#if we can’t eat the same spice level

[highflyerwings]

Ha Jungwoo being a white wine drinker and not liking spicy foods makes me think we might be fundamentally incompatible with each other. And that breaks my heart.

[itostea]

the strongest (gojo x wife! reader)

gojo can't help but feel annoyed that he feels concern for the wife he swears he doesn't care for.

warnings: arranged marriage au, gojo refers to you as his wife, enemies to lovers (?), gojo tells you to lift up your top, slight angst, he's really bad at feelings okay, image from loving yamada-kun at lv999 (part of gojo’s wife series)

The lines of intrigue and fear are often blurred. It explains why we admire fire from afar, careful not to get too close in hopes of not getting burned. It explains why we find peace in parts of the ocean and tense up in deeper parts. It also explains why Gojo Satoru seeks your presence yet pushes you away the moment he finds himself feeling something other than indifference or vexation–it’s never hatred though. The strongest can’t envision himself ever hating his wife and it scares him. 

He’s not sure that can be said about you. Gojo wouldn’t be surprised if you grew to hate him after the treatment you put up with. 

Your marriage is what you call a “marriage of convenience” and Gojo made sure you remembered that. He wasn’t always so distant with you. Back then, you might’ve considered him a friend but time did its bidding and you two drifted apart, your time together merely a memory. Now fast forward a few years and you were wedded to him, taking up his surname and sleeping in the same house as him–in separate rooms of course. 

Your steps on the wooden floors were silent as you intended not to make a single noise at such a late hour. You sighed, feeling the weight of your heavy shoulders drag you down. 

Gojo might be considered cruel to you but the elders were on a different level. They knew this mission would be too much for you yet they sent you on it as punishment for speaking your mind the last time everyone gathered. 

At that time, your husband had an unfamiliar gleam in your eyes as you voiced your thoughts on the matter of Itadori. He’s a nice kid, you thought when you first saw the pink-haired boy. 

Taking away his youth wouldn’t be fair. After all, he didn’t choose to have the Ryomen Sukuna use him as a vessel. Yet, sentiment doesn’t do well with the higher ups and they made sure you knew your place with the mission they sent you on. 

You inhaled sharply, wincing as you felt the bruise on your rib with your palm. There was blood soaking your tights, little cuts littering your legs. You’re so tired you can’t find it in yourself to even eat. Then again, you needed to be in your best condition tomorrow since another mission was sent out of you and specifically you. Those in power always make sure it’s clear that they are in power. Your voice of opinion meant nothing to their beliefs in tradition or what you liked to call, “backward thinking.” That’s one thing you and your husband could agree on. 

“Ow,” you wince for the nth time as you open the fridge, scanning the items. Mochi. Ice-cream. Leftover cake. Perhaps it would’ve been wiser to go grocery shopping a day prior so you could have a proper meal. This was the kind of stuff Gojo could live on but you couldn’t. Closing the fridge, you opt for instant ramen instead. Not the best choice in regards to healthiness but cracking an egg in there meant more protein and it also minimized the spice levels. 

You’re halfway in between preparing the noodles when you feel a presence right beside you and soft breathing besides your ears. “You’re home,” your ‘husband’ mumbles, his eyes half-lidded from just having woken up. 

“God! Satoru!” You gasp, flinching away from and only realizing how close he was. For someone who claimed he wasn’t interested in you, he didn’t know what personal space was. “How did you know I was home?”

“Your cursed energy leaked in,” he shrugs his shoulders, peering down at you without the constraints of his blindfold or shades. You gulp as his eyes flit up and down your appearance, causing your insides to tense up in a sudden wave of self-consciousness. Being scrutinized by the six-eyes himself wasn’t much fun and you’re suddenly aware of the fact that your hair is disheveled and your face is sweaty from just having come home from a grueling mission. 

You don’t even notice the glint of rage that crosses his hues before he masks it. “Who did this to you?”

“Huh?” You blink, coming to your senses that your body was bloodied up and battered from having fought a curse. “Oh it was just a mission. It’s normal to be hurt on missions.” 

Gojo’s been living with you for nearly half a year now and he knows you’re more than competent when it comes to shaman duties (not that he’d ever tell you). He knows you return home by 7 p.m.., and never at hours well past midnight. He knows that you usually only get injuries on your back because you get careless at times. But now, he sees cuts everywhere and he’s not sure if you’re running on adrenaline or if you’re too tired to notice. 

His eyes glance at the way you press a palm on your rib, subconsciously squeezing the area as if hiding it from him. “Let me see.”

Your surprise is immediate and he would’ve felt a strange fluttering in his stomach if not for this concern he was experiencing for you. You smile. “See what?”

“Your injury. Let me see it,” he says again, pressing on the hand you hold close to your ribs, narrowing his eyes as you hiss in pain. “Don’t be stubborn (Name).” 

His voice is different from the cheery one he often uses and you’re left leaning further into the kitchen counter, acutely aware of the fact that his taller frame wasn’t allowing you to escape. His eyes widen the slightest once he gets a glimpse of your flustered expression as you peer up at him and he only realizes what he was asking from you. Part of him tells him to ignore this and pretend his concern for you was brief. Yet, part of him screams at him that he was your husband, so he should feel the right to be worried–even if he was months late. 

He sighs, tilting his head. “I’m just going to look. I promise I won’t do anything else,” his voice is oddly tender as he speaks to you, a contrast to the usual nonchalance you’re used to. 

You gulp and let out a shaky sigh, giving in when your fingers reach to pull your top up for him to see the bare skin that you can’t even say is spotless or void of marks. Multiple wounds litter your skin–some faded, some new. You’re scared his gaze would show some signs of judgment or disgust but you’re left bemused when you see how his eyebrows furrow and his lips purse. For a second, you allow yourself to be deluded by the fact that he might be worried but you quickly abandon that thought, averting your eyes from him.

You can see how he pieces everything together. From the way you rebelled against the elders and how they saw it as a means to punish you. He does it so quickly that you can only blink when his blank expression morphs into something different. You almost feel relieved from the fact that his expression of pure anger wasn’t directed at you and rather those who sent you on the mission.

It’s almost natural how he slides the top further up, mapping the extent of the bruise with his eyes. His hands are warm and calloused. They’re also gentle, tracing the bruise carefully to not hurt you. “I’ll kill those old bastards,” he chuckles with a sneer. “They have some nerve letting my wife take this mission without me.”

You frown as you see his anger first-hand. “Satoru–”

“Why didn’t you go to Shoko?” He interrupts, gently holding on your waist to prop you on the counter while he stands in between your legs. He watches you intently, in search of answers.

You feel somewhat embarrassed as his hand still lifts your top up to see the bare skin but don’t comment on it. “I didn’t want to bother her so late at night…”

For the first time since today, you see him flash a genuine smile, as if exasperated by your reasoning. “But you’re fine with bothering me?” 

“That’s different!” You say, a pout slowly forming on your lips and he can’t help but feel drawn to you even if he doesn’t want to. 

He laughs as you pull your top down with a huff, finding it cute that you were so bashful. “Because I’m your husband?” 

You go silent and for a second, Gojo thinks he’s messed up for mentioning that. Despite being your husband, he’s not the greatest at doing his job. He’s not callous or spiteful towards you, instead taking on more of a cold and aloof attitude towards you. Even so, he thinks that hurts just as much as a few insults. 

He’s about to pull back but your voice draws him back to you. “Yeah. It’s because you’re my husband.”

Gojo can’t stop himself from glancing at your lips at that single statement. He was today years old when he realized he was a man of simple tastes. All you had to do was tell him that he was your husband and he’d want to kiss you until your lips turned red. He considers himself lucky that you didn’t see that slip-up of his–though he wouldn’t have minded if you did.

He breathes out a sigh, propping his chin atop your head while his fingers draw circles around your hips. “I won’t let them hurt you.”

It’s a vow he swears to keep. 

“I know,” you whisper quietly enough for him to hear. “You’re the strongest after all.”

He thinks it’s funny that even as the strongest, he feels weak when he feels your fingers play with his sleeves. No words are said after that and a comfortable silence drifts between you two. It’s like the barrier between the two of you is cracking once you feel his lips press gently against your forehead and you think it's his way of sealing the promise. 

Gojo Satoru thinks–or rather he knows that he wouldn’t mind living the rest of his life with you. And he knows that he should fix his behavior around you and stop running away. That way, instead of a kiss to the forehead, he can finally give you one on your lips. 

[wardenparker]

Love Potion Number 9

Will 'Ironhead' Miller x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

Rating: M for Mature but this blog is always 18+ Word Count: 15.4k Warnings: Not too many! Alcohol, food mentions, some fakey suburban witchcraft stuff written by an actual pagan, probably incorrect descriptions of a town that actually exists. Making out and undressing. Mentions of protected sex. Summary: Halloween is a really big deal in your hometown, and this year your sister is in town to celebrate with you. But what you don't know is that she isn't the only old familiar face around. Your childhood crush Will Miller is back, too. Notes: Happy Spooktober everyone! We're starting off nice and fluffy this year, with a little love for the older Miller brother. We're starting the spice level out low 🧡

Red Feather Lakes might be a small community, but for the little corner of Colorado where you grew up, Halloween is a way of life. The annual kids parade on Elf Lane, and Main Street Trick or Treat are the highlight of the year, and the costume party at town hall is not to be missed.

This year is the hundredth anniversary of the big Halloween shindig and on the night before, which is making such a splash around town that people are coming in from all over to see what the town council has managed. Even your little sister is back in town, which is how the two of you ended up on the back porch of your parents’ house drinking margaritas and eating cold pizza way too late at night, catching up and reminiscing about Halloweens of years past.

“Don’t you remember that night that Ben Miller scared the ever-loving shit out of us?” She snorts, feeling tipsy and better than she has in a long time. This little trip was needed. Especially since she has some news that might change the dynamic of the next time you get together.

“Which time?” You raise an eyebrow at her and pour the last of the pitcher of margaritas evenly between your glasses. While most of your friends — and even your little sister who is your best friend — had grown up and left town, you had come back again a few years ago after a change of careers. Seeing her again at any time of year that isn’t the winter holidays is such a treat. “The time he jumped out at us in that King Kong mask up in Elf Lane? Or the time he tried to climb in the kitchen window dressed like Freddy Krueger and dad nearly clobbered him with a baseball bat?”

The Millers were your next door neighbors growing up, and you had spent a lot of time together since you and Will were in the same grade and your sister was the same grade as Benny. For a while when you were kids, the four of you were inseparable.

“That time that he snuck in and grabbed our ankles from under the bed.” She laughs, even though at the time it hadn’t been funny. She had cussed him out and Will had actually knocked him upside his dumbass head a few times after he had calmed the two of you down.

Snorting at the memory, you take a big sip from your crazy straw and laugh from somewhere deep in your belly that you swear you had forgotten. "You screamed so loud you woke up Mrs. Peterson two houses down. It was amazing, but I still wanted to kick Benny's ass."

“Will did.” She rolls her eyes and takes a sip of her margarita. “I can’t believe it’s been so long. We were fucking kids. I think that’s the moment I lost my little crush on Benny.”

"When you realized he was never going to stop pranking you for shits and giggles?" Chaos has always been Benny Miller's energy. You will agree to that completely.

“Yeah.” She blows out a sigh and shrugs. “Worked out for the best, I guess. At least I don’t have to sleep with one eye open.”

"Maybe not the best..." You shoot your sister a smirk. "I heard from Janie Calitri that he's doing MMA fights now." Gossip is just about all there is to do in a town as small as yours, and that multiples exponentially when the gossip is about your small-town heroes. The Miller brothers are solidly near the top of that list. Everybody in town loves them and remembers them fondly. Even if Benny was a little shit.

“God.” She blows out a laugh that is half surprise but mostly resignation. “MMA? I guess that’s the next step after the army.”

"Seems like it." It isn't worth mentioning that you also heard in the same conversation that Will Miller is now a firefighter or personal trainer or maybe both. Janie hadn't been clear on the details except that she'd somehow seen a picture of him looking drool-worthy on Instagram shared by a gym. But Will Miller had always been drool worthy. Even when you were gangly, awkward teenagers.

“So, how are you liking living here?” She asks, taking another sip and glancing around the screened in porch and then back at you. “I know that wish I live closer - I do too, but please tell me you’ve been going out and dating?”

“Please tell me who I’m supposed to date in a town of less than five hundred people where we know everyone already and they all know us?” The best you can do is shake your head and take another long sip of your drink. “I don’t mind being back and I actually really like my job, but I basically hang out at home with the dog all day since I telecommute. Mom and Dad will probably never retire just because they hate being bored, And they go line dancing or to the movies or to the bowling alley all the time.” Snorting again, you shrug. “Our parents have a way more active social life than I do.”

“Come on, you used to have huuuuuuge crush on Will!” She yelps it out in disappointment. “You mean you didn’t jump him when he came home from the Army without that twat he was going to marry?”

There it is, you think with an internal sigh. The downside of having your little sister as your best friend is that she knows literally everything about your life — and the things she’s somehow missed she just barges into the middle of. “No, I didn’t. Though that girl was fucking awful.” She was some girl he’d met in a bar while he was in. Someone who just wanted to go around making sure everyone knew how important she was as an Army Wife, while not wanting to do a thing to help her serviceman partner. Will’s PTSD had been terrible back then and she had done less than nothing to help. The day he blacked out and almost attacked a man in the grocery store in town, it was you who talked him down and helped him out of the panic. Not her. She had gone back to the house and packed. “He’s moved again, anyway. He’s living with Benny in Florida.”

“What? No way.” She scrunches her nose and makes a face. “That sucks. You would have married him and had his babies in a New York minute if he would have looked at you.” She sighs softly. “Where in Florida?”

“Sarasota.” You answer far too quickly, and duck your head away and when she raises both eyebrows at you. “We…may follow each other on Instagram still. Not that we ever talk.”

“And how often do you stalk his page?” She demands, smirking slightly at the way you are avoiding eye contact.

“I see on my feed when he posts something new,” you defend, concentrating very hard on petting your parents’ dog at your feet. “I don’t go stalking him.”

“But I bet notifications are on.” She snorts and grins when you shove at her. Only tipping sideways slightly but manages not to spill her drink as she rights herself. “Yeah. You still drool over William Miller.”

“Childhood crushes die hard.” It’s a weak defense, and you would more accurately call him your first love, but she isn’t wrong. You definitely still drool over Will Miller.

“God, do you remember when we were going through that little goth phase and decided we were witches?” She cackles. “We should whip up that love potion we had a recipe – I mean spell for.”

“The foolproof one you got from some rando on MySpace?” It had sounded genius back in the day. Absolutely brilliant. To two preteens from a middle-of-nowhere mountain town, it had seemed perfect. “It was so useless, wasn’t it? With just cooking herbs and normal stuff in it?”

“Yes! But that’s not the point.” She sends you an exaggerated pout. “The point is to do something. Start working on your love life.”

The look you give her is incredulous at best. “By making…weird love spell tea to lure Will Miller back to Colorado and into my chronically single arms?”

“Absolutely!” She giggles like it’s the funniest phrasing she’s ever heard, but she wants to do it. “We should do something silly and fun. Doesn’t matter if it’s not going to work.” She grins. “We will just be summoning our Practical Magic sides again.”

Maybe it’s the margaritas. Maybe it’s that tomorrow is Halloween. Or maybe it’s just that you missed your sister. But whatever it is, you tilt your head to look at her and end up grinning. “If you tell me you wrote the love spell down somewhere I’m going to laugh my ass off.”

“Oh I made a Grimoire.” She tells you, looking both pleased with herself and a little embarrassed. “I was really into it!” She huffs when your eyes widen and she throws a napkin at you.

“You were, but do you think it’s still upstairs?” The idea, silly as it is, seems to itch something very intriguing in your tipsy mind.

“Let’s go see!” She drains the rest of her margarita and slaps the cup down. Now that you are not protesting the entire idea, she is ready to make this happen for you. “We will make Will Miller fall in love with you

******

"Come oooooon!" Benny is flopped on his back on the sofa in the apartment he shares with his brother, staring up at both the ceiling and at Will's incredulous face. "It's gonna be even better this year, and you pulled the short straw at work last year and couldn't come home with me for Christmas. Mom will flip her shit if you come home with me as a surprise. She'll be so excited dude."

“It’s Halloween.” Will snorts. “You’re just going to pass out or eat all the candy and scare the shit out of the kids.” He could go, but giving Benny a hard time right now is much more fun.

"Yes." Benny waves his hands, outstretched arms punctuating his point like a giant bird's wingspan. "Yes exactly. What else would I do on Halloween? It's going to be amazing." They grew up loving the holiday, loving their town's traditions, and always putting their full effort into costumes and parties. Halloween in Red Feather Lakes is really its own whole world. "Which is exactly why you should come home with me and enjoy yourself for once."

“I don’t find scaring the shit out of the neighbors to be a good time like you do.” He points at finger at his mischievous younger brother. “You climb under their beds this time and they’re liable to shoot your dumbass.”

Benny's face splits into a grin. "If that's what I gotta do to get your ass alone with her for any fucking reason, you bet your ass I'll do it." he promises, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Who?” Will demands, even though he knows exactly who Benny is talking about. The same girl he has casually been bringing up for the past six months every time he talks about home. You.

"The girl you were in-fucking-love with for every year of your life ending in teen." Benny deadpans, and moves to sit up from his place on the couch. "Don't you ever want to find out if it could actually happen?"

“Except for the fact that she was never interested in me.” Will reminds him, knowing that it is a moot point once Ben Miller has made up his mind about something.

"I still don't buy that." The younger Miller brother sits up fully and somehow manages to spring up from his seat without a massive rush of dizziness. Pure luck. "Dude, just come home with me for the weekend. Mom will flip her shit to see you and cook whatever you want. Isn't that worth the trip in and of itself?"

“I haven’t had her meatloaf in a long time.” He admits, knowing that he could use the break from work and bullshit. Frankie is busy with his girl and the babies and there isn’t a fight coming up for a few weeks. “But I don’t know.” He shrugs. “Maybe I could just stay home. Have a break from you.” He teases.

"If you stay here, Pope is gonna drag your ass to some club to wingman for him." Benny points out, already smirking victoriously. "Mom's meatloaf or Pope's cocky ass bullshit? It's not a hard choice, bro."

Will rolls his eyes, aware that he’s not lying. Santiago has already been talking about some club where the drinks are hot and the women even hotter. It’s not really Will’s kind of thing. “You’re driving.” He snorts, giving in.

Cackling with glee, Benny loops his arm around his brother's neck and pulls him toward the back of the apartment. "I already bought your plane ticket, asshole. You were coming whether you liked it or not, now pack! We gotta be at the airport in three hours!"

“Shit.” Will hisses at the impulsiveness of his brother, but he grins. He will take the weekend to recharge and refocus. If he just happens to chat with you and see how you’ve been, that will just be a happy coincidence.

******

Though you aren't technically hungover, the headache that has lingered all morning isn't going away as you head into town with your sister. Breakfast was a trial for her queasy stomach but she seems to be in lighter spirits now, chattering away as you head together toward town hall. Apparently she had thought it would be a blast to sign you up as volunteers to help decorate the place for the big Halloween party tonight, even though you aren't quite sure why.

“We just need to get the last ingredient while we are in town and we will brew the tea before the party.” She chatters happily after tucking her phone into her pocket and linking her arm through yours.

“And what, pray tell, is the last ingredient?” It had taken over an hour of routing through her old room and closet to find the teenage grimoire aside by that tins you had been exhausted. So it was agreed upon that the witching hour would be three in the afternoon instead of three in the morning like the lame, adult witches you now are.

“Fresh thyme to chase away the bad vibes of previous relationships to usher in true love.” She hums, shooting you a grin. “And I want a special shout out at your wedding.”

"You can give a speech and take credit," you promise her, rolling your eyes only gently. She seems utterly convinced that this will work and what the hell – it's been a long time since you did something dumb with your kid sister just for fun.

“Oh I absolutely will.” She snickers, bumping her shoulder against yours playfully. “And you will absolutely be doing Will.”

“You can see the future now?” You tease as town comes into sight. She’s so determined that you have half a mind to ask if she’s been conspiring with Benny.

“No.” She rolls her eyes. “I wish. I would be hitting the lottery just often enough to not be suspicious.”

“We’d become aces in sports betting.” Much good may it do you. Having enough money to take care of yourself didn’t make your last relationship work.

“Yep. One hundred percent.” She snorts, knowing her team always loses. “Become ladies of leisure and live on that round the world cruise ship. Place our bets online and live off the proceeds.”

"That's the retirement plan." You tell her sagely, and the two of you end up in giggles as you park the car on Main Street, halfway between town hall and the general store. You'll need both before you head home again.

