#i'll figure out linking posts one day

[inkypipedreams]

cult guy

i'll do my best to link posts and tag the right warnings and all but I can't say that everything will be linked until everything is posted (and i also don't know how yet

Oh…wow you were sore. The rough wood behind you wasn’t a five-star bed by any means, plus you were tied up. Groggily, you slowly lifted your head to look around the room…only to notice that you were most definitely not in the room that Henry gets sacrificed in. 

    Glancing around as much as you were able, you saw a cot against the opposite wall…where the prophet sat, watching you intently (or maybe he was snoozing. You weren’t gonna judge). 

   “So, bed first, or is dinner an option?” You asked with a chuckle. “Didn’t think you got that attached to your sheep.”

 “I knew you were a curious one,” he groaned. “Do not speak of your prophet in such ways, sheep.”

   You quirked an eyebrow. “Or what? You’ll find a way to shut me up?”

  “What are you? A witch? A wicked wolf trying to desecrate my flock?”

   “That doesn’t sound half bad not gonna lie. I was getting bored. Too bad I didn’t think of that.”

   The prophet got up and crossed the room to you. “I have no qualms with gifting you to our savior. But my flock has been listening. You say you’re from another life. So you will answer my questions.”

   You…had read way too many fanfictions. “Oh, and you’ll leave my friend to die. Tough decision…no.” You said, turning your head with a ‘humph’ for emphasis.

  “You think I’m truly so desperate for answers?” He almost laughed. Wow, it kind of reminded you of your job.

  “You think you’re the first person to threaten me?”

   “You must be sorely mistaken if you think this is me threatening you.”

  “All in the body language mister. Where’s…oh shoot what’s his name..” you trailed off grumbling, you had just met the guy!

   The prophet… well he’d probably not think of the whole memory leaves when you cross a threshold.

   “It appears we’re too late. You’ve already been infected with the ink. Not to worry, little sheep. I can take care of you.”

    You shook your head. “Nope! Crossed a threshold and my brain forgot. Plus you did knock me out. That does not mix! Did you even consider the possibility of amnesia? At which point just say goodbye to getting answers by the way.” 

    “How do you know?”

   “That’s not relevant. What do you want me to tell you?”

     “I want to know if the lord accepts my offering. If my promises have been for naught.”

     You gulped and made a choked laugh. “I…I mean you sure? Did you…I don’t know. Are you sure?”

   “Yes!” You jumped, cringing away from him as he shouted. “I must know. Tell me everything. If you leave anything out…I’m going to take your heart for myself.”

    Because of your intense avoidance of being dead, the truth was shared…mostly. You left out minor details; like the life you led before coming to the studio.

   “Thank you, little sheep,” he said though it was a lot more subdued. Guess he was in shock that his sacrifice wouldn’t work.

   “But it’s time to sleep,” he finished, knocking you out with another blow to the head.

\_•^•_/

    This was odd. Normally after getting knocked out by Sammy, he got a religious monologue he’d started dozing off too. But this time he was just alone. 

   “Is…oh, shoot!” He wiggled his hands around, trying to find the knot in the ropes. He wasn’t alone in this loop. Where was that kid? “Hang on kid…I’ll get to you as soon as possible.”

  But the ropes were tight; as usual. It would be a while before he could find the knot. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too late.

 “You knocked me out again?! Does the phrase ‘brain trauma’ mean absolutely nothing for you?!”

   That was you. Well, enough to banter. He chuckled, wondering what the prophet had done to get you so riled up.  

   “Merely so you wouldn’t struggle, goat. Stop struggling or things will become so much worse.”

  “Oh, so I’m a goat now? What happened to you calling me a lamb?”

   “You’re as stubborn as one,” the prophet hissed, and Henry did his best to cover a snicker with a cough as the prophet led you in, wrists bound with ropes. 

   You said nothing but glared at the prophet as he tied the rope to your wrists to another pillar in the room.

 As soon as he stepped away from you, though, you relaxed your arms- Henry wasn't sure how the prophet hadn’t even noticed that- and the ropes tying your wrists together were easier to slip out of. 

  “Could you not have waited until I at least stepped out of the room?”

  “No, I didn’t feel like it. Are you gonna sacrifice me now?”

  “Are you so eager to let me die?”

   “Can…sorry for interrupting, but what’s going on with you two?”

   You glanced at Henry and shrugged. “This loser threatened me if I didn’t tell him the truth so I did.”

   “Oh. Makes sense,” Henry chuckled. “So what’s the game plan here?”

   “Well, not dying would be great. I’d love to do that.”

   Henry laughed and agreed. 

 “That is not something you can decide, sheep. I will sacrifice you to the ink demon.”

   “Hush, hush. The adults are talking.”

   “I’m older than you!”

   You blew a raspberry in his direction and went to untie Henry. “Doesn’t matter, I’m the one being reasonable. Now then, Henry and I will be out of your hair momentarily. You could come if the prospect of not dying appeals to you.”

   “I am going to worship my Lord. However…if you can do something miraculous I will be watching.” 

   You nodded, and though you’d given up on trying to untie Henry, there was an ax available. So you cut away at the remaining ropes with Henry’s ax.

    “Thanks, kiddo. That was way better than almost getting sacrificed,” Henry chuckled. “So are we ready to go?”

   You nodded and gave Henry back his weapon when he was able to grab it. “Yup, let’s get out of here.”

   The prophet glared daggers into your soul, despite the mask he was wearing. “And I am to let two wolves in sheep’s clothing terrorize my flock?” 

  You pulled the hood of your hoodie over your head, the antenna dripping ink still. “Life’s no fun without a good scare now and then!”

   The two of them tilted their heads at what you said, and you were down for the count because of their synchronization.

   No, you were just unable to breathe. Holding your stomach, you could only release giggle after giggle, crying from the utter ridiculousness of the situation. 

  “Don’t die on me, kid!” Henry said, kneeling by your side in a flash. “What’s got you laughing so hard?”

   You stopped laughing long enough to look at him and respond with “Nothing, nothing at all,” before going right back into a fit of giggles.

  “…the sheep is not well. Why do you insist on pressing onward?” The prophet inquired.

   “M’ fine!” You waved. “Just stupid fit.”

   “I’m looking for a friend. You can come with us or just hang out here,” Henry shrugged. When Sammy refused, he turned to you, offered a hand, and said, “Well, kiddo, need me to help you up?”

   You nodded furiously, not trusting your voice. Grabbing Henry’s outstretched hand, he pulled you to your feet.

   “Okay, let’s not have a repeat of that. I can see why you said you were nervous about meeting Sammy,” he chuckled. 

  You did too but paused when you realized that Henry said the prophet’s name. Of course, you forgot that detail. 

   “Sammy? There is no Sammy here,” the prophet said. “Now, I’ll allow you to leave with your souls intact. But touch one member of my flock with that ax at your peril.”

   He meant the threat. Most of your mind was rational enough to be terrified, while the other insane portion of you just thought it was better than being asked to get a manager over items that were out of stock.

    “How can we know they won’t attack us?”

   “They’re not that fast.”

  …You looked at Henry, asking him telepathically (or trying to) if you could throw the ax at him. 

   “So, more cardio. It’ll be tougher, but…we’ll do our best,” he nodded, waving to the prophet, yet the gesture was ignored. 

    The prophet stepped into a different room and opened a hallway door. During typical gameplay, Bendy would have been chasing you like you just ate the last cookie, but not today. 

   With Henry leading the way, the two of you made your way further into the cursed studio.

[wardingshout]

Link's Awakening manga cover redraw thing

[imgaydontshoot]

[zenkai-icons]

A quick set of notes RE: requests!

I will only make 100x100px icons from official manga.

The ask box is open for requests at all times! ( unless otherwise stated! ) I will complete new requests at my discretion.

I work in batches! What I meant by 'accepting _ more characters' is that I am accepting however many characters for the next batch. There may be some time between batches. I have no discipline. I do the icons when I have the itch.

I greatly appreciate when, in the case of characters who frequently appear throughout the manga, the requester specifies a certain saga. While it's pretty easy to do, capping and cropping icons still can take a lot of time. I'm less likely to fulfill a request for Piccolo, but far more likely to fulfill one for Piccolo in the Saiyan Saga, as an example.

If I do not post the ask with a request, but post some icon packs that were requested, that means there may be more on the way! Splitting packs into specific sagas has helped me pace myself. 💚

Icon packs are likely to get a little smaller, as I'm forcing myself to make fewer crops of the same caps.

[inkydoc]

Infinity Nikki fashion challenge #2 - favourite Ability Outfit piece

i have many favourites that i use in my saved outfits already so i decided to use one fave item i had a lot of trouble styling - i had no idea what to do with these bug-catching overalls which i loved from the moment i got them, but this works :3

my other challenge posts

[ms-demeanor]

Wait, so you said that you can learn to trust others by building friendships, but how does one go about doing that? Wouldn't someone I don't know be creeped out or annoyed if I suddenly walked up and started talking to them?

Friendships are built of repeated low-stakes interactions and returned bids for attention with slowly increasing intimacy over time.

It takes a long time to make friends as an adult. People will probably think you're weird if you just walk up and start talking to them as though you are already their friend (people think it's weird when I do this, I try not to do this) but people won't think it's weird if you're someone they've seen a few times who says "hey" and then gradually has more conversations (consisting of more words) with them.

I cheat at forming adult friendships by joining groups where people meet regularly. If you're part of a radio club that meets once a week and you just join up to talk about radios, eventually those will be your radio friends.

If there's a hiking meetup near you and you go regularly, you will eventually have hiking friends.

Deeper friendships are formed with people from those kinds of groups when you do things with them outside of the context of the original interaction; if you go camping with your radio friend, that person is probably more friend than acquaintance. If you go to the movies with a hiking friend who likes the same horror movies as you do, that is deepening the friendship.

