I’d like to hear what my fiancée was like in high school.”

"Javier has to go back now. He's busy." You replied quickly, and Peña felt that he was no longer welcome in this place.

“Yeah, I just dropped by for a minute.” He mumbled, putting on his glasses. “Engagement, huh?” Matthew looked at you with a smile that didn’t go unnoticed by Javier. “Congratulations. Maybe we’ll meet in town sometime.”

He nodded and took a few quick steps to his car. Your gaze was glued to his back. You were her again, the one he needed, and yet the one who wanted him to suffer. But why were you suffering too...

[raguiras]

What's this?! Spade of Storms is canon in the game now?! /j

Finally finished this Spade of Storms WIP from early June 😅 Click for better quality!

Reblogs are very appreciated ~

「 Bonus versions & ship ramble below the cut! 」

♤ More Deuce x Allen: ♤

SHIP INTRO: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

OTHER ART: 1

Ship blog: @spade-of-storms

♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤

♤ Ship ramble ♤

There are many reasons why Allen and Deuce are perfect for each other (list), but a fair share of said reasons are rooted in or can be traced back to one massive, highly important core point: these two have extremely similar experiences in a reversed order.

Said experiences shaped their personalities, goals, insecurities and "masks" — all of which are highly important factors for Deuce and Allen's relationship development.

So today, I'll be talking about how their backstories influence Allen and Deuce's relationship.

Something I noticed is that if Spade of Storms weren't dating, they'd pretty much end up experiencing at least parts of each other's backstory... and end up in a super miserable state.

Allen is a former honor student who overworked himself to the point of burning out, all because he was a people pleaser and his stellar grades still weren't enough for his teachers who expected nothing but the absolute best from him. Additionally, he had to suppress his true self and interests because he was expected to be a model student in every single way, and anger was something only "bad" kids felt.

Sounds familiar? Deuce is unknowingly on the path to end up in the same situation, except in his case, the fact that he can't seem to achieve better grades no matter what causes him even more distress. If he actually ended up becoming a honor student, Deuce would experience a ton of additional pressure, not to mention that he's already struggling to hide the delinquent tendencies that are a fundamental part of his true personality... Sure, "honor student" sounds like a nice and admirable title to have — but the reality behind it is cruel, and Deuce isn't aware of that yet.

Which is why I gave him Allen.

A large part of Allen's trauma is rooted in his past as a honor student and the crushing expectations people (including himself) threw at him, and he desperately wants Deuce to watch out for himself and approach his goal of becoming a honor student carefully and logically rather than bite off more than he can chew and end up drowning in even more pressure, self-suppression and insecurities. Allen doesn't want Deuce to experience all the negative sides of being a honor student and instead supports the Heartslabyul student's goals by working towards them with a pace appropriate for Deuce, helping him study through actually unique methods specifically tailored for Deuce, and — most importantly — giving Deuce a safe and healthy environment where he can be his 100% authentic self and learn how to properly get his impulsiveness under control at the same time.

And the other way around? How does Deuce's past help Allen?

Deuce quit being a delinquent because it not only disappointed his mom, but also caused him a lot of trouble and massively stained his reputation. While Allen can handle his own delinquent tendencies just fine on the outside, his anger is actually much worse than Deuce's, not to mention that he has incredibly violent fantasies about the people he can't stand...

So far, Allen hasn't done anything bad. But Deuce, despite being a delinquent at heart himself, is able to calmly remind Allen to not do anything he might end up regretting or that might stain his reputation, especially since this is a major fear of Allen's. Deuce's worries and loving way manage to keep Allen in check, no matter how strong the Ramshackle student's hatred for society grows.

♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎

Now, HOW exactly are they able to help each other grow? WHY did they form intimate levels of trust to begin with? And especially, why can Allen actually efficiently help Deuce in the first place when nobody else can?

All will be revealed in the next issue Spade of Storms explanation post >:)

[plussizefantasia]

CozyTober Day 7: Fresh Baked Goods

Bucky Barnes x wife!reader

wc: 0.9k

warnings: anxiety induced baking

an: this was one of my favorites and now I have a few more ideas of what I should bake this month hehe. Reblog if you enjoyed, I'll see you tomorrow for Day 8!

Since you were old enough to use the stove unsupervised baking has been your main way to get rid of stress. The way that it captured all your focus and kept your hands busy made it the prime choice for distraction in moments of chaos. 

When finals week would roll around you would be drowning in all sorts of breads, cookies, muffins, and pastries. You had resorted to donating them to a local soup kitchen whenever you could, or forcing them off on your friends, teachers whoever would take them really.

The habit had not broken in adulthood, though you were now more mindful about other ways to cope, when the stress got to be a little too much you resorted to finding a new recipe and firing up the oven. 

And your husband going on two week-long missions where he wasn’t allowed to contact you was a great example of the stress becoming too much. Currently, the little kitchen in the townhome the two of you had bought together last year was absolutely covered in all kinds of goodies. You had some pumpkin rolls, several batches of apple cinnamon muffins, caramel apple cookies, apple turnovers, and some pumpkin and chocolate chip loaf. 

You were rolling out the four sheets of pie dough you had prepared for the various flavors of filling that are currently cooling in your fridge. Suffice to say that you had overdone it but you really had nothing else to do. 

You had finished all the cleaning there was to do the first week he had been gone, and you didn’t want to mindlessly watch the shows on your list because you promised Bucky you wouldn’t watch them without him. You had gone through your entire closet and pulled out things you could donate, you had asked for more tasks from work and then promptly finished all of those too. 

You had nothing to distract yourself, so you resorted to baking. You knew the treats would get eaten, either by your husband’s team or the people at your own work if they were left in the breakroom. But you’re not really sure how much longer this can go on before it’s considered an actual problem.

Luckily and unbeknownst to you, you wouldn’t have anything to be worried about in a few hours, because your husband would walk through your front door. 

Bucky hated blackout missions, not only did he think the whole concept was paranoid and that was a lot coming from him, but he had people to miss now. He had ties to the real world, ones he didn’t feel entirely comfortable abandoning for two weeks even if you’d talked about it before he left.

He worked hard to get the job done as soon as possible and told Ross to shove it when the general had asked him to stick around for one more day so he could complete the mission debrief. That was Sam’s job anyway, the type of bureaucratic responsibility that came along with the stars and stripes plastered across his chest. 

So he shed himself off his mission gear, changed into his civvies, and hopped on his motorcycle. He didn't wait a second before revving it up and coming home to you. 

He did not expect however to open the door and be assaulted with the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. He sighed and shook his head with a smile, mentally preparing himself for the sight of his kitchen being turned into a bakery.

You didn’t hear the door open, too busy humming along to the Fred Astaire record spinning on the table in the corner. You didn’t notice Bucky slipping off his boots or hanging up his jacket. You didn’t hear the padding of his feet as he made his way to the kitchen and you didn’t notice when he propped himself up against the door frame and took in the sight of your baking breakdown.

You did however hear his slightly teasing lilt of “Honey, I’m home.” 

You spin to face the voice and let out an undignified squeal. You spin around looking for a place where you can set the hot pan in your hand and give up, practically throwing it back into the oven before taking a running start and launching yourself at him

His deep chuckle blesses your ears and you dig your nose into his chest taking a big breath of something that can only be described as Bucky. 

“You’re home!” yelled muffled by his chest.

He ran a hand down the back of your head over his hand, “You baked.”

You pull back and look sheepishly at him, hoping that the kisses you scatter across his face will distract him from the abundance of carbs behind you.

It doesn’t work. The two of you eat muffins for breakfast every day for the next two weeks, Bucky takes some of the treats to the base with him and says the trainees are grateful but that the sugar makes them annoying. You bring some of what’s left to your own work and are met with a bunch of thank you e-mails and even a thank you coffee from the nice older woman who sits three desks away from you. The rest you bring to the children’s hospital the next time the two of you visit, sweets are always a hit there.

Bucky does ban you from the kitchen for three weeks after though, afraid you’ll get the urge again and he’ll have to add a few more hours of gym time to his routine to burn off all the carbs he’s been eating.

[maximoffcarter]

It'll be okay.

Pairings: Emily Prentiss x reader.

Warnings: Mentions of COVID.

Summary: Emily Prentiss was known to always taking care of her team, taking full responsibility of everything, taking the blame, making sure they were okay, etc. But, it was true that she never let anyone know the hard time she was having, that was until y/n entered her life.

A/n: This was requested by anon, and gotta say I dunno if this is even good but I wrote what I felt was right. It’s angst with comfort and fluff😌 I added some backstory cause why nooooot? I mostly based this on the first episode, and maybe after the season ends, I'll do a better one, but I believe this was good enough for now haha. Our baby really does need some comfort and a goddamn break🥹 I also did not proof read this, I never do until it's too late haha, so my apologies. Hope you guys enjoy this, leave comments, hearts, whatever you like and reblog so this gets some love🫶🏻

*not my gif*

COVID had definitely taken a toll on the BAU, not only had the world stopped but a lot of things had happened then. People died, people left, the world entirely changed, and there was no stopping, no one could actually stop it. Emily Prentiss had tried to make it work, to make things a little easier as she tried to focus on her job every single day, drowning in paperwork, zoom meetings, not being able to freely do what they were so used on doing, it had been a hard year. Not only that, but the fact that her breakup had been so messy, but that was the least of all the other things she was going through. Emily thought it couldn’t have gone worse, but then y/n was very present in her life. It was funny the day where it all had gone down.

It was the end of the most painful and difficult year, 2021 was about to arrive, just a week for the so awaited new year. And it so happened that on Christmas day, Emily had gotten COVID. She was in complete denial of being sick, more so because she needed to work, and she also had nothing to help her with the undeniable symptoms; the unbearable headache and body ache, the obvious fever, the terrible cold that her body felt, the stupid and annoying coughing and the stupid stuffed nose. Yes, there was no denial she was sick, but of course she wouldn’t admit how bad it was. But that didn’t stop y/n from going into action and deciding to go to Emily. Emily had been on the phone with her a few hours earlier, and when y/n noticed how bad this had gotten, she couldn’t stop herself from getting everything she needed and off to Emily’s house she was.

“What…on earth are you doing h-here.” Emily was interrupted with a cough, her hand soon landing on her chest as she felt the horrible pain as she coughed.

“I’m here to take care of you. Go to the living room, need to keep our distance.” Y/n said softly as she adjusted her face mask, getting a bottle of spray out.

Emily furrowed her brows but went ahead to the living room, soon enough grabbing a face mask and turning back to look at y/n. “I’m fine, you don’t have to stay here.”

“Oh, but I do. We’re close to get the vaccine, I cannot have you stopping at the hospital just because you were too stubborn to accept that you’re really sick.” Y/n sprayed the whole area where Emily had just been, and then turned to look at her with a raised brow. “Okay, here’s what we’ll do. You stay in your room, I’ll sleep on the couch, you can only use your room and bathroom. I’ll be bringing you food and medication, already talked to a doctor. If we don’t see any progress, we’ll have to go to the hospital, which I hope, you’ll cooperate, Prentiss.”

Emily just stared at her, a bit surprised on how y/n had become so bossy, but she also couldn’t blame her, knowing perfectly well that she’d probably die on her own. “Got it. I will.”

Y/n nodded. “Good, now I’ll go disinfect your room first. You stay here while I do that, no touching anything anymore. Though, I will clean here too.”

Emily couldn’t help the small smile that spread through her face as she nodded, thankful that the face mask was covering it. “Got it boss.”

Y/n grinned softly as she nodded. “Good, I’ll be right back. Bed stuff?”

“Closet, second drawer, and the blankets are on top.”

Emily would be lying if she said she wasn’t happy to have y/n here. Ever since y/n joined the team, somehow, they had become inseparable, even if she tried to get her to work with the whole team, before she even thought about it, she was already saying that y/n would go with her, and of course, that didn’t go unnoticed by Tara, JJ and Penelope, but they never mentioned anything, even more when Emily ended up with a boyfriend. That of course till this day, Emily thought so much about how she had forced herself to actually like someone just so she wouldn’t feel so alone. But the one person she had actually wanted…had been y/n. And now having her here, willing to take care of her even if she knew there was a risk that she could get sick, it was everything for Emily.

Emily slowly opened her eyes as she heard her door opening. She looked up and smiled softly as she noticed y/n walking in with a tray of food. “Hey. Did I sleep a lot?”

Y/n looked at Emily and smiled, carefully putting the tray of food on the nightstand. “For like an hour and a half. It’s good that you’re sleeping.” She grabbed the thermometer and placed it on Emily’s forehead. She sighed relieved and offered a small smile. “It’s coming down, finally.”

Emily smiled. “And the headache is not as bad.”

“No, Prentiss. I will not leave, it’s good you’re getting better but no way I’m leaving in the next few days.” Y/n raised her brow as she placed back the thermometer in its place.

“I was not going to say anything about that.” Emily chuckled softly. “Just…thank you.” She smiled softly as she sat on her bed.

Y/n nodded softly. “You welcome.” She smiled as she looked at Emily. “So…I ordered some groceries for tomorrow, we’ll have our own Christmas celebration.”

Emily’s heart stopped for a moment, her eyes widening. “Oh my…tomorrow is Christmas! Y/n, you shouldn’t be here. I’m sure you have-“

“Ah, stop.” Y/n grinned softly. “I have nothing to do, and I wouldn’t want to spend my Christmas any differently. What better way to celebrate it than with a sick Emily Prentiss? Such a great gift.” She chuckled softly as she grabbed the tray and placed it on Emily’s legs.

Emily’s heart swelled as she stared at y/n, a small smile on her face. “If you say so.”

“I do say so.” Y/n smiled softly. “Eat that, I’ll bring your medication.”

Emily watched her leave and her smile widened even more. All these years, she had been taking care of herself, not letting anyone in because she knew how that’d end up. She had never liked to be taken care of, but she loved to make sure that her loved ones were always good taken care of. So now, y/n doing all of this…it made her realize that maybe, just maybe…she did feel the same way.

********************

Emily groaned softly as she stretched, slowly opening her eyes to the sound of a groan and then a small whisper. As she looked up, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes, she furrowed her brows as she noticed y/n moving a small table and placing it in the middle of the door. She tilted her head in curiosity as a small, silly smile spread across her face. “What are you doing?”

Y/n looked up at Emily and smiled, her cheeks turning slightly red. “Oh uh��moving a table?”

“And…leaving it right in the middle of the door?” Emily raised her brow.

“Okay don’t laugh but…I thought this could be a way for us to have Christmas lunch together.”

Emily’s face softened as she stared at her, her cheeks turning red and not for the fever. She grinned softly. “Charming.”

“I tend to be.” Y/n grinned softly. “Grab your chair and I’ll bring the food.”

Emily smiled softly and did just as she was told, grabbing the chair that was just might the closet and sitting down in front of the table. She smiled softly as y/n came back with a chair for herself and started brought Emily her plate already with food and her drink. They ate together and right after they talked about everything but work, laughing as they told old stories about themselves and even some stories with the team. Y/n was fascinated just listening to Emily talk, loving that she had chosen the idea of spending Christmas with her, and that Emily had allowed her to take care of her. As for Emily, even if she was tired, she was enjoying every moment she was spending with y/n. As she watched her talk, she kept wondering in her mind if she was right or she was wrong about her suspicions, smiling softly without even noticing.

Y/n furrowed her brows and tilted her head as she stared at Emily. “What?” She hugged a chuckle.

“What?” Emily snapped out of her trance. “Oh! No, nothing. I’m sorry.”

Y/n chuckled. “You should get back to bed and sleep, I’ll clean up and wake you up for your pills.”

“Wait!” Emily coughed, grabbing her glass of water, and taking a deep breath afterwards. “I uh…have a question.”

“Yes?”

Emily took a deep breath, feeling her body still pretty much aching and getting all warm. “Why are you doing this?”

Y/n furrowed her brows again. “I…because I didn’t want you to be alone, Em.”

“Is that the only reason?” Emily raised her brow, a small smile on her face.