“Plus I figured we could get some of those Halloween sugar cookies.” She admits with a grin. “And a last minute bag of mini KitKats.”

"That's why you're my favorite sister." The grin you beam in her direction is bright, and because she's your only sister, you're both laughing when you climb out of the car.

“Might be because I’m your only sister.” She hums smugly. “So let’s go do this decorating so we can get our munches on.”

"We're getting popcorn, too," you bargain, matching the long strides of her legs as you hustle down the street together. "So when we dip out of the party early tonight we can turn on horror movies and make popcorn."

“Carmel popcorn?” She counters, waggling her brows.

"Okay we're getting two kinds of popcorn."

The laughter that follows the two of you lasts all the way into town hall where party decorating is well underway and several people are already walking around with pieces of their costumes on. Your parents are both already there, helping some members of the town's council to hang streamers and a group of kids from the local high school are making signs for their charity fundraiser. It's a homey, welcoming atmosphere and you breath in the scent of pumpkin spice potpourri when you come further into the big function room.

******

“Come on man.” Benny hustles Will through the baggage claim, neither one of them packing anything that needed to be checked, but you have to go through that area to get to the rental desk. “We need to get our car.”

The hour drive from the airport in Laramie, Wyoming doesn't bother them. Red Feather Lakes was always a beautiful place inside of beautiful mountains, and being able to surprise their mother would be worth it. Ever since their father died any chance they get to see her is doubly worthwhile. It was more the nuisance of paperwork that both Miller brothers disliked. They'd rather just step out of the airport and be at their childhood home again.

“You’re driving.” Will tosses Benny the keys and smirks when the younger man groans. “Fine.” He huffs, pouting slightly. He had obviously wanted to work on something for his scare plan tonight.

"Driver picks music." Benny declares, regardless of the fact that it goes completely against their usual bargain. If Will is going to make him drive, he's not going to listen to Queens of the Stone Age for the entire drive.

“Whatever man. Just don’t fucking put on Miley Cyrus.” Will opens the backseat door and tosses his bag in. “You call mom, make sure she is home?”

"I texted her to ask what time she was going into town to hand out candy to the trick or treaters at her shop. It's still early enough, she'll be home." The florist shop that Dana Miller had managed for their entire life was squarely in the middle of the town's before-dark trick or treating event where little kids could go storefront to storefront to get candy from business owners, and she had never missed a year with the kids. These days she would finish that up and then head over to town hall for the party right after.

“Okay.” Will nods as Benny hops behind the wheel and cranks the car up. “We drop our bags and see if mom has some candy for later?” He has a wicked sweet tooth, although he never admits it

"Yes, we'll see if she has your mini Snickers, you overgrown child," Benny teases as he peels out into the road.

“You know you eat about half of them.” Will huffs, always annoyed when he goes to get some of his favorite candy and the little shit has eaten all of them.

"She got my Reese's." The younger brother of the two brothers announces happily. "I'm all set. The kids may not get any candy, but we will."

“Of course she does.” There’s no spite in his tone even thought it’s always been obvious that Benny is the favorite. It’s only because he’s the baby of the family.

"Don't pout." Benny throws his brother a smirk. "I bet if you go next door you can get all the treats you want."

Will groans, but he doesn't say anything. Since he's agreed to come, his brother has just intensified the comments about you and it does him no good to try to argue against him. He will just keep on so he's trying to ignore it.

The drive is reasonably marked with snark and ribbing, and when Benny pulls the rental car up in front of their old house it feels a little bit like coming home from bootcamp. That was the last time they had really surprised their mother with an arrival. "C'mon." Benny shoves Will and climbs out of the SUV. "Quiet. Get your shit."

"Jesus.' Will rolls his eyes but silently creeps out of the vehicle. "I think mom will notice me at some point." He points out. "It's not like the time you tried to have Aaron Rodgers live with us without telling our parents."

"His parents' divorce was vicious, he needed someplace to go." Benny defends, though he does make Will shut up before he very carefully opens the door in his best effort to be silent. He even avoids the creaky fourth plank in the entryway floor that sounds like a cartoon coffin swinging open. But the dog spoils it almost immediately with barking his head off.

Will's shoulders shake in silent amusement as Benny makes more noise than the dog trying to shut him up. Only getting the barking to stop when Scruffy comes into view, sees it's his second and third favorite humans and immediately rushes over to beat his tail against the walls as he jumps up for love and kisses.

"You ruined it!" Benny is huffing at the Malinois, but he's still bent over giving him all the cuddles he could possibly want when their mother appears around the corner.

Dana Miller is wearing her Halloween apron with an episode of Supernatural playing on the kitchen television, flour in her hair and even on her cheek when she unceremoniously drops the towel from her hands at the sight of her boys. "Benjamin Miller is this why you wanted to know about my schedule for the day?" She crows, before hurrying forward to wrap both of her sons up in hugs. "Almost gave me and the dog a damn heart attack, come and hug your mother."

"Hey ma." Will smiles as he scoops her up, even though her own grip on him is bone crushing. She's not a frail woman, despite being petite. "Ben thought we should surprise you, so send him the medical bills."

"I will, don't you worry." She squeezes them both tight, one after the other, and doesn't mind the fact that she's a little teary eyed at the sight of them. "What's the occasion then, besides Halloween? Or are we just giving your old mother palpitations for fun these days?"

"You know Benny." Will snorts. "It's all fun and games for him." His tone sounds surly but now that he's here, he's happy Benny dragged him along. It's been too long since he's seen his mother. He needs to make more of an effort.

“It is.” She knows that. Her younger son’s whimsy is something she loves about him. “But it got you both home, so I’m very happy about it. How long are you staying?”

"Just the weekend." Will shrugs apologetically. "I have to be back at work Monday afternoon."

"How is the firehouse?" Dana ushers her boys toward the kitchen after they drop their bags at the foot of the stairs like they always did after school every day. Old habits die hard.

"It's.....fine." The truth is, he's not exactly happy there anymore. There's been a change of command and for some reason, he clashes with the new fire chief.

"Oh?" Their mother raises an eyebrow as she moves to the stove, immediately dishing up some of what she was cooking. It was going to last just her all weekend, but now that her boys are home it will be one lunch and that is perfectly fine. "What's caused the change of heart?"

"New chief." Will sighs. "He's a very 'my way or the highway' type."

"You never do well with that." The beef stew from the pot is ladled into bowls without hesitation or even consultation. The Miller boys are always hungry. "Benny honey, get the tray of rolls out of the oven," she instructs, setting the full bowls one by one on the kitchen counter. "Are you thinking of asking for a transfer?" She asks, bringing her attention back to her elder son.

"Problem is, there isn't anywhere to transfer to." He complains, having been really pissed about that when he had found out. "Not without a significant loss of pay or having to move to BFE Florida."

"BFE?" Their mother asked, not sure she really wanted to know.

"Military term." Benny supplies helpfully, shooting Will a grin. "Butt Fuck, Egypt. Means the middle of nowhere."

"Charming." Dana rolls her eyes at her sons. "Put those rolls on a plate, Ben. Will, there's sodas in the fridge if you want." She ushers both boys toward the table on the other end of the kitchen and puts the bowls on a tray. "So what will you do, Will? Have you decided? Or found your solution but pretended you haven't decided yet?"

"Honestly, I don't have a clue right now." He had stopped giving the talks at the different commands, finding it too difficult after losing Tom last year. "But I need to figure it out. He doesn't even respect my VA appointments."

"Maybe you'll find a little inspiration. A Halloween miracle?" She winks and laughs at her own little joke. "A little mountain air might help clear your head, at least."

He groans at her lame joke and shakes his head. "Sure, why not?" He snorts. "It's closer than a Christmas miracle."

"So you're coming to the party tonight, then." It isn't a question. She will be bringing her boys to the costume party since they're in town. "We'll have to get some costumes sorted out."

"We have them." Benny announces with a grin.

"You brought some?" She raises an eyebrow in interest as they start to eat.

Benny cuts his eyes over to Will, still ignoring him. "I brought some." He admits. "Planned it out for my helpless older brother."

******

"I love that we're grown ass women and still getting banished to the backyard to make potions on Dad's old camping stove." You snort, carrying the equipment out to the back porch where your sister is lining up all of her bottles of 'love potion' ingredients. "Feels very teenage of us. I love it."

"Mom said she didn't like the smell of the herbs." It was such a lie, but neither of you called her on it. It's more likely that she just didn't want to put up with your giggling and cackling as you 'brewed' the potion.

"She should just be glad that we didn't do this last night after an entire pitcher of margaritas." That would have been even more giggling and probably a disaster waiting to happen. "Alright, do we have a spell or something? What are we doing here?" Since moving past the silliness of it, you've come around to just embracing the absurdity of the idea. If like isn't about being ridiculous with your best friend, then what is it about?

“Well of course we have a spell.” She rolls her eyes and snorts like you are ridiculous for even thinking otherwise.

"Pull out that grimoire, baby sis." The table on the porch becomes your staging area and you set up the camping stove and pot then start to look through the bottles that your sister has brought out. "Fennel pollen? What the hell is fennel pollen?"

“Fennel, ground.” She snorts, pulling out a small container of the spice. “Substitutes are okay.”

"Why is there a piece of...is that from my prom dress?" A scrap of lace fabric is out with the bottles and you hold it up in confusion. "Are we like...burning things related to wedding dresses to summon a groom?" You ask, already bursting out laughing all over again.

“It’s a part of the spell!” She snorts, even as she starts laughing too. “It was the dance you and Will danced at, remember?”

“I remember.” How could you forget? Your whole friend group had opted not to have official prom dates but to all go together, and then everyone had paired off anyway. The memory of it — how Will had grumbled about why didn’t we all have dates, then? as the two of you sat at the table together, and how it took him half the night to dance at all — makes you smile softly.

“So this is the pinch of closeness the spell requires.” She tells you as she takes the bottle from you. “From the waist of the dress where Will held you close.”

“This is a really fucking specific spell,” you joke, actually feeling more warmth from the nostalgia than anything else. You had ended up having a wonderful prom with Will and that was the whole reason that your dress was still upstairs.

“It’s specialized to the couple so it’s more likely to work.” She points out practically. “Too bad I don’t have something of Will’s.”

“I mean…” Glancing next door, you shrug your shoulders and move to the end of the porch that bitts right up against the border of your properties. There’s no fence or gate or wall or anything, just two backyards running together. “Does something from his yard count?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugs and shoots you a grin. “It couldn’t hurt.”

"Let's go see!" Ready to just throw yourself all in when the memories of prom make you all warm and fuzzy with nostalgia, you hop down from your back porch and slip over to the Miller's yard. It takes all of three seconds to find something that Scruffy left outside. Helpfully, it's one of Will's old bandanas that the sleek Malinois sometimes wears with his collar, and you pick it up with an air of victory. "Scruffy's doing his part for the spell," you call out, and hustle back to the porch.

Laughing, your sister shakes her head but takes the bandana. “Ode de dog slobber.” She jokes, although the bandana looks clean.

“Alright.” Back up on the porch, you motion to your sister with a flourish. “Break out the grimoire and let’s do this,” you proclaim, running your hands together.

"That's the spirit!" She reaches out and slaps your butt playfully and then turns to pull an old notebook out of the bag she had brought down. It might not be the spookiest but it was what she had as a teenager.

One by one each ingredient goes into the pot. A pinch of this, a dash of that. Mostly kitchen herbs, or the contents of a broken up tea bags. The live flame from the camping stove is there to singe the scrap of your prom dress. Will's bandana goes into the brew like a Hail Mary from his days as quarterback of the high school football team. By the time everything is in and your sister has read the makeshift spell aloud from her notebook with flare, you're both cackling with glee and feeling like there may really be something magical about Halloween after all.

“I feel like we should be wearing all black and living in a very mysterious house.” Your sister admits with a grin as she gives the ‘tea’ a final stir and pinches in the thyme that you had to buy earlier. “Okay, we let this steep one minute and then you drink it while saying Will’s full name after every sip.”

"You didn't tell me I had to drink it!" It's so like her to leave that detail to the very end, and you scowl at her for a whole three seconds. "I would not have put the dog's bandana in there."

She cackles with a slightly evil grin on her face. “How did you think it would work?” She demands, pulling it off the heat to let it steep as she pulls out your favorite old teacup. It was one that you had found in the attic years ago and rescued from the trunk to become your teacup.

"I guess I didn't give it much thought," you admit with a huff. Because you never intended to go through with it, but the prospect of having fun with your sister had won out.

She snorts and shrugs. “Maybe we add a little honey for taste.”

"Maybe more than a little." But the suggestion brings you both to the edges of giggles again, and you shake your head as she goes inside to retrieve the honey bear from the cupboard.

There's an odd moment of warmth in the quiet that follows, and you pick up the photo of you and Will from that prom night, savoring the nostalgia that blankets you like a gentle hug.

If you had known you were being watched through the window by an unexpected audience, you're not sure you would even have cared. Sometimes good memories are worth a moment to honor them.

******

“We don’t have to be there right when the doors open.” Will rolls his eyes as Benny hurries him along. Because of the military he has always been early for everything, but he’d spent too much time today by the window and then looking through an old box in his closet to even think about getting ready until his younger brother had burst into his room.

"If we want a crack at the punchbowl before Deputy Warren starts nitpicking at anyone who drinks, yes we do need to be there when the doors open." Benny contends. Pointing to the bundle of clothes on Will's bed, he frowns animatedly. "Get dressed, dude."

“You are gonna have a bottle out in the truck anyway.” Will points out, but he still gets up and pulls his shirt off. “What the hell did you get me for a costume anyway?”

"They had a costume for that Sons of Anarchy character you like when I went to the Halloween store." Benny tells him. He's already in his cowboy outfit and twirls his hat around one hand. "I figured if I got you a Disney outfit you'd refuse to go, and that defeats the purpose of coming out here."

“You know better than to get me some stuffy Prince Charming costume.” He snorts. He’ll be happy with the Sons outfit and he can slick back his hair, “I’ll be ready in five.”

"Good." Benny whirls around and stuffs his hat on his head. "You're driving!" He hollers back as he strolls out of the room. "I wanna pregame!"

“Shit.” He shakes his head and blows out a sigh. He has a feeling tonight is going to be a long one.

"I heard that!" Benny calls back, already heading down the stairs. He's going to enjoy the hell out of this weekend and is going to push Will's buttons until he figures out what it takes for his brother to enjoy it, too.

True to his word, Will is downstairs four and a half minutes later. His hair slicked back with some ten-year-old gel he had found under the sink in the bathroom and a silver chain that he had forgotten he had around his neck. He doesn’t have but two rings on, but one of them is a skull ring.

"You boys go ahead and have fun." Their mother is bustling around the living room, tidying up from the board game they had been playing before. "I'm going to come a little later. I want to catch the neighborhood trick or treaters before I leave the house."

“Are you sure?” Will walks over to her and drops a kiss on her head.

"Absolutely." She nods, giving her older son a squeezing hug. "The Olsens down the street always do a family costume and their granddaughter is just two years old now. I don't want to miss that."

“Okay.” Will palms the keys and looks over at his brother. “Ready, jackass?”

"I've been ready." Even the cowboy boots he borrowed from Fish are ready, and Benny slides right out the front door with a mock square dancing move, calling back: "See ya at the party, Mom!" And climbing directly into the rental car.

“Kill me now.” Will sighs as he shakes his head, following him out the door and closing it behind him. There’s already kids running up and down the streets with bags in their hands. Soon ghosts and goblins will haunt the streets and the witching hours for youngsters will begin.

******

"Oh wow..." Your sister gasps sharply walking into the town's Halloween party and seeing how much decorating had been done after the two of you left. The finesse, it seemed, was everything. A band composed of several town council members, the middle school principal, and the town librarian has set up on one end of the room to play the night away. Tables of food and drink line the opposite wall for new arrivals to mingle and find their courage, and some couples are already out on the dance floor at the beginning of the party.

Having doubled down on the idea to dress as Barbie movie characters this year, your sister rolls in as Cowgirl Barbie in her bright pink jumpsuit complete with bell bottoms and the kerchief around her neck with a grin on her face. She's always effortless, your baby sister, and instead of being huffy when she spots someone else in the same costume as her, she just sprints off to make a new friend instead. It leaves you standing in your pink and white gingham dress as classic Barbie just a little awkwardly by the door.

“Come on.” As soon as he finds a spot to park, Benny is rushing Will out of the SUV and towards the door. Eager to start the night off, even though he had been drinking on the way.

The party is in full swing already but the punch bowl is full, which is all Benny cares about at the moment. He heads straight over to get a black plastic cup and scrawl his name on it with a metallic sharpie when he hears his name screeched at top volume. Old friends seem to pour out of the woodwork to say hi, and practically before Will even hits the doorframe, his little brother is surrounded by a mob of people.

Will is more the type to ease into a room. The military training and life had led him to scout out exits and breach points. He finds himself searching those out and spots a pink gingham dress in the process.

"Oh shit!" Your sister has spotted him first, as she's facing the rest of the room while you were pouring two cups of punch.

"What?" You barely look up, making very sure that you don't spill on your dress. "Did you spot more Barbies?"

“No.” She shakes her head and grins. “Will’s here!” She hisses and motions you away from the table. “Go give him a drink.”

"Will's here?" There is hardly enough time to react before she is spinning you around and nudging you toward the middle of the room like she's going to shove you clear across the expansive dancefloor and straight into his arms.

When you turn around, Will swallows. The dress looks incredible on you and you look shocked to see him. He shuffles slightly, rolling his shoulders back as for once wishes he had a cigarette even though he quit eight years ago.

"Hey." One single, stupid word comes out of your mouth when you get within an arm's reach of him, still clutching both cups and trying to pretend your heart isn't beating out of your chest.

“Hey.” He reaches out to take the cups from you and stupidly takes both like you weren’t wanting one for yourself. “You don’t look like the Barbie dolls I remember Benny pulling the heads off of.” He jokes, flashing you a quick grin. “I think they were all yours too.”

With your cheeks instantly on fire, you manage to smile and shrug like you aren't well aware that Benny had a penchant for doll destruction when you were all kids. "Barbie is a state of mind," you tell him with an air of someone giving sage advice.

“That’s true.” He chuckles, glad that you hadn’t taken offense to that comment. He had almost stuck his foot in his mouth. “Besides, you make a better Barbie.”

It actually draws a nervous little giggle out of you, and you have to clear your throat to keep from looking or sound like a besotted middle schooler when you are a grown-ass woman. "It's good to see you, Will."

“Good to see you too.” He nods, handing you back one of the cups. “Here, I’m an idiot.” He snorts. “Don’t know why I took both of them.”

"You were trying to be helpful," you predict, seeing the impulse as one of chivalry, even if it wasn't necessary. "I, um...I didn't know you'd be home this weekend. What's the occasion?" It's your turn to be a little bit of an idiot, considering you're both standing in the middle of a party.

“Benny dragged me home.” He rolls his eyes, even though he’s happy that he has. You’re here. “It’s been one thousand sixty five days since I’ve seen you.” He blurts out suddenly, having calculated it earlier.

The way that tugs at the corners of your mouth makes your lips twitch up in a smile and all of a sudden you can't look him in the eyes momentarily. "You counted?"

“Always count.” It’s a habit that hadn’t been that noticeable in high school to careless teenagers, but that trait had been exacerbated in the Army. “Pretty much everything.”

"I know." A lot of people didn't realize, but you noticed. You always noticed. "But I didn't know you counted that." It was a little less than three years ago when you saw him last. After everything had gone to hell with his now ex-fiancée and he had left Colorado to move out east with Benny. Without a doubt, he counted because of the heartbreak, not because of you.

He shrugs and takes a sip of the punch. “You really helped me screw my head back on straight.” He reminds you. “Should have called you more when we moved.” It’s a half assed apology and he knows it. “Sorry about that.”

"It's fine. Not like we promised it or anything." You hadn't. It really was okay that he hadn't called. Your crush isn't his responsibility, after all.

“No, but I should have.” He repeats. “How have you been? Mom said you moved home?”

"Yeah." It isn't anything to be ashamed of and you won't pretend it is, even if the plan was for the move to only be temporary. "I work remotely and there was nothing keeping me where I was, so I came back for a while. It gives me time to save and really think about where I want to go next." The smile you offer him is small but bright. "How's Florida?"

“Hot.” Will snorts. “Muggy.” He shrugs. “Ben’s happy there, and our friend Fish settled down there too, but I don’t know.” This restless feeling has been getting worse since Tom died. He has a lot of guilt being around Molly and the girls. Even they were planning on moving soon. Wanting to be closer to the colleges they were choosing.

"You're not happy there?" It extinguishes your smile almost instantly, worried that he's made a decision that has made him unhappy and knowing that you were one of the people who encouraged him to stay close to his brother in the first place. Benny is his best friend, after all.