In, like 2011 Large Bastard decided he wanted more friends to do stuff with so he started a local radio meetup. These people started as strangers who shared an interest. Now they are people who give each other rides after surgery and help each other move and have started businesses together and have gone on many radio-based camping trips and have worked on each other's cars.

Finding a meetup or starting a meetup is genuinely the cheat-code for making friends.

This is also how making friendships at schools works - you're around a group of people very regularly and eventually you get to know them better and you start figuring out who you get along with and you start spending more time with those people.

If you want to do this in the most fast and dramatic way possible, join a band.

In 2020 I wrote something of a primer on how to turn low-stakes interactions with neighbors and acquaintances into more meaningful relationships; check the notes of this post over the next couple days, I'll dig up the link and share it in a reblog.

[mxactivist]

Support the BBC for having a trans character in recent episodes of 'Doctor Who'

Apparently the BBC (UK) has had 144 complaints about a recent episode of Doctor Who because it contained an openly trans character.

I've made a complaint to the BBC that there weren't enough transgender characters in Doctor Who. I would love if 144 other people did the same thing. Here's the link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint/#/Complaint

(For your easy reference: "The Star Beast" aired on 25/11/2023 on BBC One, and the trans character is called Rose.)

Please note that the complaint form asks for your UK postcode, so only UK folks can join in with this - but if you suspect you might have any UK-based followers, maybe give us a reblog to boost the signal?

Edit: I'm told that you can fill in the form even if you're outside of the UK, because the BBC provide service to many countries other than the UK, including the USA! Go for it. :D

Reply to confirm that you've done it, so I can keep a count!

Here's my complaint:

I recommend:

Avoid sarcasm or irony. Assume your post will be taken literally. If you are clearly joking or being mean you will be ignored or misunderstood.

Include some gratitude/appreciation. It's pretty great that they included a trans woman in a positive way, and they should know that they have explicit support for that.

~

Edit again: I'm seeing some concerns in the replies/reblogs that the BBC might not distinguish between "less trans people, please" complaints and "more trans people, please" complaints. Rest assured, this is nothing to worry about - the BBC publish fortnightly complaint reports, and they do pay enough attention to know when a complaint is in favour of or against trans inclusion. In fact, their 20 November – 3 December 2023 report is where the various news articles are getting the 144 complaints figure; that report says there were precisely 144 complaints that they have categorised as "Anti-male / inappropriate inclusion of transgender character".

That means the next complaints fortnight window is 4 December - 17 December. We have 8 more days to beat 144. By my count, over Tumblr, WhatsApp, the Fediverse and Telegram, we have 85 so far, which is well over halfway there.

Also, when you've done it, please reply to confirm you have done it, so that I can count us!

Thank you, everyone!

~

Edit, 2023-12-11, 1am UK time:

We did it! I've just been counting up responses, and it looks like sometime yesterday evening we hit 144 complaints/comments in favour of Rose Noble and more excellent trans characters in Doctor Who! (We're actually up to 157 now, fantastic.)

So, my next plan is to submit a Freedom of Information Act request to the BBC sometime in the next few days, asking for complaints and compliments figures. Then I'd ideally (energy and time permitting) like to put together a press release that I can send out to the publications that promoted the tiny "144 anti-trans complaints" figure, showing them that there has been far more feedback in favour of trans representation than against.

I'll keep you posted.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

How I got scammed

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/05/cyber-dunning-kruger/#swiss-cheese-security

I wuz robbed.

More specifically, I was tricked by a phone-phisher pretending to be from my bank, and he convinced me to hand over my credit-card number, then did $8,000+ worth of fraud with it before I figured out what happened. And then he tried to do it again, a week later!

Here's what happened. Over the Christmas holiday, I traveled to New Orleans. The day we landed, I hit a Chase ATM in the French Quarter for some cash, but the machine declined the transaction. Later in the day, we passed a little credit-union's ATM and I used that one instead (I bank with a one-branch credit union and generally there's no fee to use another CU's ATM).

A couple days later, I got a call from my credit union. It was a weekend, during the holiday, and the guy who called was obviously working for my little CU's after-hours fraud contractor. I'd dealt with these folks before – they service a ton of little credit unions, and generally the call quality isn't great and the staff will often make mistakes like mispronouncing my credit union's name.

That's what happened here – the guy was on a terrible VOIP line and I had to ask him to readjust his mic before I could even understand him. He mispronounced my bank's name and then asked if I'd attempted to spend $1,000 at an Apple Store in NYC that day. No, I said, and groaned inwardly. What a pain in the ass. Obviously, I'd had my ATM card skimmed – either at the Chase ATM (maybe that was why the transaction failed), or at the other credit union's ATM (it had been a very cheap looking system).

I told the guy to block my card and we started going through the tedious business of running through recent transactions, verifying my identity, and so on. It dragged on and on. These were my last hours in New Orleans, and I'd left my family at home and gone out to see some of the pre-Mardi Gras krewe celebrations and get a muffalata, and I could tell that I was going to run out of time before I finished talking to this guy.

"Look," I said, "you've got all my details, you've frozen the card. I gotta go home and meet my family and head to the airport. I'll call you back on the after-hours number once I'm through security, all right?"

He was frustrated, but that was his problem. I hung up, got my sandwich, went to the airport, and we checked in. It was total chaos: an Alaska Air 737 Max had just lost its door-plug in mid-air and every Max in every airline's fleet had been grounded, so the check in was crammed with people trying to rebook. We got through to the gate and I sat down to call the CU's after-hours line. The person on the other end told me that she could only handle lost and stolen cards, not fraud, and given that I'd already frozen the card, I should just drop by the branch on Monday to get a new card.

We flew home, and later the next day, I logged into my account and made a list of all the fraudulent transactions and printed them out, and on Monday morning, I drove to the bank to deal with all the paperwork. The folks at the CU were even more pissed than I was. The fraud that run up to more than $8,000, and if Visa refused to take it out of the merchants where the card had been used, my little credit union would have to eat the loss.

I agreed and commiserated. I also pointed out that their outsource, after-hours fraud center bore some blame here: I'd canceled the card on Saturday but most of the fraud had taken place on Sunday. Something had gone wrong.

One cool thing about banking at a tiny credit-union is that you end up talking to people who have actual authority, responsibility and agency. It turned out the the woman who was processing my fraud paperwork was a VP, and she decided to look into it. A few minutes later she came back and told me that the fraud center had no record of having called me on Saturday.

"That was the fraudster," she said.

Oh, shit. I frantically rewound my conversation, trying to figure out if this could possibly be true. I hadn't given him anything apart from some very anodyne info, like what city I live in (which is in my Wikipedia entry), my date of birth (ditto), and the last four digits of my card.

Wait a sec.

He hadn't asked for the last four digits. He'd asked for the last seven digits. At the time, I'd found that very frustrating, but now – "The first nine digits are the same for every card you issue, right?" I asked the VP.

I'd given him my entire card number.

Goddammit.

The thing is, I know a lot about fraud. I'm writing an entire series of novels about this kind of scam:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865878/thebezzle

And most summers, I go to Defcon, and I always go to the "social engineering" competitions where an audience listens as a hacker in a soundproof booth cold-calls merchants (with the owner's permission) and tries to con whoever answers the phone into giving up important information.

But I'd been conned.

Now look, I knew I could be conned. I'd been conned before, 13 years ago, by a Twitter worm that successfully phished out of my password via DM:

https://locusmag.com/2010/05/cory-doctorow-persistence-pays-parasites/

That scam had required a miracle of timing. It started the day before, when I'd reset my phone to factory defaults and reinstalled all my apps. That same day, I'd published two big online features that a lot of people were talking about. The next morning, we were late getting out of the house, so by the time my wife and I dropped the kid at daycare and went to the coffee shop, it had a long line. Rather than wait in line with me, my wife sat down to read a newspaper, and so I pulled out my phone and found a Twitter DM from a friend asking "is this you?" with a URL.

Assuming this was something to do with those articles I'd published the day before, I clicked the link and got prompted for my Twitter login again. This had been happening all day because I'd done that mobile reinstall the day before and all my stored passwords had been wiped. I entered it but the page timed out. By that time, the coffees were ready. We sat and chatted for a bit, then went our own ways.

I was on my way to the office when I checked my phone again. I had a whole string of DMs from other friends. Each one read "is this you?" and had a URL.

Oh, shit, I'd been phished.

If I hadn't reinstalled my mobile OS the day before. If I hadn't published a pair of big articles the day before. If we hadn't been late getting out the door. If we had been a little more late getting out the door (so that I'd have seen the multiple DMs, which would have tipped me off).

There's a name for this in security circles: "Swiss-cheese security." Imagine multiple slices of Swiss cheese all stacked up, the holes in one slice blocked by the slice below it. All the slices move around and every now and again, a hole opens up that goes all the way through the stack. Zap!

The fraudster who tricked me out of my credit card number had Swiss cheese security on his side. Yes, he spoofed my bank's caller ID, but that wouldn't have been enough to fool me if I hadn't been on vacation, having just used a pair of dodgy ATMs, in a hurry and distracted. If the 737 Max disaster hadn't happened that day and I'd had more time at the gate, I'd have called my bank back. If my bank didn't use a slightly crappy outsource/out-of-hours fraud center that I'd already had sub-par experiences with. If, if, if.

The next Friday night, at 5:30PM, the fraudster called me back, pretending to be the bank's after-hours center. He told me my card had been compromised again. But: I hadn't removed my card from my wallet since I'd had it replaced. Also, it was half an hour after the bank closed for the long weekend, a very fraud-friendly time. And when I told him I'd call him back and asked for the after-hours fraud number, he got very threatening and warned me that because I'd now been notified about the fraud that any losses the bank suffered after I hung up the phone without completing the fraud protocol would be billed to me. I hung up on him. He called me back immediately. I hung up on him again and put my phone into do-not-disturb.