Y/n tilted her head as she smiled shyly, looking down at her glass. “Well…I don’t wanna get fired after what I have to say.”

“Which is?”

“You’re a profiler, Em. Isn’t it obvious?” Y/n blushed slightly as she looked back at her. “I…care a lot about you. Which means…that I like you…a lot.” She whispered softly as she nibbled on her lip.

Emily smiled softly as she nodded, tilting her head. “And you’re also a profiler, y/n. Isn’t it obvious?”

Y/n’s eyes widened slightly as she stared at Emily. “Wait…are you serious?”

“If I wasn’t sick and this table wasn’t in the middle of us, I’d be kissing you right now.” Emily smirked softly.

Y/n’s lips parted slightly as she stared at Emily, a soft smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Is the fever making you talk?”

Emily laughed softly, coughing afterwards, and placing her hand on her chest. “No, no…I’m…I’m serious.” She smiled.

“We’re gonna check back once you’re not sick.” Y/n grinned. “But for now…this could be considered our first date.”

“And I’d like to take you in a second date…next year.” Emily joking as she grinned.

Y/n rolled her eyes playfully. “You’re so funny, Prentiss. But I accept.” She smiled softly.

Emily laughed softly as she nodded, feeling her heart beating faster as y/n kept staring at her with that beautiful smile on her face. After all, there was something good out of this pandemic.

********************

It wasn’t new that y/n saw Emily drowning in work, not after all the changed that the BAU had over the years. Having JJ back had at least eased things, but Rossi losing his wife, not having Penelope around, a whole new case that fell into their lap, Bailey not helping at all, Emily was losing her mind. But once she had most of her team back, including Penelope, things didn’t seem to be so bad…until they were, again. Y/n always had her eyes on Emily, the entire time, they both had promised that their relationship wouldn’t interfere with work, it wouldn’t change the way they worked, and it also wouldn’t stop them, meaning that things would stay just like they were before. Of course, the team was now aware of their relationship, and they were happy that at least, there was something to look forward to -Penelope joking that she was already planning the wedding…they believed she was joking-.

But once the whole ‘Gold Star’ started, y/n noticed how Emily just kept getting home late, trying to drown herself in work and compensate for what had happened. She had tried her best to be there for her and let Emily know that it had not been her fault, and that she had done what she and the team had thought was right. Emily tried to hide everything that she was feeling to not let y/n and the team figure out that she was having a hard time, but y/n knew better, she could now see through Emily, but she also knew not to push her. Even if it killed her to know that Emily was having a hard time.

“Hey, so where’s Emily? Thought she’d be here.” JJ snapped y/n out of her trance, making her look up at her while JJ offered a small smile.

“Oh…she had uh…she had something to do.” Y/n tried her best to smile but they knew better.

“Work, huh? She feels…guilty about Bailey?” Tara asked as she turned to look at y/n.

Y/n sighed softly as she nodded. “I don’t know what to do.”

“We know Emily. There’s not much we can do if she doesn’t want to talk.” Tara said softly as she placed her hand on y/n’s shoulder.

“But I’m her girlfriend. I mean…I should at least…I don’t know. Try harder?” Y/n shrugged. “I just want Emily to know that I’m here…”

JJ sighed softly. “Well, I’m sure she knows, she’s just…trying to deal with her stuff.”

Y/n nodded softly as she looked back at JJ, smiling softly. She felt her phone vibrating and got it out of her pocket, furrowing her brows as she saw Emily’s text. Soon enough she was saying goodbye to everyone and then heading back to the office. It felt a little weird to be here so late, the whole office was silent and almost dark, Emily’s office was the only one that had its light on. Y/n took a deep breath as she noticed Emily walking around her office and then stopping by the window. She wanted to support her in every possible way, but she was also afraid that Emily was overworking herself and that didn’t sit right with her. She slowly walked to Emily’s office and leaned against the doorframe, trying her best to smile as Emily turned to look at her.

“Hey you.” Y/n smiled softly.

Emily offered a smile in return. “I’m sorry I made you leave Penelope’s birthday.”

“I was going to anyway.” Y/n shrugged. “What’s going on?”

Emily sighed softly. “We need to talk.”

Y/n felt her heart drop for a moment as she stared at Emily. She could only nod, not trusting her voice as she felt her body slightly trembling as she waited for Emily to say anything at all, but instead, she walked to y/n, grabbed her hand, and kissed it softly, offering a smile as she pulled y/n with her. Soon enough, they were on the ceiling, Emily had sat down and had pulled out a box of cigarettes, catching y/n off guard for a moment, but also keeping in mind how incredibly hot it was to see her smoke. Seriously, y/n…not the time. She crossed her arms and listened to everything Emily had to say, and again, she felt helpless as she listened to Emily, wanting nothing more than to be able to fix all this with a snap of her finger and be able to take Emily anywhere so she could relax.

“Well, you’ve been doing your homework.” Y/n teased as she walked closer to Emily and grabbed the cigarette putting it in her mouth before she returned it to Emily.

Emily scoffed. “Well…we need to get to the end of this.”

Y/n nodded, sighing softly, and looked away for a moment. “So…you think he’s government trained or something?”

“He’s definitely too proficient to be self-taught.”

“And that’s why they’re keeping it a secret.” Y/n tilted her head as she looked back at Emily. “I know that you’ve been overprotective after what happened…but we need to let the team know about this. You know that working together, we’ll get it done.”

Emily sighed softly as she nodded. “I know.” She nibbled on her lip for a moment as she looked at y/n. “Baby…I need you to promise me that whatever we do here, I need you to be safe. We see what he does…what has happened so far. I cannot…” her voice cracked for a moment, looking down at the floor as she put back the cigarette in her mouth.

Y/n sighed softly as she walked to Emily, positioning herself in between her legs and placing her hands on her cheeks, tilting her head up so their eyes locked. “I will promise you that if you promise me the same.” She smiled softly. “Em, I need you to take a break too. You’ve barely been home, you’ve barely been sleeping. I will make the promise if you promise me you’ll also take care of yourself.”

Emily took a deep breath, moving her free hand to y/n’s hips, offering a small smile. “Alright. I will.”

Y/n smiled softly as she leaned down to kiss Emily’s forehead. “You’re stubborn, Prentiss. If I don’t take care of you, you won’t.”

“That’s why I have you. Couldn’t have it any other way.” Emily chuckled softly, leaning up slightly to kiss her lips while she put out the cigarette.

Y/n smiled against her lips. “I know I should be forbidding you from smoking but…did you know you look extremely hot smoking?”

Emily chuckled softly as she wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer. “No but thank you.” She grinned.

Y/n rolled her eyes playfully and then leaned down to kiss her lips again. “Let’s go call Garcia.”

********************

Y/n could only stare at Emily while everyone else talking, giving their thoughts about the video they had just watched. she couldn’t really concentrate on what they were even talking about, part of her was trying to comprehend everything, work with them, say anything at all, but her mind was entirely focused on Emily. The moment Rossi and Emily had walked into the office, she could tell that there was something wrong with Emily; the way she stared at them, the way she talked, her eyes seemed…lost. She tried to keep up with everything, every now and then feeling JJ’s eyes on her, even Tara’s, but her eyes were only focused on Emily.

“Em?” Y/n asked softly as they all left the room, walking to Emily and taking her hand. “Are you alright?”

Emily looked back at her and furrowed her brows. “Yes. Why are you asking?”

Y/n tilted her head slightly as she raised her brow. “That was not nothing. What you and Rossi saw…and you…you don’t look okay.”

Emily shrugged. “It’s part of the job, isn’t it?”

Y/n sighed softly. “Emily, I-“

“Right now, we need to focus on this case. We might have something important here. I know I promised, but we also promised we wouldn’t change the way we work here. Right now, we’re at work, and we need to focus on that.” Emily said softly but firmly, not wanting to sound rude or harsh, but the way she looked at y/n, with stress and frustration, made y/n’s insides turn.

Y/n nodded softly as she let go of Emily’s hand. “Right.”

Emily only nodded before she left, leaving y/n standing there, not knowing what to do or say. She knew working together wouldn’t be the easiest thing ever, but she couldn’t help it, and Emily couldn’t blame her for worrying. Y/n had stayed behind with JJ at the office, she had tried to brush it off and focus on their main task. But again, once they came back, y/n noticed it again, she noticed the way Emily rubbed her temple and went straight to her office. She didn’t say anything, she stayed with JJ as she let Emily have a minute. She was right, they had made it clear things wouldn’t change, and so far, it had worked out, and she was not about to stress Emily more.

********************

Y/n closed the door behind her and sighed softly as she locked it, standing there staring at it as she took a deep breath before she turned to walk to their room. Emily was already sitting on the bed, taking off her shoes. Y/n said nothing, walking to the bed and also sitting down and doing the same as Emily. Silence surrounded them for a moment for a while, y/n knew it was stupid that Emily’s words had hit her the way they did, but she couldn’t help it, she knew that if it was the other way around, Emily wouldn’t drop it until y/n accepted that Emily was right, but in this case, which was not even an option.

But then she heard a soft groan coming from Emily, and as she turned, she noticed Emily’s head in her hands, and y/n was back to feeling worried. She stood up slowly and walked around the bed, kneeling right in front of Emily, and positioning herself in between her legs, her hands on top of Emily’s as she leaned her head against Emily’s.

“Em…” Y/n whispered softly.

“I’m exhausted.” Emily breathed out, her voice cracking slightly. “I don’t know what’s going on, nothing seems right, everything seems to be against us, to be against me. It’s like they want me to resign so badly, they want…they want the BAU to disappear. I don’t know what they want from me, I cannot just drop this, not after everything we’ve been through.” She said quietly as she felt her eyes getting teary, not being able to look up at y/n. “They’re making us get involved with a fucking serial killer. What has gotten into their minds?! What are they hiding?!”

Y/n wrapped her arms around her, only being able to hold Emily tightly as she started sobbing. Emily knew that she was overworking herself, that she was doing too much, she was obsessing too much, but there was no chance to back down, she couldn’t just let it happen, she couldn’t let them win. But she felt so…heavy. Everything hurt, her head felt like exploding, her chest felt heavy, she had felt the usual anxiety creep in her body, she felt worse than she had years ago. She sobbed quietly as she felt y/n tightening her embrace, Emily suddenly wrapping her arms around y/n’s neck, feeling bad for the weird position they were in, but needing y/n to hold her so badly, she’d worry about the position later.

“I can’t just drop this.” Emily whispered as she buried her face on y/n’s neck, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I know. And we won’t drop it. I’ll be by your side.” Y/n whispered softly.

“I’m sorry I’m so stubborn…”

Y/n shook her head, smiling softly as she turned to kiss the side of her head. “But you’re mine. You can be as stubborn as you want.”

Emily chuckled softly as she pulled away, looking into y/n’s eyes. “I’m sorry that I’ve been drowning myself in this case.”

Y/n sighed softly. “I don’t blame you, Emily.” She rubbed Emily’s back softly as she leaned in and kissed her forehead. “I just don’t want you falling sick for so much stress. I don’t want you to get stuck in this to the point where you can’t notice that you’re putting everything and you’re putting yourself in danger.” She said softly as she looked into Emily’s eyes. “I’m just worried about you.”

Emily nodded as she let out a shaky breath. “I know. I won’t keep anything else from you, I promise. And…I’ll come to you when it’s too much.”

Y/n nodded as she smiled. “Em…baby, look at me.” She ran her fingers through her hair as Emily locked her eyes on hers. “I’m here for you, no matter what. The good and the bad, you’re not a burden to me, okay? I love you. And you’re not alone.”

Emily’s eyes filled with tears as her face softened, her body slightly trembling as she finally gave up and let tiredness take over her. She took a deep shaky breath, nodding her head as more tears rolled down her cheeks. Y/n rapidly wrapped her into another tight hug, letting Emily bury her face on her neck and sob as much as she needed. They stayed like that for a while, y/n rubbing her back and whispering sweet nothings while Emily cried. It was becoming too much, and Emily knew this wasn’t even the half of it and there was so much more to come, but for now, for now she had y/n, she was present in this moment. Y/n gave her the space to break and make her feel like she deserved to have this sort of moment even if they still made her feel weak, but she knew her lover would never judge her, not like she had been judged before. After a moment, she finally felt like she had gotten everything out, slowly moving back but resting her forehead against y/n’s, not wanting to be away.

“Thank you…” Emily whispered softly.

“Why are you thanking me?”

“Because you always take care of me even if you don’t have to.” Emily smiled through her tears.

Y/n smiled softly pulling away just enough to wipe her tears and stroke her cheek. “And I’ll be here to do it over and over again. If I risked my life with COVID, why not now?” She grinned a little.

Emily rolled her eyes playfully. “Well, it kept you in my apartment for a whole month. Not my fault you were so eager to kiss me.” She teased back.

Y/n gasped softly. “In my defense, you were supposed to be out of risk, and also, I couldn’t help it when I had you right in front of me. We had become girlfriends, and I hadn’t even kissed you yet.”

“That’s true.” Emily chuckled softly as she leaned in and kissed her forehead. “And I got to take care of you.”

Y/n nodded. “We’ve got each other’s back. You take care of me, and I take care of you.” She smiled softly.

Emily smiled and nodded softly. “Yes.” She rested her forehead against y/n’s once again. “I love you.”

“And I love you.” Y/n smiled softly and sighed softly as she closed her eyes for a moment. After a while, she moved to kiss Emily’s nose and offer another smile. “C’mon, let’s take a bath together. I’ll bring some wine and snacks.”

Emily smiled softly and nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

Y/n nodded before she got up, but as she was about to leave, Emily pulled her back to her, making her turn back to Emily who was now standing. “Yes?”

Emily smiled softly as she shook her head. “Nothing.” She placed her hand on y/n’s neck and brought their lips together into a tender kiss. “I love you.” She whispered softly against her lips.

Y/n giggled. “I love you too.” She whispered back and kissed her lips one more time before she walked out of the room.

Emily knew there was still a very long way, she had no idea what they were getting into, a lot of stress was coming their way, but she knew that as soon as she walked into their house, she’d be able to leave that stress behind at least for a while. This little bubble they had created for themselves was everything to Emily, and what got her to keep going. And that was all she needed.

[ynstark]

His Angel - (Part One)

Title: His Angel (Part One)

Characters/Pairings: Post!Endgame!Steve Rogers x Female!Adoptive!Stark!Virgin!Reader

Summary: You confide in Steve that you're a virgin. He's honesty shocked, but maybe he can be you first and hopefully you last.

Reader is in her 20s and Steve is in his mid 30s.

Minors DNI! Please and thank you!

Contents/Warnings: explicit smut, use of the nickname Angel a lot, mentions of death, talks of a toxic father, kissing, vaginal fingering, oral (female receiving), dirty talk, hint of a praise kink, talks of intercourse, talks of sex!toy use, angst, aftercare, Steve has a little bit of an ego, it's tiny, hopefully I listed them all, If I didn't let me know!

Author's Note: Ummm Hi, so I wrote my first fanfic. I've been studying the dark arts for a while and decided to take a crack at it. I don't know the word count, it came out ridiculously long. I just wrote whatever came to my head. Takes place a year after Tony's Memorial. This is a one time thing and won't happen again because I don't think I could write something like this ever again. Edit: Well, I started writing a prequel which takes place right after Tony's Memorial. So 20 likes and I'll drop that, but this is not happening again. Edit, Edit: This is now going to be pt 1 and there will be a pt 2 on top of the prequel. I didn't mean to write a lot of backstory, but it happened. If you squint, Steve is a soft!dom. I didn't grammar check so I apologize for any spelling or grammar errors. Do not repost my work anywhere. Likes and reblogs are welcomed and appreciated. Peace and love, enjoy. 🤍

Tonight was the night, you're going to loose your virginity to Steve Rogers. Everyone was on a mission for the past few days except for you and Steve, which left the whole compound to yourselves. You had confided in Steve one night that you were still a virgin, which came as a total shock to him. You were a fireball with confidence cascading out of you like water. Any man would be lucky to have you, but he also remembered your past and how your own father had treated you, which is why Tony adopted you after the snap.

