#i've been surprisingly busy/out and about this summer...

[billthedrake]

THE FRAT HOUSE (PART FOUR)

The beach was fun. I'd spent the rest of week hanging out with the guys during the day and sleeping with John at night. Alex gave us space, but said he looked forward to hooking up more when we got back home.

Zach and Daniel found out. There was no getting around it, really. It was clear I was going to John's room. Zach asked me about it when we had a moment alone on the beach. Rather than tell him some lie, I fessed up.

"You know what you're doing, Brian?"

"Maybe not," I said. "But it feels right. I feel I can trust these guys."

He winced. Zach definitely didn't like the house bottom idea. "You know I won't judge you man, but I love you like a brother. I don't want those guys taking advantage of you."

"They won't," I insisted. I sighed. Zach tapped into a nagging doubt I had. And truth was, I could stop this House Bottom business anytime. Chalk it up to beach week horns.

But something drew me to it, and I was trying to say what it was, for myself as much as for Zach. "I dunno, bro," I continued. "You know I keep a count of the dudes I've been with?"

That got a surprised smile from my buddy. "Yeah?" he said. "I stopped counting after like thirty." Zach went through a real daddy-chaser phase.

I laughed. "It's been exactly 10 for me.... Part of me wants to go crazy, you know, go chase lots of dick... the other part of me feels better keeping it in the Frat House."

"You got issues being a bottom," he said simply.

I nodded. "Physically, I fucking love it," I said. "But I don't like the way guys look down on bottoms." I was thinking of Army Mike from my hookup at the start of the week, but also the guys on Grindr, or even the way some of the guys would make catty, feminizing comments about bottoms.

Zach nodded. He was a masculine hockey bro who found his own peace with his sexuality. He was less hung up than I was, less inclined to give a fuck what guys thought. "I don't have patience for that BS. That's why being vers is great. You just do what you want and don't build your whole fucking life around a sexual position."

I had to take in my bro's gym-pumped build. Because of our different types, there wasn't sexual tension, but my friend was good looking. Thinning hair and maybe looking older than his 27 years. He's grown his facial hair out, though he confessed he and Daniel were trying to decide if they preferred the more youthful clean-shaven look.

"I've fucked guys," I said. "It was fun, I guess." It was a tone that said it didn’t push my buttons in the same intense way.

Zach laughed. "I honestly love that you decided what you like, Powers. Just look out for yourself."

"Bro, everyone keeps telling me that."

****

It was tough getting back to reality. Work was surprisingly busy for summer, and I had stuff to catch up on. And the previous week had given me extra motivation to spend more time at the gym. It was funny because Zach was on the same wavelength. Even if he wasn't on the market, he loved being in top shape for Daniel.

John was even more in the throes of work, and Alex was meeting all the training clients he'd had to reschedule.

But Kyle was around. He sometimes stuck to his room or had a date or something. He kind of hung out with the guys from our rec league team, but also had his own group of gay friends in the city. That Thursday night he joined me in watching some Netflix show. I'd avoided drinking since getting back from the beach, to recover and focus on my health some. But with the weekend almost there, I helped myself to a beer.

I'd gone hard at the gym, and I was kind of zoned out watching the show, but as it ended Kyle and I made small talk. Him asking me how the beach was, what we did. I filled him in, some.

"Maybe I'll try to go next year," he said.

"You should," I replied. "I definitely will."

Kyle looked at me more steadily. Like something was on his mind. Something was. "So... Alex said some stuff went down."

"Oh," I replied. I wasn’t sure how much A had told him. "Yeah. We got a little wild. It was fun."

"I feel a little left out," he said with a grin. Kyle wasn't a bro with major game. He did really well dating because he was good looking and tall and had the gay jock thing going on. But his confidence now made me realize that A had filled him in completely, maybe even set this up.

I was OK with that. "You don't have to be, man," I said.

I could tell Kyle was surprised. Like he didn't want to believe Alex but was faced with the reality that A had told the truth about me. "You'd put out for me, Powers?"

I nodded and stood up. I was chubbing already, into the idea of spontaneous sex. Somehow my tiredness was gone. "Give me fifteen and meet me in my room?"

This was the most matter of fact I'd been about sex, and it felt liberating. Like I was in control even if I was the one putting out.

"Oh yeah," he replied.

I'd cleaned up and gotten on my bed face down when Kyle walked in, tugging off his shirt. He wasn't super buff like the other guys, but he was tall and decently well built.

"I can't believe this is happening," he laughed.

"You don't gotta, White," I said. "But I want it if you do."

"God yes."

I turned and watched him peel down his shorts. His dick was big, not huge, but solid and thick, with a curve to the left.

"There's lube on the nightstand," I said. "And I'm on PReP. Just go slow to start."

"Got it."

I lay mostly face down, head resting on my folded arms, ass up. I wondered if Kyle was the kind of guy for foreplay. But other than a quick application of lube to my hole, I wasn't going to get any tonight.

I felt his presence above and behind me, nudging that tool of his into my crack and pucker.

"You take dick a lot, Powers?" he asked. I think it was surprise more than anything. He was clearly horny to be tapping my ass.

"Just guys I feel comfortable with," I answered.

"Cool."

He breached me. His caution paid off. That curved dick felt awesome pushing into me. I hiked my ass up and relaxed, letting him go deeper.

"Fuck."

There was something about sex with Kyle that felt taboo. I was buddies with all of the guys in the House and had blurred the lines between friendship and sex. But I was letting White dick me not because I was attracted to him but because he was my friend. Because he was part of the House. It was messed up maybe, but the mental part of that fantasy was turning me on.

"Your dick feels great man," I said in a dreamy, mellow voice. I was enjoying this a lot but hadn't been overstimulated yet.

"Jesus, Powers," Kyle hissed. He leaned in and really started fucking. White didn't throw a hard fuck, but he gave an appreciative one. Whimpering some in excitement, kissing behind my ear, smoothly pumping in and out.

My prostate was singing now. This was the first curved dick I'd taken, and it felt different in a good way.

"Fuck me," I hissed more excitedly. Humping back into Kyle's thrust.

"I don't think I can hold off," he grunted, apologetic.

"Don't, man. Breed me," I urged. I wasn't quite there, but I was close.

A few heavier thrusts and I felt Kyle's defenseman body jerk on top of mine, kind of collapsing his weight on me.

I didn't have lube on my hand, so I gave small thrusts against my sheets and combined with the feeling of that dick sliding in and out with softer motions, that was enough to make me cum.

"Oh GOD!" I hissed. It was fun to lose it now that White had had his pleasure.

"Nice, bro," he said in my ear, licking it as I nutted.

It was a little awkward when he dismounted. But I thanked him for being a good top.

"Jesus, Powers, I should be thanking you." He pulled his shorts back on. "That was amazing." He paused. "What do you do after buddy sex?" he asked laughing. "A fist bump seems weird."

"Don't have to do anything, White. But how about a bro hug?"

"Sure," he smiled.

We hugged it out then he left me to clean up and crash for the evening.

****

The next night, Alex called a house meeting. I had a good idea what it was about. Indeed, he pulled me aside before the other guys got home. "Just wanna check, little bro. You OK with this House Bottom business?"

I'd been doing a lot of thinking. I was OK with it, and told A as much. Still, I had some misgivings. "How's it gonna go down?"

"However you want it to go down, Bri," A said. "That's what we're gonna talk about."

We gathered in the kitchen. Kyle seemed unsure what was going on. John had a smirk on his face that suggested he had a good idea. "So guys..." Alex said. "Powers is officially the House Bottom. So we need to set some ground rules. I'll go over a couple and Bri can add whatever he wants to them."

"First, no talking about this with the other guys. Bri hates gossip and I do too," Alex said, and flashed me a reassuring grin. "Second, any of us can say no, not interested, especially Bri. Third, no messing around in the common areas." He was addressing my housemates then turned to me. "Anything to add?"

I thought for a second. "Yeah... if I'm dating someone the House Bottom thing is off unless I say so, OK?" Who knows if I'd have an open relationship or not, but I wanted to make sure the buddy sex wasn't going to get in the way of my dating life. And I wanted the guys to know that.

"Cool, absolutely," Kyle chimed in. I could tell from his smile he was getting very excited by the House Bottom arrangement.

"Anything else?" A asked.

"Not that I can think of," I said. "If something comes to me, I'll let you know."

"I have one," John interjected. We looked at him. "We gotta respect the House Bottom," he said. "He's a dude helping us out, not some pass-around bitch." Like A, John knew some of my hangups about bottoming, and it warmed my heart to realize he was looking out for me.

"Agreed," A chimed in. "The name of the game is respect guys."

Kyle had Friday plans. I sensed John wanted a crack at me again, but I slept with A that night.

****

It was fun as we found a groove. I was surprised the guys didn't go hog wild. Kyle was the shyest about hitting me up again, and John was busy with work.

I actually made the move on Alex. Surprisingly nervous, I found him up in his room, door open. He'd just stepped out of the shower, with a towel wrapped around his waist. His build was just incredible, with massive muscle. It wasn't even my chosen type I went for generally, but the jacked look was incredible, accentuated by a summer tan and a light dusting of chest fur.

I gave a gentle knock. "Hey A," I announced.

He flashed a smile when he saw me. "Hey little bro, what's up?"

I didn't answer him but instead gestured to his mostly nude state. "Got a hot date?"

He could read the question behind that. "Was gonna hit up the apps. Unless you're offering."

"I'm offering, A," I said simply. This was fun. Flirtatious and matter of fact at the same time.

He grinned and undid his towel. That long snake fell out. While Alex wasn't a short guy exactly, he wasn't tall and that dick seemed out of proportion to his frame. Particularly when it lengthened and stood up, almost mesmerizing me.

I slid off my shorts. I had a more regular piece, and it was sticking up rigid already as I kicked off my shorts and stood before my housemate naked.

"Why don't you lean over the bed, bro?" he asked as he was already pulling out his lube.

"OK," I said. Alex could be good for a more intimate connection, but maybe this was going to be a quickie. I was starting to doubt whether the House Bottom thing was a good thing for the kind of sex I ultimately wanted. But I leaned over onto Alex's bed. I don't think I noticed before how neatly he made his bed, completely folded and tucked. I braced my arms on the duvet. The woody scent of his cologne lingered on the bed.

Even without watching, I could sense my housemate crouch behind me. He parted my ass and dove right in.

"Oh fuck, A..." I hissed. I'd been slow to get into being eaten out, but if Alex Ramirez was doing the rimming, I was gonna love it. "Eat my hole, bro."

That seemed to drive A to munch more fervently, hungry in his desire to lick up into me. I spread my legs just slightly and pushed out my clean hole for him. This wasn't a quickie, this was ten solid minutes of foreplay. And Alex was going to make me wild for his dick.

When he finally stood up, he wasted no time in pressing that slicked up dong into me. Not a hard jab but a steady shove, right into my guts. I wanted it.

"Damn, little bro... this ass is velvet, dude."

"For you, big bro," I hissed in response. There was just a hint of that discomfort and stretch, but that somehow made his bottoming out even hotter. Alex had huge heavy balls that tapped against my taint.

"Your brother's gonna take care of you, Powers." With that, he pulled out and slowly slid back in. He'd lubed up really well and that fucking motion was smooth and steady. My hole gripped against the wet bone pistoning in and out, and yet my spasms simply provided more friction rather than impeded his progress.

"Fuck, bro..." he hissed.

I had no idea how deep we'd go with the brother roleplay. And it was also fraternity brother talk, too. Going back and forth in my head, and probably A's too. As he took me, I lived out the fantasy of being Alex's fraternity brother back in the day, or him being mine. Horny, unable to stop fucking.

Those hips pumped me faster. And faster. Alex's only speed it seemed. I could feel the urgency in his fuck, in his whole body taking charge of my ass. It wouldn't always work for me, but right then I grooved on his excitement.

"Gonna nut in my little brother," he hissed, the mellow voice growing strained. Then those strong fingers gripped my waist hard and he barreled into me. "FUCK!" I was getting seeded with a good dose of A's cum.

He gave me a gentle pat and slowly withdrew. I thought of telling him to push back in so I could jerk to completion, but already A was reading my mind.

"Just wanna take a look, bro," he said with a more relaxed satisfied voice. "Not gonna leave you and and dry."

I started to lift my body up and twist my head around when I felt his still hard dick bore back in. Slower now, as if he was savoring the feel of his own cum inside me. I know I loved the change of pace. I grabbed the lube next to me and squirted enough in my hand to get the right friction on my bone.

It was easy and quick to get off. Alex slow pumping me while I gave a few frantic jerks. And A's strong arm wrapped around me, pulling me up into his hard chest and kissing my neck. Him possessing me physically, and I was giving into that strong embrace. I felt my body go hot and then that wave of pleasure washed over me. Shots of my cum flung out and probably made a mess of A's duvet.

"Nice," he said. He withdrew and helped me clean up. It was great to see his content smile and we kept looking at one another. Not in an about-to-fuck way, or in a romantic way, but just enjoying the sexual chemistry. "You wanna sleep in here tonight, Bri?" he asked.

"Yah," I nodded. John could be more romantic in sex than Alex, far more romantic, but A seemed to enjoy me sleeping in his bed.

We got under the covers and A put his arm around my shoulder, drawing me close. We just talked.

"So Bri... you getting cold feet with the House Bottom arrangement?" he asked.

"Not really," I said.

"I dunno... you seemed nervous coming up here for sex tonight." His fingers softly grazed my delt muscle. Even though I'd cum I was gonna stay hard from the body contact, something that usually didn't happen with me.

He was right. I thought about it. "Maybe it's hard to just start it up." I reached over and felt for A's cock. It was soft now and I heard a satisfied chuckle as I started playing with his lube-sticky meat. "Too sensitive?" I asked.

"Nah, but I'm spent bro. I jerked off early this morning so you got the best of me just now."

"I'm not looking for round two, A... I just like your dick."

"I know, bro," Alex said, turning to kiss my forehead.

God, that was the sexiest part of Alex Ramirez for me, the way he could be an alpha without making a big deal of it or putting me down. He was confident as fuck.

I played with that meat some more. "You know," I said. "I thought the other guys would want to do me by now."

He patted my shoulder and replied. "I think they're not sure how to start up either.... I'm pretty sure John and K are grade-A horndogs waiting to come out. If that's what you want."

"Maybe I don't know what I want," I said. "But I definitely wanna try this."

A looked at me with an amused expression then pulled me into a kiss. It was sensual and deep, and I loved it.

"You're the best, little bro," he said. "How bout this? You have a standing date to sleep up here on Tuesdays. I have a later start on Wednesday."

"Yeah?" I asked. I was intrigued by the idea.

Alex nodded. "I think the regular sex will help break the ice a little for the House Bottom thing."

"That'd be hot, A," I said. I noticed his cock start to respond. "You're getting hard," I chuckled.

"I know you need cock, Bri."

The next kiss was even softer somehow. I kinda wish A went this speed more, but I also was learning to take each man with their own vibe and sexual chemistry.

He finally pulled back, like he didn't want to get carried away. That's how I knew he was fully spent sexually.

"So, bro... I think it's time to rent out the extra room," Alex said. "I'll make sure he's cool with the House Bottom thing. And of course you get full veto over the selection."

"Oh," I said. I hadn't thought of this extending beyond A, John, and Kyle. But Alex was right. If he brought another renter and housemate, the guy would have to be part of that dynamic.

"Think it over," he said, maybe sensing some hesitation.

"Yeah, I will," I said.

"We'll make it work, Bri," he said.

****

That following weekend I took a couple of days off work for a long weekend and went away for the hiking trip I had planned with my buddy Tyler. It was good bonding time, but I missed my gang. Zach and the guys in the Frat House.

When I got back from my trip, I saw the following written out in A's handwriting and stuck to the fridge with a magnet.

HOUSE RULES

1. Powers is our bro, first and foremost.

2. What the House Bottom says, goes.

3. Guys in the house can approach the House Bottom, or the House Bottom can approach a top.

4. If the House Bottom is dating someone, guys in the house won't hit him up for sex.

5. If a House Top is dating someone, the House Bottom won't hit him up for sex.

6. No sex in the common areas.

7. A blue band on the House Bottom's room doorknob means any House Top can come in for a fuck.

8. Remove the blue band if you want a private fuck. Put it back on when you leave if House Bottom wants you to.

9. No jealousy, no drama, no pushing boundaries.

10. No talking to others outside the house about the House Bottom or our arrangement.

11. The House Bottom won't skip leg day.

12. Respect the House Bottom.

John came in and saw me reading it. He was wearing a more form fitting T-shirt, which suggested he'd just come back from the gym.

"Each of us got a copy, Brian," he said. "But Alex wanted it up there for a week as a reminder."

I finished reading the last few. "I like it," I said with a smile.

That made John smile. "I helped out with the list. I was hoping it was OK. We can take number 11 out, we just that it was funny."

"It's cool," I said. "I like it." I gave the list another quick read. It made it all feel real.

As I looked back, we kind of stood awkwardly looking at each other. But John wasn't saying anything.

"It's OK, bro, you can ask me," I offered.

He laughed nervously. God, he was a cute fucker. Harris's shy thing was winning me over. "I know you just got home," he said.

"It's Ok," I replied. "You can always ask, I can always say yes or no."

He nodded. "Wanna fuck, Brian?"

I smiled. "Give me twenty minutes? Maybe thirty?" I wanted a good shower and to get properly ready for John.

"Oh yeah."

Awkwardly he stepped up, not sure if he should kiss me. But I gave a slight nod and felt that amazing skilled kiss, just a little tongue before he brought out something deeper. "That OK?" he asked, checking in to make sure he wasn't crossing a line.

"Definitely." I said. I patted his arm and told him I'd come to his room.

I found John naked and rock hard in his bed. "I was gonna look at some porn," he said as I slid into his room and shut the door behind me. "But I don't need to." He gave his big cock a soft stroke and let go, making that prick ride up into full erection. "Besides, it's been a few days."

I crossed over and climbed into his bed. The kiss was amazing but so was the body contact. My hands on John's smooth muscle and his hands roving over my body.

"Mmmf," he moaned into our kiss. "Feel like riding me, Bri?" he asked.

"If you want," I said.

He looked at me with those soulful eyes. "What do you want, man?"

I knew my immediate answer. "Missionary. Slow, then hard." With Charlie, I got off hardest in doggie, but John Harris delivered an incredible missionary fuck.

He got a big smile and rolled us over. Making out with me more impetuously, feeling me up and kissing along my neck and ear.

"I need you in me, bro," I sighed. I was SO hard against his abs and could feel his thick erection against my leg. I began spreading my legs as John pulled off and reached for the lube. A couple of pumps, which he slathered on his dick, my hole, then my own cock, and he was good to go.

"Easy," he said as he pushed.

I looked up at him and nodded. My legs were pulled back, which wasn't the most comfortable position, but it allowed John good access. He locked eyes and nudged more in.

"I love your dick," I said. I hadn't perfected sex talk, but I learned that sometimes simple is best. I was discovering that tops loved to know you want them and that their dicks are turning you on.

He slid more in, opening up my tightness then plowing forward. He didn't rest at full penetration but slowly began to pump me.

"Good?" he asked.

"Amazing," I said. "Fuck."

He went harder. Full body into it, like John often did. In two minutes flat, he'd taken me from tight to crazed and eager.

"Stroke your cock," John urged as I wrapped my hand my meat. "Get off on me fucking you."

Then he pulled on some additional power reserve from his glutes and his hips to really drive into me.

"Oh FUCK!" I cried. My p-spot was going wild, and I felt my balls tingle. I was cumming in waves of intense pleasure that preceded my ejaculation. A few more thrusts and John's thick dick began pushing the cum right out of me. "Oh fuck oh fuck," I grunted, my face feeling hot and my whole body alive with pleasure.

He was waiting for this, and my tightening guts helped him orgasm too. I felt his body clench and jerk as he got off inside me, deeply.

His face was reddened as he slowed and cooled down.

"Thank you, Brian," he said, leaning down for a kiss.

We cuddled a little in the afterglow and kissed some. I finally told John I needed to get settled in and do laundry after my trip.

“Yeah, sure,” he said removing his arm from my shoulder. It was a respectful distance he put out, as I slid out of bed and looked at him. His dick was soft and heavy between his legs.