“I think I want a change.” He admits out loud. “Nothing horrible, but just…restless, I guess. Fish and his wife had another baby. Makes number three and I haven’t been on a date in two years.”

Before you can stop yourself, you're huffing at the idea that he somehow would have any trouble finding women willing to date him. "I'm sure you can flip the switch on that any time you decide to," you assure him, immediately taking a sip of your punch so you don't stick your foot in your mouth.

He shrugs again. “Maybe. But I don’t want to have to explain all my issues.” He shoots you a grin. “And all my scars.”

"You're never going to let me off the hook for that, are you?" Like you're seventeen all over again, you could just stick your tongue out and tell him to deal with it. "I warned you to use a pot holder, William. The fact that you thought you could take the cupcake pan out of the oven without protection is not my fault."

He chuckles, always loving the way your nose scrunches when you look at him like that. It’s why he always teases you about the scar on his palm. It’s barely noticeable now and he has more prominent ones, but he likes to bring it up at least once every time he sees you. “You told me the oven was off.”

"Yeah, the oven being off doesn't mean the pan instantly stops being hot!" It's so ridiculous to get into every single time, but he does love to bring it up. It was mother's day and he had wanted to do something nice for his mom, but now it's the thing to tease each other about.

“How was I supposed to know that?” He demands, even as he starts to laugh. It’s stupid now, looking back on it, but it had been one of those brainless teenage moments. “You didn’t even kiss it to make it feel better.”

“I—I didn’t—” The insinuation makes you fluster, skin burning hot all over again. “You didn’t ask me to,” you justify. If he had asked, you would have done it in a heartbeat.

“I thought that was like, an automatic thing.” The way your lips pinch together is adorable and he sends you a smirk. “Kiss it to make it feel better.”

“I mean…” You’re going to burst into flames any second, you can tell. Just burn to ashes on the spot. “I mean I guess, but—” You sputter inelegantly. “Weren’t you dating Annie Neville when that happened?”

He would have dumped Annie in a heartbeat if you had given him any indication you wanted him. It might not be something that would have been right, but it was the gods honest truth. He takes another sip of his drink. “Broke up with her two days later.” He doesn’t admit that he had broken up with her because she thought it was weird he would do something for his mom on Mother’s Day, but that’s not the point.

“Right.” Nodding slightly, the warm allure of deeply alcoholic punch sounds like a great idea and you sip. “I remember now. She bitched and moaned about losing out on boyfriend bragging rights.”

He rolls his eyes. “That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard.” He cuts his eyes towards his brother. “And I grew up with that one.”

You follow his eyes and grin, seeing the gaggle of friends surrounding Benny. Including one hot pink Barbie jumpsuit. “Surprising no one, my sister has found your brother,” you hum in amusement. “I wonder what havoc they’ll wreak this time.”

“They might burn the town down.” He huffs. “Then Benny would expect me to put it out.”

“That’s right.” An innocent like sound escapes you. An assent. As though you didn’t order a copy of his fire department’s Hunky Heroes calendar last year under a different name just because his photo was your birthday month. “Firefighter. That seemed like it would be right up your alley.”

“Might be an ex-firefighter.” It’s always been easy to share with you. Which was why his ex’s comments about being closed off were so confusing to him. He shares. He just never shared much with her because she never seemed to give a shit.

“Really?” That surprises you, since giving back to his community has always been so important to Will. “You’re thinking of leaving?”

“Yeah.” He notices that you have finished your own punch, so he takes the cup from you and guides you back towards the bowl. “Just not sure where to go.”

“I’m not sure I’m the person to ask,” you admit, trying not to get all girlish and swoony at the gentle press of his hand on your back. “I just ran home to my parents when I felt lost.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” He insists, his fingers twitching against your back. “Home is where you feel safest. It’s normal to want that when you are hurt. Emotionally or physically.”

“But it’s not where I want to stay.” Somehow talking to Will has always been easy. Even when you were in that place where you clammed up around him sometimes because your teenage hormones went out of control, you comfort and safety of him was enough to bring you back down. As it turns out, that’s true no matter how long you’ve been apart. “So we’re sort of in the same weird place.”

“Where would you go?” Will asks, comforted by the fact that you seem to be in the same boat. He’s always presented himself as very in charge and forward thinking, so finding himself floundering without a real plan was new.

“I have no idea.” It’s not a thing that you’re comfortable admitting, but somehow knowing that Will is feeling the same is a comfort. He always seemed so steady. “I just know that I’m not in the place I thought I would be by this age and I’m restless.”

He chuckles and nods in agreement. “Benny keeps telling me that I’m ready for another duty station.” Being in the military required moving every three to four years.

“You’re not thinking about going back in, are you?” Between his chronic pain and his PTSD — both from military service — your expression turns to one of deep concern and worry at the idea.

“No.” He quickly shakes his head. “That ship has sailed.” Even if he could pass the fitness requirements, he’s too old to go back to being a Captain. His peers are all too far ahead. “Just feeling that need for a new adventure.”

“I fully understand that.” The itch is something you have always shared, back when you used to dream about leaving the mountains and seeing everything the world had to offer. Will had succeeded in that front. At least far more effectively than you ever had. “Maybe…” When he hands you a fresh cup of punch you pause and thank him. “Maybe our paths will cross again? Who knows.”

“You can work anywhere.” He reminds you with a grin. “You should pick a place and go.”

“I would.” You shrug half-heartedly. “But I never got the taste for traveling alone.”

“Where would you want to go?” He asks curiously, wondering where you would go, what you would want to see. If those dreams had changed since you were a child.

“The ocean? The forests? Desert or huge cities?” Feeling ridiculous, you laugh at yourself and just shrug. “There’s so much of the world out there and I’ve barely ever left home.”

“Tropics.” Will decides. “Salt and sand. Beautiful breezes and sun kissing your skin.” His idea might be influenced by his own location in Florida.

“Sounds perfect.” And if the idea of being there with him is in your head, you’ll swear it’s only because you’re talking to him about it right here and now. “But again…I hate being alone. So it’s sort of a moot point.”

“I don’t understand how you aren’t married.” That has mystified him for years. Always expecting to hear the news that you were engaged every time he called his mom. It had surprised him when he had ended up engaged and you still had not found a steady boyfriend, although you had both ended up in the same single status after a few years.

“I guess…the right guy just never came along.” You’d sooner die than admit that every guy you’ve ever been with has been accidentally compared to the man standing in front of you. “It happens.”

“Prince Charming?” He hates that he could never be that guy for anyone, but it wasn’t him.

“Prince Charming is overrated.” Sipping your punch, something about the whole thing just makes your heart clench and it feels like the world is taunting you even more than it was when you saw him walk in the door. “All I ever wanted was a partner I could be proud of. That seems to be too tall of an order.”

“It shouldn’t be.” Will admits softly. “I know plenty of men who would jump at the chance to be with someone who just wanted to have a loyal, loving partner.”

“I guess I just haven’t met the same guys as you.” It hurts your heart, clutches it and squeezes tight, that you never could bring yourself to admit that you liked him. Not out loud. Not to anyone but your sister. Wondering what could have been has poisoned your chances at finding someone else to the degree that you were doing a phony love spell ritual in your backyard less than three hours ago. He is literally everything you ever wanted and he’s standing right in front of you — but you can’t say the words. “Just like…” you swallow hard, shoving down the ache in your chest. “I know plenty of girls who just want someone honest and caring.”

“I’m honest.” At least he is in his personal life. Work is a different story, but he has regrets about that. “I care.” He shrugs, his leather wearing biker look making him look a little more dangerous than normal, but never as dangerous as he actually is. “Point me to the girl.” It’s an invitation, wanting to see what you would say.

“Will…” It feels like he’s just shoving the red hot poker of years’ worth of yearning deeper into your chest and you shake your head. “I’m just saying. It shouldn’t be so hard for you to find someone to make you happy. You’re a sweet guy and you always have been.”

He stares at you for a long moment, something curling in his chest, and he realizes that you will never admit it. “Had someone in mind when I asked.” He admits.

“Then you should probably talk to her about it, not me.” Ugly disappointment rises in your throat like bile and you shift in place uncomfortably. Of course he has someone in mind. He’s incredible and he deserves that happiness.

He decides to be a little more blunt than normal since you are obviously not getting the hint. “I am.” He tells you, lifting a brow at you in amusement.

"You—" No. No. You heard him wrong. You had to have heard him wrong. There is no way in the world There is no way because if that's true then how much time did you throw away by keeping your mouth shut? "No. That's—" Your head spins and you put down your cup, deciding that there is absolutely no need for alcohol when your head is spinning like this already. "What?"

“Circles and light and all that’s might.” Will murmurs, starting to grin. “Give me what I wish for tonight.”

"Oh....oh no..." The clench of panic that grabs hold of your chest when he starts reciting the damn 'spell' that your sister had written down in her notebook -- the ridiculous words you had been in giggle fits over in your backyard a couple of hours ago -- makes you take a step back from him as embarrassment settles into every bone in your body. "Did you--" Oh you're going to absolutely massacre your sister. "That's the most awful prank anybody could ever play on a person. Is my sister put you up to this I'm going to kill her."

“What?” Will frowns at you, confused as to why you look completely mortified. He had thought it was cute. “No.” He shakes his head. “Put me up to what?” He murmurs your name and steps closer to you. “She didn’t put me up to anything.”

"So it's...a coincidence?" You swallow hard, trying to wrap your head around absolutely any of this situation. "That my sister talked me into doing a stupid love spell on the same weekend you come home?" If you could curl up into a ball and hide forever, you would do it instantly. It still hasn't hit you that he's said out loud -- in a reasonably straightforward way -- that he's interested in you. "And that you heard me?"

“Benny insisted I come home this weekend.” Will defends, even though he had started to realize what the trick was this year and if it backfired on Ben - he was going to murder him. “I— I was in the backyard. I heard you and your sister giggling like when we were kids, so I pulled the board in the fence.” There’s a section of fence that you can remove a board easily and see into the other yard. He had never admitted it, but it was how he had often watched you while you were reading until he realized how creepy it was.

"What board in the fence?" There is a privacy fence that runs between your houses but for some reason it never really divided your yards, and you can't say that you ever thought about it very much before. Or now, clearly, since you're astonished to find out that it ever had a loose board.

“The one near the tree.” He licks his lips and has the decency to blush slightly. “It’s come loose since eight grade.”

The way your heels dig into the floor beneath you, it's like you're trying to dig a hole to the center of the earth to fall into feet first. "How...um...how much did you hear? Or see?"

“I just want to see you.” He admits, setting the cup down to shove in his pockets. “I heard the giggles and the ‘spell’. It was cute, reminding me of when you went through that phase in high school.”

"We...got drunk on margaritas last night and she managed to make it sound like a silly, harmless thing..." Mortified doesn't even begin to describe the way you're feeling. Your whole face is on fire with it. "I'm so embarrassed I could evaporate...I don't even know what else to say."

“It’s cute.” He insists, smiling softly at you as he shuffles closer. “I didn’t do some kind of love spell, but I was glad I heard yours.”

"You--?" Swallowing the lump of fear in your throat, you manage to not back up a step when Will comes closer. "You...were glad?"

“I am.” He agrees, his smile widening slightly as he reaches out and takes ahold of your waist and steps closer to you. “Because now I know that the crush I’ve had on you for most of my life hasn’t been moot.”

"You...what?" You gasp out, eyes shooting up to meet his when you finally realize what he's said.

“Guilty.” He hums, his smile managing to curve wider and he nods. “You’ve been that girl that I always wanted and never thought I could have.”

Something inside you swells, actually absorbing the words with the soft way he's looking at you. "All you ever had to do was say the word."

“You too.” He points out, lifting his brows in amusement. “Years ago.”

"Well how was I supposed to know?" You defend, finding that that feeling in your chest is bubbling and transforming into laughter and disbelief.

“You ask.” Will chuckles, leaning in and brushing his nose against yours. “You don’t rely on Love potion number nine.”

"You could have asked too." The warmth of him washes over you like the most gorgeous invitation in the world, taking your breath away and inviting you closer all at once.

“I guess I could have.” He admits. “Now I know.”

"So..." One of his hands is on your hip and he's bent down to keep your faces close, so all you have to do to hear each other is murmur. "What are we going to do with this new information?"

“I think we are going to have to leave this party.” He pretends to care about that, but there’s much more interesting things to do.

“Just like that?” Wherever he wants to go, whatever he wants to do, it doesn’t matter. Even the chance to be close to him in any way is worth it.

“You want to stay?” He asks seriously. If you want to stay, he will. Just for you.

“I…want to dance with you,” you admit, even though it feels silly. “Just once. After that we can go anywhere you want.”

“We can dance.” He agrees, chuckling slightly and nodding. “Let’s wait for the next song to start.” This one is a little more peppy than he would want for a dance.

“So Benny dragged you out here, huh?” He has his arm around your waist now and something in the back of your head tells you to just keep talking so you don’t start to worry it’s a dream. “Did he, um…did he…ya know…know?”

“Honestly? I don’t know.” If he did, once things were official, he would probably crow and take all the credit for it. “Probably. I know he knew that I always had a thing for you.”

Sighing slightly, you shake off a laugh and bask again in the warmth of having him beside you. “I think our siblings may have meddled.”

“I don’t doubt it.” He rolls his eyes. “Can’t be mad at them, though.” He huffs. “Not when we would have been really bad about doing this ourselves.”

“Clearly.” You huff quietly. “We have been really bad about it.”

“Obviously.” Will snorts right as the song transitions into a slow song. “Ready to dance?”

“It feels like prom all over again.” When he holds his hand out to you, you settle your palm to his and try not to let out a shaky breath at how alarmingly right it feels.

“Do you know how badly I wanted to kiss you that night?” He asks as he guides you out to the floor and spins you around to fit into his arms like you’ve always belonged.

“How badly?” Giddy glee and joyful awe are starting to supplant the confusion and disbelief in your heart, and you melt into him when he takes your hand in his on the dance floor.

“Remember how you kept asking if your lipstick was messed up?” Will reminds you, the hormones and embarrassment of youth had seemed impossible to overcome, but now you are grown. If it doesn’t work out, hopefully you could remain friends, but he doesn’t foresee it being an issue. You know him inside and out. “I was trying to decide if you would slap me if I stole a kiss.”

“It…wouldn’t have been stealing.” Your cheeks burn all over again at the memory. At how pathetically transparent you had been — but apparently not transparent enough. “That was my very bad attempt at hinting that I wanted you to kiss me.”

“No, I got it.” He promises, his blue eyes flashing possessively. “But I’m man enough to admit I don’t want to kiss you with an audience.” He murmurs with a smirk. “Think we can wait that long?”

“It’s been like fifteen years,” you point out, smothering a laugh at how ridiculous that actually sounds out loud. And how badly you’ve wanted a moment just like this one for so much longer than that. “I think a few more minutes won’t kill us.”

“It might.” He teases. “You look even more beautiful than you did on prom night.”

“Are you…” A smirk broadens your smile exponentially. “Are you flirting with me, William Miller?”

“Flirted with you a lot over the years.” He snorts. “But yes I am.”

“I guess it’s just the first time I’ve noticed.” You laugh work. Self-consciously. “Or wasn’t convinced it was just wishful thinking.”

“So tell me the truth.” Will grins. “Did you really drink that concoction you and your sister brewed? It smelled worse than. Benny’s gym bag.”

“Of course I drank it.” One hand would clutch your plastic pearl necklace but you would have to stop holding his hand and that’s simply not going to happen tonight. Instead, you pout to pretend to be offended. “It’s called committing to the bit.”

“Dedication.” He laughs, shaking his head and pulling you closer. “Then I think you should be happy to know that it worked.”

“Oh yeah?” The grin on your face turns beaming all over again, but you can’t help teasing him. “That little love spell planted a whole lifetime of yearning in you?”

“Nah.” He admits that easier than he had expected. “Just made it easier to talk about all this.”

“It did.” As much as you hate to admit it, your younger siblings’ meddling may have paid off. And you are convinced they meddled together. “It did, and I’m not upset about that at all.”

“You shouldn’t be upset about anything, beautiful.” Will murmurs softly, rocking you to the beat and smiling into your eyes.

Shrugging slightly, you're actually able to sink into his gaze for the very first time and end up feeling that ache in your chest twist in an entirely new way. "I'm a little upset we wasted so much time," you admit. "But better late than never."

“Yes it is.” Will pulls you off the dance floor as the song ends and starts to head towards the doors.

If you could think about anything beside the feeling of his arm around you, you might have remembered to fire off a text to your sister that you are taking off from the party early. But then, if you could think about anything else you might have noticed your sister standing on the other side of the room with Benny, giggling like conspiratorial idiots.

But it doesn't matter at all. It doesn't matter, because when you and Will make it out into the chilly night air, his arm tightens around you and you slip yours around his waist. Twined together like you were always meant to be.

He had driven. So he has the keys to the SUV. Guiding you over to it, he frames your body between the door and himself, pressing closer.

Your pulse ticks up immediately, heart rate skyrocketing, but you don't hesitate. Not when the thing – the person – you've wanted since you were old enough to want anyone at all. You reach up, hands set on Will's shoulders, and use that leverage to pull yourself up just a tiny bit more. This time it's your nose that nudges against his, but you don't pull away.

“So pretty.” Will murmurs, leaning against you more, feeling your body against the length of his as he tilts his head and fuses his lips to yours. Years of wanting pouring into the kiss.

Your hold tightens on him, hands sliding around his neck and into his long hair as his own wrap around your waist to drag you flush against him. There is no hesitation for either of you, diving deep into the kiss and sharing a mutual, needy moan at the fast-beating desire in that first kiss. You've both kept it locked up for far too long to pretend anymore. Now that the flood gates are open it seems to be all or nothing.

For Will, sinking into your embrace feels like coming home. The instant acceptance and love that swells make him desperate for more as he starts to lick into your mouth deeper.

For the hungry way you start to devour each other, you may as well be the teenagers you were when this mutual infatuation first started. If anyone were out in the parking lot to witness it, you're sure you would have gotten cat called or interrupted with a loud clearing of someone's throat to be shooed away to a more private location. As it is? The relative privacy of the parking lot means that you forget yourself and are tugging on the strands of Will's hair as his hands start to map the curves and contours of your body.

Will groans into your mouth, his arms banded around you and holding you close before trailing over your dress. He’s not shy about touching you, cupping your ass and his hardening cock twitches against your stomach. The whimper that he pulls out of you is unapologetic, knees shaking even as you tug on his hair sharply to pull a groan out of him as well. This is much more than a kiss would have been fifteen years ago. Still just as needy, but deeper, more sure. Will knows what he is capable of.

It takes a long time before either of you are willing to part, and when that time comes you're panting desperately while you try to maintain any sort of composure. "I, um—" But your thought breaks off when you realize you just can't string more than two words together yet. All you can think is more.

He grins, feeling as disoriented as you look, but he's been trained to handle overwhelming situations. "We should leave." He murmurs before leaning in and stealing another kiss. "Before we get arrested for public indecency."

"At the risk of sounding very teenage." You can't help but giggle at that, feeling like you're bubbling over in every way. "My parents are home. So maybe your place?"

He chuckles and lifts a brow, considering all of his options. "We could do that. Or we could go get a hotel room."

"Beaver Meadows?" Raising your own eyebrow to meet his, you offer the first hotel you can think of. The resort ranch for mountain tourists is on the other side of town but it's better than driving an hour out to Fort Collins.

He tilts his head slightly, shrugging one shoulder. "That's up to you. Don't know how you feel about being in my old bedroom and possibly hearing Benny catcall outside the door." His younger, dumber brother absolutely would.

"I care less about Benny and more about having to look your mother in the eyes tomorrow morning," you admit, laughing at even the idea of it. "I don't think she needs to hear me riding you."

Will's eyes flutter slightly and he growls softly. "Hotel it is." He decides, nodding to himself. "Do you want to swing by the house and get something? Or we can both do the walk of shame tomorrow."

"Nuh-uh." You shake your head animatedly, reaching up to place a much softer kiss on his lips. "I'm not ashamed of you. I don't care how many people see us in the same clothes or figure out what it means."

He hums and his hand slides up your back as he steps back, pulling you with him to open the passenger door. "Then let's go."

"We do have to make one stop." When you climb into the SUV together, you buckle your seatbelt and sigh happily as his fingers tangle with yours. He raises his eyebrow again but you shrug. "Condoms. I haven't been on a date in years so I stopped worrying about birth control."

"Fuck." Will hisses under his breath, cock twitching at that new piece of information. He can't say that he's not disappointed to not be able to feel you bare, but your comfort is more important than his ideal night. "Condoms, roger."

"I know." You squeeze his hand, sharing the feeling that you would rather be as close as possible. "But I doubt we want to risk it without."

