#in home care services Hot Springs

[hotspringsseniorcare]

At Hot Springs Senior Care, we’re proud to be the most trusted home care agency in Hot Springs AR. Our dedicated caregivers provide compassionate and professional in-home support tailored to meet your loved one’s unique needs. From assistance with daily activities to specialized senior care, we help your family maintain peace of mind and independence.

Hot Springs Senior Care 131 Shore Acres Dr, Hot Springs, AR 71913 (501) 363–3996

My Official Website: https://www.hotspringsseniorcare.com/ Google Plus Listing: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=7154144135369464916

Other Services

Senior Home Care Elder Home Care VA Home Care Medicaid Home Care Personal Care Attendant Care Respite Care

Follow Us On:

Twitter: https://x.com/SeniorCareHotS Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HotSpringsSeniorCare/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Hot-Springs-Senior-Care/100084869857945/

[pimosworld]

Secret Springs Resort

Pairing-Joel Miller x f!plus size reader

CW-18+, MDNI, Angst,hurt/comfort, mentions of body insecurity, mentions of food insecurity, mentions of smut, Joel being so supportive, reader hiding her feelings at first but we always end with fluffiness. Dream vacation Joel vibes.

WC-1.2k

A/N- I decided to go with a different direction for this weeks theme at the Resort for the Secret springs challenge by our mayor @secretelephanttattoo. I love this idea, it was so fun to write despite the angst, it’s just in my nature to make you feel a little.

[Series Masterlist][Joel Miller Masterlist]

Not beta read

Indulgence

If you thought he didn’t notice the first night then you had seriously underestimated the man that was Joel Miller. 

  The man that had turned your world upside down the moment he stepped foot into your kitchen that he would soon remodel. The kitchen that you got to enjoy for just shy of a year after it was completed before selling your home and moving in with him. The newly remodeled kitchen being the major selling point. The smug look on his face when you got well over the asking price. The look that you so often indulged in wiping off his face when you had him writhing beneath you. This burly, breadth of a man that made you believe in love again. 

  He most certainly noticed on the first night of your vacation. The one you had both worked so hard for. 

  Secret Springs Resort

  An all inclusive beach resort vacation that he had meticulously planned down to the minute. Even the daily naps were planned because he knew how you could get bratty when you were tired. 

  It pained him the way you picked at your food and shuffled it around the plate as if he wouldn’t notice. 

  The way you squint your eyes in fake pleasure to signal that you enjoyed the bite. 

  The look he so often noticed at home during a meal or out to dinner but he so foolishly thought you would be care free while in this oceanic oasis.  

  The second night. 

  When you blamed the sun burn and your headache as to why you couldn’t eat much more than a few bites. The way your eyes watered when he moaned eating his steak and you stared longingly at the buttery garlic noodles that you wanted to dive headfirst into.  

  You said you were too full for dessert and yet Joel knew you better than that. A small sliver of hope when he let you feed him some ice cream, but his hopes quickly squashed when you had one bite and pushed it away. 

  The third day was your day to relax. No excursions planned and the weather far too hot to lay on the beach. Joel opted to lay among the sheets with you for most of the morning. His head resting between your plush thighs as you played with his thick curls. 

  The way it always started out so innocent and yet he could have you falling apart beneath him in minutes. 

  It’s the most relaxed he’s seen you this entire trip, and even if he dies for lack of oxygen he’ll never come up for air if it means seeing you like this. 

  It’s why he opts to spend the entire day taking full advantage of the luxury suite. Finding different ways to bend you over every surface of this room…the balcony, the couch, the bathroom sink. The shower steams until the mirror fogs over. Fucking and laughing until he thinks he may have pulled a muscle. The way you call him an old man in jest because he knows he could outlast you any day. 

  It’s why as he watches you sleep, your soft curves peeking out beneath the rumpled covers as the sun sets over the water he decides you’ll just complete the day inside. A quick call to room service and the woman on the other line doesn’t balk when he nearly orders everything on the menu. All your favorites so there’s no room for argument. In the safety of your private room, away from prying eyes so he can finally put a stop to whatever is holding you back. 

  It’s the smell that first wakes you first. In the quiet comfort of the sheets you get the hint of the savory aroma of fresh baked pizza and garlic bread. Your stomach growling and heart warming at the familiar smells that fill the air. You blink sleepily as your gaze falls on Joel, shirtless with his jeans hung low on his hips as he bustles around the room. Plates and silverware clinking as he sets up a small table on the balcony. 

  He turns with a gentle smile as he hears you rustling in the sheets. “Hey there, sleepyhead. I hope you’re hungry.”  

  Your eyes widen slightly at the sight of the spread. A large pizza with all your favorite toppings. One half with pineapple because Joel thought it was blasphemy. A steaming bowl of pasta with Parmesan cheese and marinara sauce. Golden slices of garlic bread arranged neatly on the side. 

  Your throat constricts with the unexpected sensation of gratitude and anxiety. 

  “You…you didn’t have to do all this.” You murmur, feeling a rush of vulnerability. 

  Joel strides over to you on the bed, draping the silky resort robe around your shoulders. “I know.” He says softly as he places a kiss on your forehead. “But I wanted to darlin’. Ya deserve to enjoy all your favorites without feeling self conscious.” 

  Tears well up in your eyes as you look up at him. Overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness, at the way he surprised you everyday. “Thank you.” You whisper, with a slight tremble. “It means a lot to me.” 