Tony and your father worked together for years, but Tony knew the truth. You always had to convince him not to intervene for the sack of your mother, but then the snap happened and your mother was one of its victims. Tony had a good case for custody. He wasn't going to leave you in the care of your father and stand by and watch. Natasha also became a mother figure to you. Visiting you when she could and training you, which led to you going on missions. Tony didn't love that, but he knew you enjoyed going on them and you were a good asset to the team. You got to be a big sister to Morgan and Tony got to experience what it was like to have a grown up daughter and a new born at the same time, which he was grateful for before he died.

Tony left a letter for Steve asking him to take care of you. He knew you were a capable woman and that you could take care of yourself, but with him and Natasha gone, he knew you would drown emotionally. At least Tony could leave you in peace knowing you had Steve to lean on. After the memorial, Steve would check in on you. He would call you, visit you at your apartment or you would go to his. He would make sure you went to therapy, asked if you had visited Pepper and Morgan, or that you were taking care of yourself. You two grew close. The compound was finally rebuilt, which you and the rest of the avengers were grateful for. It was nice to be living with each other again. Steve started to call you Angel. He saw how your eyes had a little twinkle in them when he called you that. Bucky and Sam teased him about it. They could tell that Steve was falling for you the more he got to know you. Steve knew this isn't what Tony meant when he asked him to "take care of you", but Steve knew he couldn't ignore what he was feeling. He just didn't want to cross a line if you weren't ready. The problem was, he couldn't tell if you were.

Even though you knew that not all men were bad, especially being close to all the men in the avengers, your own father really set the example that you couldn't trust them, or tell if they had good intentions with you. The conversation with Steve took place one night when Steve decided to cook dinner for the two of you at the compound. Steve asked for your assistance in the kitchen, he really has no idea what he's doing. You sat on the counter giving him pointers and watching him to make sure he didn't burn anything.

"So, you're a virgin?" Steve asked, his curiosity fully peaked as he worked over the stove.

"Yup, unless you count using a dildo, but otherwise, no, I have not had the full experience."

"Never had someone go down on you?" You shake your head no to his question.

"Fingered you?"

"N.O. Rogers."

"Your first kiss?" He was definitely prying now.

"No." You could feel the loneliness set in you again.

"Pretty pathetic huh?" You looked down at your feet. Steve turned towards you, an empathetic look in his eyes, he could sense your mood had shifted.

"Hey, known of that, you're not pathetic. I've only slept with one person, and well, kissed Natasha."

"You kissed Natasha!" You asked surprised at his new confession.

"It was one time and she kissed me! It was so we didn't blow our cover. I'm surprised she never told you about it." Steve went back to stirring the pasta.

"Well she probably didn't want that image tattooed in my brain, it's also more believable that she kissed you." You snickered.

"Ha ha, very funny." he responded, you laughed again, making Steve get a little defensive. "Hey! I have game!"

"Really! I would love to see it in action Rogers."

"Well maybe I can try it out on you." Steve wanted a hole to open up and swallow him whole, he couldn't believe he actually said that out loud to you. Before he had time to retract his statement, you responded with, "Hmm, maybe." Steve paused to look over at you, he could sense no discomfort from you, you were actually serious.

"I'm sorry, did I hear a "maybe" Angel?" Steve stopped what he was doing to give you his full undivided attention. You sat there with that confidence he loved so much radiating off of you. You wanted him to actually try. Steve turned the stove off and slowly approached you. He knew he had to be careful with you. He couldn't just take you right here in the kitchen, even though he'd love to see you fall apart for him on his cock bent over the kitchen counter. "Control yourself Rogers." He thought to himself. Steve didn't want to trigger you. Once he was in front of you, you slightly spread your legs so he could stand in between them. You bit your bottom lip in anticipation and boy did Steve get hard once he saw your bottom lip disappear between your teeth.

"Can I touch you Angel?" He asked gently, you nodded. A tiny please slipped out from your lips. Steve chuckled a little. Guess he had that effect on you. He started with his hands on your thighs working their way up to your hips and then settling them on your bum. He gave it a little squeeze and you jumped at his motion, but not in a scared way, more of a "Please continue. I like what you're doing" way. Your hands travel up to fold behind his neck as Steve pulls you closer, you could feel his erection against you.

"So that's what that feels like." Steve couldn't help but burst out laughing at your statement, throwing his head back. You joined in on his laughter.

"Yes Angel, that is what an erection feels like." He responded still laughing.

"I did that to you?!" Your complete oblivion of a man's reaction to you made Steve want you more.

"Shit I didn't know we were that powerful." You continued, Steve thought, "If this woman only knew what power she has over me."

"Very powerful, if you told me to sacrifice myself, I'd do it in a heartbeat." Steve had the biggest dopey smile on his face as you laughed at his response. Once both of your laughter settled down, the reality set back in. Questions started to swirl in your head. Were you really ready to go through with this and let Steve have unconditionally access to you in the most intimate way possible? Could you get out of your head and let a man shower you in an abundance of love that you had never experienced before? You were brought out of your swirling when Steve got your attention by asking his own question.

"Angel, can I kiss you?" Steve asked, trying not to freak you out, but he could see the tiny panic in your eyes already, he starts to pull back, but you grab his arms.

"I need five minutes, I'll meet you in your room, I just need to get myself together. Can I have five minutes?" you asked quickly.

"You can have all the time in the world." He laughed, "What about dinner?" His eyes wonder over to the unfinished pasta in the pot.

"Screw dinner, you're about to screw me!" You jump off the counter and out of his arms, Steve couldn't help but smile. You're racing out of the kitchen when you turn around to tell him again, "Five minutes, okay?"

"Five minutes Angel, I'll be there." You leave him in the kitchen to clean up the dinner that never happened, racing to your room, and locking the door behind you. You take a few deep breaths. Tonight is the night, you're going to loose your virginity to Steve Rogers. You quickly change into a pair of comfy clothes, deciding to forgo your under garments. What's the point when Steve was going to rip you out of them anyway. You fixed your hair to have some form of sex-appeal. Quickly shaved and moisturized. You looked in the mirror, you did what you could on short notice, if anything you looked cute instead of sexy. Still looking in the mirror, you hyped yourself up. "You got this, Steve would never hurt you." You walked out of your room and headed to Steve's. It's more comfortable for you to go to his room than to let him into yours. You never had a man in your room except for Sam or Bucky when they stole your snacks now and then.

Steve patiently waits for you, sitting on his bed when he hears your tiny knock. Eyes glimmering with adoration when he opens his door and sees you. Even though you changed into a t-shirt and shorts, he still thought you were absolutely beautiful, breathtaking.

He closes the door behind you, he can see your mind whirling, you become timid. He knows this is new territory for you, he has to be, no, wants to be gentle with you. He's going to treat you like a porcelain doll the first time around. Even though you could kill someone just by looking at them, but here you are, choosing to be the most vulnerable and intimate with him.

"We don't have to do this tonight Angel, could just cuddle and watch a movie." He watches as you ponder on the alternative.

"No, I want to try, I trust you Steve." He saw the trust in your eyes, you were ready to give him complete access to you.

Steve nods and approaches you, slowly, putting his hands on your waist. You melt into his touch bringing your own hands against his chest. He kisses your forehead as you breathe out a sigh of relief. He pulls away just enough to cup your chin so you can look up at him.

"At any moment you feel uncomfortable, you tell me to stop, okay?" You nod.

"Words Angel." You look up at him again, giving him a quiet "Okay."

Steve looks into your eyes one more time to make sure you were really okay with this. Once he saw no changes in your mood, he proceeds to lean down.

"Let's try this again, can I kiss you Angel?" You respond with a quiet yes. Steve kisses you softly and gently. You melt into his lips. He pulls you closer against him, moving one hand to cradle the back of your head.

Your hands moved down to the hem of his shirt, giving him the signal you wanted him to take it off. In one swift motion his shirt was off and his hands back on you in an instant. He starts to slowly push you back until you land on his bed. He crawls on top of you, making sure to not apply his entire weight on you and plants a short kiss on your lips.

"Can I take this off?" He asked, slightly tugging at your shirt.

"Yes." You respond as he helps you sit up, slowly peeling off the material from your body. Your nipples instantly pebble once the cool air hits them. Steve's eyes gleam, he then looks back at you, leaning forward and whispers against your lips, "Absolutely beautiful, Angel."

He kisses you again, laying you down his bed once more. All you could do was smile. He comes back up and motions to your shorts, "And these? Can they come off too?" You nod with a smile and respond with a yes. He slowly rolls them down your legs leaving quick kisses on your thigh. Soft whimpers leave your mouth. Your left completely bare to him.

"No panties Angel? And here I thought you were a good girl." Steve smirked down at you. He takes in your bare form, his Angel, his beautiful virgin angel, ready for him to claim. He slowly positioned himself between your legs, hands gripping your thighs as his face comes face to face with your most intimate part. You feel his warm breath against you and you let out a little cry. "No reason to keep quiet Angel, there's no one here to hear you but me, be as loud as you want." Steve didn't mean to drag this out, but he knew he couldn't rush into this. He doesn't want to break the trust you granted him.

"Angel you're dripping, gonna touch you okay? Gonna make you feel good." He waits for your yes, moving one of his hands to your clit, his thumb making small circles on your little bud. "Stevie." You moan out. You felt your heart flutter, no one has ever touched you like this, let alone seen you like this. You prop yourself on your elbows to watch him.

"Think you can take one of my fingers?" He asks, you nod eagerly. He slowly enters his middle finger into your needy hole. His finger was definitely bigger than yours, but not big enough like one of you dildos. It's definitely been a while since you used one. The stretch feels nice. He lets his finger slide in and out of you as your walls flutter around his finger. "Feels so good Stevie." Yours eyes close and more whimpers fell out from your lips.

"That's it Angel, make a mess for me." Steve lets out a little moan himself realizing how tight you actually are. "Fuck you're so tight. Wondering how my cock will fit." You moan loud at his realization. He lets out a little chuckle, "Don't worry Angel, we'll make it fit, maybe I should just stretch you out tonight instead? Hmm?" He already knows your answer.

"That's not funny Steve, you wouldn't dare." There was his strong willed girl. You look at him with determination that you're going to take his cock tonight whether it hurts or not and Steve is happy to oblige. "Don't worry your pretty head. You'll get my cock tonight, but I need to do a proper tasting first." Another string of loud whimpers leave you. Steve slowly removes his finger, he couldn't wait to dive head first into your pussy.

"Ready Angel?" You give him a whinny yes at the anticipation. Finally lowering his mouth to your weeping hole, his tongue making contact to the place his been dying to try. Your head falls back and a song of moans leaves your throat. Steve was grinning like the cheshire cat. He continues his assault, dipping his tongue in you occasionally, which you seem to like a lot. He makes a mental note of that. The foreign feeling of his tongue becomes pure pleasure. Your fingers could never create the feeling of what Steve's tongue was doing to you. He laps at you like it's his final meal. Steve comes up for air making the comment, "Tastes like pure honey, could eat you out forever Angel." He dives back in, applying more pressure and you buck your hips up in excitement. You try to close your thighs, but Steve isn't having it, his grip is impossible to fight. You weave one of your hands into his hair, fingers scratching his scalp, pulling him closer to your core. Steve lets out a moan of satisfaction. He knows you close and ready to finally have your release. A few more licks and your dam breaks. The high and pleasure is unlike anything you have ever felt. Steve keeps his tongue pressed to your clit to help you ride out your orgasm. You come down from your high, clearly out of it, in the best way possible.

"Still with me Angel?" Steve comes up from your pussy.

"Uh Huh" You couldn't say anything else. Your brain was so fuzzy. Steve had given you one of the best orgasms in your entire life. Steve looks at you and sees your face. He knows that look. You're so fucked out, maybe he pushed you too far tonight.

"We can stop tonight Angel, you did so good." Steve responds, ready to cuddle you for the rest of the night.

You think about it, you really do want to be with it when Steve makes you cum on his cock, you know, get the full experience.

"As much as I want you to fuck me, you really wiped me out. That was, really good Steve. Thank you." You breathe out, panting.

"You're welcome Angel. I promise to fuck you properly soon, it's a date." He kisses the inside of your thigh and gets up to get you a glass of water, which you happily accept and a wash cloth to clean you up. He comes back handing you the glass and gets to work on cleaning you. He can tell your sensitive when he hears you whimper from his touch. He tries not to stimulate you to the best of his ability. After he's done, he puts the wash cloth in the laundry basket and comes back to lay down next to you. He watches you as you catch your breath, admiring your fucked out state, knowing he's the one who caused it.

You finish the water, placing the glass on the nightstand and find your way back to him, lying across his chest. Steve engulfs you in his arms and pulls the covers up to encase you in a warm embrace. His fingers lightly drawing patterns across your back, as he places another kiss to your forehead. You and him stay like this for the rest of the night, enjoying the comfortable silence. It takes Steve back to a time where all you two knew was silence amongst each other. Now, he doesn't mind it, especially if it leads to you curdled up in his arms. He's glad that you chose him to be your first and he's definitely going to make sure he's your last. No one touches his Angel, but him.

"Good night, Angel." He whispers into your ear, pulling you closer to him. "Night Stevie." You slowly drift off to a deep and peaceful sleep, knowing that Steve will be right there when you wake up.

Hope you enjoyed! 🤍

[joelalorian]

Fall Into Me - Chapter Seven: I'll Catch You Darlin'

dbf!Joel x f!reader

Summary: Joel is hanging on by a thread as a single father to a tenacious 10-year-old Sarah. Feeling like he's drowning, like the world is about to spit him out, he needs some help before he breaks in half. At your dad's insistence, you show up in his life and change everything.

Story is inspired by the song Fall Into Me by Forest Blakk. Chapter titles will be lyrics from the song.

Word Count: 3.9k

Chapter Warnings: Explicit, under 18 take a hike. No outbreak AU. Lots of feelings, unprotected p in v, flirting, dads being dads. Two idiots falling in love. Joel is his own warning. Age gap of about 9 years (Reader 24/25, Joel 33/34). No use of y/n. Reader has a nickname used only by her dad and Joel uses various terms of endearment (darlin', sweetheart, etc.).

Thank you so much to everyone who reads this self-indulgent story and extra thanks to those who comment and/or reblog - you all make me feel like a rock star!

Dividers by the wonderful @saradika-graphics

Some of the tags aren't working in the taglist - if you're not getting the notifications, please check your settings to make sure you are taggable. Thx!

Chapter Six | Main Masterlist

Moonlight peeked through the gap in the dark curtains, beams of soft light dancing across your face. Blinking your eyes open, you glanced around the room, momentarily uncertain where you were. Even in the pre-dawn light, the walls were noticeably darker than your room, furniture a rich mahogany, the bedding a deep blue. The spot in the bed beside you was empty but warm, and it jogged your memory.

You were in Joel’s room, in his bed.

You slept with Joel last night… but, no, wait. You didn’t, you know, sleep with him, though you wanted to and now wished you had.

The two of you made a mess of each other on the couch – you still couldn’t believe you made Joel come in his pants. You’d never done such a thing and it was so fucking hot! Even hotter was the fact that he wasn’t even embarrassed about it. Instead, he let you know how much of an effect you had on him, murmuring affectionate words in your ear. Afterwards, you both cleaned up, Joel loaning you a pair of boxer briefs and joggers to replace your soaked jeans and panties, and finally sat down to watch a movie and order pizza. It was a perfect Sunday date night in. When Sarah and Tommy returned, they joined you for a bit, Sarah cuddled into your left side as you cuddled into Joel on your right. Somehow, after Sarah went to bed and Tommy left, you ended up in Joel’s bed, the dark sheets covering you as he held you in his broad arms. Too tired for anything more, you fell asleep.

It was the best night of sleep you had in your entire life.

Glancing at the alarm clock on the nightstand, you sighed. Too early to rise, you huddled under the covers wondering where Joel went off to. Just then, the bathroom door creaked open, and Joel emerged, climbing back into bed next to you. His arms encased you in the warmth of his body and you hummed happily, placing soft kisses on his chest.