He huffs out a small laugh, tapping the steering wheel after the engine is brought to life and he puts it in drive. "Don't bet on it." He jokes.

Turning your head immediately, you stare at him for a second before letting out a shaky laugh. "Not the first time," you bargain, feeling warm and flush and...deeply giddy at the way things are unfolding around you.

He flashes you a grin, feeling just as light hearted. "Yes ma'am." He promises, squeezing your hand and then looking back at the road as he pulls out.

******

It's a quick drive, mostly because Red Feather Lakes is such a small town. There's a Halloween party going on at the resort that you and Will look like you're immensely prepared for, but you just check into the last available room and happily accept the pair of leys handed to you by the young desk agent.

Will might have paid for the room, but he lets you lead the way to the room. Wanting to watch your ass as you walk, and to allow you time to change your mind if you wanted. Just because you both have wanted to be with each other since you were teenagers doesn't necessarily mean you are ready to jump into bed with him and he would respect that.

"Here we go." The room at the end of the fourth-floor hallway clicks open with a tap of your keycard, and you nudge open the door to reveal the ranch-themed room waiting for you. The rug looks like cowhide and the bedhead has horns, but you're barely looking at it. Instead you turn around, much more inclined to take in the sight of Will Miller as you reach for his hand to drag him inside with you.

You are enthusiastic, making him chuckle as he closes the door behind him. “Nice room.” He hums, not looking around, but staring at you. “But this view is better.”

Completely addicted now that you’ve had a taste of him, you toss your purse onto the nearest table without a second thought and go straight into his arms. “I’m certain mine is even better.”

He doubts that, but the eagerness in your eyes makes him groan as he pulls you against him again. “You are so damn beautiful.”

“Please tell me you put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door?” Once you have him to yourself you’re not going to want to stop, so you’re damn well going to ask the question now.

He smirks and winks at you. “Of course I did.”

Your face splits into a grin. “You’re perfect.”

Will reaches up and caresses your cheek. “Shit.” His eyes widen. “We didn’t get the condoms.”

“Shit.” That grin slackens, and you realize along with a drop in your gut that you’d gotten so distracted by having Will’s hand inch up your thigh and under the skirt of your dress while he drove that you’d totally forgotten to stop.

“It’s okay.” He takes a deep breath, cursing himself for being too distracted by you. “You stay here. Get comfortable.” He points at himself. “I will be back in five minutes.”

"Thank you." Safety means the world to both of you, and you're not about to turn what could possibly be the best night of your life into the reason he resents you five years down the line when it results in a little kid and a marriage he would have felt forced to commit to. No way. If you and Will are going to be together you're going to make that decision together, not because of an accident.

“Five minutes.” He promises before he is out the door. He will make it in three and a half flat, but he adds extra time as a precaution.

As soon as the door closes behind him, you look around the room in a more flustered state of nervous excitement than you've ever been in your entire life. It takes about thirty seconds before you can think coherently enough to pick up the hotel phone and order a room service tray to be sent up -- ordering food that can safely sit until you're hungry and a bottle of wine to share because it feels more romantic that way. After that, you grab your phone from your purse and finally send that text to your sister.

Sissy: Don't wait up for me tonight. I left the party early.

Incoming text: You left with Will!!! Omgggggg it worked! You owe me that speech at your weddddddding!

Sissy: You and Benny are still on my shitlist. But yes. I left with Will. Happy Halloween, kid.

Instead of waiting for a reply, you put your phone on silent and tuck it back in your purse, sitting down amongst the pillows on the bed just seconds before the door opens again.

He’s out of breath and probably looked like a fucking idiot, but he doesn’t care. He’s got an entire box of condoms and he’s back before the time frame. “Got ‘em.”

"Four minutes." You grin, pointing at the clock on the wall. "I was just about to get undressed for you to have a fun surprise when you got back, but you're too efficient."

“Oh, don’t let me stop you.” Will throws the lock on the door and shoots you a dirty grin. “I like shows.”

"I did not think anyone was going to see what I have on under this dress," you warn him, but you shrug your shoulders and reach for the zipper of your costume. If he has a problem with the dumb saying on your little bootie shorts, you don't really care. They're cute and fun and that's what counts.

"I don't care what you have on under the dress." Will promises you. "It'll be on the floor soon enough." He strips off the biker vest and starts to kick off the boots he had worn with the outfit. They are his regular boots but they are laced up loose, so they slide off easily.

It's too unbelievable that you're actually undressing with Will with the purpose of climbing into bed together, that it almost seems like the tiny black booty short with the bright yellow Slippery When Wet logo on the ass that are revealed when your dress hits the floor, are simply there for comic relief. Like you need to break the tension of the situation and remember that you're just people.

You turn around to show him the lettering on your ass and he starts to chuckle. "Oh baby girl, I truly hope so." He pulls his shirt over his head, the last scar he collected on that botched job with the guys is healed, but it's still pink skinned so it looks alarming against the rest of his body. "I want to feel how wet you get."

"For you?" You grin, turning around to face him again. "It'll be record breaking, I promise." With just your bra and tiny shorts on, you start to climb onto the bed but pause when you catch sight of a new wound amongst all the well-healed scars. It doesn't matter what it is, or how he got it. You bend down, placing a soft kiss on the pink skin that stands out against his tan, and then settle your knees on either side of his hips. There are more clothes to shed, but the battle wounds that mark his skin are a stark reminder of how close you came to never having this moment together at all.

Will grabs your hands, holding them for a moment while he stares at you. The softness of your touch was soothing, and he lifts your hands to his lips. "You've always been there for me." He murmurs. "Now I want to see what we can be together."

"Truth is?" You squeeze his hands gently before letting go and letting your hands drop to his belt, toying with the buckle before he nods his consent and you start to work the strap loose. "I've always been yours. So whatever we're going to be? I'm all in."

"Me too." He can quickly agree with that. "I'll just – I should have asked you out when I came home from boot camp."

“It’s alright. We got here eventually.” His belt pulls loose from his jeans and you fuse your mouth to his, letting the kiss burn you and swallow you and take you wherever you’re going to go tonight. Room service will be left outside your door and you’ll refuel for round two when you’re ready.

Will touches you, mapping your body with his hands and memorizing every curve and dip with pleasure. Finally touching you like he has imagined over the years.

It’s far more certain than it would have been then. Wandering hands have purpose and searching kisses pressed against bared skin find their mark every time. Those damn condoms are probably the only thing that keep the first time from lasting more than five minutes — both of you are so touch starved that finally getting the touch you’ve been wanting feels exponentially more wonderful.

Will pants, collapsing against you before rolling onto his side and bringing you with him. One leg dragged over his hips to keep you close and your chest pressed against his as he catches his breath. “Fuck.” He chuckles, unable to stop touching you even though he’s exhausted from how overwhelming his orgasm was. “I think I died and this is heaven.”

“Noooo,” you giggle against his chest, damp with sweat, and leave a kiss over his heart. “If you died we can’t do that anymore and that can’t be the only time we do that.”

His eyes are closed and he smiles. "You mean we aren't both dead?" He jokes.

“No, babe.” You laugh, still trying to catch your breath. “You’re thinking of le petit morte.”

“Same thing right?” He grins, rubbing his hand up and down your slightly sweaty back. “We should have done this prom night.”

“Can you imagine?” The thought settles over you like a dreamy blanket. “We would have been inseparable.”

“We’d have four kids by now.” Will predicts. “I’d probably be a Major.”

“You think?” It sounds positively dreamy, you have to admit. Except for one detail. “I don’t think you would have stayed in. You’d have retired like you did anyway. But I like the sound of a big family.”

“Probably not.” He will disagree with you on that. “The stability for that many kids.” He points out. “I wouldn’t have chased contracts.”

“Well…” Knowing that he’s safer now and that he’s searching for a new adventure anyway, you offer him a smile. “Who knows what would have happened if we’d done this back then. But we get to decide what happens next.”

“Yeah.” He closes his eyes and pulls you closer. “We will have to talk about that.”

“Hold that thought.” Pressing another kiss to his skin, you crawl out from under his arm and wrap yourself up in a robe to slip out to the hall and grab the room service tray. You bring it back inside along with the bottle of wine and shoot him a grin. “I planned ahead,” you tell him, setting down the charcuterie tray on the room’s coffee table.

"You are perfect." Will groans, tucking his arm under his head and watching you with zero shame. He still can't believe you are here, even after taking off the condom to dispose of in the little trash can by the bed. "Are you hungry now, or do you want to wait?"

“Maybe we can eat and drink and talk?” It seems like a very civilized way to do it, even if you’re going to be doing some very uncivilized leering at the same time. Will looks even better with his clothes off than you ever dreamed.

"Bring it over here." He smirks as he pats the bed beside him. The bare spot noticeable now that you slipped out of it. "We can eat in bed just this one time, I think."

“Special permission for a special occasion.” You agree with a nod. The tray is beautifully set up but the cheese is set aside in a container on ice as you requested and the kitchen has sent up some chocolate dipped strawberries as well. “I guess they got our vibe when we checked in.” It wouldn’t have been too hard to do, of course, but it makes you smile as you slip back under the covers beside him.

"Wonder if they think it's an affair or elopement." Will takes the bottle from you, sitting up and quickly peeling off the foil to uncap the cork.

“Maybe.” The two wine glasses that came with everything are basic and a little on the small side, which is probably good for balancing everything in bed or on nightstands. “How very mysterious of us.”

"Very mysterious." Will agrees as he pours out the wine and sets the bottle onto the nightstand so it doesn't get knocked over. "I think their theories will only get more absurd the more noise we make." He teases, tapping his glass to yours.

“In that case I’ll be louder,” you tease, leaning over to steal a kiss before your first sip of wine.

He snorts and takes a sip of his wine. "I wonder if those shit heads set us up for this entire thing." He ponders. "The spell, being here and Benny reminding me that you had moved home. Knowing I would go into the backyard."

“Oh, I guarantee it.” Although you studiously avoid mentioning that your sister is already predicting a wedding. That is far too much pressure. “They’re going to gloat forever.”

"Jesus." He rolls his eyes and sighs. "Yeah they are. Unless we can get them together."

“Do we really want to do that, though?” It sounds amusing, but the logistics would be a nightmare. “They’d gloat and try to be cuter than us.”

"It would be mildly amusing." He chuckles. "But you're right. The headache wouldn't be worth it."

“But…” Glancing up at him, you take another sip of wine and reach for the tray to keep your hands busy. “We should probably talk. About…whatever this is.”

“We should.” Will agrees. His face pulls into something serious, wanting to take this conversation cautiously, not make demands or put too much pressure on you. “Do you want to go first?”

“I’m not sure I know where to start,” you admit, although it’s mostly out of fear that you’ll ask too much and scare him off.

“Do you see yourself staying here?” He asks. “Would you want me to move? Try long distance?”

“I never intended to stay here. It was supposed to be temporary and I’ve been here for years.” The offer to have him move is unexpected, but more than anything you know that the third alternative won’t be satisfying or comfortable for you. “I don’t think long distance would be ideal, but I know that moving in together right away is way too much to ask for.” The two of you slowly start to snack on your tray and you consider him beside you. So incredibly handsome, loyal, and always a pillar of strength. “But…if you wanted me to come out to Florida, I would.”

“Ben and I bought a house.” He explains. “It was cheaper than renting and it’s one that needed some work.” He shrugs slightly. “If you wanted to come to Florida, you have a place to stay until you decide if you could stand me long term or not.” He huffs out a laugh to keep it lighthearted.

“I’m not worried about that.” Slipping your free hand into his, you lace your fingers together and give it a gentle, encouraging squeeze. “It’s…sort of a relationship test drive. Dive into the deep end and see how we do. When we’re ready to say it’s working, I can officially make the move.” In your heart you know it will. It’s all you’ve wanted for so long that you’re willing to fight tooth and nail to have it. To have him.

“That would be good.” He agrees with you about being cautious, even though he believes it will work out. “Especially since you are mobile.”

“My office is wherever I am.” You nod and press a kiss to his hand before letting go again. “And where I want to be is with you.”

“So why don’t you come visit me this next week?” He offers. “You can see where we live. See if you like it.”

“I feel like I should pinch myself.” When you smile at him, it is bright and warm, tinged with disbelief. “Teenage me is getting everything she ever wanted.”

“That’s a good thing, baby.” He reminds you. “You should have everything you want.”

"So should you." As far as you're concerned? Having him completes that list of wants in a way you never expected. You had given up on the dream of Will Miller years ago, only to find your world turned upside down and the man of your teenage dreams in bed beside you.

“Right now, I can’t think of anything else I want than what I have right here.” He murmurs softly.

"Oh yeah?" You face splits into a grin all over again. "Well, I'm very glad we agree."

“So now that we have a plan, what else?” He picks up a cube of cheese and pops it into his mouth. “Do you want to go on birth control? Do you want to use condoms? Do you want to start working on kids?”

"Those are three very different options." The casual way he tosses out kids as an option makes your ears burn like they're on fire and your heart skip two beats. "Offering me space in your house and talking about kids while we eat snacks in bed after the first time we have sex?" You giggle softly, brimming with disbelief at how right it all feels. Still, you have to tease him. "Might as well whip out a ring or plan an elopement, Miller."

“Jewelry stores are closed.” Will hums and smirks at you as he takes off the skull ring he still has on his finger. “But this could work.”

That light, ribbing tone evaporates from your voice and your eyes widen, flicking between his face and the ring. "Are you...do you really mean it?" Instead of being high and laughing, your voice cracks in shock, but only because you've hit another level of shock and awe in what was already a perfect night.

He has only been partly joking, but the second your eyes go wide, he realizes that he’s serious. He’s known you all his life, he’s loved you for most of it. If Tom’s death taught him anything, it’s that he never knows when his ticket might be punched. Why shouldn’t he be serious? “We could get you a real ring later on.” He rationalizes. “But a skull ring is appropriate for Halloween.”

"How about this?" The way you just want to leap forward and say yes and dive in headfirst is the sex and the wine and the fantasies talking. Will deserves all of that, but also the measure of love that is support and care. He deserves someone who is going to take care of him. And if you're going to be that person, you want to do it right. "I'm going to wear this skull until we decide that we're ready for me to move to Florida once and for all. When that happens, we can go ring shopping and start talking about kids. How does that sound?" You really don't think it will take long. Not with the way tonight has gone. "If that's in two weeks or two months or two years, it doesn't matter. We decide together."

“That sounds perfect.” He flashes you a perfect set of white teeth with a gigantic smile. “Happy Halloween, baby.” He murmurs before he presses his lips to yours, thinking that Benny’s Halloween prank might have actually been a good one this year.

------

Master Tags: @pixiedurango @chattychell @winter-fox-queen @lady-himbo @artsymaddie @princess76179 @paintballkid711 @missminkylove @pedrosbrat @ew-erin @sarahjkl82-blog @sharkbait77 @justanotherblonde23 @lv7867 @recklesswit @mylittlesenaar @f0rever15elf @gallowsjoker @steeevienicks @athalien @sherala007 @skvatnavle @thatpinkshirt @jaime1110 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @goodgriefitsawildworld @greeneyedblondie44 @littlemousedroid @harriedandharassed @churchill356 @ajathegreats-blog @haylzcyon   @beardsanddetectives @kirsteng42 @ladykatakuri @adancedivasmom @madiebear @tanzthompson @emilianamason @bigsdinger @xocalliexo @pedr0swh0r3 @avaleineandafryingpan @charlyrmv @avidreader73 @iceclaw101 @loveslide @elegantduckturtle @becsworld @julesonrecord @its-nebuleuse @itsrubberbisquit @mikeyswifie @guelyury @lizzie-cakes @for-a-longlongtime @vabeachazn @purplerain04 @weho2kcmo @madnessofadaydreamer

[fluentmoviequoter]

Anything Can (And Will) Happen

Requested Here!

Pairing: Tim Bradford x fem!Chen!reader (Lucy's sister)

Summary: When Lucy tells you about Tim's eventful Halloween a few years ago, you use it to tease him. When he gets annoyed, the truth comes out.

Warnings: spoilers for The Rookie 4x5 "ACH", fluff!!!

Word Count: 2.1k+ words

Masterlist | Tim Bradford Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

You remember the day you met Tim Bradford perfectly. It was six months ago, and you haven’t been the same since then…

✯✯✯✯✯

6 Months Ago

The text you got from your sister Lucy this morning just said, “My place. 7 pm.”

You, of course, agree to visit her. It has been a long week, and you love spending time with her. When she adds that she found a new recipe she wants to try, your excitement level grows tenfold.

While you sit on her couch, listening to her talk about her day at work between prepping the recipe, it's easy to relax and smile. You hit the sister jackpot, you think. When Lucy falls silent, you glance over and ask what’s wrong.

“I forgot the spices,” she says with a pout. “The store at the corner should have them, I’ll be back in ten.”

“Luce, you don’t have to get the exact spices,” you point out.

“But then it won’t taste right! I’ll be right back, but can you let Tamara in if she forgot her key again?”

You promise to do just that, shaking your head as Lucy rushes out with another guarantee she’ll be quick. Five minutes later, someone knocks on the door, and you stretch as you stand.

“Tamara, I’m going to buy you a keychain for your birthday,” you call as you walk to the door.

As soon as you open it, you see it’s not Tamara.

“You’re not Lucy,” the handsome man standing before you says, leaning forward to glance over your shoulder.

“She just ran to the store; she’ll be right back. Come on in,” you invite.

“You’re letting strangers into an apartment that isn’t yours?” he asks as he closes the door.

You return to the couch and sigh. “You’re not a stranger; you’re Tim Bradford, right?”

He furrows his brows before nodding. Before he can ask how you know that, you answer, “Lucy talks about you a lot. Undersold your looks, though, so I’ll have to talk to her about that.”

“Wait- so, Lucy is…”

“My sister.”

“She never mentioned a sister.”

The door opens, and Lucy reenters with a bag in the crook of her elbow. “Tim? What are you doing here?”

“I, uh, Angela wanted me to ask if you’d be up to help with another UC op and I’m supposed to help you prepare. But, I see you are busy, so I’ll just go.”

“Officer Bradford?” you ask. When he turns to face you, you smile and say, “You should stay for dinner.”

“Oh, no, I can’t intrude on… this.”

Lucy looks at you, disappointed, as she shakes her head. You’re always willing to listen to stories about Tim, yet you ignored your chance to properly introduce yourself.

“Tim, this is my sister,” Lucy says, giving him your name.

Tim repeats your name under his breath, returning your smile as he agrees to stay for dinner.

“I’m going to regret this,” Lucy mumbles as she resumes cooking.

“I won’t.” You say it low enough that only Tim can hear, but his smile makes you think he wants to agree.

✯✯✯✯✯

Present Day - Halloween

“Good morning,” you call as you enter Lucy’s apartment. “And Happy Halloween.”

“Hey,” Lucy replies, hugging you as she asks Tamara to get the blueberries from the fridge.

“We don’t have any,” Tamara announces.

“Wha- I just went shopping. Hey, when you finish something, you need to put it on the shopping list.”

“I didn’t eat them,” Tamara argues. Lucy gives her a look she mastered for getting you to confess, and Tamara repeats, “I didn’t!”

 “Luce, I think you have a ghost,” you tease. “Am I still coming over tonight?”

“Don’t you have plans with Tim?” Tamara asks.

“He’s working,” you and Lucy answer together.

“Of course, you’re still coming over tonight,” Lucy tells you.

Someone knocks on the door, and when Lucy turns around, you steal a piece of fruit from the blender, winking at Tamara when she laughs.

“Hello,” Lucy greets.

“Hi. I’m Margaret from 604. You’re a cop, right?” the woman asks.

“Yeah. Uh, what’s going on?”

You follow Lucy, Tamara, and Margaret down the hall, surprised to see the argument unfolding as an older woman throws equipment out of her apartment.

“Whoa. Police,” Lucy calls. “What’s going on?”

“They robbed me!” the woman accuses.

“Okay, that is not at all true,” a man kneeling beside the equipment says.

“Mrs. Crouch hired us to rid her home of an aggressive spirit,” his partner adds.

“You mean a ghost? You guys are ghost hunters?” Tamara asks excitedly.

Lucy looks over at you, and you raise your hands in surrender. “I was completely kidding about the ghost thing.”

“Yeah, we are,” the man answers. “The spirit in Mrs. Crouch’s apartment is rather just stubborn, so we said that we would do a follow-up…”

“Hey,” you whisper to Tamara. “As entertaining as this is, I need to go to work, so, uh, keep me updated and tell Lucy I’ll see her later?”

Tamara nods distractedly, and you pat her shoulder before walking away.

✯✯✯✯✯

Lucy wants to call you. You’re the only other person in the world who understands the emotions she’s dealing with right now. But, since you’re at work, she decides to tell Nolan and ask his opinion instead.