  He didn’t expect you to bend so easily, yet he’s relieved all the same. A sense of pride blooming in his chest as you sit together on the balcony sharing bites of pizza and stories about your past. Things you want for your future, some things he’s heard and some things he’ll pocket for later. 

  He can tell as the meal goes on and you relax that you want to say it. To tell him why you’re this way, but he already knows it’s him. The reason he had to break down so many walls. The man whose name is rarely mentioned in your home because anytime it is Joel wants to find a way to make him a missing person. 

  When he looks at you like you’ve hung the moon and the stars as he twirls the pasta on the plate and holds it out for you, like an olive branch to open up. 

  You start tentatively to explain your past insecurities. How your ex made you feel ashamed for enjoying food. How he always made sure you knew to eat less than him. 

  “I always felt like I had to justify why I ate.” You say quietly as you sip your water. “But you…you make me feel comfortable just being myself.” 

  Joel reached across the table to take your hand, placing a kiss to your palm. “You don’t ever have to justify anything with me baby.” He says earnestly. “I want you to be happy and feel good about yourself. You should cuz you’re fuckin perfect.” 

  You smiled gratefully as he wiped a stray tear from your cheek. You knew with Joel beside you, you could let go of old hurts and embrace moments like this. Where kindness, understanding and a simple meal could say so much more than words could express. 

Comments and reblogs are much appreciated

[steddieas-shegoes]

Requests: Steve adopting an abandoned child post earthquake in Hawkins after the spring break from hell. And him realizing all the ways he was hurt as a child due to his parents neglect. And how he overcomes it and raises his baby-child with gentleness, warmth, patience and love

OKAY GENUINELY I GOT SO CARRIED AWAY WITH THIS PROMPT AND IT STILL WASN'T AS MUCH AS I WANTED TO DO. FAIR WARNING: this is an emotional roller coaster. It ends HAPPY. But there are a lot of sad and bittersweet moments and feelings leading up to that moment. There is the mention of child neglect, and that can be difficult for some people to read, even with a happy ending, so please keep that in mind before starting this. Also, this is not how the law or CPS works at all, and it wasn't in the 80s either, but this is fiction and I do what I want. I hope someone can continue this idea somewhere because it is so special to me now. This is 6200 words of me not knowing how to wrap it up with a bow. I hope you love this my darling, thank you for this one. - Mickala ❤️

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

Steve spent the last 12 hours pacing the waiting room floor at the hospital. He’d promised the kids he would stay until there was an update on Eddie and Max, and their parents had insisted they go home after they’d been quickly attended to for their minor injuries.

Max was stable, but not awake. They weren’t sure if she ever would be again. Steve passed that on to Nancy so she could call everyone.

Eddie finally made it out of surgery, alive, but barely.

He’d lost a lot of blood and they weren’t able to give him a transfusion until Wayne got there to donate.

It was touch and go for another few hours in recovery.

But things calmed down a bit, his heart rate settling at a normal rate, his oxygen maintaining where it should be with the mask on, the bleeding stopped and his blood regenerating on its own.

He wasn’t awake, but he was alive.

That was enough for Wayne and Hopper to kick him out of the hospital and make him go home.

“Shower. Eat. Sleep. In that order, Harrington,” Hopper said, the gruffness in his voice overruled by the concern.

He was up to speed on everything he missed, and he wasn’t thrilled about how much Steve had put on the line for everyone.

So Steve left, even though he wanted to stay, needed to have eyes on Eddie, on Max.

He had to trust that they were being taken care of.

He made it home, did two of the three things Hopper told him to. His shower was long and hot, finally able to wash away the blood and dirt and Upside Down particles that clung to his skin for the last couple of days. His dinner was quick and unfulfilling, but frozen meals usually are.

And then he did try to sleep. He tried on the couch first, his usual go-to spot after crises. Then he tried to go to his bed, hoping the weight of his comforter would help lull him to sleep.

But two hours later, he was still wide awake.

So he got up, put on jeans and a sweater, and made his way to the school, where emergency services had been set up.

It was chaotic, still very little organization amongst groups. The firefighters had been dispatched all over town, and most medical professionals had been called into the hospital or to help EMTs on calls. A handful of teachers had been put in charge of the check-in process here, making sure anyone who came through was on a list of survivors first, then sent to help where they were needed if they were able.

Steve was able, so he put his name on the list and was told to stand with a group at the far corner of the gym. Everyone in this group was waiting for a dispatch crew of firefighters to come get them to help locate survivors.

They were given vests, gloves, and helmets to wear, and given quick safety briefings. They were told not to move any rubble, that if they suspected someone was under some, to call for the professionals. They were just extra eyes and ears because everyone was stretched too thin for a disaster of this magnitude and help from local towns was slow to arrive.

Steve figured this would help him, if he stayed busy and managed to help people, he wouldn’t think about how helpless he was when it came to Max and Eddie.

The first location they were dropped at was a small neighborhood on the outskirts of town. Most of the homes had been completely demolished, cracks in the ground swallowing pieces of them. If there were any survivors here, they would be in desperate need of medical attention.

But after nearly four hours of searching, only one person was found, their leg trapped under a large wooden beam. The leg was broken, but they were fine other than that.

Steve felt relief that nothing more serious had happened there.

But the second area was worse.