The following Tuesday, I called my bank and spoke to their head of risk-management. I went through everything I'd figured out about the fraudsters, and she told me that credit unions across America were being hit by this scam, by fraudsters who somehow knew CU customers' phone numbers and names, and which CU they banked at. This was key: my phone number is a reasonably well-kept secret. You can get it by spending money with Equifax or another nonconsensual doxing giant, but you can't just google it or get it at any of the free services. The fact that the fraudsters knew where I banked, knew my name, and had my phone number had really caused me to let down my guard.

The risk management person and I talked about how the credit union could mitigate this attack: for example, by better-training the after-hours card-loss staff to be on the alert for calls from people who had been contacted about supposed card fraud. We also went through the confusing phone-menu that had funneled me to the wrong department when I called in, and worked through alternate wording for the menu system that would be clearer (this is the best part about banking with a small CU – you can talk directly to the responsible person and have a productive discussion!). I even convinced her to buy a ticket to next summer's Defcon to attend the social engineering competitions.

There's a leak somewhere in the CU systems' supply chain. Maybe it's Zelle, or the small number of corresponding banks that CUs rely on for SWIFT transaction forwarding. Maybe it's even those after-hours fraud/card-loss centers. But all across the USA, CU customers are getting calls with spoofed caller IDs from fraudsters who know their registered phone numbers and where they bank.

I've been mulling this over for most of a month now, and one thing has really been eating at me: the way that AI is going to make this kind of problem much worse.

Not because AI is going to commit fraud, though.

One of the truest things I know about AI is: "we're nowhere near a place where bots can steal your job, we're certainly at the point where your boss can be suckered into firing you and replacing you with a bot that fails at doing your job":

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/15/passive-income-brainworms/#four-hour-work-week

I trusted this fraudster specifically because I knew that the outsource, out-of-hours contractors my bank uses have crummy headsets, don't know how to pronounce my bank's name, and have long-ass, tedious, and pointless standardized questionnaires they run through when taking fraud reports. All of this created cover for the fraudster, whose plausibility was enhanced by the rough edges in his pitch - they didn't raise red flags.

As this kind of fraud reporting and fraud contacting is increasingly outsourced to AI, bank customers will be conditioned to dealing with semi-automated systems that make stupid mistakes, force you to repeat yourself, ask you questions they should already know the answers to, and so on. In other words, AI will groom bank customers to be phishing victims.

This is a mistake the finance sector keeps making. 15 years ago, Ben Laurie excoriated the UK banks for their "Verified By Visa" system, which validated credit card transactions by taking users to a third party site and requiring them to re-enter parts of their password there:

https://web.archive.org/web/20090331094020/http://www.links.org/?p=591

This is exactly how a phishing attack works. As Laurie pointed out, this was the banks training their customers to be phished.

I came close to getting phished again today, as it happens. I got back from Berlin on Friday and my suitcase was damaged in transit. I've been dealing with the airline, which means I've really been dealing with their third-party, outsource luggage-damage service. They have a terrible website, their emails are incoherent, and they officiously demand the same information over and over again.

This morning, I got a scam email asking me for more information to complete my damaged luggage claim. It was a terrible email, from a noreply@ email address, and it was vague, officious, and dishearteningly bureaucratic. For just a moment, my finger hovered over the phishing link, and then I looked a little closer.

On any other day, it wouldn't have had a chance. Today – right after I had my luggage wrecked, while I'm still jetlagged, and after days of dealing with my airline's terrible outsource partner – it almost worked.

So much fraud is a Swiss-cheese attack, and while companies can't close all the holes, they can stop creating new ones.

Meanwhile, I'll continue to post about it whenever I get scammed. I find the inner workings of scams to be fascinating, and it's also important to remind people that everyone is vulnerable sometimes, and scammers are willing to try endless variations until an attack lands at just the right place, at just the right time, in just the right way. If you think you can't get scammed, that makes you especially vulnerable:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[copperbadge]

National Clean Your Home Month, aka NaClYoHo or "Salty Pirates" month, is soon to be upon us!

Each November, I "host" NaClYoHo, where participants work to make their living spaces more comfortable and pleasant. The full manifesto is at the link, but the basic premise is that each day in November you put on a podcast, tv show, playlist, or other media, and clean or organize some aspect of your home.

It's meant to be a low-stress way to both do a yearly cleaning and also participate in an intensive project like National Novel Writing Month without having to write a novel. I'll be posting about it again before November kicks off, but I thought I'd link to the manifesto well ahead of time, so people could brace themselves. :D

This year my big goals are to figure out how to keep my floors truly clean, replace at least one rug, and clear out the storage nook where I have a bunch of stuff that needs sorting through. I am also going to try to dedicate some time to researching those "bathroom refresh" companies that basically just put a shell over your existing shower/tub/walls and see if it's feasible for my bathroom, which desperately needs it.

[barrenclan]

"The Death of BarrenClan: Part Five"

And with that, the "Death of BarrenClan" arc comes to an end! Thank you all for reading along and for the wonderful response to each issue.

The comic is not over yet; there are four issues left, plus a series of epilogues, where our cast will have to mourn their losses, pick up the pieces of their lives, and figure out what to do next.

For the last few issues of the comic, I've also decided to offer an early release of the next issue on my Patreon at the $5 and above tier. It'll post in a few days, and if there's continuing interest in this, I'll do the same for the last issues after the preceding one is publicly released.

Here's the link to my Patreon.

Previous < > Next

[rin-may-1103]

The Master Post.

someone asked for a master post so here we are.

Tag List? yes, there is a tag list. If you'd like to be Added, please leave a comment on the Stories Linked Post. If the tags aren't working for some reason, then you can either Follow this post by clicking the bell (or the three dots) or follow the Story's Post the same way. I'll update both Relevant Posts when there is a New Part.

Unfortunately, I can't keep up with all the people asking to be added to the tag list in all the different posts, so to make it easier, please follow the instructions above. if you don't I'll most likely miss your comment and therefore not add you to the tag list. (if you're not sure if you're tagged or not, you can check out the Tag List Here, please follow the instructions in the comments)

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

I hope y'all keep enjoying the stories as much as I enjoy writing them.

Stories and Summaries:

The Wrong Robin Au (DP x DC):

Tim Drake saw Danny do a quadruple somersault, which resulted in him believing Danny was the first Robin for years. He still figured out Bruce but thinks Dick is in the dark. Now with the second Robin dead, and Batman quickly reaching the end of his sanity, Tim takes it upon himself to get Robin to come back. Danny is very confused when this random kid tries to blackmail him into becoming Robin.

Badger Day Au (DP x DC):

Danny is stuck in a Groundhog Day kinda situation and he would like to be let out now, please. The league is very worried.

Delilah's language (DP x DC):

Bruce Wayne approaches the Fentons because Damian is a big fan of Danny for his work in the conservation of the purpleback gorilla. So now Danny is going to the birthday of this random kid so he can teach him gorilla sign language so he can talk to the purple-back gorilla as well.

Just a Bite (DP x DC):

Danny's homeless on the streets of Gotham, when he gets a terrible idea from some passerby. Three weeks after living with the Waynes, they still haven't noticed he's not supposed to be there.

72 hours (DP x DC):

During a battle with the rest of the league, John Constantine is accidentally sent into the palace of Pariah Dark, Tyrant of the Dead, and Bane of the Living. Danny just wanted to have a simple spa day.

Biggest Regret (DP x DC):

Danny Had been optimistic when he created The Email. Three days, that's what he gave himself. Three days to fix or get out of whatever problem he was dealing with and open his laptop to restart the timer. Three days. Past him had thought that If he ever got caught they'd just kill him; it's what they said they would do this whole time, so why wouldn't he think otherwise? It's been more than three days, and at this point, he's just glad someone could fulfill his last wish.

The Disappointment (DP x DC):

Ra's has stated his disapproval of one of the twins, now Talia is rushing to get them out of there and to Bruce to be safe. Danny has other ideas.

Black Retrievers and Golden Cats (DP x DC):

He remembered how it took two hours for his mind to catch up to what he had done, two hours for him to realize he had just killed his brother. It took another two days to realize his brother was never coming back, that the pits had not worked. Damian stared at the camera footage infront of him, his family's voices buzzing with theories and analyzing everything they could. He remembered his brother's bright carefree smile just minutes before Damian had killed him. So, why? Why was he seeing it again?

College Rivalry with the Genius Toddler in the First Row. (DP X DC):

Tim doesn't understand how he's losing at university to a toddler. Danny's not having a great time, but it's fine because now he can terrorize Red Robin.

The Willpower of Space (DP X DC):

A faulty green lantern ring wakes from it's accidental eon long sleep due to how powerful Danny's willpower is. It decides that Danny is a worthy wielder and grants Danny the ability to use it. There's just one problem; Danny keeps dying. and the ring doesn't understand what's going on. Oa is very concerned.

The Weeping Boy Au (DP X DC):

I'll think of a summary later, for now, it's an expansion of this post.

The Eyes of Death Au (DP X DC):

In an attempt to prevent a cult from causing problems, Danny accidentally convinces the Justice League and Co. that he's possessing himself. Damian is not happy that his boyfriend is apparently the new June Moone.

[singukieee]

—my all time favourite bts fics (pt. 1) ᯓᡣ𐭩

consists of my personal favourite bts fics that I've read countless of times. including those from other platforms, such as Wattpad, AO3, and Patreon.

For some works that are cross-posted between tumblr and wp/ao3, I'd only link them to the latters bcs I find it easier to read and navigate the stories on those. but I also tagged all the authors I know are here and linked the rest so you can check their blogs out yourself!

