#i've been putting it off all month all the scenarios in my head are so awkward.

[its-yashas-strong-arms]

cw for discussing salary and budgeting

i'm supposed to be getting a job offer later this month to transfer into the company I've been working for this past year. and i know i'm getting the offer and it'll probably be decent since i'm in tech at a big corporate bank, but this will set the baseline for my salary and growth potential for the next couple years and I'm nervous. i got debts to pay off, you know? plus i have a male friend who got in last year with fewer credentials than i do and he's told me how much he makes, and i have another male friend whose level of expertise is similar to mine who should get his offer this week, and seeing how my offer compares to theirs is going to set the standard for my opinion on this company going forward.

idk I'm just yelling my anxieties into the void thanks for listening <3

[monzabee]

bad idea right? – ln4

masterlist

Summary: The one where seeing Lando tonight is a bad idea, right?

Pairing: lando norris x ricciardo!reader

Word Count: 4.8k

Warnings: mentions of breakups and also fighting, cursing, kind of a toxic relationship?, allusion to smut, it's criminal how long it took me to finish this fic

Request: this wasn’t requested, but the idea is veeery loosely from this tiktok right here! (i might def write the scenario in the tiktok in the future though)

Author’s Note: hi, hey, hello!! it has officially been a month since i started my master's programme and i have to say it is absolutely kicking my ass, but thank you all for bearing with me while i adjust! this song has been stuck in my head for the last two-three (?) months and i really wanted to write a fic based on it. i also wanted to say that i've received all of your guys' requests, and i'm working on those, but it's harder for me to get out a request than a fic that just popped in my head because i tend to be more of a perfectionist with those - so, those are definitely on the way, don't worry! i hope you guys enjoy! good morning, noon or night wherever you are, xoxobee

Please also note that all of my works are protected under copyright, and not available for reposting on other platforms. 

It’s not that you don’t like spending time with your brother and his girlfriend – because you do, but considering the fact that spending a mere hour with them causes you to suddenly question your life choices (of being single), you are very eager to leave them alone for the night. Which brings us to the current situation, with you standing in front of your brother’s apartment complex in one of the hoodies you stole from the sample boxes, waiting for someone you should’ve never hit up in the first place. It was probably not your brightest idea to message Lando to ask him if he wants to go for a ride, especially because a) the last time you saw him a year ago the two of you were yelling and throwing things at each other and b) you’re definitely buzzed from the bottle of wine you hogged upstairs. But you know what they say; absence makes the heart go fonder, right?

So there you are with your phone in your hand, texting Lily in hopes of getting the tiniest bit of reassurance about your decision.

To lily m: i texted lando To lily m: he’s gonna pick me up From lily m: WHAT? NO To lily m: seeing him tonight To lily m: it’s a bad idea, right? From lily m: YES From lily m: DO NOT GET INTO THAT CAR To lily m: yes i know that he’s my ex, but can’t two people reconnect?

Fuck it, it’s fine, you decide as you quickly delete the last two messages. With a soft sigh, you wrap your arms around yourself to shield yourself from the cold air of the night. And while you could just wait for Lando inside the apartment building, you really don’t want to attract more attention to yourself. You can feel yourself getting more and more nervous as the minutes pass by, and you even contemplate cancelling the whole thing and going upstairs to sleep. Just as you’re about to give up on the whole thing, a car honk grabs your attention. When turn to look at the source of the sound, you see Lando’s unamused face through the open window.

He motions you to get in with his head, his voice as equally detached as he calls out, “Get in.”

Rolling your eyes at his behaviour, you do as your told. But you tell yourself that it’s not because he told you to, but because you’re cold. And so you get in the car making sure you slam the door as hard as you can, which makes him scowl as a small smile forms on your lips. “You know, you could really try on being more polite.”

“I’m picking you up in the middle of the night,” he points out as he puts the car on drive and starts driving off, “and put your damn seatbelt on.”

You give him a sideway glance as you put on your seatbelt, letting out a sigh, “Are you okay? I’m sensing some serious undertone.”  

Lando doesn’t answer you, mainly because he is smarter than he looks and he knows you’re trying to goad him into another fight. That’s what the two of you had always done, not that he hated you or vice versa, but the two of you mainly got along in fights which ended up in both of you twisted between the sheets of the whatever hotel you were currently staying in. And it had worked for a while, until of course it didn’t, and Lando was mature enough to admit that he had a huge role in fucking up your relationship.

“You changed your car,” you point out.

“Thought you’d appreciate a roof over your head this time,” he replies.

The car is silent as Lando drives down the now empty streets of Monte Carlo, and you find yourself involuntarily checking out his side profile because well, he always looked so good while driving. You suppose it’s only one of the things that didn’t change with time.

“So,” his voice draws you out from your thoughts, “why’d you call me tonight? Are you drunk?”

“I am not drunk,” you scoff, crossing your arms across your chest, “if you don’t feel like being here Lando, I can just get off and go home.”

“Now I didn’t say that, I simply asked a question.” He steals another glance at you, but this time a little smirk forms on his lips when your eyes meet and he sees your scowl. “It was a harmless question, really.”

Your voice comes off as clipped as you answer, “I’m not drunk.”

“Your cheeks are red,” Lando points out but the playfulness from mere seconds ago is gone, in fact, he’s more serious than you’ve probably ever seen him, “you either had wine or your rosacea is acting up.”

It takes a moment for you to take in his words, and there is no humour in his voice or on his face when you look at him to see whether he’s joking or not. “I had some wine,” you confess, voice much lower than before as you add, “but I’m not drunk.” One of his eyebrows rise up, and you find yourself mumbling, “Fine maybe a little bit, but not a lot.”

His jaw ticks as he mumbles, “Okay, whatever you say.” And as you try to assess whether his voice is cold or not, you see his hands tightening around the steering wheel.

“What?” You ask, a bit quicker than necessary (in your opinion), “What did I say?”

Now it’s his turn for his voice to be clipped, and his eyebrows furrow as he asks, “Did you only call me because you’re drunk?”

“No,” your reply is truthful to some extent, you suppose, you would’ve texted him even if you had no alcohol in your system. “I wanted to see you.”

He lets out a hum, “Why?”

It’s a hard question, and you contemplate not being a hundred percent honest – but deep down you know he deserves better, even if you had your differences. So, to reveal the truth, you turn your face away from him to look outside the window, “I missed you.”

He doesn’t say anything, and you don’t turn to see what his reaction will be. Everything is peaceful for a moment.

He takes you to a hill, the very one he took you for your first date. Though, it doesn’t carry the same excitement this time around. The two of you remain in the car with the windows rolled down, but the colder air doesn’t make you chilly. It’s silent, but it’s not an uncomfortable one. Neither of you make the first move to start a conversation, and you don’t know if that’s because you’re both obstinate or he doesn’t want to be there. Though, you suspect he would’ve told you ‘no’ if he didn’t want to be there – not that he could ever tell you ‘no’.

It's unnaturally hard, you realise, not looking at him on purpose when he’s seated so close to you. Especially because you haven’t seen him in months. Not that you’d confess that to him, or let yourself have another weak moment where you say you missed him. Because you can’t. Because it’s not the way the two of you operate. Because he broke your heart but you’re not strong enough to let him go. With that last thought, you take a sharp breath, undo your seatbelt and get out of the car. You lean against the hood of the car and he soon follows suit. But where your hands are splayed behind your back, his arms are crossed over his chest.

“You’ve not been sleeping.” It’s not a question, it’s a statement. Because he is not dumb (or blind enough) to let the circles under your eyes slide.

And it’s a statement that might be true. You only give him half of a shrug, “So?”

“It means that something is bothering you.” You’re about to object, but he quickly shuts you down, “I once drove you around for four hours so you could sleep in my car, honey,” his fingers move to gently turn your chin towards him so he can look into your eyes, “and that was because you forgot to bring me back junk food from Australia.”

Even if you’re taken aback by his physical touch, you don’t show it as you stubbornly maintain your eye contact. “It’s the jet lag, I haven’t travelled in a while.” You gulp down a breath as you gently push his hand away, “And don’t call me that.”

“Why?” He turns his body to face you, “You’re just as sweet, aren’t you?”

“Lando,” you warn him, “don’t.”

He raises a brow, “Why not?”

“Because we’re friends,” your response comes off in an instant, “I only see you as a friend.” The biggest lie you’ve ever said.

“Friends,” he repeats, tests out the word, then shrugs, “sure. Now tell me what happened tonight that made you call me. Did you and Daniel fight?”

“What?” an involuntary laugh leaves your lips, and you catch the corner of his lips turning upwards just the smallest bit. “No, we didn’t, it’s not about Daniel. Can we just not talk about it, please?”

He gives you a firm nod, and you catch his grimace as he turns his attention back to the view in front of you. “You can tell me, you know,” he mumbles, “you used to.”

He’s right, you realise. You used to tell him all the little thought that popped into your head, whether it was nice or not, and he’d accommodated your thoughts. It was easier to talk to him, once upon a time, and you’re not really sure why it hurts so much right now that you can’t.

“Why do you care?” The question comes out quickly, and your voice is not as strong as you’d like it to be. “After everything, why do you care?”

“We’re friends, right?” The words tastes unbelievably sour in his mouth, and he has to restrain himself from making any sort of face, but it seems harder than it actually is for him to do and he questions whether it is worth it to

“Friends,” this time it’s your turn to test out the word, and it tastes as bitter as they come, “sure, can we ride around a bit more?”

“Fine,” he gives you a nod and motions you to get in the car, “but I have to get gas first.”

The fluorescent lighting of the gas station is definitely not the most flattering thing. So much so that you’re sure the unflattering light outside is exaggerating the bags under your eyes. But that situation of course doesn’t apply to Lando because even under the harsh lighting, he looks too pretty. And compared to earlier in the night, you don’t try to hide the way your eyes focus on him while he’s driving, though you hope you do a much better job at hiding the thoughts that come to your mind. Even after he’s parked the car in the nearest pump, you find yourself staring at his side profile a bit too long, which earns you a sideway smirk and you try your hardest not to react, but the smile you keep trying to fight is too strong and eventually you find yourself with the tiniest smile playing on your lips.

Lando turns towards you, meets your eyes and leans over the console, “Do you want anything from the shop?”

You blink once, trying to come up with anything, twice, then “Can you get me those gummy bears that I like?”

He gives you another nod, reaches into his pocket and then hand you his phone. Ignoring your questioning stare, he explains, “So that you can play music or something, the password is still the same.” Before he gets out of the car, he does the unexpected and leans in just a little bit more to press a feather-light kiss to your temple.

You watch him get out of the car and walk away from you with your mouth slightly hanging open. You contemplate trying to unlock the phone, because why would he tell you that his password is the same? And why would he trust you with his phone when the two of you have been broken up for over a year? With shaky hands, your fingers put in the password, calling Lando’s bluff. Oh shit, you think when the phone unlocks, now what? Throwing the phone out of your hands onto the driver seat, you grab your own and quickly type a new message to Kika, who of course got the news from Lily and has been blowing up your phone, while ignoring her dozen other messages who went unread in your text thread.

To kika: this was a bad idea kika Tokika: a very *very* bad idea From kika: please tell me you’re going home To kika: um… To kika: sure From kika: GET OUT OF THAT CAR AND GET YOUR ASS HOME From kika: NOW!!

Chewing on your lower lip, your eyes linger on the messages spamming your phone, and you contemplate just getting out of the car and trying to find your way back home. But you also can’t help yourself but think… what’s the worst that could happen if you stayed? Clicking the button on the side of your phone, you place it face down on your lap after making sure you silence it for the rest of the night. With the reminder of the abandoned phone on the seat next to yours, you open your window to let some of the night air in. As your phone keeps buzzing on your lap, your eyes focus on the figure that comes out of the convenience store – and by some grace of God, he doesn’t realise the way your eyes basically undress him as he approaches his McLaren.

There’s no smile on his face, in fact, if you didn’t know Lando, you’d say he looks like an asshole; not that he occasionally doesn’t act like one. He gives you that boyish smirk when he’s next to your window, signalling you to roll it down by tapping on it twice. Lando leans against the car, his eyes locked onto yours. “Got your gummy bears,” he says, holding up the package and handing it to you once you roll it down. “It was the last one too, you’re lucky.”

Giving a tight lipped smile to the man looking expectantly at you, you accept the packet of gummy bears. “Thank you, Lando,” the softening look in his eyes is, ironically, strong enough for you to choke on the next words that are on the tip of your tongue. “I–”

“I’m sorry to bother you, are you Lando Norris?” A third voice interrupts you, and you find yourself moving your gaze from Lando to the woman who’s excitedly waiting for a response.

“Yes,” he breathes out, and you can tell he’s trying to keep his voice polite but he’s also very annoyed at the same time – though the way he eyes up the stranger definitely makes your blood boil.

With his attention on the woman, you find yourself feel the tension in the air and quickly look down at the packet of gummy bears in your hands. You start absentmindedly picking at the wrapper, your mind racing with a mixture of emotions. As the conversation between Lando and the fan continues, you steal glances at them from the corner of your eye. She's gushing about a recent race, talking animatedly about the thrilling moments she witnessed. Lando, for his part, is gracious and engaged, taking the time to listen and respond. And despite the polite exchange, you can't help but feel a pang of jealousy. It's a reminder of the world he's a part of, a world where fans approach him with admiration and excitement. A world you used to share, but now only observe from the sidelines.

You watch the woman place her hand on Lando’s bicep, laughing at a (rather mediocre) joke he made about the understeer of the car. It’s not a funny joke by any means, and you are not scared to admit that the woman’s laugh that fills your ears makes your insides twist uncomfortably. You remind yourself that you're here by choice. You could have left at any moment. But there's something about this night, about being with Lando again, that you can't quite let go of. It's a confusing mix of nostalgia and longing, wrapped in a blanket of uncertainty.

The woman’s voice hits your ears as you hear her ask, “Do you want to come back to my place?”

Without letting them both know that you’re actively listening into their conversation, you attempt to subtly let out a warning cough, but Lando covertly smirks as he leans towards the car with his hand grabbing the lowered window – without caring about the possible finger prints he might leave behind, might you add. Without any hesitation, you let your fingers go of the packaging to thread your fingers with his.

While his thumb gently starts to draw circles on the knuckle of your thumb, he does his best to supress the chuckle building up in his throat. “That’s, um, very kind – but I’m with my girl, you see, and we are both pretty tired.”

Maybe you would’ve given her a friendly smile over a misunderstanding if you were in a better mood, but as the woman looks at you with wild eyes, all you can offer her is an annoyed pout, and soon after she leaves after apologising to you both for interrupting your plans. You watch her leave until there is a good enough distance for her to not hear you, and then turn to Lando and give him a glare as you hiss, “I am not ‘your girl’.”

He finally lets out the chuckle he’s been holding as he watches you letting go of his hand with an exaggerated push, and then diverts his amused eyes towards you, “Sure, whatever you say, jealous girl.”

“I am not– I wasn’t jealous!” you exclaim, eyes narrowed. When he starts walking towards the driver’s side, you can’t help but call out, “I’m not jealous!”

Lando is still chuckling to himself when he gets in the car, and even as he starts driving, completely ignoring your whining complaints. “That’s alright, honey,” he says, voice full of condescension, “it was very cute.”

“You are an ass.” You roll your eyes as you cross your arms across your chest. “Maybe I should’ve gotten off when I had the chance, that way you could’ve fucked her in the back seat.”

“Bold of you assume she’s the one I’d want to fuck in my back seat,” he raises an eyebrow, then shrugs “but sure.”

Your face scrunches up in disgust, “You’re, ugh, you’re just the worst, Lando.” Shaking your head in disbelief, you add, “I can’t believe I’m arguing with you over you fucking girls in your car.”

Lando manages to get out a disapproving tut, and then contends, “I never said I’d fuck girls in my car, I’d said I’d rather fuck you in my car.”

Completely baffled by this revelation, not that you should’ve been, you turn to him in disgust, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” He shrugs again, noncommittally, and without paying you any mind continues to focus on the road.