It wasn’t a neighborhood, just a small wooded area surrounding two homes a good distance apart. Surprisingly, the homes were still standing, but everything around them was destroyed. Fires had been only recently extinguished, downed trees and power lines blocking most of the driveway and road in front of them.

“This should be relatively quick, both homes are empty and cars are gone, so we think everyone managed to get out safely, but we do need to be sure,” the firefighter in charge of this group said before leading them forward.

The smaller of the two houses was empty, though a mess, like the occupants had rushed to pack necessities and threw anything else on the ground as they rushed to get out.

The other home, though, was surprisingly clean. Kept up in a way Steve wouldn’t have expected for the panic most people showed while escaping town.

Everyone assumed maybe the occupants hadn’t even been home when the quake hit.

But Steve decided to go upstairs anyway.

Something was telling him this wasn’t normal.

It felt familiar in a way he didn’t want to acknowledge yet.

No one else followed him, all of the volunteers congregating in the living room area to discuss their next location before heading back to the school for a break.

Steve followed his gut, and his gut told him to check the bedroom at the end of the hall.

He opened the door, not surprised to see that nothing seemed strange at first glance.

Then he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, under the bed.

He would’ve checked there anyway, that’s where he would have hidden in this kind of situation, too.

“I guess this place is all clear,” Steve said, quiet enough not to be heard by anyone downstairs yet, but loud enough to be heard by the person under the bed.

“Wait!”

It was a kid, Steve figured as much based on the items on the desk in the corner and the poster on the wall.

The small boy crawled out from under the bed, panic on his face.

“Are you gonna take me to my parents?” The boy asked, lips wobbling.

“I’m gonna try. I’m Steve, what’s your name?”

“Elliott.”

“Nice to meet you, Elliott. How old are you?”

“Nine.”

Jesus Christ. Where had his parents even been? Why weren’t they looking for him?

He hoped they were on their way back and just stuck trying to get into town.

But a part of him had already known that wasn’t true. A part of him knew the moment they pulled into the area that he’d find someone left here, someone who shouldn’t have ever been alone.

“Alright, Elliott, let’s get you back to the school. We can put your name on the list so your parents can find you easier, okay? I can stay with you until they get here.”

“I don’t know if they will.”

Steve’s heart stopped for a moment.

Sure, his parents never came back after the Upside Down bullshit, but he’d been a teenager and adult. They probably assumed he wasn’t involved in any of it and was fine.

But Elliott was nine. Even his parents would have come back for him at that age.

They never should have left him alone to begin with, but even they knew the trouble they’d be in for leaving him at that age after a fucking earthquake.

“Of course they will, buddy. It’s just hard getting into Hawkins right now, you’ll see on our way back.”

He placed his hand on Elliott’s shoulder, not surprised when he tensed up under him for a moment before he relaxed.

Steve hadn’t been used to casual touch until he met Nancy.

But Elliott deserved to feel cared for right now, so he kept his hand there, let him get used to it for a moment, and then guided him out the door and down the stairs.

Most of the group had moved back outside, but a few people remained.

One of the few women in the group looked over at his entrance, her jaw dropping when she saw he had a child with him.

“Oh my God!”

Steve held his hand up, knowing Elliott probably didn’t want to draw a lot of attention to himself.

“He’s okay. He managed to find a safe place to hide. His parents might be looking for him though so we should get him back,” Steve said calmly.

No one crowded him, but the firefighter waiting by the van that was transporting everyone checked his heart and lungs, made sure he didn’t have any visible wounds or injuries.

Elliott didn’t let go of Steve the entire time, his hand gripping his forearm like he was terrified to lose him among the group.

Steve didn’t try to pull away, not once.

He knew Elliott needed someone. He could be that someone for him.

—-------------

When they arrived back at the school, they put his name on the list, and since he was a minor, they had him go to one of the classrooms that was being watched over by security while they tried to contact his parents.

He told them they left for a business trip over a week ago, he didn’t know when they would be back, and his aunt checked on him every morning, but he hadn’t seen her since the quake.

Steve stood by as he spoke to the responsible adults, not letting Elliott out of his sight.

Elliott begged for Steve to come with him to wait while they tried to locate his parents, so he did.

He realized pretty quickly that Elliott must not have slept last night; He curled against Steve’s side on the floor almost immediately and fell asleep, light snores making Steve smile to himself.

The floor was hard, the wall behind him was somehow harder, but he wouldn’t move short of another emergency.

They stayed like that for hours, kids coming and going as more were found and reunited with their families.

Elliott was the youngest one left in the room, all the other kids high school age.

When one of the men from the group he was in earlier came in the room to get another kid, he asked if there was any update on Elliott.

“Nah, they’re still trying to find them. The aunt um…” The guy looked nervously down at the sleeping Elliott. “She didn’t make it. Was on her way to try to get him when another crack hit the road she was driving on, car crashed. They contacted the dad’s business and were told he’s out of the country and won’t be returning calls until next week.”

“How long are they gonna make him stay here while they figure it out?”

“No clue, man. I’ll ask someone.”

But he didn’t come back and Elliott deserved something better than the floor to sleep on.

“Hey, buddy,” Steve said, gently nudging his shoulder to wake him up. “Sorry, just gotta run and ask someone something real quick.”

Elliott grabbed his shirt, holding it in his fist tightly.

“Don’t go! Please,” he begged, tears welling in his eyes.

Steve’s heart broke.

He’d been this kid for so much of his childhood, practically begging people to stick around so he didn’t have to be drenched in loneliness again.