“You’re really good at that, John,” I said simply.

He smiled. “Anytime, bro.”

****

Kyle White was shy but pretended not to be when he hit me up the next night. He must have been thinking about it all day, because he was throwing a full on boner in his shorts when he walked into the kitchen as I made a quick post-gym dinner.

"Hey Powers," he said. "Sorry for the ambush but you think you could help me out later?"

I looked down at that hardon, which curved up and pushed out the mesh fabric. Sex with John had primed the pump and I found the idea of more buddy sex appealing. "For sure, you look hard up."

He laughed. "Been working too much, but yeah..."

"Your room?" I offered. "Give me a little time."

"Of course." He patted my delt muscle. "You're the best, Powers." He then walked out and down the hall.

I scarfed down my meal, less in eagerness for sex and more because it was almost 8 and I was starved after a hard workout. Zach was pushing me more, and I was amping up leg day. I already had an amazing muscle ass and super strong legs, but I decided to lean into my best assets.

I got extra clean, with the hopes I could convince White for a longer or at least a harder session. It was one of those nights where I could take an Alex Ramirez sprint-fuck no problem, the horniness was just building in me. I knew White wasn't a rimmer, or at least he hadn't been with me, so I went ahead and applied a healthy amount of lube to my semi-relaxed hole. If Kyle enjoyed tonight's fuck, he'd partly have John to thank. I was worked up for sure.

I slipped on my old college-logo gym shorts and ball cap and padded my way down the hall. My housemate's eyes lit up when I slid into his room.

"Jesus, Powers," he said, blue eyes widened as he took in my shorter, more compact build. "You're off the charts hot."

"Thanks," I said. "Why don't you show me that big dick?" I urged.

With a grin, Kyle slid the sheets off and I gazed at that thick curved boner. I could tell the guy was leaking some. I stepped up and reached out, enjoying Kyle's amused expression.

"I'm really horny," I said. "I might be in the mood to go a little wild tonight. If that's OK."

"God yeah, Powers," Kyle hissed. I could tell he was pleasantly surprised. Our previous fuck had been no nonsense. This was something else. Kyle may have been the initiator, but I was now the sexual aggressor. I slid down my shorts and let my housemate see me erect and naked except for my ball cap and watch.

I climbed onto the bed and straddled him. I took a second to feel up his smooth ripped torso. White wasn't built like John or Charlie, and those bigger dudes were definitely my normal type. But Kyle was a tall, athletic guy, and what most guys would consider a total catch.

I rode his cock a little then leaned up and reached back. John Harris was thicker by far, and my hole had its muscle memory from the night before. I slowly pressed back and felt Kyle's bare dick enter me.

"Jesus, Powers," he hissed. "You're already lubed."

I nodded and smiled. I sat down on him more fully. I had to pause about three or four inches in, getting used to that curve. But White felt good, real good. He was using me to get his rocks off, and I was using him. Slowly I began bouncing up and down about an inch or so, working more of that hardon into my guts.

His hands now clenched my outer legs. "Take my cock, man..." then he caught himself. "Hope that's not against the rules to say."

I shook my head. "I'm good, White," I replied. "We're friends, but don't let that get in the way of a good fuck."

He smiled and nodded. And fucked up into me. THAT felt amazing. Even then the doubt in my head made me wish I didn't love this so much. I wished I was a top like these guys. But damnit I loved this feeling. The stretched and full sensation in my ass combined with the stimulation of my p-spot. I held off jerking off as I rode Kyle and that made it all more incredible.

"Shit, man, I'm gonna cum if you keep that up, Brian," Kyle said, his sexy smile getting more serious, almost whimpery.

That made me go into full power bottom mode, riding him urgently and milking him off with my ass muscles. It was hot to watch him get into that orgasm and to know I was being loaded up good.

Indeed when I rose off I reached behind and felt a heavy amount of semen ooze out onto my fingers. It would be enough, I decided as I gripped my boner with my cummy hand.

"Put it back in me, White," I urged, settling back onto his crotch.

He nodded and dutifully guided his still rigid meat into me. I settled all the way down into his lap, feeling the curve stretch my insides as I jerked and kind of rode back and forth on his dick.

My own cum was great. I stopped comparing them. If I was gonna be House Bottom, I knew I had a lot of incredible orgasms ahead of me.

I finally let go of my dick and caught my breath. Kyle looked up at me with satisfaction and also an impressed look. He definitely wasn't expecting sex this good. I hadn't either. Slowly I rose off and felt his hockey jock load seep out more easily. It took me a sec to get over my sea legs as I dismounted. But I climed off the bed and patted his leg.

"I needed that, man, thanks," I said.

"You have no idea, Powers," Kyle grinned. "I'm gonna sleep well."

"Good." I said. I reached for my shorts and slid them on. It turns out these would be my unofficial House Bottom shorts, something easy to slip on and off as I walked through the house to my top's bedroom.

And now I was walking back to my room. Maybe A was right that John and Kyle had a real horndog side waiting to come out. But for now I was feeling like I was the one letting my horny side show.

****

John actually found the next housemate. An ex and sort-of friend of his from another city had a partner who was an econ professor who commuted in and was looking for a place two to three nights a week. It was a perfect arrangement. The room was pretty small and came with less rent. It had less natural light than the rest, and A had furnished it for this kind of rental. We all liked the idea of a roommate who wouldn't be around all the time.

Mark was the guy's name, and he came by the house the next Wednesday to meet us and for us to meet him. He was strikingly handsome, easily in his late 30s with premature gray that was really make a salt and pepper look kick in. Mark was friendly as he shook our hands. A gave him a tour of the place and showed him the room. When he came back to the living room, the guy seemed interested, at least if I could read his facial expression right.

I took a second to appraise him physically. About six foot even and solidly gym built. Not jacked like John, and maybe more normal, but definitely fit, with nice, broad shoulders and a broad chest beneath his button-down. I didn't know how this would play out, but A told me I had veto over anyone. I now looked over at Alex and gave a small, imperceptible nod of agreement. Alex smiled back.

Alex and Mark sat down, and A went over the basics. Finally he broached the big subject.

"So, this may be a deal breaker," Alex started. "But we all have an arrangement with Brian here. Kind of a no-strings sex thing."

I could see the caution in Mark's eyes, but Alex continued. "Look, you wouldn't be expected to be involved, I know you have a partner. Just know what may go on behind closed doors." He picked up a piece of paper and slid it to Mark to read. The House Rules.

I could see a surprised amusement on the man's lips. "You guys are wild," he said looking up at us, then pointedly at me. "And you're the House Bottom?"

I blushed. "That'd be me," I replied.

He paused. "I'll have to think about this. And run it by Eric."

"Of course," Alex said. "It's not an orgy thing, I swear. But we want a housemate who'll fit in and feel comfortable."

Mark said he'd get back to us in the next week. He must not have been TOO freaked out because he was still friendly as he shook our hands and bid goodbye.

"Oh well," Alex said after he left. "We'll find the right guy." A was convinced Mark was going to say no.

Only the next morning he text us. "I heard back from Mark. He's a go."

****

Even after he started staying in the frat house, I still wasn't sure if Mark was gonna be a House Top or just a housemate. That was OK. I had my Tuesday nights with Alex, and John was around more and horny lately. I even gave Kyle a blowjob, wanting to try something new and to take a break from bottoming one night.

But on the second week of Mark's living with us, I got a knock on my door. He'd just come home from campus and was dressed in his professorial clothes, book satchel slung over his shoulder. "Hey, Brian," he said.

I looked up from my computer. A workmate had coaxed me into a fantasy football league, and I was researching stats for the week. "Hey," I said. "What's up."

A sly grin crossed his face. "So this House Bottom thing... I just ask for it?"

This was unexpected and welcome. I would have been fine not sleeping with Mark, but doing so would complete the Frat House vibe. "Pretty much," I said, leaning back. "It's a yes or no thing, but often yes." I added, "I didn't know you were interested."

"I had to ask Eric. We're open, and he hooks up when I'm out of town..." He paused and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "You probably don't need the full story."

I shrugged. "Either way is cool. You wanna give me a few minutes and come back?" I didn't spell it out, but Mark got that I was planning to clean out for him.

"Definitely. Fuck, this is fun."

It was even more fun when Mark came back, himself freshly showered and bare-chested. My suspicion was right that his body was somewhere between normal and gym-pumped. He didn't groom his chest hair and he had the hint of love handles. But as he got naked I enjoyed seeing that cock. More of a tapered torpedo shape, thick at the base and elongated at the end. Like A, Mark had big heavy balls, though his clung tightly to the stalk of his shaft.

"How you like to...?" he asked.

"I have my preferences, but I also like exploring what feels right a guy," I replied.

"Works for me." He stepped up to the bed and climbed on, connecting with my naked body. "Is kissing OK?"

"Not required but definitely OK."

Mark was very physical in his style. Feeling me up, kissing all along my neck and body, climbing on top of my naked form and thrusting against me as we made out. I loved it, the newness of a new man.

He finally pulled back and picked up the lube I'd set out. His brown eyes looked at mine intently as he slowly fingered me. Sensual and deep, those digits probed in and out, and he added more lube from time to time until I was good and wet.

"I'm going in raw, OK?" he stated as much as asked, then placed my legs on his shoulders and scooted into place.

The tapered shape was perfect for boring into me and opening me up. He didn't rush entering me, but seemed to savor my ass before he slowly pumped. Even at a slower pace his whole body seemed into the fuck, leveraging full penetration with each thrust. He looked down on me with excitement.

"Were you a jock?" he asked.

I nodded. "Hockey. Division I." I was proud of the fact, but also figured it would turn Mark on.

It did. "Fuck." He thrust in more urgently. "One of these days I'm gonna have to get the full story about how this started."

"Me taking dick? Or the House Bottom thing."

"Either," he smiled. He fucked a little quicker now. The rhythmic stretching was definitely a new experience. The Mark experience. I was getting into it even if I didn't have the same prostate feeling I sometimes craved. "How you doing?” he asked. “It might not take me long."

"Lube up my dick and I'm good anytime."

He paused and did as instructed before he resumed a steady thrust. My palm wrapped around my prick, and I felt it. That made my butt nut come alive and I could feel each of Mark's movements against it inside me.

"Gonna cum..." he announced.

"Do it." My voice was pinched, since I was close to nutting too.

I actually beat him, my sperm flying all over my chest and abs. I didn't expect the orgasm to be intense, but it was. Just two seconds later Mark let out an excited cry and got his own nut, deep inside me. He was the kind of top he stopped thrusting as he came and I got to watch his facial expressions as he pumped me full.

He pulled out and we kissed.

"You good, man?" he asked.

"Very," I said. Mark had surpassed my expectation of the fourth housemate.

He smiled and patted my chest. "I can't make this an all the time thing. But we'll do this again, OK?"

"Yep. Just hit me up when you're in the mood."

He shook his head, like he couldn't believe I was so nonchalant about putting out. Deep down I wasn't really, but there were two Brian Powers, one the conservative Catholic boy who wondered what the fuck I was doing, and the other an out of control gay dude in the big city. I had a good idea which one was winning out.

I told Mark good night as he got up and put on his sweatpants. I'm often wiped after a good lay, but that evening I felt wide awake. Maybe because it was Thursday and I was already anticipating the weekend. Maybe I'd line up a hookup outside of the house. Or go out to the bars. As fun as the House Bottom thing was becoming, I didn't want to be closed off to dating again, even if I wasn't rushing that either.

I slid on some sweats myself and a long-sleeve T and went out to the living room. John was there, watching TV. Uncharacteristically he was drinking a beer on a weeknight.

"Tough day?" I asked as I came in and sat on the sofa.

He looked over at me. "It pays the bills. But yes." He took a sip from his can. "How bout you Brian?"

"Long. But it's been a good day."

He paused and looked over at me. "Wow," he said with a sly smile. "Did Mark sample the goods finally?"

I laughed. "Are you psychic?"

That got a chuckle in return and a sexy smile. I loved John's smile. He was classically cute, and after having sex with a man nearing 40, I enjoyed John's relative youth in contrast. "I'm learning to read you more, Powers," he said. He spread his legs and leaned back in the sofa cushion. "Besides, I was gonna hit you up earlier, but your room door was closed."

"Shame," I said. Until that moment, I thought I was spent for the evening. But looking at John I was mesmerized by his cute looks and his muscled bod. He was wearing shorts and his furry legs were fucking solid. And his meaty chest stretched out his polo shirt. Since moving into the house, he'd gone for shorter buzzed haircuts. He said he had better luck with that look. I liked both, but he had a point.

John smiled and his eyes probed mine. "Yeah, shame."

"If you don't mind seconds..." I offered.

He had a naughty, almost guilty look on his face. "Never done that actually."

"You wanna try it?" OK, bad Brian Powers was out in full force that night.

He nodded and scooted over. The House Rules forbade doing anything in the common area, but maybe kissing was allowed. Either way, John Harris was giving me one of his amazing kisses and I was responding in turn. I ran my hand up his tree-trunk thigh, stopping myself before I went any higher.

"My room, buddy?" he asked.

I nodded.

John stood up, that thick meat of his now chubbed in his shorts as he grabbed the remote to turn off the TV. My dick was even more fully hard, improbably.

It was a classic John Harris fuck. Missionary, lots of kissing, lots of power to his thrusts. Slow, then hard. His thick dick pounding my p-spot to a hard orgasm before he let loose with his.

Only this time I got the invitation to sleep in his bed for the night.

We lay quietly and just held hands. It was weird, but right.

"John, is this messed up?" I asked.

"I don't think so, Brian, but you gotta listen to your own heart." He squeezed my hand gently. "You know I'll respect whatever you decided with us. But... well, I've enjoyed the hell out of this so far."

"Yeah?"

"You brought me out of my shell. More than you know." His voice got that shy quietness now. "Each time I'm... in you.. I just feel lucky that a guy like you would be into me."

I leaned up and looked at him. It was crazy he didn't realize how fully hot he was. I knew some of his lingering body image issues but maybe not the extent. "You have no idea, John," I said. "I try not to make a big deal out of ranking men, but you're my number #2 top I've had. You're incredible."

He smiled big. "Yeah? Is Alex number one?"

I shook my head. "Charlie."

John knew most of that story. "You miss him, Brian?"

I nodded. "I do sometimes. But I don't dwell on it. I gotta figure out when something's real and when it's not."

He seemed to think that over. "Maybe it's not cut and dry. I was with Drew for several years. It was real and it wasn't. Sorry to get sappy on you, Brian."

I squeezed his hand back. "Not at all. I like talking."

He could tell I was sleepy, and he was getting there too. "Ready for bed?"

I nodded. We kissed softly and then turned out the light.

[oyhcomic]

HI. i ended up binging ur comic last night it's really good!! drew me in with the story mode intrigue, hooked by the characters! and im obsessed with how you draw expressions and teeth :] def looking forward to where this comic goes!

AHHH I'm so glad!!! I love drawing big wacky expressions.....drawing the comic's so much fun, i'm so happy you enjoyed!! I'm working on the next chapter as we speak, and so excited to do so!

Ive gotta upload more doodles/fun stuffs, i've just been disorganized and trying to redux my file organization to be better for the future...pray for me x_x" In the meantime here are some explorations/sketches for later~

[littlegochu]

Can we get a big one shot or a series, of single daddy JK and reader is an assistant at HYBE daycare while she temporarily figures her life out (she’s an artist trying to make means meet). She also bartends on the weekend and runs into JK one of the nights he is out with the boys.

I feel like you’ll be incredible in writing this

after hours│ jjk 18+

pairing: jeon jungkook x reader

genre: single dad jungkook, slow burn

rating: 18+ (explicit content — sexual themes)

synopsis: y/n juggles quiet days at a daycare and late nights bartending, never expecting her life to shift when jungha — a soft-spoken kid — walks in with his ridiculously attractive, unreadable dad.

between shared coffees, late-night drives, and silent promises, y/n learns that love doesn’t always arrive loudly. sometimes it shows up in small, steady ways — and maybe this time, it’s hers to keep.

-

i really hope this is applesauce.

it’s barely 10 am and my jeans are dotted in glitter glue and something sticky.

"gina," i murmur, crouching beside the low table where a few kids are coloring. "we can get you a new one, okay?"

i try to console her as she's having a full-body meltdown because her juice box exploded.

beside her, haru’s chewing on a blue crayon like it’s a snack. again.

surprisingly not the worst morning i’ve had.

i've been working here for about 6 months now, as a daycare assistant with my bestfriend. unlike her, i never aspired to work anything in child care industry.

but life doesn’t really ask what you want.

it's been hard to keep myself up recently, not after my mom's passing. i dedicated the last 2 years of my life as her caregiver, cutting my own dreams short to tend to her illness and keep us afloat.

i would do it again in a heartbeat, its just funny to think that i wasted my time just to see her go.

after she left i've just been trying to survive, i work at the daycare in the mornings, bartending at night.

my real dream? probably to be an artist.

i was always obsessed with painting, color palettes were my own way of expressing myself—

"miss y/n, how do you draw a sunset?"

jiwon holds up a paper with orange scribbles and a sun in the top corner.

i crouch down beside him, resting my chin in my hand. “well… sunsets aren’t perfect circles. they kind of melt into the sky, right? like when your ice cream melts.”

he blinks. “so i draw a puddle?”

“a pretty puddle,” i say, smiling, and he giggles.

i help him blend red and orange together with his stubby fingers, showing him how to smudge the lines just a little.

“can i put it on the wall?”

-

“alright, clean up time!” i call, clapping my hands twice. “parents are on the way!"

i help the kids line up their drawings on the little gallery wall we made near the door with their names are signed at the bottom.

"say bye to miss y/n and miss kyla!" summer's mom smilies as she carries her toddler between her arms, holding her lunch bag in the other.

"bye bye!"

i wave, already turning back toward the cubbies when i hear someone crying over a missing sock.

"look who’s here, y/n," kyla says behind me.

i glance over my shoulder.

she’s holding a sleeping haru on her shoulder, smirking. her head tilts toward the front door.

i follow her gaze and stop.

standing in the doorway, all black casual business attire and silver rings, hair slightly messy.

mr. jeon.

he's one of those quieter parents, always on time. he's been bringing his 3 year old here for about 2 months and its always been him picking him up.

and never once have i heard jungha bring up his mom.

proabably a busy woman, i cringe at myself everytime i think i have a chance.

seriously? finding your student's dad attractive? you're sick y/n.

but he's such a dilffffffffffffffffffff—

"i'm here for jungha?"

i snap back into reality as i scan for jungha, my eyes land on a small figure by the gallery wall, quietly adjusting his drawing. when he sees his dad, he doesn’t run. doesn’t yell. he just walks over and tugs the edge of mr. jeon's sleeve.

“ready?” he says softly.

he crouches down, pulling him into a one-armed hug. his hand rests gently over jungha’s back, a subtle kind of affection.

“he was good today,” i say, stepping forward. “still quiet.”

mr. jeon looks at me. dark eyes, unreadable. “he usually is.”

i nod, offering a small smile. “he drew a rocket for you.”

jungha glances up at me. not a smile, exactly — just a blink, a flicker of acknowledgment.

he stands, adjusting the strap of jungha's bag. “thanks.”

he doesn’t linger. never does.

-

i slowly close up the bar as the clock hits 12am.

we don’t shut down until 2am but the rush is over. the shift’s been steady, not as wild as it got earlier during the basketball game, but a few stragglers here and there.

yoongi (he’s a newer face), is here — tucked into the end of the bar, sipping a belgian moon. he's been coming around more often, doesn’t talk much, doesn’t cause trouble, he tips well and waits quietly usually.

“refill?” i ask, wiping down the bar in front of him.

he lifts his glass slightly.

i pour a new pint and slide it back to him. “you waiting on someone?”

he glances at the door. “yeah. friend of mine.”

the door chimes.

i look up.

and stop breathing.

in a black shirt button up shirt, silver chain around his neck, the same messy-styled hair this morning.

mr. jeon.

he doesn’t notice me right away, more focused on yoongi, walking toward him with a nod.

they do that half hug — a quick clasp of hands and a shoulder tap before settling into the bar stools beside each other. mr. jeon mutters something low, and yoongi huffs a tired laugh in response.

i’m frozen in place behind the bar, turning away and crouching down pretending to find the bottle opener.