“Well,” you laugh, breathlessly, “good thing that’s never happening.” Gently clearing your throat, you later can’t help yourself but add a silent, “Again.”

“If you’d rather a bed, that could also be arranged, honey.” Lando assures you, and you realise the little fucker has a smirk growing on his face.

“As if I’d sleep with you willingly,” you scoff.

A boisterous laugh is what you get from Lando, who tilts his head towards you, “Come on, I’m a good-looking bloke.”

“And I’m sure I’ve seen much hotter man,” you sing, but you just can’t remember when. So deciding to block out what Lando is rambling about, you pull out your phone to message someone who has the answer for you.

To lily m + kika: can you tell me someone who is hotter than lando? From lily m: alex From kika: pierre To lily m + kika: ew, be serious please From kika: what about the guy with the accent, from hungary? From lily m: the doctor? To lily m + kika: i think she meant the reporter From lily m: god no he was a creep From lily m: what about the surfer? From kika: oh yeah he was cute too To lily m + kika: i need someone hot, pleaseee From lily m: THE MODEL FROM MILAN From kika: WITH THE ABS From kika: and also porche From lily m: BUT ALSO THE ABS To lily m + kika: okay thanks To lily m + kika: love you guys

Getting lost in the conversation, with the aid of your ambition to prove yourself right and, naturally, Lando wrong, you don’t realise that he’s actually driven you back to his apartment instead of a bar or literally some other place that sells alcohol in that ungodly hour.

“This isn’t a bar.” You point out, eyebrows furrowed.

Lando dignifies your comment with a scoff, “Well aren’t you quite the detective?”

Crossing your arms across your chest, you basically hiss at him this time, “This is basically kidnapping.”

Lando glances at you, a playful glint in his eyes. “Kidnapping? Really? I thought we were just catching up.”

You shoot him a sarcastic look, but can't help the small smile that tugs at your lips. “Yeah, sure. Catching up in the middle of the night at your place.”

He parks the car and turns to face you, a smirk dancing on his lips. “Well, here’s my proposal. I’ll go to my apartment and you’re free to either join me or drive my car back to Daniel’s – I’ll come pick it up tomorrow.”

You hesitate for a moment, considering your options as you watch Lando give you an assuring smile and handing you the keys before getting out of the car. Going back to your brother's place doesn't sound all that appealing, and Lando's offer, as questionable and a bad idea as it may be, seems like the lesser of two evils. Though, there is also the reality that if when you go up to his apartment, you’re probably going to do something that either you or your friends will regret tomorrow morning. Watching Lando’s retreating figure move further into the apartment building, you think, fuck it, it’s fine.

So, you wait for a few minutes, anxiously twirling the car keys in your hand to make him wait – but you’re pretty sure it makes you suffer just as much. You take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and then climb out of the car. Locking it behind you, you follow Lando into the building. The familiar scent of his cologne hits you as you step into the elevator, and a wave of nostalgia washes over you. The elevator ride going up to the second floor is pure torture, and it leaves you squirming in your place the whole time. Basically throwing yourself out of the elevator once it lands on the second floor, you realise that Lando has been waiting for you, standing and smiling at his door.

He gives you a teasing look as you approach, clearly amused by your slightly dishevelled state. “Took you long enough,” he remarks, unlocking the door and holding it open for you. But instead of saying anything or retorting back, you quietly follow him inside his apartment. Lando closes the door behind you, the sound echoing through the quiet apartment. The dim lighting casts a soft glow, creating an intimate atmosphere. The first thing that catches your eye is the helmet collection he keeps in the living room. Without saying anything, you quickly make your way over to the shelves that display the helmets, trying your best to avoid his approaching footsteps behind you. The familiar design of a particular helmet has you instinctively tracing the number at the top, and the arms that hug your waist from behind makes you freeze for a moment. Lando's touch is both familiar and foreign, stirring up a mix of emotions you thought were long buried.

“That's from Monza, 2021,” he says, his voice close to your ear. The warmth of his breath sends a shiver down your spine.

You clear your throat, attempting to regain composure. “I remember,” you reply, your fingers still lingering on the helmet.

For a moment, neither of you speaks. The weight of the past and the uncertainty of the present hangs in the air. Lando breaks the silence, his voice low and measured. “I wasn't sure you'd actually come up.”

You turn to face him, meeting his gaze, but don’t attempt getting out of his arms. “I didn't think so either.”

Without breaking eye contact, he slowly leans in, his lips brushing against yours. It's a tentative touch, a testing of waters, and you find yourself responding to the familiarity of the kiss. The taste of the past lingers, and for a moment, it's as if the years haven't passed. But reality crashes back in, and you pull away, the distance now a necessary boundary. Lando looks at you, a mix of emotions playing on his face. There's longing, regret, and an unspoken acknowledgment of the complexities that bind you.

“I thought we could just catch up,” he says, his tone a mix of apology and yearning.

You turn in your place, facing him. “Catching up was never our strong suit, was it?”

“Not really,” Lando shakes his head, “no.”

You bite down on the corner of your lip, threading your fingers through his curls as you pull his face down to meet yours as you rise on your tiptoes, “It’s a bad idea, right?”

Lando lets out a supportive hum as he lets his lips softly brush against yours, “The worst.” And maybe he should have been the gentleman and pull away, but when he sees your eyes closing, he just leans in further to press his lips against yours – and the way you respond to his kiss? It's as if the world outside ceases to exist. The kiss deepens, each brush of his lips against yours reigniting a long-buried flame. Lando's hands find their way to the small of your back, pulling you closer, erasing the physical space between you.

You don’t complain as he pulls you towards his bedroom, or when he gently throws you on his bed, the anticipation hanging thick in the air. As he hovers over you, the weight of the past and the intensity of the present converge. His hands trace the contours of your face, memorizing every curve as if committing it to memory. And when the two of you get lost between each other within his sheets, the only thing that ends up coming from your mouth is either his name, or some sort of encouragement to keep him going. After he manages to wear you out, Lando decides that you’re definitely not going anywhere as he wraps you in his arms around you. The room is filled with the soft sounds of breaths syncing, hearts beating in tandem. Lando's fingers draw absent patterns on your skin while you check the messages that have accumulated in your phone. The glow of your phone illuminates the dim room, creating a subtle contrast to the warmth that envelops you. Lando's presence beside you adds an extra layer of comfort, a silent acknowledgment of the shared intimacy that unfolded moments ago.

From danny: please tell me you didn’t get kidnapped by the organ mafia From danny: wink twice if you’re alive From danny: this is not funny, where are you? From danny: fine i’ll ask alex to ask lily

Rolling  your eyes before sending him a text to let your brother know you’re okay, you decide to turn your attention to the group chat with Lily and Kika.

From kika: did you get home safe? From lily m: daniel is pretty stressed about it From lily m: please for the love of god tell us you’re home and not with lando right now To lily m + kika: omg just calm down i’m in bed To lily m + kika: and i’m going to sleep To lily m + kika: love you guys

You catch a glimpse of Lando’s grin over your shoulder as you click your phone off, but he only chuckles as he buries his face into your neck as he leaves small kisses to the skin there. “Well, I’m not lying, I just didn’t specify where I was.”

“Or in whose sheets,” his laugher gets louder as you jokingly slap him on the arm, “go to sleep, honey, we’ll be tired in the morning.”

And it might’ve been a bad idea to message him in the first place, but it certainly doesn’t feel like one.

[justwearthegoddamncardigan]

could you possibly do a platonic gladers thing where reader was the first to come out of the box? like they came up with the note like teresa but “the first” if that makes sense 😭 anyway the reader is just sort of a parental figure to everyone? whatever gender you’d like to put and scenarios, the thought just popped in my head. ofc do this only if you’d like to!! pls don’t feel obligated!! love ur work <333 /p

HI LOVE THIS!! Thank you for the request ❤

Everyone loves Y/n

Platonic gladers x gender neutral!reader, set during tmr (movieverse)

3k - longish fic but worth it if you love platonic love 🫶

Warnings: discussions of Newt's suicide attempt; but more like the recovery after it, still please take care everyone, also language warning

1. Alby

You're the first one. Welcome.

You stuff the crinkled note back in your pocket just as you've done so many times before, re-examining it and hoping for some clue as to why you're stuck in here alone.

Except- you're not alone anymore.

The boy stands beside the Box, staring around the same way you did when you first climbed out, exactly 30 days ago.

Come on, Y/n. Time to go. You take a deep breath, resolving yourself, and you step out from where you'd been standing hidden in the trees.

The guy notices you immediately and takes a defensive stance, understandably hostile and scared. "Who are you? Don't come any closer!"

"Woah, hey," you raise your arms nonthreateningly, continuing to move slowly towards him. "It's alright."

"Where am I?" demands the boy.

"To be honest, I haven't got a clue," you tell him. "But you've got no idea how happy I am to see you."

His eyes narrow. "What?"

You shrug. "I thought I'd be alone here, forever."

At his silence, you continue. "So I've been here for a month. I was sent up in this Box, like you, with a bunch of resources and... hey, they've sent more stuff," you say happily, peering into the Box.

"Alright listen man," you say. "I don't really have answers for you, but I did start developing a routine for how to live here, and I'd love for us to work together."

The boy holds your gaze for a second, before giving a single nod.

You let out a sigh of relief. "Great, wonderful. I'm Y/n, by the way." You stick out your hand to shake. "Oh- memories. Your name is all you get, everything else is gone. But hey, let's make new memories here, together." You flash a cheesy grin and clap the guy on the shoulder.

You don't know how someone conveys sarcasm in a single look, but the new guy manages it just fine.

2. Minho

"Here, this way- shit."

You turn the corner and see the wall sliding into place, sealing off your exit.

"Which way now?" asks Minho, fear evident in his voice.

"Uh- that was already my backup route," you say honestly, backing away from the closed wall. "Just follow me, we'll find another way back."

You start down a lane, moving faster now, admittedly guessing your way through the paths and taking turns on instinct, aiming for the vague direction of the Glade.

Somewhere across the Maze a Griever lets out a screech.

"Yeah, okay," you mutter. Shuck. "In here, quickly," you direct, pushing Minho ahead into a smaller lane.

"Alright, here's the deal." You squat down, forcing Minho down with you, and keeping your voice low. "If I'm right, we're close to the Glade now. There should be a right turn at the end of the path next to us now, then a left and a straight shot back to the Glade."

"What if you're not right?" hisses Minho, wincing at the Griever's screech.

"Then we're dead," you say flatly. "Cause that Griever's in the same direction we're going. By the sound of it, we'll be running the path right beside it's lane."

"What."

"Look, Minho. Do you trust me?"

He hesitates, before; "Yes, fine. Let's go."

You shoot him a grin, patting his shoulder. "Perfect. Follow me, stay close."

You run through the route you'd explained to Minho, feeling your blood chill as you get closer to the Griever, its screeches becoming deafening.

You turn to check on Minho, who gives you a firm nod despite the terror you can see in his eyes.

The two of you turn into the final stretch, separated from the Griever by a single wall, and you sprint back to the Glade, heart pounding in your chest.

You collapse into the grass, breathing heavily as Minho falls in beside you.

"What the hell happened to you two?" demands Alby, running up to you and Minho.

You sit up. "Maze changed, and there was a Griever near the Glade," you explain. "Too near."

"Bloody hell," says Newt, hands balanced on his hips. "Are you sure this was a good idea?"

So far you and Alby have been the only people to enter the Maze. Today was meant to be a beginner's run for Minho, your newest Glader and technically the Greenie even though he's never acted like it. You wanted to build a team of Runners, to see if more people could help with searching for an exit.

You look to Minho, still bent over in the grass. "Let's talk in the hut," you say, patting his arm.

"What did you think?" you ask, after you've both gotten water and a few minutes to let the adrenaline fade.

Minho flicks his gaze up at you, before dropping it. "I freaked out. I don't think I'm cut out for this Runner klunk."

You hum softly, tapping on the table Gally had lovingly built and sanded until it shone. "Do you think everyone was immediately good at their jobs?"

"Running is different," responds Minho, dodging the question.

"You were fast," you say. "I think you'd beat any of us in a race if we bothered to test it out. And you've got a level head, which is the most important thing when you're in the Maze."

You lean forward. "But you also need the guts to set foot in the Maze in the first place. And Minho, you were the first volunteer to run with me today. That's exactly the bravery we need in Runners."

You're met with silence. "If I asked you to be a Runner," you say quietly. "Would you say yes?"

"You could be asking the wrong person," hedges Minho.

"I don't think so," you say.

"I- why? Why me?"

"Because I believe in you," you say simply. "I think you could do it."

The silence stretches as you wait for Minho's response. Then; "Okay, I'll do it." He gives you a nod, expression resolving.

You sit back, a mock-thoughtful expression on your face. "I mean, I said if I asked you, this was really more hypothetical-"

"Y/n, I swear-"

You let out a laugh, and Minho rolls his eyes at you, grinning.

3. Newt

Overtime, the Gladers have grown into a wider community, with new jobs and groups slowly added.

Alby steps into the leader position and you move into your gardening job, as well as mentoring the Medjacks on the side. You tend to pick up a little of every job, passing what you know to newly formed groups until they can develop on their own.

Minho's grown far beyond what you could have expected from him, moving on to memorising routes, constructing a scarily detailed Map, and hand-picking the new Runners.

Newt becomes a Runner too, and you almost lose him.

They're some of the worst memories you'll ever have, that day Minho ran in in the freezing morning, screaming for help. The Medjack hut was finished literally a day before, and the Medjacks themselves were barely trained to patch up the Slicers. So everyone turned to you... And you were so, so, out of your depth.

You'd built a temporary brace for your own twisted ankle from your first month alone in the Glade, but for this you were completely unqualified and unprepared.

It’s been months now, with Newt slowly healing overtime. You worked with the Medjacks to set up a few movement drills, but it’s been painstakingly slow progress.

“I want to try walking again.”

You lift your gaze to Newt in the dark. “Now?”

“I wanna go outside.”

You hesitate.

“Come on, Y/n, I barely got five steps in today before Jeff made me sit down again. I’m fine, I promise.”

“You’re fine when the Medjacks say you’re fine,” you reply.

“The Medjacks don’t know shit,” retorts Newt. “They’re just making stuff up as they go. That’s what we’ve all been doing.”

“I trust them,” you say steadily. “Alby and I chose them for a reason.”

“Y/n, can you please just let me outside.”

You let out a breath. “Fine. Take your crutches.”

You don’t go far; the ground is too uneven and the crutches slip in the grass. You end up dropping them near the top of a hill.

“Here, let’s sit.”

You reach a hand out to Newt, which he thankfully takes, letting you help him down so you’re both lying back on the grass, facing up at the night sky.

“It was a good idea,” you say, breaking the silence. “I get why you wanted to come out.”

"Yeah," says Newt. He jerks his chin upwards. “The stars, they’re what I’m here for.”

You tip your head back, following Newt’s eye line. “You know, my first night here, I hadn’t built a place to sleep. I just lay on the ground like this, looking up at the stars.”

Newt shifts, moving one hand to point upwards. "I recognise most of the constellations," he tells you.

"Really?"

"Yep. That's Orion, right there. And over there is Gemini. And that star is Sirius, in Canis Major."

You search your mind for a hint of a memory, trying to call up knowledge you might have had before being put here.

"It's all bullshit," says Newt.

You turn to him in surprise.

"The stars," he says, still staring upwards. "None of them should be arranged like that, the constellations wouldn't be that close, or even in the same area, if this was real."

"Oh," you say, voice soft.

Newt lets out a flat laugh. “I don’t know why they let me keep this knowledge, when they’ve taken everything else away.”

He sits up, eyes flicking down to you. “…sorry.”

You shake your head, sitting up and turning to face him. “It’s okay. I’d rather you say this stuff than keep it bottled up.”

“Right,” says Newt. “I guess we should… get back to the hut.”

Neither of you move to get up.

“Newt,” you say. You face forward, resting your arms loosely around your knees.

”Yeah?”