“Mmm, what are you doin’ awake, darlin’,” he murmured, nuzzling his nose in your hair.

“Dunno,” you replied, fingertips dancing along his arms and over his shoulders. Joel pulled you closer still and, with a tilt of your head, you pressed a kiss to his pouty lips, the scruff of his beard and mustache tickling your skin.

Just being in his arms, in his bed, caused a wave of arousal to pool in your lower belly. Thinking of last night on the couch, your hips pressed forward without conscious thought from your brain and your lower belly brushed against the swelling length of Joel’s cock.

“Is someone feelin’ a lil’ needy?” Joel asked, voice thick and velvety, as one hand wandered down the length of your back to squeeze at the plumpness of your ass.

“Always need you, Joel,” you practically whined, internally cringing at your own neediness. You always swore you wouldn’t beg for a man but with your skin practically burning for his every touch, you’d give anything for Joel to be inside you. You never wanted someone so much you felt like you could shatter from the wanton desire pulsing through you.

Shifting forward, Joel rolled you onto your back and hovered above you, bracing himself on one veiny forearm. The thumb of his free hand swiped slowly across your bottom lip, pulling at the pouty flesh, his dark eyes searing as your tongue darted out for a taste of his skin. With a growling moan, he darted forward to press his mouth to yours, nipping at that bottom lip while his hand traced a path down your neck and chest, seeking the roundness of your breasts. Precise in his movements, Joel swallowed your little mewls as he plucked at your nipples one at a time until they were hardened peaks. You squirmed as each delectable pinch sent a bolt of arousal straight to your pussy.

Without a word, Joel read your movements, his hand gliding further down your body to dip beneath the elastic of your panties. Leaning back slightly, his eyes met yours, pupils blown, and arched a single eyebrow. You were absolutely drenched, your arousal seeping through the fabric of your panties to coat the flesh of your inner thighs.

“All this for me? I’ve been so neglectful, you poor lil’ thing. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you, darlin’.”

Joel’s eyes never left yours as he swiped through your folds, the rough pad of his index finger strumming at your clit for a few beats before slipping inside you. It had been a while since you had anything other than a tampon inside you and your breath caught at the feeling of his thick finger stretching you. Soft mewls quickly turned to panting moans as he added another finger to the mix, curling them both to hit that little fleshy bundle of nerves that made you desperate to come as his thumb teased your clit.

“Shhh, darlin’. We need to be quiet,” Joel whispered, his breath in your ear causing goosebumps to prickle across your scalp and along your arms. Biting your lip, you did your best to stay quiet, breathing heavily through your nose as Joel scissored his fingers, opening you up to take the fullness of him.

Suddenly realizing you’ve been so focused on what Joel was doing to you that your hands hadn’t moved from his waist, you shifted. Hips arching up chasing the orgasm that teetered just out of reach, you slipped one hand around Joel’s hip, digging your fingers under the waistband of his boxer briefs to take the heft of him in hand.

Fuck, he was huge. Joel chuckled and your faced heated at the realization that you said that aloud. “That’s why I’m making sure you’re ready to take me, darlin’. I don’t want to hurt you, ever.”

How was this man real? He was everything you never knew you always wanted and then some. And God damn did he know how to work you right over the edge. Afraid of being too loud, you bit into the flesh of Joel’s shoulder to drown your moans as an intense orgasm washed over you. Joel’s fingers worked you through it, soothing you through the trembling aftershocks until you came back to your senses.

“Please, Joel. I need you. I’m ready. I need you now. Please,” you babbled, hands scrabbling at his underwear, wanting him as naked as you. So much for not begging.

Pushing back, Joel tugged his boxer briefs down his hips and thighs, kicking them away as he settled between your thighs. Your eyes widened when you caught a glimpse of his cock, mouth watering with the desire to taste him. Next time, you thought, as he tilted his hips forward, balancing his upper body on his arms. This was the moment you’d both been waiting patiently for.

Joel’s big brown eyes met yours, seeking confirmation that this was what you wanted, and you smiled. “Please, Joel,” you whimpered, hips bucking in search of friction.

Sealing his lips to yours, Joel pushed forward, easing his cock into you with an exaggerated slowness. The mixture of pleasure and slight pain was exquisite as inch after inch of his cock caressed your walls, eyes rolling back when he finally bottomed out.

“Fuck, baby. Y-you feel so fucking good wrapped around me, squeezing me so tight. I could live here, just like this, forever.” Joel’s voice a deep whisper as he rocked into you, cock sliding along your fluttering walls, hitting just the right spots with every movement. He was do deep inside you; you’d swear you could feel him deep in your belly.

The broadness of him surrounded you as he fed you his cock with steady thrusts. Sex never felt so good, and you knew it had everything to do with Joel and the way you felt about him. You’d never felt this way about anyone before and, though it overwhelmed you, it was the greatest thing in the world. You were bursting to tell him the true depth of your feelings, but hesitated, not wanting to be the first to make such a declaration, especially in the heat of the moment.

The pace picked up, Joel kissing you deeply as he rocked into you. You swallowed each other’s moans as you wrapped your legs around his hips, drawing him ever closer, ever deeper. The brush of his lower belly and coarse curls against you created just the right amount of friction on your clit it threw you right over the cliff, moaning into Joel’s mouth, fingernails digging into the skin of his back. No doubt there would be a dozen half moon markings on his back later.

Within a few thrusts, Joel’s pace turned erratic as he sought his own pleasure. Tearing his lips from yours, he frantically blurted, “Where?”

“Inside. Come inside me, baby,” your mewled, aching to feel him pulse inside you.

Two more thrusts and Joel came, his low groan muffled by your neck as he burrowed his head into the pillow. “Fuck,” he drew out the word, followed by a sigh of your name before he collapsed half on top of you. The bulk of him like a weighted blanket covering your body. “That was amazing. I can’t wait to do it again.”

Still delirious, you both chuckled as quietly as you could manage, chests heaving as you tried to catch your breath. Rolling off you, Joel pulled you close so that you were now sprawled half over him and cuddled you until your heart rates returned to normal.

A glance at the clock let you know you were out of time. Sarah would be up any minute looking for breakfast before getting ready for school. The thought of unwrapping yourself from Joel and leaving his bed pained you, but you both got up. You did a quick cleanup while Joel jumped in the shower. As much as you wanted to join him, you both knew you’d lose track of time if you did. Instead, you jumped in after Joel finished, letting him deal with getting Sarah’s breakfast.

It wasn’t until you emerged from the shower that nervous energy coursed through you at the thought of going downstairs. Did Sarah know you stayed over? Did Joel want Sarah to know that you stayed over? You should have talked to Joel about this before he went downstairs, but it was too late now. The questions still swirled in your head as you slipped on the borrowed joggers and scraped your hair into a knot at the back of your head. You wore a tank top to sleep in and were about to put your shirt from the night before on when one of Joel’s flannels caught your eye. Holding the fabric up to your nose, you breathed in the scent of him – fresh cut wood and a musk that was so uniquely Joel – and slipped the shirt on with a tender smile. Time to face the music, you thought.

Steps light as you walked down the stairs, you heard Sarah chattering away to Joel and smiled when Joel’s deep voice muttered responses. Their connection warmed your heart and you wanted so badly to be part of this family unit with them.

Catching sight of you as you turned the corner, Joel’s dark chocolate eyes lit up, lips twitching into a half smile. “Good mornin’, darlin’,” he greeted once you stepped through into the kitchen, leaning down to kiss the top of your head as if the two of you hadn’t spent the last hour getting full carnal knowledge of each other. “How’d you sleep?”

“Mmm, good morning you two,” you replied, slipping into the seat next to Sarah with a smile at the young girl. “That was the best night of sleep.”

Joel looked pleased with himself as he placed a glass of water on the table in front of you along with a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. “Just what I hoped to hear.” He took the seat across from you at the little four-top table and the three of you dug in.

Sarah kept up a stream of chatter as you ate, telling you all about her ice cream date with Tommy the night before. About mid-way through breakfast, you nearly choked on your eggs when the little girl blurted, “You’re wearing Daddy’s clothes. Does that mean you’re officially his girlfriend now?”

Sputtering, your wide-eyed gaze darted to Joel. He sat there looking cool as a cucumber, lips quirked in a grin and umber eyes twinkling with mischief. “Yeah, darlin’. Does that mean you’re officially my girlfriend now?”

Eyes narrowing at the menace of a man sitting across the table, you smirked. Two could play this game. “Well, I don’t know. What do I get for being your official girlfriend?” you asked, voice dipping toward sultry.

Joel visibly gulped, eyes searching your face before he cleared his throat. “Anything you want.” He said it so simply, the words leaving his lips so effortlessly, and it threw you.

“What about what you want?” you deflected.

Sarah gazed between the two of you, nose scrunched, equal parts happy and confused. Why did adults make everything complicated?

Playfulness glinted in Joel’s eyes, winking at Sarah before turning back to you. “I want you to be my official girlfriend.”

“Okie dokie,” you replied with a nonchalant shrug of your shoulders, feigning indifference as you took the last bite of eggs on your plate to hide your smile.

Joel shook his head, wide grin splitting his face, and went to reply when his phone buzzed. He shot a brief look to you before answering. “Hey JB,” he greeted, listening as your dad spoke. “Yeah, she’s here. Just getting the nugget ready for school.”

One thick-fingered hand tapped a rhythm on the wooden table, phone to his left ear as he gazed at you. Your dad was talking a lot, the echo of his voice carried in the air, but you couldn’t decipher what he said.

“It’s no bother, man. She’s a good girl and we love having her here.” Joel winked at you again before motioning for Sarah to go finish getting ready. “Yeah, JB, you can talk to her.”

Accepting the phone as he passed it across the table, you sat back in the chair. “Hey Dad. What’s up?”

“What’s up with you, ya dirty stay out? I didn’t see your car last night or this morning and wondered where ya were. Guess I shoulda known you’d be over there.”

There was something off with your dad’s tone and you panicked, trying in vain to think of an excuse on why you would’ve stayed the night. Mouth opening and closing a few times, your dad beat you to the punch.

“Don’t be makin’ a nuisance of yourself over there, ya hear? It’s one thing to have a crush on the guy, but it’s another to force yourself into every aspect of their lives, Spud. Don’t be getting’ in the way of their family time. You know how important that is.”

Your dad kept going, rattling off some other advice you didn’t ask for, but you were stuck on one thing. He thought you had a crush on Joel. He was much more observant than you ever gave him credit for. You and Joel would not be able to keep your now official relationship secret for long, not with good ol’ JB nosing around.

Joel’s eyes burned into you, but you couldn’t meet his gaze, staring down at the flaws in the tabletop instead.

“Anyway, I just wanted to wish ya good luck on your meeting at the school today, sweetie. You make your old man proud,” your dad said. “Tell Joel I’ll see him later. Love you, Spud.”

“Thanks Dad, love you too,” you uttered, the line going dead before you finished speaking. Shaking your head to clear your thoughts, your eyes met Joel’s, finally. “He thinks I have a crush on you and shouldn’t interfere with your family time.”

Tilting his head to the side, brows pinched, Joel reached a hand across the table to link his fingers with yours. “We’ll tell him real soon, darlin’. Don’t want you keeping secrets from your dad like this.”

“You sure? What if…”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m here, in this, for the long haul,” Joel replied imploringly, his fingers squeezing yours. “I haven’t felt like this in too long, if ever, and I’m not givin’ it up for anything. Okay?”

The tell-tale tickle of tears welled but you refused to let them spill over, nodding with a watery smile. “Okay.”

The day started off cool, but the southern sun beat down on the back of Joel’s neck by early afternoon, causing him to shed the red flannel he wore to the job site. Gulping down a bottle of chilled water, he glanced at his phone hoping for a message from you.

You were on his mind constantly. Something triggered a memory or thought of you at almost every moment of the day. He’d see a bird and wonder if you knew what species it was. Or he’d hear something funny and wonder what you’d think about it. Or memories of you in his lap and in his bed would hit suddenly, making him hot under the collar and below the belt.

Joel Miller was a man falling in love and powerless to stop it. Not that he wanted to, anyway.

Just then his phone buzzed with a message from you asking him to call you when he had a moment. He’d always make time for you, he thought, his fingers already hitting the call symbol.

“Hey handsome,” you answered on the second ring, breathless as if you were running.

“Howdy darlin’,” he replied, voice deep and rumbly, just the way he knew you liked it. “How’d the meeting go?”

You were silent for a moment too long, and Joel pulled the phone from his ear, checking that the call didn’t drop.

 “Well, you’re talking to the new middle grade science teacher, so I’d say it went well.” He could feel the pride in your voice and his heart swelled.

“Congrats, darlin’. I knew you’d get it and you’ll be the best damn science teacher those kids will ever have.” He was already thinking about how lucky Sarah would be to have you as a teacher. Letting his voice go a little deeper, he added, “We should celebrate this weekend. Sarah has two sleepover birthday parties to go to, so we’ll have the house to ourselves. I can take my time in showing you just how proud I am of you, and we can be as loud as we want.”

Your breath audibly hitched on the other end of the phone, causing Joel’s lips to twitch into a smirk. “I’d really like that, Joel,” you breathed, and his jeans suddenly grew tighter.

Adjusting himself as subtly as possible, Joel sighed. “I should go, sweetheart. There’s a ton to do at this site and I’m already looking at a few long days this week. Call JB next. He’s dropping by in a bit, and I don’t want to let something slip that I shouldn’t know yet.”

Sighing deeply into the phone, you said, “Alright, I’ll call him now. We gotta tell him soon, Joel. This is only gonna get harder, you know.”

“I know, sweet cheeks. We will, I promise.” Hearing his name, Joel nodded to one of his crew before saying goodbye. Your sweet voice echoed in his ears as he worked like a dog the rest of the day. JB was a proud papa when he stopped by, bragging about you to anyone who would listen. Guilt gurgled in Joel’s gut knowing the two of you were keeping a secret from the guy, but he pushed it down, pretending that he didn’t know anything about your new job and let JB share the details. The sun set long before he left the site, and he arrived home to find leftovers warming on the stove while you got Sarah ready for bed.

The sight of you walking down the stairs, smiling sweetly at him, set his soul on fire. God, how he longed to be with you all the time, to wake up next to you every morning and come home to you every evening.

“Come ‘ere, my sexy teacher girlfriend,” he greeted softly, pulling you in for a scorching kiss. He wasted no time, tongue dipping into your mouth to tangle with yours. “You’re so beautiful and smart, I’m so lucky I get to call you mine.”

You laughed with a little shake of your head. “I’m the lucky one, Joel. I can’t believe some lucky lady hadn’t snatched you up before I came along.”

Even though he was dirty and probably stunk of sweat from working all day, Joel hesitated to let you out of his embrace. As if sensing his feelings, you nuzzled into him.

“I wish I could stay the night, but I should get back to my dad’s,” you said, reluctantly.

“I know, darlin’. We’ll tell him soon and then you can stay over whenever you want.” Joel walked you out the door, thanking you for taking care of Sarah and cooking dinner. He kissed you a few more times on the way to your car and even ducked down to buckle you in and kiss you one last time before finally stepping back. “I’ll see you in the mornin’. I—”

That pesky little four-letter word had been bouncing around his heart and mind for weeks, even before the two of you decided to give this thing before you a shot, but he hesitated to say it first. He’d never said it and meant it, and to him it was a really big thing that he needed to time just right.

The rest of the week passed in a blur of work for Joel. Business was good, keeping him, Tommy, and a few other guys busier than any of them preferred. It was getting to the point where Joel needed to hire another crew so they could run two jobs at once. Though it was a great thing, making changes to his business always increased Joel’s anxiety. Management wasn’t his forte and he was terrified of screwing something up, but maybe that’s what made him a great small business owner. He was hyper vigilant in both the business and construction side of operations, going the extra mile to make sure things ran safely and smoothly.