He knew he would be right back, but to Elliott, especially after the quake, he probably felt like anyone who left would be gone forever.

“Come with me. We’ll find you some dinner while I find out how things are going.”

He stood up, his legs numb from sitting on the floor so long, and helped Elliott find his balance after waking up so abruptly.

They left the room, the security nodding them on when he saw Steve was with him, and walked down the hall to the cafeteria area.

They were serving ham and cheese sandwiches, bags of chips, and water for everyone. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for now.

If he could find a phone, maybe he could get Robin to bring him and Elliott more food.

Elliott shyly thanked the person handing out the meals, and Steve slowly guided him to an empty table while his eyes searched for anyone he recognized.

He almost did a happy dance when he saw Dustin and Claudia across the room.

“Hey, that’s actually my friend and his mom. Can you wait here while I grab them?”

Elliott nodded nervously, clearly only letting him walk away because he would be within his sight the entire time.

Steve ran over to them, wincing slightly when the bite on his stomach started pulsing. Probably should take it easier while that healed.

“Dustin!” Steve exclaimed as he got closer.

Dustin’s head shot around, smile lighting up his face as he realized it was Steve.

“Dude! Everyone’s been trying to find you for hours. Have you been here all day?”

“Kinda. I came to help with searching and I found a kid earlier. They’re trying to find his parents, but he’s been kind of attached to me.”

“Damn, I hope they find them soon. Phone lines keep going down. You seen Hopper come by yet?”

“No, has he gotten any sleep yet?”

“Doubt it. Ma, do you have any cookies left for Steve?”

Claudia came bustling over, digging through her purse as she walked.

“Oh, I’m sure I do! Hi, Steve, dear. Hope you’re doing okay in all this madness.”

“I’m doing alright,” Steve gave her a small smile as she managed to find the cookies and hand them over. “Hey, do you know the parents of Elliott Devers?”

“Oh, I know of them, sure. Only met them once, they never seem to be in town. He’s a sweet boy, his aunt seems to take care of him most of the time.”

Steve filled her in on what he knew so far, that Elliott’s aunt had died, that no one could reach his parents, that he’d been alone in the house for at least a full day before Steve found him.

That Elliott didn’t seem to want to be separated from Steve.

Dustin was watching him talk, eyebrows furrowing like he was trying to think of something.

“Wait, his dad’s the guy who was under investigation for tax evasion, fraud, and identity theft, isn’t he?”

Steve’s stomach dropped.

His brain made connections that only children of rich parents can in a matter of seconds.

His parents ran to another country on “business” because that was the only way they were allowed to leave while he was under investigation. No one could reach them because they gave fake information so they could go into hiding. Because he was guilty of all of the things he was under investigation for and didn’t want to lose everything and end up in prison.

Fuck.

Claudia must have realized the same thing, a deep frown settling on her face.

“Elliott is the boy sitting at that table?” She asked as she pointed towards him.

He was watching them as he ate, eyes wide as he kept glancing around the room.

Steve nodded.

“If they ran, and they aren’t coming back, where will he go?” Steve asked.

“I’m sure he’ll be placed with a family who can take him until they can figure out a more permanent place, but that may be hard right now with so many people leaving Hawkins. He may have to leave town,” Claudia said, though Steve could tell she was trying to figure out how to take him in, even if only for a few days.

“What would I have to do to keep him while they keep looking?”

“Oh, that’s a question for Hopper, sweetie. I’m not sure you’d fit the requirements, even though I think he’d be very lucky to get to stay with you,” Claudia touched his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze in comfort.

“Is he coming by?”

“Hopper? Yes, he just got done at the hospital handling some things for Edward,” Claudia said.

“Eddie, Ma, how many times do I have to tell you?”

“The tone! Watch it!” Steve said before Claudia could respond.

She smirked at Steve, then gave Dustin a look that said she wasn’t going to listen to him and walked away.

“I gotta go with her, she’s bringing dinner to Wayne at the hospital.”

“Is Eddie awake?”

“Not yet, but they think it could be anytime. They said the drugs in his system are heavy enough to keep him out for a while.”

“But he seems okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Max?”

He almost didn’t want to ask, but he had to.

“No news.”

Steve nodded once, acknowledging that Dustin didn’t want to talk about it right now, that it was tough to even think about how she was probably not gonna wake up anytime soon if ever.

“Hey, come by my house tomorrow, okay? We can watch a movie or somethin’.”

“Sure.”

Steve gave Dustin a quick hug before making his way back to Elliott, who looked like he might start crying any moment.

“Hey, buddy. Sorry that took longer than I thought, but…” Steve pulled the bag of cookies from behind his back with a smile. “I got cookies! Claudia makes the best chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. You’ll love them.”

Elliott relaxed a little, smiling up at Steve as he reached for the bag of cookies.

“Is she nice? She looks nice.”

“She’s awesome. She always brings me soup if I’m sick.”

“Is that what moms do? My aunt sometimes does, but she doesn’t know how to make the kind I like.”

Steve bit his lip.

“What kind do you like?”

“My favorite is tomato and noodles. She can only make chicken noodle. It’s okay, but sometimes it has a funny taste.”

Steve smiled at him, glad he was at least talking, even if what he was saying was heartbreaking.

“I’m sure Claudia can make you some tomato and noodles. I’ll call and ask.”

“But not now, right?”

Elliott’s voice filled with panic, his eyes widening.