“Your mother did what?” he exclaims.

“She pre-paid for me to have my eggs frozen at a fertility clinic,” she answers.

“I thought you and your mother weren’t talking.”

Lucy scoffs before replying, “She’s definitely talking now. Seriously, what makes her think she has the right?”

She and Nolan fall silent as Grey and Tim walk in, preparing for roll call.

“Alright. Nolan…” Wade begins, pulling a piece of candy from an orange bucket. “Can you tell me what today is and what ‘ACH’ stands for?”

“Today is Halloween, and I have no idea what ‘ACH’ stands for,” Nolan answers, prepared to catch the candy.

“No candy for partial answers. Harper?”

“Anything can happen,” Nyla answers, catching her candy as she finishes. “Basically a reminder to be extra careful ‘cause today is Halloween and Halloween is unpredictable.”

“Correct. And since Officer Thorsen has range qualifications today, you’re back to riding with Nolan.”

“Oh, just like old times.”

“Yeah, without the fear of the whole blue-page thing,” Nolan adds.

“Uh, what kind of unpredictable can we expect today?” Lucy asks.

“Good question Chen.”

Tim continues, “Lot of liquid courage. Lot of 211s. Teenagers snatching little kids’ candy. Masked people running into liquor stores. Do they have a gun or are they just late for a party? Muzzle discipline is crucial.”

“And?” Wade presses. “Can you remind us how you got your uniform torn three Halloweens ago?”

“Uh… if, you get dispatched to a loud party, make sure they know you’re not the stripper,” Tim answers slowly.

Lucy laughs as the other officers cheer. He looks over at her, and she presses her lips together, trying and failing to stop.

“We’ll try to get you home on time, but its Halloween, so…” Wade begins before everyone finishes, “Anything can happen.”

“I need to go call my sister,” Lucy whispers to Nolan.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Hello?” you ask, answering your phone.

“Hey, have you talked to Mom recently?” Lucy asks quickly.

“No. Why?”

“Because she paid to have my eggs frozen at a fertility clinic!”

“She did what?!”

“I know! I- why didn’t you get a call?”

“Because I have a boyfriend, so I’m the good daughter,” you tease. “But, Luce, that’s completely your choice. Think about it before you make a decision, okay?”

“I- I will, it’s just-“

“She shouldn’t have done it without asking, but she’s, well, she’s Mom and she’s borderline insane,” you finish.

“Yeah,” Lucy sighs. “Ooh, wait, I have something to tell you about Tim, too!”

✯✯✯✯✯

“I’m just saying, I am only 29,” Lucy continues. “My eggs are nowhere near their expiration date. But clearly, my mother thinks that I’m a pathetic loser who’s never gonna find a partner before her fertility clock ticks down.”

Tim looks to the ceiling, wondering why she is talking to him about this.

“Have you talked to your sister?” he asks.

“Yes. She thinks I should think about it before I decide what to do.”

“I agree. It sounds like your mom is just looking out for you, knowing how busy you are.”

“Wha- are you taking her side?”

“I’m not taking her side. It’s just—you know what, talk to your sister, I’m not doing this with you.”

“She didn’t make an appointment for my sister,” Lucy grumbles.

✯✯✯✯✯

When Tamara texts you that Lucy and Angela are working on the case, you decide not to hand out candy with them. You know Lucy, and she’ll get distracted and go on a legitimate ghost hunt, so you let yourself into Tim’s house when you get off work instead.

You’re not expecting him to get off early, so when he walks through the door just a few minutes after you sit down, you’re surprised. When you see he’s still wearing his uniform, you remember what Lucy told you about the stripper incident a few Halloweens ago and start laughing.

Your laughter shakes your entire body, and you lean against the arm of the couch for support. Tim watches you, confused and slightly concerned about what is causing you to laugh so hard. He moves to stand at the back of the couch, but when you catch sight of his uniform, your laughter starts anew. Pressing your hand to your chest as it gets tight, you force yourself to take a few deep breaths.

“What is so funny?” Tim asks when you begin to quiet.

“I- I didn’t call a stripper,” you blurt out before laughing again.

“I’m going to kill your sister,” he says under his breath.

Between laughs, you say, “Not if the ghost does first.”

“What are you talking about?”

As you look up, you notice he’s unbuttoned the top of his uniform, and tears begin leaking from your eyes as you hold your laughter inside.

“I thought you were working late,” you say, wiping the tears away.

“Got off early. I thought you were going to Lucy’s.”

“They’re hunting ghosts.”

Tim wants to ask more but knows better. He’s heard enough about Lucy and her day. When Tim left work, he considered the prospect of spending more time with you, but now he’s unsure if that’s a good idea.

“Did you bring your own music?” you ask, chuckling again with your teasing.

“Stop,” Tim answers roughly before walking toward his room to change.

You’re laying it on thick, but the story is too funny not to take advantage of it at least for a while. When he’s well and truly annoyed, you’ll have to spend a long time and a lot of attention apologizing, but for now, you think it’s worth it. He reappears from the hall, dressed in a Henley and sweatpants.

“Boo!” you call. “Finish the show? Please?” You bat your eyelashes as you ask but Tim ignores you. “Hey, Tim, for- for scientific reasons: where is the best place to rip the uniform? Like, straight down the middle, or…”

“Don’t start,” he warns.

“Too late.”

His jaw clenches, and the fact that he hasn’t kissed you yet makes you realize he got annoyed way faster than usual.

“Tim, I’m sorry,” you say quietly, looking over the back of the couch at him. “Lucy shouldn’t have told me, but I shouldn’t have been so… so teasing about it.”

“You’re right.”

“Was today okay? At work? I heard about the zombie drug but I know Halloween is a rough day for cops.”

“It was fine.”

His short answers and inability to look at you make you sigh. You stand, walking to his side and leaning against the counter.

“I really am sorry,” you whisper. “I won’t do it again.”

Tim looks at you from the corner of his eye, and you amend, “I won’t take it as far again.”

“Sure you won’t.”

“Tim, why does it bother you so much?”

“Because- look, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I want to be more than a Halloween cop horror story to you.”

Your eyes widen as he speaks, and when he finishes, you ask, “Kiss me?”

“What?”

“Tim,” you whine, grabbing his arm with both hands. “That was the sweetest thing you’ve ever said. Please kiss me?”

“Go find a stripper willing to kiss you,” he replies.

“Tim, please. If you break up with me my mom will freeze my eggs.”

Tim tips his head forward, sighing when it hits your shoulder. “There’s two of you.”

“Hey, you knew what you were getting into. Besides, aren’t I the ‘best thing that’s ever happened’ to you?”

Shaking his head, Tim stands to his full height, and when you open your mouth to say something else, he cups your face in his hands and kisses you. The teasing comment dies away as you kiss Tim.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, too,” you say against him.

“Maybe you should remember that the next time Lucy tells you about something I say at work.”

[changingplumbob]

Woods Household: Chapter 2, Part 5

Reece and Samir have a serious talk about their future.

CW: Low level sim spice. Content Warning Guide

Samir and Reece are curled up in bed while the snow falls heavily outside.

Samir: *whispering* Time to get up

Reece: No *yawns* You’re warm and cozy

Samir: You were keen to wake-

Reece: I like the way you smell

Samir: *chuckles* Come on, you’ve got coursework and it’s Snow Day

Reece: *slurred* Slow day

Samir: Let’s go gorgeous. If you get all your uni work done early we’ll make a snowpal, huh?

Samir gets up and Reece reluctantly follows. The thermostat was installed so he’s able to stay warm inside even if it’s not in Samir’s arms.

Reece eats his breakfast as Samir marks his territory and he’s busy with his coursework when Samir comes to eat some meat.

Samir: What’s this one called

Reece: Building with cells, I can kind of understand it

Samir: By the time you’re done with it, you’ll understand it all

Reece: Thanks. What will you be doing while I’m slaving here

Samir: Just see if I can find anything around the place, and go for a jog. If you get cold, please put a shirt on

Reece: I’ll have a hot shower just as soon as I finish this…

In the garden, despite the cold, the chrysanthemums and roses are growing side by side. Samir smiles at them as he heads out. He still can’t help thinking of them as symbolism for him and Reece. One bright sunny and uplifting. One deep, passionate and thorny. After a shower Reece heads to tend the garden and picks the flowers happily. He still wants to graft them together, but he has to get a bit more knowledgeable about gardening first.

Samir gets back and picks one of the books of the shelf to try reading while Reece does more coursework. They’re supposed to be focusing. But, as often happens, their thoughts end up being about each other.

Reece: When can we get married

Samir: We’ve talked about this

Reece: Yes but snatches of conversation after woohoo are not the same as an actual sit down conversation

Samir: *sighs* We should be focusing

Reece: *pouts*

Samir: Blondie... It's like I've said. I’m not proposing until you’ve got your degree

Reece: What if I proposed

Samir: *scratches* I wouldn’t accept. I’ve told you, when I think the time is right, I’ll ask

Reece: Do you need to know who killed your parents first

Samir: No. They’re separate to us

Reece: I just… I want the world to know you've picked me

Samir: Is the hickey you’re always getting me to make on your neck not enough

Reece: I love it, and I love you but…

Reece looks sadly at his coursework and Samir feels bad. He doesn’t want Reece upset but he knows once they get married Reece will be obsessed with the idea of kids. He loves Reece being a genius and knows that long term Reece will be happiest having at least a part time job where he can use his brain. He needs to finish his degree before they "settle down". Then he's happy for him to have as many kids as will keep him smiling.

Samir: How about a compromise

Reece: Like a woohoo compromise

Samir: No. Like a… be my partner compromise

Reece: Huh?

Samir reaches over and grabs Reece's hand. He's thought of him as his partner since they moved in but they've only ever referred to each other as boyfriends. Maybe an upgrade will help Reece see he's invested in him.

Samir: A step up from boyfriend but still no ring. That’s what I can propose for now. Think about it while I shower okay?

As Samir showers his mind drifts back to what Kristopher mentioned about mates… Reece would probably have some idea since he was reading all of Wolfgangs books but how could he ask without relaying the conversation? He didn’t want Reece to feel like he had to be with him. Selfishly he wanted Reece to choose to be with him. Shaking off excess water he gets dressed and heads back to the table.

Samir: Do we have a verdict

Reece: *smiling* You bet partner. Do you wanna build a snowman?

Samir: *chuckles* Snowpal. You finished the work then?

Reece: Yes

Samir: Good boy. Let’s go

They head outside where the sky has started to darken, in winter the sun sets early.

Samir: Have you read any more of Wolfgang’s books?

Reece: Bits. You know I like my werewolf romance

Samir: I do know that very well. Is it weird reading the steamy bits now you know he wrote them

Reece: No. I mean he’s not the characters he writes about. Like I’m not reading a scene where I picture that he’s woohooing himself. Plus I already substitute the characters for us in the love scenes anyway

Samir: *chuckles* Of course you do

Reece: Thanks for earlier. It means a lot. I know you just want what's best for me I'm just... not good at being patient

Samir: Hey, it means the world to me you want to get married. You know that right?

Reece nods and Samir pulls him in for a serious of gentle kisses that leave the blonde boy giggling.

Samir: Trust me, my proposal will be worth waiting for. Now, what shall we name this monstrosity?

Reece: Monstrosity? Lover that’s our child! I even gave them a headscarf to keep warm, see

Samir: How about… Scarf-face?

Reece: *sighs* You better upskill your imagination before we have our kids, that’s all I’m saying to that

While it was a bit late for a dinner date Samir invited Reece to come with him to the onsen to rest. He knows that when Reece does a lot of writing he tends to get cramps in his muscles and he hasn’t had time for yoga with the coursework. Soaking in the onsen is something they can do together. The warm water does Reece good as he’s soon flirting up a storm.

Samir: Can I interest my partner in a massage

Reece: *chuckles* Anytime you want to put your hands on me just do it

Samir: Your shoulders are tight. Did you take a break between sections of writing?

Reece: I… wanted to get it done so we could build a snowpal

Samir: Blondie you’ve got to take better care of yourself

Reece: I’d rather have you take care of me. Shall we go home?

Samir: Soon. I just want to be gentle with you a bit more first

Previous ... Next

[kimberly40]

Livermush is very popular where I live in McDowell County, North Carolina. Have you heard of it? Here are a few facts about livermush:

•Livermush is a blend of ground scrap pork meat + liver, and spices bound with enough cooked cornmeal mush to make it sliceable.

•Food historians trace its origins to German immigrants who ate something called pon hoss, (pork scraps blended with buckwheat and spices) and then brought it to America during the 1700s. The food ultimately came south to the mountains and Piedmont, where it wound up on WNC farms.

•Scrapple is similar to livermush but NOT the same. It has less liver and different spices are used. It tastes different too.

•By law, Livermush is required at least 30 percent pig liver to be classified as Livermush.

•One could purchase a five-pound block of Livermush for around 10 cents a pound in the 1930s and '40s.

•Hunter's Livermush, which is made in Marion, is only found within 100 miles of Marion.

•Hunters sells over a million pounds of livermush a year.

•Some historians connect its popularity to the Germans’ penchant for liverwurst, a smoked sausage made with pork scraps. Livermush emerged as an alternative that didn’t require a smoker and could be cut with cornmeal to feed more people.

•The 5 commercial livermush producers — Corriher’s, Hunter’s, Jenkins, Mack’s, and Neese’s — are all based in North Carolina.

•One producer of Livermush stated that the closer they get to the mountains in North Carolina, their livermush begins to outsell sausage.

•Hunter's Livermush in Marion produces 20,000 pounds every week for customers of stores in five counties.

•Although the composition is similar to liver pudding (which you can find in the eastern part of the state) and scrapple (commonly found in Mid-Atlantic states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey), livermush differs from these two with its liver content + binding element.

•Scrapple tends to contain less liver, whereas livermush has a higher ratio of liver and liver pudding is made with flour, and therefore has a softer consistency.

•Early settlers made livermush in cast iron pots and stirred with wooden paddles, incorporating whatever bits of the hog had not been used previously. A regional food born of necessity and hard times, its popularity is thought to have grown during the Civil War because it was an affordable substitute for more expensive cuts of meat.

•Pork jowls, pork livers, Cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, sage and water are the ingredients in livermush.

•Liver mush is often compared to breakfast sausage and is sometimes called the poor man's pâté.

•Hunters Livermush founders Roy and Gurthie Hunter started production in 1955 at their Marion facility.

•Livermush is certainly high in Vitamin A and Iron, but a 2 ounce slice contains 90 calories, 40 of them from fat. And if you’re one of those people who need to boost your cholesterol level, that 2 ounce slice will provide 17% of your daily cholesterol requirement.

•There are only five commercial livermush producers on the planet; Mack’s and Jenkins Livermush are located in Shelby in the southwestern part of the state, Hunters Livermush is in the mountain community of Marion, Neese’s is in the piedmont city of Greensboro and in tiny China Grove it’s Corriher’s.

•There are two livermush festivals held every year in North Carolina. Marion, North Carolina, has the Livermush Festival, and Shelby, North Carolina, hosts the Mutts, Music, and Mush Festival.

*Livermush is a natural relaxer, cures stress, cures anxiety, cures sadness and best of all is DELICIOUS. 😁

The name doesn’t do it any favors that’s for sure. Every culture has its prized foods that outsiders can’t stomach. People either LOVE it, won’t dare to even try it, or they hate it. For those of us who grew up on livermush, we love it and will gladly eat your share. 😊

Peace, Love, and Livermush. ❤️

-Written by Kimberly Wright, 2022

[purplesurveys]

1635

Look out of the nearest window. What do you see? Details, please. I’m settled in bed and it’s too dark out to actually see anything, but I can tell you that the only things you’d be able to see are the neighbors’ houses (from my room you can see the houses to the left of and behind ours) and some trees.

When you think of the word “posh”, what springs to mind? The Spice Girls. > Okay, same!

When you have chocolate, do you eat it room temperature? Or are you like me and stick the bar into the fridge first? Well we have to put in the ref because otherwise it will melt and become all messy and a hassle to eat. We also can’t leave it out anyway because ants.

What’s the most shocking thing that’s happened in your part of town? There was a house in this neighborhood that got raided or something a few years back because of drug possession; even got featured on national TV. I didn’t care much for it and if anything the only reason I paid attention was the fact that the route we take going home was featured on the news LOL

Which brand are your headphones/earbuds? It’s a generic, unbranded pair. I lost the earbuds that came with my phone so I just opted for something cheap as I don’t usually use earphones anyway.

Do you see planes fly over your house at all? Yeah they come around fairly regularly.

Are there any constellations you recognize just by looking at them? Just those three stars that are part of Orion but otherwise I’m not good at all at identifying constellations.

Which room of your house/apartment do you spend the most time in? Either my room or the dining area since we let the dogs roam around there.

Which insect do you find the most beautiful? Fireflies.

Did you have crafts/woodwork at school growing up? Nope.

If so, what was the best assignment you did for it? We never had it but we did do some fun things for home econ (although I didn’t find them fun at the time, ha) like sewing, crocheting, cooking, baking, etc.

Do you have a friend who likes to tell you everything? Yes, my best friends love sharing stories with me. Andi’s are usually about their adventures and annoyances in law school; Angela tells me about pretty much everything going on in her life.

What was the last thing you got very excited about? Jihope visiting Jin at the military gave me a level of happiness nobody would ever be able to understand. He looks so happy and healthy and well-fed :) You can go to any city in any country you want. Which city do you go to? SEOUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you like gardening? If so, what do you grow? No.

Do you enjoy puzzle games? If so, which one’s your favourite? In the Seom. Thanks for reminding me! I’ll need to play it before bed so I can get a few levels up hahaha.

Is there a substance you avoid at all costs? If so, what is it and why? Hard drugs, for obvious reasons.

What would you absolutely hate living next door to? A family with a tantrum-prone toddler.

What would you love to live next door to? A household with ARMY or with lots of dogs. Or both!

What gives you nostalgia? Visiting UP.

When you think of a classy drink, what comes to mind first? Martinis.

Do you prefer eating out or cooking your own meals? Tbh neither; I like getting my food delivered. But if I had to exclusively pick between these two, I’d go with eating out.

Which language do you think is the most complicated to learn? Just about every single form of Chinese. Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese...just the way that the meaning of same-spelling words differ depending on the tone it’s said is already super overwhelming. It’s very fascinating.

Is there a place that you might call your second home? UP.

How do you imagine your later life to look like? Satisfaction with who I’ve grown up to become and ended up achieving, and lots of leisure traveling.

What is a job you would never in a million years want to do? Film production. I’ve participated at several video shoots for work and have dreaded every single fucking part of it. The early call times, set design changes, multiple takes...I’m just too impatient for it all.

Is there a piece of jewelry that you feel naked without? No.

Do you ever “go commando”? Rarely.

What’s the sweetest thing someone’s done for you? I have to go with the time Andi gave me a handwritten letter, a physical copy of Petals for Armor, and a CM Punk shirt for Christmas – in the same year. That was the lowest I’ve ever been, so it felt nice to have someone who apparently remembers everything I love.

Which wild animals are a common sight in your area? Just birds and frogs.

What’s the weirdest building in your city? The architecture is not weird per se, but we do have an abandoned Starbucks when you drive up the mountain part of the city. Apparenty the contractor or owner or whoever it is got caught up in permit issues and the store never actually launched, so now it just looks like a sad, lonely Starbucks overlooking the Metro Manila skyline.

How do you keep in touch with friends usually? Messenger. All other messaging platforms are reserved for work, so I don’t like talking to friends on those because it makes me more stressed than anything.

Do you get a lot of visitors? Nah, my friends and I get together at home usually only when there’s a BTS thing happening...so safe to say we’re not getting any of these sessions any time soon, at least until 2025 or 2026.

Is there a subtle way your partner gets you excited easily? I don’t have a partner.

Do you recognize friends’/family’s vehicles by sound? Not me but the dogs are excellent at identifying when my mom’s about to arrive back home.

Which Disney villain is your favourite? I don’t really have a favorite Disney villain. Non-Disney villains on the other hand...Gus Fring will always have a special place in my ever-cold heart.

On a regular day, what do you usually do at 3 o'clock in the afternoon? Neck-deep in work.

Which possession would you not want to inherit from a relative? Clothes. Secondhand clothing makes me feel icky for some reason.

What is something you would never dare to do in public? Uhm...masturbate, I guess??

Would you/ did you have a hen night/bachelorette party? Sure, if I reach that point.

Has anyone taken you on holiday somewhere? If so, where? No. When you left the house last time, where did you go? Just church. Went home right after as all of us were feeling pretty tired.

How did you spend your last birthday? Filed a leave off work and sat on the couch all day until I took my family out for a ramen dinner. Then that same weekend, my friends and I went to Zambales for a quick beach vacation.