“Please stay with us,” you say, voice quiet. You turn to him, letting go of your legs to gently take his hands. “We need you, I- we- okay, let me just-” You take a deep breath. “Listen, we’re gonna get out of here some day. And I want to sit with you under real skies, with real stars, so you can tell me each and every constellation you see. Cause I know your nerdy ass studied all of them in another life, and I don’t know, when we run out, we can just... make up new ones? I think that’s something I want to do with you.”

“Yeah, okay- yes. Okay.” Newt’s eyes are wet, and he squeezes your hands right back.

“And talk to us,” you continue. “When you’re struggling, or hurting, or… anything. Just talk to us, Newt. Please. We need you, and we care about you, so much.”

“I’ll try, I’m trying.”

“That’s all I’m asking,” you say.

“God, okay,” you start, after staying there under the stars for a while. “Look at us. Let’s get back in the hut, c’mon.”

You help him up, handing him his crutches.

“So, we’re trying,” you say, looking Newt in the eye.

“Yes, we’re trying.”

You get the smallest of smiles from him, and count it as the biggest win.

4. Gally

"First he breaks all our rules, then he tries to convince us to abandon them entirely? These rules have held us together for years, why are we questioning them now?"

You frown slightly, taking in Gally's words from your seat at the back of Council Hall.

"If Alby was here, he'd agree with me, and you know it."

You watch pain flicker across Newt's face for a second, before he speaks. "Let's take a break. I want Minho, Gally, and Y/n in here, the rest of you just give us ten minutes."

As the others clear out, you join the three in the centre of the room.

"Newt, this really isn't complicated. That shank broke our rules, and he needs to be punished," says Gally.

Newt sighs, and you notice how tired he looks. He needs Alby. "You're not wrong, Gally, but..."

"Y/n, what are you thinking?" asks Minho, jerking his chin at you as Newt trails off.

You raise your eyebrows. "You know I have no say in this, Min. I'm not a Keeper, or any kind of leader. I'm pretty much just here to watch the meetings."

"Seriously, Y/n?"

"Fine," says Newt. "Then suppose we're asking you as friends asking a friend, not as a council leaders or Keepers."

"I don't-"

"Just speak, Y/n," says Gally exasperatedly.

"I- alright, the idea that Newt's having right now, mine's the same."

"Well, we'd love to hear it from your mouth," says Minho drily.

"Yeah Y/n, what am I thinking?" Newt crosses his arms, lifting a brow.

You sigh. "Punish Thomas for breaking the rules, but make him a Runner."

"You can't be serious," says Gally immediately.

Newt shrugs. "They're right, that's what I was thinking."

"I'm down to train him," says Minho. "I think he'd make a good Runner."

"Good. Call the Council back in then, we'll make the announcement."

"You're making a mistake," says Gally angrily. "Tell the others without me." He storms out as the rest of the Keepers file in.

"Gally-"

"Nah, Fry."

"I got him," you say, nodding at Frypan.

"You're alright," you whisper as you brush past a stressed-looking Thomas. You squeeze his shoulder reassuringly, and he gives you a small smile of gratitude.

You shut the door behind you, chasing Gally down as he storms into his hut.

"Gally wait-"

"I don't want to hear it, Y/n."

He slams his door shut, closing you out. You sigh, and let yourself in.

"Get out of my hut, Y/n."

"Stop, Gally," you say sharply. "Just listen."

Miraculously, he stays quiet, leaning back on the wall and crossing his arms.

"I... I know you're scared, Gally."

"What-"

"Oh my god, just hear me out," you huff, rolling your eyes. "Okay, so yes, we just got attacked by Grievers, right here in the Glade. And yeah, it's probably linked to Thomas. And- yes, making him a Runner and letting him pretty much just fuck around and find out could put us in danger. ...But he's also the closest we've ever been to understanding the Maze and this whole place. I think he's the key to getting us out of here."

You sit down on Gally's bed, gesturing for him to sit down beside you. He lets out a huff, but reluctantly takes a seat.

You look him in the eye. "Gally I've been here for three years, and it's great. We've built a structure, a life, a goddamn society. But I really, really want to see the outside world."

Gally scrubs a hand over his face, dropping his gaze. "Yeah, I know, Y/n. I'm just- I'm trying to keep everyone safe. Newt and Minho are blinded by this hope, they're believing too much in one guy who's been here for literal days."

"I know, I know. But we need to take that risk, if we want to get out of here, alright?"

Gally sighs, then nods. "Yeah, fine."

"I'm gonna help Thomas, and Newt and Minho in whatever plans they make."

You hold out your fist. "Promise me you'll follow the plans we make, and stick with us. Don't... you know, make your own group and stay here and get killed, or whatever you were planning to do."

Gally rolls his eyes at you, and reluctantly brings his fist up to knock against yours, following through with the handshake the two of you used to do after building something, back when you used to help out with the other jobs. "Yeah, yeah, we get it Y/n. You've been here the whole time, you know us sooo well, you can read our minds."

You grin widely. "Damn right I can."

5. Thomas (everyone loves Y/n)

"Do you think this'll work?" asks Thomas, chewing on his lip worriedly.

"Of course it will," you say. "Have a little faith in your plan, Thomas. You don't need approval from me."

Thomas huffs out a laugh. "Thanks. It's nice to hear you're confident, though."

You raise your eyebrows, smiling a little confusedly. "I mean, I'm glad my support motivates you."

Thomas squints his eyes at you. "Y/n, you know you're like... super respected, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, everyone looks up to you. You don't notice the way people turn to you in tense situations and stuff? You're kinda like an understated leader, I guess."

"Ah, right." You smile at him. "It's cause I was the first person here, which I do get credit for, I don't know why. Totally underserved, Alby's the one who built this place."

"Bullshit." You turn in surprise as Minho walks in, Newt following behind him.

"What?"

"Undeserved credit, my ass," says Minho, crossing his arms. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be a Runner."

"Yeah," says Newt, coming over to your side. He props an elbow on your shoulder, grinning at the frown you send him. "And you know what," he says quietly. "If it wasn't for you, I might not even be here."

You smack his arm. "Don't even say-"

"Gally, tell Y/n we love them," interrupts Minho.

"Huh?" Gally lifts a brow, before nodding. "Yeah, everyone loves you, man. Don't take it personally. If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't even be on board with this plan right now."

"Ugh-" you pinch the bridge of your nose.

Thomas leans in. "Told you so."

"God, let's just do the plan. Let's go, everybody out," you say hurriedly, shoving Newt out, ignoring Minho's snickers.

You stand between Minho and Gally as Thomas and Newt explain the plan to the Gladers, feeling yourself surrounded by friends; family.

Time to get out of here.

The end chapter is cheesy but I love it thank you for reading <3333

[simmerianne93]

[Simmerianne93]Fantasy_poses_18

Hi everybody, how are you today?

I've been putting this pack off for a few months, but finally here it is.

The funny thing is that, although it was ready, the reason I couldn't publish it was because I had to take the cover pic... and I was too lazy to have to dress (create) and pose 8 sims... I hate 8 sims poses hahaha it's too much work for the cover xD... Anyway, I think they turned out pretty good.

This pack was initially going to have only 2 poses for 8 sims... but since it took so long to publish it, in the end I decided to make a third round of poses for all 8 sims...

They are not "THE" poses, but I like them and I think they can be quite useful for certain "events"... I leave that to your imagination, but I can think of a few scenarios to use them xP.

And no, I have not based on Joy Boy and Luffy's Awakening to make these poses xD hahaha (for those who know about ONE PIECE and are up to date with the manga) It was a mere coincidence that it looks similar... Initially I was going to publish them in October, along with the simblreen gifts, as part of the "tribal" poses that I was doing back then, but I didn't finish them in time and then I simply postponed them because of what I have already mentioned haha and this here was the reference that I took as a general idea, along with a couple more:

BTW my original idea was to make the pic in Sulani but Chestnut Ridge is SOOO BEAUTIFUL and was the ideal place to recreate what I saw in my head when making them hehe.

In the other hand, I have made an additional "ALL IN ONE" pose which is all the poses from the 1st set, but to use with just one sim, running around the campfire. (Yes, it would be ideal to have several of this type with different variations, but it was crazy so I discarded the idea haha sorry).

But still, I hope you like these poses and find them useful.

Now I leave you with the detailed description of the poses:

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What is on it?

3 Groupal poses for 8 adult sims.

---

What do you need?

Andrew's poses player 

Teleport any sim by Scumbumbo or Mccc by deaderpool.

OPTIONAL: A campfire.

Instructions in the original post.

——

TOU

Do not claim my creations as your own.

Do not re-upload or modify my creations.

Do not make money of my creations.

Do not include my creations in Mods folders to download.

Please follow my Term Of Use.

——

Download it now here — [Early access until May 19th, 2024]

——————

If you want to support me:  Patreon | Ko-fi

All my poses overview: Pinterest |  Wix | Tumblr

More in-game preview pics of all my poses: Instagram

My socials: Twitter | BlueSky | Instagram | Tumblr 

——————

I really hope you like them and I will say in advance: Thank you so much for using them.

@ts4-poses

[notsoattractivearenti]

1+1 = 4 (Mason Mount x Fem!Reader)

WC: 3.0K

Warnings: mention of c-section, post-surgery recovery

A/N: i haven’t written anything since last month and i’ve missed writing so here it is... dad!Mason for me and y'all my loves 🥰🫶🏻 apologies if this isn’t so good lol tbh i wrote this for my own comfort cuz it's been an extremely rough few weeks so i kinda needed this and i’m a huge sucker for my faves as attentive partner and dad fics! not to mention this is officially the longest fic I've written + posted here! hope you guys enjoy and i’d love to hear your thoughts thru ask/reply/reblog 💗 apologies for any grammatical errors! feedbacks are highly appreciated 🤍

—

You just woke up from a short nap after your C-section. Your baby was not supposed to be born for another month, but when your doctor saw the umbilical cord was wrapped around their neck during ultrasound, they told you and Mason that an emergency C-section had to be done the next day before your baby moved to the birth position. You recalled the day it happened.

—

You were really scared and nervous even though you have given birth before – but your first pregnancy and labor went smoothly so you didn’t exactly anticipate this. Plus, you had never gone through any major surgery your whole life ­– you just were not ready at all. You wanted another vaginal delivery but since the circumstances changed, you didn’t have a choice and all you cared about was your little one coming into the world safe and sound.

Mason was scared too, but he tried to conceal it from you. He just knew he had to be by your side all the time, as you were about to go through another life-changing moment but not as you planned. He was worried about the baby but even more about you ­– he felt so helpless because he basically couldn’t do anything but be there for you. If he could, he would make himself be the one who bears the pain instead of you.

On the way home after the checkup, you sat in the passenger seat and just silently stared at the road with your hand resting on top of your belly – subconsciously rubbing it sometimes – while thinking about the sudden news. Mason noticed how quiet you were, and as he drove he grabbed your hand to hold it tight.

“My dear, everything will be okay,” he said softly, “little peanut will be just fine. So will you.”

You sighed. “Maybe you’re right, but Mase...” Your voice was shaky, “I’m terrified. I really am...”

He took his eyes off the road for a second to glance at you, then kissed your hand and rubbed it with his thumbs repeatedly.

“I know, Y/N. But you’re the strongest person I’ve ever known and you’re going to get through this like the badass you are.” He assured you.

“And I will be with you the entire time and take care of you. I promise.” He added.

You smiled a little, still nervous but way less than before. You knew he was also worried yet he still gave you the comfort you needed. That is one of the things about Mason that made you fall in love with him in the first place.

“Also, picture how excited Gem will be when she finds out she’s going to meet her baby sibling soon!”

Before Mason even finished his sentence, the possible scenario was already playing in your head. You looked back to the time you and Mason broke the news to Gemma, your 4 year-old daughter – she screamed then cried out of happiness. She has been so excited to have a little sister or brother since and kept asking when will the baby be born. You could clearly imagine how she would react this time.

“Oh God,” you put your hand on your forehead and jokingly groaned, “she’s going to scream her ass off again isn’t she?”

He shook his head playfully and laughed. “Well that’s my daughter alright!”

—

During the surgery, Mason was sitting next to you the whole time, not wanting to let go of your hand. You were fully conscious since you had regional anesthesia, and to distract yourself from your anxious thoughts you and Mason chatted about the most random things – and it helped calming you down.

You both decided not to find out about your baby’s sex just like when you were pregnant with Gemma. Of course you two were curious, but you wanted to surprise yourselves. A boy or a girl, it doesn't really matter because you will love the baby regardless of the sex.

Suddenly, you both heard the sound of your baby’s cry. The doctor lifted them up so you two could see and excitedly announced, “Congratulations, it’s a girl!”

You and Mason had your mouths wide open and looked at each other immediately once you knew you had another daughter. She came to join your little family sooner than expected, but she was healthy and all your worry was gone in an instant. Mason kissed your forehead and your lips, then whispered to your ears, “Thank you baby, I’m so proud of you.”

The nurse then brought the baby to you so you could see her up close. She put her next to your face, and you could feel tears of happiness streaming down your face – the presence of your newborn girl warmed your heart.

“Hi baby girl,” you tearfully greeted your daughter, “welcome to the world! Mommy loves you so much.”

Mason watched that moment and he was left speechless. He couldn’t stop smiling and crying as he couldn’t find the words to describe the overwhelming joy and immense love he felt at the moment. He was still processing the fact that he had another girl to love for the rest of his life. As he wiped his tears, he quietly whimpered in awe, “she’s so precious… My little peanut.”

—

As you woke up from your nap post surgery, you could feel the anesthesia started to wear off. You moaned and pressed your lips together over the pain you felt on the incision area. You couldn’t really get up because when you tried to move even a little bit, it would hurt so bad. You looked around the hospital room you were in and you saw Mason sitting on the sofa near the window while holding your newborn daughter.

He didn’t take his eyes off of her even for a second, you could tell he was so in love. This reminded you of the day when Gemma was just born – once he held her in his arms, his eyes were locked on her.

You couldn’t stop staring at him as you found this moment so heartwarming and adorable. He then took a quick look at you and when he saw you were awake, a wide smile appeared on his face.

“Oh look, Mommy’s awake,” he said as he got off the sofa to come over to you, “how are you feeling sweetheart?”

“Uh… pain...” You muttered. “But don’t worry, I’m okay.”

“Oh no… I’m sorry, Y/N.” He knitted his eyebrows, the tone of his voice showed how worried he really was. “Tell me what I can do to help ease it. I’ll do anything to make you feel better.”

You smiled as his hand was stroking your arm.

“Thank you love,” you said to Mason, “but let’s just wait for the nurse. With you two here with me right now I can handle this pain.”

“By the way… Can you stop hogging my baby and hand her over to her mom?” You jokingly asked him.

“Oops, sorry!” He laughed while gently putting her on your side.

—

Few hours later, the nurse suggested you get out of bed and try walking around for a bit. Even though you were still experiencing discomfort, you gladly took her suggestion as you didn’t like laying in the bed for too long. Mason, who wasn’t fond of the idea, expressed his concern to the nurse.

“Ma’am, are you sure it’s okay? The wound on my wife’s stomach is still fresh… Isn’t it too soon?”

“Sir, I get your concern and I can guarantee you it is necessary as it is a part of the recovery. Moving around after the surgery helps the recovery process. Don’t need to worry, we’ll check in on you every so often. If you need anything, you can call us by pushing the button next to the bed.” The nurse explained to both of you in a calm manner.

Mason sighed in relief and nodded.

“Thank you,” you said to the nurse, “this is my first time going through a C-section and my husband and I have been very anxious about it. Not to mention this was unplanned so we didn’t exactly come prepared.”

“Understandable. It is normal to feel nervous, Ma’am. We are happy to help.” The nurse acknowledged your worries.

As soon as the nurse left the room, you tried to get out of bed and grimaced while one of your hands was on your wound area. Mason was getting you a glass of water when he saw you – fright was written all over his face immediately.

“Baby!” He spontaneously yelled as he rushed over to your side and helped you. out.

“Ssshh, Mase, I’m alright,” you put your arm around his neck and tried to soothe him, “just want to get up, that's all.”