“No, I’m staying with you right now. The chief should be here soon and we can figure out what’s going on, okay?”

“Like, the chief of police? You know him?”

“Yeah, Hopper’s nice. Don’t let his mean face scare you. He’s kind of a teddy bear.”

“Excuse you, I’m not a teddy bear. I’m a grizzly bear,” Hopper said behind Steve.

Elliott laughed, and Hopper tried to hide a small smile. Teddy bear.

“Are you Elliott?” Elliott nodded. “Can we go talk for a few minutes just us? I promise Steve can wait right outside the door.”

Hopper gave Steve a look that said he was about to ruin this kid’s day as if it didn’t already suck enough.

“Um, can Steve come in the room too?”

“If you want him to, sure.”

“I want him to.”

“Okay then, let’s go.”

Steve grabbed everything off the tables, throwing the trash away on the walk towards the teacher’s lounge area that had been set up for the cops to conduct phone calls and interviews as needed.

It was empty now, probably thanks to Hopper taking control quickly.

They sat down around a table, Elliott’s hand finding Steve’s quickly.

“Alright, Elliott, so I have a few questions and then I have some news,” Hopper started, his voice maintaining no emotion the way he’d been taught.

“Okay.”

“How long have your parents been gone this time?”

“I dunno. A week, maybe a little longer.”

“And you were alone that whole time?”

Elliott looked to Steve, like he needed help to answer, but Steve just smiled at him and mouthed ‘just be honest, you’re not in trouble.’

“Most of the time. My aunt came to check on me in the mornings and bring me food for the day.”

“Aunt Janice?”

“Yeah.”

“Bud, I’m sorry to tell ya this, but your Aunt Janice was in a really bad accident and didn’t make it,” Hopper’s voice started to show some emotion, but Steve squeezed Elliott’s hand so he wouldn’t focus on that.

“She died?”

“Yeah, bud. I’m sorry.”

“But who will bring me food in the morning?”

Steve couldn’t do this. Holy shit, he could not do this. How was Hopper able to do this?

“Well, we still haven’t been able to call your parents. Do you know exactly where they might be?”

“I don’t know. They don’t tell me where they go.”

Steve and Hopper looked at each other.

Hopper knew Steve had been in a similar position when he was younger, but no one checked on him. Hopper had often been the one to show up at his door during his early teens to make sure he had food and wasn’t hurt.

“What if he stayed with me until you find them?” Steve asked Hopper.

Elliott turned to him.

“I can stay with you?” He asked excitedly.

“Oh, I’m not sure about that. There’s a process for this kinda thing,” Hopper began.

“Then start the process. He’s staying with me,” Steve said firmly, not caring if he sounded rude, not caring if Hopper hated him for it, just wanting Elliott safe and in a house instead of a school converted to a disaster relief zone.

Hopper eyed him up and down, and the way Elliott was holding his hand and bouncing excitedly in his chair.

“Alright, fine. But it’s a week by week basis until we can get ahold of his parents,” Hopper said directly to Steve.

“Steve, do you have a microwave? I make popcorn so good, like so good. I can make it tonight even!”

Steve smiled at him, and then at Hopper, who was watching with a fond smile.

“I’m sure I have what you need to make some popcorn, buddy.”

“You wait here, I have to get the release from CPS. They’re in the front office.”

Elliott went on and on about all the things they could do while he stayed with him, and when he found out Steve had a pool, he didn’t even stop for breath as he explained that he was the best swimmer when they took a field trip last year to the pool and that he could probably even beat Steve in a race.

Steve just smiled and agreed.

—-----------------------

A week with Elliott went by, and it was easy.

Steve was terrified how quickly he just fit in.

He fit in at his house, making it feel like a home, with his rambunctious energy and nightly popcorn making.

He fit in with the kids, showing interest in D&D even though he’d never heard of it before.

He even fit with Robin, who kind of hated kids, but thought Elliott was probably the cutest kid she’d ever met.

One night, while Dustin and Mike were showing Elliott how to build a character, Robin asked him the question he’d been dreading.

“What happens if he can’t stay?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m assuming they’ll find his parents soon, and when they do, he’ll have to go live with them again. Or at least his mom since his dad will be in prison for life at this rate. How are you gonna handle that?”

He had no clue. He wanted Elliott to have parents who stuck around, and who loved him, and let him pop popcorn every night.

But realistically, even if they did come back, that wasn’t what his life would look like.

His life would be a lot like Steve’s was, sad and lonely, and he didn’t deserve that.

“I’m gonna fight for him. I don’t know what that means yet, but I know that whatever is best for him is what I’m gonna make sure happens.”

Robin wrapped him up in a hug, her arms squeezing him to her.

“You’re gonna be a great dad someday.”

No one had ever said that to him before.

But maybe he could believe it.

—-------------------------------------

Steve was the first person to come to the hospital when Eddie woke up, Elliott excitedly chattering from the backseat of his car the whole way.

It was helping Steve’s nerves, but he knew he wasn’t giving Elliott the attention he needed.

“Sorry, buddy. What was that?”

Elliott was quiet for a moment.

“Are you worried?”

Steve smiled at him in the rearview mirror, his hands gripping the wheel tight.

“A little. You remember how everyone told you about Eddie? How he saved us all and almost died?”

“Yeah, he’s a hero!”

“He is. But he’s still healing and I’m just worried about how hurt he is.”