[sugandhafood]

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Replacement of non-veg

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Nutrition Facts of Vezlay Veg Chicken

Recipes

*You can Buy or order it from the market or online store.

*Use a nonstick pan, and add Vezlay veg chicken along with lemon grass palm sugar basil leaves, and pepper.

* You just cook it for some minutes.

* Serve it and enjoy this hot and healthy food.

Best Thing of this food

This may help In front of your guest who is suddenly coming and you don’t want to make anything or another way you don’t have any idea what serve in front of guest so you can serve it in some minutes this take less time and make a high impression they appreciate you for this.

[cyarsk52-20]

SEX

Here Are This Year's Sex Trends That We Can Actually Get Behind

SHELLIE R. WARREN

MAR 17, 2023 17:00 PM EST

If you’ve checked out my byline here, even for a little while, you have probably caught on to the fact that I thoroughly enjoy researching random information (I get it from my daddy). For instance, I can’t explain what exactly prompted the search but, not too long ago, I was curious about what place is currently considered to be the sexiest in the world. It’s actually one of my favorite cities — London(NY and LA are in the top 10). That got me to looking up some of the sexiest hotels in the world as well (some ones in general are hereand here; some cool Black-owned joints are here). And that got me to wondering about currently popular sexual trends — you know, stuff that is super popular in the realm of all things sexual activity right now.

Let’s just say that when it comes to 2023, they pretty much run the gamut. Anyway, if you have a natural curiosity for random intel like I do, here are 12 sex-related things that could make coitus even betterin your neck of the woods.

1. Sex Outside of the Bedroom

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Recently, while in a session with some married clients, a wife helped to prove a point that I’ve been making, on repeat, for a few years now — a lot of people are leaving their marriage, not due to abuse or cheating but sheer boredom. Because as shallow as that sounds, when things become tedious, they can almost start to feel almost like torture. Sex is not exempt here either.

That said, let’s not act like the reason why most of us prefer to have sex in a bed is because, when the bed/mattress is hella comfortable, it makes getting into (and out of) positions so much easier; plus, falling asleep right after is super convenient in that spot. However, if you want to spice things up, getting out of the bed can be a wise move.

Some current favorite spots (according to what I’ve read and some folks that I’ve interviewed have shared):

Couches

Showers

Hallways

Dryers (when it’s on)

Kitchen Counters

Walk-In Closets

Work Offices (when no one’s there)

Tents in Backyards

Hotel Balconies

Fitting Rooms

At the very least, this should get your imagination going. So, whatcha gonna try?

2. All-Natural Aphrodisiacs

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It’s kind of wild that, even though aphrodisiacs have been around since FOR-E-VER, probably until the end of time, folks will debate on if they are actually “real” (as far as their effectiveness goes) or not. Personally, I think that if supplements (which we’ll get into later) can help to give your libido a boost, foods that contain said supplements will probably do the same.

Anyway, something that keeps coming up in sex-related content these days is all-natural aphrodisiacs. Food-wise, I penned a couple of articles for the platform a while back (check out “Eat Your Way To Better Sex With Aphrodisiacs” and “10 In-Season Fall Foods That Are Incredible Aphrodisiacs”). Scent-wise, read “8 Natural Aphrodisiac Scents, Where They Go & How To Make Them Last” for a variety of essential oils that can help to take things to another level (especially if you apply them to the right pressure points) too.

3. ASMR Sound Effects

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For years (and years…and then some more years), I’ve slept in silence and slept just fine. Yet over the past several years, I’ve gone to bed to the sound of rain (YouTube has a ton of channels that will play it for hours on end; just put “rain sounds for sleeping” in the search field) and it has taken my quality of sleep to a whole ‘nother level! From what I’ve read and researched sounds like rain, ocean waves, and even a blowing fan can help you to rest better and more; that’s because certain ASMR sounds activate the part of the brain that releases dopamine and oxytocin — both of which help you to feel calm and more relaxed.

On the sex tip, you might want to crank up some ASMR sounds too because it also helps to decrease your stress levels. Not only that but when your hearing is stimulated in this fashion, it can actually intensify your other senses (sight, taste, smell, and touch).

I mean, a lot of y’all went wild over H.E.R’s song “Damage” and whether you realized it or not, it’s, in part, because she referenced the sexy ass classic “Making Love in the Rain” by Herb Alpert ft. Lisa Keith and Janet Jackson. And doesn’t it now make even more sense that those kinds of songs make sex even better?

Hell, don’t wait for a rainy day. Put on a YouTube video. Do it ASAP too — the sounds and the sex, if you can.

4. Remote-Controlled Vibrators

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Since it’s been reported that somewhere around 14 million individuals are in a long-distance relationship, there’s no way that we could talk about sex trends without addressing one that’s growing in popularity among couples who don’t get to see each other as much as they would probably like.

One of them is remote-controlled vibrators. If you’re not familiar, it’s basically a vibrator that can be controlled by someone else. Although the possibilities are clearly — eh hem — endless with this, just make sure to keep in mind that you typically need a strong Wi-Fi signal. Also, you should read as much fine print on the product you’re considering because sometimes there are data and privacy issues.

Don’t let that last point freak you out too much, though. Honestly, these kinds of vibrators have been around for a long while now. Personally, I think the pandemic has brought them back into the sex spotlight. Anyway, Allure (here) and Self (here) did you a solid by providing a list of some of the best ones around. At least do a lil’ bit of window shopping, if you can.

5. Multi-Purpose Lube

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There used to be a time when people thought that lubrication was pretty much for women who couldn’t get “wet enough.” These days, as folks are getting more creative when it comes to sex, they know that wetter truly is better. That’s why I wrote articles like “If You've Always Wanted A 'Lubricant Cheat Sheet,' Here Ya Go” and “The Wetter, The Better: 10 Creative Ways To Use Lubricant” for the site.

So, when you get a chance, check those out and then determine in your mind that you will invest in a couple of bottles of lube (if you haven’t already). If you’re not sure which brands to go with, a good (no pun intended) entry brand is Astroglide because it’s water-based (which means it will feel natural and won’t compromise condom useor damage your bedding), it’s super affordable and you can find it in just about any drugstore around.

Just for the record, if you like to engage in activities like shower sex (check out “So, This Is How To Make Shower Sex So Much Better”), go with a silicone-based lubricant like Wet Platinum. A water-based lube while you’re in water is not gonna do you much good. Stuff is a lot more slippery with silicone in there.

6. At-Home STI/STD Testing

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While I’m over here irritated that so much data supports the fact that ONLY one-third of men use condoms (eye roll), I think that’s why I’m never shocked whenever I see that STI/STDs continue to increasewith every passing year (SMDH).

This is why, if you are sexually active, you need to get tested annually(no exceptions). And if you happen to have multiple sex partners, this needs to go from every 12 months to every 3-6 months (no joke).

And what if you “don’t have time”? Yeah, that won’t fly because, these days, you can get tested from the comfort and convenience of your own home (you can read about a list of some of the best that are currently out on the market here). Even though a lot of at-home tests aren’t exactly the cheapest things in the world, nothing is more valuable than your health, so…budget for them. It’s worth it.

7. Menstrubation

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If you just read this heading and thought it was a typo, I get it. When I first read about it, so did I. Basically, menstrubation is period sex — only with yourself: menstrual masturbation. And why would someone want to do that? Well, the reality is that it’s not so much the sex (or touching) itself that helps bring menstrual pain-related relief but the orgasms that can come from it. 

According to science, when we climax, it causes a burst of endorphins that can ease uterine discomfort. Some say that it can even be just as, if not more, effective than ibuprofen. The more you know, chile. The more you know.

8. (Black) Sex Influencers

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Currently, I’m getting certified to go another level in my life coaching work. One of the classes that I tiptoe in sometimes explores all things sensuality. While one of the other students and I were discussing the class (well, actually the instructor), we both talked about how surprising it was to learn that something as simple as breathing deeply can totally change how you feel about your looks, your sexuality and how you cope with stress.

That’s a big part of the reason why I personally think that, no matter how conservative or totally-out-of-the-box you might be about sex, being open to listening to a sex educator or influencer could prove to be beneficial on some level — and when it comes to our particular platform (and who it serves), particularly if they’re Black. Because if there’s one thing that the majority of us participate in, in some way, it’s sex. So, the more insights, perspectives, and tips that we’re given in this area, the more the experiences, overall, are able to potentially improve — and who doesn’t want that?

If you’re interested in checking out some sex influencers, last year, BuzzFeed published an article entitled “These 22 Black Sex Educators Are Changing The Way We Think And Talk About Sex” that can serve as a cool starting point.

9. Eco-Friendly Sex Toys

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It’s pretty much irrefutable that sex toys continue to grow in popularity. In fact, one more report says that by 2026, it will gross close to $55 billion bucks. So, if those are totally your thing and you want to be on-trend, make sure that you go with ones that are good for the environment. This would basically mean sex toys that are made from an ethical standpoint and with vegan ingredients. One company that carries those is The Natural Love Company.

Everyone here’s grown and can do whatever they want. However, while we’re on this topic, I just want to say that I was chatting it up with a friend of mine who said that one of his female friends told him that she had to basically go into detox over one of her vibrators. Why? Basically, because it caused her to orgasm so quickly and consistently that she found herself getting mad at her actual partner.

Yeah, that’s how “too much of a good thing” can turn around and bite you in the ass (no pun intended). While using sex toys to enhance intimacy is one thing, if it’s causing you to have a disconnect from actual human connection, think twice about adding more to your collection.

10. Libido-Inducing Supplements

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A lot of us don’t eat as healthy (or consistently healthy) as we should. That’s just a fact of life. Thankfully, there are things like supplements that can help our systems to get the vitamins and minerals that we’re not receiving from our diet alone.

For whatever the reason, this year, supplements that can help to increase your sex drive are all the rage. Ones that top the list include:

Fenugreek: it increases testosterone levels in both men and women

Maca root: it helps to improve symptoms that are related to erectile dysfunction in men

L-arginine: it expands blood vessels which can give men harder and longer erections and intensify orgasms for women

Vitamin D: it can decrease vaginal dryness; especially in menopausal women

Saffron: it can improve your sex drive if you happen to be on an antidepressant

Magnesium: it can put you in a better mood, so that you can enjoy sex more

Zinc: studies show that a lack of it can result in lower testosterone levels

Those are just for starters yet have enough data to back them to give them a try. Just make sure that if you’re currently on a prescribed medication that you run adding a supplement into your diet by your doctor and that you follow the instructions on the label when it comes to taking them. Supplements can be pretty potent, sometimes not in a good way, if you’re not careful.

11. Emotional Intimacy

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I live in Nashville (shout-out to Music City!) and so, I’ve been making it a point to try and entertain — although on some levels, it feels more like tolerate — the current season of Married At First Sight. Airris? Yeah…AIRRIS. I actually know some people who know him and they’ve been able to give me some insight on why it seems like he only has two channels: arrogance and horniness (and Twitter’s beenletting him have it for it too).

Anyway, I didn’t even need to know the late bloomer scoop to catch that he hasn’t even begun to know how great sex can actually be because not only (according to him) has he never been in lovebefore, he seems to not establish the greatest emotional connections with his sex partners either.

I hate that for him because, even the guys I know personally who are, let’s just say, quite active in these streets, they will vouch for the fact that sex is so much more fulfilling when it’s with someone you are emotionally connected to. And just for the record, let me run down seven signs that an emotional connection — mutually so — actually exists between two people:

A strong chemistry is mutually there

You know each other beyond the surface level

You are open to meeting each other’s needs (not just in the bedroom either)

There’s some sort of friendship established

You enjoy each other’s company (even outside of sex)

You’re consistently curious about each other

Reciprocity is present

With articles and videos touching on the fact that hookup culture is getting really old (even I once wrote about how I’m not a fan of casual sex based on what “casual” actually and literally means; you can read it here), perhaps we’re seeing a turning of the tide. Maybe we’re remembering that sex is fun yet it can also be something special that transpires between two people. Hmm…just maybe.

12. Sexual Mindfulness

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Last one. In the holistic wellness space, a word that comes up pretty consistently is “mindfulness.” The simplest way to define what it means to be mindful is you’re intentional about doing whatever is necessary to stay in the moment, be self-aware, and stay almost hyper-conscious of what’s around you.

If you really let all of this sink in, it makes perfect sense that sexual mindfulness would be quite effective and beneficial when it comes to sex because, the more in tune you are with your own body, your partner, and the space that’s around you, all without overly concerning yourself about time, that can make for a much more intense and satisfying sexual experience.

So, how can you do things that will make you more sexually mindful? When it comes to yourself, sex journaling (check out “The Art Of Sex Journaling (And Why You Should Do It)”) and vaginal mapping (check out “Why 'Vaginal Mapping' Needs To Be Part Of Your Healing Journey”) are great starting points. When it comes to amplifying sexual mindfulness with your partner, orgasmic meditation (check out “What Exactly Is 'Orgasmic Meditation'?”) is a powerful way to go.

Whatever you choose, try and slow down, get still and really take each other in without any electronics around. Being fully “in” with your partner can tap you into an energy field that will take sex to a whole ‘nother level. Yeah…out of all of the sex trends for this year, this might be the best one. #wink

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Featured image by Nikada/Getty Images

SHELLIE R. WARREN

After being a regular contributor for about four years and being (eh hem) MIA in 2022, Shellie is back penning for the platform (did you miss her? LOL).

In some ways, nothing has changed and in others, everything has. For now, she'll just say that she's working on the 20th anniversary edition of her first book, she's in school to take life coaching to another level and she's putting together a platform that supports and encourages Black men because she loves them from head to toe.

Other than that, she still works with couples, she's still a doula, she's still not on social media and her email contact (missnosipho@gmail.com) still hasn't changed (neither has her request to contact her ONLY for personal reasons; pitch to the platform if you have story ideas).

Life is a funny thing but if you stay calm, moments can come full circle and this is one of them. No doubt about it.

Sent from my iPhone

[travonfeng]

How to shift midlife weight gain for good

“Middle-aged spread is a myth!” screamed headlines last year, after a study by an international team of researchers revealed that the body’s metabolism doesn’t actually slow down until we reach our 60s.

But while science might say one thing, millions of people in their 40s and 50s contemplating their own widening waistlines would argue otherwise.

For men, a thicker waist tends to present as a “beer belly”, thought to be because men are more predisposed to visceral fat – fat wrapped around the organs – which pushes the abdomen outwards and feels hard to the touch. Women tend towards all-round thickening, thanks to subcutaneous fat that sits directly under the skin and feels softer.

Either way, as a high waist measurement is correlated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, it’s something we should all worry about. (Quick tip: if the circumference of your waist is more than half your height, that counts as high.)

But if our rate of metabolism – how fast the body burns calories – can’t be held responsible for a widening waist as we age, what can? And, crucially, is there anything we can do about it?

With the help of experts, we’ve identified five reasons your stomach might be less svelte now than in your youth – and what you can do to regain your waist.

The problem: You have less diversity in your gut bacteria The role and effect of the bacteria in our gut is at the cutting edge of diet science at the moment, and research is now pointing to the fact that our gut microbiome changes as we get older, says Emma Bardwell, a registered nutritionist and women’s health specialist (emmabardwell.com).

“Diversity of certain species and strains depletes with age, and having low levels of bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila has been associated with obesity, diabetes, inflammation and metabolic disorders.”

The Solution “Focus on diversifying your microflora,” says Bardwell. “Forget expensive probiotic supplements: I’d advise starting to increase the amount of plant fibre in your diet. Research shows an association between increased gut diversity and eating at least 30 different types of plant foods a week – not just fruit and veg; it includes wholegrains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices.

“Don’t fret too much over numbers, though: aim for a plant-focused diet (it doesn’t have to be vegan, by any stretch) and just try to add in some variety, so you’re not eating the same plant foods each day.”

The problem: You have less muscle mass than you used to “While last year’s study showed that metabolism doesn’t slow until after the age of 60, what the study didn’t account for is loss of muscle mass,” says nutritionist Emma Bardwell. “We lose 1-2 per cent a year from our 30s onwards. It’s imperceptible perhaps at 35, but by 50 we’re starting to really notice it, especially around the waistline.

“Muscle is metabolically active [meaning it uses up calories], so it plays a role in keeping us in shape; muscle loss – sarcopenia – means a small reduction in metabolism, possibly 100-200 calories a day. This might not sound like a lot, but overconsuming, day in, day out, will lead to weight gain.

“Couple that with the fact that we tend to move less as we get older and you can see the problem.”

The Solution Keep an eye on your portion sizes and avoid snacking. Yes, your general diet is more important than the fact that the amount of calories going in needs to be equal to, or fewer than, the amount of calories going out to avoid gaining weight.

But, as Bardwell explains: “We’re a nation of snackers. If you eat proper, filling, satiating meals, you’ll keep blood-glucose levels steady and avoid crashes and dips in energy that inevitably leave us reaching for ultra-processed quick energy fixes.”

Just as importantly, try to integrate calorie-burning activity into your day that isn’t organised exercise: take the stairs instead of the lift, walk to the shops, do gardening and housework. And when you do work out, choose exercises that will help build muscle.

The NHS recommends you do at least two muscle-strengthening sessions every week. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories it will burn, but gaining it doesn’t have to mean pumping iron: sit-ups, push-ups, lunges and squats all strengthen muscles, as do yoga, pilates and tai-chi.

The problem: You’re stressed Of course you are stressed – we’re all stressed – but whether it’s a job, raising children or dealing with elderly parents, stress tends to hit a peak in our middle years.

Chronic levels of stress send the hormone cortisol – associated with fat deposition around the middle – into overdrive, and that can be compounded by self-medication through comfort eating and alcohol.

The Solution It’s not a revolutionary approach, but it works: if you cannot avoid stress, instead find ways to mitigate its effects. That means making sure you are getting enough sleep, and trying anything else that helps to get your brain back in balance, such as mindfulness, meditation or yoga.

The problem: You’ve hit the menopause For women, all of the above is compounded by the hormonal shift that happens in middle age. “In menopause, women are dealing with side effects such as poor sleep, bladder weakness and low self-esteem, which can affect appetite and the motivation to exercise,” says women’s health specialist Emma Bardwell.

“That’s because insomnia raises levels of ghrelin and lowers leptin, meaning we’re hungrier and find it harder to feel satiated.”

The decline in oestrogen levels means that women tend to shift from a traditional “pear” shape (nipped in waist and fat stored on the bottom, thighs and breasts) to more of an “apple” shape (rounder through the middle). And, says Bardwell, this drop in oestrogen can also make it hard to shift the pounds.

“Fat cells produce a little oestrogen and as your body wants to hold onto as much oestrogen as it can at this time, it can feel much harder to lose weight.”

The Solution For many women, HRT, which replaces the hormones that are naturally lost, is a great solution. And when it comes to weight and where fat is stored, it’s certainly effective.

One study found BMI was significantly higher in peri- and post-menopausal women than in those yet to reach menopause, but also discovered that women taking HRT had similar levels of fat and fat distribution to premenopausal women.

While the balance of oestrogen and progesterone is often the focus when dealing with menopause , the balance of another hormone, insulin, is often overlooked, points out Dr Estrelita van Rensburg, founder of health company WellnessEQ (wellnesseq.net) and author of Eat Well or Die Slowly.

“Carbohydrate-rich diets that are typical in the Western world can lead to high levels of insulin and subsequently insulin resistance. And there’s evidence that insulin resistance can exacerbate menopause symptoms, such as fatigue, headaches, brain fog and muscle weakness.”

The problem: Your diet is starting to catch up with you “Food consists of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, and the body’s hormonal response, specifically the way insulin responds, to each of these is different,” says Dr van Rensburg. “Insulin’s role is to take glucose out of our bloodstream and effectively open the door to our cells so that the glucose can be used to generate energy. And carbohydrates raise insulin levels much more than proteins or fats.”

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The issue is that if you’ve been eating a relatively high-carb diet throughout your life, your body will have been running on high levels of insulin and, over time, the cells stop responding: a process known as insulin resistance. But that glucose has to go somewhere, so if the cells won’t take it, the body stores it as fat – generally in and around the abdominal area.

The Solution Overhaul your diet. It is possible to reverse insulin resistance through a combination of diet, exercise and weight loss – and there are no quick and easy fixes. It’s the same dietary advice you will have heard before: cut out processed foods and avoid simple sugars and starchy carbs.

But don’t worry that you’re going to feel hungry. “Once you start eating good protein and fat, you’ll find it’s very satiating,” says van Rensburg. “It doesn’t drive you to eat more in the way sugar and starch keeps you feeling hungry [because sugar and starch cause blood-sugar peaks and troughs].”