"congrats on your cousins gallery, man, you built that?"

“a bit,” yoongi answers. “been working on it since two years ago. happy to see it up.”

another soft chuckle. mr. jeon's voice is sounds lower, quieter, more relaxed than during his pickups. i peek up from behind the bar, just enough to catch him resting his forearms against the counter, silver rings catching the low light.

he looks good.

they talk about some mutual friend i don’t know, then mr. jeon finally glances toward the drink menu on the bar.

“you got tequila?” he asks, not looking at me yet.

i don’t move. just grab the bottle automatically and start pouring. “silver or gold?”

his head tilts. “gold.”

i slide the shot across the bar without thinking.

he reaches for it, fingers brushing the base and finally looks up.

his eyes meet mine.

and he freezes.

there’s a beat of silence where even yoongi seems to notice something shift. he blinks, eyebrows just barely lifting.

“…miss y/n?”

i raise a brow. “mr. jeon.”

yoongi turns, looking between us with a slow blink. “…wait.”

mr. jeon exhales like he’s trying not to laugh. “you work here?”

“four nights a week,” i say casually, resting one arm on the bar.

yoongi stares at his drink like it’s suddenly gotten way too interesting.

mr. jeon glances at him, then back at me. “she’s a teacher at jungha’s daycare,” he says, lips tugging into the smallest smirk. “interesting seeing you here.”

yoongi clears his throat like he’s trying not to get dragged in. “small world.”

“too small,” i mutter, pouring another round for someone down the bar.

-

yoongi finishes his beer, checks his phone, and lets out a sigh.

“alright. i’m calling it. see you?”

“depends if you call me first,” mr. jeon says, not looking up from his drink.

yoongi stands, gives me a small nod. “goodnight, y/n.”

“night, yoongi.” i manage, offering a small smile.

yoongi turns to mr. jeon. “you staying?”

“for a bit.”

yoongi just shrugs and claps a hand to his shoulder. “don’t bother her too much.”

“wasn’t planning to.”

once the door shuts behind him, the silence shifts.

mr. jeon doesn’t say anything. just sips from his shot glass and scrolls through his phone while i work my way around the bar, wiping down tables and stacking chairs.

-

by the time i flip the lights behind the bar, it’s just the two of us left.

he stretches slightly, standing as i pull on my jacket.

“you can call me jungkook, by the way,” he says suddenly, voice low.

i glance over. “oh?”

“i figured since yoongi’s throwing your first name around like that...”

i smirk. “y/n.” tilting my head a little—“you sure? ‘mr. jeon’ has such a nice ring to it.”

he laughs softly, a bit breathier this time. “only during pick-up hours.”

i zip up my jacket and sling my bag over my shoulder.

he doesn’t move right away, just watches me from where he’s standing, hands in his pockets, eyes following every small movement.

i head toward the front door and flick off the last neon sign in the window. silence wraps around us.

“where’s your car?” he asks.

i hesitate. “a couple blocks down.”

he nods once. no hesitation. “i’ll walk you.”

“you don’t have to.”

“i know.”

he says it so simply. i look at him for a second longer than necessary, then push the door open.

outside, the street is quiet. the sky’s clear, streetlights humming. my boots hit the pavement, his strides just slightly heavier beside mine.

we don’t talk for a while, just walk. his hands are in his coat pockets, mine gripping the strap of my bag.

after a minute, he glances over. “do you usually get off this late?”

“mm. depends on the crowd. tonight was mild.”

he hums in acknowledgment. “do you walk to your car alone every time?”

“i don’t really think about it.”

“you should.”

he’s not looking at me. just ahead, eyes calm, jaw clenched.

my car comes into view, we slow to a stop beside it.

“thanks,” i say, turning to unlock the door.

he nods. “you get home safe, y/n.”

it’s the way he says it; like it’s a request and a promise at the same time. its makes my chest feel strangely full.

i open the door, one foot inside, then glance back at him.

“see you tomorrow?”

his eyes flicker to mine, a corner of his mouth barely tugging up. “yeah. see you tomorrow.”

i get in.

he doesn’t walk away until i’ve closed the door, engine rumbling to life. hands in his pockets. watching.

-

ugh, its the morning.

i’m half-running on fumes when i open the daycare doors at 7:20.

my hairs tied up, coffee half-spilled on my hoodie, and a stack of paper stars tucked under my arm for today’s “space explorer” theme.

i kneel by the cubbies, taping up names for coat hooks when the bell above the door chimes.

i don’t look right away. just call, “morning!”

small footsteps patter across the floor.

a quiet thud against my leg.

i freeze.

then look down.

jungha.

his little arms wrap around my shin, his cheek smushed into my knee like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

i blink.

"morning jungha,”

his face stays buried for a second, then he pulls back just enough to hold up something clutched in his fist.

a folded paper rocket with red scribbles, my name in shaky letters on the side.

“you forgot this,” he mumbles.

my chest squeezes unexpectedly.

i take it, kneeling down. “thank you, astronaut jungha. i’ll keep it safe.”

his lips twitch upward, just barely—before he scurries off toward the coloring table.

then i glance up.

and there he is.

mr. jeon. leaning in the doorway, dressed in black slacks and a slate grey crewneck. same silver chain, one hand in his pocket, the other resting against the doorframe.

his gaze is steady.

not cold, not unreadable, just… watching.

something flickers between us then—small, unspoken.

“you get home okay the other night?”

my breath catches a little.

i nod. “yeah. thanks again.”

his mouth curves, subtle. “see you.”

“see you.”

and then he’s gone.

but i’m still standing there.

paper rocket in hand.

“...you good?” kyla’s voice floats in from the other side of the room, casual, but i know her too well.

i turn, slowly.

she’s leaning against the play kitchen with a plastic banana in one hand, eyebrows raised.

i clear my throat, shove the rocket into my hoodie pocket. “yep. great. just.. tired.”

“mhm.." she hums, biting back a grin. “tired from working late… or from walking to your car with mr. jeon?”

i blink. “how—”

“you had that look.” she shrugs.

“kyla.”

“he walked you to your car, didn’t he?”

i press my lips together. silence is apparently confession enough.

she whistles. “girl. i’ve been saying. the way he watches you at pick-up like he’s trying not to cross a line? but also might be imagining you in nothing but one of those tiny daycare aprons?”

i groan, dragging a hand over my face. “stop.”

“what? i’m just saying. he’s quiet. hot. good dad. you’re single. he’s single. jungha likes you. the universe is doing its job.”

“he’s a parent.”

“and?”

i narrow my eyes. “you’re impossible.”

she winks, already turning back to the kids. “just don’t be surprised when he shows up with a second paper rocket and a coffee.”

-

aaaaaaaaand.. what the fuck.

jungkook walks in at pickup with a coffee in his hand.

i dont even need to look back at kyla to hear her snickering behind me.

i pretend i don’t notice. pretend i’m completely focused on taping up the last few drawings from this morning — crooked crayon suns and glittery stick people — even as i feel him walk closer.

“you’re early,” i say, not turning.

“got off work early.”

i glance over, finally.

he holds the coffee out toward me. “thought you might want this.”

i blink. “…for me?”

he nods, a little too casual. “you looked tired the other night.”

i take it, slowly. the cup’s warm against my palm, and for a second i forget how to hold eye contact properly.

“…thanks.”

his mouth twitches. “cream, no sugar. that okay?”

“how did you—?”

“jungha says you like it like that. said you told him it was ‘adult coffee.’”

i blink again.

kyla cackles from across the room. i don’t even try to hide my glare.

“you have spies,” i mutter.

“i have a very observant kid,” jungkook replies smoothly.

i turn to see jungha run toward him at full speed, backpack swinging wildly. jungkook crouches and catches him effortlessly with one arm, pulling him in.

“did you draw another rocket today?” he asks softly.

jungha nods and glances at me. “this one’s for miss y/n.”

he digs around in his cubby and hands me a folded piece of construction paper. the rocket is lopsided, the stars are pink, and my name is spelled wrong.

i feel my chest actually ache.

“thank you, jungha,” i say, kneeling down. “i’ll put this right next to the one from this morning.”

he just nods again and slips his hand into his dad’s.

jungkook meets my eyes as he adjusts the strap on his son’s backpack. “see you around, y/n.”

“you too… jungkook.”

as they walk out, kyla sidles up next to me.

“you’re so fucked,” she sings.

i sip the coffee. it’s perfect.

“…yeah,” i whisper. “i know.”

-

it’s sunday night and the bar is slow — the kind of slow that makes you count bottle caps and restack coasters just to feel like time’s passing.

the overhead lights buzz louder without a crowd. the tv murmurs with a baseball game no one’s watching. it’s been like this all shift. mellow. forgettable.

and i was kinda hoping it wouldn’t be.

friday came and went.

so did saturday.

no jungkook.

no black button-up, no tequila order, no silent glances from across the bar that made my chest feel like it couldn’t settle.

i told myself it wasn’t a big deal. how he probably got busy or had plans or maybe walking a daycare teacher to her car once at 2am wasn’t as memorable for him as it was for me.

i mean… maybe i looked into it too much.

maybe it was just a one-time thing.

he was being polite, protective. like any decent guy would. i’ve just been tired, maybe the attention felt warmer than it actually was.

maybe i wanted it to mean something.

i lean on the bar, drag my rag across the same spot again.

“you’re spiraling,” kyla says from behind me, not even looking up as she restocks the glasses.

“i’m not.”

“you are. your face does that thing.”

i frown. “what thing?”

“the pouty one. where you’re convinced you read a guy wrong and now you’re punishing the countertop for it.”

i roll my eyes. “very specific.”

she shrugs. “very accurate.”

before i can argue, the door chimes.

i glance up automatically.

a group of three walks in. not him.

i swallow the twist of disappointment and straighten my posture. “booth or bar?”

kyla nudges my shoulder as she passes. “he’ll show.”

i don’t say anything.

but i hope she’s right, not just because it would mean he cares —

but because i think i really, really want him to.

-

the bar’s mostly clean. the register's closed, and i’m reaching under the counter for my bag when i hear kyla’s voice from the front.

“i’m heading out. you good to lock up?”

“yep,” i call back, pulling my coat on.

she swings the door open with her jacket already half-zipped, she turns to glance at me over her shoulder. “text me when you're home. don’t get kidnapped.”

“i'll try.”

the door clicks shut behind her, and then—

a knock.

i pause, slowly leaning to peek out the side window.

and there he is.

leaned up against the brick wall just outside the door. he’s scrolling his phone like he’s been there a while or like he only just got here and makes it look good.

i crack the door open. “we’re closed, you know.”

his eyes flick up from his screen, the corner of his mouth curves. “figured.”

“then what are you doing here, mr. jeon?”

he shrugs. “sunday’s slow. thought maybe you’d need a walk home.”

i blink. “you stalking my schedule now?”

“maybe.” he shifts off the wall. “or maybe your friend told me you usually bus it on sunday nights.”

kyla.

“and you waited out here?”

“you’re not the only one with good timing.”

i step out and lock the door behind me, shoulders hunching slightly against the chill. he walks beside me, casual, hands stuffed into his pocket.

“you missed friday and saturday,” i say after a beat.

“wasn’t avoiding you, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“who said i was thinking that?”

he laughs under his breath. “were you?”

“if i was mistaken,” i murmur, “i’d think you have a crush on me, mr. jeon.”

his steps slow just a little.

“you’re not mistaken.”

my breath catches.

“but if it makes you feel better,” he adds, a slight curve tugging at his mouth, “i’m trying to be subtle about it.”

“this is you being subtle?”

he finally lets out a low laugh. “you should see me when i’m obvious.”

he says it like a joke, but there’s a flicker in his eyes when he looks at me that makes my pulse stutter.

i try to ignore it.

“so,” i say, clearing my throat, “do you do this for all your kid’s teachers?”

“just the pretty ones that make my kid smile,” he says, no pause.

i stop in my tracks.

he doesn’t.

just keeps walking a few steps ahead, like he didn’t just casually drop that into the night air and walk away from it.

“…wow,” i mutter, catching up. “bold.”

we fall into step again, quieter now. the wind rustles through a tree nearby.

the breeze gets there first, curling under my coat sleeve. i shiver.

he notices.

“cold?” he asks.

“a little.”

without a word, he tugs the jacket over his shoulders and holds it out. it smells like clean laundry and faint cologne. i hesitate, but he gives me a look.

i pull it over my head.

“you look warm,” he says, flicking his keys from his pocket. “come on. i’ll drive you.”

“you don’t have to—”

“i know,” he says again, unlocking the car. “but i want to.”

the inside of his car smells like pine and something faintly sweet. the passenger seat’s already warm from the heater. i buckle in, tucking my hands into the sleeves.

he glances over as he pulls out onto the road. “comfortable?”

i nod.

a small smirk pulls at his mouth. we fall into a silence, the city blurs with amber lights and red signals, windshield wipers wiping the early drizzle.

i swallow. “you know this is weird, right?”

“what is?”

“you. me. this.”

authors note: i kinda liked writing this, it was a very new trope for me but ill have part 2 soon!

[ang3ltine]

𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 ⋆.˚ 𓇼 Bob Reynolds fic

A get away from the city turns into something more special when the boy you had been crushing on, finally confesses.

a.n - sorry guys I've been in a slump lately due irl issues, but this fic is kind of self-indulgence, but I hope you enjoy <3

Summer. The time for reminiscing, warm weather, hanging out with friends and family. It's a season that you never fully understood the concept of.

Yet all of that was about to change.

It all started with a little convincing from Valentina to allow you all to spend the summer in the outhouse in South Carolina. Surprisingly, this was Buckys idea. He knew that a well deserved break was needed, especially after the whole sentry incident.

So it was decided.

Lulworth Cove, a quaint little town with lovely little shops and restaurants, and at the outermost corner of the shores, was the outhouse.

A beach house with pale wooden beams that had long been used. Almost as if it had been waiting for curious guests to enter. Perfect for a getaway from the busy city life of New York.

"God this place needs some work huh?" John mumbled while carefully pushing one of the wooden beams at the entrance. It was clearly rotting and almost falling apart and to confirm his hunch, a loose pieces of bark fell ontop of Ava's head.

John almost immediately regrets his decision and was about to apologise. Let's just say he didn't leave with just a slap on the wrist.

A few weeks went by, and almost everyone had already settled into their new home away from home. They were also surprised to see you having fun too, considering you don't usually open up as often as you do.

Yelena and Ava appreciated you hanging out with them, especially when taking long walks on the beach or even when learning how to surf. Ava was actually pretty good at it despite Yelena's doubts.

Sometimes, the three of you would do special 'girl nights' where boys were explicitly not invited. With the exception of Bob since none of you could really say no to him, especially since he's so clingy.

So there you all were, sprawled out on towels ontop of the soft white sandy beach. A massive sandcastle was in the making. However, it was mostly you, Yelena and Bob that helped. Ava only gave her opinions and gave pointers from the sidelines.

You then realised it was lacking quite a bit as you scanned the masterpiece in front of you. "I reckon we need more seashells."

With a few hums of approval from the group, you got up and walked farther away towards the ocean. The waves were calm this evening, soothing and gentle, with little to no disturbance. You let your feet settle in the warm waters, relinquishing the tranquil feeling while looking for the seashells below.

Bob had been observing from afar, which inevitably caught the girls attention. They were rather amused from his behaviour because he was clearly smitten. It was obvious to them and the rest of the team that Bob had a strong attachment to you.

Even after giving each other yearning looks across the room or taking naps together on the hammock outside, the two of you still denied being a 'couple'.

Later on in the evening, they were going to have a small bonfire party, Ava and Yelena had already talked to him about their plan. But it was better to remind him again just in case he had forgotten.

Yelena was firm yet reassuring when speaking with Bob, making sure he was ready for the night ahead of them. "Bob, listen to me. Tonight is your chance, alright? I don't want to see you loitering near the tables with us when you should be with her."

Bob was quiet for a moment before talking, a noticeable shift to worry evident in his voice. "But...what if I'm wrong? I... I don't want to ruin things between us if I am-"

Yelena interjects before Bob could say another word, already sensing that he'd ramble on about him not being worthy for you. "Bob you're being ridiculous. She's been giving you the same signals for months! I'm sure she feels the same way about you."

Ava had been listening from aside and offered some advice for him too. "I agree. You should at least try making a move tonight. It doesn't have to be a confession. Just give her a hint that you like her, and I'm sure things will hit off from there."

Bob talk a deep breath and exhaled before nodding. He was ofcourse nervous but it soon dissipated once you returned with the seashells in hand. You bent down to where he was to place some on the side of the castle to create tiny windows.

As you do so, Bob takes leisure in taking some shells for himself when you offer it to him. Earning a shy smile from him before politely thanking you. You were awfully close to him now, the faint scent of your coconut flower perfume filled his senses. It was...comforting.

Along with salty marine accords and musk intertwine, creating a soothing, nostalgic aroma that reminded him of the cherished memories he shared with you.

Unintentionally, he then bumps his shoulder against yours in order to place more shells in the same area you were targeting. It didn't bother you, so you stayed put, despite knowing that it wasn't necessary to stick with just this one particular side of the castle.

He wanted to bask in more of your presence before being interrupted by the girls. Yelena was already packing up while Ava had already done so, carrying her things in one hand while the other rested on her hip. "Sorry to ruin the fun, but it's getting dark. We should get ready for the bonfire."

Bob reluctantly gets up and dusted his clothes to get rid of excess sand. He didn't really like showing off his body so he wore the blue and white striped polo that was gifted by you, paired with some shorts so he could play in the water easily. There was even a little dolphin at the front which he loved.

It was oddly quiet in the house as everyone was getting ready for the upcoming party. John had taken you into town to buy more essentials for the bonfire as well as food for the barbecue, while the rest stayed home.

Bob was more than disappointed when he found out you had left without him, but he had other things to worry about. Especially when Yelena and Ava had progressed to another step in their plan, such as 'preparing' Bob for the occasion.

Speaking of the 'party', you had suggested it. When you were younger, your family would have midsummer parties almost every year. This time, you wanted to spend it with your new family. It had quite a long time since you last enjoyed such an occasion, so you were more than excited.

"Hey guys we're back!"

John walk in the kitchen, paper bags in hand full of groceries with you following close behind. John had already placed his bags on the countertop and was waiting for you to aswell, only you didn't.

You had stopped dead in your tracks when you spotted the familiar brunette standing near the bar area, chugged a glass of water. His sleeves were rolled up completely to expose his toned arms while his white shirt was practically see-through due to being drenched in what you assumed was sweat.

Unbeknownst to him, he hadn't even noticed you shamelessly staring at him before Yelena points it out. It was almost comical the way he just casually puts his hand up to say 'hi' with an innocent grin on his face while you slowly die of embarrassment.

Bob was already walking towards you before you had the chance to speak, offering to gelp with the groceries. "Do you need help with that?"

After putting down the bags, Yelena checks them to see if you bought all the necessities. "Oh wow you got everything! Did anything interesting happen while you were out?"

"Uhh no, nothing much. Unless you count John haggling with one of the store clerks 'eventful.'"

John was going to protest but eventually leaves it be, figuring there was no point in arguing since you were telling the truth.

Whereas Bob felt that his hair was getting in the way. So he runs his fingers through the damp locks and pushes it away from his eyes and just like that, you were done for. Suddenly you felt faint and it was getting hard to breathe, not to mention you heart was practically beating against your chest in an ungodly manner.

Yelena walks over to you, wrapped one arm around your should while the other, gestures to where Bob was standing. "Bob was helping us collect wood for the bonfire! He worked pretty hard actually...as you can see."

"Feeling a little hot are we?" Ava asked nonchalantly while giving you a smug look. You silently curse her in your head as you try to figure out a logical, appropriate answer. "Uhh yeah, probably feeling a little tense from the shopping spree."

"Hmmm right. I thought you said it was 'uneventful?" Yelena adds in with an amused tone, unapologetically enjoying the reaction she was getting out of you.

God, curse them both.

Bob grew slightly concerned while you silently excused yourself after escaping from Yelena's grasp. He the urge to go after you but then thought it was best to leave you alone for a bit.