I'll also separate this list into several parts simply because there's too many... So it'd be easier for you guys to navigate!

red means unfinished

blue means finished

🗯️ curator's note

(sorted by alphabetical order)

A Place Called Home by @agustdakasuga

Having saved your own injured hybrid, you were determined to try and help any other hybrid that crossed your path who needed saving. But being a vet in a small hospital wasn’t enough for you. You wanted to do more, you wanted to make a difference. You wanted to give them a home.

Accidental Friends by Erakun06

Meet Bangtan, international superstars, the pride of South Korea, the love and hope in the dark of many lives, the role model and celebrity crush of so many people, and a group of people you often stumble across in your day to day life. You become acquaintances, slowly become friends, and- that's it. You are in a platonic friendship with Bangtan. Let me say it again. clears throat PLATONIC. Or One day, you meet a member of Bangtan, the next day, another, and another, and another, and one day, they become a group of people you often stumble across in your life. They become your acquaintances. Then your friends. Then your source of comfort, just like they are the source of comfort of millions of people in the world. What you didn't expect is that you become the same to them. It's inevitable. You are friends.

🗯️ a theme that I don't find much of, and this one was excecuted quite neatly I'd say

Ace For Hire by tokki-maknae

Who is Ace? Besides being the deadliest hitman on the market in the underground, whose really under the hood? The answers simple, well for you at least, because you are Ace. When you're not busy blurring yourself into the background noises of school, you were making a killing in the underground, both literally and figuratively. For years now Ace has become an infamous name among the other gangs and holds the reputation of being lethal and untouchable. But that all changes after a slip up that causes you to attract the unwanted attention of one persistent seven member gang. A gang that's been dying to know, who is Ace?

🗯️ badassss

At Your Service by @untaemedqueen

In which Yn is looking for an escort to accompany her to her nightmare ex and ex best friend's wedding, only to ended up falling in love with him.

Baby (you complete us) by @purpleyoonn

Soulmates were a common occurrence, so common, in fact, that the world sought an easier way to find your other half: A bracelet that would scan your mark and match you with those who shared your mark. Within recent years, soul groups were becoming normal, and your own bracelet said you have seven matches. Or where you wear your bracelet for ten years, and finally give up the hope you would find your soul group, only for BTS to put theirs on and see what they were missing.

Back Home by AlexLorchan / @alexlwrites

Secretly, he was selfishly hoping that you didn’t age well. Dealing with a small crush was easy enough when he was young and knew next to nothing about girls, when you were just a cute albeit slightly weird girl he had a soft spot for. But he wouldn’t know what to do with himself if his feelings came back with a vengeance while you were living together. God, he would probably lock himself with Jungkook until you went away. OR The one where, after living abroad for years, you move back to Korea and your old high school friend Namjoon offers you his place to stay while you get settled, casually forgetting to mention that: a) he still had a massive crush on you. b) he lived with six other guys.

🗯️ crack fic! my fave category and this one makes me giggle in both funny way and butterfly-in-my-stomach kinda way

Beauty of Love by @imnotlauriane

When you cross eyes with your soulmate, you get flashes of memories that have yet to happen. You can't see the same memory as the other and it can be either good or bad. It's not always terrible, but a thing is for sure. No matter what you do, it will happen. But are things always what they seem to be?

Between The Bloodshed series by @agustdakasuga

🗯️ this series... I just love. plot is super neat, relationship doesn't feel forced, etc etc

❶ Between The Bloodshed

Being a freelance doctor, this was just supposed to be any other job, helping a private client and taking care of him through his recovery. But you were not expecting to get caught in something so much darker that you would have to leave your life behind and build a new one.

❷ Everything Between Us

They left you hanging, they broke your heart. You didn’t get your happily ever after. But now they’re back and they’re searching for you to make things right. Could you look past the betrayal to take them back into your life and back into your heart?

Beyond The Stage by Alysheart

Alexis was going through the days simply. She was a college student in Florida, working towards her degree. When she scored tickets to the BTS concert in Korea, she didn't hesitate. She never expected to be soulmates with the seven idols.

Bound by Blood by PurpleQueenie

In a world where vampires and humans have to co-exist, where the line between tolerance and animosity blurs, how can you ever expect to get your happily ever after when your soulmates hate your very existence?

🗯️ love all the details, the slow burn, gosh just so good

Boyfriend For Hire by @remedyx

Unsatisfied with your life was an understatement. Being under the thumb of your father can have that effect. He wanted someone capable of running the company, but you wanted to pursue your passion. Countless unwanted blind dates and the threat of losing your freedom drives you to seek help from a group of individuals you'd least expected.

Breakthrough by Alphathyx

"My dreams haunt me like past memories that never existed" The Memory Dive, an invention that allows the user to dive into anyone's memories just from the collection of their DNA. Made by Professor Kim Seokjin, he created this device for the worlds secret service to solve mysteries that the ordinary field agents are unable to. With seven agents, ranging from ex military, to a university professor, college student and even a criminal, only these seven are able to use this machine to extract memories of others. They are also the only people that know how to escape it. Discover through their eyes of uncovering the darkest truths of the world, through the minds of victims.

🗯️ this one's super neat plot with complicated and technical world, just so good

Bright Colors and Loud Soulmates by Mostmouse

You resented soulmates, the whole damn concept. It just wasn't your thing, and you couldn't help but feel jealous of those who were born without soulmates, who could see the world as it was intended to be from birth. When you run into your soulmate, you're determined to stay in your own sphere of the world. Focusing on you. But, because nothing is simple in your life, it turns out he's one of seven - better yet, your seven soulmates are the globally famous band BTS. Because why wouldn't they be? OR you learn how to let your soulmates past your carefully crafted walls, and they’re more than happy to show you what a loving and supportive relationship should look like.

🗯️ a funny and cute one! (with extra h0rny characters lol)

BTS Office CEO AU by @jiminiesfavouritecolourisblue

You work for seven CEOs who have called you into their office due to a complaint

Can't Wait To See You Again by AlexLorchan / @alexlwrites

The one where Jungkook develops a huge crush on a Youtuber he found after falling into the rabbit hole of his recommended videos. Unbeknownst to him, you were also recommended to his hyungs. Unbeknownst to you, all across the world seven idols were slowly falling in love with you.

🗯️ I just love the concept of the boys being fanboys :3

Choco Bun by @nunchiimagines

When you moved to Korea after finishing college to continue pursuing latte art and baking, the last thing you were expecting was to open up your very own coffee shop under BTS Corp, Korea’s biggest entertainment service company for idols, models, singers, and more. Thanks to your hard work, creativity, and approachable personality you managed to become friendly with some pretty big named individuals as well as up and coming talent. As exciting and fun as it was for you, you slowly began to realize how much your 7 bosses weren’t particularly fond of this, acts of jealousy, pettiness, and aggression poking through in the most unsuspecting of ways. But what could 7 big named dragons want with a little foreign bunny?

Combined Beings by @numinousher

You are bullied on a constant because korea’s beauty standards do not fit girls on the heavier side. the bullying gets worse once a ceo is attracted to you and he mentioned you to the other 6.

🗯️ minus the bullying elements, this story is like a comforting sweet cloud

Comfort by http-lostforever

Hybrids have been introduced into society for a handful of years now, the fighting for their rights is still happening but doesn't look promising. But when one girl finds a hybrid in danger she jumps at the chance to help, yet what she didn't know was how upside down her life was about to become. But a word of advice, not everything is as it seems.

Could We Be Together Someday? series by BTS_Mommy / @babyboy-bangtan

🗯️ mann Idk what to write lol. this is another one that I've re-read thousand times, bcs some of the boys started as fanboys then became clingy friends. also yn's so supportive I just lovee.

❶ By Chance

A misunderstanding gone viral puts you on BTS's radar, which leads to a series of events that finally culminate with you meeting them for the first time.

❷ The Moments in Between

As you become close friends with BTS, you begin to realize that the feelings you have for them are slowly turning into something you're not ready to deal with. Unbeknownst to you, the same is happening to them.

Crave by sweetinsanityy

The boys don't do well with being controlled, but for their group, they'll bite their tongue and put on a smile for management. Yet when you, a new little rookie, stumble upon them, they're like a pack of hungry wolves. Or, the boys are all Doms and they want you to be their perfect little sub.

Cursed Fate by PurpleQueenie

The universe has designed soulmates- someone that completes you. But what happens when you don't have one but seven? And all you want to do is run in the opposite direction when you see them...

🗯️ queenie's stories are just so good, you should check them all out! this one also has such great details and writing.

Deep Down by sleepingbearandbunny

Jae, unlike everyone else, has nothing against the hybrid species. She likes being alone, where she is safe from ridicule and her controlling father. When a group of hybrids save her from some trouble, fate brings them together once more.

🗯️ a harsh and complecated world this one, so they went through a lot together and I love that!

PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | NAVI

[bunny-jpeg]

kink-o-ween - day one

alexander albon - virginity

cw: smut/pwp, virign!reader, gentle sex, established relationship, sweet & romantic, (gentle) fingering, protected sex (alex is smart)

a/n: wooo first day of bunny's kink-o-ween! something a lil different than most other's kinktober! if you want more, follow the links, i'll be posting daily until the end of the month! stay spooky!