“Oh. So we can’t hug him or hold his hand to help him feel better?” Elliott groaned. “Oh man, I was gonna bring him popcorn!”

Steve laughed quietly to himself.

“I think he’s on a pretty strict diet right now, buddy. Maybe when he’s out of the hospital we can have him over for a movie and you can make him some.”

“When will he be out?”

“I dunno yet. I think it might still be a little while.”

“Will I still live with you then?”

Steve gulped.

“I hope so.”

“Me too,” Elliott said quietly, staring out the window as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

His mood was a bit somber as they walked through the halls of the bustling hospital, going to the fifth floor in the elevator where Eddie’s room was.

When he got to the right room, he knocked on the door even though it was open, smiling in at Wayne.

“Hey, come in, Steve. Eddie, Steve’s here,” Wayne said as he turned to Eddie, who was awake, but mostly horizontal still in bed.

“Steve?” Eddie’s rough voice asked.

“Hey, Eds. Hope it’s okay I brought my buddy, Elliott, to say hi. He’s heard a lot about you and Dustin and Mike and Will have been teaching him D&D for when you get out of here.”

Steve walked close to the bed, holding Elliott’s hand. He seemed shy suddenly, which wasn’t like him, not since he was living with Steve.

“Hey, Elliott. You keepin’ Steve company?”

“Yes, sir.”

Wayne snorted.

“Oh, son, you don’t have to be formal with Eddie. He’s barely older than you in his head.”

Eddie glared at Wayne, but smiled at Elliott.

“Seriously, bud, just Eddie is fine. So you ready for a campaign?”

“I dunno. Dustin said maybe I can play with you guys?”

“‘Course you can. I have so many ideas when I get outta here.”

Eddie turned to Steve and gave him a smirk.

“As long as we can host at your place?”

Steve blushed, remembering the last time he had Eddie’s full attention on him, back when his words “make him pay” sounded a lot like “I love you.”

“Yeah. Yeah, we can do that. When do you get out of here?”

Elliott was loosening his anxious grip on Steve’s hand as the nerves wore off.

“They said not for a couple weeks, but I’m gonna walk right out of here the moment I can feel my legs again.”

Elliott let out a giggle and Eddie smiled.

“You can help me, right? I may need some support to run for it.”

“No! You have to stay until you’re all better, goofball.”

“That’s exactly what I told him, Elliott. You’re much wiser than he is,” Wayne said with a roll of his eyes.

Elliott moved closer to the side of the bed, his hands folded in front of him.

“Um. Could I hold your hand? So you feel better?”

Steve was going to cry.

Eddie kind of looked like he might, too.

“Yeah, I could use a hand to hold, bud. Thanks for offering. Wayne’s hand gets sweaty, but don’t tell him I said that,” he whispered the last part to Elliott, but loud enough so everyone could still hear.

Elliott held his hand, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed.

He told Eddie all about the character Dustin and Mike helped him build, about how they might run a practice campaign with him soon. He told him about the popcorn he would make for the first time he came over.

Steve watched fondly, realizing quickly that this wasn’t something he could lose.

Not Elliott, and not Eddie either.

—-----------------------------

Elliott’s parents were still missing.

It’s been almost a month, Eddie was released from the hospital a day ago, and Elliott was still living with Steve.

The longer he stayed, the more it would hurt if he left.

They got into a routine.

School had been canceled for the rest of the year, so they mostly just made breakfast together, went in the pool, hung out with the kids, visited Eddie, played basketball, and had popcorn every night.

Steve knew Elliott was happy, he knew he was happy.

He was terrified it would end.

They were hosting Eddie for a movie night, and Elliott was more excited than ever.

Steve was a nervous wreck.

He was in charge of making sure Eddie didn’t overdo it, making sure he took his nighttime medications, and getting him to bed at a reasonable hour. According to Wayne, his pills made him tired and he would fight sleep if you didn’t force him into a bed.

Steve spent the day cleaning, baking, and preparing.

By dinner time, when Eddie would be arriving, Elliott was starting to question it.

“What’s wrong? Do you not want Eddie to come over?”

“No! Of course I want him to come over.”

“So…why are you being like this?”

“I’m…”

“Is it because you love Eddie?”

Steve choked on air.

“What?”

“Or do you think Eddie doesn’t love you?”

“Elliott, gonna say a big kid word right now. What the hell do you mean?”

Elliott rolled his eyes.

“You want to make Eddie feel happy and safe here, and you always get this stupid look on your face when we visit him, and then when I asked Wayne if you two were boyfriends he laughed and said ‘probably soon.’ So you love him, right?”

Steve’s mouth was working open and shut, open and shut, no noise coming out.

“Two boys can be together, you know. Robin told me.”

“She what? When?”

“When she told me two girls can be together.”

Steve put his face in his hands and couldn’t help the laugh of disbelief he let out as Elliott touched his back to comfort him.

“Did you not know you loved Eddie?”

“Uh. I guess I didn’t know that other people thought I loved Eddie.”

“Oh. So are you gonna be boyfriends?”

“I…I don’t know, buddy. Maybe.”

“I think you should be. Then it might be like I have two dads.”

What?

What.

“What?”

Elliott pulled his hand away and suddenly seemed nervous.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”

Steve couldn’t handle the look on Elliott’s face.

“Elliott, look at me, buddy.” He waited for Elliott to look at him. “Is that what you think of me as? Like your dad?”

Elliott nodded.