“Don’t be so stubborn!” He was shaking a little – he felt a genuine fear. “My God, Y/N, you almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Oh please, don’t be a drama queen,” you couldn’t help but make fun of his reaction. “I said I’m alright, hahaha!”

He playfully rolled his eyes in response. You laughed at him and suddenly felt stabbing pain on your wound.

“Ouch!” You shouted. “Man, I can't even laugh without feeling pain!”

“Well, I’m glad you were amused but I guess no more comedy for a while for you, Mrs. Mount.” he said as he stroked your back.

Mason gently supported your body and carefully assisted you on taking your first steps post surgery. You squeezed your eyes, ground your teeth and winced as you were still experiencing the sharp pain – especially when you moved. Mason’s heart ached seeing you struggling like this, he felt guilty even but he knew nothing else he could do but support you throughout the recovery.

“Don’t rush it, sweetheart. It hasn’t been 12 hours after the surgery,” he emphasized. “Just take one little step at the time when you’re ready, okay?”

—

“Baby, Gem is coming here with my parents!” He excitedly shouted from across the room.

Your eyes widened and a squeal left your mouth when you heard that Gemma was coming. As you were in the hospital, Mason’s parents were taking care of her. You have been looking forward to the moment when your girls finally met. She had been impatiently waiting to be able to hold her baby sibling – she even practiced with her doll all the time. 

At this point you could stand up, walk, and sit down. The incision still hurt and discomfort came and went all the time but the painkiller was working well and the bliss of having a newborn was able to distract your mind from the pain. Mason had been so attentive to you and always ready to help you. He thought you needed a day to rest, therefore with your permission he respectfully asked everyone – except your parents and siblings – not to pay a visit at the hospital and wait until you all settled at your home instead. 

“Where is Gem now? Is she close? Are they here already?” You eagerly asked.

“I don’t know,” he answered, “I’ll call my mum.”

And before he even pressed call, Debbie texted him to let him know they just arrived at the hospital. He was beaming when he saw the text, and passed the news to you.

“They’re here! I’ll go get them,” he said as he kissed your forehead and got out to pick them up.

Trying not to hurt yourself, you didn’t act too excited on the outside but you sure were within. Sitting down on your bed, you pulled the baby crib closer and carefully picked her up.

“Hey little angel,” you whispered softly into her tiny ear, “you’re about to meet your big sister. She’s been waiting for you… You’re going to love her as much as she loves you.”

She made a slight smile and you noticed that. You chuckled, you thought it was like she was also excited to meet Gemma. You gave little kisses all over her cute face, and as you did that you could feel how you were completely filled with great love and glee – one more girl has stolen your heart. 

Suddenly, you heard the door was opened, followed by a little giggle you love so much. Your heart was beating really fast – it was going to be one of the biggest moments in your life – you didn’t know if you could handle your emotions when it happened.

You saw Gemma walking in with one hand holding her dad’s and the other covering her mouth. She looked so eager to finally see her baby sibling – she didn’t know it was a girl beforehand – and you wanted to see how she reacted when she found out she had a sister. Behind them were Debbie and Tony, and Debbie had already started recording with Mason’s phone. Gemma then saw you and excitedly yelled, “Mommy!”

You giggled and waved at her in response. 

“Do you want to sit next to Mommy and baby peanut, Gem?” Mason gently asked her.

“Yes Daddy! I want to see my baby peanut now!” She responded impatiently.

Mason picked her up and sat her down next to you. When she saw her sister up close, she squealed and said “Wow, baby peanut is so small and cute!”

You introduced your firstborn to your newborn.

“Gemma, meet Iris…”

She gasped and looked at both you and Mason in disbelief.

“You have a sister, Gem!” Mason cheered.

Gemma was so happy to have a sister and she started to cry. You might have pictured this beautiful moment in your head before but what really happened was a lot better than you had imagined. It was quite overwhelming to see how emotional she was and you eventually cried as well. Mason was really touched, almost shed a tear when he saw how you and Gemma were crying. He immediately grabbed some tissues from his pocket – he was aware this was going to happen – to wipe the tears off his girls’ faces.

“Mommy… Can I hold Iris?” Gemma nervously asked, her big brown eyes were still watery but you could see the sparkles of joy in them.

“Of course, sweetie.”

You carefully handed Iris onto Gemma’s lap, teaching her how to support Iris’ little body. She was so gentle and cautious, uneasy at first as if she was afraid to hurt Iris. Mason tried to ease her since he got how nervous Gemma was – he kissed the top of her head over and over again while assuring her that she was doing fine holding her sister – and it worked out even though it took a while.

Finally feeling comfortable, Gemma gently let go of one of her hands and started caressing Iris’ cheeks. Her eyes were locked in just like his dad earlier, and you just knew she was so deeply in love with her little sister. 

“She’s so beautiful, isn’t she, Gem?” Mason was beaming in awe and Gemma nodded in agreement.

Both Gemma and Mason showered Iris with kisses. The immense amount of love Iris was getting made your heart soar. You looked at your husband and your girls and thought to yourself: how did I get so lucky?

Mason then gave you a quick but passionate kiss on your lips. He looked deeply into your eyes and expressed his gratitude and appreciation for you.

“Y/N, the way you had to bear the pain to bring me two amazing kids to our life is unbelievable. You are the most incredible woman and I can never thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me, for us… I’m so lucky to have you as my wife and the mother of our girls. I will always try to make you happy, feel loved and give you everything you need and deserve because you have given me the life I’ve always dreamed of…”

You had no words and were about to cry again. You pulled him closer and pressed your lips against his – it was a moment full of tenderness and sweet affection. As your lips parted, you two whispered “I love you” to one another.

Debbie – who was still recording – and Tony were also emotional although they were trying to keep themselves together because they thought they didn’t want to ruin the beautiful moment between your little family. You then asked the grandparents to come see the newest addition to the Mount family.

“Iris Mount… Such a beautiful name, Y/N!” Tony complimented.

“That’s perfect for her! Thank you, Y/N, for giving us wonderful grandkids!” Debbie chimed in and gave you a hug.

“Uh, Mum… I contributed too, you know. Why don’t I get a thank-you? ” Mason jokingly protested.

“Yes but you weren’t the one who carried them for months and gave birth, were you?” Debbie lightheartedly replied.

You chuckled at their banter – you held yourself back from laughing as usual because it would hurt you.

With his mother clearly winning the argument, Mason humorously backed out, pouted then stated his closing statement.

“That’s true. But Y/N and I do make the most beautiful babies.”

Debbie and Tony couldn’t help but laugh at his comeback.

—

Yes, he might not be the one who was pregnant and given birth, but he has always been an amazing and present father to Gemma. No matter how tight his schedule could be, he would always make time for her daughter. He might have missed a few milestones that happened unexpectedly but other than those he never wanted to miss out so much on his daughter’s life. When he was out of town for away games, he always asked for daily updates on Gemma and called you on Facetime in every chance he got.

Mason is an ultimate girl dad and takes great pride in it. He would dress up as princess wearing a tiara and Gemma’s little dress that barely fits him and have a tea party with her, buy a makeup set she asked for, and sometimes he would show up at training wearing a headband with the biggest bow on his head because Gemma put it on him before he left. He always said he loves being a girl dad and would do it all over again – now he really gets to do it all over again…

—

taglist: @pulisicsgirl @neverinadream @masonspulisic @swimmingismywholelife @chelseagirl98 @bracedes @lovelynikol16 @thoseboysinblue @lizzypotter14 @mortirolo @masonsrem

[thetriumphantpanda]

Drabble/One shot request!

I read it and instantly saw this as Frankie smut scenario…

“you don’t have to be gentle. i won’t break”.

Frankie’s first time with a new lady friend. He really likes her, so he’s being softer than usual, gentle. She really likes him too but can tell there’s a darker side to him under the surface and she wants to test the waters…

ANON YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG I'VE BEEN SITTING ON THIS... I love this request so thank you so much for sending it in! I hope you like it and that I did your idea justice.

Pairing | Frankie Morales x Female Reader

Word Count | 2.3K

Warnings | Unprotected PiV sex, fingering, spanking and biting but nothing else I can think of apart from puppy dog Frankie.

ENJOY ALL.

Frankie was nervous, there was no beating around the bush with that one. He’d changed his shirt twice and had needed to comb his hair more times than he’d care to admit because he couldn’t stop fussing with it. Never had this problem wearing a hat, but Benny had told him that if he’d turned up to your house wearing a baseball cap it would be lights out for his chances with you. 

He was early, so he’d been sat in his truck a few doors down so you hadn’t noticed he was early, glancing at his watch, willing the time to move faster so he could knock on your door and see you again. 

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d liked someone as much as you. He’d seen you at the bar and if it hadn’t been for Benny and his insistence that he walk up and ask for your number he wouldn’t be here. You’d been casually dating for a few months; he would take you out on walks and he knew he’d fallen for you when he’d taken you to the diner in town after a heavy night of drinking with his friends and watched you demolish a bacon cheeseburger and a peanut butter milkshake without worrying about what he would think of the sauce on your face. 

You’d invited him to your place for the first time, coaxing him with the promise of dinner and cold beer, he’d seen in your eyes that there was promise of something else too which was the reason he was so nervous. He couldn’t remember that last time he’d touched a woman, at least not one he liked as much as you. 

He rang the bell at 6:58, thinking that was as close to 7pm that he could be before he talked himself out of it. You opened the door with an apron wrapped around your body, covered in all sorts of ingredients, he could make out flour, tomato and what looked like gravy spattered amongst other things he couldn’t place. 

“Hello.” You were breathless and your hair was falling out of the low bun at the back of your head to frame your face. 

“Hello,” Frankie replied, dipping to press a kiss to your lips as casually as he could muster, “You’ve got a little something right here.” He reached out and dragged his thumb across your cheek, pulling his fingers to your eyeline to show you the flour he’d wiped off. 

“If that’s all that’s on my face I’ve done a good job, you should see the state of the kitchen,” You laughed, moving to let him into your home, “It looks like a literal bombsite so I apologise.” 

“No need to apologise when it smells so good,” He countered, mouth already watering at the smells that were emanating from the kitchen, “What did you make?” 

“Lasagna,” You grinned, “And apple pie for dessert.” 

He let out a groan, letting his stomach do the talking for him, “You have no idea how good this sounds.”  “Sit down then, it’s almost ready.” 

***

Dinner was long forgotten, leftovers packaged up and put away with the dishes and pans soaking in the sink. You had a glass of wine in hand and were lounging on the couch, legs draped across Frankie’s lap as he sipped on a beer, absentmindedly running his fingers along the skin of your legs, causing goosebumps to raise on your skin. 

“Are you cold?” He asked, turning to you. 

“No,” You smirked, “Just excited.” 

“Oh yeah?” He smirks back, raising an eyebrow right back at you, “What do you have to be excited about?” 

You giggled, “I’ve just been sat here thinking about how badly I want you to kiss me.” 

“Well then…” He trailed off, setting his beer on the coffee table as you did the same, settling back into your lounging position. 

He moved swiftly, settling himself between your legs before he crashed his lips to yours. You’d kissed this man many times before, the first time after he’d bought you a few drinks at the bar and then later that night when he’d driven you home and pressed you up against your front door. Then there was the time on the beach after your second date where you’d ended up rolling in the sand together for what felt like hours. This time though there was something different, the heat of knowing what was coming was settling in your bones just as much as it was in Frankie’s, and it was thrilling. 

The man was kissing you like he was starved, flicking his tongue into your mouth to entwine with your own and you could taste the beer on his mouth, mixed with the gum he’d popped after dinner along with someone else that was only him. It was intoxicating and you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him down flush with your body whilst grinding your hips up into him. 

He dragged his lips from yours and worked them down over your jaw, peppering your skin with barely-there brushes of his mouth. His tongue would lick at the spot on your neck where he would suck gently, you found yourself silently begging he would do it harder so to mark you. You wanted everyone to know you belonged to this man, but his kisses remained feather light as he dragged them further down to your collarbones as his hands ran up the bare skin of your side under your shirt. 

“Frankie,” You mumbled, “Take me to bed.” 

He pulled back, sitting back on his knees to look at you. His skin was flushed in much the same way you thought yours was, heat prickling over his face and his hair was sticking up in curls where you’d run your hands through it. 

“Up the stairs, first door on the left.” 

He stood, scooping you up, one arm under your knees and the other wrapped around the small of your back as your wrapped securely around his neck to keep you upright. He followed your directions and within moments you were led on your back on your bed with him settled right back between your thighs with his lips on yours. 

Frankie’s hands worked up your shirt and you sat up lightly to let him drag it off your body, reveling in the way he stared at you when you led back down like someone viewing the most beautiful piece of art they’d ever seen. 

“God, you’re beautiful.” He mumbled from his lips as they dragged a path down your neck, peppering kisses along the swell of your breast where your bra was sat. 

He slowly dragged the straps down before expertly moving his hands behind your back to undo it and throw it to the floor. His lips were around your nipple before you knew what was happening, eliciting a groan from your mouth and his hand gave attention to the other. He swapped over a few times, which his mouths attention with his hands before he was trailing his mouth down your stomach to the waistband of your skirt. He dragged it off with his hands, stopping to shed himself of his own upper layers before settling his body on the bed next to you. 

His arm slipped under your head to prop himself up over you, the other hand heading straight for the lace covering your pussy, which by this time was screaming for its own attention. He placed a kiss to your lips as his fingers ghosted across your panties, pulling away for you to see the dark heat in his eyes as he realized they were wet. So, there was something else underneath the gentle kisses, you thought to yourself as you winked at him. 

“See how worked up you get me?” You breathed, letting your hand fall to his jeans where it was clear this was working him up just as much as you. 

“Hermosa,” He groaned as you rubbed him through his jeans, “You have no idea how much I’ve thought about this.” 

You pulled him back to your mouth to kiss him, opening your mouth up to him as he licked into your mouth, all whilst dipping his hand under your panties. The touch of his fingers on your clit, even if was momentary, was electric. Your hips bucked up into his hand as your mouth left his in favour of a moan. His fingers travelled down to your slick entrance, gathering the wetness that was pooling and then dragging it back up to your clit where he began rubbing gentle circles around it. 

You thought you were going to fall apart immediately, especially when his lips began pressing behind your ear, his groans of approval at your arousal sending shockwaves down your spine and making goosebumps appear on your skin. 

“Frankie please,” You moaned, “I need you inside of me.” 

You could feel his smirk against your skin as he moved back between your thighs, making a show of unzipping his jeans and taking them off and then he was there in front of you in all his glory. Scars from his time in the forces scattered his body and the softness of his older age was apparent around his middle, but you didn’t care. You just wanted him to make you his. He gently moved your panties down your legs, throwing them into the pile on the floor before spreading your legs, using one of his hands to jerk his own cock as his other went back to rubbing circles on your clit with his thumb. 

“You ready for me, querida?” He asked, moving slightly to line his cock to your weeping pussy. 

“Please,” You begged, “I have never wanted something so much in all my time.” 

He smiled, settling one hand on the bed next to your head as the other helped his cock to slip inside of you. The stretch of your pussy was delightful, you’d never had someone this big before, but the wetness seeping from you made it easy for him to slip all the way inside. The look of ecstasy on his face was enough to make your tummy flutter. You were doing that to him. 

He started thrusting into you, his movements slow and gentle but you wanted more, and you knew he could give you more. You let him continue like this for a moment, your hands squeezing the muscles of his biceps as he moved into you slowly. 

“Frankie,” You moaned, his eyes snapping up from looking at his cock slipping inside you to look you in the eye, “You don’t have to be gentle; I won’t break.”

It was like something snapped inside of him at your words. His chest was heaving and that darkness that had flashed in his eyes earlier was back, along with a grin across his lips. Like you weight nothing at all, you were flipped onto your front, his hands pulling you back towards him by your hips. He was back inside you in seconds and the change of position was perfection. 

He was fucking into you now, the slow and gentle thrusts from earlier were gone, instead replaced by a bruising pace of his hips snapping against your ass. You let out a surprised squeal when one of his hands came down and spanked you. 