"i'm nervous." you said as you tugged at the bottom of your t-shirt as you stood in alex's bedroom. you shifted from one foot to another. this all felt so silly. you were a grown woman and you were nervous about having sex with your boyfriend.

alex wrapped his arms around you and kissed you on the roundness of your cheek, he smiled at you and said, "we can try again another time. please don't feel pressured."

you shook your rapidly, "no, no, no. i am a woman in my mid-twenties, by now i should have fucked at least once." then exhaled deeply, "let's do it... let's fuck."

you weren't ashamed of being a virgin. you thought the whole concept was stupid, your value didn't have any relation to how many people you had sex with. you just didn't have opportunities for most of your life to have sexual encounters.

and when you told guys on dates as an adult that you were still a virgin, a lot of them got weird about it. you had a guy tell you that he would 'pluck the apple' from your 'garden of eden' which gave you such a gross feeling that you asked your roommate to call you with a fake emergency. but not alex, alex simply told you that it wasn't important to him and that your sexual choices before him were your choices, virgin or not.

"it always sounded like a stupid concept to me." then gave you a smile, "after all, it's not like i have to sacrifice you to a volcano or something, so whether or not your a virgin doesn't matter to me." which made you chuckle a little. you only found yourself more endeared to alex.

which was why during the summer break three months into dating you made the call to finally have sex with him. but as you stood in his bedroom you felt a little anxious. your main concern was what if you sucked at it and it scared him off. he had been with other women before so you had steep competition.

he kissed at your face and rubbed at the lines forming on your forehead, "what are you thinking about, beautiful?"

you rubbed his biceps and said honestly, "what if i suck? and like i don't make you.. ya know, cum." and looked at him.

he chuckled and rubbed the top of your head, "it's not always about finishing. i want to feel close to you. be intimate with you. because i hope that we have many more chances to be close like this after today. and we can figure out what we like. right now, i just want to hold you in my arms. i want to feel you all over."

you pouted a little and wrapped your arms around him tightly, "why are you so sweet!"

he held you around the waist and pressed you up against him. he beamed at you, why wouldn't he be sweet to you? you were his girlfriend, his lover, his partner. he said to you with such warmth, "because you give me the privilege of loving you." then laughed when you went to take the bottom of his shirt.

he let you set the pace, happy for your new found confidence. he would've been perfectly fine if you wanted to do it another time. he laughed and leaned in for a kiss when you hands roamed his bare torso. when you pulled away, you two got out of your clothes and you could feel alex's heated gaze on your body.

"you're beautiful."

"oh shush, c'mon. i'm alright." you crossed your arms, partially hiding your breasts and alex took your arms away and met your gaze. you smiled at him. if you were going to lose your stupid virginity to anyone, it would be someone amazing like alex.

"no, no, you're beautiful." he said as he led you to the bed. he watched you get in up to the headboard and lie down on the pillows. he grabbed a condom from the new box in the nightstand. he wasn't going to be messing around with that.

and while you anticipated for him to just go in, he instead put the wrapped condom beside you and laid on your other side. his fingers danced across your slit, feeling the wetness with his mouth across your neck and shoulder. before you could say anything he said, "i'm not hurting you. i'd rather you be soaked then struggling." and when he sank his fingers in, you moaned.

"alex."

"i got you. just tell me if you want me to stop."

you shook your head, "no, no. keep going. it feels good." you arched your back a little and felt your toes curl. you had fingered yourself before, multiple times. but to feel someone else do it made you excited. the nerves of your first time faded away. paired with alex's kisses made your core grow hot.

he continued to finger you until his two fingers were soaked with your wetness, his praise in your ear made you shiver as he played with you. when he felt like you were slick enough to take him. he pulled away and licked his digits which made you moan unintentionally. he winked at you, "tastes good." before he got up on his knees and eventually between your legs. his cock stood at full attention.

you handed him the condom with a little more confidence. you felt excited more than scared. you believed alex, this was a time of intimacy. he wanted to feel close to you and you did the same for him. you helped him as he got a pillow under your hips and watched him put on the condom with ease.

"scared?"

"excited." you replied. you felt yourself tense up as he guided his cock into you. it wasn't a hard push, but rather a slow slide into you. his gentle words helped you relax, which allowed him to fit nicely without any problems.

"perfect." he said as he got himself in to the base. his hands on your hips, he rubbed your hips as he started to move a little bit, "remember, you control this. i don't want you to be hurt. okay? you'll tell me."

you held onto the pillow under your head and nodded, "of course." you could feel your heartbeat in your throat as he rocked against you. the pace was gentle, he wasn't going to go in with metaphorical guns blazing. he wanted to map your body with his eyes and hands. he wanted to adore your beautiful body and feel close to you.

you were just so painfully beautiful especially when pleasure crossed your face. it excited alex as he moved. his lips mapped your collarbones and then when he pulled away to look down at you once more, he eyed your beautiful breasts.

he had seen them before, even going as far as to touch them. but, to see them bounce a little with each thrust of his hips made his body grow hotter. he leaned in for another hot kiss and felt his heart leap in his chest.

"alex."

"i know, please. you're so beautiful." he started to move faster. he held onto your hips a little tighter and felt a swirl of emotion in his chest. you were simply perfect, "are you okay though?"

you nodded and gave him a broad smile, "yes, alex. please, it feels good."

he leaned in a little more and kissed you square on the lips. his excitement grew like a hum in the back of his mind. he loved that his cock was buried deep in you. he was happy that you were enjoying yourself. it excited him further to know that you two would have a lot of chances to explore one another.

and despite his promise that you two didn't have to climax during your first time. you could feel the excitement of pleasure in your body as he moved against you. your breathing was heavy and your skin felt hot. sweat was on the nape of your neck and the flutter in your stomach from the intensity of your first time made itself known.

"i love you." you said softly.

he pressed his forehead against yours, his hands roamed your body to get a good feel of your curves. you felt perfect, you were an angel come to life. safe in his bed for him to love. he said softly, "i love you more."

you giggled, "no, i love you more." then moved your head to give him a soft kiss on the lips. he moaned into the kiss, he felt so close to you. you whined in response and draped our arms over his shoulders. you made a sweet noise when he moved against you which made him hot all over.

"i don't know.' he said when he pulled away from the kiss, "i love you a lot."

you giggled and pressed a kiss to his nose and settled back against the covers. you felt nice all. he adored you, loved you were his everything. and it excited him.

you had to admit that when you imagined losing your virginity, it would be as good as this. you could see the rise and fall of his chest with heavy breathing. he looked beautiful and it made you hot all over.

"my beautiful girlfriend."

"oh yeah." you giggled, "because you're so ugly."

he smiled, there was heat heavy in his cheeks, he could feel the thrum of want in his body, "no. but, i do think you're more eye catching than i am. you make jaws drop." he kissed your jaw, "or at least to me."

you arched your back and felt the rush through your body. it was like nothing else you've ever felt before. pleasure was a throb in your body as you clung to your lover, you could even feel it in the tips of your fingers. it was so strange, but it felt so good. it was like an orgasm you had on your own but times ten.

he felt a surge in his system when you climaxed. he could feel you clench around him. his pulse jumped when you moaned out that you loved him. he continued to move against you, he picked up the pace slightly and continued to brush up against your most intimate areas. he held onto you tightly when he came, not enough to bruise but enough to keep himself steady as he finished in the condom. he let out a mix of a heavy exhale and a moan. a shudder ran through his body and then slowed to a stop.

when he stopped, he leaned in for a hot kiss and felt himself melt a little against you. he pulled out and rested on his heels, he panted heavily and ran his fingers through his hair, "how was that?"

you propped yourself on your elbows and was panting as well. you nodded, "perfect. amazing... wow." you rubbed your heated cheek, "i don't know what else to say. feels like i have to leave a yelp review."

he laughed and got the condom off. he tossed it in the waste bin near his desk before he got under the covers with you. he curled up around you lovingly. his kisses peppered your face with affection. it felt like he asked you about any pains a million times before you yawned.

"i think my brain needs a break. too many good feelings at once." you chuckled as you got snuggled into bed. it felt a little odd taking a nap fully naked. but as alex held you, it felt nice to drift off to sleep with the post-orgasmic bliss over you like a comforting blanket.

you had the perfect first time with a man you loved deeply. you were almost proud i knowing that you had the best first time. <3

[meganwhalenturner]

A CONTEST!

Hey, I try to keep this site rage free, but we're headed into Banned Book Week and I need all of you to register to vote and there's no way to talk about these things without passing along upsetting information. I still hate the Hobby Lobby people with a passion and have no doubt I will be telling you why.

So, to provide all of us with incidental relief and to celebrate Hodderscape's publication of The Return of the Thief on 10 October, I am going to have a contest. 🎉 Woohoo!

I am going to give away FIVE sets of all six books in their beautiful new covers.

How can you win?

As always, I want everyone to be able to participate, so this will be a random draw. You can enter up to five times. Post your entry on any social media site and send me a link to it. (My address is on my webpage, but it is ~mwt@gmail.com only you need to spell out the word for the symbol in front of my initials. It is a tilde.) Reblogs of previous posts are totally legit as long as they are your work. You have to be able to send a link and I have to be able to click it and see the post. So, nothing that requires me to have an account or get behind a paywall or your entry will be invalid. I will repost some, but probably not all of the entries. If your entry isn't reposted by me it doesn't affect your chance of winning. Please use a hashtag so everyone can admire them.

#WinASignedSetofTheQueensThief2024

That hashtag might be overly particular, but hey.

Please send one email per entry and put the hashtag in the subject line.

Contest starts now and runs through November 1st just because All Saints is one of my favorite days of the year. It is US only, for now.

There are three different kinds of entries

Fan Art-- it would be nice if it's new, but it doesn't have to be new. I'll particularly appreciate it if you post a very old and a new picture to show us how your art has changed over time (or hasn't changed--mine hasn't--it's still bad)

Readers Advisory -- tell some unsuspecting soul why they want to read my books. No spoilers, obviously.

Cover Art Admiration--Post the cover of any book and tell us what you like about it. Let's please share the love with the people at Hodder and with the artist Katie Ponder.