“Come here,” Steve said, pulling Elliott into a hug. “You’re the best kid, you know that?”

Elliott nodded, and Steve let out a wet laugh.

“Uh, everything okay in here?” Eddie said from the doorway.

“Eddie!” Elliott let out, and despite the mood of the previous conversation, he was smiling from ear to ear.

Eddie smiled at him and pulled him into the least hurt side of him for a hug.

He looked at Steve with a questioning look. Steve just shook his head quickly, wiping the tears from his eyes quickly.

“Can I make popcorn now, pleeeeease?” Elliott asked, bouncing on his heels.

“Yes, fine. But only one bowl right now. You can make more after dinner.”

“Okay, dad!” he yelled as he ran to the popcorn maker.

Eddie’s brows raised to his forehead as he looked at Steve, who was crying buckets at this point.

“What’s that about, Stevie?” Eddie whispered as he came up to him.

“I um, I guess he just feels like I’m his dad,” Steve shrugged.

“Are you okay with that?”

“I just don’t want him to go.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Eddie said, pulling Steve into a crushing hug that had to hurt him. Steve sniffled against his shoulder, letting himself cry for a minute. “Did Hopper say he may have to go soon?”

“No, but I mean, if they find his parents or if CPS decides he has to go to a real family, then he’ll have to.”

“Stevie, they wouldn’t just take him. Not when he’s safe here and wants to be here. I promise.”

“But what if he goes somewhere far away or to people who won’t let me see him?”

Eddie held the back of his head against his shoulder, placing a kiss to the top of his head.

“He won’t. We’ll fight for him to stay here, okay? He’s got a family here, with us. Right?”

“Us?” Steve asked as he pulled away.

“Yeah. Us. Sound okay to you?”

Steve could only nod as he wiped his running nose.

How attractive.

“Hopper still doesn’t have any idea where they are, right?”

“Nope.”

“They’ll give up eventually. I hate to say it, but they won’t put more effort into a kid who has a safe place to go when they have bigger problems. Like how half the town is still homeless because of a fucking earthquake.”

“That’s a big kid word!” Elliott yelled from his spot at the counter.

“I’m a big kid!” Eddie yelled back, smirking at Steve.

“But I’m not!” Elliott yelled as they heard the popcorn machine starting up.

“Fine!”

Eddie placed a kiss on Steve’s forehead, then one against his lips.

It was soft, chaste, barely a kiss at all.

But it was a perfect first kiss for them.

—----------------------------

Another month passed with no news.

Eddie was at Steve’s house almost every day, spending time with Elliott, spending time with the party, with Steve.

Steve had converted the main guest room into Elliott’s permanent bedroom, but was scared to think of it that way still.

Eddie tried to reassure him, but even he was nervous that no final decisions had been made and the case remained open.

Until Hopper came by one night, well after Elliott went to bed. Eddie was doing the dishes while Steve was prepping some fruit for Elliott’s breakfast before his first day of summer camp the next day.

“Hop.”

Steve felt his stomach sink.

They were going to take Elliott.

“Steve. Can I come in?”

“Yeah.”

Steve let him in, his face forced into casual calm, but on the inside he was already screaming and crying about what was about to happen.

Hopper sat down on the chair, gesturing for Steve and Eddie to sit on the couch.

“So.”

“You’re taking him aren’t you? He can’t stay.”

“What? No.” Hopper frowned. “No, Steve. The opposite actually. We’re closing the case. CPS said after interviews with him, even if his parents did get found or come back on their own, he wouldn’t be put back in their care.”

“But what about putting him with another family?”

Hopper sighed. He watched Eddie place a hand on Steve’s knee to calm him down.

“They’ve spoken in detail with him about his current situation. They believe that you’re the person he wants to live with and they aren’t going to disrupt his life any more than it already has been. If that’s alright with you, of course.”

Steve felt like he could breathe for the first time in his life.

“He can stay? With me?”

“He can stay with you.”

Steve let out a sob and fell against Eddie’s side. Eddie was crying too, but trying to keep more control so he could comfort Steve.

“CPS has to do a home visit to finalize everything, but if you’re good with it, you can officially adopt him. He’s been considered abandoned by his parents, and since it’s been 60 days, they relinquish all rights automatically.”

“How quickly can we do that?”

“We? Both of you?”

“I mean, can we both even do that?”

Hopper shrugged.

“Don’t know. But they’re probably expecting just Steve for now. They’ll call tomorrow to schedule everything and give you a chance to talk to Elliott.”

Steve and Eddie both nodded.

“I’m gonna leave you two to it, but call me if you need me. Congrats, Steve. I know you wanted this. I know he wanted this.”

“Thanks.”

Hopper saw himself out, closing the door quietly so it wouldn’t wake Elliott up.

“Eddie, did that really happen? Am I dreaming?”

“No, sweetheart, you aren’t dreaming.”

“I get to be his dad.”

“Yeah, you do.”

“And you?”

“What about me?”

“Do you want to be his other dad?”

“I would love to, baby. Let’s ask him tomorrow, though. It’s up to him.”

Steve nodded.

It was up to Elliott, but he knew what Elliott wanted.

He knew what he wanted.

They were gonna be a family. A real family. No more worrying about someone deciding to take Elliott away from him.

He could finally use this house that had been left to him by his parents for something other than being miserable. He could keep it filled with love and laughter and happiness and maybe the occasional stupid argument.