There was still time before the party so you all gathered in the living room. Bucky, John and Alexei was outside preparing the bonfire while the rest of you stayed inside.

"котик you can't be serious!" Yelena keened over in a fit of laughter as you make small adjustments to your suit. It wasn't that your new outfit looked ridiculous, it was the fact that you took inspiration from Silver the hedgehog. Rolling your eyes playfully at her comment, you press back in defence.

"What?! It's not like he had an outfit to begin with. Besides, I only copied his gloves." In truth, you did love the character design as a whole, but you weren't going to admit that to her.

Speaking of opinions, Bob felt like he should voice his since he was, in fact, resting his head on your lap. " I think it looks great!"

"See? Even Bob agrees."

Yelena was about to interject after seeing the grin of satisfaction on your face while you highfived the brunette beneath you. Only for someone else to disagree to ruin the mood.

"I don't really like it either."

The voice was gruff, and oddly familiar. The four of you turned your attention towards the ex militant now present in the room. John Walker.

"With that fucked up shield of yours? I suggest you don't talk walker." You snorted after nodding your head towards the bent hunk of metal attached to his arm.

The roar of laughter filled the room but this time Ava and Bob joined in while John was seething with both shame and anger. "Says the one with a poster of Equestria Girls in their bedroom!"

Bob almost fell onto the floor since you got up abruptly to face the dirty blonde, who was jutting his chin out mockingly. Bob scrambled on his feet to join you by your side just in case you things go south.

"Listen John, I'm not going to fuel your ego so you can just back off." Every word your uttered was laced with sarcasm.

"Yeah! Didn't you also watch it with us one time in the cinema room?" Bob joins in to help you out, his brows furrowed as he spoke. Although you didn't really need it, you appreciated the gesture.

"Oh wow, what're you going to say now John?" John shifted on his feet while rubbing his temples, silently cursing the brunette in his mind. "Okay in my defence it was a pretty shitty movie, and secondly. Bob's your boyfriend. Ofcourse it makes sense for him to back you up."

You wanted to retort about the comment of Bob being your 'boyfriend' but just let him do his thing. Not wanting to make matters worse. Bob who was behind you, was now taking a step forward towards John with an innocent, yet almost menacing grin.

"I would take offence to that," he starts off then shrugs his shoulders with pursed lips. "But I can't take that bent out of shape tacco shield of yours seriously."

John was at a loss for words as he turned to you for some answers. You bit back a smile since you knew that Bob was capable of saying out of pocket comments just like this one at times.

"Then fix it! You're the one who did it!" John yelled, his calm demeanour finally dissipating. Yet nothing could've prepared him for what Bob was about to say next.

"Mm I don't think I will." You had to put an arm infront of him just in case, since he was practically looming over the guy. "It suits that dickish personality of yours."

Now that got you speechless as your jaw opens in disbelief before turning back to John, who had the same exact reaction.

"Ohh you want ice for that burn walker?!" Yelena retorts from her beanbag, a smug look on her face while Ava was practically dying next to her. John's reaction was more than amusing for the four of you.

He had enough and left the room in defeat before turning around to give one last sign. "Fuck off!" You knew that he had to blow off some steam, so you opted to talk to him later to even things out.

Besides, there were more pressing matters to deal with. Like getting ready for the party at 10pm. You parted ways with Bob and asked him to get ready. Both Yelena and Ava had gotten ready but you still needed help, so they came as soon as you called.

Yelena was the first to knock at your room door while Ava arrived shortly after. They heard the sound of shuffling before it opened to reveal your dishevelled appearance. It was clear that you were distressed, but Yelena was reluctant to ask you why. So Ava answers for her instead.

"Woah what happened??"

You huffed while searching through your messy closet in a hurry. "I can't find anything decent to wear!"

"Seriously? That's why your whole room looks like a zoo? моя кукла (doll) just wear anything! Were all friends here, it's not like anyone is going to judge."

It was no use. You were still picking out different clothes from the closet. So both Yelena and Ava took a seat on your bed while you showed them one fit that you thought would look best for the occasion. "This looks alright! Doesn't it...?"

Yelena didn't want you to worry even more, so she agreed pretty much straight away. "You know what? You look great! Besides, Bob doesn't really care what you look like. He loves you either way."

You must have misheard her because there was no way you believed that Bob actually liked you, jaw dropping slightly from disbelief. "Excuse me, what??"

Yelena sighs while rubbing the side of her templs before speaking. "Oh please you heard me. Bob's been stuck by your side all summer! It's obvious that he's head over heels in love with you."

Now that she mentioned it, you couldn't really deny the accusations. It's true that Bob had been pretty much glued to you since your first day joining the group. But more so than ever from the start of the summer get away.

Yelena felt like she successfully got her point across when she saw the way your cheeks were dusted with a faint hue of red. You then walked over where she was and took a seat next to her, turning your head slightly to look at her hesitantly. "And if you're wrong? I don't want to ruin what he already have 'lena..."

"Trust us, Bob definitely has a thing for you. We wouldn't be talking to you if we didn't know it was true." Ava says while giving you a reassuring smile. You let out a ridged sigh and slumped your shoulders. "Fine. I'll ask him tonight. But you guys aren't allowed to snoop alright??"

Yelena bites back a smile and nods hurriedly while Ava rolls her eyes playfully. "Were not going to, but, no promises."

Now that you had your outfit on, it was time for the makeup. Ava was quite skillful with her make-up skills so you asked her to help you. Except while doing so, she was giving you advice on how to approach Bob since she had some experiences from her previous relationships.

"Okay now that's a bit much." You briskly say while moving Ava's hand out the way when she almost pokes your eye with the brush. She mutters a quick sorry before Yelena carried on with exaggerated hand gestures.

"He didn't even deny that he wasn't your boyfriend today! Isn't that enough proof for you?"

"I agree. Also you didn't deny it either." Ava interjects calmly while applying some blush on your cheeks. You internally groaned at the sheer persistence from the two girls.

"Also remember to keep it pg."

Your cheeks grew warmer at Ava's insinuation and gave her a light smack on the arm while scoffing. "Ava--! Seriously?"

While you guys were getting ready, the boys were waiting outside rather impatiently. Bucky was already making his way down the beach, while Alexei, Bob, and John stuck it out. When you finally walk out the front door to meet up with them, they were rather surprised to see what you all were wearing.

Since the theme of midsummer was to do with flowers this year, you all wore simple flowy dresses with your signature colours. Purple, yellow, and blue. There were also single hibiscus flowers in the hair too which added a nice touch.

Ava, being the quite fashionable one in the team, came up with the idea.

"Oh uh -- you look really pretty love." Bob stutters slightly while he drinks in your appearance. Which was very out of character for him, even catching Ava offguard. She has to bring that up later whenever she wanted to tease you about Bob.

You should be used to the given nickname, yet you still found your heart racing everytime you hear it. Nonetheless, you give him a grateful smile and thankes him for the complement. Bob also couldn't help but feel himself swoon whenever you gave him that smile of yours.

Night fell swiftly, bringing with it a chill that seeped into the bones and a quiet that felt almost tangible. Everyone had gathered near the far end of the beach to avoid other groups who also wanted to take a stroll with their friends.

You were carrying some of the firewood, but it was soon taken away from your arms. "Ah - Here let me help."

Bob, being the sweet man that he was, didn't want you to work so hard when you had been running around all day organising the party. You thank him with much appreciation which he took no credit for, saying that it was nothing.

"Ohh girls, you're finally here! Alexei was going to start without you!"

Alexei was waving his arms dramatically with nothing but his shorts on. Yelena facepalmed yet again that day and groaned at the sight of his appearance. "Seriously dad? You're wearing the Russian flag?"

He was about to protest before being interrupted by Bucky in order to stop a full on argument between the two. "Thanks for bringing more firewood. I was just about to go back to get some more since it looks we'll need it."

"Oh I shouldn't really take the credit, it was actually their idea." Bob nods his head towards your direction. You was already taking a seat on one of the logs in the sand when Bucky turned to you to give you a quick thank you.

It was well past midnight, which was the perfect time to tell ghost stories. While Alexei, on the other hand, would talk about his glory days as the red guardian. Yelena had to stop him at some point since everyone was gradually becoming bored.

At one point John suggested that they start up the fireworks. Bob was rather reluctant despite some coercion by John, yet none of you pushed him. It was understandable that he'd be wary with these kind of activities. Thats when you suggested that he should look from afar and cover his ears with his hands, which he appreciated greatly.

So you slip your hands into his and walk with him farther away from the group towards a looming palm tree. You knew Bob must've been nervous from how clammy his palms were but it didn't bother you. Instead you try to reassure him that everything would be fine and that it was safe.

What you didn't know was that he was nervous because of you. Almost the whole night he had been stealing glances at you from across the small bonfire, quietly observing that way you'd idly talk with the others with such confidence and reverie.

Bucky had noticed the pair giving eachother lovesick gazes for about half an hour before deciding to share some 'dating advice' to Bob. Ofcourse his advice was a little dated but Bob still took every word he said seriously.

Evidently so, he puts his words into action when you volunteer to go with him to watch the fireworks from afar. The pair was sitting on a swing with a wooden seat, most likely handcrafted, while Bob's hand was still holding yours.

Neither of you even had the thought of letting go, so your fingers stay entangled with his. Occasionally squeezing it gently from time to time as you rock back and forth on the swing.

"You know...I'm really proud of you. It's not easy coming clean and learning to accept those around you." You say in a comforting tone and reach out to tuck his hair behind his ear. He instinctively leaned into your touch when your hand rest on his cheek, letting your thumb run across his warm skin.

"Yeah well...I wasn't on my own this time." His voice was barely a whisper as the sound of the fireworks go off in the distant, now becoming background noise. Suddenly, the air between you two grew thick with anticipation.

You hadn't realised how close you really were to him until the tip of your nose bumped his. Space was becoming scarce as Bob struggled to let out a coherent sentence. It was an innocent mistake, yet you didn't have the urgency to move away just yet.

Alas, the moment was ruined when a loud bang interrupted you both. Bob quickly covers his ears to block out the noise while you stood up to shout at Alexei for using one of the bigger fireworks.

"Alexei I told you to use the normal ones! Not your jumbo guardian themed one!!"

Alexei yells an apology and simultaneously gets scolded by Yelena and John for not listening to them. Bob was still covering his ears with his eyes shut tight, unaware that the fireworks was over for now. You say back down again and gently moved his hands away so that he wouldn't get startled.

"Bob hon', are you ok?" Its alright, Alexei's getting a good scolding from the others." You mused, trying to lighten the mood. It might have worked because as soon as you spoke of Alexei getting told off, you see the ends of his lips turn upwards into his usual puppy like grin.

Your hands were still in his while you slowly draw small patterns on his palms. The action was simple but meaningful. You'd do this to usually calm Bob down if he was ever upset or if something or someone, had triggered him. Bob was more than grateful when you took the initiative even though he didn't ask you to do so.

"Hey I uhm...I should really thank you." Bob's voice was barely a whisper but you heard him nonetheless. You hummed while still tracing patterns on his warm skin, then you peer up at him through your lashes.

"There's no need to thank me, bedsides - the others would do the same as me if they got the chance. Like Yelena."

There was no arguing there, sometimes Yelena did go to him to keep him company if you weren't available. Except, in this occasion, Bob wanted to solely focus on you and show his gratitude.

You felt him staring but you chose not to think much of it. Bob's cheeks had a slight hue of red when you did manage to look back up at him again, bringing a small smile to your face at his bashfullness. "Hm? Is there something you wanna tell me?"

It was rather teasing question but Bob was ready to indulge. You noted the way his adam apple bobbed when gulping. Once again, it was beginning to get hard for him to speak.

"Yeah uhm-- yeah I do actually... its uh-"

You bit your lip to contain your laughter due to the cuteness of his stammering. Bob had caught on and stopped himself from talking, and then smiled himself. Realising how much comfort you were bringing.

"No...I get it."

Bob was now impossibly close, completely ignoring the fact that the group was watching from their spot. It was rather sweet, the way he leaned in close to gently nuzzle his nose with yours. It was a silent plea for you to take this as a sign. "Please..."

With that, you close the distance between you both. Your mouth connected with his, Bob found himself in complete shock. Lost in a world of pure happiness and blissful pleasure, the taste of your lips on his made him feel overly giddy.

His lips like what you imagined, slightly chapped but still soft and pillowy. There was the faint reminent of hot chocolate residue on his bottom lip, causing you to grab hold of his hoodie and keep him in place as the kiss became more profound and more passionate with every minute.

Your bodies and minds becoming one, creating a sense of safety and belonging.

As they held the kiss, their lips burned, and it only encouraged them to continue further. You moved your arms back around his neck, deepening the kiss. His tongue grazed her lips, causing you to shiver. A rather bold move you'd say, considering that this was his first kiss in a while.

For a brief moment, you realised that this was inappropriate, wrong. But you did not stop, instead initiating another deep kiss, tongue grazing his lips this time.

Pure passion taking over them, they sat there kissing without want or need for precious oxygen. By the time that they were so short on breath that they would faint, they pulled apart from one another.

Bob was still chasing after your lips while you laughed softly, blocking his mouth playfully with your hand. "I'm guessing this was what you wanted to talk about?"

Bob couldn't really answer so he nodded rather sheepishly, his cheeks still flushed. You finally remove your hand and let him speak.

"I…" he stammered between gasps; his entire body's heat had risen to the point that he had to undo his hoodie to get cooler.

You may have overdone the kiss so you thought it was best to apologise just in case you took it too far, your own cheeks becoming warm from shame. "Sorry..."

Bob didn't speak and just placed his hand on your shoulder for more support. "I… Don't worry about it." He mumbled, then dips his head low to press one last sweet kiss on your lips before pulling away.

"Besides! I quite enjoyed it heh."

Bonus:

"Okay pay up." Ava says triumphantly while sticking her hand out so that John and Alexei would reluctantly give her two $40 bills.

The group had taken a bet whether or not Bob would make a move tonight, so both Ava and Yelena hit the jackpot. Even Bucky wagered, earning himself $20 too.

"Damn it - I had no idea Bob had it in him."

Taglist:

@doodlebob-mp3 @perdidosbucky-yyo @marianastudiesart @ordelixx @starktonyx @hisredheadedgoddess28 @avatarobsessedgirly @starstruckfirecat @adventure-awaits13 @milkbean69 @fire-joestar @midniqhtt

[gorgeous777]

Letters, Fred Weasley x Fem. Reader

Written exchanges between you and your boyfriend over the summer

A/N: For purposes of the fic, no Voldemort. This takes place between Fred and the reader's sixth and seventh year

Part One of the Letters series

Enjoy!

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

July 27, 1994

Dear Freddie my love,

Hi.

First letter of the summer is always the hardest to write. I'm sorry it took me two weeks to write. You've been the only thing on my mind. I think a hug from you could cure me of this heartache. Needless to say, I miss you. I miss your dumb jokes and all the trick you play to get my attention. I don't like being halfway across the country from you, rather than the handful of staircases that normally stand between us. It's strange, I get so used to Hogwarts that it feels more like home than home does. But when I finally feel like home is home, it's time to go back to Hogwarts. It's a cycle, that's for sure.

Luckily though, this is the last time I have to go through it. I'm still not positive how I feel about us officially being seventh years now. I almost feel like this is all just some long drawn-out fever dream. How do I go from living at school for seven years (save the summer) straight to just being an adult? I mean yeah, I already have plans set and my career picked out, but I can't shake some of the anxiety.

Enough with all that negativity though.

How are you? How're you settling in? Have you and George made more business plans for your shop yet? Is Harry staying with you guys again? Did you find the picture I hid in your trunk? If not, then surprise! I hope you like it. I have a million other some odd questions to ask you. But for the time being, I'll let you answer all of those. Give me all the details, even if they're small or stupid. I wanna know everything.

Love yours only,

Y/N

7/28/94

To my #1 fan,

First off, two weeks was pure torture. I considered writing you first, but I restrained hard to keep my promise to let you be the first to. I was beginning to think you forgot. Really, I'm relived you didn't. You could have just sent a letter with a simple "hi" and some doodles and I would have been grinning like a madman.

I miss you too. It's bloody weird not being able to see your face everyday. I really miss that look you get when I tell one of my "lame" jokes that you try not to laugh at. (Spoiler alert: you fail every time) I did find your picture, almost instantly. You didn't hide it very well. I love it though and I put it on my nightstand. George has been teasing me endlessly about it. He swears I sigh like a lovesick victorian boy whenever I look at it. Lies. (Mostly) ((Not a lie at all))

We've been experimenting making to products to sell. Right now we're busy with one called SnogDrops. The name was my idea. Other than that it's same same. Our goal is to open the shop come next summer. And Harry is here, yeah. Mum as usual is thrilled to have him around, so is Ginny. Go figure. I'd be thrilled to have you here too. As for seventh year.. Yeah that whole train of thought is just mental. But you'll be just fine, you always are. If not, I'm here with a shoulder to cry on and "bad jokes" to cheer you up with.

Write back sooner than two weeks or I swear I'll follow your owl back to your house.

Hug waiting here when you want it, or several. Probably some snogs too.

Your favorite, Fred

P.S. Answer all your questions for me too

July 31st, 1994

Dear Favorite of Mine,

No need to follow O/N home. I'm glad things are going good with your guy's business plans, though I did doubt they would be going unlike planned. I've been doing surprisingly well. Better than usual anyway. I've slept in the t-shirt you gave me literally every night, so I'm pretty sure that's part of it. Your smell is comforting on several different levels. Other than that'd I've spent a good amount of time outside. Nothing too exciting or potentially dangerous like a hike or something. I've been hanging out in my gardens and reading mostly.

Boring, I know. I've enjoyed it though. My aunt gifted me a small stack of fiction muggle books so that's been they've been the subject of my attention. They actually aren't as bad as I thought they'd be. My mum said that muggles have no writing skills or creativity, but so far she's been incorrect. I've also gone swimming twice. I plan on going again here in a day or two with my cousins.

Have you gone swimming yet? Or do you not have anywhere close enough to. We have this huge pond not to far from the manor. It's practically a small lake. And I haven't drowned yet. Which, is surprising. Swimming isn't my strong suit by any means. But hey, a win is a win. For now.

I wish you were here having all this fun with me. I'm gonna try to talk my dad into letting you come stay the weekend with us or something. Not this one though, obviously. Speaking of, tell Harry I said happy birthday and give him all my best. I'd send him a card or something, but I feel like that'd be a bit awkward y'know?

Anyhow, if I don't get to see you soon I think I might actually drop dead at any given moment. It's gotten to the point were I seriously think I've started missing your horrible jokes. That's bad. That's really, really bad. I'm holding you to those several hugs too, so be prepared.

Love your biggest fan,

Y/N

P.S. Dad said yes, time doesn't matter

8/2/94

To the future Mrs. Weasley,

Happy to hear my shirt is being put to good use. I recon it looks a whole lot better on you than it ever did me too. Not as happy about your potential drowning. Be careful, yeah? For your own well being and mine. I feel like a total wet mop worrying about you. On that note, I haven't gone swimming yet. That can change though, say I do come spend the weekend at yours. Will your parents mind if I get there by Floo Powder? We can work that out.

I'll talk to my mum about it regardless. Doubt she'll have any problem with it so long as I tell her your address. Things over here are chaotic, as normal. George nearly burned off his eyebrow yesterday working on a prototype. Besides that, things are mostly good in making products. As for your confession..

I won't lie, I reread that bit more times than I counted. I'm taking it as full permission to come at you with at least three horrible puns the next time I see you (hopefully in a few days). You'll get your hugs then too. Something else too, but that bit's a surprise ;) I'll make sure to be decent around your parents too, but I can't promise I won't sneak into your room if they put me in a different one. Cuddling you is an opportunity I refuse to miss out on. Especially after being away from you for so bloody long. Be ready or not.

Your personal court jester, Fred.

P.S. Harry says thank you

August 9, 1994

Dear Court Jester,

I had so much fun this weekend. I wish you didn't have to go home. If I could, I'd keep you with me at all times. But, I suppose that you do have a family of your own to go spend time with too. Thank you again for the necklace, it was in fact a new surprise. I was completely expecting you saying that to be an innuendo. Still, I should know to expect the unexpected from you by now. I can also confirm my parents didn't hear you sneaking into my room at night. Or if they did, they haven't said anything.