[samiamack]

I was thinking about that but I thought it would be a little bit tooo much trauma for our boy. But then I had an epiphany so like in other dungeons you die for real but in thistles dungeon you can’t. Soooooooo if they died in thistles dungeon then maybe the soos could be revived? But then again how did rok soo escape with his life then? Do we have a similar situation to falin here? Do they meet while the party splits up right after laios’ original team break up(sans marcille and chilchuck)? Cause then they could like bond through trying to get to a companions body in time to revive it. Like they could meet in front of or near the beginning of the story.

And while all that is wonderful for the story and everything it also removes my ability to make it so rok soo lost everyone he loved to monster/dungeon related accidents and I can’t have him mirror Kabru as much and also it’s somehow less trauma and more sadness at the same time? I don’t know how to properly explain it but I guess there are two main routes I can think of each without own amount of angstiness

1) the other soos died outside of the dungeon or in a different dungeon. This adds comparison to kabru as they both lost family to dungeons/monsters. This way we can have rok soo seem apathetic to the idea of eating monsters because everything to live right? But also secretly be pushing down how traumatizing it is for him to eat monsters(for extra spice you can add that he throws up all the food he eats making him increasingly weak throughout the journey and making everyone else extremely worried for him). In this route we can also see rok soo distraught after learning about revival magic(which due to the nature of this type he would either learn about it in an offhanded remark from marcille while they discuss their fear of outliving everyone they love or when marcille goes to revive falin) and then fall to what if for bringing back the soos(potential tension with chilchuck and other characters who aren’t ok which dark magics).

Or 2) the soos died in the dungeon he overhears laios’ spiel on the dragons digestive system and having just given up all hope desperately clings to the idea that maybe he can save the soos(depends on what the writers want to do with the angst level whether revival is possible or not). So he sets out with the crew meets senshi still has some reluctance to eat monsters but not as much and it doesn’t let on as much either because food is food is a way to stay alive to rok soo. Also in this one too soo has no interaction with the samurai guy and dwarf girl(sorry forgot their names) from the last party so they’re meeting for the first time which can be interesting.

Anyway constants for both are rok soos character and overall trauma difference is in the type of trauma.

Now for some fluffy thoughts cause that was a lot!

Marcille and rok soo become besties but in the way that they share trauma and go to each other for comfort(oof I may not be so good at this fluff thing)

Rok soo is ace so chilchuck never sees his interactions with other party members as potentially problematic as there is no romantic intent which subconsciously makes him put rok soo into the child category in his brain(doesn’t help that rok soo is in the range of like 15-18 years old in my head for this au). Chilchuck not only teaches him about worker rights but also how to deal with people and hide your skills so you don’t overwork yourself(which rok soo does anyways but it’s the thought that counts ig).

Rok soo is laios’ first real friend and he does not realize this but does categorize rok soo under friend much like the samurai guy.

Senshi not only has the urge to feed rok soo up as he is massively underweight but also teach him to take care of himself this leads to izutsumi and rok soo eventually forming a sibling bond due to senshi parenting them both. Izutsumi and rok soo don’t really define the relationship with like older or younger sibling titles and authority but like to switch up who’s older and who’s younger all the time.

Talking w mutuals abt dunmeshi crossover when laios’ group finds 20 y old krs alone in the dungeon after lsh and cjs died in there

Marcille being a bad influence on krs by getting him into necromancy bc he wants his friends back

The gang +krs finding out abt the Curse tm and they get rid of it (and krs is left struck by guilt bc its bc of him his friends and his parents died oh god)

Senshi basically adopts him and feeds him like for the love of god please this boy needs to be reminded to eat

Izutsumi sibling bond

Laios and krs autism bonding (laios infodumps when krs goes nonverbal and laios listens carefully when krs has an infodumping moment abt the novel hes been reading)

Chilchuck teaches krs about workers rights and how to slack off as much as legally possible. Krs now has 2 (two) dads

The only drawing i can give for now is this thank you for listening to my ted talk

[onmyyan]

I’m sick so let’s do some sweet HC’s about who I’d love to take care of me😫🤚🏼❤️

So Dick immediately freaks out, but that panic is quickly followed by the thought of “omg I can take care of her?!?” And his babying mode is activated

He’s torn between laying beside you, holding a cold rag to your head and face, cooing over how small you look like this, how good you’re being for him, or briefly leaving you to sprint to the nearest pharmacy, buying everything he can get his grubby paws on. (Thanks for that platinum card Bruce)

Ultimately his need to be near you wins over his protective urge to make sure you have every possible medication, so he orders the stuff online, gives the poor delivery boy the meanest glare if he’s even a minute late, and is soon glued to your side once more.

He hand feeds you the soup Alfred brought over, blowing over each spoonful with a comical amount of care, he has that saccharine smile on his face the whole time, of course he’s not happy your sick!! He’s just thrilled to be able to care for you, to show you exactly why he took you home in the first place! He can’t even think about the possibility of you not having him here- so he doesn’t.

Instead he hushes your pained whines, brushes the hair from your face and continues to nurse his baby back to health.

In a rare coherent moment you jokingly call him your little nurse, the next morning he’s in full costume, cute little hat and all.

Pro!Bakugou has definitely calmed down in his aging, he’s still the same quick mouthed shithead we know and love but he isn’t so reactive anymore, he thinks everything through until the best solution is available.

That is of course except when it comes to you, yeah all rational thoughts go poof.

You’ve come a long way in your relationship, he felt secure enough in it that he’d started taking longer shifts, bigger missions, something he’d forgone for the “Adjustment period” you’d went through, he knew you needed to get that oh so important bonding time in before he’d feel comfortable leaving you unsupervised.

So naturally that’s when shit hits the fan

The cameras he’d installed throughout the home you two shared have never been so useful, something had told him to check on you and when he did he stopped dead in his tracks, you were sprawled out on the kitchen floor, a broken glass of water had pooled around your form a few inches away.

He took to the sky instantly, leaving behind two confused sidekicks. His brain was running a mile a minute as he speed through the sky, he’d never moved so fast in his life.

You were in the process of getting some water when your fever got the best of ya, you were prone to feinting when you were sick so this wasn’t too alarming, what was alarming however, was your 6’3 husband bursting in the door so hard the little glass panels on it shattered.

He looked wild, his hands were still smoking by the time he swooped you in his arms, the hot huff’s he’d been breathing into your neck were the only sounds for a few seconds.

“What the shit happened huh? You okay baby? You can’t scare me like that- fucking hell.” He was nervously rambling, not giving you a chance to answer as his hands inspected every inch of you.

Being a hero was his dream, but you came before everyone and everything. Queue him spending a week off making absolutely sure you were okay, makes the best food to help you get better, being that you can’t taste shit this is the only time you’d eat his food at his spice level, something he’d enjoy if he wasn’t so busy worrying about you.

You’d spend your days in bed, being absolutely pampered, he’d only ever leave your side to cook and even then the clingy bear of a man would have you on the phone, even if you weren’t talking he needed to hear you breathing. <3

Jason (Friday the 13th) is my BABY- anyway he is the sweetest murder machine you’ve ever seen. My interpretation is based on the latest Friday, in that one he’s more of a woodsman/hunter who’s only killing to protect his territory.

All that being said he doesn’t really get sick, he knows something’s off because you’re not following him around like his shadow, he never liked you to stray too far from him as he had booby-trapped the ever living fuck out of the campgrounds.

The cabin and its immediate area were safe, but you still liked to cling to him as he made his rounds, the only time he didn’t entertain it was when there were those pesky trespassers 😠

On a typical day he’d wake a good two hours before you do, make sure your sleeping soundly, then go about his first rounds, check his traps, and more recently, he’d water the small garden you’d started. By the time he was done you’d be up and ready to start your day with him.

So when he began the daily routine of making breakfast for the two of you, he was confused at your absence, by this point you’d be helping him set the table, but you were nowhere to be found.

He’d made it a point to lighten his footsteps, knowing if he hadn’t he’d be shaking the cabin with how fast he made his way to your shared room.

The gentle-only-for-you-giant was about as tall as the doorway, so he had to duck his head a bit to get in. Once he was there he all but falls to his knees by your still form on the bed. You’d curled into a ball, sweat beading on your forehead, his large hand came down to feel the skin there, only to pull back, his deep brown eyes would hold all the worry in the world, he knew you shouldn’t be that hot.

Jason has this connection to his mother, so strong he can still hear her long after her departure from this plane of life, and she always knew what to do, especially when it came to you.

“You must keep her cool Jason, lots of water and soup!” He’d hear her say as if she was in the room with you, and like the good son he was, he’d listen to her instructions diligently. You’d awaken with the behemoth of a man petting your hands, his head resting gently in your stomach as he sat in worry.

His love language was acts of service and this was the perfect chance for just that, so be prepared to be treated like a doll well after you’re better, heaven forbid some idiot decides to trespass, because he takes it as a personal affront to you, they’re taking him and his attention away from his baby😠😠 so whoever it is gets it extra good, I’m talking pieces of them everywhere it’s so romantic <3

[foryoumyheroes]

Sharing is Caring

How [Midorya + Todoroki + Bakugou + Hawks] steal share food 

A/N: I miss eating out but what can you do? Please, if possible for you, continue to stay inside as much as you can! I’m saying this bc the actions in these headcanons are not pandemic-friendly LOL Also, crack-ish? 

Midoriya: 

Oh, what? This little angel can do no wrong, of course he would never take your food without asking and he rarely even asks for a bite of your food unless you offer it up. 

Always shares what his mom packed for the day as well as any other meal he has. 

Willingly eats the things you pick off your plate. You eat what he doesn’t like. A symbiotic relationship.  

Once you guys get to a comfortable part of your relationship he does do weird things in order to be closer to you. 

No matter what he uses the same soy sauce tray as you, even when there’s a perfectly good one right next to him. 

If you’re eating takeout and it’s a picnic or somewhere outside/inconvenient he will use the same chopstick as you. Just...you take a bite, pass the chopsticks, and go back and forth. 

Drinks from the same cup as you. Even if he’s pouring out a cup for everyone and pours a drink out for him too, he’ll drink from your cup and then once you guys are done with that you’ll both drink from his. 

He loves it whenever you guys do share food though!! It makes him [heart squeeze~] doing such a cutesy thing. He feels 100% more affectionate whenever this happens. 

He just likes being next to you. If you guys get street food and have to stab with the skewers into that tiny box or bag, it makes his day standing so close to you for a while. 

Of course, when he first did this he almost died every time because of the mental image of indirect kissing. 

Todoroki: 

It’s already canon that he offers up his precious soba whenever his close friends are feeling down. 

Honestly such a baby boy. 

This food sparks joy in me? It must do the same for them as well! 

But once you guys get into the extremely comfortable part of your relationship the words “my food” and “their food” get erased from his vocabulary and is now completely replaced with “our food.” 

When you guys go to a restaurant, you’re that couple that sits in the same booth seat, side-to-side, instead of across from each other. 

He only orders one dish. The waiter will just stand there until Todoroki will be like, “We’ll order another if we’re still hungry.” 

If you’re getting takeout, he’ll order two dishes but when you get home you’re still going to be sitting as close as ever eating from the same plate.

As a result every meal you have will always involve him sitting by your side. 

The kind of person that never orders the same dish as you if you’re eating together. 

It happens so frequently that Fuyumi bought this big old bowl for you two to eat from whenever you visit Endeavor’s house. 

You guys are so lovey-dovey and roman -- 🤮 romant -- 🤮🤮 I can’t even say it. 🤮🤮🤮🤮

I mean it’s kinda economical, saving all this money sharing a meal.  

Like a dog when they see you eat without them. 

If you guys are having lunch and he ends up sitting on the opposite end of the table from you, one sound of you cracking apart your chopsticks will have him noooming over to your side to eat some too. 

Quite honestly, if you try to eat without him he will physically fight you to take at least one bite too. He’s just jumping over you while you’re protecting your food from him like a football player with the ball. 

[Aizawa: so...do any of you want to tell me how [Name] gave Todoroki a black eye? 

Everyone starts talking over each other all at once while you’re saying, “I accidentally elbowed him in the face BUT that was my melonpan though!!” and Todoroki’s saying, “Our melonpan.”] 

Kinda cute though because it becomes something you kind of just expect. He’ll buy like a boba, take a sip, and then immediately give it to your awaiting hands so you could taste. 

Bakugou: 

The person you’re leeching food off of. 

He’s like, “FUCK off!” and “Get your own!” but we all know the truth 😊😊

Even tries to pass off his affections by saying that the portion you took from him doesn’t have the recommended nutritional balance so he gives you more meat/vegetables/rice to “even it out.” 

Sometimes he’ll even feed you straight from his chopsticks, just straight up shoving food in your mouth. He’ll be really aggressive and pushy but he’ll do it. 

If he wants your food, he’ll just gruffly say, “Give me that,” and snatch it. 

He anticipates you wanting to eat his food so even though he’s a spice fan he’ll tone it down for you when you steal some from him later in the day. 

[People will be like, “Wow he’s such a doting boyfriend.” 

And he’ll yell, “Mind your own shit! I don’t fucking feed [Name] all the time!” And then turn around to be like, “Here’s your napkin and I brought you utensils too.” sdfghkl] 

[He’ll refuse to give anyone else food, and he’ll say some BS like, “No one is eating this but me!” 

Kaminari is like, “but you’re sharing with [Name] right now!” 

Bakugou: what of it?] 

What if he lulls you into a false sense of security though. 

He’s been lowering the spice levels this entire time leading you to believe that you’re getting better at spice and your tolerance has gone up but one day he just suddenly spikes it with spice and nearly kills you. 

When you two cooked together you used to grab bites right in the middle of cooking and he told you off saying it was annoying but now he always calls you over to “taste test.” 

Hawks: 

This bastard. 

Obviously he steals food from you all the time. 

He even strategizes how to steal food from you in the most efficient way possible. 

In more casual restaurants he’ll guide you to the seat that’s closer to the counter/bathroom/water dispenser and constantly asks you to go pick stuff up for him. That’s when he strikes. 

Gets one of his feathers to tap you on the side/behind so when you turn your head he starts shoveling food when you aren’t looking. 

Doesn’t wait for you when you go to the bathroom. You know this. He knows this. It’s survival of the fittest here. 

You get so nervous whenever you get delivery food because if Keigo gets to it first he’s going to eat your fries. 

Once he dipped his bare ass hands into your noodle dish and took the egg on top before you could stop him. 

Every time he convinces you to rock-paper-scissors him for the last piece even if it’s your food. 

Do y’all know that scene from Kung Fu Panda or Power Rangers where they move the last piece around the bowl and maneuvers it with the utensils so the other person can’t get it? If you’re a Pro-Hero too he’ll pull that shit on you. 

LIKE JUST LET ME EATTT. 

This is gross but he doesn’t even care if you licked something or put it in your mouth to “assert dominance” over it. He’ll just get you to spit it out like a mom bird. 

One time he came home early from patrol and found out that you were eating fried chicken without him so the two of you just stood there on opposite ends of the apartment with you staring at him like 👁️👄👁️. 

[Hawks: I thought you were bae-- 

You: Keigo-- 

Hawks:...turns out you’re just fam. ] 

He turns and goes back outside and goes get his own fried chicken and even gets himself a treat ice cream. Takes a picture and sends it to you and everything to gloat. 

[deus-ex-mona]

Even Our Private Lives Are Great Too!: Chapter 3

divide and conquer

previous part (chapter 2)

next part (chapter 4)

As Yujiro slurped his ramen as per IV’s recommendation, he found that his meal, sure enough, tasted better when he did so.

IV: …It’s good, isn’t it?

Yujiro: Yes, it sure is.

Yujiro forced a smile in response to IV’s pleasant grin.

Yujiro: (Somehow… he seems different from how he’s like during our encounters in the dressing rooms.)

Yujiro: (He’s a pretty ordinary guy… Though, has he always been this friendly…?)

YUI: Ahh, that was so good~!

The four of them walked side by side as they exited the ramen restaurant.

YUI: RIO was actually the one who told me about that ramen place, yannow?

YUI: He and DAI ate there on their way back from the studio the other day. Or was it after our TV feature? Which was it again?

YUI: Either way, that’s pretty unfair, no?

YUI: I’m the one who’s all about ramen, so why didn’t he invite me too?!

IV: That’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

IV: He said that they stopped by for a meal after we all parted ways, no?

Yujiro: (I see… So FT4 share their favourite restaurants with each other… They really get along so well.)

YUI: Hmm… “That’s just how the cookie crumbles”, huh… Well, I got to eat there with you guys today, so I’m satisfied.

YUI: But more importantly, hey Aizo! You haven’t had enough yet, right?!

Aizo: Eh?! What’re you talking about?!

YUI: Spiciness!

YUI: That ramen was really good, but it wasn’t spicy enough, yannow~?!

Aizo: But wasn’t the ramen you just had spicy?!

Aizo: Wait, I mean, I’m already stuffed!

YUI: Does that mean that you’re actually afraid of being served foods of the same level of spice as me?

Aizo: Ugh… You have me all figured out… don’t you…

YUI: Awwright! I’ll be taking you with me! IV! Yujiro! You guys can’t handle spicy food, right?

IV: Yeah, I’ll pass.

IV: We’ll just split up for now. The two of us will get desserts instead.

IV: …So, how about it, Yujiro?

Yujiro: Yeah! It’s fine with me!

Yujiro: I prefer sweet things over spicy foods.

IV: It’s settled, then.

YUI: We’ll see you guys later then! I’ll be borrowing Aizo for a bit!

Aizo: W-wait up, YUI! What about what I want?!

Aizo: Do you not care about my wants or something?!

Aizo: I told you… I can’t handle… such spicy foods anymore~!

YUI grabbed ahold of the ever reluctant Aizo and headed off, partially dragging the latter along as they went.

Yujiro: …And they’re off.

IV: Yeah.

IV: I hope YUI doesn’t push Aizo too hard, though.

Yujiro: Nah… Being the way he is, Aizo would only be too happy to be spoiled like that, so I’m sure he’ll be fine.

Yujiro: I think he’d refuse to get dragged along if he really didn’t want to go.

IV: …You really understand his thoughts and feelings well, don’t you?

Yujiro: Eh?

IV: I’m talking about your partner.

Yujiro: (...I understand Aizo’s thoughts and feelings…?)

Yujiro: That’s not the case at all.

As Yujiro denied IV’s observation, a sudden realisation occurred to him.

Yujiro: (Perhaps this is my chance to ask IV deeper questions about himself… now that we’re alone with each other—?)

[oioinanami]

home. (nanami kento x f. reader)

word count: 1.8k

synopsis: coming home to you after a long tiring day is everything nanami ever wanted in life.

contains: domestic fluff, established relationship, a bit of sexual suggestiveness

Smooth jazz music fills the apartment when Nanami Kento comes home. His lips curl into a tiny smile when the scents of different spices tickle his nose, and he carefully takes off his shoes, jacket and glasses, before loosening his tie. You are inside the kitchen, humming along to the music while chopping some vegetables to add to the curry you‘re making for dinner tonight. Nanami waits until you’ve finished chopping the zucchini and bell pepper, quietly observing how you lay down the knife to wipe your hands on the kitchen towel. Only then does he step into the kitchen to wrap his strong arms around your waist and pull you flush against his broad chest. You squeal but immediately relax into his arms when he mumbles a soft “Good evening, love.” into your ear. You turn around to smile up at him and gently cup his cheek with one hand, thumb rubbing over the stubble on his chin. He nuzzles deeper into your palm before turning his head to press a soft kiss against your warm skin. “How was your day?”, he asks gently, and you smile. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Work was uneventful and so slow I was allowed to go home an hour earlier. Mina says hi by the way, and asks if we want to come over for a game night on Sunday.” Your boyfriend kisses the tip of your nose, before humming in confirmation. “Sure, sounds good to me.” You purse your lips, drawing your eyebrows together in silent worry while your eyes travel over the dark circles under his eyes and the tired lines around his mouth “You look exhausted, Kento.”, you finally say, but Nanami just gives you a soft smile and shrugs. He has to admit that the sudden surge in curses over the last few weeks has been exhausting. He dislikes nothing more than having to work overtime, simply because it means putting work before coming home to you, but sometimes it just can’t be helped - and he‘s nothing if not responsible. “Nothing a quick shower, your infamous curry and a bit of extra sleep this weekend can’t fix.”, he answers soothingly, and you stand on your tiptoes to press a loving kiss against his lips, loud mwah-noise included. “Fine. Then go move your cute butt into the shower, dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes.”, you reply, and he raises one eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips. “My butt is not cute.”, he says, voice laced with quiet humor, and you grin at him, eyes sparkling with barely hidden glee. “Oh, it is very cute. Now go, I need to finish my ‘infamous curry’.” And with that you step out of his warm embrace and turn towards the stove again, clearly dismissing him to go get his much needed shower.