“You liked that didn’t you?” He asked, his words coming out breathlessly, “Felt your pussy clench around me, hermosa.” 

“Do it again.” You ordered, slipping one of your hands between your legs to finger at your own clit. 

He did it again, bringing his hand down to your other cheek before using his fingers to massage the spot, god you hoped you bruised in the morning. 

“I’m not… I can’t… fuck, querida I’m close.” He admitted. 

“Lean over me,” You asked, “Put your skin on me and bite my neck, Frankie.” 

Like the diligent lover he had proved himself to be he did what you asked, laying his front over your back whilst still managing to keep his cock buried inside you, slipping in and out with that delicious friction you knew you would be addicted to from this day forward. He latched his mouth on your neck, sucking hard and the pain, the feeling of his breath on your skin, his cock pumping in and out of you and your fingers rubbing at your clit all came together at once to release the white heat of your climax. You were crying out his name and clenching your pussy around him and he was licking at the mark he’d left on your neck. 

“Fucking hell,” He breathed into your ear, “Querida I’m going to cum, where do you want me?” He asked with a sense of urgency. 

“Fuck Frankie,” You cried out, “Inside me please, god I need to feel you cum inside me.” 

Within seconds he was doing just that, stilling himself as his spilled his seed deep into your pussy with a groan of your name into your ear. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he pulled out of you, the last bit of support keeping you upright was gone, allowing you to collapse face first into the mattress. He collapsed next to you, pulling you into his body, the two of you slick with sweat but without a care in the world. 

“I have to get up and clean myself.” You mumbled into his chest. 

“In a minute, let me have this moment for now.” 

You smiled, pressing a kiss to his neck, “If I get a UTI it’s entirely your fault, Morales.” 

He chuckled back but made no effort to let you go, “Was that… okay?” He asked quietly, his fingers running light circles over the skin of your shoulder. 

You looked up at him, using one of your hands to pull his face to your lips to kiss him, “Frankie, it was the best I’ve ever had.” You replied honestly. 

“I didn’t hurt you?” 

“You didn’t hurt me, besides, if you did, I asked for it,” You planted another soft kiss to his lips, “You could never hurt me.” 

[nymphie66]

God Bless America pt 3

Part One

Part Two

Description: Things are back on track between you and Ben, and you've found a sort of peace. Vought is determined to ruin that.

Author's note: This hyperfixation is really serving. This may be the last part of this mini-fic, as I've literally just been writing things as they've entered my mind and they just happen to be cohesive. But who knows! Uni starts up again imminently, hopefully I'll catch a break. Feel free to send in prompts or scenarios and I could probably bang something drabbley out. Also, thank you everyone for your support, I love each and every one of you motherfuckers.

Warnings: gore, darkfic -kinda, this came out slightly fluffy (don't know what happened there lol), mentions of pregnancy, mentions of sex, swearing, implied forced testing, cringey language

S/N : Supe Name

Suit: random office worker that I didn't bless with a name or description

---

You span in your desk chair in absolute boredom, hands on your swollen belly, the only modicum of joy you got was from the movements of your darling baby, only four more months to go now.

Which is why you were sat in said desk chair, in a Vought meeting room with a bunch of suits from HR and legal, negotiating over your maternity leave and, much to his horror, Ben's paternity leave.

He couldn't understand why he would have to take time off as well. As he put it "My part is done, I got my soldiers to your base, your turn to lead the charge." After saying such a thing he promptly had the nearest object in your vicinity thrown at him.

You tried to explain to him, that you would need help as the pregnancy progressed, that there could be complications leaving you bed-bound till it was time to push the little one out into the world, that you could even be hospitalised. You expected him to put his fingers in his ear and start singing the national anthem at you, desperate to drown you out, but what happened instead shocked you.

He stilled, and you could see the thoughts churning in his head, and gradually his brow furrowed and he turned away from you. You walked towards him, arms encircling his waist, face pressed against his back, the texture of his soft cotton jersey brushing against your cheek. You knew exactly what he was doing.

Ben cleared his throat and took a sharp inhale of breath. He couldn't show weakness in front of you, especially not now. It wasn't the manly- let alone fatherly- thing to do. But he felt that resolve weaken by the way you held him so tenderly, leaned into his back so softly. It reminded him of the earlier days in your relationship, when you trusted him so blindly, believed in him so faithfully.

He'd get home from work, usually in a pissy mood, ranting and raving about whatever fuckery his team had put him through. And you would be there, smile on your lips, eyes filled with joy just at the sight of him. You'd listen, never probe but when he was just winding himself up, you would circle your arms around his waist and press your face into his back, leaning on him for support. The action was simple but made him feel like he was your whole world, that he was all you needed, that he was enough.

Things were better now. Ben had followed your instruction to the morbid T, and in turn, you allowed his presence, tolerated it even, though you soon fell back into the trap of loving him wholeheartedly again. The way he doted on you, adored you, the way you were 'his girl' again.

It didn't mean that things were perfect - far from it. You still had the occasional shouting match that led to the replacement of many crushed/shattered mobile phones, and though you wouldn't admit it, your attachment to Ben had become positively possessive. If his gaze strayed from you for more than a minute, you could feel yourself freeze up, a blend of uncouth rage and desperation flooding you that was only sated when he looked back at you again. You were needy, and it was pathetic- to you, not to him, he found it hot as fuck and told you so.

Ben would press a hand to your lower back, hover smugly above your ear and whisper assurances to you, though they were less than PG. Often involving a detailed description of him fucking you in front of whoever you were jealous of. You blamed the pregnancy hormones, but every time he did it you wanted him to make good on his promises and you quickly escorted him to a (mostly) private section of wherever you were.

In fact, as you sat there, listening to the drone of legal and HR, you realised that you had been in this meeting room before. Though you could hardly blame yourself, you didn't really take in decor when you bent over the conference table, getting your brains fucked out. You cursed yourself for not making Ben read that pregnancy book earlier, ever since he found out making you cum was good for the baby, the man was on a mission - not that he wasn't before, but there was definitely an added level of determination that you appreciated.

"So it's agreed? S/N will start her maternity leave now and once she reaches her third trimester Soldier Boy will start his paternity leave." Your Vought legal representative consolidated. You tuned back into the conversation, hopeful that this meeting was finally coming to an end.

"Agreed, we have already arranged for the samples to be taken in the next half-hour if S/N is ready?" The other suit asked, casting you an expectant look. You froze, your hand gripping your bump and leaned forward, a panicked look directed to your rep, but before you could continue the suit continued. "May I remind S/N that it is in her signed contract that sample matter from a resulting pregnancy is legally Vought's to take. This includes amniotic fluid, blood and foetus tissue sample."

You felt your stomach lurch and you swallowed thickly, you didn't argue that it wasn't in your contract, it was exactly the type of sick and twisted clause Vought would stick in there.

"S/N?" Your legal rep asked, seemingly completely unbothered by what was going on. You didn't question if it was safe, nothing that Vought did was ever safe.

You surveyed the room, there was about eight people there, none of them particularly intimidating but that's not what you were worried about. They would have known you were going to show resistance and you now realised that the abundance of office workers was to merely lull you into a false sense of security. This meant one of three things. 1) There was a supe nearby ready to make you comply 2) One if not all of them had tranquillisers on them 3) all of the above.

Knowing Vought it was probably number three.

You could try and do a runner but you would get caught, you could try and fight them but that meant risking the baby. Whatever supe was going to show up would hardly care about your condition and who the fuck knew what Vought put in those tranquillisers.

Your eyes looked around the room, pretending to think about if you had any scheduled plans after this meeting. Your eyes settled on a wonky painting that had been hastily put back up- in fact, you had put that back up after it fell during your 'de-stressing session' with Ben.

Ben.

"Yes, I think that should be just fine." You smiled sweetly at them, "You wouldn't mind me calling my fiancé Be- Soldier Boy to let him know, would you? He likes to be included in anything related to the baby. Plus he would love to know that our little creation is helping advance the research at Vought. Anything for his country- you know him!"

You laughed and waved your hand, praying that they were convinced by your little show. They didn't know him, but it flew that Soldier Boy, the living and breathing embodiment of the good ol' red white and blue, would be behind such a thing. It was for his country after all.

"Great, that's just great. I'll call him now." You took the general shrugging from them as a go-ahead and quickly called Ben, mouthing 'busy man' to them with a big smile as it continued to ring, you were half afraid that he wasn't going to pick up until you heard his gruff voice on the end of the line.

"What baby? Can't even go to a meeting without-"

"-Ben, honey!" You smiled tensely as you cut him off his surely sordid sentence, and prayed that he could pick up on your forced cheeriness, from experience he should. Considering you only spoke in that tone to him when you were threatening to get rid of his baby or extreme violence. "I just wanted to let you know that Vought are going to collect some samples of our little star-spangled bugaboo. Amniotic fluid, blood, a bit of tissue matter, nothing our little super trooper can't handle, especially considering her old daddio! I was just hoping you would be able to join your darling doll at the doctor's, honeybuns."

You wanted to pull your own tongue out of your mouth, stuff it down your throat and throw it back up again.

"I will be right there."

And just like that the line dropped, you smiled, taking the phone away from your ear and holding it to your chest. You gave a thumbs up and chuckled nervously, "He's on his way!" You sat back down into your chair and exhaled, muttering the phrase to yourself again. "He's on his way.."

The time it took for Ben to get there was filled with awkward silence, interrupted only by the odd question from a curious suit about your pregnancy and the baby. Which was met with a vague and elusive answer. There was no way in hell you were going to give them any more information about it than what they already had.

Then finally, Ben appeared, bursting into the conference room decked out in his suit, hair dishevelled, panting ever so slightly, knuckles bruised. So you were right, there had been a supe nearby. He looked at you with a loving urgency and you stood up, one hand on your stomach as you nodded your head. You were okay, the both of you were, but more importantly, you were ready.

Ben landed the first hit and the HR manager's head rolled down the conference table like a bloody bowling ball. You struck next, your unhelpful rep ended up being useful for the first time in their life by acting as a human shield as you burst through their chest and clawed out the Head of Legal's throat. The others got out their tranqs - right again, but you unsheathed your forearm from your rep's chest and threw their body onto them, knocking them off their feet.

"Glad you got the message." You told him in relief as you crushed an approaching man's skull in your hand, blood decorating your face like gruesome confetti from a piñata. You quickly dropped him and continued walking towards your saviour.

"Well at first I thought you were trying something new-" Ben kicked another suit's chest in, smiling as he fell to the floor, there weren't many left now. "-but by daddio, I started to realise that something was wrong, darling doll and honeybuns was then just obvious"

"Oh so star-spangled-bugaboo and super trooper were fine, but you drew the line at daddio?" You laughed, hands on your hips as he finished the rest off. Happy that the threats had now been eliminated, Ben allowed himself to relax- slightly and turned to look at you.

You looked ravishing.

His little psycho.

Your hair was wild, no longer in the neat ponytail you had agonised over this morning. The blood that drenched your clothes hung to your curves perfectly, showed off your baby bump beautifully. The look light and love in your eyes? Intoxicating.

He quickly strove over and placed a firm hand on the back of your neck and pulled you closer to him. How could he have ever taken this- you- for granted. He would damn himself a hundred times and a hundred times more for it. You squeaked at the force behind his kiss but happily melted into it and for a brief moment you thought you were going to have reenact the last time the two of you had been there. If you ignored the background last time, you could ignore the blood, guts and gore that made it up now.

Unfortunately, Ben pulled away, pressing his forehead against your own. You whined and he smirked. "Sorry baby, but Butcher's waiting outside in the car, gotta get you and bugaboo out of here."

"That's not sticking!"

"It so is."

[cranquis]

Your recent reblog made me sad, but also makes a lot of sense. I've been following you since I was in medical school, and I'm now in my fifth year of specialty training (I am not American). I did occasionally wonder why I've been seeing less of the kind of content you used to put out.

All I can say is - thank you for the work you do. I've seen enough online to get an idea of what you must face on a daily basis. I think I'm lucky that somehow, the doctor-patient relationship overall hasn't deteriorated to such an extent where I live (yet at least), but I definitely understand the frustration and despair of trying to communicate with people who aren't coming into the conversation in good faith.

You've always been a kind of role model for me in terms of your passion for your work and your open sharing about your faith. I guess I just wanted to say that I hope you find hope and joy in your work, even if those you serve aren't wise enough to appreciate what you do for them.

Hi, my colleague! Hey first of all, thank you for your kind words of encouragement and affirmation. Negative med-related interactions (online or in person) anymore just roll off me, but the positive ones still give my heart a thrill! :) And congrats on your continued journey down the medical pathway.

Second, I'm glad your message gives me the chance to clarify for all my long-time Cranquis Pants* that I still do enjoy my work. I have been doing the exact same Urgent Care job in the exact same location (with quite a few staff turnovers) ever since I finished residency 17 years ago! I still enjoy the bulk of my patient interactions, I continue to hone my diagnostic skills, I feel very confident in my procedural skills, I have a reputation in our local medical community as a reliable and thorough physician, and I have a loyal group of patients who routinely nag me to "quit urgent care and become a regular doctor so we can be your primary care patients". My staff likes and respects me (despite my best efforts to ruin that on the daily, with my puns etc); I like my staff and appreciate the hard work they do in the face of the same administrative and societal opposition that I encounter; I am not distressed when little kids freak out during physical exams (and my success rate of turning those frowns upside down with playful interactions and silly sound effects is pretty darn good).

I am blessed with amazing work-life balance, more than the majority of Family Medicine-trained physicians I suspect. I carry no pager, I take no call, I leave my work at home when I go home. I know my schedule months in advance, I have a shift template that gives me plenty of week-long stretches off, and I have my Sabbaths 100% free to attend church and spend time with my family. My pay is decent and my benefits are solid, my debts get paid and I have a roof over my head. My kids and wife are happy to see me come home. Personally, I really have nothing to complain about.

But the bloom is off the rose for my profession as a whole. The politics and trends of the US health care system continues to disenfranchise physicians, devaluing the years and $$ invested in becoming physicians, over-valuing patient satisfaction scores and inexpensive labor and glitzy administrative initiatives and staff rumor mills more than evidence-based, experience-driven clinical medicine. The power structure is upside down, as if doctors ought to be automatically doubted and disdained by pharmacists, insurance companies, administrators, patients, and APCs because of their systematic educational journeys and reliance upon scientific evidence.

And one of the saddest results is watching medical professionals turn on each other. The fragmentation and super-specialization of every aspect of medical care creates artificial "us v. them" scenarios; specialists and primary-care battling over who does the paperwork for pre-op visits and FMLA, ER and Urgent Care arguing about how much workup should be undertaken by the UC when the patient is obviously going to need ER management, primary-care so overwhelmed with insurance-required goals that their patients can never get same-day/soon-day appointments, pharmacies so understaffed that it's easier for them to tell the patients that "the doctor never sent the prescription" when in reality ...

I could go on.

I miss the old days (said the geezer on the internet), when I could enthusiastically support a pre-med student's dreams of getting into medical school and "helping people as a doctor someday." Now I wince at the idealism in a high-schooler's eyes, and try to find a nice way to say "there's more options for helping people than just becoming a doctor... be sure you have your motivations straight, because medicine is not what it was even 10 years ago..."

So hope and joy in my career? Hope for the profession of physicians, I have little. But I make the joy in my practice when I can make it, and I only expect to find joy in my non-medical time with family and hobbies and travel and friends and the lifestyle which my medical career still does make more feasible than otherwise.

*Probably not the term historically assigned to "fans of this blog", back when I posted frequently -- it's been a minute -- but if not, SHOOT that was a missed opportunity.