The downfall of being so busy was, of course, the complete lack of time to spend with Sarah or you. It made him extra happy to know that Sarah had you to lean on and spend time with while he was busy, though. You were the piece of the support system that Sarah had been missing and seeing the bond between the two of you grow stronger every day warmed his heart to the point of bursting.

Finally, Friday arrived, and Joel busted his ass to get done early, rushing home to shower and setup a little something in the backyard to celebrate you landing your first teaching position. He had the perfect evening planned.

tbc

Taglist: @mellymbee @untamedheart81 @anoverwhelmingdin @runningmom94 @leilanixx

@pedropascalfan221 @lovelyjess69 @sarahhxx03 @sofiparallel @tammythr

@lulawantmula @islacharlotte @allyourfavesinoneblog @lover-of-books-and-tea @pedropascalsbbg

@ashleyfilm @brittmb115 @lilmizmoz @loveisacowboyyy @shotgun-shelby

@deninoe @casssiopeia @caitlynsixxx @skysmiller @missladym1981

@marirxse @lizzie-cakes @tynakub

[thegreatwicked]

Medical Writing Resources

I've been away for a while, and I've missed you all! I hope your holidays were fun and peaceful! While perusing my stuff to see where I left off, I browsed through my liked posts, and wow, I liked a lot of resources, so it's time to organize those for you all! And because we enjoy hurting our fictional darlings, I think it's time to make a new list!

If you've been tagged more than once, I apologize, I just want to make sure that credit is given where it is due. With that, enjoy these resources. Go show the original posters some love, and go write your story because no one else will.

Stages of Decomposition by @literaryvein-reblogs We write about death a lot and this is a great breakdown of life after life. Including descriptions of each stage and the proper names.

10 Non-Lethal Injuries to Add to Your Writing by @hayatheauthor I've hever had a broken finger but now that I think about it I have no idea how that works but I can't think of a more inconvenient injury, may as well get it right.

Writing Notes & References by @literaryvein-references This is a complication of a lot of resources but rahter than cut it up I'll probably just list it in a few resources. It includes things like color blindness, autopsy, bruises, drowning, pain, poison ivy. Go check it out.

How to Draw (Some) Burn Scars by @saszor and reblogged by @cripplecharacters. It is a drawing resource but sometimes visualizing it can help with descriptions.

Hospital Lengths of Stay by @macgyvermedical good references for simple things you might use in your writing if one of your character has to stay in the hospital. This is also an amazing blog.

Writing Tips - Fevers by @pygmi-says-hi Fevers are simple thing sbut if you're looking to make it more complex then you have this to help you know where to start.

Stop Doing This in Injury Fits by @pygmi-says-hi another good mention! Bleeding,s tab wounds, concussion, and symptoms!

The Anatomy of Passing Out by @hayatheauthor I've never written a character passing out and always wondered about it but here we are, maybe I'll have my characters pssing out more now that I know how to write it!

Addiction by @novlr Addiction is a disease and deserves better representation.

Disability Writing Guides by @whumpinggrounds Disability etiquette, wheelchairs, writing chronic pain, low vision. Great stuff here!

A Glossary of Medical Terms by @mylonelybraincell Invaluable! Absolutely invaluable!

Resources for Writing Injuries by @wordsnstuff Very comprehensive list of general information

The Writers Guide Authentic Wounds and Fatalities by @hayatheauthor check out this MVP here giving us these amazing resources.

Basic Sutures for Writers and Artists by @squidlife-crisis Never known how to describe these but seeing them is super helpful!

A Little Revolution's Dwarfism FAQs by @a-little-revolution Oh, now this is a gem!

Well, that's a good start for this new list! Go show some of these creators some love, and go write amazing things!

[tsuiioku]

haii!! congrats on 1k omg 🎉🎉🎉 could i perhaps order smth with poe, "go to the car, i'll be with you in five minutes," and a sprinkling of whispering sweet nothings? (i love ur work btw ajshsjdhajd)

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁ SWEET NOTHINGS // EDGAR ALLAN POE [CALLIOPE'S CONFECTIONARY]

content. gn!reader. usage of pet names (my love, dear), post-guild arc, mentioned ranpo, lots of fluff. not proofread.⟶ features edgar allan poe.

would you like to see more? fill out the taglist or comment under this post.

"Are you positive you don't want me to come with you?"

The building you were standing outside of was only a couple of stories high, but to the man next to you, it was as daunting as the world's largest skyscraper. While his expression couldn't be observed through his bangs or in his stiff stature, he was radiating with the anticipation of a student approaching their final test. His raccoon companion didn't seem that optimistic as he sat on his shoulders.

"Of course, dear! It won't be long until I've reigned in my victory," Poe exclaimed, jostling a stack of freshly written books in his arms. "Go wait in the car. I'll be with you in five minutes!"

You remained waiting outside for a bit as he walked inside, his boots stuttering against the entryway before the door slammed against him from behind, allowing Karl to slip back through and into your arms. He purred as you scratched his back, getting back in the car and exchanging a knowing look with the chauffeur.

"The tissues have been restocked, and the blankets are underneath the seat."

You nodded. "Thank you."

One minute went by. Then two. Three.

"(Name)!" a muffled voice whined from outside the car.

There it was.

Poe flung open the door before crawling into the car, drawing himself into your arms as he let out a series of dramatic murmurs. You ignored the way the chauffeur drew up the window separating the two halves of the car, instead focusing on swaddling the Guild's master architect into a blanket and haphazardly lying him on your chest as Karl nestled around your shoulders, one hand nestled in his hair while the other held out tissues for him to use as his leisure.

"Shh, it's okay, my love."

Your position would've undoubtedly looked hilarious to anyone who could see through the car windows, with his lanky legs too tall for the seat and his entire body drowning out yours—luckily, the windows were tinted.

"He solved them before he even finished the first page!"

You couldn't hold back a little snort, wiping his bangs away to see his exasperated expression. "That's the world's greatest detective for you."

He pouted as he nuzzled into your chest, mumbling that this was 'his greatest failure' and that 'he would never succeed.' You sighed, rocking him back and forth, hand braced against his back.

"That only means the satisfaction of beating him will be twice as sweet."

It was as if those words, sifting through his mind, made him snap out of his self-loathing. Like that, everything clicked, and he shot up with vigor, pen already in hand.

"I'll just need to make the next novel even better!"

"Mhm," you hummed, pressing a kiss against his cheek as you swept another hand through his curls. "I'm certain you will."

The flush returned to his face, and he hid his expression away from you. "Thank you, dear."

TAGLIST: @imhandicapableofmath @ishqani @zyilas @lovesick-fairy @squigglewigglewoo @kelperspelt @thesilvernight0wl @s1eepybunny @lovedazai @dazaisms @deepseafragments @justanotherjester @osameowdazai @himikoslove @little-miss-chaoss @justcallmesakira @chyozai @ruru-kiss @miloofc @fyorina @meiluvrr

© TSUIIOKU 2024 — do not repost or modify my works for any reason. do not steal graphics w/o explicit permission. reblogs are appreciated.

[whimsicalwritingsandmore]

Spy Family | ateez x reader

Pairing: spy!ateez x spy!reader

Genre: spy, action, a little romance

Word Count: 1223 words

Summary: You’ve been seeing Ateez for a year, and you’re wondering, can you actually break their hearts?

a/n: I still don't know how I feel about what I've written here but I've had this in my drafts for a YEAR and it's time that I finally complete it! this is a short series of 4 parts so I won't have a taglist for it, all the parts are drafted, it just needs editing so I'll publish the next parts as soon as I finish editing it! :) Enjoyyyy and let me know your thoughts! Reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated. <3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 1

As you watched Wooyoung prepare dinner for everyone, the feeling of remorse sat heavily on your shoulders as the culpable feeling of regret gnawed at you from within. Every time you thought about what you were doing, your stomach twisted and churned with guilt.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

It was supposed to be a simple payback but now that you thought about it, nothing about it was simple from the start. It had almost been a year since you began your relationship with Wooyoung that had spilled over with the rest of the boys. Initially, you heard about them from your best friend whose younger brother was dating Wooyoung’s sister. Then you saw them around the Institute occasionally, since like you, they were spies in training. They joined a sister organization adjacent to yours and so, you would work alongside each other from time to time. Although, you were never on the same team for missions.

But perhaps it would have remained a professional relationship - if only Wooyoung’s sister didn’t break Beomgyu’s heart the way she did.

If only she was loyal and honest, maybe you wouldn’t be in this situation today. First, she lied and cheated, then she proceeded to humiliate him at the inauguration ceremony for new spy recruits. You remembered that evening vividly. Beomgyu had always been shy so it took a lot of courage to confess how much she meant to him that night. As everything unraveled, you were seething with anger alongside your best friend Ara. Before you knew it though, Ara was already on the other side of the hall, grabbing the girl by her ponytail and slamming her into a table before dunking her into the fountain. It took six people to get her off the girl.

That should’ve been enough revenge.

But for Ara, it wasn’t. She seethed in animosity and fury for months and then in sadness as she watched her sibling drown in heartbreak, humiliation and pain. Then she approached you. She snooped around for more information about the girl and discovered she had a younger brother - Wooyoung.

“An eye for an eye.” she claimed.

You could have said no. There was no need for you to get involved. But you considered Beomgyu to be like a younger brother so you agreed, albeit apprehensively. So now here you were - semi-cohabiting with all eight boys and they were nothing like what people had described about them. They kept to themselves and hardly interacted outside of their established circle so most claimed they were stand-offish and haughty. But in reality, they were kind, sweet, thoughtful and friendly.

Hongjoong, Yeosang and Jongho weren’t big fans of public displays of affection but rather preferred showing their affection in the safe spaces that were their rooms. On the other hand, Seonghwa and Yunho, who would seem intimidating because of their height, were sweethearts who didn’t mind small gestures such as either holding hands or being back-hugged in public unless it resulted in both of you tumbling down a hill…which happened only once. Meanwhile, San and Mingi were in-between because of their shy nature, while Wooyoung didn’t mind letting the whole world know how much you meant to him.

You couldn’t break their hearts.

So, you made another plan. In the next few days you had an upcoming mission that was out of the country and that would last a month, with perhaps a few weeks extra spilling over into the next. In that time, you would be unable to be in contact regularly so slowly, you would begin to distance yourselves from them. You weren’t going to tell them when you’ll be back and hopefully soon enough, the message would be clear.

As you replayed your foolproof plan in your head, Wooyoung draped himself over you while the others chattered amongst themselves as the evening wore on and dinner concluded. He ran his fingers through your hair and prodded your head with his nose to seek your attention as he swayed the two of you back and forth.

“You okay?” he whispered.

As you snapped out of your thoughts, you looked up to see the sweet, tender look he gave you - one that was filled with adoration and so much love. You nodded sweetly with a soft smile that you hoped was convincing before melting yourself deeper into his embrace, tracing circles on his forearm. He welcomed the gesture warmly and pressed a chaste kiss to your temple.

“I love you so much.” he murmured in your ear.

Everything inside you felt like it was frozen in place as you processed his words. Wooyoung said he loves you and though you tried to convince yourself that what you were planning was the best decision, you couldn’t ignore that bubbling feeling of warmth and tenderness that rushed in your veins when he said it - you felt the same.

On the way home, you were lost in thought. Your heart ached at the idea of never talking to the boys again. Each of them in their own way had left an impact that made your heart flutter and cheeks turn red. And after Wooyoung’s confession earlier and his sneaky kiss that may have turned into a small but passionate makeout session in a corner of the hallway right next to the elevator, you were distressed. It was unexpected like his confession. You were almost to the elevators when you felt a hand grab you and suddenly, you were being pulled into the cozy corner. Startled but aware of the familiar presence, especially by the bracelet on his arm that was identical to yours, you turned your gaze to find Wooyoung once again, staring at you with so much love and adoration before he pressed his lips to yours.

Arriving at your organization’s headquarters, you bumped into another figure who stood up to greet you but you didn’t see. It was Beomgyu. You both looked at each other with a sad smile, one that didn’t need any questioning because you both knew what it meant. The two of you strolled into the lobby in silence before Beomgyu turned to you and finally spoke.

“I’m sorry I’ve put you through this.” he laments.

“No,” you answer tiredly rubbing your face, “It’s on me. I agreed to it with Ara.”

“Still, I should’ve stopped you both.” he mumbles, “But…I also wanted revenge. At the time it felt so right.”

You couldn’t fault him, at one point, it seemed “right” to you too. 

“It’s okay, I’ll figure it out.” 

Before he can continue, you both hear a tick that raises alarm bells in your minds. The two of you turn around warily, unsure of what it is and where it's coming from, but before either of you can react, the wall explodes. Beomgyu grabs and pushes you under him to the ground behind a wall to protect the two of you.

After a few minutes of you trying to catch your bearings and soothe the unrelentless ringing in your ears, you look towards the debris and notice a small paper neatly rolled and tied with a gold string right in the middle of the floor, untouched by the rubble. Picking it up to read it, your blood runs cold with the three big words sprawled out in red.

“You’ve been warned.”

[hotvintagepoll]

LAST POLL OF ROUND 6

Propaganda

Ingrid Bergman (Gaslight, Casablanca, Notorious)—A lot of the time hotness in a movie is just about words and framing. "You're the most beautiful person here" [vaseline lens] well I sure hope so because that's who you cast. But when, in Casablanca, they call Ingrid Bergman the most beautiful woman in the world... they were not fucking lying. And such a dynamite actor too!! I'd only seen Casablanca up until last year, and there she's confined to love interest. But in Gaslight she was maybe one of the most incredible actors I've ever seen!!!! Goddddd shes so fucking hot and cool.

Lauren Bacall (To Have and Have Not, The Big Sleep, Key Largo)—"Just put your lips together...and blow" excuse me ma'am i'm briefly going to turn into a kettle. She's the quintessential Femme Fatale who may betray me in the end but I'd let her it'd be worth it

This is round 6 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Ingrid Bergman:

God, she's fantastic. She's both beautiful and a compelling actor who's more than capable of putting the whole movie on her shoulders if necessary. It's worth noting that while her beauty is conventional, she was seen as refreshingly "natural" with more eyebrows and less makeup than many other leading ladies of the time. She's well known for her role in Casablanca, but in Notorious, Spellbound, (both available on archive.org ) and Gaslight (1944) she shows how immensely capable she is.

I mean...she's Ingrid Bergman. I feel like that should be enough, you know? She's physically beautiful (her eyes!) but watching her is like a transcendent experience. Her voice, her expressions... beautiful woman, beautiful actor.

I'm a gay man but even I understand her appeal. I'll watch any movie she shows up in. Gorgeous woman.

Just try and watch her movies without sighing wistfully, then get back to me!

Choosing 1-3 movies where Bergman was at her hottest was agony because, of course, she was always at her hottest. Not just because she was beautiful but because she was absolutely willing to go up against the bs women in Hollywood were constantly dealing with. When exiled from Hollywood for having an affair with Roberto Rossellini, not only did she refuse to apologize at any point, but she went on to say that Hollywood's films had grown stagnant and boring to her. Though she said she appreciated her time working there, she wanted to try new, different techniques (hence starring in Italian neorealist films, working on stage, and acting under directors like Ingmar Bergman). She was not afraid to chase after her artistic ideals and go outside the box regardless of what society had to say about it. From her first movie to her last she killed it. There's so much more to say about Bergman's career and life, but I've already written five million words so I'll stop at that.

One of the most incredible actors I've ever seen on film. Her facial expressions are so intricate and poignant that I cannot look away. I'm either ace or straight, but damn she made me question that.

SEVEN TIME OSCAR NOMINEE QUEEN. Girl also PULLED, having affairs with famously hot men Gary Cooper and Gregory Peck IN ADDITION to her three marriages...sexy

She has a very natural beauty to her, and she's from Sweden!

She left Hollywood and only became more beautiful. You could drown in her eyes. She can look innocent AND like she's seen it all. She is effortlessly elegant. She's played Joan of Arc (automatically hot) AND was in the movie that coined gaslight as a term. And where would we be without that!