Either way, that was the best I've slept in months. Makes me miss our naps together at school when we skip class. It'll have to be a must do on the train ride back to Hogwarts. Oh, and, that hickey you left on the back of my shoulder didn't go unnoticed by my cousin, so thanks for the single most humiliating moment of my life. They all think we got down now. You wish. (I wish too but not gonna happen until we graduate, so keep dreaming lover boy)

Also, you left your jumper of here if you were looking for it. I'm not sending it back to you, it's mine now. You're welcome. I hate how busy the next three weeks are gonna be that with getting everything read for school. Packing, shopping, y'know all the stuff. I bet that takes extra long for you because of all your siblings + Harry. I hope it isn't too overwhelming or stressful. I miss and love you more with every passing second. Please write back soon. I know I'm a fine one to talk, but still. And give your mom my best for letting you come over and stay for two nights.

Love, the future Mrs. Weasley,

Y/N

8/30/94

To my girl,

I know it's a bit late to write you back, really late actually. I know it's a little pointless to send this since we see each other tomorrow, but I felt like it anyway. I would have wrote you back much sooner if your letter didn't get misplaced. I was sleeping when the mail came (so I'm told) and mum forgot to tell me I got anything. I'm sorry, I really am. You were right though, the last two weeks were a nightmare. Though, George and I successfully packed up a good amount of our products to sell while at school. Yknow what that means; the games afoot. We plan on giving Filch a run for his money this year, it being our last in all.

I love you too, I miss you more. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. You'll get your cuddles and your nap, rest assured. We'll talk more then while I loath every minute between our reconnection.

Yours undoubtedly, Fred.

P.S. You can keep the jumper.

[uzuitengensfourthwife]

Home - Atsumu x reader (fem reader)

You dated in Highschool, but broke up after Atsumu lost against Karasuno. 6 years later, you meet again.

Warnings: bit angsty, otherwise none! Just fluff hihi.

Word-count: 2411

Author’s note: Well hi there! I’m back from the dead. So….. i haven’t written sth in a long time so I apologise in advance if it’s badly written or contains tons of mistakes! But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

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Atsumu never made life easier for you. Back in Highschool, when you two dated, the girls always gave you dirty looks whenever Atsumu and you walked down the hall, hand in hand. But it only worsened over time. The longer you dated Atsumu, the worse his fangirls acted towards you. Insults were thrown at you, judging looks were shared whenever you walked past them and even shoving you out of the way whenever they felt like it.

What you regret most, was stopping with your hobby to become Inarizaki's manager, of course upon Atsumu's request. You were once a very talented ice skater, but due to your relationship with Atsumu, you had stopped.

But even though all of this had hurt you, you stayed for him. His love towards you was so pure, he made sure to let you know he loved you. He was never too busy to not see you, even if it meant he had to sneak out his house to meet you at your place late at night.

However, that changed as well after Inarizaki lost against Karasuno. The once long nights you spent together, were suddenly spent alone. The Atsumu that once made sure to squeeze you in whenever, was suddenly long gone. His ego was more than hurt after this match, you remember it so well. He pushed you away even weeks after that match, he barely saw you and during practice nothing more than a little kiss was placed on your cheek, followed by a half assed "Sorry, love".

And when summer came, you've had enough. You've spent months alone. So you've asked Atsumu to meet up with you in front of the Convenience store you've usually hung out in during late nights. Surprisingly, he agreed to meet you at 4 p.m.

You waited patiently, well aware of the fact that he'd be running late. 15 minutes later he then appeared, still in his gym clothes.

"Hey love, how ya doing?" he pulled you in a hug, squeezing you tightly. "I'm fine 'tsumu.., how bout you?" you hugged back, knowing well this would be your last hug. "Ya know, good als always." He smiled as he let go of you again. However, his smile faded upon seeing you nervously fiddling around with your hands. He raises an eyebrow. "What's wrong with ya? Yer nervous as hell."

You sigh loudly, trying to keep yourself from crying. "I.... I think we should break up." - "Yer not serious, right?" He's staring you down, his eyes clearly showing that he hoped for it to be just a silly joke. "I'm very serious Atsumu. I'm moving to Tokyo next week and you need to concentrate on your career anyway." He laughs out loud, he's not believing you one bit. "I've already talked about it with Kita and Suna. They're well aware of this." - " Tokyo or not, we'll still be able to date." You shake your head. God, you should've known this would happen. "No, Atsumu we can't." - " But we haven't even tried yet. How would ya know we wouldn't make it?" He said, his pleading eyes trying to read you. "We're done Atsumu Miya." And with that you turned away and just ran. You ran away from him and the fact you still loved him very dearly.

----

6 years. It had been 6 years since you've moved to Tokyo. You've only kept contact with Suna and Kita, both of them still texting you regularly. Suna himself even moved to Tokyo, after joining a Volleyball Club within Tokyo, which led to you both meeting up regularly.

Outside of meeting your friends in your free time, you were working. A well paid job within a law firm and a nice apartment, which was close to Shinjuku. You were leading quite the normal life.

Until Suna asked you to join him at a party on a random Friday.

"You free after work?"

"Yeah I am Rin, why?"

"There is a party in Shinjuku, wanna join?"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes :) I'll pick you up at 8 p.m."

And with that, you knew you had no choice but to join Suna Rintarou to this party. You yourself weren't really into parties, however Suna always dragged you to go with him, since he didn't want to go alone.

So when you came back from work at 7 p.m. you took a quick shower and made sure you got ready by 8 p.m. And on 8 p.m. your doorbell rang, so you quickly grabbed your purse and ran to the door to open it. "Ready to go?" - " Good Evening to you too Rin, and yes, let me just put my shoes on!" you chuckle, grabbing your pretty black high heels. "I'm warning you, I'm NOT going to switch shoes with you again." - " Yeah yeah, don't worry. I'm not planing on staying for long anyway." He raises an eyebrow und holds your purse so you can put on your heels. Once you're finally ready, you take back your purse and both of you make your way towards the subway.

On the way to the club, both of you exchanged about your day. You exchanged some laughter and without really realizing, you had already arrived at the subway station. Within 10 minutes you had already made it to the doors of the club.

As you wanted to get in line, Suna grabbed your wrist and dragged you to the VIP entrance. And wishing seconds you were inside the club, marked as VIP guests with a wristband. "I keep forgetting you're quite the star within the Volleyball scene." He grins at you as the loud music surrounds you both. Without even telling you, he starts dragging you towards a lounge, solely reserved for VIP's. As you were let in, he starts looking around frantically.

You nudge him, letting him now you want to say something. He bends down, putting his ear towards your lips. "Looking for someone?" - "Yeah." he answers immediately. You thought it was just the two of you, however it turns out that he was dragging you to meet some friends of his with you.

Suna then seemed to have spotted the people he was looking for, which led to him dragging you towards a table with a few seats. They all greeted him with big grins. But before you could say anything, he pushed you forward, so you were able to see who was really sitting there. You greet them all kindly with a little bow, before your eyes met with dark brown eyes that you knew too well. Your smile immediately vanished.

It was none other than Atsumu Miya.

You froze in place, not really sure what to say. It has been 6 years since you've last seen Atsumu. This must've been some bad joke, you thought. Yes of course, Suna was trying to pull a mean joke on you, nothing else.

"You okay?" One of Suna's friends asked, pulling you back into the harsh reality. "Uh.. yeah!" You put on a forced smile, trying to hide behind Suna, but before you could do so, he disappeared to get all of you some drinks. Without any other choice left, you sit down as far away from Atsumu as possible. "I'm Bokuto!" One of Suna’s friends says. He was quite big and had a very well built body. His big eyes looked at you, while he flashed you a grin. "I'm Y/N." you answered, smiling slightly. The others also introduced themselves. So Sunas friends were called, Bokuto, Hinata, Kageyama and Wakatoshi, and turns out they were all part of the Japanese national teams.

"I'm Atsumu. 'Tsumu for short." Atsumu said, shooting you a quick but forced smile. He was pretending to not know you.

Before any of this could get more awkward, Suna appeared with some drinks for everyone. Everyone grabbed a drink and that's when the conversations started to strike. Since it was your first time meeting them, besides Atsumu, you just sat there quietly listening here and there.

"What do you do for work?" Wakatoshi suddenly asked, looking at you quietly. "I'm a Lawyer!" you answered , smiling proudly of your profession. "Woahhh! No way!" Bokuto exclaimed excitedly while slapping Suna's back harshly. You chuckle lightly at Suna's slightly annoyed face. Atsumu looked at you, slightly amazed.

The conversations continued and you kept listening to them all. You definitely enjoyed your time there. Yet, after some time you just needed to get a drink by yourself at the bar, but to still be polite you asked everyone if they wanted a drink at the bar as well. They refused, so you made your way to the bar and sat down on a stool to order a drink.

However, you were disturbed by a male presence next to you. It was a man that seemed quite drunk. "Hey there cutie..." He smirked, watching you up and down. You just shook your head and ignored him. Giving him attention would only fuel his ego. Yet, ignoring him was not enough. He leaned closer towards you. "Oh come on... don't ignore me princess..." He groaned, totally frustrated. Glaring at him, you got up to see if there was another seat possible, but he grabbed you by your wrist. "Let go." you said. "Beg." He grinned disgustingly. You were aware, that he had no good intention with you.

Before anything could happen, someone appeared behind you. The presence strong and dangerous. "She said let go." Atsumu's voice rang in your ear. The man instantly let go, mumbling something incoherent. You looked up at Atsumu, who was watching the man disappear amidst the people. "Ya should be careful, ya know?" He said, sitting down where the man sat before. He watched you quietly, before nodding towards the seat, indicating for you to sit down next to him. And so you did.

Atsumu ordered you both a drink. You decided to stay quiet, not sure how to even talk to him after all that happened between the two of you. On top of that, you never talked again after the break up.

"How have ya been?" He asked you, breaking the silence. "Been well... what about you?" Nodding at your question he answers "Can't complain, 'm part of the national team after all." - " Congrats, by the way." you said, smiling sincerely this time. "Thanks." he replies, handing you your drink. You take a sip, making a face as you taste the strong alcohol within the drink.

He chuckles lightly, observing you from the side. "M glad Suna made me come today." He suddenly said, looking at his drink. " It feels good knowing yer doing well." His words took you by surprise. You were expecting everything but this.

Atsumu slightly smiled to himself, while taking a sip from his drink. "Atsumu..." - " I've thought of ya every day... just wishing ya would be doing well." He turns back to you with a big grin. " Ya should be thanking me!" This was all an act. You've known him long enough to know that something inside of him hurt.

"How 'bout we get some fresh air?"

And suddenly you both were sat outside, barely covered up in midst of the cold autumn night. You tried to warm yourself up by rubbing your arms, but it barely helped. "Here." He said, while wrapping his Jacket around you. "No, you'll be cold yourself." You say, taking off his jacket, but he immediately reacted wrapping it around you again. "Such a gentleman." you chuckle, wrapping his jacket around you tighter.

Like. every other night, Shinjuku was lively. Lots of people were walking past you, enjoying the night for the time being. You watched the people passing by, while holding on to Atsumu's jacket. "You've really become even prettier." You turn your head to him with flushed cheeks, you weren't sure whether it was because of the cold air or him.

"I.... I'm sorry for what happened 'Tsumu." You said quietly, looking at the ground. You were ashamed at how everything ended back then. "Don't apologize. It was my fault... I.. I was an asshole." He stuttered. "I shouldn't have pushed you away. I was just.... broken I suppose." - " I know Atsumu..." You whispered, sliding closer to him. "I was an asshole too. I should've tried to talk to you before even making such a harsh decision."

He shakes his head. "No..it was best for ya. See how successful you've become without me?" - "I would've been happier if you were with me." You didn't even mutter. It was the truth after all. Yes, you were successful but you were more than sure that you would have been happier on this journey if he would have been part of your life. But you had cut him out of it, out of stupidity.

He looked at you surprised. You knew he didn't expect an answer like this from you. But it was the harsh truth, even to you. "I never stopped loving you Atsumu. I was just... scared. Scared you'd leave me if I had said anything. I was scared of conflict." His eyes widened in shock while you tried to stop yourself from crying. It didn't work. Suddenly tears streamed down your face.

Atsumu immediately pulled you into a hug. "God no.... I would've never left ya love...!" He whispered while pulling you closer. You've never felt better before, it felt like you were home again. You've found your home within Atsumu again.

"I... I still love ya... and never stopped loving ya while ya were gone.. Ask 'Samu, he's heard all about it.. " he joked, laughing slightly while rubbing your back in a calming manner. A chuckle escape your lips.

You felt inner peace, as if you've been lost for an eternity and then finally finding back home. Your home was Atsumu and nothing else mattered to you at the moment.

You pulled away slightly, looking up at him. His cheeks were red and before you could make a funny remark, he placed a sweet but quick kiss on your lips.

"I see you two lovebirds have made up, hmm?" Suna was leaning against a wall, watching them with a big smirk on his face. "Oh shut up Rintarou!"

You were more than thankful that Rintarou dragged you here, if he hadn't, you wouldn't have found your home again.

[morganwrites12672]

1998 - Sixteen Years Old

Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: Gladys helps you sort through your feelings (and she meddles a bit). After that, Dean decides to stop by for a visit.

Word Count: 3.0k

Rating: PG-14

A/N: I really hope you guys are enjoying this series! Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list! 𝕆𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤 (there's the link to the master list). But, this can be read as a stand alone.

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South Dakota was miserable during the summer. September seemed to be the hottest month, even if it was supposed to have started cooling down by now.

Sitting on Gladys's porch, a glass of sweet tea in hand, the two gossiped. Gladys seemed to know everything about everyone despite living further away. Gladys owned one of the few properties in this part of town. Everyone had many acres, and avoided each other.

Gladys had begun babysitting Bobby's daughter whenever the girl had been a mere baby. It hadn't taken the older woman long to figure out what Bobby's real job was. Surprisingly, she hadn't been that shocked. There had always been something off about Bobby Singer.

The older woman took another drink of her sweet tea before looking over at the girl sitting on the porch swing. It slowly rocked back and forth. She had noticed how the girls gaze drifted to the apple orchards.

She enjoyed watching the branches sway in the light breeze. She felt Gladys's eyes on her and turned her head.

"There's something on your mind sweetheart," Gladys said, she could tell exactly what it was too. Even if the younger girl didn't even know what it was she felt.

She shrugged, "It's about Dean."

"I can tell. What about him?" Gladys asked with a small smile. She could read the Singer girl like a damn book. The girl wore her heart on her sleeve.

"I don't even know!" She exclaimed, leaning back on the swing. She set her iced tea down. "He's making me nervous and it's really weird," She mumbled, a light blush coating her cheeks.

Gladys chuckled, "Oh, honey. That's called a crush."

Her cheeks turned scarlet. She quickly avoided Gladys's gaze. "I don't like Dean!" She insists, crossing her legs. Her heart hammered in her chest. She couldn't like Dean.

"Mmmhhh. Sure you don't," Gladys replied with a roll of her eyes.

She sighed, looking out to the orchard again. The apples were all red and crisp. Gladys had mentioned going out to pick some to make a pie soon. She had offered to help the older woman. It's not like she had anything better to do.

It felt like her father kept her under lock and key. He refuses to let her go on any hunts with him. He's taken her a handful of times, but she always gets forced to stay in the motel room. The one time she snuck out to help, she was grounded. Now she wasn't even allowed to stay at the motel rooms!

It wasn't like she could go into town to make friends like a normal kid. Her family was considered the towns outcasts. People gave her weird looks of she ventured into town. Eventually, she learned to keep her head down.

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Her father had been out of town for a couple of days. He was working a case on the other side of the state, down in Edgemont. So, she was left to answer the phones and help any hunters looking for lore.

She was sitting in her father's office, reading through book after book. The phones had been silent for a while. She was about to go see Gladys whenever the regular phone started ringing. She frowned as she walked across the room to the landline.

She picked up the phone and put it to her ear, "Singer residence. Who's calling?"

"You weren't answering your cell," said a deep voice.

A small smile formed on her face. She would recognize that voice anywhere. It has been a few weeks since the last time she had seen Dean. Both of them had been busy.

"It's up in my room. I've been busy in dads office," She replied. She had noticed the hunt of concern in his voice. It made her stomach flutter. Maybe Gladys had been right.

"I'm a few hours away from your house. We were passing through Edgemont and found your dad," Dean explained. "My dad's staying to help him wrap up the case. And, uh, Sammy wants to help too."

Dean would be coming to see her. Alone.

The thought made a light blush creep up on her neck and cheeks. She knew she was being a bit delusional though. There was no way in hell that Dean liked her back. She probably wasn't even his type.

He was older and more attractive. He might only be two years older but right now it felt like twenty years. Anxiety curled up in her gut. She wanted him to like her, even if that was unreasonable.

"You still there?" Dean asked her. She had been silent ever since he had told her that he was on his way.

"Uh, yeah! S-sorry," She replied quickly. "I guess I'll see you in a few hours." And with that, she slammed the phone back down on the receiver. She wiped her now sweaty palms on her jean shorts.

Could she have been anymore awkward?

She kept herself buried in books for the next few hours. If anything could ease her anxiety then more books could. It was comforting to read them. They all reminded her of her childhood. She thought back to whenever she had thought that the books were only stories.

A small part of her was thankful that her father had lied. Even if she had isolated and alone, she had gotten to be a kid. She hadn't grown up knowing that the monster under her bed was real.

As she was grabbing a new lore book from one of the piles next to the staircase, she heard a cars engine. She placed the book back in the pile before running to the window. A small formed on her face as she saw the Impala.

Dean had finally arrived. Every second that she had spent waiting on him had quite literally felt like an eternity. It wasn't often that she was able to have a friend. She told herself that's why she's excited to see Dean. She ignored Gladys's words from earlier.

She didn't have a crush on Dean. No, that was ridiculous. She wasn't someone Dean would choose. He probably had his pick of any girl he wanted. Why would he settle for her? She was weird as hell.

The second Dean knocked on the door she practically threw the door open. It had been a few weeks since the last time they had seen each other. She stepped back from the door so that Dean could step inside.

"How was the drive?" She asked, there wasn't anything better for her to say. Her mind has practically gone blank at this point.

Dean stepped into the house before shutting the front door behind him. He looked as handsome as ever. She ignored the butterflies in her stomach.

"It was fine," Dean replied casually. "Your dad still won't let you hunt with him?" He asked with an amused smirk.

He thought that part was ridiculous. He had seen her with a shotgun. She was a damn good shot. Bobby keeping her on lock down made no sense. His own father had let him help with hunting as soon as he was old enough to shoot straight.

"Still grounded," She replied sourly.

"You'll be eighteen before you know it," Dean pointed out.

Even though he had already turned eighteen he still followed John around. He probably would until Sam was old enough to go with him. He wouldn't leave his brother with his father. He refused. Sam needed him. He had barely been willing to leave his brother with their father to visit her. But, he had really wanted to see her. Alone.

She sighed. Only two more years.

The pair made small talk for a while. Dean told her about the recent hunts he had went on with his father and Sam. She told Dean about possible weaknesses for some monsters she had read about. He agreed to try a few, if he found a way to do it safely. John would be pissed if he got hurt doing something stupid.

After an hour, the landline began to ring. She frowned before walking over to answer it. It would either be her father or Gladys. She hoped it was her father. He always let too much time go inbetween phone calls. She knew how dangerous his job was. Sometimes it was nice to know that he was okay with more than a quick text or email.

She picked up the phone and put it to her ear. Before she had a chance to greet the caller, a familiar voice began speaking. Well, more of demanding.

"I saw that damn car go down the street whenever I was checking my mail," Gladys said quickly. "If you and that boy come pick some apples, I'll bake a pie."

Dean gave her a curios look, unable to hear the voice on the other end of the phone. He wondered if it was either John or Bobby. Maybe even Sam. He doubted his dad would bother to call unless the older man needed something.

"Sure thing Gladys," She said into the phone with a small smile. Apple picking was something she enjoyed. Growing up Gladys would send her into the orchard with a little wicker basket, and a promise of a fresh apple pie.