[taylor-titmouse]

Julia is sick of working late. She's sick of being disrespected, and most of all she's sick of her boss. Lance is a burned out, smooth-talking playboy, but he also happens to be the son of the CEO.  When Lance pushes her buttons once too often, Julia is tempted to put him in his place – but is it worth throwing away her career for a moment of satisfaction? Content: -F/M -dom -degradation -small penis humiliation -directed masturbation -power play 5k words,  EPUB and PDF format Only $3, Releases later tonight! you can go read the first two pages on the shop page!

i've mentioned a couple times now that my editor and the author of roger crenshaw: the dogs at duskfall @mortalityplays is now available for freelance work for people other than me, but i don't think i've made as big of a deal how he's ALSO going to start releasing his own smut shorts on the last friday of every month! he is SUCH a talented writer on top of being an excellent editor and it's my absolute delight to work with him on the cover for his first release. FINALLY i have a great answer when asked "is there anyone else writing smut like you?"

and since this was the first time in a while i went through a cover design process that wasn't just me making one for myself, i thought i would go into how it went!

The Prompt

R/L wanted something that didn't visually describe the characters, because he had deliberately avoided that himself in the text. these characters are archetypes, ideas of characters: a woman who works in an office and her playboy burnout boss. for an erotic fantasy scenario, not going into detail can be ideal, as it allows the reader to project their own fantasies onto the characters. but what does that mean for a cover, when showing off the characters is often the point?

The Thumbnails

it means silhouettes, babie! if you're a reader of romance you've probably seen this approach a few times. silhouettes allow you to give the impression of a character without actually specifying them. HOWEVER! that can only go so far. note the female silhouettes in the left and right thumbnails--one with a pony tail, one with her hair down. these two very minor design elements say completely different things about the character, and pin her design down into something specific. (there is a whole line of feminist thought about this, that there is no such thing as an "unmarked" woman, or rather a woman whose presentation does not say something about her, ie a woman not wearing makeup is not perceived as neutral the way a man not wearing makeup is).

so anyway including her in the cover in full doesn't work for the prompt, because how she wears her hair or how she dresses would say something about her that we don't want to say. thus: we chose the middle design!

a man in a shirt and tie are super archetypal, and """neutral""" enough to not say anything specific about lance, our male protagonist, other than he has a job and is of average size (which are of course not technically truly neutral, but for our purposes, are functional as symbols). and while a long, narrow, leg does still say something about julia, it is abstracted enough to simply represent the concept of "woman" without projecting an overall image of her in the reader's head. she has a leg, and she wears high heels. that's all you get!

The Sketch

now we can move on to the sketch stage! this is the point at which the palette and text are figured out. i tried a few fonts before landing on one that had the retro paperback all-caps feel that i liked, and i used what i believe to have been a risograph print texture from retrosupply.

we went with the text up top rather than at the bottom, because it lends weight to the shoe and balances out the blacks in the pants. it also allows the figure to take up more of the cover, which is ideal. honestly, not a whole lot to say about this bit that i didn't cover in thumbnails: which is the point of doing thumbnails in the first place!

The Finish

well you can just scroll up to see that one. the final colors ended up a little less saturated, a little cooler, to bring it home to the retro paperback look i was going for and tie the colors together. i'm very pleased with it and had a lot of fun. cover design is one of my favorite parts of putting out books, and it was especially fun working with someone else to bring their vision to life.

anyway, you should go buy this book! it's only three dollars and i want to make more covers for these! your purchases would prove that i am a very good investment as a cover artist >:)

[romanoffs-widow]

"So, girlfriends?"

Summary: While having a friendly dinner, Wanda walks in on you and Nat having some fun.

Warnings ⚠️ : Mentions of kissing, partial nudity?

MEN DNI

A/N: I'm back! And with another fic I think you'll all enjoy :b

✨️

3rd person pov

Wanda Maximoff is your best friend in the whole universe. With the exception of your girlfriend Natasha Romanoff, of course. You love them both more than anything.

Which is why it stings when you see the way Nat looks at her. You can tell she has a big crush on her, which you admittedly also have on the brunette. But that doesn't mean you'd do anything, and hopefully, your girlfriend won't either. She is your best friend, after all.

Since you moved into your apartment together, you have caught Nat constantly checking Wanda out, as if she were you. You want to confront her about her obvious crush on her, but what if she notices the way you look at Wanda, too?

After considering all the scenarios in your head, you decide that the only way is to be in a throuple with them both. You've never tried it before, but you've also seen the way Wanda looks at Natasha. You try and see the way she looks at you, hoping she likes you too, but you just don't see it.

You told yourself if the opportunity ever does rise, you'll take them both, but for now, you'll stare at her from across the dinner table, like right now.

In the first month of living together, Tasha decided that you and your friends should have a (whenever possible) monthly dinner. Yelena and Kate sat together, you and Nat sat together too, and Wanda sat opposite you and Nat. Yelena was telling some story to Kate and Nat, and you and Wanda were just pretending to listen.

Wanda wore her black dress as you wore your green one, just like you and her coordinated your outfits to match. Natahsa wore her favourite velvet suit, Kate wore a red one, and Yelena wore a black dress.

You watched Wanda smile and blush as Nat said something toward her in the conversation they were having.

Y/n pov

God, she looks so gorgeous tonight. And with the rings on her hands- I'm definitely falling for her. I feel something rest on my thigh, and my breath hitches. I look down to see Nat's hand resting there. She looks at me, and I smile back as she continues talking to Wanda.

We all finished our food, which luckily Wanda helped us out with. She is the best cook I've ever known. Not being able to take it anymore, I take the plates out into the kitchen, and Nat follows behind me.

"You alright, maylsh? You've been acting strange all evening." I sigh. "Please, Nat, I can't take it anymore!" She cocks her head to the side, confused. I walk down the hall, my hand tight around her wrist. I open our bedroom door, close it, pin her up against it, and smash my lips hastily onto hers.

She chuckles at me. "Oh? So this is what you've been strange for? Couldn't wait another couple of hours, could you?" I shake my head aggressively "Baby you know we can't do it with those three out there. That's my sister!" Almost whining, I beg her to do it quickly. She soon caves at the sight of me.

We kiss for around 5 minutes, and suddenly, I see Wanda standing at our doorway, looking as if she stopped mid scentence. "Oh, sorry, I- um- we didn't know where you were since you weren't in the kitchen. I'll be going now."

She turns around to leave, but I get up and tap her shoulder. She spins around back to me, and the next thing I know, I end up kissing her. I hear Natasha gasp. As I pull away, I see a very red Wanda standing in front of me. I push her onto the bed next to Tasha and close the door.

Just as I sit on the bed, all of us now in our underwear and bras, I hear the familiar Russian accent coming from down the hall. "Where are you guys? If you don't hurry up, I'm going to start the movie without you three!" Natasha laughs as she grabs her suit from off the floor and starts putting it back on. As Natasha goes to leave, I give her a quick kiss on those swollen lips of hers.

Wanda looks at me with something new in her eyes. "How long have you liked me for Wands?" I ask, very curious to know the answer. "Since the first month, we were friends." She looks down sheepishly.

"Oh my poor baby, I'm sorry that I didn't notice it before. But Nat and I have liked you for quite some time, even if she hasn't talked about it, I'm 99% sure she does." She nods, helping me zip up my short dress.

She trails kisses up my neck, and I let out a groan as she sucks on the sweet spot of my neck. "Wanda, we can't right now, Nat is gonna kill us if she misses out on this." She sighs, hugging my waist from behind. "I know, I've just wanted to do that for so long. But now we've gotta act normal for Lena and Kate right?"

I look at her with apologetic eyes through the mirror. "It's okay y/n/n. They'd ask questions otherwise." I nod as I turn around to hug her. I hear my notifications go off.

My one and only 🫶🏻: hey baby. I told them that you felt a bit sick and Wanda is helping you out. Just bc they were asking questions xx

I texted her back with a quick okay and thank you before dragging Wanda out of the bedroom.

When we get to the couch, I see Nat sitting next to Lena, who's cuddling Kate, and a space for Wanda, and I.

1 hour later...

"Bye, guys! Thank you for coming! See you again next month!" You hear Nat shout out as you wake up cuddled into Wanda's side. You look up at her to see her still asleep. It makes you feel all gooey inside like it does when you look at Tasha.

You see the stunning redhead walk back in and you smile at her. "So..." you trail off, waiting for her to say something. "So." She sits back down on the other side of Wanda, cuddling into her other side, giving her forehead a quick kiss before putting her head into a comfortable position. "Earlier was...brilliant." I giggle.

"I've seen the looks you've given her for months. For a while, it hurt, knowing you liked my best friend, but then I realised that you never stopped looking at me like that either. For a while, I thought about what I could do about it, and I decided to just let it go. But then she caught us, and I was (and still am, by the way) desperate, and I knew we both liked her, so I just went for it...and here we are."

She nods gently, with a smile on her face. "Well, detka, if it's okay with you, I'd like Wanda to be our girlfriend?" I stop breathing for a second. "Of course it's okay, Tasha. As long as Wanda is happy, I'm happy." She takes my hand and holds it on top of Wanda's stomach. "Same here y/n/n."

"And here." I hear a croaky voice choke out. As if in sync, Tasha and I both look up at the same time to see Wanda rubbing her eyes with a very wide smile and lots of blush on her face. We both sit up to make Wands more comfortable. I kiss her cheek and Nat does the same. We all laugh uncontrollably.

"So, girlfriends?" We all look at each other with smiles on our faces "Girlfriends."

"That's great but I think you owe Wands and I some sex." Nat rolls her eyes and chuckles, putting us both on either hip and taking us to our room.

Let's just say not a single one of us could walk for a week after that...

[lovelytsunoda]

i've been meaning to tell you // lance stroll

summary: y/n has something to share with her husband post bahrain 2023 that might make the whole weekend just a little bit sweeter.

warnings: mentions of pregnancy, fertility issues. can be read as a sequel to 'baby steps'

shes waiting for him in the garage post-race

baby ayla isnt so baby any more, the toddler sitting on her mother's shoulders as lance comes into the garage

hes rubbing his sore wrists; there are still pins holding the bones in his arm together

the official story was that he was injured in a biking accident

what the media didn't know was that he was just going down their cozy residential street in montreal with the dog, his wife and his daughter

lance was the only one to hit the pothole

hence two broken wrists and a broken toe

"daddy!" ayla shouts from her mother's shoulders as y/n stroll laughs, gingerly helping her daughter put both feet back on the garage floor

ayla launches herself at her father, and lance is trying not to wince as the toddler steps on his previously broken toe

"hey, princess." he coos, hefting ayla into his arms despite the pain shooting through his arms. "did you see how fast my car was?"

"i saw you hit uncle fernando at the beginning."

"babe, your wrists." y/n warns softly, kissing her husband on the cheek. "i'm proud of you, lance.

"where is my son and my granddaughter!" claire-ann stroll choruses, jaunting through the garage to take ayla out of lance's arms before congratulating her son with a kiss on both cheeks

y/n laughed as lance's cheeks went red before she gently took his hand in hers

"come on, let's go ice this wrist of yours."

they go out to the back patio of the hospitality suite

fireworks are still going off, post race celebrations ensuing as the happy couple sit down at one of the cast iron tables

their own quiet corner of the universe as y/n wraps both of her husband's wrists in an ice pack

"you really do need to be more careful, honey. you could have made everything worse out there. i was worried, though you wouldn't have guessed it from the way i was cheering in there."

"i know, baby. i know." lance said softly, leaning over to press a kiss to the side of his wife's head. "and i know things have been really difficult lately, but i feel like something finally went right for once."

y/n smiled. "you'll get your podium, sweetheart. i know you will."

things had been far from easy in the stroll household for the past few months

they had been trying desperately for a second child, but each attempt had been met with a disappointing ending

it hadn't been easy on either of them

all lance wanted was for his wife to be happy

all that y/n wanted was a family.

"i think that things are going to start looking up for us sooner than you think."

she has a really soft smile on her face as she reached into her purse for the folded up photograph

and lance hates himself for getting his hopes up, just in case it fails again, just in case of the worst case scenario

she'd barely containing her tears as she places the ultrasound photo on the table in front of him.

"i didn't want to tell you until i was absolutely sure."

neither of them can stop their smiles

lance is pretty sure that a tear or two fell when he wasn't looking.

"we're going to have another baby, lance."

"that's why my mom is here, isn't it? to keep an eye on you when i couldn't." lance is laughing as she casts the ice packs aside

pulling his wife in for a hug, wrists be damned.

"i'm so happy right now, i can't even explain it."

"i love you, lance." y/n giggles, kissing lance softly. "you make me so happy, baby."

lance kisses her again, the smile still etched on his face.

"i love you more, y/n."

he looks towards the hospitality doors.

"do you think my mom would be up to babysit tonight? i feel like we haven't had enough time to ourselves lately. i want to take you out to celebrate."

"as long as you're buying me dessert."

lance can't remember being this happy since he held his daughter for this first time.

"deal."

@libraryofloveletters @magnummagnussen @diorleclerc @sidcrosbyspuck @scuderiamh @daydreamingleclerc

[joelswritingmistress]

You Scare Me, Professor: Chapter 24

Summary: The reader is taking graduate classes at a local university in the wooded upstate New York. She is drawn to her professor, Dr. Joel Miller, though she is also inherently aware that he has something dark about him that she can't quite put her finger on. As the reader's attraction grows deeper, she has to decide whether to endure the danger or run away as fast as possible.

Pairing: Professor Joel Miller x f!reader

“He asked me to move in with him.” I couldn't keep the word vomit from leaving my mouth as I settled into a little booth across from Tori with a coffee between my hands.

Her eyebrows seemed to raise about three inches and she didn't say anything at first.

“It's crazy, I know.” I shook my head.

“How long have you been with him?”

“A month.” I made a face.

“Does he, like, ejaculate gold coins or something?” Tori asked, laughing as she spoke.

I laughed with her and shook my head, looking down. “I don't know. I've never been like this. He's just got this way about him.”

“What's his house like?”

A small smile crept onto my face and she cut in before I could answer.

“He's rich, isn't he?”

“He lives in this, like, mini castle.”

“A castle?”

“Well, that's what it looks like. It's really cool.”

“Okay, so my suspicions are correct.”

I swallowed hard, eager to hear her theories. “What suspicions?”

“He ejacs gold coins.”

I laughed again, actually pleased she hadn't said something serious. I wasn't in the mood for sinister scenarios that would only heighten my internal anxiety over the situation.

“I don't even care about the house or whatever. I just.. I'm falling way too fast for this guy.” My eyes met here across the table. “Do you think I'm crazy?”

Tori gave a half smile and a shrug. “A little.” She smiled fully and sipped her coffee. “It is a little fast.”

“It's very fast.”

“Okay, it's very fast,” she agreed. “But, it's your call. What's your gut telling you? I'd ask what your heart’s telling you but I'm pretty sure I already know that. And the heart can be misleading.” Tori motioned to me with her drink as she emphasized the last part.

“Yeah.” I sighed and reached into a small paper bag for the muffin I’d ordered with my coffee.

“Well, how about this?” Tori went on when I broke off a piece of the muffin top. “If things work out with Mr. “Joel Gold Coins”,” she used her fingers to do the air quotes and I snickered, “Then I better be the maid of honor. And if it ends up not being what you thought, then there's always a room for you at 355 Ellie Drive.”

I looked toward my friend and let out another exhale through my nose. She was so understanding and not judgmental. I had disappeared off the face of the earth for a month since meeting Dr. Miller and she never questioned a thing.

“I'm sorry if I've been a bad friend,” I started but she reached for my hand and wagged a finger.

“You haven't been a bad friend,” she disagreed. “We’re at pivotal points in our lives. And I guess the lucky part is that we've kind of both found the same thing in the same time frame.” Tori shrugged, “It happens. We’re.. growing up.”

I smiled, “Adulting?”

“Ugh, you know I hate that word.”

I laughed and then sighed again with a more serious expression. “Thank you, Tori.”

“You're welcome.”

“I mean it. Thank you.” I sipped my coffee again. “Now, I'm done making this all about me. Tell me about Derek.”

My friend bit her bottom lip and spilled all the recent tea about her beau. I knew Derek. I liked him. The fact that he would be there with her full time took away some of the guilt I was experiencing. Tori appeared excited and happy and light as air. Getting a chance to sit and talk was rejuvenating. As much as I enjoyed the intensity of my time with Dr. Miller, I appreciated the lighthearted feeling I had being in Tori’s company.