As you know, I am terrible at social media. Entering the contest means being okay with me reposting your art here on tumblr and also ineptly on Instagram if I can figure out how.

[gojokive]

Welcome Home, Honey ♡

❝synopsis❞ ‣ the men of JJK coming home after a long day to find you in lingerie, sleeping because you were waiting for them.

𓆩☆𓆪 PAIRING(S) › jjk men x afab!reader 𓆩☆𓆪 GENRE(S) › fluff/(little)smut 𓆩☆𓆪 WORD(S) › 3.7k+ » 13min read. 𓆩☆𓆪 WARNING(S) › women wearing lingerie・cockwarming・whispering sweet nothing's・cuddling・somnophilia・f! fingering・butt plugs・alot of apologizing・mention of penetration・sweet nicknames・not much else, let me know if I miss anything! ♡ 𓆩☆𓆪 POST DATE › 01.15.2025 𓆩☆𓆪 NOTE › the links take you to picture of the lingerie I envision for each reader. the person used doesn't indicate the body type nor the skin color of the reader, they are just used for lingerie reference! thank you for coming to my ted talk(:

❝featuring❞ ‣ nanami kento・gojo satoru・kamo choso・ryomen sukuna・fushiguro toji・ shiu kong・geto suguru・atsuya kusakabe ♡

‣ 𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚒 𝚔𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚘 ♡ ↳ lingerie choice

"Sweetheart? I'm home!"

The front door creaks open as he's expecting you to rush him like you always do. When he calls out to you again and he doesn't get a response, he's quick to shut the door to hurry with his nightly routine.

It's eerily quiet and that's something Nanami isn't use to. Usually you're up watching something on TV or he can even hear you moving about in one of the rooms down the hall but, there's nothing.

And he hates it.

"Darling?" He calls into the apartment one last time as he kicks off his shoes and sits them by yours at the door.

He can see that you're home.

All your things are in it's right place. It's just... you're not here to greet him.

He sighs, exhaustion flooding through his bones and feeling a bit bitter at the fact that they kept him from you. He hadn't expected to make it home this late!

But, of fucking course, Gojo and the higher ups- you know what? What's done is done all he wants to do now is cuddle up to his lovely wife and get some sleep.

It's was the only thing he was looking forward to on the ride home (aside from your cooking because he's starving).

He shoves his jacket off to hang it nearby as he slowly makes the walk toward your shared bedroom. Loosening his tie in the process, he tosses his bag on the couch on the way there.

"You in here, honey?" His heartbeat quickens as he calls into the room but he quickly stops when he sees you're on his side of the bed. Face snuggle into his pillow, his eyes trail down your body the moment he notices what you have on.

The pretty orange lingerie hugs your figure beautifully (metaphorically patting himself on his back with a job well done for picking it).

He plays with the straps that kiss your pretty thighs as he remembers buying it as a gift and telling you to wear it on a special occasion of your choosing.

He's guessing today was the day you were going to surprise him with it but of course, he was late getting home (he blames the higher up and Gojo for his... incompetence).

"I'm so sorry." He frowns, taking short strides to get to you but stops when he remembers he needs to shower and change.

Vibrating with excitement, he can't wait to crawl into bed with you, wanting to have you in his arms. He knows the last thing he wants is for you to scream at him for tracking blood and dirt into the house.

Let alone into the bed.

"I'll be back." He whispers, leaning in to gently kiss your forehead and watches your face scrunch. You don't see how much his face softens, how he turns back to lovingly gaze, honestly not wanting to leave the room.

He's in complete awe with how beautiful his wife is.

He hates that he wasn't able to be here in time for your surprise but that doesn't mean he can't wake you up with a surprise of his own.

‣ 𝚐𝚘𝚓𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚞 ♡ ↳ lingerie choice

"I'm home, buttercup!"

Exhaustion is Satoru's last name right now and all he wants is to fall asleep in your marital bed, together.

"Babyyyy?" He whines, hoping it'll make you come to him faster but, alas, you're still no where to be found.

What does he have to do? Wail your name all through the house to get your attention? All he wants is to see your pretty face! Hug you, kiss you.

He tosses his bag and coat on to the floor near the door, opting to deal with it later. A firm pout on his lips, his main priority is finding you so he can get the love and affection he's yearning for.

The frown on his face deepens until he makes his way into the living room to find you on the couch with your legs to the side of you and leaning on the back of your hand to try and stay upright.

He can hear the light snores as your favorite show has become nothing but white noise.

"Oh my poor princess..." Satoru can't hold the giddiness bubbling inside of him at the thought of you trying your hardest to stay awake for him. You're so fucking cute and it makes him so angry that the higher ups kept him from you tonight.

His eyes immediately grow in size once he rounds the couch to see you. Crouching down to get a better look, he faintly grins as he plays with the strings that's fallen onto your hips.

"I knew it would look good on you, baby," Satoru mumbles to no one but himself. Just looking at you makes Satoru's mouth water with all kinds of possibilities. He wants nothing more than to rip it off of you but... he'll wait until you're fully awake for that.

He caresses the side of your face, noticing the light makeup you decided to put on as well. His hatred for the higher up's growing when he realizes you were wanting to simply surprise him just because you can.

He tries to quell his anger, noting it would have no use here as he pinches your chin between his fingers and rub his thumb against your bottom lip. He chuckles when your lips enclose around it as you begin sucking on it without warning.

"Wake-up, Sweetheart," He whispers only to hear you groan in response. You snuggle deeper into your hand. He thinks for a moment, knowing he should go ahead and get cleaned up while you're sleeping so he can quickly make his way back to you.

He does just that.

When he comes back, you're still sleeping and he has no other choice but to scoop you into his arms and whisk you away to your shared bedroom.

You wake when you realize you're moving, smiling with relief when you realize it's him. He lays you down on the bed, letting the towel wrapped around his body fall to the floor as he crawls into bed with you.

“I missed you today...” He whispers, leaning over you as you dreamily lock your arms around his neck to pull him closer.

"Then show me how much."

He presses his forehead against yours, and honestly, he could sleep but not when he has a duty to perform.

"Your wish is my command, baby."

‣ 𝚔𝚊𝚖𝚘 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚘 ♡ ↳ lingerie choice

If it was up to Choso, he would never leave your shared home. Living with you has become the highlight of his morning and nights and each second he spends away from you, he feels a deep bitterness that he can't quite explain.

All he knows is the moment he walks away from Jujutsu High, his whole being is buzzing with excitement. Giddiness. So Joyous.

Coming home to you gives him a sense of thrill as he can't wait to kiss you, hug you and just simply orbit around you.

So what he doesn't expect is to come home to you stretched out on the couch with your phone discarded on the floor. A pretty burgundy lace material adorning your beautiful body as he recognizes the set you're wearing. The one Shoko helped him pick out for your anniversary.

His breathes hitches, legs frozen in place as he sees how gorgeous you look with the lingerie hugging your perfect body. 

Can he touch you? He wants to so bad! Would that be okay? What would you say?

He should probably let you sleep because he knows you and Gojo have been putting in overtime with training the others and this was one of your only days off. He should- but wait... you wore this for him, right?

What should he do?

You wanted him to see you like this so it has to be okay!

There's a lot of mental gymnastics going on in his head to rationalize his thoughts. He's sweating bullets, back turned as he doesn't even realize you've woken up. Standing to your feet, you slink your arms around his waist. Startling the poor boy.

"Welcome home, Baby.” You giggle, laying head on his shoulder as he whips his head to the side to get a look at you.

“I-I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry.”

“Don't worry, you didn't.” You lazily smile, pulling back and taking him by the hand to lead him to the couch. Laying down with him on your chest, you undo the hair ties to let his hair fall into his face.

Caressing his cheek in the process, you ask him how his day was, noting how late it was as you help him peel off the layers of clothing and leaving him in nothing but his boxers.

He continues to talk excitedly about how teaching his brother to use blood manipulation was going and well he's doing seeing as he feels he isn't the best teacher.

He's doing his best and you can't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm.

“You know, I missed you, today.”

The moment he is comfortable, you notice he's curled himself into you as his face is buried in your breast.

"I always miss you when you're gone."

In an instant, Choso's heartbeat flutters as his cheeks burn with the intense love he feels for you.

"That's why you're dressed like this? This was for me?"

You nod with a soft smile, noticing his gaze on you and nothing else. The hearts in his eyes grow with each passing second.

"Of course, who else would it be for silly?" You grab his hand, bringing it cup your breast. Biting his lip, he glances at you as if to ask for your permission and when you nod, he quickly tugs the straps down to get a face full of your breast.

“Show me how much you missed me, pretty boy," You tell him as he leans up to kiss you passionately.

His body vibrating with anticipation of what's to come.

‣ 𝚏𝚞𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚛𝚘 𝚝𝚘𝚓𝚒 ♡ ↳ lingerie choice

"Aren't you a pretty little thing, mama." Toji chuckles, pushing you to turn over on your back.

The forest green lace molds to your body flawlessly and fuck, you look so damn good in that little number. So good that Toji finds himself growing impatient, quickly jumping in the shower to wash of the days work so he can settle into bed quicker.

"Can't believe this is all for me," He proudly says, hearing you moan his name although you're still sleeping. You look good and god, he wants to rip it off of you but another part of him wants you to keep it on.

The more he rubs over your clit, the wetter you become as he runs his finger over your clothed pussy.

You must be dreaming of him too.

“Don't worry. I'm gonna make you feel real good ma,” He purrs, towing over you as you wearily blink trying to wing yourself awake.

"Toj?"

"Yeah? I'm here." He smirks, pushing your legs apart to give him easier access. He leans in to gently kiss against your neck listening to moan out his name and feeling how wet you've become in a matter of seconds. "Look at 'ya... Didn't think ya would wear it."