She was known for being a breath of fresh air on the movie scene at the time with her windswept hair, dreamy smile and soulful eyes. I have loved her in every movie I have seen her in - she was just magnetic!

Where do I even start. There's a neighborly quality to this beautiful, talented actress that makes her hotness one of a kind and her looks impossible to forget

With a career spanning five decades, Bergman is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cinematic history. Known for her naturally luminous beauty, Bergman spoke five languages – Swedish, English, German, Italian and French – and acted in each.

She's hot, don't get me wrong, but I've always found her very approachable, like she could easily be a member of my friend group

Where do I even begin with Ingrid Bergman? I fell in love with her with her astounding performance in the 1956 version of Anastasia -- the best Anastasia movie in large part due to her wonderful and touching performance. She's got this amazing, fascinating intensity to her in whatever role she's in. She commits 100%, and she's got this light in whatever she's in that's stunning. She's utterly convincing no matter what she plays, from an amnesiac possible lost princess, from a nun, from a woman taking her revenge on the town that wronged her, to light romantic comedy. She's never missed in any role I've seen her in! Also she became quite the MILF.

Lauren Bacall:

"She is soooo neat. And hot. And everything. That one scene in To Have and Have Not where she says "you know how to whistle don't you? You just put your lips together and blow" altered my brain chemistry during media archaeology class and here we are."

"The VOICE, the SLINK, the EYES. Woof."

"Lauren Bacall was a major lesbian awakening for me. Every picture of her makes it look like she’s about to destroy you physically and emotionally (why is that so hot, I may need help). She had incredible long running chemistry with her husband, Humphrey Bogart, but was an absolute star in her own right. I’ll never be over my crush on her."

"She's got that confident, no-nonsense air about her. She's a boss babe who knows what she wants and gets it DONE. Staunch liberal Democrat her whole life. Campaigned for RFK. From Wikipedia: "In a 2005 interview with Larry King, Bacall described herself as "anti-Republican... A liberal. The L-word". She added that "being a liberal is the best thing on Earth you can be. You are welcoming to everyone when you're a liberal. You do not have a small mind."" Beautiful hair. Beautiful eyes. Beautiful lips. She's just beauty. LISTEN TO HER VOICE. TELL ME THAT'S NOT THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF."

[tiddygame]

I'm in a state of shock, but it's something new.

Ao3

Summary: Ghost is very certain that the siren that saved him wants to eat him. And he was right — Up until he won the siren over by just being a bit of a wet cat. Someone really ought to tell Ghost that though.

Notes: this is a work very, very heavily inspired by this art that everyone should go reblog bc if not i'll kill you

Ghost has lived through a lot of shit in his life, but he never thought he’d meet his end like this. The “getting shot out of a helicopter” part wasn’t that unexpected. The magical fish person was.

He doesn’t remember much of the falling, but he does remember hitting the water. He landed hard, the wind getting knocked out of him. He must’ve hit his head at some point because he was struggling to get his brain and body on the same page.

He remembers looking around and seeing nothing but a blue tinged abyss, the panic upon realizing he was sinking deeper into it. He had looked around frantically, finally looking up and finding the frothy surface. He tried to swim up at first, but quickly remembered what he had been forgetting, and tried to remove the lead weights that had formed from his soaked tactical gear. 

He remembers thinking that drowning was supposed to be peaceful as his hands refused to cooperate and flailed uselessly. When the weight of his vest left him, he felt the desire for survival once more. He had almost no air left, but it was not the first time he had been in such a situation. 

He remembers feeling proud of himself for kicking off his boots. Then it seemed his brain forgot what drowning means and tried to breathe in, so desperate for air that he instinctively inhaled.

He remembers finding it funny that “The Ghost” for all his wild legends, was finally set to meet his maker due to a bit of water. Eventually, peace found him. No longer able to panic, he sank, just staring at the dimming surface above him.

He remembers thinking that it really did feel like he was just going to sleep.

He does not remember the hands that had grabbed him.

He remembers being shocked awake by a blinding light and feeling like he’d been caught under a collapsed building. Coughing hard enough to make him see stars, he quickly landed on clenching his eyes shut. He did not know what was happening around him and could do nothing but focus on breathing.

That was a feat in and of itself, his lungs were unable to decide whether or not he was suffocating. Feeling solid rock beneath him, he desperately pulled himself forward, every muscle in his body shaking. 

His arms were barely able to hold him as he continued to gasp for air. Sand stuck to his wet arms in clumps, the feeling weighing him down further.

To say he rolled onto his back was a bit too dignified for what actually happened. It was more like he collapsed and managed to turn himself before he fully hit the ground. For a second he thought there was an alarm ringing somewhere getting louder, but it was quickly made apparent that it was his own ears that were ringing. And just as fast, it turned into a piercing shriek that somehow left him even more disoriented.

He was able to slowly squint his eyes open, shakily raising one of his arms to block the sun from his eyes as he stared into the stupidly bright sky. He took several long deep breaths just to confirm to himself that he wasn’t drowning, that he wasn’t hallucinating, and that everything was real.

The longer he lied there, the more he became aware of a stinging around his right ribs and lower left leg. Lowering his arm, he felt his side. The sharp sting from his palm making contact with the wound worsened his worries and seeing the red that coated his hand confirmed them.

He dropped his arm in annoyance, knowing that if he wanted to get out of there alive, he’d have to do something with it. He huffed out a disgruntled sigh and propped himself up on his other arm to check the damage on his leg.

He froze.

What in the fuck is that.

There was a man… fish. Fish man. Person. Half human, half fish. 

Fuck concussion, he must have a severe TBI.

The creepy ass fuck was smiling at him, something about it did not look right. Like it was a human smile made up by carnivorous teeth. 

Staring at it, he was reminded of tales of faeries, something almost human that wanted to humor you until your eyes began to glaze over their inhuman features and let your guard down. But the thing in front of him was no woodland creature. Uncanny valley didn’t even begin to cover it. 

It had itself propped up on the rocks, the fucking blue and orange fins along its arms swayed in the water. Movement caught his eye, and after a concerning amount of time, he focused his vision enough to see its tail swishing around in the air.

Ghost had to squint significantly for the image not to blur too much. It slowed, gently flicking water off the delicate orange membrane. The sky was dark with clouds threatening an incoming storm, yet still the scales managed to reflect the light like a prism. The orange and blue should have combined into a dark and murky color, but instead they seemed to highlight each other.

It… It fucking giggled. When he made eye contact with it, the tail went back to flicking around at random, like an inquisitive cat, ready to pounce. Processing everything at about 50% speed, he only partially realized that it had been moving it slowly just for Ghost to stare at.

“You’re a fuckin’ mermaid.”

“Guilty.”

It didn’t seem remorseful, still grinning with ghastly mirth. The gravel in its voice was unexpected, it had some accent but he’d need more than one word to place it.

Ghost looked out to the water. They had flown a good distance from the land, far too much for a concussed, disoriented, drowning man to have swam. He looked back to the myth sitting in front of him. “You… saved me.”

“Aye.” It kept smiling. He didn’t like it. It looked like a predator admiring its next meal. 

“Why?”

It shrugged, one arm propping up its head as the other went to tap simply against the rock, “Why not?”

His eyes narrowed at it. There were hundreds of reasons why not. Why was it avoiding the question?

“Right,” Ghost said disbelievingly when the creature said nothing more. The wound on his leg wasn’t as bad as he feared; He might limp for a couple of days, but once the scratch was healed up, he should be fine. If he managed to make it off the beach, that is.

The fucking thing kept staring at him. Even it’s fingers were all scaly and webbed like a fucking frog.

Ghost inched back slowly, trying to get out of reach under the guise of just trying to sit up. It wasn’t a great ploy, but he was able to get a good amount of distance without the freak lunging at him.

(He was desperately attempting to ignore the part of him that knew that it had no reaction because it wasn’t reaction worthy, that even further up the shore, it would still be able to kill him as soon as it grew bored of playing with him. 

For once, he was the mouse.)

It didn’t move, it just. Kept. Fucking. Staring.

Ghost took a risky gamble and decided to ignore it for the moment. There were two things present that could kill him: His injuries or the mermaid.

If that thing wanted him dead, there would be little he could do to stop it. However, the hole in his side and gash in his leg were much more fixable. All he needed to do was stop the bleeding, clean it, and bandage it. Simple.

(It was still staring.)

All of his gear was at the bottom of the sea floor and even if he could swim out there and hold his breath for long enough, well, fish-thing. So he was on his own with nothing but the knife on his thigh and his wits.

But he had a concussion. So just his knife then. Great.  

Forcing what few parts of his brain still worked into overdrive, he knew that the place they were clearing (before things fell apart, as they so often did) should have been nearby; It was some stupidly big house on the seaside that, long story short, was owned by bad people, but was now up for grabs.

It should have at least something he could use to patch himself up and perhaps get in contact with someone who could get him the fuck away from grinning sirens. He just had to hope that if there were any hostiles in the area, they would be easy to dispatch. 

The problem arose with him not knowing where he was relative to the mansion. He was on the shore which made things a little easier, but he had to idea if it was—

“Are you just gonna keep staring at me?” Ghost asked suddenly, interrupting his own line of thought. The mermaid had kept looking at him the entire time Ghost was trying to come up with a plan.

“Yer nice to look at,” it answered, flicking its tail like it was trying to get Ghost distracted again.

Scottish. The fish-person had a Scottish accent.

If he had actually drowned and this was his dying mind fragmenting into pieces and formulating some story for him to calmly drift away to, he would like a new story, please.

Ghost rubbed his temples, slowly coming to terms with the fact that this shit, that smiley mermaids, was his new reality. He mourned his sanity that had stayed in the chopper when he fell out, leaving him on the shore with nonsense.

“Do you want to help me?” Ghost asked, a vague, half-baked idea forming.

“Of course,” it said with a charming, fanged smile; He always thought people were exaggerating when they said someone “purred” something, but fuck if that thing didn’t sound like a cat that finally had its patience waiting at a mouse hole rewarded.

Ghost took a moment to consider how many ways his theoretical plan could backfire. But whatever. Couldn’t hurt any worse than falling out of a helicopter did. “There’s a mansion somewhere nearby. It’d really help me out if you told me where.”

The thing stared at him long enough that he started trying to think of something else, some other plan to get out of there alive. But after some time, it pushed away from the shore, looked left and right, and descended beneath the choppy waves. Ghost stood there staring where it disappeared, surprised.

He shook his head; He finally had a moment without it there, he had to take advantage of its absence. He needed to move as far inland as he could, but not until he had slowed the bleeding on his side and leg.

Ghost carefully pulled off his outer long-sleeve, trying not to pull any clots that might have started. He worked quickly, cutting the tattered shirt into makeshift bandages with his knife, wrapping one around his abdomen and the other around his leg. 

Now he needed to fucking move, somewhere far enough away from the fish thing, out of earshot. His vision wavered as he stood and he stumbled before he could regain his balance, barely catching himself in the sand. He tried again. This time, he was marginally successful but had to wait to be sure the sand was below him and the sky above as his vision did not clear.

Ghost did not know what he was dealing with, but he knew that if the myths about a siren’s song were true, he needed to live up to his name and disappear into the rocks, get far enough that a deadly call would be drowned out by winded plains of tall grass—

“South,” the fish thing he was trying to escape said as he poked back up from the waves and pointed to Ghost’s left. 

God fucking dammit.

Worse yet, the south of him held cliffs, cliffs too tall and sheer for even an uninjured man to climb, with very little clearance between the rocks and the water. 

Gaz has fallen out of so many helicopters, how come the one time Ghost does it this shit happens?

“Thanks,” he said in a deadpan voice. He hoped there wasn’t anything about thanking fae or sirens or whatever that thing was that would lead to him being even more doomed.

Ghost was no stranger to painful treks and hikes made with injuries on rough terrain, but it never made him any less annoyed. He felt a glimmer of hope after the first few seconds that the mermaid was going to stay there, but of course when he glanced behind him, he saw it silently trailing him.

It wasn’t ashamed of being caught, just looked at him like it was wondering why he stopped. Ghost didn’t bother asking; He wasn’t in any position to antagonize it as he had to step further into the water as the cliffs jutted out.

At low tide, it probably would have been a simple (and dry) path, but an encroaching storm had the waves angry, pushing closer to the rocks. He had to watch his footing to keep on the sand and not let the riptide pull his feet out from under him.

When the waves pushed up, the water edged close to the poorly bandaged gash on his shin. When it pulled away, it fell back far enough that the damp sand was the only evidence of the harsh surf for just a few seconds before it all came crashing back.

It was far from the worst hike he had made (while the wind threatened hypothermia if he didn’t dry off, it wasn’t humid), but his entire body ached and having to plot every step in time with the tides and currents made it that much shittier.

“I could carry you.”

And the mermaid. Can’t forget the fucking mermaid.

Ghost didn’t grace the statement with a response. Yes, it could carry him. And Ghost could stab himself in the thigh. Two things plausible by free will and possible by the mysticality of the universe, but neither were going to happen.

“It would be easier — And quicker!” 

It had swam in front of him, smiling without its teeth. It was close enough to tell Ghost that he was not far from a harsh drop off with it being able to swim easily that close to shore.

“No,” Ghost denied firmly, not looking at its smile. 

He didn’t like that it was smiling without teeth now; That meant that it was smart enough to know that the sharp teeth were unsettling, not something you wanted to display if trying to convince someone to trust you. That it had some grasp on manipulation tactics and what looked threatening and inhuman versus what looked kind and charming.

“Why not? You have to be in pain!” 

The tone that could have been easily mistaken for genuine hurt and disappointment got him to glance over. Ghost hadn’t wondered what a siren with sad, begging, puppy-dog eyes would look like, but now he knew.

Ghost shook his head and focused; he had no energy to waste. While his heart was hoping to collapse into a soft bed as soon as he got to the mansion, he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. 

At best, he would still have to scope the place out, find medical supplies, food, clean water, and some place to rest. 

At worst, it would be all of that plus having to take on an entire estate infested by people who wanted him dead with nothing more than a combat knife to defend himself with.

When his vision blurred and his feet stumbled, he pressed his hand further into his side. The pain used to shock his system back into alertness, but the more he hiked on, the less effective it became.

Ghost paused and let his head fall back when he saw the perimeter of the stupid mansion’s stupid lawn marring the landscape. Later looking back, he had no idea why the hell he took the fish’s word at face value and decided to land on being grateful that it told the truth as opposed to being disappointed in his own naivety.

The mermaid itself stayed quiet after its pleas to carry Ghost went ignored. Anytime he stumbled, he saw it move towards him with its hands outstretched before it quickly retracted when he did not fall. 

If he was giving it the benefit of the doubt, he’d say it was like the person standing at the bottom of the ladder to keep it steady and catch you should you slip. But he wasn’t and it only served to remind him of an animal getting greedy and opening its jaws before its catch was confirmed. 

Ghost’s path onward would take him further inland, but only after he climbed and clambered over the rocks in his way.

Some traitorous part of his mind must have been listening to the siren as it whispered that the house went down to the water, that he did good in hiking as far as he did, but now he should let the siren carry him to the docks.

He would need to save his energy for clearing an entire mansion on his own and not to mention tending to his wounds, but maybe the siren was kind enough to help with that too. Really, it was willing to help Ghost as much as it could, Ghost just needed to trust it.

“You’re a bit heavy handed with it,” Ghost commented dryly, already growing uncomfortably familiar with the sharp-toothed smile.

“Me?” the siren asked as if it could never be accused of such dastardly things, shock tainting its pretty features as the quiet tune it had been humming petered out. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Its smile told Ghost that it knew exactly what he was talking about and it had that freakish purr again. But he didn’t know what was worse: The lack of outrage at the blatant manipulation, or the fact that he called the siren pretty of his own volition.

Well, if it’s a siren, it’s a creature specifically designed to be attractive — is it that outrageous to make a simple observation?

Ghost whished the thoughts were not his own.

“Thanks for the help,” he said, turning inland. He wasn’t even close to the final stretch, but his exhaustion already weighed on him. God he just wanted to pass out. And some painkillers.