“Once a week,” my friend pointed at me as we finally left the little coffee shop, “And that's nonnegotiable.”

“Once a week. And I'll be back soon to get my clothes and stuff.” I nodded and we exchanged a hug. “I'm going to head into LL Bean,” I said motioning to the store a few doors down on the little street.

“I have to go to work or I'd gladly spend a good hundred bucks in there with you.”

“Okay, be safe. I miss you.”

Tori blew a kiss. “See you soon.”

I waved goodbye and headed into the store, mostly in search of a good pair of winter boots.

If I happen to walk out with a sweater or two, so be it, I thought internally with a smile. Or maybe a hat for our ski wedding weekend.

An older man greeted me with a friendly, “Hello,” from behind a cash register off to the left. I smiled and waved before making the trek up a flight of stairs to the second floor where I knew the women's shoe section was.

A rack of on-sale sweaters and shirts conveniently greeted me near the top of the stairs and I gave it a lengthy browse. A knee length blue and white sweater dress caught my eye and I draped it over my arm before moving on toward the shoes.

“(Y/N)?” A female voiced my name quietly and I turned my attention away from the wall of boots in front of me.

When I glanced over my left shoulder I froze. Christine, Dr. Miller’s ex-wife, had just exited the dressing room. She was dressed more casually than our first meeting, sporting jeans and a sweater with a winter hat.

“Hi,” I said awkwardly.

“How are you doing?” She asked, as if we were friends or acquaintances that hadn't seen one another for awhile.

“I'm fine.” I forced a smile. “How are you?”

“Good.” Christine smiled back and bluntly asked, “Are you still seeing Joel?”

I gave a little nod, hoping that would be the end of that. Of course it wasn't.

“Look, woman to woman,” she said, beginning to pace in my direction. “I don't want to see you get hurt the way I did. Just.. be careful. Joel has this charisma that can really be..” She took a few seconds as she searched for the correct word, “Blinding.”

“I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean by that.” I didn't want to have this conversation. People broke up all the time and could easily list off the reasons why their former partner was terrible. It didn't mean those two people couldn't move on and find someone more compatible for them. Everyone has flaws.

“I fell for him,” Christine nodded and stared at me, “Fast. Hard.” She shook her head and maintained eye contact, “He has secrets, (Y/N).”

“Don't we all?” I tried to sound casual and glanced down at the sweater on my arm.

“Not these kind of secrets.”

“Well, what are these kind of secrets?” I asked.

Christine sighed, looking around as she did before finding my eyes again. “That's something I'll take to my grave.. but also something I couldn't live with.”

I wasn't typically one to speak up, but I couldn't help myself now. “So, woman to woman you came here to warn me, but you can't tell me about what? You just want me to be careful because of Joel's secrets but you won't tell me what those secrets are?” I shook my head, “If you were actually looking out for me, you'd tell me.” I wandered away from the boots section back toward the staircase.

“It's the least I can do,” Christine called out.

I took the stairs back to the bottom floor. All the life that Tori had breathed into me, Christine had sucked out. I was so taken aback that I almost walked out with the sweater without paying for it. Hell, I hadn't even tried it on.

I stopped myself before closing in on the door and made a hard right toward the register.

“Find everything you were looking for?” The old man asked with a friendly grin.

I wanted to match his cheeriness but I just couldn't. Still, I managed a smile. “Yes, thank you.” He scanned the tag, I swiped my card and then headed back out onto the street.

I was going to tell Dr. Miller about bumping into Christine. I wasn't about to accuse him of anything but I needed to at least ask what she was referring to. Of course he had secrets - or at least some unknowns he promised to tell in due time. As much as I needed to know, I wasn't going to bombard him simply because his ex-wife bombarded me.

She hated me, Dr. Miller had claimed. I was sure at least part of her approaching me had something to do with sabotaging him.

I shook my head and hurried across the street to an ATM. Having a little cash on me at all times was something my parents had always advised me to do, and it was a habit I'd carried into adulthood.

I looked around the immediate area and then back to the doors of LL Bean to see if Christine had come out. I wanted to get out of the area as soon as possible and cozy up by a warm fire, as Dr. Miller had promised.

As I slipped my card into the machine, I envisioned it for a moment, trying to push away the negative thoughts that had been bestowed upon me. It worked - sort of.

I punched in my four digit code and selected to remove sixty dollars. Again, I looked over my shoulder as the ATM worked its magic. When the screen instructed me to remove my card, I did just that and then tucked it away back into my purse.

The money dispensed and upon collecting it, I looked at the screen again. If it had been a cartoon I swear my eyes would have popped right out of my head.

This has to be a mistake. I looked at the balance. It was all wrong.

“What the hell?”

The receipt shot out next as the screen switched to a simple, THANK YOU, in bold letters. I ripped the receipt from its place and studied the numbers. The balance on the thin piece of white paper matched that of the balance on the screen.

This has to be a mistake.

As I stood in disbelief, staring at the fifty-seven thousand dollars that was now said to be in my account, my eyes glanced up and I saw Christine staring at me from across the street. I felt like she knew exactly what I was staring at on that money slip.

When she shook her head, I crumpled the paper and forced it into my coat pocket before rushing to my car and driving away from that quaint, little street in the center of town.

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER

@untamedheart81 @suttonspuds @cesspitoflove @michilandcof @grogusmum @morallyinept @akah565 @brittmb115 @magpiepills @poodlebae @gobaaby-blog-blog @mermaidgirl30 @mandijo17 @jiminstinypinky @shotgun-shelby @itscatrodriguez-thepearl @macaroni676 @acciowolfstar1

[cottoncandy-cult]

Little Ghoul Lost Ch.1

Some spoilers, so read at your own risk.

Sho stood talking to Leo and his captain, he had just managed to recover an anomaly alive as he was required to do by Alan. They were currently going over the details of his report, making sure everything was in order before they turned it in to Dante. "Sho!" A little girl had collided with Sho's leg, clinging onto him tightly to the surprise of his friend and captain. "(Y/n)?… What the hell are you doing here?" Sho had kneeled down to the little girl's height after prying her off, her tiny hands clinging to his own. The little girl was all smiles, though a new scar on her cheek made him feel like something was off. "I get to come here too! Big brother said so." She had happily rocked on her heels, showing off her uniform though it had no broach or dorm attached to it. "Hey Shohei…" Hyde approached, his usual smile not present. Sho's head had snapped up to look at him, a harsh glare holding a silent question about why his little sister was at Darkwick. "What. Happened?" Sho had nearly growled out the words, he had completely forgotten about Leo and Alan's presence, but his dear baby sister was just now noticing them. She was 9 years old, and though she vaguely resembled her brother if you didn't know about their relation you wouldn't initially assume anything. "There… was an accident involving an anomaly… A lot has happened, and we can discuss it in my office, all you need to know right now is… (Y/n)'s a ghoul…" Hyde spoke softly so their little sister wouldn't hear as he scratched at the back of his head, he wasn't any happier about it than Sho was. Hyde didn't like it when Sho became a ghoul either, but at least Sho was a bit older when it happened. Sho could only stare at his sister in horror, though her innocent gaze was distracted with the 2 other males who were crouched to her height to get a good look at her. "How long?…" The younger blonde questioned his elder brother, observing how she shook hands with Alan as a greeting. Sho moved to stand, facing Hyde after he finally forced his face blank to hide his horror and sorrow over the situation. "About 3 months… I've been petitioning with the school to let her come here as a special circumstance, she'll be technically attending here but we had to call in a favor to get her a special teacher since she isn't old enough for our current curriculum. Of course she has to be assigned to a dorm, so I don't want you to freak out if she doesn't end up in Vagastrom." Hyde raised his hands as Sho's eyes got dark, his head tilting in question at the idea of her being put out of her brother's supervision. Sho didn't trust any of the other dorms to take care of her, sure Vagastrom could be a bit rough but at least Sho was there to handle anything that happens. "Are you really ok with that? How do you plan to take care of her if she's staying with the other dorms?" Sho crossed his arms, staring down his elder brother. Hyde wasn't entirely sure how to answer, simply sighing as he continued to nervously scratch at the back of his head.

"Look, she might still end up in Vagastrom. But the headmaster said that since she is now considered a student of Darkwick she must be placed, all the captains will be gathered for her placement. As a teacher I will be attending, since you're her brother too I can see if you can attend as well. Personally, if she was to end up in a different dorm from you, I think Hotarubi would be the best-case scenario." Hyde did his best to soothe his younger brother, they were the only family (Y/n) had and while Hyde and Shohei weren't particularly close they could agree that their baby sister was their first priority. This time it was Sho's turn to sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm going to your office later, so you better be there. I have questions." Sho turned and picked up his little sister, interrupting her conversation with Leo who had whined about Sho being rude. Hyde had quietly agreed, the only good thing was that (Y/n) was largely unaware of what all had happened. She believed it had all been a nightmare, she didn't fully understand her circumstances and simply took joy in getting to be with her big brothers again instead of just getting to see them for special occasions. Though both brothers knew she'd learn about it eventually, they only hoped that they'd find the words to explain things to her when the time comes. "What's wrong Sho?" (Y/n)'s bright (E/c) eyes took in her big brother's darker eyes, concerned about how discontent he appeared. "I'm fine, just a bit surprised. I see you've already met Leo and our captain." Sho glanced over at his friend and Captain, both males curiously watching him as if he was an anomaly as he interacted with his little sister. "Mhm, Leo is a little weird buy Alan is nice." She giggled happily, Sho couldn't help but smirk at Leo's pout and Alan's attempt to hide his smirk behind a gloved hand. "That's good, Alan is the captain of this dorm, so you'll be seeing him quite a bit. If anything happens when you're here and I aint around, you should go find him." Sho knew how rough his dorm could be, so he wanted to make sure she knew who she could go to if he wasn't around for some reason. Not that he planned to leave her unattended there, but accidents happen all the time and he wasn't so stupid to not think about covering his bases.

"Ok, what about Leo?" The little girl tilted her head, noticing how her brother specified Alan. "I mean, if you can find him sure but he's better at recording things as they happen then stopping them." Sho smirked at his friend, Leo had huffed and stuffed his hands in his pockets while glaring at Sho. "That's so not true and you know it." Alan had ignored Leo's pouting, instead speaking to (Y/n) directly. "So how do you like the campus so far? You excited to be coming to school here?" Leo huffed over being ignored, but watched quietly as the little girl rambled to their captain about how excited she was to go to school with both her brothers. Leo leaned, his hand coming up to hide his mouth as he whispered to his friend. "So, how you gonna handle this? You aren't seriously gonna try and babysit her the whole time she's here, right?" He raised an eyebrow, a small smile on his face. Sho raised an eyebrow as well, looking at his friend as if he was an idiot. "I'm not gonna leave her completely unsupervised, I don't care what dorm she's in. You're just gonna have to find different ways to make money or go without, I can't keep covering for you anymore and carrying your end of everything. It's not even just the money, the last thing I need is her doing what I do. I know the kind of consequences I get for the things I do, it's one thing when it's me but it'll be hell before it's her." Sho's voice was low and firm, he had thought of setting boundaries with Leo before because of how controlling and ungrateful the shorter male was. It was one thing when they were friends before Darkwick, but now that they have to live together it was getting under his skin. Leo looked shocked for a moment, which surprised Sho because he thought his friend would just immediately act offended. "Sho, can you make lunch?" The little girl had tugged on her brother's shirt gently, looking at him with a curious gaze. "Sure thing, go back with Hyde and I'll bring it to you when it's done. Gotta do a little shopping first." Sho sat the girl back on her feet, patting her head as she nodded and ran over to her eldest brother who had took her hand so that she didn't get lost. "We'll see you at my office Shohei, we'll talk more there." Hyde waved to his younger brother, leading the little girl back down the path away from the dorm. Sho watched them walk away, crossing his arms before he walked away from his friend and captain quietly. The circumstances weren't beyond them, to become a ghoul one had to make a deal with a demon and that isn't commonly seen among younger kids. So, they let him go, even if they had questions it could wait until later. Leo retreated to his room, chewing on his friend's words and thinking over what would drive the taller male to put his foot down so firmly. Meanwhile Alan returned to working on an anomalous vehicle, he highly doubted such an innocent little girl would end up in this rough and tumble dorm. He knew Sho was gonna be away more than usual, so it was up to him as a captain to find a good balance between letting Sho have a bit more leeway and reminding him of his duties and work.

[heeliopheelia]

"two years was not enough to get over you" (heeseung x reader)

genre: angst word count: 1.2k requested by nonnie <3

warnings: toxic relationship, mentions of cheating, reader got absolutely hammered, swearing

a/n: i know angst is not your favorite genre but i absolutely ITCHED to post this one for you guys lmao 💜 decided to post the fics less often not to drown your fyp with my drabbles!! anyways, thank you guys for all the appreciation i've been given during this event so far!! love you all <33

masterlist

You don't remember the party all that well which should be concerning considering the fact that you've only arrived here two hours ago.

The ungodly amount of alcohol you've been pouring into your body ever since your eyes met your ex's across the room start to take a toll on your system. Hence why you're kneeling in front of a toilet, spitting your guts out into it as the mentioned ex boyfriend holds your hair out of your face.

"Damn, 've never seen you this shitfaced, doll," he murmurs, collecting your locks into a makeshift ponytail.

When the gentle touch of his fingertips starts to make your already buzzing head even more hazy, you turn around and push his hands away from you. Pulling yourself back to your wobbly legs, Heeseung grabs you by your waist to stop you from tripping over your own feet and knocking half of your teeth out.

"Let go of me," you mumble quietly and he does just that, slowly inching his hands away from you.

Trying to leave the bathroom as quickly as possible, you stumble again and have to balance yourself by bracing both of your arms on the sink. Everything around you is spinning so you shut your eyes tightly, not even reacting to the feeling of his warm hand resting over your bare shoulder.

"Let me take you home," he says and you know he won't take no for an answer. When you don't respond, he asks again, "Please?"

He's always been hard to resist even back when you were dating - now, with you in such state, he's practically irresistible. So you nod your head and let him lead you out of your friends' house, hand firmly wrapped around your waist. He puts you in the passenger sit of his car and buckles you up, trying not to lose his mind at the fact that your shameful eyes never met his even once.

You drive in silence. He peeks at you from the corner of his eye every couple seconds, checking up on you that's slouched over the window.

And he just has to talk to you. He can't waste such longed for opportunity, even if that means getting his heart broken by your rejection. "You've always been a lightweight, YN. Did the masochist in you take over your senses tonight?"

You huff, slowly opening your blurry eyes. It's not easy – sitting this close to him, pretending as if everything is okay between the two of you. Like he hasn't broken your heart all those years ago. You've tried to convince yourself you healed yourself out of Lee Heeseung months ago but one stupid smile of his completely toppled down your certainty of it, and now you're not so sure after all.

"'s all your fault," you scoff, finger tracing random patterns on the window. "That's how much just seeing your stupid face riles me up."

Heeseung bites his lip, pulling up beside your apartment and shutting off the engine. He jumps out of the car, then unbuckles your seat belt and helps you crawl out of your seat. You don't even fight him when he asks for your keys, knowing it'll take him three times less to actually fit the key to the lock.

The both of you strip your shoes off and he basically carries your dead weight to the living room. He sets you down on the couch and walks off to the kitchen.

With a heavy sigh, you throw your head back on the headrest and close your eyes. This is probably the worst case scenario for tonight. Getting yourself stupidly wasted and ending up with your ex in the same apartment with you. You fucked up big time.

"Here, drink this," he says and nudges your knee with his.

You take the glass from his hands and empty the glass with three large sips. "Fuck, didn't realize I this was thirsty."

Heeseung chuckles lowly. "That's what happens when you gulp down vodka like it's water."

"What do you want from me?"

With an unamused smile, you turn to him slightly, taking in his face. You don't even try to lie to yourself anymore about how much you've missed him.

And he voices your exact thoughts after couple beats of silence. "I missed you. Two years was not enough to get over you."

You let out a loud scoff, an upset scowl making its way on your features. "You gotta be kidding me."