She said her goodbyes to the older woman before hanging up. Glancing out the window, she noticed that it was almost sunset. It should have cooled down some since she had been over at Gladys's.

"Um, that was the neighbor. Gladys," She began. "She asked if we could go pick some apples at her orchard. She said she'd make a pie if we did."

"Pie?" Dean replied with a smile. He would do anything for a good slice of pie. The thought of a slice of homemade pie made his mouth water.

She let out a small laugh at Dean's reaction. She had known he would agree. Dean had always loved pie. It hadn't taken her long to figure that one out.

Dean grabbed the keys to Baby out of his pocket and began walking towards the door. She hurried to grab her cellphone off the counter before running out the door after him.

"Can I drive?" She asked, almost teasingly.

"Over my dead body," Was Dean's quick reply as he opened the driver's side door.

She had expected that. Dean was very overprotective of the Impala. It had been worth a shot though. She had mainly done it just to mess with him. Plus, it would have been cool to drive the car. She had just gotten her license, she'd only driven on her own a handful of times.

It was safe to say that she wasn't the world's greatest driver.

She hurried to open the passenger door before climbing in. She then carefully shut the door. Dean started the car and began driving down the road. She leaned back in her seat. It was peaceful. The soft hum of Metallica was the only noise in the vehicle. Until she spoke.

"It's about two and a half miles down the street. You'll see her driveway," She said to Dean so that he would know where he was driving.

Dean nodded, but didn't give a verbal reply. Driving was the most relaxed she had ever seen Dean. It was definitely something she noticed.

After a couple of minutes, Gladys's driveway came into view. An old red mailbox made it stick out. Well, that and the collection of gnomes surrounding the mailbox.

It wasn't long before the Impala was parked a few feet away from the house. Gladys was waiting at the foot of the porch, an old wicker basket in her hands.

She opened the door before practically jumping out of the car. She walked over the to Gladys and grabbed the basket with a smile. Gladys gave a mischievous smirk before looking between Dean and her. Gladys raised an eyebrow.

"You must be Dean," The older woman said before shaking his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am." Dean looked almost nervous under Gladys's gaze. He felt like every inch of his skin was being out under a microscope.

The older woman finally gave him an approving smile. "You two have fun in the orchard."

She began walking towards the apple trees. After a few yards, she felt Dean's presence. Looking over her shoulder she noticed that he was practically walking at her side.

The apple trees were all beginning to flourish. Juicy red apples weighed down the branches. But, she kept walking further into the orchard. The best apple trees were further out. Well, and her favorite one was further out.

It was the tree that she used to sit under and read sometimes. She had spent quite a bit of time out in the orchards growing up, and still did. She remembered whenever she was young and still clueless. Before a weight was placed on her shoulders.

She now knew what she would do whenever she grew up. It felt like she had no other option. She wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing that people were being killed by super creatures. People she could save.

"What are you looking for?" Dean's voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned around a little bit so that she could face him.

"The best tree," She replied without missing a beat.

Dean let out a sigh but kept walking.

The air was much cooler than it had been whenever she had sat on Gladys's porch, drinking sweet tea. It was nice to have someone like Gladys to span with. The older woman have good advice.

A tree that was larger than the rest came into view. The apples on it's branches were a deep shade of red. They all looked crisp and juicy. She stopped walking a few feet from it and set the wicker basket down.

"This one."

She walks over to one of the low hanging branches and picked a bright red apple. She held it up, showing it off to Dean. He chuckled at the way she beamed. She was proud of the perfect apple she had picked.

"You're kind of cute right now," Dean said as he picked an apple before placing it in the basket. Realizing what he said, his nerves spiked.

She had a similar reaction. Her cheeks looked about as red as one of the apples now sitting in the basket. She stuttered for a reply and ultimately gave up. Butterflies weren't fluttering in her stomach, no. They felt like a swarm right now.

Dean looked at her with his signature smirk upon seeing her reaction. Oh.

She quickly went back to picking apples. Dean was too nervous to say anything about her reaction, or his admission. He had thought she was cute for a while. How could he not?

Sam had often pointed out how Dean seemed to stare at her. He couldn't help it. She was fucking perfect, and clueless about it. He had wanted her for a while. However, she was Bobby's daughter. The older man would probably shoot Dean for even thinking about his daughter.

The two spent a while in the orchard, picking apples in a comfortable silence.

As she was turning around to place another apple in the now almost full basket, she bumped into Dean. She would have fell if he hadn't wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her.

Their faces were mere inches apart. She stared at him with wide eyes and crimson cheeks. Neither one of them moved. They were stuck in this moment.

Until, Dean leaned in closer. His lips were hovering, barely even an inch away from hers. He couldn't keep his eyes off her lips. He brushed a piece of hair out of her face.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked quietly.

Instead of replying, she pressed her lips to his. At least her first kiss would be nice. She wrapped her arms around Dean's neck and let her fingers gently tug on the hair at the nape of his neck.

Dean groaned into this kiss, his lips pulling away from hers for a second. He looked down at her. He admired her pink cheeks and wide eyes. It was obvious by her nerves that she hadn't done that before.

He knew a bit about her lack of a social life. He had overheard Bobby talking to his dad about it. The older man has been concerned about his daughters refusal to try and make friends. Dean thought that there was more to the story.

She pulled Dean closer again, kissing him. Their lips moved together in tandem. Dean pressed her against the apple tree behind them. As the kiss broke, she leaned her head back.

Dean's lips softly kissed her neck. He was careful not to leave any marks. Bobby would kill him if he came home and saw a hockey on her neck. Dean would be the obvious culprit, and a dead man walking.

His eyes did linger on the soft curves of her breasts. He was only able to see a little bit with her shirt on. He debated asking to take it off, but decided that that would be something he could save for later. Maybe for whenever he wasn't kissing her in the middle of an apple orchard.

She felt Dean's lips leave her skin. She looked back at him and his hand went to her hair as he kissed her again. She smiled into the kiss.

After a minute, she pulled away. "We should probably get the apples to Gladys. . ." She said. The older woman would know what had happened. It was obvious. Her hair was now a mess and so was Dean's. Not to mention how both of their cheeks were flushed.

Dean cleared his throat, "Yeah, yeah. We probably should." He leaned forward quickly and left a quick kiss on her lips before jogging towards the house.

She mumbled a curse before grabbing the basket of apples and running off after him.

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A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Leave a reblog or comment if you enjoyed it. And lastly, thank you to @scott-is-now-online for helping me with some of the dialogue.

Taglist: @thatsthewaythechrissycrumbles @lmhf1 @espressovz @illicithallways @tranquilitybasegrunge

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[f1-stuff]

Girl dad Carlos please! I miss that fic so much 🥲

Okay. So.

I mustered up the energy to write a little vignette of this AU bc I also miss it and bc I didn't want to leave you two hanging! This is skipping ahead quite a bit to halfway through the season, but I'm still planning on writing and fleshing out that portion. I've just known for a while that this was gonna be an important part of the story and that I could jump into writing it right away!

It will probably be edited and adjusted for when the actual chapter is posted on ao3, but this is the 'rough draft' I guess! (Disclaimer: I know zero French and I haven’t had someone look over that bit yet!)

Anyway, enjoyyyy...

When there’s a knock on his door about two weeks into the summer break, his brain doesn’t compute for a full minute after he’s opened it.

Because why would Charles, his teammate, be here? In Spain? At his apartment? During their summer holiday, when they’re supposed to be ignoring any and all people and things related to F1, recharging their batteries, and remembering there’s more to life than racing cars? He and Charles have barely ever even texted during the summer break, let alone seen one another. So, again, why would Charles be at his front door.

Also, he’s a bit sleep deprived and delirious, so there’s every chance he’s hallucinating this.

“Uh...” he says, rather eloquently.

“Hey,” Charles says. And there’s a tentative smile on his face that Carlos can’t even begin to parse the meaning of. His brain isn’t just one step behind, it’s five steps. “Can...I come in?”

“Oh.” Again. Eloquent, Sainz. “Eh- yeah. Yes. Come in.”

“Sorry to stop by without a warning,” Charles is saying. But Carlos is too busy looking around in barely disguised panic at the absolute trash heap that is his home.

It’s not that he didn’t realize how much of a mess the apartment was before, but he sees it now through Charles’ eyes and feels a little like curling up and dying. There are bowls of half eaten food and dirty dishes piled in and around the sink. Various toys, games, books, and drawings are strewn over almost every surface, along with clothes (mostly socks, so many socks) littering the floor. Boxes and boxes of Lucy’s things that he hasn’t had time to sort through are stacked against the walls and in the corners. One of the only exposed walls by the couch has colorful marker all over it, Ana having done that particular masterpiece when he’d accidentally nodded off during Peppa Pig. (He’d been too tired to even properly get angry about it, which was perhaps a bad precedent to set if he didn’t want a repeat performance.)

It looks like a tornado has swept through his apartment. A tornado named Ana.

Not that Charles is much neater on a good day, and he doesn’t even have a kid as an excuse. But Carlos has a feeling that if this is the current state of his apartment, the state of his own appearance is probably no better. He hasn’t properly showered, shaved, or slept in days, and he doesn’t think he’s looked in the mirror in all that time either. For all he knows, he’s still got remnants of the braids Ana put in his hair yesterday. He certainly can’t remember taking them out...

Charles, on the other hand, looks fresh and groomed and sunkissed - everything Carlos would expect during the summer break.

He smells good, he thinks, unbidden. Then, immediately, Stop it.

Charles takes in the space around them, his eyes eventually settling on Carlos with an amused (and maybe slightly concerned) expression. But just as he’s opening his mouth to speak, there’s the sound of the bathroom door opening down the hall and the smattering of tiny feet running across the floor, before Ana declares in her tiny, yet surprisingly bold voice, “I didn’t have a diarrhea!”

Carlos doesn’t even have enough shame left to be embarrassed by his kid. His first instinct is just relief.

“Stomach virus,” he mumbles to Charles, by way of explanation. Then, to Ana, in Spanish, “That’s great, mi niña! Did you wash your hands?”

“Yeeeees!”

“Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh!”

“Good, because we, eh- we have a guest!”

It’s quiet for a moment, before Ana’s head pokes around the corner slowly. But her face lights up as soon as she sees who it is.

“Cha!” she shouts, but then immediately looks embarrassed by her own show of excitement.

“Coucou, Ana,” Charles says, amused. He kneels down and encourages Ana closer, accepting the tentative hug she gives him.

No matter how much they had bonded last time, it’s still been a while since they’ve seen one another, and some of Ana’s shyness has clearly returned. Still, it’s huge that she’s even initiated a hug, and Carlos feels a telltale twinge in his sternum at the image they both make.

“As-tu été bon pour papa?” Charles asks, cuffing her gently on the chin. Ana grins and nods. “J'ai un cadeau pour toi.”

Charles reaches into a bag that Carlos hadn’t even noticed he’d been carrying until he’d set it down to hug Ana, and he pulls out a pink rectangular thing, that Carlos squints in confusion at for a beat. He realizes what it is simultaneously with Charles’ next words.

“C'est une caméra. Pour que tu prennes des photos de ton papa.”

It’s a pink camera for kids, a unicorn adorning the front where the lens peeks out. Carlos almost rolls his eyes - of course Charles, with his recent photography kick, gifts his kid a camera. But the way Ana’s expression transforms with wonder as Charles demonstrates to her how it works is pretty precious.

Charles hands it over to her and she immediately points it at him. He pulls a silly expression, making her giggle. They both examine the photo, heads bowed close. Ana points it up at Carlos next.

“¡Sonríe, papá!”

He sticks out his tongue and her little finger presses the capture button. The joy on her face as the photo pops up on the screen, tilting it to show them even though it’s upside down, fills Carlos with so much warmth and love that he legitimately almost tears up.

God, he’s so freaking tired.

Ana bounds off to her room to gather her stuffed toys to take a ‘family picture,’ and Charles straightens back up, smile lingering on his cheeks even after Ana has disappeared down the hall.

Carlos wants to kiss him so bad. Becoming a father has turned him into such a sap.

“Ehm,” he clears his throat. “Thank you. That was- a nice gift.”

“No problems.”

“You know, you don’t have to buy her something every time you see her,” he says, humor lacing his words.

“I want to,” Charles insists, simply. They smile awkwardly for an extended beat, listening to the sounds of Ana down the hall in her room, talking to her animals. Charles’ eyes stray to his hair. “You have...something in your hair. Is that a braid-?”

“What are you doing here, Charles?” he asks, choosing to ignore the comment. “I thought you would be in Corsica, or somewhere.”

“I was. But I heard you and Ana had to cancel on the trip to Mallorca and-”

“Heard, how?” Charles looks sheepish, triggering his suspicion. So he repeats it. “Heard, how, Charles?”

“Your mum texted me-” 

He sighs, eyes shutting briefly in frustration. He wishes his mom would just stay out of this whole- thing with Charles. But, clearly, she knew he wouldn’t accept help from anyone else. And that he wouldn’t be able to turn Charles away…

“She didn’t tell me to come,” Charles rushes to say. “She was just worried because you refused to let her stay and help, and that you hadn’t found a sitter, or someone, yet. So I just offered-”

“Charles, please...” He breaks off with another sigh, rubbing his temples to stave off the oncoming headache. But it’s already too late, if the subtle pulsating pain, slowly increasing in intensity, is anything to go by. “You should not have come.”

“Carlos, don’t be stupid,” he scoffs. “Anyway, I am here.” And he supposes that’s true. Nothing can be done about it now. “You look tired.”

He huffs a small laugh, dropping his hands from his temples to meet Charles’ gaze.

“This is what someone looks like when their kid catches a stomach virus and then they catch that same virus from their kid, just when their kid is starting to feel better-”

“Why didn’t you let your mum help-?”

“I’m her dad,” he interrupts, breathing hard. But he softens his voice with his next words. “I can do this on my own. I just wanted to...”

He doesn’t really know how to finish that sentence, though. It sounds stubborn and stupid when he starts to say it out loud. None of this should be about him. It’s about Ana. And if he’d really needed help, he should’ve asked for it. For her.

Charles seems to know that he doesn’t have to say it - that Carlos is already thinking it. So, instead, he just claps a hand to his shoulder and squeezes.

“I think,” he says, “-you should get some rest.”

“Charles-”

“No, I’m serious. Go to your room, Mister Sainz.” A slow grin pulls over his features. And along with the genuine concern in his eyes, it’s almost enough to break through Carlos’ resolve. “You are exhausted. Ana will be fine - I will watch her. Just...rest for a minute. Okay? You don’t look like yourself.”

And he knows that must be true. He knows that he needs a lot more than just a few hours of sleep to feel somewhere close to normal again (a shower would be a good start). But it’s hard to even think of himself when he’s been so worried about Ana for days - researching how to get her fever to die down, trying to get her to drink fluids, watching her fitful face in sleep, his heart in his throat despite how the pediatrician had assured him she’d be fine.

But, then, he’d gotten sick, too. And instead of focusing on his own recovery, he’d had to fit in sessions of retching over the toilet in between caring for his kid and making sure she was properly fed. And the two of them had managed, even if it wasn’t ideal. They’d grown closer, he thought, by virtue of her needing him so much.

He couldn’t keep it together forever, though. Eventually, if he didn’t take a break, he’d fall apart completely.

It takes him a stubborn moment, the urge to argue bubbling up inside despite how glorious resting his head on a pillow sounds. But eventually he nods, releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Thank you.”

Charles just looks at him with a mixture of fondness and exasperation. “You are welcome, Carlos. Now, go. You look like you are going to fall over at any moment.”

“I feel like I’m going to fall over at any moment.”

Charles laughs under his breath, pushing Carlos’ shoulder gently to aim him toward the hallway. “Well, fall over into bed, then.”

“I’m going,” he insists, letting his tired limbs and the heavy touch of Charles at his shoulder guide him toward his room.

He can deal with how insane this situation is - Charles showing up here, and what the hell it means that he’d come at all - once he’s had some sleep. For now, he’ll happily take it for granted.

He doesn’t even really remember climbing into bed before the exhaustion takes over, his body surrendering to fatigue now that he knows his kid’s in good hands. Trustworthy hands. Charles’ hands.

He thinks he can hear the faint sounds of their French floating down the hallway. It makes him smile with the last vestiges of energy he has left.

God, he is in so over his head.

----

WIP ask game

Link to fic on ao3 -> (x)

[pixel-percy]

🍎 A Locally Sourced AU: Hunter!Dean x Orchardist!Reader — You've known Dean Winchester since you were kids and, despite everything, you're still in love with him. But can he ever allow himself to reciprocate? 🍎

PART 1 | PART 2

🍎 Word Count: 2.1k 🍎 Music Vibes: Sweet Nothing by Taylor Swift 🍎 Warning(s): Child abuse (heavily implied) & hunting (mentions of dead animals) 🍎 A/N: Happy 2025! I've been sitting on this AU for a while & decided, instead of finishing it & dropping it all at once, I'm going to do it in parts that reflect the eras of Reader/Dean's life. I'm such an advocate for soft Dean, the boy that just wants to be loved & give love in return, despite all the bad in his life. This song makes me think of him. I hope I can do him justice on the page ❤️

Winchester was a well-known name in Lawrence, Kansas.

“Not the same as the rifle, but we do like ‘em,” you’d heard a man say as he shook the hand of a blue-collared individual with similarly calloused hands who’d been admiring his booth. It was an assortment of meats, meticulously wrapped and on display for all to see. Deer, boar, anything you could legally hunt, kill, and make a living off of in the state. Anyone could see that this business was the pride and joy of one John Winchester, the man who loved shaking hands and giving samples of freshly cut game. He didn’t have a beard back then, just some stubble growing in that he’d opted not to take a razor to before the festival. 

Now and again you’d see Mary, his wife, give his cheek an affectionate scratch, a quick sentiment, before she’d move on to adjust the display. She was elegant, intimidating, and just looked plain tired sometimes despite her enormous effort to hide the latter.

They were the best hunters in the state as far as you understood it. A compliment bestowed by your father, a friend and longtime admirer of the Winchester family’s success. You never understood why he cared so much –or maybe envied was the better word– when he had the most successful orchard this side of the state. Unparalleled even. At least that’s another thing you were told.

Truthfully, at the age of 11, your favorite thing to do was to pick apples and help your mother make sweets, not listen to your father shake hands and attempt to impress like John. You spent most of your time tuning out the conversation, perched on a stool beneath the tent, and playing with an apple.

The last wave of summer heat had settled over the fairgrounds early that morning, sticky and heavy, but it didn’t deter Lawrence’s population from indulging in questionably sound fair rides, petting zoos from the local farmers, and the market where you spent most of your time. 

Passerbys would attempt to have conversations with you when your father and mother were both caught in talks about investments and admiration. So you’d smile, albeit tight-lipped and shy, and give soft-spoken answers when you knew them, though thankfully most of them were sentiments about your ‘pretty braid’ and how cute the flowers you’d stuck into it were.

Kids of all ages ran past you in search of the rides and cotton candy, their boisterous laughter carrying through the stalls. A new school year had started and, while you weren’t opposed to making friends, you had none. The transition from elementary to middle was surprisingly difficult and being on the quieter side of the social spectrum meant it was harder. So instead, you sat on your stool and played with an apple and remained respectful of the adults who tried to converse with you.

Then you saw him, one of the Winchester boys. Dean.

You’d never interacted with them further than a shy hello behind your mother’s legs and spotting them in the booth across from you every year. If John ever stopped by the orchard, the boys usually stayed in the car, but on occasion, a begrudging Dean would trail behind his father, holding his baby brother’s hand, silent while John talked about things he also couldn’t have cared less about. Sam would always return your shy wave and you’d duck your head behind your Mom when you felt Dean’s harsh gaze find you. 

It shouldn’t have been that way at his age. His shoulders were weighed down with responsibility and the duty of being a shield for his brother. Although he was only a year older than you, he felt like he was decades gone already.

That’s why on one of those days you saw John’s work truck —Impala left home in the safety of their garage you’d imagined— pull into the orchard, you ducked out of your room and into the kitchen. There was no call for you today, mother napping on the loveseat in front of the television, romance novel tucked in her lap, and your father instantly sauntering out of the house to greet John with a handshake, palms smacking together obnoxiously. 