"Wanted to surprise you."

Your back arches the moment his slips his finger inside you, letting out a sharp gasp. Biting his lip, he watches how well you take his thick fingers. So wet with your essence and it makes him want to taste you even more.

"I missed you..." You whine, your hips jerk to try to get more friction as he chuckles at your desperation.

Leaning in to capture your lips in a passionate kiss, your eyes roll to the back of your head and letting him push your legs up to your chest to get a better look.

“I'm gonna make ya feel real good." He yanks the bra cups to the side to let your breast spill out of the lingerie piece. "Isn't that what ya wanted?”

“Yes." You moan, rolling your hips to tryand get his fingers deeper. “I-I missed you so much. You were gone too long...”

“I know, I know." He chuckles, pulling the small, barely visible piece away from your pussy. "I missed you too, mamas.” He nips at your bottom lip before pulling his fingers out of you. He sticks them in his mouth with a loud groan as you watch on with hooded eyes, lust hidden withing them.

“Want me to show ya how much?” He asks, taking his cock in his hand to rub it against your pussy lips.

“Please-” You gasp as he inches himself inside of you.

Your eyes roll to the back of your head as you gasp for air, knowing you're gonna have a long night ahead of you.

‣ 𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚛𝚞 ♡ ↳ lingerie choice

‘Come find me.’

Suguru reads the note with soft smile, knowing how playful you get when you miss him. It makes him wonder what you have in-stored for him.

He can't wait to find you. Being gone for almost two weeks takes a toll on a man. He missed you more than he missed being home and he couldn't wait to have his hands all over you.

' You're getting warmerrrrr(; '

He chuckles, taking the little pink notes with him as he made his way to your shared room.

At least, that's what he hoped until he found you laid out on the bed in what was (more than likely) the gift you were talking about. 

Disappointed? Yes, but he's definitely not surprised. You could never stay up even if you tried and honestly, it's the cutest thing in the world.

He hates that he was forced to come home this late, hating the higher-up's for all the missions they've been sending him and Satoru on.

He wants to be home, with you. Is that too much to ask?

He slowly peels his shirt off, standing near the bed as his fingers lightly trail up the back of your thigh. You shudder from the contact. The purple lace catching his eye as he pushes it over your ass to get a better look at the pretty lace thong.

The heart jeweled butt-plug catching his eye after.

"Pretty." He smirks, you floral perfume filling his senses as he's quick to take his pants off and toss them to the side. "Baby?"

He leans in to kiss all over your neck, hearing you moan softly in his hold.

“I'm sorry I wasn't home earlier.”

“Sugu?” 

“I'm here, gorgeous.” He whispers close to your ear as you turn over to face him. Face to face with his gorgeous purple eyes that's filled with nothing but love as he smiles. “I'm sorry I'm late. I missed your surprise.”

“You're here now.” Holding his hand, you intertwine your fingers. "That's all that matters."

He kisses are soft but asserting as you throw your arms around his neck to tug him closer. Deepening the kiss further when goes to pull your leg over his hip to keep it there.

“I'm happy you're home, Sugu.” You gasp as he pulls back before running his thumb over your bottom lip.

“I'll always come home to you, princess.”

The warmth of his embrace making you feel just how deeply loved and cherished you truly are.

‣ 𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚞𝚔𝚞𝚗𝚊 ♡ ↳ lingerie choice + kimono

Duties of the day done and over with, he tells Uraume to run a bath while he makes his way toward his chambers with heavy feet.

He's ready to have your servants bring you to him but when he slides the door to his chambers open his eye catches movement.

It's then that he realizes you're already here.

You're laid on his side of the bed, the canopy doing little to nothing to shield how naked you are. The small kimono fallen open and showing you in all your glory since the lingerie hid nothing.

"Stupid woman," Sukuna growls, stomping his way over to the bed to shake you awake as the rage continues boil his blood. The thought of some nobody seeing you like this has him wanting to rip the heads off of anyone who dares cross his path.

Although, he knows no one is stupid enough to enter his chambers unannounced, it's the principal. Your body is for his eyes only and he'll gouge the eyes out of anyone who even thinks about staring for too long.

"Wake the hell up, woman."

He tries to shake you awake but you're out cold.

He sighs, taking the moment to admire just how good you look in the little lingerie piece. Wanting to strangle those idiots from keeping him busy and away from you.

He calls your name, pinching your jaw to shake your head from side to side.

"Wake. Up."

Your eyes flutter open as you take in the mountain of a man standing over you. Grinning wider now that he's here.

"'Kuna."

"Come." He sees you frown, although he allows you to climb into his lap and lay your head on his shoulder. He picks you up and carries you to the bath that Uraume has been keeping warm for the both of you. "Bathe with me."

Peeling the beautiful kimono off your body, the heart cutouts makes him chuckle at how on the nose it is.

"Like it?" You sleeply asks, allowing him to reach behind you to unclasp it and drop the tiny underwear to your feet before stripping himself of his dirtied clothes.

He hums, stepping into the bath and shooing Uraume away so you could be alone.

"Lay back."

You do as you're told as his bottom two arms wrap themselves around your waist. His top right hand being used as rest, his head cocked to the side to watch you while the top left stretches itself on the edge of the bathtub.

He's as hard as a rock right now and it's all your doing but he'll let you rest.

For now.

‣ 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚞 𝚔𝚘𝚗𝚐 ♡ ↳ lingerie choice + lace cover-up

His angel.

That's all he can think when he walks into your shared bedroom to see you laid out on the bed looking so ethereal.

There's something so alluring about the way the lace hugs your body, making him feel just how much you effect him.

He adjusts his slacks, his cock growing stiffer by the second when realizes you fell asleep waiting for him to get home.

It doesn't help that he was missing you today (more than usual) and coming home to this? It was definitely the icing on the cake.

"My pretty girl." He mumbles, unbuttoning his shirt to let it fall open as he sits on the side of the bed to take in the lacey material.

He's going to kill Toji from keeping him from you.

Fuck, he wants to ravish you as he feels up your body. His touches are as light as a feather, watching you unconsciously squirm away from his touch.

God, you don't know what you do to him. It's the littlest things that keep him on a leash.

And he definitely doesn't mind.

He leans forward and gently kisses your ear, chuckling when your eyebrows pinch together.

"Wake up, baby."

Confusion settles on your face as you slowly wake to recognition.

“You're home?” Your smile lights up his world (it's a little dopey too but it's the cutest thing in the world) and he can't think of a better way to be greeted.

“Yeah, I’m home, doll.” He leans in to place a kiss on your lips, hoping to give you more tonight (if that's what you want of course).

‣ 𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚞𝚢𝚊 𝚔𝚞𝚜𝚊𝚔𝚊𝚋𝚎 ♡ ↳ lingerie choice

After the night he had, coming home to you like this is nothing short of a treat.

His gorgeous wife, sitting up and leaning back against the headboard with the book you’ve been reading sat in front of you.

"Hey Honey," You greet him with the sweetest smile, closing your book to set it aside. "You're home later than I thought you would be."

He can only sigh in annoyance, knowing the only reason you're awake at one in the morning is because of him.

Well, not really him, but because of the mountain of curses that's been popping up lately.

He hates it. He's sorry for making you suffer like this. Making you wait so long before gracing you with his presence. You don't deserve this.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." He frowns, letting you tug him closer by his tie to get him to climb into bed.

He can change shower and clothes later... You just want to cuddle into his strong arms as he lays his head on your chest.

Finally able to relax in your hold.

"It's okay." You kiss his forehead and gently brush his hair back. "It's not your fault."

"I know but still-"

"Not tonight. Sleep. We'll talk about it in the morning, alright?"

"Okay..." He whispers, kissing your cheek to hear you giggle out his name. The sound shooting straight through his senses. "You look beautiful, by the way."

"Well..." You tease as he listens to you talk without a care in the world. Nothing but love swirling in his eyes. "It was your surprise. I wanted to do something special but they fucked that up, huh?"

He hums, playing with the frills underneath your breast as he begins kissing the bits of your stomach that's exposed.

"How about we continue this surprise in the morning?"

Don't get him wrong! He���s grateful for you dressing up for him and trying to stay awake to greet him but he's so damn tired that he knows he won't be able to give you the dicking of your life.

At least, not right now.

Plus he also wants you to get your rest as well.

"Sleep with me?" You turn over on your side to let him hold you from the back, holding his arms against your stomach to make sure he doesn't move.

He kisses the back of your neck before telling you good night.

He can't wait to ravish you in the morning but for now, sleep is his priority from the day that he had and it should be yours as well.

© GOJOKIVE 2024-2025 ➳ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED  PLEASE DO NOT PLAGIARISE -and/or- TRANSLATE ANY OF MY WORK. ・thank you for reading! & remember: you nice, keep going.❤️ ・comment/reblogs(s) and like(s) are totally welcomed! › read more work here: masterlist ‹

[puckbunnyera]

Just Friends | Luke Hughes

• ──────────────♡────────────── •

pairing: luke hughes x reader genre: fluff word count: 2.3k warnings: none summary: maybe you were never really just friends

notes: it's been less than 24 hours since i posted my first fic and i've already received a few asks for a part 2 so here it is. i'll link the first part here. thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read it, like it, reblog it, etc. i'm always really nervous to post my own writing so any type of interaction with it feels good to see.

also, i know the timelines of the games played in both fics don't align with the actual events in real time but we are just going to ignore that for the sake of the plot.

• ──────────────♡────────────── •

I sigh as I stand in front of my bedroom mirror, doing one last fit check before Luke arrives. I'm nervous. I come to this realization as I smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles in my shirt. Why? I couldn't tell you. It's been almost two months since the night I met Luke, and we've talked and texted almost every day since. We've even hung out multiple times since then, but I always seem to get all nervous and jittery anytime he presents the offer. My thoughts start to consume me to the point that I'm almost tempted to text him and ask for a rain check, but before I can fall too deeply into them, my attention is stolen by the two girls lying on my bed behind me.