"I'm not, though," he argues, looking you straight into the eyes, gaze unwavering. "Never thought losing you would leave such an impact on me, you know? I just feel... empty. It's lonely out there without you."

"Should've thought of that before you fucked that chick on your birthday party," you nearly snarl at him, attempting to stand up from the couch but his hand holds you down from doing so.

His eyes are screaming with desperation. "Don't you think everyone deserves a second chance? It's been such a long time – more than enough for me to think everything over. I won't take you for granted again, YN."

"Everyone deserves a second chance, except for cheaters like you."

"I'm sor-"

"I'm tired, Heeseung," you interrupt him, hand running over your exhausted features. You notice how he swallows hardly, so you continue before he can, "Can we just not do it? I'm fucking wasted, Heeseung. Do you really think this is the right time to talk about this shit?"

With a sigh, he nods at end of it all. "I guess you're right."

"I'm always right," you mumble before leaning your heavy head on his shoulder.

The feeling is so familiar that you feel tears beginning to push on your eyes mercilessly. But the both of you say nothing. You sit in silence, eyelids refusing to open from the exhaustion.

And it's alarming how much comfort you still soak from his presence alone after everything he's put you through. One would think that you'd want nothing to do with the one who cheated on you and broke your heart into pieces, ruining every other man for you. Yet you can't help but relax in his touch as his smooth fingers graze over your arms. You just... let him wrap yourself around his finger all over again.

You let the first and the last tear drop down your cheek.

"Please, be gone by the morning," you whisper into the silence with a tight throat, face pressing to the crook of his neck. Just this one last time.

And he listens, like he always does. And when you wake up, the only thing assuring you that last night wasn't a dream is door of the top cabinet in your kitchen left barely ajar yet still not properly closed – Heeseung's habit that used to annoy the living hell out of you.

The sudden flood of memories start hollering in your brain and you close your eyes, pressing your palms roughly to them.

Despite all of the voices in your head telling you against it, you reach for your phone laying on the coffee table. Your fingers automatically dial his number that you had memorized by the time of your fifth date and you dig your nails into the flesh on your thigh as you wait with anticipation to hear his voice again.

No matter how much you hate Lee Heeseung, you're self-destructive enough to love him even more. And as much as it hurt to admit to yourself last night, two years was not enough to get over him either.

permanent taglist: @bambisgirl @arizejkt19 @luvmura @milisabunny @cathy-1997 @satoruskitchenrag @ramenoil @jenjnk

[nyxe9206]

What their kisses taste like pt.2

What the MHA boys’ kisses taste like. All characters are aged up to be in their 20′s and some scenarios are suggestive so 18+ MDNI. Nameless and ageless blogs will be blocked. I do not own these characters and all scenarios are just fiction and for fun. Please do not copy my works or repost without either asking or giving credit.

Content warning : Making out, implied sex, dry humping, mentions of oral sex, nicknames (Princess, baby), mentions of female anatomy,

A/N : please let me know if I missed anything or if you want to give feedback, this is my second time actually posting a hc so I'll gladly take any criticism. Also I'm unsure who to do next so you can send in requests for who to put in my next one and hopefully I don't take months to post.

WC : 1.3k

Eijiro Kirishima

Like pop rocks and cherry coke 

It was a party with 3a and 3b for graduation

You still don’t know how you ended up in the circle playing seven minutes in heaven 

He was so nervous about you not wanting to kiss him

“Okay Y/n it’s your turn!” Mina shouts

As you spin the empty bottle you look around the circle and feel your hands beginning to sweat. A chorus of ‘ooo’ can be heard as you look up and find Kirishima beginning to stand. Grabbing his hand you stand and follow him to the coat closet found at the front of the dorm.

The space in the closet got smaller with how big the sturdy hero had gotten compared to the first year of high school. Each year that you grew alongside all of your classmates there was always an invisible line that was drawn between you and Eijiro made by the feelings you’ve never spoken about.

“You know we don’t have to do anything right, I'm happy just sitting here with you.” even in the dim light of the closet you can see the blush on his cheeks.

Your own cheeks burn with embarrassment, both your chests are touching and every exhale can be felt on the others lips.

“But what if I told you I want to?” Your hands snaked their way up his chest and over his shoulders to clasp together around the back of his neck.

“Then I guess I’d say good, cause I've been thinking about kissing you for god knows how long.” 

You could feel his lips brushing against yours as one of his hands made a claim on your waist while the other rubbed up and down your side.

“Kiss me.”

Your plea was met by the softness of his lips touching yours in a passionate and sensual kiss. Sparks tingle throughout your body as the kiss went on and his hands ran along your curves. His tongue poked at your lips as you tilted your head, parting your lips slightly you swirl your tongue against his. You could vaguely taste the coke and candy he had earlier as your hands caressed his muscles as he started pushing you against the wall in a desperate attempt to get closer only made you begin to run your hands through his hair to tug at the ends. As the kiss goes on his lips travel further down to your neck where you feel his teeth begin to nip at the skin

“Times up love birds!” The pink girl yells through the door

“Next time, next time when we walk out they’ll all know your mine.”

Denki Kaminari

Lemonade and chocolate chip cookies

Hanging out in his room after class

Fridays were your scheduled disney movie binge day

The little mermaid definitely became a bit more eventful

“Denks,the movie is still playing.” You whimper as he starts to trace the side of your neck with his finger.

“It’s okay, just wanted to see how sensitive you are.” his eyes are tracing your face as he stops at your lips.

You go to lick them out of habit and he takes his chance. The kiss is soft, almost hesitant giving you enough room to back away. In the three months that you’ve agreed to be friends with benefits with the electric boy you’ve never kissed. The deal was stress relief, as third years the amount of pressure was rising as graduation grew closer. Hand jobs, and oral was the most either of you have done with the other. But today something was off, it was different; the feeling of his hands groping your cloth covered breast as you pulled him in closer by the back of his neck was more urgent. His body pushing you down on the bed as he unbuttoned your uniform shirt was rushed while he licked and sucked on your bottom lip. The need to feel your skin on his clouding his brain as he ground his hips against you.

“Fuck baby, I need you so bad.” His words muffled by the skin of your neck as his hand danced over your panties.

“Denks please do something.” Your voice getting breathier as he skims his fingers over the growing wet patch

“You want me to play with you baby, want me to touch this pretty pussy you have here?” You can feel the smirk on his lips as your hips shift up to get more friction.

“You’re fucking soaking through your pretty little panties baby, why don’t we take them off might have more fun if we do.” 

Tired of his teasing you grab him by his shirt and pull him into you. The kiss is a clash of teeth, tongue, and the taste of his favorite lemonade and cookies.

“You talk too much, just fuck me already Denks.”

“Whatever you want princess, fuck I’d do anything you want every second of the day.”

“Yeah, then give it to me Denks, take me and give me everything,”

Sero Hanta

Orange soda and airheads

After another late night on the job you decide to go back to his

Literally just take out on his coffee table and whatever late night reruns were on tv

Was definitely not the first time either of you have thought of doing it

“No, no the last time we had this Kaminari laughed a noodle out his nose and I still have no idea how he managed that.” the tears gathered in the corners of your eyes as you and Hanta recall the memory of the electric hero making a fool out of himself yet again.

“Man I miss hanging out with them, it sucks we’re all so busy though.”

“Yeah but at least we can still do these stupid reruns every now and then, I like how chill it is with you.”

The room was quiet save for the tv in the background, his fingers just barely touching your arm put your nerves on high alert. The tension between you and Hanta has been palpable since your second year at UA, and for some reason the consequences of kissing him don’t seem so bad tonight.

His eyes went back and forth between your eyes and your lips, the blush rising on your face did nothing to stop him from smirking before he lent in pressing his lips against yours.

“God you’re so fucking pretty.” His kiss was intense and passionate, it felt like everything he never had the chance to say was coming out through the dance between your mouths.

Soon his tongue started sliding along your bottom lip, parting your lips you let him in as he pushed you down the sofa. The taste of his drink pulling you in as his tongue danced with yours sensually. His hands wrapping themselves around your waist and breasts holding, caressing and massaging as his hips ground against yours. The feeling of him half hard putting pressure on your clit through your sweats had you moaning into his mouth. Your hands moved into his black hair as his lips traveled down your neck leaving little nips and licks in the places he kissed. Your moans slowly started getting louder as his hips moved faster and harder.

The pressure building up in your core became too big to ignore. You knew he felt it too as his breathing got heavier until it stopped. His hips stuttered to a stop as he slowly lifted himself off of you with a shy smile and blush tinting his cheeks.

“Fucking came in my pants like we were in high school.” His eyes hanging low as he spoke “But let me guess, you didn’t cum did you princess?”

“No, I was really close though, why you trying to make it up to me?” The lust in his eyes was undeniable as he smirked and lifted you from the couch.

“Wouldn’t be much fun if you don’t finish, how about you try it on my tongue instead?”

[ughgoaway]

How do Matty and teacher tell Annie that they're dating? And now I'm looking forward to hearing about mattys first time going to teachers house!

Your writing is my favourite at the moment, I've got my notifications on for every time you post ❤️

ohmygod it never occurred to me someone might have my notifs on… thank you so much??? I'm so so glad you like my writing!!! <3333

I'll definitely do a blurb on Matty's first visit at some point!! perhaps his first visit is when you have your first time with him…

Maybe this is just me loving drama but I feel like they don't tell Annie as much as Annie finds out...

Now I'm not 100% sure of the scenario but ik I have discussed this with someone before on dms but I can't remember who?? so sorry to whoever it was, I obviously loved the concept lol <3

I think it's some event at the school, maybe a school disco/dance for the parents and the kids. you and Matty have been together a few weeks/months and have been eyeballing each other the whole night.

Annie is busy dancing with her friends and one of their parents is watching her, so Matty gives you a nod and you both sneak off to your classroom.

you're not planning on having sex or anything, but you're still in that honeymoon stage where you just want to be around each other all the time so you sneak off to do just that.

you're sat on your desk waiting for Matty to follow, he left 30 seconds after you so it wouldn't arouse any suspicion. he comes in and clicks the door shut, and you feel a weight lift off your chest when you see him.

"hi," you breathe out and stick your arms out for Matty to slide into.

"hi sweetheart" he says, coming to hug you and resting his chin on your head. you bury your head in his chest and breathe him in, already missing how he smells just from the hour you've been apart.

"missed you" you mumble into his chest. you feel his laugh vibrating you and pull back with a pout.

"Baby we haven't even really been apart. I've been less than 30 ft from you the whole time" he smiles and tucks your hair behind your ear, moving his hand to trace your cheekbone afterwards.

"I know I know. I just want to be with you rather than just around you. I hate keeping this secret" Matty nods and leans to press a kiss to your still pouty lips.

"Me too, but we just can't tell anyone yet. we can't risk you losing your job or some dickhead going to the media. I can't bear another deux moi post about "Matty Healy's new beau"" he pulls one hand from your waist to air quote but swiftly puts it back and pulls you impossibly closer.

"yeah. at least I get you in private though" You smile up at Matty and you can almost see the love pouring from his eyes.

"you always had me, you just didn't know it" he presses another kiss to your lips, sweet and innocent but still lingering in the way you love.

You're both so wrapped up in the kiss you don't hear the door creek open and the sound of little footsteps coming in. Only when it slams shut do you rip apart from each other.

standing there in her sparkly pink dress is little Annie with her mouth open in shock. yours is pretty much the same, your hand moving up to cover your face out of embarrassment.

Matty immediately swoops into dad mode though, not even taking a second to breathe before running over to Annie and bending down to her.

"hi, peanut. Are you okay? Do you need something?" Matty was still delusional and hoping she hadn't just seen what he thought she had.

He was wrong.

"why were you kissing y/n? Only people who are in love kiss. Are you in love?" Annie's head is spinning and she keeps on flicking her eyes between you and Matty, trying to process what's happening.

you and Matty haven't even spoken about the L word yet, and now somehow the situation is exponentially more awkward.

"uhhh… it's kinda hard to explain sweetheart. do you wanna come sit on y/n's chair while we talk?" Annie nods tentatively and it breaks Matty's heart. it's clear she's hurt by whatever just happened, she might not know exactly what's going on but she knows she's been lied to.

tears are building at her lashline and her eyes are shiny, but they don't fall. Which almost kills you. seeing Annie this upset over something you did is the worst possible scenario.

Annie sits there silently which is the biggest red flag, normally she's a chatterbox but she sits there and fiddles with the hem of her dress anxiously. you and Matty share a brief worried look before Matty starts to attempt to explain.

he takes a deep breath and starts, "Okay Annie, so you know how when two people really like each other they start dating?"

Annie nods and finally looks up to meet Matty's eyes, "Like Auntie Charli and Uncle George?" she asks. her lips are ever so slightly shaking as she tries to hold in her emotions.

God for a 6-year-old she is very good at regulating herself The same couldn't be said for you, as you were already wiping tears that were escaping your eyes.

Matty notices and places a hand on your knee before he continues, "Yes just like that sweetheart. me and y/n are dating. she's my girlfriend"

Annie nods slowly and then looks at you, noticing you're crying for the first time. she gets an even more worried look on her face and springs out of her chair.

"oh no did I make you sad miss y/n?" she asks looking up at you. if you didn't already have a broken heart you're sure it would've just shattered.

you get down to her height on the floor and stroke her hair as you speak, "Oh no! Not at all, darling. I'm just sad about making you upset sweet girl" You sniffle and give her a weak smile.

She nods slowly and looks back up to Matty who is watching the situation with his lip anxiously between his teeth.

"so… you like miss y/n?" Annie asks, matty nods at her and has to fight a smile at the question.

"Yes I do darling, I like her a lot." you flick your head to Matty and give him a gentle smile that he returns, moving his band to stroke your back.

"oh… okay." Annie is still taken aback and trying to process everything but that doesn't stop her from asking "Can I have a hug y/n?" 

you immediately crumble and start borderline sobbing as you pull her in and squeeze all the air out of her lungs. "of course Annie, you can always have a hug"

you look at Matty with hopeful eyes and you can see the tears brimming in his. this was not how you wanted this to go, but sometimes you don't get to choose.

Once you pull away Matty bends down too and offers Annie a hug with his open arms which she happily accepts, bounding into his body with such force Matty can't help but make an "oof" sound at her impact.

you lean your head on his shoulder and Annie pulls back again, looking at the two of you with a smile on her face.

"Can I tell Rosie?" she asks curiously. 

fuck.

How do you explain the intricacies of keeping a relationship secret to a child?

Matty smiles sadly and grabs her hand, "No I'm sorry baby, this has to be a secret just between me, you and miss y/n okay? if anyone finds out it means she might not be able to work here anymore"

that shocks Annie, straightening her spine immediately as she nods furiously. "Okay, daddy. just between us."

she looks at you and says, "You're my most favourite teacher. Please don't go" You immediately smile and raise your head off mattys shoulder before assuring her.

"I'm not going anywhere Annie don't you worry, as long as we keep it secret I'll be okay" You give her a reassuring nod and reach out to squeeze her hand.

"Good. you shouldn't kiss at school though. then everyone will see you and find out" she says looking at you both with a tilted head and disappointment dripping from her voice.

obviously you and Matty can't hide your laughter and soon enough Annie joins in giggling.

"Alright, you cheeky girl" Matty says, pinching her sides and pulling her in for another hug. This time you swing your arm around her too and settle your head on Matty's shoulder, looking up at him with a relieved smile.

your little family.

Annie wrenches away quickly leaving you and Matty shocked, looking at her curiously.

Before either of you can ask if she's okay Annie chimes in, "So are you in love?" she asks innocently, unaware of the massive repercussions that might come from her question.

Once again, Matty swoops in and saves the day before you both become stuttering messes.

"how about we get back to the disco hmm?" He stands up and gives you a hand, pulling you up too before grabbing Annie's hand and starting to walk to the door.

"we can get you a pick n' mix, how does that sound Annie?"

Annie squeals and nods, pulling Matty so hard in the direction of the hall that he's scared she'll rip his arm off.

situation diffused… for now.