So you quickly wrapped your fingers around a dish towel decorated in drawings of baked goods, fabric slightly damp from use, and grabbed the nearby step stool to reach the counter. You plucked two freshly picked apples from the basket you’d filled that morning and quickly tied the material around them with a bow.

The boys stayed in the truck that day, the engine softly rumbling, and the windows rolled down enough for you to see them playing with a set of green toy soldiers on the dashboard. They’re missing pieces, a little melted from being left in the car sometimes, but well-loved all the same. 

Neither of them spotted you as you dashed along the untrimmed hedges, head low, and approached the passenger side. Some Metallica poured out of the windows over the blast of the AC and idle engine. Dean bobbed his head along to the rhythm, playfully knocking Sam’s soldier over with exaggerated sound effects.

You used the grab handle on the door with your free hand to pull yourself up, bare feet on the warm plastic of the step bar, until your eyes could peek over the edge of the window. Too immersed in their make-believe battle, you sneakily pulled the bow-tied dish towel up over the remaining glass and unceremoniously dropped the items into the seat next to Sam before scurrying away. You couldn’t hear what they had said, obviously startled, and you only spared a glance back at the car when you reached the hedges again.

Even from far away, you could feel the pressure of Dean’s gaze, but this time it didn’t feel so bad. You saw Sam fiddle with your quickly tied bow, a big smile on his lips as he excitedly pulled the fruit out for Dean to see. You held his gaze for a moment, the first time of what you didn’t know would be many, and then darted off like a little startled coyote.

That day at the festival, however, he hadn’t seen you—but Sam did.

A collection of apples teetered in the crook of your tiny arm as you tried to restock the wooden boxes at the front of the stall. It was something to do instead of listening to your parents prattle on—your Mom was now invested in a conversation with Mrs. Johnson, your Math teacher from your, now old, elementary school. You’d placed a shiny red apple at the top of the stack just as you felt something touch your arm. The sensation made you jump, a couple of apples tumbling from your grasp, and you turned wide-eyed to face the culprit.

To your surprise, a matching wide-eyed Sam Winchester, gaze upturned and a bit fearful. Dean appeared beside him, barely looking at you, hands shoved in his pockets. You couldn’t make out his expression, some level of apathy and sourness 

“S-Sorry,” Sam muttered. “My brother wanted to know—” Dean nudged Sam’s shoulder a little roughly with his elbow. Sam muttered an ‘ow’ before he turned back to you. “Do you wanna go with us on the big swings?” He gestured to the ride in the distance, metal taut with the weight of its passengers as it spun in a circle. It was your favorite.

You looked back to your parents and said, “Mommy can I go with them on the swings?” You didn’t bother asking your father, but you noticed John’s eyes flick over to the three of you for a moment, smile lines big with that charisma-dipped smile. Your mother turned to you and slight surprise danced across her face when she saw the two boys.

“Sure honey, just stay together, okay?”

With a smile you turned to drop the apples in your arms in the tub behind the display and returned to the front to grab the couple that you’d dropped. You were met with Dean’s outstretched hands, fruit seated in his palms, and gaze averted. They were almost as red as his cheeks.

“Thank you,” you said softly, a bit of shyness returning as you took the fruit from him. There was this funny feeling in your chest, an unfamiliar sensation, but you pushed it aside and quickly tossed the apples into the same tub as before.

The three of you had made it half a step away from the booth when a booming voice cut through the steady noise of the fairgrounds, “Boys.”

All of your heads snapped to John, who’d abruptly stopped the conversation with your father to turn his attention to you. You watched as both boys’ posture straightened, shoulders square, eyes on their father. Your eyebrows furrowed at them and you couldn’t help but look at John too. From beside him, almost held in place by the hand John held out to halt their conversation, was your father whose gaze had moved to the three of you, obedient. You’d eventually add that to the list of things you despised him for. A piece of tall grass for a backbone—letting anything with more power bend him every which way.

“Stay together. Two cycles on the ride.”

“But Mom said—” Sam tried.

“Two. Cycles. Then right back here,” he said. Dean’s jaw clenched, but all the emotion was on Sam’s face. It looked like he wanted to talk back, to cause a fuss, but Dean just held a hand out in front of him, like he’d done this many times before.

“Yes, sir,” Dean said before he grabbed Sam’s hand to lead him away. You followed suit, eyes lingering on John who watched his boys for a long moment before catching your gaze. You held it for a moment, but your head tipped downward at the weight of the control seeping from his stature.

“You too, missy!” your father called out, but you ignored him and ran to catch up to the boys. They said nothing for a few moments, tension apparent in the way Dean clenched his fists as he walked beside Sam.

“My daddy is mean sometimes too,” you offered softly.

A quiet understanding blossomed between the three of you as you traversed the fairgrounds, gentle comradery that none of you knew you’d needed. Neither of them seemed to want to talk about it and you decided it best not to press it further than that. John seemed like a nice man, but an unsettling feeling sat heavy in the pit of your stomach any time you found yourself under his scrutiny—though he’d never said anything but nice things to you.

When you’d made it to the swings, Sam and Dean took the first ride together, leaving you on your own behind them. You remembered Sam occasionally turning his head to wave or make a silly expression, which you’d return, and Dean rolling his eyes at you both. The wind whipped your braid around and hot summer air transformed into a cool breeze as you spun. Oranges and lavenders danced across the sky as evening crept in. Eventually, the ride slowed to a stop and the three of you dashed into line again, excited for another go.

“Can I go alone this time? Please, Dean?” Sam asked as he jumped into the swing in front of you again—which you’d promptly claimed and fastened yourself into. “You can sit next to her!” You fiddled with your nail beds nervously. Dean halted his claim on the seat beside his brother, almost as if he contemplated turning him down, but eventually conceded.

“Fine,” he said.

Before he left the swing he made sure Sam was secure with a tug on his seat belt, and once satisfied, turned to you. You held up the bar for him to slide under next to you, the knee of his ripped jeans nudging yours as he got comfortable and strapped himself in. There was a small delay with a couple of the other riders, just long enough for you to recognize that weird feeling building in your chest. 

“I like your flowers,” he muttered suddenly, only gazing at you from the corner of his eyes. Your shoulders shifted slightly, one of your hands moving to your braid instinctively to caress it. You returned the side-eye gaze.

“Thank you,” you replied. “I-I like your necklace.” The amulet hung from a black string, a brass-colored face with what appeared to be horns poking out the sides.

The ride attendants loosely checked your seat belts, halting further conversation as the ride started up soon after they passed. A child-like infatuation blossomed in that moment, something you couldn’t even explain to yourself at the time, but despite everything Dean did to keep people at arm's length, there was a comfort you felt being around him. You wanted to know more about this boy and his brother who he loved so much.

Sometimes you wonder if that moment, flying through the sunset sky, was when you truly fell in love with Dean Winchester—the boy with the bleeding heart.

[thecreaturecodex]

Kami, Oxter

Image accessed at the Ultraman Wiki here

[I'm back! It's the start of a new school year, so I've been busy busy busy. I do hope to return to my summer schedule of one new monster a week.

And what a monster we start with! Oxter is one of the weirder designs in Return of Ultraman, but has connections to Ultra kaiju before and after. The plot of the episode, and Oxter's acidic powers, feels a lot like Stegon, who I've already statted up here. And the same author who wrote this episode wrote an episode of Ultraman Ace with another bovine kaiju, Cowra. The Cowra episode is notable not for the powers or appearance of the kaiju, which are fairly sedate by the standards of Ultraman Ace. But the way a character turns slowly into Cowra feels like it started out as transformation fetish porn, and then was repurposed into a kid's show about a giant silver alien/angel who punches monsters. The "writer's barely disguised fetish" trope goes way back.]

Kami, Oxter CR 19 N Outsider (native) This creature’s head resembles that of a cow, but its anatomy otherwise bears little resemblance to ordinary animals. It is bipedal, with a thick slug-like tail and stumpy legs. Its back has a high bony hump, and its head is set low on its shoulders. Instead of arms, it has large red horns, which articulate on jointed stumps. Its ears stick out at a wide angle, and a ribbon-like tongue flickers in its tusked mouth

An oxter is a bizarre kami that guards a site of mass animal death and protects their remains from desecration and disrespect. They can be found in any natural environment, from tar pits and volcanic craters to water holes that had dried up at an inopportune time. Oxters do not care much for the reasons their ward might be disturbed and respond to any disturbances with violence. From wizards seeking out supplies for necromancy or golem construction, to scientists studying the natural processes that occurred at the site, all are likely to find themselves subject to the oxter’s destructive scrutiny.

Oxters are slow and cumbersome on land, but they are surprisingly mobile in the water. As such, they often remain stationary and probe out disturbances using their supernaturally long tongues, which can extend for hundreds of feet. These tongues are coated in corrosive saliva, and anyone who gets close to an oxter will be sprayed by a torrent of acid. An oxter’s melee weapons are its horns, which are capable of surprising mobility and can strike repeatedly at multiple targets as if they were swords. Oxters have few spell-like abilities in comparison to other kami, but can use magic to move through impeding terrain or to smite interlopers in a particularly desperate battle. An oxter will fight to the death to protect their ward.

Because of their association with mass mortality events, oxters and stegons can be found in association with each other. Stegons are the only undead creatures oxters will tolerate, and the kami see such assemblages as a natural consequence of particularly serious disturbances. Oxters will permit other creatures to live in their wards, even sapient ones, as long as they respect the peace of the dead who lie there. They rarely associate with other kami unless their wards overlap, but in such cases the oxters tend to defer to their more intelligent kin, even if they are much physically weaker.

Kami, Oxter CR 19 XP 204,800 N Colossal outsider (kami, native) Init +9; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., Perception +26

Defense AC 34, touch 7, flat-footed 29(-8 size, +5 Dex, +27 natural) hp 330 (20d10+220); fast healing 15 Fort +19, Ref +19, Will +17 DR 15/cold iron and magic; Immune acid,bleed, mind-influencing effects, petrifaction, polymorph; Resist electricity 10, fire 10; SR 30

Offense Speed 40 ft., swim 80 ft. Melee gore +26/+21/+16/+11 (4d6+13), bite +24 (4d6+6 plus 2d6 acid) or gore +24/+24/+19/+19/+14/+14/+9 (4d6+13), bite +24 (4d6+6 plus 2d6 acid) or tongue +26 (2d8+13 plus 4d6 acid plus grab) Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft. (20 ft. with bite, 60 ft. with tongue) Special Attacks breath weapon (120 ft. cone, 20d6 acid, Ref DC 31, 1d4 rounds), constrict (2d8+19 plus 4d6 acid), extensible tongue (AC 23, 33 hp), trample (2d8+19, Ref DC 33) Spell-like Abilities CL 19th, concentration +23 3/day—commune with nature, freedom of movement, undeath to death (DC 21) 1/day—quickened divine power

Statistics Str 36, Dex 21, Con 32, Int 9, Wis 20, Cha 21Base Atk +20; CMB +41 (+45 grab); CMD 56 Feats Blind Fight, Double Slice, Great Fortitude, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Initiative, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Multiattack, Quicken SLA (divine power), Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (gore) Skills Knowledge (nature) +16, Perception +26, Sense Motive +22, Survival +22, Swim +37; Racial Bonuses +4 Perception, +4 Swim Languages Senzar, telepathy 100 ft. SQ articulated horns, merge with ward, ward (animal graveyard of 4 square km or less)

Ecology Environment any Organization solitary Treasure incidental

Special Abilities Horns (Ex) The horns of an oxter are capable of making iterative attacks as if they were manufactured weapons. An oxter can fight with both horns in the same turn as if using two manufactured weapons (and most oxters take Two Weapon Fighting and other feats for this purpose). In any round in which an oxter makes a melee attack with its articulated horns, it treats its other natural weapons as secondary natural attacks. Extensible Tongue (Ex/Su) An oxter treats its tongue as a primary natural attack that deals bludgeoning damage. It can make attacks with a reach of 60 feet ordinarily, but if the oxter spends a move action, it can extend its tongue 60 feet. It can continue to spend move actions to keep extending its tongue at a rate of 60 feet per round to a maximum of 1200 feet long. The tongue can attack around corners and even enter buildings; if the oxter cannot see what it’s attacking, the tongue can use the oxter’s blindsense. An oxter cannot use its tongue as a weapon in a round where it attacks with other natural weapons. The oxter’s tongue has hit points equal to 1/10 the oxter, and an AC of 10 + ½ the oxter’s natural armor bonus. It uses the oxter’s saving throws, resistances and immunities if attacked separately. The oxter’s tongue can make Stealth checks as a Medium creature, and is five feet in diameter. If an oxter’s tongue is reduced to 0 hp, it is shed, and the oxter grows a new tongue over the course of the next 24 hours.

[lost-rxverie]

Hi! First of all, I love your blog! It's literally my go to boost of motivation for literally anything.

One thing I have noticed is that you seem to work out pretty consistently. Do you have any particular fitness goals (like, just staying healthy/building muscle, etc.)?

Thanks!

thank you so much! and thank you for this ask, i'm developing some upsettingly gym-bro tendencies and apparently leap at the chance to talk about my gym routine lol. this might get kinda long –

longtime followers might remember that i dealt with long covid during my first two years of college, and that kept me from being physically active for a long while. last spring/summer i started going to the gym to help my rehabilitation and recover some of the stamina i'd lost while i was ill.

as i kept working out i found that the regular exercise was working wonders for my stress levels as well. i have stress-related stomach issues, and keeping active (along with being intentional about what i eat) helps me to manage it without medication. i don't know if i'll ever love running, but regular cardio is particularly helpful for this.

that covers the general health aspect of it, but i've also been focusing a lot on strength training for the past 9 months or so. it's partially an aesthetic thing, partially a practical one (deadlifts are surprisingly effective training for dorm move-out day) and i also find it really satisfying to see measurable progress over time.

i could talk about this for way longer but i think i'll leave it there. the mind-body connection is super important and i encourage everyone to find ways to include activity and movement in their busy academic schedules!

[miserywrittes]

「 ✦ Popular Keith, Loser Lance ✦ 」

Note for chapter 1: 3.2K words.  this is going to be my first ever fanfic im posting!! Uh so please be patient with me since this is going to be chapters, and don't be too critical of my writing. I've been writing for a while, but I've never done fanfiction before lol. Anyways I hope you enjoy it!! . This is also mostly in keiths pov ig? Im not really sure but i wrote it more from his perspective. 

Chapter 1: Underneath the Tree

Like most days Keith was finishing his soccer practice after school. It was around 7:30 pm, and the sun was slowly starting to set around this time. However, today was different though. This was his last first practice as a high schooler. Keith started walking off the field and grabbed his bag, so he could head out. He sighed heavily thinking back about all his time he spent after school on the field. It was like his second home, second family. His chest felt tightening just thinking about leaving the place he called home for four years. Promoted to captain of the team he felt this great responsibility on his shoulders. He wouldn't trade it for the world though. He was happy to finally be recognized for his hard work over the years. Being told he of course was a little nervous. That's a ton of pressure, but for the most part he was extremely excited.  He swung his duffel bag over his shoulder and let out a small huff of air due to it being heavier than normal with all his gear inside. He looked around one last time soaking it all up. “This really is my last first practice.”, he whispered ever so quietly to himself. The grass is still shining after being trampled on by the players after a few hours. The wind was warm, but cool at the same time. It truly was a perfect summer night…

Keith shook his head a little and cleared his throat to get out of his head. He couldn't continue to reminisce like that he had things to do. He let out one more sigh and then started walking off the field. Keith did hurry his steps today like usual. He took his time, observed the people, plants and the atmosphere. People were either walking along the paths of the campus like, or still doing their club activities, mingling with their friends along the way. The graden club taking care of their vibrant plants. It seemed like they had a good harvest this year. The computer club was also outside for the first day, surprising but not at the same time they just worked on their computers outside but close to the building for the wifi. They were even enjoying the beautiful weather. To Keith it almost felt like he was in a movie with how angelic everything looked.

He started to steadily  approach his normal hangout spot after practice. It was a large tree near the campus in their courtyard. Keith for the past four years always did his homework, projects, just to think, or even just cooling off after practice. It was pretty much his comfort place. Surprisingly the courtyard was almost never busy no matter the time of the year. Most students just stayed inside to do their homework, or they already went home. It was nice since he could have his little own haven of peace and quiet. Nobody ever sat at the huge tree either, so he made it his spot. Indirectly of course. He wouldnt ever kick someone out if they decided to sit there. He gets it, it's a fire spot in his opinon.  That's why he was so surprised to see another person standing there. It almost looked like the person was waiting for someone to come by with how they were standing. He squinted his purple eyes to see if he could figure out who was over there. Bright blue converse shoes, light blue jeans that had some wear to them, tan skin… white and blue shirt… he let out a massive sigh. Keith didn't even have to continue to look all the way up their figure to see who it was. Only one other person he knew dressed like that. Lance McClain. His so-called “academic rival”, well at least as lance puts it. He didnt really see the cuban boy as competition. 

His short brown hair flowing in the wind, tan skin kissed by the sun and dark brown eyes shining like they always are. Keith scoffed at his thoughts. ‘God I thought i got over that’, He thinks to himself as he rolls his eyes. Already annoyed at his own brain for thinking that way, so he was going into this conversation a little agitated. Anytime he sees Lance, and has to talk to him he feels a little irritated. It's just how he feels, almost like it's ingrained in him. He stops stalling and heads over to the tree. His footsteps are quiet, but not quiet enough for Lance to not notice. Lance immediately whips his head over to the sound to see who was coming over.

Lance's lips curve up into a small smirk as soon as he sees Keith. Keith did his best to keep his eyes down and just to sit down. Without fail though lance catches him before he could even sit down. Keith narrows his eyes a little up at lance. Keith takes note of how lance is still growing even after all this time, and that he himself  has pretty much reached his final height. Just the thought of that made him want to roll his eyes but he refrained. Lance then opens his mouth to speak, “Just the man I was waiting for!” He says cheerily as he gives little finger guns to Keith. Keith keeps his eyes on him even though the urge to roll them was extremely strong. “I don't have time for this Lance. I got some stuff I need to take care of and I wanna relax after my practice.” He started in his normal voice, which was monotone but a little bit of a deep rumble to it since lance was ‘annoying’ him. 

Lance's smirk doesn't falter though. He has dealt with Keith and his attitude for four years now. Lance has grown pretty used to it, and how Keith basically always gives in the second time he says something to him. He has learned the ins and outs of the boy genius. “Oh come one man! I'm just here to ask ya something. I promise it won't take long.” He states in his smooth charming voice that he naturally has. Keith sighs, “Fine, but it better actually be quick this time.” He says as he remembers all the other times Lance has come to him asking a ‘question’ and it always leads to them either fighting, tussling, something petty or getting dragged into something he never wanted to do/or hear about. Keith swears Lance gets underneath his skin on purpose for his own amusement.  Lance puts his hand up in defense and keeps the smirk on his face.

“Ok ok I promise to actually be quick about it this time. It's just about what college you got into. Allura wouldn't give me your phone number so I couldn't ask over the summer.”, He says in a happy tone. Keith silently thanks Allura in his head for not giving his number to Lance. He didn't know if he could handle that boy bothering him all summer. He can just imagine all the late night texts of stupid questions, or even the late night shenanigans he probably gets into. Keith looks back over at him and rolls his eyes. “I got into my top pick, Voltron University, full ride scholarship for playing soccer.”, He says matter of factly, but not in a cocky tone where he is bragging. He was just stating simply where he is going and how. Lance's eyebrows shoot up a little bit. He doesn't respond right away.

Keith raises an eyebrow back not sure why that would make lance speechless. Everyone knows that Keith's first pick was VU, that should include him. ‘Why does he seem so surprised?’, Keith asks himself. Lance then clears his throat. That snapped Keith right out of his thoughts. “Well looks like we will be attending the same college.”, He says sort of softly. Almost out of character for him. ‘Was he nervous?’, Keith thought to himself as he takes in Lance’s anxious behavior. Lance was picking at the skin on his thumb with his left finger, making a small noise from friction of the skin. You’d think only Lance himself could hear it since he's the one doing it, but Keith somehow heard it. Even if it's just a split second of it. Keith always noticed whenever he did that. He moves his eyes quickly back up to Lance’s. 