"I still can't believe you're dating The Luke Hughes." One of my friends says causing me to turn my back towards the mirror to look at her.

"We aren't dating." I scoff. "We're-"

"Right, you're 'just friends'." My other friend interrupts, rolling her eyes and using her fingers to make air quotes as she says the words.

"We are." I shrug, moving to sit in my vanity chair so I can put on my shoes.

"You don't have to believe us if you don't want to, but he totally has the hots for you."

"It's so obvious. Any time he has the chance to get away from his job, he's calling, texting, or coming to see you. Even if it's only for a short amount of time. Those aren't typical behaviors of a guy who wants to be 'just friends'."

They continue to go on and on as if they're trying to convince a jury that they're innocent of a crime. The sound of my phone dinging from beside me on the table finally brings their rambling to an end. I pick up to find a text from Luke.

From Luke🏒: i'm here

To Luke🏒: omw

"I would love to stay and continue this conversation," I smile sarcastically as I stand up, "But my friend is waiting for me downstairs." I make sure to add extra emphasis on the word friend.

They both giggle and bid their goodbyes as I walk out of the room. When I make it downstairs to the lobby of my apartment building, Luke, in all of his handsome glory, is waiting patiently by the door.

"Ready to go?" He questions once I'm standing in front of him. I nod in confirmation and he opens the door for us, placing a gentle hand on my back to lead me out.

"What's the plan for today?" I ask once we're settled into the car.

"I need to drop off a couple of things at the dry cleaners since my brother forgot to do it," He gestures to the items in his backseat. "But then I figured we could go to dinner, catch a movie, and then maybe grab some dessert before I take you home."

"Sounds good!" I reply with a smile, with which he returns one of his own before putting the car in drive and pulling away from my apartment building.

Things are going well today. Really well. We're having fun and Luke is being as sweet as always. However, that's the only problem. Despite the stance I took in the argument with my friends, I can't help but let their words get to me. The whole evening, I've been reading too deeply into every little thing he does. Every door he holds open for me, every chair he pulls out for me, every accidental brush of our hands when we walk side-by-side. I'm trying not to let it show, but when Luke's voice rattles my thoughts and pulls me back down to Earth, I know I'm failing.

"Are you okay?" He asks as we sit in the car, waiting for the red light to turn green. "You've been pretty quiet today."

"Really?" I ask, genuinely confused because I hadn't noticed that change in my behavior. When he responds with a solemn nod, guilt rises in my chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was. It has nothing to do with you." Yet it has everything to do with him.

"Did something happen?" He pushes further.

"No, just have a lot on my mind with work and all, but I'm okay. Promise." I give him a soft smile in hopes that it will give him enough reassurance to drop the conversation. Thankfully he does, but the look in his eyes shows clearly that he doesn't believe me. "So my friends were telling me that you have a home game coming up in a couple of days against your oldest brother's team. Are you excited?" I change the subject quickly.

"Yeah," He nods, a smile gracing his features. "My parents are gonna be in town to watch us face off against each other. All three Hughes brothers on the same ice. I'm hoping it will be as exciting as everyone and the media are making it seem." He chuckles. "I'm also just really excited to see Quinn. We haven't gotten to see each other much since I moved out to Jersey and the season started. I think it'll be nice to have us all back together again, even if it's just for a couple of days."

"I bet it will be."

"I'm glad you brought this up because I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Would you maybe want to come to the game?"

"Do you want me to come?" I'm praying the hopeful look in my eyes isn't obvious.

"Yeah," He nods. "I really do."

"Then I'll be there." I assure him. "The girls were talking about purchasing tickets anyways, so I'll tell them to make it three tickets instead of just the two."

"Don't worry about it. I got it covered."

"Luke, you don't have to do that." I shake my head, readying myself to argue.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to." The look he gives me makes me forget any rebuttal I had previously prepared. "Plus, I already got the tickets and the seating arrangements set up."

"And you just knew I was gonna say yes?" I reply, crossing my arms.

"No, but I was hoping you would."

"I guess some dreams really do come true." I joke.

"I guess so."

We continue to talk and joke around for the remainder of the drive. It goes by a little too quickly though, because before I know it, he's putting the car in park in front of my building. Being the gentleman that he is, he walks me all the way up to my apartment door. It's not until I have unlocked and opened the door that he finally says goodnight, placing a soft peck on my cheek before walking away. Once he has disappeared into the elevator and I'm sure he's gone, I close and lock the door.

As I'm getting ready for bed, I become aware of the slight ache in my cheeks from smiling so much. As soon as my head hits my pillow, the realization dawns on me. I am in love with Luke Hughes.

• ───────────────────────────── •

I'm still in shock at the fact that he really went all out with the tickets. My friends seem to be as well considering that they still haven't managed to pick their jaws up off the floor yet. Never in my life would I have ever expected to be seated in one of the arena's luxury suites. I feel a little bad the more I dwell on it. There are more deserving fans that could be sitting here, yet some girl who knew nothing about the sport two months ago had them handed to her at no cost.

"Hi, you must be Y/N." An unfamiliar woman's voice pulls me from my pity-party.

"Oh, hi." I greet her as I turn in her direction.

"I'm Luke's mom, Ellen." She smiles and pulls me into a quick but gentle embrace. "And this is my husband, Jim." She gestures to the man beside her.

"Nice to meet you, Y/N." He offers a hand for me to shake.

"You as well." I accept it before introducing them to my two friends, who are not-so-discreetly eavesdropping on the conversation.

We all find a seat and fall into casual conversation. Just getting to know each other and talking about this, that, and the other. Once the teams begin to make their way onto the ice, our attentions shift away from each other and onto the players.

Having admitted to my lack of knowledge of the sport before the game started, Jim and Ellen kindly explained the game to me so I would know what is going on. By the end of the first period, I'm clued in enough that I don't need it anymore and eventually, I become just as immersed in the game as the rest of them are.

It's in the second period that Luke scores a goal and we all stand up, cheering loudly with the crowd. The excitement is so high that I don't even shy away when Ellen happily pulls me into a tight hug before pulling away and continuing to cheer for her youngest son. Third period seems to go by in a flash and then the game is ending with a 6-5 win for the Devils, both Jack and Luke having contributed to the score with goals of their own.

Once the final buzzer goes off, my friends bid their farewells before heading out to go home. However, I hang back with Ellen and Jim upon the request of Luke. I follow the two down from the suite until we make it to where the locker rooms are located, waiting in the hall for the three brothers to emerge. We stand around conversing for about ten or so minutes before the men finally make their appearances.

They all embrace and greet each other as I stand back and watch with a smile. They really are a beautiful family. Once they all break away, Luke turns his attention towards me. He steps forward and reaches for me, pulling me into his arms.

"Congratulations." I speak softly as I wrap my arms around his broad shoulders, his wrapped around my waist.

"Thank you." I can hear the smile in his voice.

Time escapes me as I stand in his arms. I'm not even sure how long we've been holding onto each other. It's his brother's voice that finally has us separating.

"You must be the infamous Y/N." Quinn steps up, a smug grin on his face. "I've heard so much about you."

"I've heard a lot about you as well," I respond politely, despite the blush I'm sure I'm sporting due to his teasing tone. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Will you be joining us for dinner?" Ellen asks from where she stands, now next to Quinn.

"Oh, um," I look to Luke for an answer. He nods, a pleading look in his eyes. "Yes, I would love to." I finally reply.

With that being said, we all begin to exit the arena and head to the parking lot. We're almost to the vehicles when Luke gently grabs my hand and pulls me to a stop. Once his family is out of earshot, he begins to speak.

"This might seem random and sudden, but I've been thinking about it for a while." He starts, looking away nervously and lifting a hand to scratch the back of his neck. "And feel free to say no because I don't want you to feel like you have to say yes just because I'm asking. Or if you feel like you need time to think it over, feel free to take all of the time you need. Actually, maybe I-"

"Luke," I say his name softly, placing my hands on his reddening cheeks and forcing his gaze back to mine. His rambling comes to a halt. "Breathe."

"Sorry." He inhales deeply before releasing his breath. "I was wondering, would you be my girlfriend?"

It's my turn to take a deep breath. Out of all the things he could have said, I was not expecting this. I take a moment to gather my thoughts as a smile begins to pull at my lips.

"I would love to." I nod, my smile growing larger resulting in his own.

"Well," He takes a step closer to me. "Since you're my girlfriend now, does that mean I can kiss you?" His question flusters me but I try hard not to show it.

"Do you want to kiss me?"

"Really fucking badly."

"Then kiss me, Luke."

And so he does. His lips crash into mine in a soft but passionate kiss. As if he has waited a lifetime to do it. It's gentle yet desperate. As we finally part, he pecks my lips a few more times before pulling away completely. He opens his mouth to say something but is stopped by Jack shouting from where his family is waiting by the cars, surely having seen the whole display.

"If you two lovebirds are done sucking faces in the middle of the parking lot, I would like to leave now. I'm fucking starving." He teases.

We both turn our gazes in time to see Quinn smack the middle brother in the back of the head and both parents shaking their heads at their son's antics. Luke chuckles at the scene as he intertwines his hand with mine and begins to walk to the car. My heart flutters as I finally admit the obvious to myself. Maybe we weren't ever just friends. I mentally roll my eyes as I climb into the back seat, already picturing the two squealing girls in my head and the endless amounts of I told you so's that I'm sure to hear when I fill them in. However, when Luke slides into the car next to me and interlocks our hands once again, I can't bring myself to care. I think I like this little life.