//

The hot water does wonders for his stiff, aching muscles. So for a few minutes, Nanami just enjoys the water gushing around his steeled body, the bathroom quiet except for the sounds of the shower and his own steady breathing. Suddenly, your voice cuts through the serene atmosphere: “FIVE MINUTES LEFT UNTIL I’M STARTING TO EAT - WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR CUTE BUTT!” Nanami can’t help but smile, quickly turning off the shower and beginning to dry himself with one of the big fluffy towels that always smell like your favorite laundry detergent.

You’re just setting the steaming plates onto the dinner table in the dimly lit living room when your boyfriend leaves the steaming bathroom, wearing nothing but a white towel around his waist. You raise both eyebrows and cock your head to one side, eyes roaming his body appreciatively before landing on the wry twist of his mouth. You’re about 89% sure he’s flexing his muscles on purpose now, just to see the blush spread over your entire face until it has reached the tips of your ears. “I like sticking to the rules, so dinner first, then dessert.”, you try to say nonchalantly, a bit annoyed at your own reaction to Nanami’s half-nude body. Even after years of dating and living together, your boyfriend still has the same effect on you - the effect being the sudden activation of something you lovingly call your ‘monkey brain’.

“Meaning?”

Oh now he’s teasing you.

“Meaning you better put on some clothes or I cannot be held responsible for my next move.”, you reply and take a step closer, your hand traveling over his stomach, making his abdominals clench, before you take his chin between your fingers, pulling his face closer to yours. “But I’ll happily have some dessert later.”, you whisper against his lips, and he grins wolfishly. “Good. Then I shall behave and get dressed.” With that, Nanami covers your mouth with his, and before he can pull away again, you quickly deepen the kiss, tongue brushing against his bottom lip. He begins to smile, and cocks one eyebrow. “I thought dinner first, then dessert?” You sigh, and nod. “Yes, yes. So please just go, you heathen.” His deep chuckle makes heat spread through your entire body, and his intense gaze isn’t helping either, but then he finally leaves the living room, broad figure slinking away in the darkness of the hallway. You exhale deeply, cupping your own face to cool down your blazing cheeks. “Damn that man and the weird power he has over me.”, you mumble, only half joking, before finally sitting down at the dinner table, taking a few deep gulps from your glass of water. A few seconds later, your boyfriend reemerges, now clad in dark grey sweatpants and a simple white shirt, hair still damp and feet bare. You sigh dreamily, rest your chin on your palm, and just stare at him. Nanami always looks very put together, usually wearing suits and ties, which you also love on him, but this? Him looking so laid back and just overall boyfriend-y? That’s a whole other level of hotness. “You’re drooling.” You jump when his voice interrupts your thoughts, and shoot him a playful glare. “Am not.”, you mumble, “But now that you’re finally here and dressed, let’s eat - bon appétit.” He just purses his lips in an attempt to stifle his pleased smile before he sits down and lifts his spoon. “Bon appétit, love. Thank you for making dinner.” And with that, the two of you begin eating.

//

“Want to finally finish ‘Alice in Borderland’ before going to bed?”, your boyfriend asks after basically having wolfed down two plates of your delicious curry, and you nod immediately. That’s one of the many great things about Nanami - he’s not easily impressed nor easily invested in something, but once he is, he really is. Meaning that even though his schedule has been crazy busy this week, you guys still managed to binge-watch almost all episodes of the relatively new Netflix show. “Absolutely, let me just clean up first though.”, you say, already standing up, but Nanami suddenly wraps his long fingers around your wrist to tug you towards him until you’re standing between his legs. He presses his face against your stomach and buries his nose in the soft cotton of your shirt, deeply inhaling your scent, both arms tightly wrapped around you. You chuckle and carefully run your fingers through his hair, nails gently raking across his scalp. He shivers and a tiny moan escapes him, making your whole body tingle with want, but you quickly shake off the feeling. “Rough day?”, you ask quietly, but Nanami just shrugs. You rarely ask about his work, knowing he prefers to keep it as far away from you as possible. Of course you know he’s a powerful sorcerer, know he is perfectly capable of handling any and all situations no matter the danger, but other than that, he rarely if ever tells you about his missions, always keeping you in the dark but also safe, as he says. “You know you can always talk to me if you need to.”, you say softly, and your boyfriend pulls back to give you a small smile. “I know, love. Thank you. I’m really grateful to have you.” You feel your throat close up with unshed tears, and just nod once, leaning down to press a gentle kiss against his forehead. “Me too, Kento.” He lifts his head to brush his lips against yours before suddenly standing up. “You already made dinner, so I’ll clean up. You go move your cute butt over to the couch and wait for me.”, he demands, and you lift one eyebrow. “Oh, so you can call my butt cute but I’m not allowed to?” Nanami grins. “You’re more than welcome to call your own butt cute too, I never once said anything against that.” You playfully smack his chest, which basically feels like you’ve just punched a brick wall, and shoot him a playful glare. “That’s absolutely not what I meant and you know it.” He just gives you a smug smile before wordlessly taking the dirty plates and carrying them towards the kitchen.

//

Half an hour later, you’re lying between Nanami’s outstretched legs, back pressed flush against his chest while he’s wrapped both arms around your waist. “Ready for the last two episodes?”, you ask, and your boyfriend just hums in confirmation, his breath tickling your neck and making you shiver. “Let’s go then.” And with that, you press play.

With your back to him, you’re unable to see Nanami’s gentle smile while he gazes down at you, warm and soft and safe in his arms. While he feels like the world of sorcerers is currently going crazy due to the sudden appearance of Sukuna’s new vessel, you continue to be a steady and grounding presence in his life. Mostly unknowing of and therefore untainted by the world of curses and darkness he decided to be part of, you’re the light he will always search for and return home to. You don’t even understand the impact you have on him, how grateful he is to you for bringing so much warmth and laughter into his life, to be the person he can confidently call his home. You giggle at something said on tv, and almost unconsciously, he pulls you even closer to his chest, pressing a chaste kiss against your sensitive neck and making you squirm in his arms. “Later, Kento.”, you chastise him, and he just hums, nuzzling deeper into your soft hair, before intertwining his long fingers with yours. He already knows that one day soon, your hand will have a ring on it - the one he bought months ago but still keeps safely tucked away in the deepest, darkest corner of his closet, just waiting for him to ask you the most important question of his life. For now, he’s just happy to finish ‘Alice in Borderland’ with you safe in his arms.

And to have dessert later - don’t think he forgot about that.

© oioinanami 2021 | masterlist

[cinna-stars]

Worth Waiting For

Uhh, okay, this is my first ever fanfic! I might continue it based on the reception, but it was a few thoughts I had in my head that I wanted down on paper. 

18+! Some sexual themes and content throughout, however for those experienced smut readers, this is some mild sauce, not very much spice.

I have to credit @cyancherub for making me think about Kiri smelling like cinnamon, the thought hasn’t left my brain.

Kirishima x Fem!reader 

A cool breeze whispers through the slightly ajar window of your dorm room. The sun set a little while ago; studying always seems to eat up most of your free time, so this wasn’t exactly a surprise. You lean back in your desk chair, arms up, and stretch your muscles into a big yawn. The sudden contracting muscles have your stomach gurgling. It’s definitely time to take a break, so you close your textbook and stand up from your desk. I wonder if there’s any of those expensive sounding potato chips that Momo bought back from her trip abroad left over? The thought makes you salivate as you begin towards your door. You glance to the mirror in the corner and look at your own reflection: hair pulled into a loose, messy bun, torso swallowed up by an old band shirt Denki gave you (after a conversation initiated by Mineta on what you liked to wear to bed) and bare legs sticking out from the hem. Shouldn’t be a problem, as long as Iida isn’t feeling like a stick in the mud this evening. You open your door and begin creeping your way to the kitchen, hoping to keep noise levels to a minimum as to not disturb anyone who might be sleeping already.

Your ears perk up when you hear conversation coming from the communal area.

“On a scale from 1-10, with ten being the most boring, you have exceeded my expectations and we’ve hit an 11.”

“Shut up dude, it’s an absolute cinematic masterpiece. This is why you don’t have the remote- we’d be watching Care Bears or some shit.”

You approach the seating area to see Bakugou, Kirishima, Sero and Denki. The latter two arguing over what to watch. Bakugou looks like he’s about to blow a fuse, so Kirishima chimes in,

“Hahah, okay guys, why don’t we just watch a horror movie, like Scream or something? It’s an easy watch.”

“Sounds like a good idea as long as Kaminari doesn’t shit himself.” Sero tries to start again, but this is perfect timing for you to interject.

“Sero, I’m sorry, last time I checked, you’re the one who had to ‘leave suddenly’ when we watched Halloween.” A smirk appears on your face from ear to ear as all four boys turn their head your direction. You notice an empty spot next to Kiri and take the opportunity to sit, careful not to flash anyone.

“Hey Y/N don’t be startin’ on me. I have plenty of stories about you that we could share you know? What about the Jaegerbomb incident?” Sero matched your grin, and you feign shock by slapping your hand to your heart.

“You’re breaking my heart, Hanta. Are you the only ones up?”

“Yeah Iida sort of ‘encouraged’ everyone to go to bed early because of the test tomorrow, but” Denki motions in Bakugou’s direction “the angry Pomeranian barked and he gave up with us.” Bakugou snaps his head up from his phone to stare Denki down, but realizing he’s just proving his point, sighs and goes back to scrolling on his phone.

“You okay Baku-babe?” he grunts and flips you off, but you could see the corner of his lip turn up in a weak smile at the affectionate nickname. You knew he meant well, especially after the time you had spent together over the last summer with the guys; he just had a defensive temperament.

“You wanna join us, y/n?” Kiri propositions with a wide grin. His hair was still styled into sharp points from classes today, contrasting with his relaxed clothing choice of a t-shirt, shorts and crocs. He’d also made the addition of a white bandana around his forehead. As usual, he was looking incredible.

After the time spent together as a group over the break, it was great to get to know everyone better. As Sero’s oldest friend, it was always easier to stick by him, which had ended up in your favour by meeting these clowns. You’d slowly got closer to the other three boys too, but there was something about Kirishima you couldn’t shake.

The way you felt when you were left together alone in the same room at a party, or when the other guys ended up flaking so you spent the night together at his place, there was always a feeling of excitement, in more ways than one.

You’ve never been very good at flirting and you just seem to come across as an anxious mess, but Kiri was pretty much just as bad. Meaning neither of you ever made a move. Just awkward giggles and eye contact that lasted just a little bit too long for friends.

“I actually came to steal some of Momo’s fancy chips but yeah, let me get a snack and I’ll be ready. You guys want anything?” You get up off the couch and start your way to the kitchen.

“BEER. BEER. BEER.” Denki chants, making you giggle.

“Oh I’ll come and help you carry them!” Kiri jumps up to follow behind you. You can hear Sero make a ‘wha-PISH’ whipping sound which makes Denki burst out with laughter. In their defense, it was painfully obvious you were both pining for each other.

The kitchen isn’t far but it is out of earshot of the sitting area. You open the cupboard in the corner to find Momo’s chip bag, left sat there completely empty. “Oh come ON” you sigh, picking up the bag and placing it in the trash.

“No chips left? Don’t worry I got you covered.” Kiri stretches to the gap between the top of the cupboard and the ceiling, feeling about with his hand. Your eyes fixate on the skin that is now showing just above the waistband of his shorts. You slowly move your view up the side of his torso, his shirt draping over his body in all the right places, and then to his face, one eye closed and tongue sticking out in concentration. He totally caught you checking him out and now you’re both stood there blushing like idiots. He finally located the bag he was looking for and brings his hands back down, showing off the slightly dusty bag of unopened chips.

“These are your favourites, right?” You stand in bewilderment looking at the bag and nod. “There are many bonuses to being one of the tallest in this dorm” he grins. He even remembered your favourite chips? You can’t help but smile back.

“Thank you so much. Oh let me get the beers!” you walk over to the fridge and open it up, bending over to search for the well hidden cans. You know your ass is on show, and you’re doing everything you can to make it the best view. Arching your back slightly, barely moving your hips from side to side, putting on a full show without being too obvious. “Ah I found them!” You gather them into your arms, the cold metal against your skin sending shivers up your spine and making your nipples protrude from the thin material of your shirt. You stand back up and close the fridge, turning around to a very red in the face Kirishima. You send a sweet smile his way.

“Do you mind taking a couple they’re coldddd” you whine. He composes himself and grabs the first can he can see looking ready to fall. He then proceeds to take another, slowly exposing more of your chest and your hardened nipples. You notice his eyes dart to them and then back on the beers. Are you two really going to carry on like this? Acting like the sexual tension couldn’t be cut with a knife? His wandering eyes now have you blushing and you’re quick to fill the hanging silence. “Should we really be drinking when we have a test tomorrow? I’m no NARC but you know what Denki can get like. He’ll wake up the whole house.”

“It’ll be fine. The only ones that know where the rest of the stash is are you and me. As long as you can keep a secret, we’re Gucci” he winks.

“Did you… really just use the term ‘Gucci’? like completely unironically?” You laugh, nudging his side.

“Shut upppp y/n. Come on let’s get back to them before Bakugo kills Dumb and Dumber.”

 “Hoes and bros we come bearing beverages!” You walk in and pass out the three beers you held to the boys, Kiri slowly following with the chips and the last two drinks.

“Wait, who are the hoes?..... oh.” Kaminari has a moment of self-realization and stares at the beer in his hand.

“Denki don’t listen to her, she is the last one to be calling anyone a hoe” Sero hits you with another of what will be many insults of the night.

“Uhhhh says the guys who has a body count tally on his wall. If you ever get with Mina you’re going to need to take a trip to Home Depot to paint over those you know?” You counter.

“Can we watch the damn film already?! Could’ve watched half the fucking thing by now.” Bakugou finally lets off some of the pent up steam. Both you and Denki lift your arms up to your forehead in a salute. “Yes sir!”

Grabbing a blanket, you and Kiri get back into your original seats next to each other on the sofa furthest away from the TV. Sero is on the chair to Kiri’s right, sprawled over it in the most boyish way possible, legs stretched wide and arms hanging over the back. Denki and Bakugo share the sofa to your left, Bakugou reserved to the spot at the very end, finally turning his phone off, while Denki almost mimics Sero’s positioning, but one hand is wrapped around his beer chugging it a bit too fast. Sero presses play as you sit back into the sofa. Kiri’s arm is already draped over the back of the headrest, and it’s only a matter of time until his arm drapes around your shoulder and you lean into him.

You’re about ten minutes into the movie when he starts to move his fingers in little circles on your upper arm. If anyone saw you right now, they’d assume you two were together. The months you’ve both spent flirting and teasing, the light touches and the lingering cuddles. This is becoming unbearable for you, its overwhelming. How haven’t you kissed yet? You weren’t really a ‘hoe’ as Sero said, but you certainly weren’t inexperienced and have never had this trouble before, so what was stopping you now? If things continued like this, you were going to explode.

You look up at Kiri, admiring the contours of his face against the light of the TV. The way his eyebrows slightly furrow, and the way he’s chewing his bottom lip between his teeth in concentration. You inhale the mild aroma of cinnamon, which is a scent that follows him around everywhere. You’re certain he’s aware you are staring, by the light blush reforming on his cheeks, but he allows you to for just a little longer. Right up until Denki yelps aloud from a minor jump scare in the film, causing you to jolt yourself and grab onto Kiri’s shirt.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared?” he asks, voice low and husky. “Don’t worry, I got you.” He lifts his free arm and tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

“I-I wasn’t scared. Denki made me jump” you pout.

“Aww, even worse haha” he chuckles, the vibrations flow through your body, straight to your core, making you instantly wet. If he ever really knew the affect he had, you might just die from embarrassment. You release his shirt and return your head to his shoulder; however, his hand has maneuvered itself away from your upper arm and is now placed on your hip. The large amount of warmth is slowly followed by a very light squeeze of reassurance, and you’ve never been more aware that you aren’t wearing any shorts.

His breathing has now quickened, and his hand feels like it might even be shaking a little bit. He was so nervous, which makes him even more endearing. A wave of adrenaline rushed through you as you lift your hand to rest atop of his, to give him the assurance that it is absolutely okay to have his hand there.

About three quarters of the way into the film, all drinks have been consumed, chips have been eaten, Sero pauses and gets up for a pee break. “Couldn’t your bladder have waited? There isn’t that much longer left Se-bro” Kiri teases

“Ei, I don’t think I know anyone who could wait as long as you have” he leans down and darts his eyes between the two of you. You glare with intent to BURN. You thought too long for a comeback and unfortunately, he’s already happily waltzing off to the bathroom.

Kiri turns to you with a smile and lowers his voice. “Did nobody tell tape face that anything worth having is worth waiting for?” and you swear in that moment an entire flutter of butterflies were trying to escape you. That’s the most direct he’s ever been and it’s not something easy to ignore.

“I know you both have hidden the beer and I take personal offense.” Denki bellows. “I bet it’s on top of the cupboard where Kiri keeps all the good stuff” and he gets up and skips off to the kitchen, fully convinced he’s going to find what he’s looking for.

“I’m going to bed. Gotta be up early and you extras are pissing me off.” Bakugou gets up and stretches. “Love you, Bakubro! Mwah!” both you and Kiri heckle him with air kisses and you are met with yet another middle finger as he strolls off to his dorm room, that small smirk still present.

There’s that feeling coming back again. The way you feel whenever you’re alone with Kirishima. But this is the most compromised you’ve been: you’re basically half naked, he’s got his hand on your hip and he just dropped an absolute bomb of a line thanks to Sero. You can’t help yourself and before you truly think it through,

“Ei, I think I’m done waiting.” You lift your head off his shoulder, faces only a few inches apart. You can feel both your heart rates quicken in sync and your bodies getting hotter. He raises his hand and takes your chin in his hand, urging your lips forward onto his. The anticipated contact sends electricity through your body and the kiss deepens quickly, his tongue licks your lower lip asking for entrance and you accept immediately, releasing a soft moan from the motion.

You twist your body round so that you’re straddling his thigh, his wandering hand had slipped under the fabric of your shirt in the same place, playing with the fabric of your underwear. Your hands find their way to the back of his head, pushing him further into your mouth. You both are getting sloppy as lust takes over and you find your hips involuntarily grinding on his thigh. He breaks away from the kiss, pulling at your lower lip and working his way down your jaw to your neck, nipping and sucking lightly, causing louder moans to escape you.

“So- fucking long- I’ve waited- to touch you like this” he groans out between kisses and bites, sure to leave a mark. “Sound so pretty”

“Ah- me too, I- fuck” the stimulation from his voice and touch is almost overwhelming, but clarity sets in quicker than you’d like it too. “Sero will- ah- be back any second” and you release your grip on his hair. He’s really trying to pout at you, but he can’t help let his goofy smile beam through. You stare at each other for a few seconds, both absolutely beaming with happiness. He lets out an almighty sigh,

“Uggggh, you’re right. Hey, what are you doing after this?” he asks as you settle back down next to him, making you chuckle.

“Well I was planning on going back to my dorm and sleeping. Unless you have a better offer?” you beam.

“Well…” his grin gets wider, “you know there’s a sequel to Scream, yknow? Think you might wanna… what’s it called..”

“Scream 2.”

“I can make you scream, too. Sure”  and you erupt into laughter together, from his disgustingly awful pun.

Sero approaches from the corridor “Well you two sure can clear a room.”

“I’d blame it on Kiri’s terrible puns, but Bakubabe went to bed and Electabuzz is currently trying to find the rest of the beer but- oh there you are” Denki walks in, with a pout on his face, and flops back on the couch in disappointment.

“Denks, how about we throw a little party tomorrow after the test. We’ll let you in on where the secret stash is, too.” You offer, his expression immediately switching to that of delight.

Even though there was only a half hour left of the movie, it felt like hours until the end credits started rolling. Denki had managed to fall asleep and was snoring at full velocity, and the only person left paying full attention was Sero, as you couldn’t stop your brain from wandering from anticipation.

He shut the TV off and you tasked yourself with waking up Denki while Kiri cleaned up the empty beer bottles.

“Kami, come on sweetie, you need to go to bed.” You nudge him slightly causing him to stir. Sero walks over, and gives him a hard slap on the ass

‘WAKE UP ASSHOLE! Iida will kill you if you sleep on the couch”

“…I- sleep- your mom-..” he sits up and rubs his eyes

“Don’t be so rough Sero, he’s so sleepy look at hiiiimm” You say, admiring how cute he looked in such tired state. Kaminari finally gets up and all four of you head to the lift… shit.

You are Denki are on the 3rd floor, Kiri is on the 4th and Sero is on the 5th… how are you going to get to Kiri’s room without being suspicious?

A/N: Thank you if you read this in full! Please let me know what you think and if you’d be wanting to read the next part (which would include a lot more spice!)