“Well, you’re not gonna leave me all alone, are you?”

He froze.

Was there anything stopping it from making Ghost do what it wanted? If it did want to keep Ghost there until it either got bored and ate him or Ghost died of starvation, the hell could he do about it?

He took a gamble, betting on it wanting to keep him alive. “I need medical supplies,” Ghost answered, pulling his hand from his side and showing off the watery blood on his palm.

It fucking pouted. “I know but…” It intentionally trailed off, making no effort to hide its theatrics. The siren pulled itself up onto one of the rocks, straightening his arms and sitting at chest-level with Ghost. “You’ll visit me on the water once you’re better, right?”

Ghost didn’t realize just how close they were until its arm reached out to graze at the bandages on his side. He froze, scared that if he backed away the siren would put those claws to good use and keep him exactly where it wanted him.

“You do owe me, don’t you?”

Ghost inhaled at the words and its eyes shifted from begging to knowing; It knew that it had leverage over Ghost and was taking full advantage of it.

“Alright,” Ghost said, wishing it was just whatever magic allure the siren had that was making him agree and not his rattled mind actually beginning to like the deadly smile.

…

Three enemies.

From what he could hear, they were left behind to find out what the 141 had been after while the others either laid chased or worked on the clean-up.

It was clear that they didn’t think much of the job they were assigned, doing more standing around and cutting up than investigative work. It was child’s play to dispatch them.

Cut the breaker, and just like in the slasher movies Gaz made them watch, only one doofus went to investigate. Kill him, wait a second, flip the breaker back on to make the other two think their friend was dragging their feet. Sneak in, stab doofus number two while holding the third doofus in a choke hold.

Really, at some point it just becomes survival of the fittest. And by God, they were not fit for survival.

Ghost dragged the two outside to be with their buddy by the breaker and rushed through tending to his wounds. Considering that there were grains of sand in his side, it was safe to say that no amount of isopropyl alcohol was going to prevent an infection.

He bandaged it as best as he could and luckily for him, it seemed that now the hard part was done, his blood decided to clot again. Which definitely had nothing to do with the dry bandages that were now applied and everything to do with the universe hating him.

Ghost only remembered that he needed to change into something dry after the third time his shivers made him misplace the dressings. The shoes were a lost cause but after a lot of pilfering he was able to find something that fit; Cruelly, the pants fit well enough, but the only shirt he could find that “fit” was a tank top that pressed into his side something fierce.

He considered forgoing it in favor of the jacket he found in the back of one of the closets, but he experienced enough wind chill in his life to know that he’d need whatever he could get his hands on if the wind kept up by time the sun set.

With the three enemies no longer responding to check-ins, it wouldn’t be long before more came looking to investigate. Ghost did his best to make it look like the three broke into the mini bar and got plastered, smashing a glass or two on the floor and leaving a vague trail towards the cliffs.

And he fucking hated that he already knew what he was going to do to hide the bodies. Before they were even dead, it was already a part of his plan.

God, maybe Ghost isn’t fit for survival either.

He waited for the painkillers to kick in before he threw one of the bodies over his shoulder and carried the other two by the straps on their vests. It still fucking hurt, but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice.

At some point between looking up at the water to see where he was going and staring at his feet so he didn’t fall on his face, the siren appeared at the end of the docks.

It propped its head up in one hand and smiled at him the entire way. Ghost shivered under its unwavering stare and regretted both his plan and not zipping the jacket.

“I knew you’d come back,” it said happily once he was close enough. And if Ghost didn’t look at the fins or fangs, he’d almost think it was genuine.

Ghost didn’t answer. Not immediately, at least. He waited until he was standing just in front of the siren and even then he still did not answer verbally. He let go of the two he was dragging and dumped the one on his shoulder over the side of the docks and into the water.

It floated for a minute, the corpse eventually being dragged down by the tide. The mermaid lifted its head and watch over the dock as it sank, intrigued.

“You said I owe you?”

It looked up at him and nodded.

“An offering. To make us even.”

“Aww,” it mumbled with facetiously sweet eyes, “You didn’t have to do that!” Ghost stiffened, wondering what it wanted to absolve his debt.

It pulled itself up to sit on the docks, sitting sideways to look back at Ghost with its tail hanging off into the water and wrapping around one of the posts. And it still had some pull over him as he kneeled down to be eye level with it.

“Your debt was absolved when you came back for me.”

It raised a clawed hand to his cheek and traced one side of the Glasgow smile, trailing from the corner of his lip all the way to his ear. Ghost tried not to blush, but it didn’t matter much.

“You’re in my head,” he commented with as much anger as he had when the beast had pulled the same trick earlier. Debt and absolve. How convenient that it used the exact same words he just thought to himself.

It tapped the claw against his cheek and he felt his heart in his throat clogging his fear but felt no desire to pull back. It smiled and did not deny the allegation; It almost looked… happy that it was called on its manipulation.

“You don’t owe me,” it said, looking Ghost in the eye. It wanted to come across as earnest.

“Think of them as a gift, then,” Ghost said before the freak could read it out of his mind. It was also before he could think about it at all, but whatever. Again, whatever fallout would be far from the worst or stupidest or most painful thing to happen to him that day.

“Really?” the siren asked. And Ghost hesitated to use genuine in regards to a creature that clearly had the means to twist his mind, but his surprise seemed to break the knowing smile from his face. “A gift?”

Ghost nodded. And he really wanted to think that the mermaid felt as touched as it looked. It was pretty when it blushed, the red flush highlighting the scales that decorated its cheeks.

Ghost smirked when its blush worsened. He knew the thing was still in his head.

“No strings attached?” it asked, even more earnest than before. He didn’t realize that such a simple thing would completely throw the siren off of whatever game it had been playing.

But for whatever reason, Ghost had become sure of the idea that if it did want him dead, he wouldn’t have made it off that beach in the first place. “None,” Ghost said, shaking his head. “What’s your name?”

“Soap,” it answered after a beat.

Again, he spoke without thinking, this time saying something far worse than a gift offer.

“A nickname, I hope.”

The mermaid looked shocked at his words for a second before it broke into laughter, something it tried and failed to tamp down. Its hand left Ghost’s cheek and went to cover its mouth

“Yes,” it said between chuckles and a broad grin, “Yes it is.” Its face was red again from the effort it took to stop laughing.

God, why did it have to have dimples too?

“And you?”

“Ghost.”

“Oh, you’re one to judge!” it said, toothy grin returning.

His side should have been screaming but it wasn’t. Same for his ankle. An incentive to stay that he didn’t even need; Ghost liked seeing it smile genuinely.

Jesus, it almost made him forget he was sitting next to two dead bodies.

“Soap?”

“Hmm?”

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

Soap again made direct eye contact; He took a breath to answer but his eyes snapped to the hilltop and the fins where his ears would have been perked up.

“You hear someone?” Ghost asked quickly, looking up as well but seeing nothing.

Soap’s eyes were darker as he asked, “Friends of yours?”

The accusation was there, thrumming under his words.

“No,” Ghost said, not bothering with a sarcastic answer— All for the best really as he doubted Soap was willing to listen to one. “I have to go,” he said simply, not offering more explanation.

But Soap seemed to catch on anyway, the dark look directed up the hill. “Don’t go far?” it asked, turning to him with that begging look.

Ghost, who had been planning to sneak past whoever was coming from the house and hijack whatever vehicle they brought, nodded and headed for the sailboat on the other end of the docks.

Of course, because having a waterfront estate wasn’t enough.

As he left, he heard the quiet splash of Soap getting back in the water and then the significantly less graceful sound of two large objects being dragged in as well.

He was almost relieved as he silently moved across the creaky wooden planks; Facing impossible odds with enemies on his tail (heh) was much more familiar to him than any social interactions, especially with mythic sea creatures.

The boat was a good bet to get out of there but only if the skies didn’t open before he could remember which ropes did what; It was a bit fancier than the ones he’d trained on.

He scoffed at the boat’s name.

Ogygia — He doubted that any fucker in that mansion could name the myth it belonged to.

Well, the fuckers that used to be in the mansion.

Ghost ducked into the cabin; his lip curled at just how expensive everything was in there. He wedged himself behind the door, out of sight if they glanced inside but in a good enough position to jump them should they decide to do a proper sweep.

He waited; He heard some vague mumbling but the lapping water made it hard to tell where it was. Several minutes of nothing passed and when he was finally done waiting, he waited some more.

It wasn’t until a quiet, “Ghost? They’re gone — you can come out now.”

Damn the bastard for making Ghost feel bad with a lilt in its voice like he was expecting Ghost to have absconded when it hid as well. After it called out, Ghost waited for a moment more, an ingrained insurance to see if anyone shouted at the unexpected voice. But all he heard was a sad sigh from the other end of the boat.

He emerged quietly, not a squeaky floorboard or falling trinket to give him away. And fuck that stupid, manipulative siren for making him feel bad when he stepped out and saw it laying its head on the side of the boat, staring off at the water with a forlorn expression.

“If I asked for another favor,” Ghost started, not letting himself be distracted by Soap’s look of surprise and delight upon seeing him, “Would that put me back in your debt?”

Soap left its head on its arms as it smiled at him. “Not so long as you promise to visit me again.”

Ghost sat on the deck of the boat, his back hunched to be eye level with the siren. “I need to get out of here before more of those guys come back.”

“I take it they’re not fans of yours?”

“No, oddly enough.”

“Hmm…” Soap’s smile fell to something sadder. “The closest town is further south — you just have to keep following the coast.”

Ghost nodded but made no move to get up.

“You never got the chance to tell me why you didn’t kill me.”

Soap thought for a moment, no doubt debating if he should be honest. Ghost wouldn’t blame him if he backed out or lied to his face — he wasn’t owed the truth — but damn if he wasn’t curious why a siren who seemed wise beyond his years spared Ghost, of all people.

“You’re not the first person I’ve saved from drowning,” Soap admitted, as Ghost had guessed. “Most people when they come to… they want something.”

Ghost, for whatever godforsaken reason, argued in favor of being a part of the majority of people that Soap killed. “I wanted something. I wanted to get away.”

“Yes, but I mean they wanted something.”

He stared uncomprehendingly.

Soap chuckled and dropped its head, amused by his confusion. “Ghost, what was the original myth of sirens?”

He looked askance, wondering what that had to do with anything — He was no Odysseus and had no mast to tie himself to.

“Ghost,” Soap said again, “They wanted something from me.”

“Oh,” Ghost said, his stupid mind starting to put it together. “Oh,” he said, realizing what the siren meant. “Oh,” he said with contempt and a curled lip, his disgust at people he didn’t even know blatant.

“But see?” Soap chuckled, “Different. Didn’t even consider it a possibility until I spelled it out.”

Ghost’s mind followed along slowly, struggling with the idea that so many people held that level of entitlement and the idea that he wasn’t killed because he’s a loser who forgets about sex the majority of the time. “Oh,” he said again.

Soap reached a hand forward and tapped its claws against his chest. “You heard the song and felt the pull of desire, but that was not what you wanted.”

Oh God, he actually was saved by being a loser.

Its hand flattened and fingers splayed as best as they could with the webbing. Its hand felt his heartbeat before it drifted down, just on the edge of the bandages on his side.

It mumbled, barely audible, “Though I fear for the first time in my life I may be made a hypocrite.”

“What?” Ghost asked, the words almost lost to the waves, barely floating on the surface.

“Nothing,” it said quickly with a knowing smile, “Don’t worry about it.”

There was a gap that Ghost wouldn’t have described as awkward, but somewhere in his empty skull was a voice saying that he was messing things up and had to say something.

And he couldn’t stay there forever even though he’d settle for a few more minutes. Whatever Soap was may have been easing the pain but his wounds still needed proper medical attention.

His throat had dried at some point so when he tried to speak, his voice cracked like a pubescent teenager and he had to give himself a second before he tried again. Second time’s the charm and he managed to croak out, “What happens now?”

The siren’s smile turned bittersweet once again. “I believe this is where we part ways.”

“But I still need to visit you again; I owe you for the directions,” Ghost reminded it, entirely earnest and only a little concerned he missed something when Soap laughed.

“Ah, yes,” it mumbled, a mischievous glint in its eyes, “I almost forgot…”

Soap reached up, brought a clawed hand to his cheek, and leaned in slowly. Ghost froze like an idiot, no clue what he should do.

But maybe Soap liked idiots because instead of laughing at him, it brought its thumb to his chin and parted his lips. Ghost felt the blush burn across his face. Despite Soap seeming to know his mind better than he did, it waited; Ghost did not pull back.

(The last time he kissed someone would have been three years ago; What started as a celebratory drink in a Chicagoan bar culminated in a very drunken game of truth or dare — and Ghost learning that Rudy was a very good kisser.)

He couldn’t bring himself to move forward even though he wanted to but maybe Soap was still in his head as it did so for him. The siren’s teeth were sharp and its tongue distinctly inhuman but he didn’t mind — especially not with that tongue licking its way into his mouth and the teeth carefully nibbling on his lip.

While Ghost was a happy participant, he wasn’t much of an active one; He didn’t do much other than sit in shock and flip between being anxious over fucking up with no alcohol to smooth over his nervous inexperience and being flattered that Soap wanted to kiss him.

(And that was probably why it’s been so many years — Who the hell calls themselves a participant of making out?)

Soap pulled away and he hoped it wasn’t because he messed it up. But it looked happy.

And it’s happy grin grew into something proud and delighted at the sight of the blush on the human’s fiery cheeks and his speechlessness.

“There,” it said rubbing a thumb across his bottom lip, “Now I’ll now when you return.”

Ghost sputtered and his heart raced.

“Until we meet again, my dear Ghost.”

It kissed his cheek and descended beneath the waves.

…

Ghost sat in the water with his legs crossed and waited.

The beach was covered in rocks and boulders, with tall cliffs not too far off to the north. The wooden shack behind him had too many holes in the roof to be considered a house, but he could get to those eventually.

The rickety dock wasn’t far, but he preferred waiting in the water itself. He watched a stolen sailboat bob up and down on the waves; The paint hadn’t dried yet when he had to leave last but now the Minos was properly named.

He didn’t get a warning before there was a siren barreling him over, almost knocking him into the surf as it slithered into his lap and snaked its tail around him.

“Simon!” it shouted, which most people would do in greeting before they knocked someone over, but the siren never really cared for what others thought of as right or proper — Nor did it care for Ghost’s hearing, clearly.

The siren’s excitement and relief quickly faded into anger and arms that had looped around his neck pulled back to hit him with every word as it yelled, “Where have you been?! Two weeks my fucking ass! You stupid, stupid git!”

“Hello Johnny,” he greeted, smiling even as the siren oh-so-viciously and very heartlessly attacked him.

“Shut up, you bastard,” Johnny demanded even has the attack turned into holding him close. Simon held him even closer.

“I love you too.”

“Oh, ye’ bloody bastard,” it said, accent growing thicker with every angry word, “I do love you, but ye make it really fucking hard when you up an’ vanish for a month after you promised me ye’d be back!”

Through the theatrics, its concern was palpable.

Simon nodded, “I know.” He tucked errant strands of hair that seemed determined to stay in Soap’s face behind its fin-ear things that he still wasn’t sure if it actually used to hear. “It was an emergency — We had three minutes between it getting called in and us rolling out.”

The wind left Soap at that; There wasn’t much it could argue against the moral high ground of saving people for a living. (That was how Soap put it, at least.)

He continued, “And after that— uh, I got a little… held back.”

“What,” it jabbed weakly, “Did you fell out of a helicopter again?”

“No,” he laughed. And Soap laughed a little too at the idea.

“I was kidnapped for a few weeks.”

“WHAT?!”

It’s shout was loud enough to disturb a flock of birds that had been resting on the rocks.

“It’s fine, not the first time and probably won’t be the last,” Simon shrugged.

“WHAT?!”

Yeah, in hindsight, not the greatest assurance.

“They weren’t even good at tortu—” Simon cut himself off, realizing that wouldn't help either, but it was too late.