“I guess we will be then…”, Keith says as he looks away from lance and to somewhere off in the distance. No where in particular. He wasn't sure what else to say. Yeah they have their fighting moments, they bickered a lot because they somehow always got paired in group projects, and that they almost had every single class together since the first day of freshman year. Most people saw it as a weird odd coincidence that they got paired up so often, and took the same classes despite them bickering all the time. Keith doesn't know really how Lance feels about the situation, but one thing he for sure knows is that deep down that he himself is grateful. Yeah there were times he had to go to his friend Allura or his brother Shiro due to the amount of anger that lance caused. Not just from the fighting, but just Lance being… well you know, Lance! Throughout these past years Keith has had a lot of feelings about lance, and still to this day is conflicted about their, uh, “friendship”, if you could even call it that.

Keith sees Lance out of his peripheral vision, and he is just staring right at him. Not looking away for even a moment. Keith looks back over to the tan boy. He subconsciously tilts his head just a tiny bit to the side in confusion. Lance immediately shakes out of whatever trance he was in and talks once more, “What no snarky comment about me copying you, or a glare and a scoff, or even a side eye?” His voice came out a little more sassy than he probably wanted to. Whenever he did that it just irked Keith like no other. That sassy tone never failed to make him grit his teeth in annoyance. 

“Oh so I just can’t be calm and collected ever? Only you can right?”, Keith says back quickly with a sassy tone of his own. This is how their bickering always starts. Lance says something, not always entirely rude, but it can be sometimes. Its usual tone or an actual action he does is what sets Keith off. Lance, no better than Keith, gets set off right back. Then it's never ending until one of them walks away in frustration. Sometimes neither of them walk away. There have been plenty of fists thrown throughout the years. They don't really ever get that far though someone always sees. Whether it be Pidge, Hunk, Allura, a teacher or even the vice principal. 

That incident with the vice principal did make them agree together on one thing though. That if they ever felt they needed to fist fight one would say something, and they would go off campus and fight. That talk with the VP was more than embarrassing for them last year, especially since it was in front of multiple people in the hallway. Keith remembers it more embarrassing for Lance than himself. He was the one to bring up that agreement. Keith was always curious to as why Lance was so embarrassed, but he never pressed. They weren't that close of friends anyways, so why would he even need to know. Nor did he ever really want to think about why it bothered Lance so much. He had a strange feeling it would just turn into another argument.

Lance laughs boisterously at Keith's small scowl and furrowed eyebrows. “Man is it so easy to get you going. It never gets old.” He wipes a fake tear from his eye as he continues to laugh. Keith's mouth goes agape for a moment in disbelief. ‘Did he really just say that to set me off?!?’, keith thinks to himself as his eyebrows furrow even deeper than before. ‘He has to be kidding right’, he thinks to himself. He isn't sure why he is so surprised. That's pretty typical behavior for Lance. He pulls that stuff on Keith more often than not. It's almost as if disbelief was written on Keith's face, (it pretty much was) Lance starts laughing even harder. Actual tears coming out of his eyes now as he holds his stomach since it started hurting a little from all the laughing. Keith scoffs hard and rolls his eyes. “You know what yeah laugh it up loser Lance”, Keith says sort of as a joke. 

Lance has taken his fair share of bullying, name calling, getting pushed, money stolen from, the usual, since the beginning of his school career. A little bit of name calling doesn't affect him like it used to. When it comes from Keith he always smirks and looks right into the purple eyes right across from him. Keith always notices that. It does get on his nerves a little bit that he can never start a fight with Lance first. Not that he even really ever even wants to fight with him.  If Lance was ever the winner of anything it was starting a fight with Keith. That's just one thing Keith could never do. Anything Keith has ever done Lance has handled it with grace. In a way Keith admires that trait and wishes he wasn't always so hot headed, but god something about that boy just gets under his skin and throws out all reason. Lance knows that fact very well and he uses it to his advantage. 

“Ooo you’re throwing out names again, niiceee~”, Lance says ever so smoothly, a smirk still plastered on his face. Keith was about to make another retort, but Lance spoke again before he could. “Anyways that's all I really wanted to share, and I wanted to congratulate you on getting in. I knew you would.”, Lance says as the smirk fades and turns into a genuine smile. Keith’s anger is automatically put to a halt as he hears those words come out of the other boy's mouth. In a way his own world stopped and time paused for Keith. Those feelings from freshman year come right back up once again… ‘well have they really ever left?’, Keith asks himself, but immediately shakes off that question he gave himself. Of course they went away. What was he talking about? He puts his focus back on Lance who is still in front of him. “Thanks, Lance. Congrats to you too. I never asked what are you planning on going to college for?”, he asks in his calm soothing voice. The voice that sends shivers up Lance’s spine.

Lance keeps his bright smile on his face. “Im going for marine biology”, He says as he crosses his arms across his chest and puts on a proud face. Keith almost lets out a small chuckle cuz of how ridiculous he looks hitting that pose. Keith instead lets out a small, but noticeable smile. “Thats pretty cool. I wouldn't have guessed that, but I think it suits you fairly well”, Keith's voice being ever so smooth. The tone of happiness in there just made Lance’s smile grow a bit wider. Lance nods, still hitting that proud stance. “I know that's why I chose it”, fake arrogance rolling off the boy's tongue. Keith’s smile falters for a second, and he just ends up sighing. “Great, really glad my compliment was taken so nicely”, he spews with pure sarcasm, eyes rolling. He wasn't really that annoyed by his comment. Keith just had to give a retort since he wasn't able to just a moment ago. 

Lance snickers a little with amusement and puts a hand on Keith's shoulder. Keith’s eyes going straight to lances as soon as he does that. However, when he looks up at the guy there is nothing but a pure genuine smile on his face. Keith calms down quickly. “No but for real, thank you. That was nice to hear. Other people haven't been so kind about it, so yeah… thanks”, Lance’s voice gets quieter as he goes on. The smile slowly fading, but Keith noticed it never fully faded. That was another thing he admired about the boy in front of him. Keith paused once again, but not for long and nodded. “Yeah of course”, he says quietly also. Almost as if he spoke any louder the moment between them would snap into two. Lance gives him a small nod back pats his shoulder, “Cant wait to hear what youre gonna major in… mr mullet”. He says back to Keith, and his normal smug voice returns.  He then starts to walk away. He looks at Keith one more time, smirks, and then for real walks away without looking back. Keith couldn't even get a response in there once again since Lance walked away as he was speaking. 

Keith shakes his head, a small smile being put right back onto his face. He watches lance for about 30 seconds as he walks away. His figure is getting smaller and smaller as his long legs carry him away quickly.

Keith sighs heavily, sets his duffel bag down, and sits down on the soft grass. He leans against the big tree. His hair flowing in the wind, pale skin shining in the slow setting sun, and soft murmuring from other students in the courtyard filling his ears. Slowly he started to relax his muscles, all that tension finally leaving his body. He takes in his surroundings, people watching, his mind at peace. Keith always watched others. Not for any reason in particular other than he didn't have to think. It was a way to give his brain a rest, to reset if you will. After five minutes he changes his sitting position to cross his legs, and digs into his duffel bag for his homework. His math teacher already assigned homework on the first day, god he hated that teacher so much. She used to be the middle school math teacher, and then she got promoted. Not only did he have to deal with her berating in middle school, but now also his last year of school. They never have got along.

He aggressively, without realizing it, takes out the homework from his duffel bag. He likes to keep his soccer gear and school work separate bags usually but this time he didn't feel like carrying two bags home.  He also takes out his pencil,  phone, and headphones so he can get his work done. He always felt that he worked better when he was listening to music. He had all different kinds of playlist for when he was doing homework depending on what subject or how he was feeling. One for every occasion. He connects the headphones, and then puts them on his head, fixing his hair while he is at it. He pulls it back so it's half up, half down. Keith puts on his normal math hw playlist, and then he gets started on it.

☠︎︎do not repost any of my works without my permission. miserywrittes©☠︎︎ ↻ ◁ | masterlist | ▷ ↺

[sohnric]

2024 REWIND ☆

thank you so much to beam @sungbeam for tagging me in this! I really love stats and numbers so this is definitely something I enjoyed doing. I know I haven't posted in a while but I think it's still great to look back a little on what I managed to put out this year!

first fic of 2024: beloved (eric sohn)

I remember being super super scared of posting this one. I wrote it when I was having a really hard time dealing with a lot of thoughts and emotions. definitely self-indulgent and very personal, but I am happy it's out there 🫶🏻

last fic of 2024: cool kids (sim jaeyun)

not gonna lie this drabble was the most spontaneous thing ever 😭😭 for the length of it it surprisingly took me a lot of time to finish and I wasn't even 100% happy with it, but I think it's a sweet harmless little drabble!

longest fic of 2024: partners in crime (ji changmin) - 33k

this was a work that I've wanted to write for literally years. this idea has been bouncing around my head since like 2020, so I am happy I finally got to write it. I think the timing was just right, since changmin really fit the role of who I wanted the main character to be, and although I was really scared to put this one out there, I am very proud of it.

most popular fic of 2024: cool kids (sim jayeun)

not gonna lie I believe I have works that deserve the number of notes more and I didnt even expect this drabble to get so much traction, but I am thankful to enhablr for this 🫶🏻 over 1.4k notes is truly crazy

personal pick of 2024: to. my first (kim sunwoo)

this fic (alongside with millennium bug) might just be the works I truly love the most. I posted this in early january, so it almost feels like last year, but I am still going to count it because this fic has a very very special place in my heart. I love everything about the plot, characters and the universe I created with this 90s au and I will definitely revisit it in 2025!

total fics written: 16

total words written: ~ 131 600

I battled with writer's block a lot this year and was also very busy with uni since september started, so I can't really be mad at myself. Happy that I focused on writing so much in summer and hopefully there are many more words waiting to be written by me next year, when I have a degree and a lot less to worry about haha.

top artists/muses of 2024:

kim sunwoo ~ 58.5k words written

eric sohn ~ 44.4k words written

ji changmin ~ 34.5k words written

nothing surprising here, not gonna lie HAHA. although he is not my bias, sunwoo is just the most fun to write about for me. I adore creating his character because I feel like we are similar in many ways (I am in his walls.)

last words:

thank you so much for everyone on this site that has read anything written by me this year. It's crazy to think there are so many people out there that cared enough about what I have to say and I am insanely grateful for every ask, reblog, follow, comment, message and like I've recieved this year 🫶🏻

thank you also to all of my friends on this site but mainly @csenke my belovedest. you helped me insanely in a lot of ways this year, but also with writing by always listening to me rambling, beta reading for me, brainstorming and giving me inspiration. I owe you my life and love u forever my best friend, can't wait to see u again in january <3

not sure when there will be a new work posted by me, since I need to write a bachelor's thesis before I let my brainrot win and write a fanfic, but trust me when I say I WILL BE BACK. the ideas in my drafts are too good to abandon.

happy holidays. I wish everyone's 2025 will be kind.

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC Lucien New SR Top Up Karma + Date Blurb

"I just want to capture the most heart-stirring sweetness of this summer from your eyes."

"Countless lucks in this world will come to you on their own accord."

Date blurbs under the cut!

[Sweet Dream Date]

As I dream about desserts day and night, I unexpectedly receive an invitation to sample the dishes at my dream store.

As we explore the store together, every dessert surprisingly matches my taste…

These strokes of luck might have been a "long-planned scheme" by a certain Mr. Fox.

Or perhaps, like the sunset at the horizon, it becomes more enduring because we are witnessing it together.

Under the perfect conditions of time, place, and people, I go on a date with Lucien to my long-desired pop-up dessert shop, only to discover after the date that all the "luck" seems to have been carefully planned by him.....

-

"Just when the sweet dream was at its best, I realized you weren't by my side…"

I place the freshly poured water on his desk and glance at his screen groggily. It seems to be an email in Spanish.

I sigh softly and snuggle into his arms.

"Professor Lucien, is your recent research workload heavy?"

"It's okay, I'm almost done with it."

He takes off his glasses, his jaw gently brushing against the crook of my neck, speaking in a soft tone.

"Do you have any plans for this weekend? How about going out for a walk?"

His warm breath sprays on the skin of my neck, causing fine, tingling itchiness that feels like a rising temptation.

I gently massage his head along his hair, again and again, with feelings of distress spilling from my fingertips.

"Going out is also quite tiring. Since you're rarely free, let's just stay at home together~"

Lucien gently grasps my hand, his tone tinged with a bit of grievance.

"But I've been busy for so long, I also want to go out for a walk."

"I wonder if this little lady would be willing to fulfill my little wish?"

[simplysedusa]

PPG Headcanons I Plan On Incorporating In My Fics

Elmer is black with albinism, and he still has his glue powers. He's done quite well keeping it under wraps thanks to Professor Utonium and his pen-pal, Dexter.

Ms. Bellum is Princess Morbucks' maternal aunt. Penelope (Princess's mom, Sara's sister) and Sara were close as could be from a typical middle class family. That all changed when Penelope started dating Roy Morbucks. Ms. Bellum never liked the guy but her parents could be happier. The final nail in the coffin was when Penelope announced their engagement, and the two haven't spoken since her wedding day.

Prior to moving to Townsville, Mr. Morbucks had business in Townsville; some of it legal, but most of it wasn't. With the Powerpuff Girls being the beloved superheroes, it'd only be a matter of time until someone hired them to look into Mr. Morbucks' establishments and discovered his criminal underbelly. He decided to take Princess and enroll her in the very same kindergarten as the Powerpuff Girls to be her eyes and ears. He didn't expect her to become a supervillain out of spite, but he decided to fund her endeavors as a distraction.

Mitch has a tumultuous family background. His mom is dead, his dad's an alcoholic whose constantly in and out of jail with a different girl of the week living with him in the trailer, and his grandmother is hospitalized. Once Professor Utonium learned of this, he allowed Mitch to spend the night whenever he felt the need to. The constant exposure to the Powerpuffs allowed him to become friends with Blossom and Bubbles, closer with Buttercup, and a nicer person overall. He's still rather rebellious but he's no longer a bully. His interests are motorbikes (or any kind of car) and animals, surprisingly. He helps the volunteers to look after Twiggy during the summers on Monster Isle, who helps keep the monsters away from Townsville.

The Gangreen Gang (minus Ace, obviously) are a few of the aforementoined volunteers. Much to Buttercup's chagrin, Mitch and the reformed Gangreen Gang are on good terms.

Beebos are outlawed in Townsville, Farmsville, and Citiesville. All of them have been relocated to Monster Island. Mitch also helps keep an eye on the population and their feeding habits during his volunteer work over the summer. 

I can't decide if I want one of the Rowdyruff Boys or the Gangreen Gang to illegally have a Beebo, but one of those former delinquents definitely has one and are trying their hardest to keep it a secret lmao.

I've spoken about him here but Barnaby Mayer (aka "the Mayor") had been embezzling money from the city of Townsville for years. He came from a rather poverty stricken background and originally wanted to become mayor to help change Townsville for people like him. His newfound greed got to the better of him, and a certain someone close to him who I don't want to spoil just yet only helped push him further. Deforestation only allowed the growth of Townsville's infrastructure, at the expense of Fuzzy's property. Bribes from rich corporations in Townsville allowed the Mayor to turn a blind eye to wherever they dumped their toxic waste, which affected the Gangreen Gang and mutated the Amoeba Boys as their part of the city became the city wasteland. Sedusa's own court case was even rigged in the research lab's favor as a deal; the Mayor offers them funding and in exchange, they keep quiet about what he asks of them (future questionably unethical Chemical X experiments to extract a weakness against the Powerpuff Girls, silence on the ozone layer of Townsville and the radiation/pollution from monster waste, the Antidote X handcuffs, testing other animals which lead to the creation of the talking dog, White Kitty, and Roach Coach, etc). Most of Townsville's infamous villains link back to him (I got the idea from this post in particular, I just expanded on it).

Speaking of Sedusa's court case, I spoke a great deal about her here. Her real name is Annalise.

[edogawa-division]

ARB Birthday Special 2024: Yuriko Kuromiya

~~ December 22nd ~~

“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.”

Login Lines:

“It’s quiet today…too quiet. I've forgotten something major. I know it. What on earth is the question-hm? Oh, it’s you. What is it?”  

“A gift? ….Ah. That explains the feeling I've been getting all day. Well, thank you. I do appreciate it.”

Voice Lines:

“Everyone is telling me how they can’t believe that I’m turning 36 years old and how I look no older than my mid-20s. I honestly don’t care for their words but I suppose I can’t blame them. I’ve aged better than most have over the years.”

“If one more person asks me when I’m going to settle down I’m going to snap. I don’t give a damn about this so-called “time limit” I have and how my window of having biological kids is getting shorter and shorter each year. I’m content where I am with no partner, plus Kaoru and Kanra are enough as it is. A newborn would only make my life more chaotic.” 

“I had planned on going to work today, but the coroner’s office called to tell me that I had the day off since it was my birthday. I’m afraid I’m unsure what to do today with all this free time. I’m used to being constantly busy one way or another. It’s quite an odd feeling.”

“Father…I wish you were still here some days. I’ve long made peace with your death, but sometimes I wonder what could’ve been. I’m sure you would've enjoyed meeting those two gremlins I call daughters. Perhaps you could have taught them a trick or two.”

“Are you still singing that song, Kaoru? Uh-huh…and how many times have you seen “Wicked” since it came out? I can’t believe you would…no actually, I can believe you would do that. We’ll talk about your new obsession later, but speaking of gifts, what do you have for me this year? I want to hope that it’s nothing insane but knowing you I shouldn’t expect that.” 

“This is surprisingly tame for you, Kaoru. Oh no, what did you do to it? Dammit, I knew I should’ve expected another deranged gift from you. Only you would think to coat a person's nail in a dangerous fatal poison Kaoru. One question, though, why green? Why not black or violet? The colors I normally wear. Kaoru…stop watching “Wicked” I beg of you. *sighs* …There she goes, I truly can’t with her sometimes.” 

“Hello there, Kanra. Your gift wouldn’t happen to be as manic as Kaoru’s would it? Just a touch, dear. I love her but sometimes I wonder if she was dropped on her head as a baby. *snorts* Can’t lose what was never truly there. Oh, you should know I’d love any gift from you Kanra. You’re my sweet girl after all. ” 

“I’m an albino Kanra I can’t help that light and I do not mix but it is a lovely gift. It’ll be especially helpful in the summer so I don’t burn. Just thinking about that time makes me wish it could stay winter forever. Oh, hush you we all have our preferences. Yes yes, lead the way dear. Your cakes are to die for.”

Kaoru Lines:

“Popular~! You’re gonna be popular~! Sorry! It’s just really catchy even if I like Elphaba over Glinda. Just 2 okay maybe…22 times. It’s such a good movie you wouldn’t understand, but enough about that, it’s your special day! Happy birthday, Yuriko! I got you a little gift to celebrate! So here! Hope you enjoy it!”   

“Oh, you should know by now, Yuriko, that I’d give you something more than some simple nail polish. First, I made it myself, and second, it contains a deadly fast-action poison that'll kill anyone in minutes if you scratch them. Hm? Why green? Oh, I got the idea after seeing Elphaba’s nails. Like they’re such a stunning shade of green, and your nails are pretty long, so I thought it was perfect. Nope, I'm riding this obsession until the very end, Yuriko! Anyway, I’m off to recreate Glinda’s bubble now since I’m done with Elphaba’s broom! Bye!” 

Kanra Lines:

“Happy Birthday, Yuriko-san! Did Kaoru go crazy with her gift again? Sounds like her and it doesn’t help that I heard her laughing from her lab all week. I think she’s finally losing her sanity. If it makes you feel better my gift is way more tame than hers. It’s not much but I think you get better use out of it than Kaoru’s.” 

“I know you don’t like the sun or any type of light, actually, so I thought you’d like a parasol. Considering how you burn in the summer sun I can’t blame you for not liking the season but stay in winter? It’s too cold for me. I already sleep with 4 blankets. Hehehe yeah, I like spring more. Now come on! I have your cake already made and it’s tea-flavored too! So hurry up!”