“Oh,” Johnny shouted, “My fucking GOD!”

At some point, the line between concern and annoyance grew blurred and tangled, but it seemed Johnny wanted to use it to strangle Simon.

“You’ve lost your land privileges,” it said all of the sudden.

“What?” Ghost asked, not processing the sentence before Soap switched their positions, now holding him as it swam out into the water.

“I let you out of my goddamn sight for just one goddamn moment,” it said, ignoring the complaints from the human in its arms.

“Soap,” he tried bargaining, “I don’t know if getting kidnapped again—”

“Shut yer trap!” Johnny demanded, mind too taken by the damn emotional rollercoaster it was just dragged on to care for Simon’s jokes. “Bastard,” it hissed again and held Simon closer, trying to do everything shy of burrowing under his skin.

“At least this time I have a much more handsome captor,” Simon couldn’t resist joking and held Johnny just as close.

[730kc]

Long overdue asks...

I belatedly remembered there were some asks I meant to address, but the flood of kink prompts drowned it all out!

I love receiving asks, but I'm terrible with answering in a timely manner. I usually like to draw a doodle for them, but alas, when I get busy, it can be forgotten. (I also try my best not to spam the dashboard too much!)

Still, I appreciate them a lot! Please know I read asks the moment the notification pops up! 😊

Thank you! <3 I'm glad that you've been enjoying. It's always fun seeing someone stumble on my art and mass-like/reblog it. :D

Hee hee, thank you! I tend to change the header picture depending on the season/ mood. x) Sorry about the puffer fish face being scary! Since Kaito wasn't great with fish, we shoved him away into our bag while Shinichi got a lot of solo pics with the fishies. 🤣

Thank you! <3 I try to update it whenever I can!

!!! I'm sorry I missed this during my period of absence! TvT As for Kaishin recs, Shukumei no Rivals put out a really solid list!

Ack-- I forgot about that! The result of the poll was... “Bite me too, I'll turn with you.” Hm, it's angsty! We'll see if the idea... bites me. ;) /gets booed off the stage

Kaito can definitely be a disney princess with animals. Goats, seagulls, pigeons, crows, I think they all swarm to him for some reason haha. (Bonus hc: Fish love him, but he fears them.)

[woundedsoul12]

Writing Challenge Weekend

Thanks @thedissonantverses and @serstolas for the tags!

The goal here is to take a current wip of yours and write six or more sentences! They don't have to be connected but they should all start with a different part of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, (conjunction, and interjection are optional). If you need a refresher and there is zero shame if you do, here's a decent link! I challenge you to go in order and to highlight your beginning word.

There are two goals here which is reviewing parts of speech which we could all probably use from time to time and for people who struggle with starting sentences in repetitive fashion ie with the word "the" or a character's name etc etc.

There's no time limit on this. If you do end up doing this, please tag me and I'll reblog!

Soft tagging @skullypettibone @tarasmom @sugar-peanut-cat @feelslikepants @wukodork and whoever wants to play!

Um let's go a little Come Love, Come Love. My werewolf au. I tend to vary my sentences a lot but this was still really fun

“Fenedhis!” Davrin bites out the cry as he shuffles away from the pale woman kneeling before him. Her violet eyes peer up to meet his gaze. A gentle smile on her lips as she pushes the hair from her face. The Wardens told him the wolves were monsters. Cursed by the Gods to walk on four legs. But the soft creature staring out from behind the Vallaslin that mirrors his own is nothing short of sacred. Her full lips slightly parting as he sees her, really looks at her, for the first time this night. Those wide eyes drowning him in languid depths as he fights for breath. Afraid for only the briefest of moments, before something snaps in him and he's hopelessly lost. Beautiful isn't the word. He's faced succubi less alluring. Sirens who couldn't break him. But this creature… this deadly divine being set before him, calls to his soul like no other. And he answers fully. Dutifully as he crawls forward with the last of the strength he has. Unable to refuse when she extends a hand to him. To feel skin like satin as it touches his.

[callhermyname]

you're not going | e.m. x reader - prologue

summary: you and Eddie meet for the first time (a few weeks before the start of s1);

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

word count: 2.6k

warnings: MDNI!! mostly fluff, just a tiny bit of angst, reader is Dustin's cousin, mentions of absent father, postpartum depression, parents death, self-esteem issues, bullying (let me know if I missed anything).

a/n: HEY so this is my first fic ever so even if it's absolute garbage pls be nice to me😭 also sorry for any grammar mistakes english is not my first language. this is supposed to be the start of a s4 rewrite series, so if you want more please like this post, reblog and let me know what you think. hope u enjoy it!

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

You've been living at aunt Claudia's since you were 14. After your mom died, you had nowhere else to go — you can't even remember the last time your dad was in the picture, so when your aunt took you in, you kinda felt thankful that you got to start over, have a fresh start in another town, away from your old life (that you hated). You were still grieving, but aunt Claudia was always very sweet and caring, and soon after you moved in you started to see Dustin as the little brother you never had. It felt a little weird at first — even though your mother did her best, she never really liked the situation you were both in. She never planned to have kids, at least not before graduating from college, especially if it meant being a single mom at such a young age, so you couldn't really blame her for drowning in postpartum depression after you were born until she passed away. So, when her older sister took you in, you didn't expect for her to be so different from your mom, so caring, so gentle, so loving, such a good mom for Dustin and now to you too. 

When you first got to Hawkins, you didn't really have any friends besides your 11 year old cousin. One of his friends had a sister about your age — Mike's sister, Nancy — but, although she was always nice to you, you never really quite hit it off. She was sweet, but you didn't have a lot in common and her friends could be really mean. Will's brother, Jonathan, was always very shy and quiet, never really made conversation and you were definitely not the kind of person to force social interaction with someone that obviously didn't care for it, so you just kept it to yourself for most of the first year you spent at Hawkins.

A couple of weeks before Will went missing, Nancy was picking Mike up at your place and invited you to a party at her boyfriend's house. Your aunt overheard the conversation and was very excited to see you were making friends, so you decided to go just so she wouldn't worry about you being an absolute loser. You were always quite self-conscious of your appearance so it took some time to pick out an outfit, but you finally settled for something comfy and not that flashy, but flattering: your best Queen shirt under your favorite jeans overalls and a flannel and your only pair of shoes — basic black chuck taylors.

It was late October and the air was chilly, wind blowing through your hair and cutting your face like tiny little blades as you rode your bike to Steve Harrington's house, hoping to god Nancy was already there so you wouldn't be alone and awkward. You could already hear the music from two blocks away, and when you got to the front door, Nancy was waiting for you with her friend Barb. You knew Barb from school, you took English together, but didn't really talk about anything not school related, but she seemed nice. 

"You made it! I was already getting worried you wouldn't show up" Nancy greeted you. "You know Barb, right?"

"Yeah, hey Barb" you agreed and Barb nodded. "Sorry it took me so long to get here, my bike has seen better days…"

"It's fine, don't worry. Let's get in, I'll show you around. You can leave your bike at the back of the garage, outside of the backyard fence."

You left your bike where Nancy told you to and followed her into the house as she showed you where the bathroom was, stumbling over people coming in and out of the house, up and down the stairs. The house was so crowded, it felt like people were coming out of the walls. When she led you to the back of the house, she sat down by the pool and introduced you to her boyfriend and his friends, who were around the pool. 

From the start, you felt out of place. Steve and his friends didn't know you, but you already knew them. It was ridiculous to you how those people had made fun of you more than once at school but did not remember your face when Nancy introduced you as her friend. Maybe because you weren't wearing your big squared glasses, or because you tried something different with your hair? It didn't really matter anyways. At least they were not making fun of you. Poor Barb wasn't so lucky — they gave her a really hard time, and Nancy was just completely powerless over the situation, too afraid to say anything to try and defend her friend. After an hour, Barb got fed up and left, leaving you alone with Nancy and those assholes who were absolutely wasted and wouldn't shut up about playing spin the bottle or truth or dare.

"Come on, what are you, twelve?" Steve protested, "We're not kids man, that's just boring."

"You're absolutely right Harrington. But, we could spice it up, ya know?" Tommy offered, trying to convince Steve to play the game "For every truth or dare you refuse to tell or do, you have to take a shot of tequila. What do you say, Harrington? Wanna get absolutely wasted?"

Next thing you know, you were excusing yourself to go to the bathroom while at least 10 people were gathering around forming a circle on the floor of Steve's backyard. You didn't really need to use the bathroom, you just needed to cool off a little before getting hammered — you were NOT about to tell any truths or do any dares around these people you barely knew. Before you could go back outside, you got yourself a glass of water in the kitchen. As you threw away the red plastic cup, now empty, you heard a conversation through the kitchen window that headed to the backyard.

"So, can we start the game already?"

"Wait, where's Wheeler's  friend?"

"Barb left like, half an hour ago, Carol" you heard Nancy reply.

"No, not the chubby one, the other one, the weird one with the ugly hair."

"I think she needed to use the bathroom…?"

"Oh my god do you think she's like, brushing her teeth or something? Thinking someone's gonna want to kiss her?" Carol laughed.

"We better not wait for her then, I do NOT want to spin the bottle and end up having to kiss that weird ass bitch!" Tommy said, getting a good laugh out of everyone.

Your eyes teared up as you backed away from the window, thinking about what to do. You thought you could just sneak out and go home, cry yourself to sleep, but then you remembered you had left your bike chained up by the backyard fence. There was no way you could get your bike without anyone noticing you sneaking out. Fuck, you knew you should've stayed home reading something or watching TV.

Since you couldn't go home without your bike, you decided to wait until everyone was back inside. It couldn't take that long, you thought, it was freezing out there. But you couldn't stay inside either. Not by yourself. So, you walked over to the front door and opened it, feeling the cold air hit your cheeks. You walked out of the house and into the woods beside the house, where you could still see the backyard, but would be out of sight, a little further from the backyard fence and hidden in the dark shadow of the trees that surrounded the Harrington's property. Once you were settled, seated on the ground, you bursted into tears. Hot, salty tears running through your face as you sobbed, hating everything about yourself, hating the fact that, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't escape the fact that you were always different. Not in an obvious way — you didn't have that much of a fashion sense that was bold enough to earn dirty looks from old ladies —, but sometimes you felt like you didn't feel things the same way other people did. You felt fragile, small, vulnerable, like you were exposed all the time. It made you feel like shit.

You were so quiet, you couldn't help but to jump out when you heard footsteps behind you and then something snapping, like someone had stepped on a branch or something. You turned around wide eyed, heart pounding, just to see a silhouette standing behind you, holding a little metal lunchbox. It was a boy, shaggy curly hair down to right below his earlobes, Iron Maiden shirt, leather jacket and denim vest, dark loose jeans and heavy black boots.

"Dude, what the fuck" you panted, trying to not look as spooked and jumpy as you were "where did you came from?"

"Shit, sorry" he said, trying to hold back his laughter "didn't mean to scare ya, normally i don't run by anyone when i take this shortcut, though it has been a while since i actually used this shortcut — see, i usually drive mostly everywhere, but i ran out of gas money for the month and i thought 'hey, i could actually use a little walk through the woods to cool my head off a little' so i just decided to- whoa, wait, are you crying? I'm so sorry I didn't mean to scare you like that!" he stopped his rambling when he noticed you were drying your tears with the sleeve of your jacket.

"No, it's not- really, i'm fine" you panicked, noticing he seemed a little hurt by your reaction "i was already crying before you- sorry, it wasn't you, i'm fine don't worry"

He walked over to you and sat down beside you, a concerned look on his face.

"I don't wanna be nosy or anything, I know you don't really know me" he started, you now realizing you did recognise him from school, how could you not? He's always drawing attention to himself "but you can talk to me if you want. I'm guessing you were at Harrington's party? Everyone down there sitting at that circle in the backyard is kinda known for being a pain in the ass"

"What gave it away?" you brushed off your tears, slightly smiling at his comment "Just didn't wanna play truth or dare with… you know, those guys. But it seems they were glad I didn't join them, so they wouldn't have to kiss me if someone decided to play spin the bottle" 

"Wait, what?" he seemed surprised "They told you that?"

"Not exactly" you explained "I was at the kitchen and overheard someone saying that outside, so i bailed"

"What are you still doing here then?- Oh, I'm Eddie, by the way." he introduced himself, shaking your hand as you introduced yourself.

You explained the whole situation to him and he offered to keep you company until you could get your bike back and go home. After an hour of nonsense conversation filled with Eddie's dramatic sense of humor, you actually got to know each other a little bit. He told you about his band and how he really liked Lord of the Rings and fantasy RPG.

"I'm not really a huge fan of fantasy books" you shared, causing him to gasp, as he was offended by your comment.

"How dare you? Are you not a huge fan of happiness too? Or maybe you hate puppies and ice cream?" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "How can you not like the only way to escape this boring non-fictional world we are FORCED to live in?"

"Hey, don't get me wrong, I do like fiction. Just not... fantasy fiction."

"So what do you like then?"

"I really enjoy science fiction."

"What, like androids and shit?"

"No, not that kind of science fiction. I mean science fiction like... Clockwork Orange, or Flowers for Algernon."

"Oh so you're a nerd too!" he teased "I was almost buying all that 'not a nerd' act, but you're into Kubrick? That's so nerdy!"

"You do know Stanley Kubrick didn't write the book right?"

"Shut up, you know what I mean."

Once he started to talk about music, he just couldn't stop talking for a second. He told you about his band, and you felt as if he was the first person to ever understand your passion for music. After another 30 minutes or so of energetic conversation about how much you both liked 70s rock, he ended up telling you he only attended this kind of party to sell some weed and make a quick buck.

"Don't get me wrong, i fucking hate these people" he explained himself "but they ARE in fact my biggest costumers. Guess daddy's money might not be enough for them to feel loved, but it does buy whatever else they need to feel better about themselves. So, they always make sure I'm 'invited' to every party they want me to bring my little lunchbox to."

"Yeah, that makes sense i guess" you agreed, turning your head over to the backyard, people already heading inside due to the cold. You felt your heart sink, even though all you've been wanting was to take your bike and leave. You were actually really enjoying getting to talk to Eddie.

"Well, i guess this is it" he said, noticing as you watched everyone getting into the house "now you can go home and not listen to me and my rambling about whatever it is i was talking about. Hell, even i can't remember what the hell i was talking about most of the time" he laughed. 

"To be honest, it wasn't that bad" you laughed back "it was definitely better than spin the bottle!"

He chuckled, helping you get up and unchain your bike from the fence, giving you a dorky smile as you hopped up on your bike. 

"Well, I better get back to work huh? Got a lot of customers waiting on me" he gestured to the house as you secured your helmet under your chin.

"Yeah, I better get back home too. My aunt refuses to go to sleep until i get home safe, don't wanna keep her waiting"

"So, I guess I'll see you at school, huh?" he shifted at his feet and kicked the ground, stuffing his hands inside the pockets of his vest.

"Yeah, if there's any seats left for another nerd at your table for lunch" you chuckled awkwardly, looking at your feet.

"For a pretty one like you? Always."

You exchanged an awkward look and smiled at each other again, and with that you followed your way back home, feeling hopeful about how the next few weeks would play out. You thought you had finally found someone you could trust and spend time with, someone who got you — a friend.

For the next week or so, you and Eddie hung out a lot. Finally, you had someone you could call a friend, and things seemed to be going not so bad for the first time in months. He would always save you a seat at the table at lunch and walk you to your classes, he would even give you a ride every once in a while, when his van was not running out of gas. It was something you could get used to — at least until a couple of weeks later, when you, Nancy, Jonathan and Steve ended up trauma bonding over setting a demogorgon on fire. After that, your life had (literally) turned upside down and you didn't hang out with Eddie that much anymore. As the years went by, you would hang out more with Steve and Robin once Nancy and Jonathan started dating. You would still talk to Eddie though, just... not like you talked to your other friends. They were the only ones who actually understood what you were going through, and — even though you missed his company — it would be selfish to tell Eddie everything and drag him into that nightmare. Until of course, the nightmare caught up to him.