Maybe Elliott would make friends at school in the fall and want to have hangouts here. Maybe they could both save up some money and take him on a vacation somewhere. Maybe someday they could get married and Elliott could be the best man.

Anything could happen.

Steve couldn’t wait.

[smoke-and-silver]

Rut Season Headcanons

Diavolo

A separate post for the big man himself.

-

His burgeoning magic affects the entire Devildom. Flowers bloom rapidly and there’s a hum of life in the air like in early spring. His rut creates a ring of magic and fertility right to the edges of his territory. Citizens consider it a lucky time to try and conceive.

He wishes someone would spar with him. He would love to participate in a duel, like he’s always seen his citizens do. He would love to show off for MC, but who’s going to challenge him? His horns thicken and grow longer, the ridges along them growing more prominent. His already impressive rack is nearly doubled in size.

It’s his job to please you. It’s what he was made for. Every inch of dark skin and dense muscle was literally built to service you. Millennia of selective breeding have produced in the most virile mate you could possibly find and he is so eager to show it.

All the modern bureaucracy and paperwork that usually drowns him is abandoned as he attends to what nature truly made him for–invigorating the landscape and pleasing his mate. Not a single aristocrat or demon in the House of Lords is stupid enough to make a fuss about his absence.

For two weeks or so you’re excused from work, classes, anything as he drags you off to the castle all to himself. Every need  you could have is taken care of. His strong hands make easy work of massaging every sore muscle from head to toe. He leaves kisses over every inch of your skin. 

You’re pliant in his arms and the opportunity to scent you is irresistible. His aroma is soft and warm like amber. The smell is deceptively gentle, as any demon gives you a wide berth so long as it lingers on your skin. 

He wants to show you all the abundance his domain can offer. He’s walking you to hidden springs where he can lay you down on the soft moss after a swim, taking you right there as water still drips from your bare bodies. He’s pressing strange fruit to your lips and watching as your teeth sink into the pulp and your tongue licks the juices from his fingers. His entire cycle is a haze of pleasure. Mans is on you relentlessly. You’re pampered so much that you probably leave a few pounds heavier.

Frankly, no one would spar with him. Challenging the Prince of Hell when a flood of hormones is rushing through him is a bit like taunting a wild wildebeest. On a normal day he’s the type to de-escalate, but during rut he’s extra protective, and it brings out some of the tyrant in him.

At the start of his cycle, when his hormones have just started to shift, and he hasn’t yet realized that his season is upon him, a conservative lord makes the mistake of making a rather demeaning comment about the human. 

Usually, he would give a firm reminder that humans are their allies now.

Usually, he would encourage the man to broaden his horizons, or something along those lines.

But today, something twists in his chest. A wave of hot anger comes over him and before he knows it, he’s grabbed the man by his head.

A tense silence falls over the frightened group of diplomats as he lifts the man to eye level. The other demon’s legs kick uselessly. Diavolo’s stature makes it easy to leave the lord dangling in the air as a few agonizing, tense seconds tick by.

–and just as quickly as it came over him, the strange fog leaves his mind. He shakes his head and blinks a few times as if coming out of a daze. Gently, he sets the man back down on the ground, and releases his grasp.

Although he gives an embarrassed apology, it’s clear that something has shifted in the air. As the meeting ends and the frightened demons make their way back to their homes, they notice more flowers in bloom than usual this time of year.

[oneforthemunny]

take care |modern!eddie munson x reader|

prompt: after a long day at work, you just wanted to relax. eddie makes sure you can.

contains: our fav modern!eddie and his lil mean girl. language, mentions of weed, oral fem receiving, p in v sex, aftercare and fluff, minors dni 18+

You could feel your fists clench, knuckles tight and whitening when you shoved your key in the door, agitation eating you from the inside out.

Today had been a particularly horrible day to work retail. Spring always meant prom season, which meant whiny teenagers spilled in with their bossy mothers, demanding shades of foundation for the spray tan they didn’t have yet, slamming them on the counter furiously when it inevitably didn’t match- because you were supposed to be mind reader. But you couldn’t say that to them, couldn’t snap at them the way you wanted to, only taking deep breath in, giving a dazzling customer service smile, and apologizing for your mistake.

The knots in your neck were agonizing from straining all day, feet aching from the little black boots you wore, a sweat breaking out on your neckline. All you wanted to do was go home, drown yourself in the cheap bottle of wine you had in the fridge, and sink into a bubble bath until your skin pruned away entirely. But you knew you wouldn’t get to do that.

When you’d got off, you sat in your car, scrolling through messages, your lips pressing further together into a tight line. There sat the string of TikTok notifications from Eddie on your screen, constant and too many for you to look at. It wasn’t the videos that pissed you off, it was the fact that he had sent them all day. All day, and you knew- you just knew he hadn’t done anything you asked him to do.

You’d left him that morning, sweet kisses pressed to his cheek, fingers trailing down his tummy, still soft and warm from sleep. “I started a load of laundry, can you just switch it over to the dryer please?” You asked softly.

Eddie nodded, pulling you back in for one last kiss before you left, still propped up in the bed. You’d slipped out, going to work. When you returned, you were greeted by Eddie on the couch, blunt rolling smoke in the tray beside him, hunched over with his headset on, screaming into the mic and eyes trained on his PlayStation. He’d muttered a greeting, tongue out in focus playing some fantasy type game, eyes never leaving the screen.

You could feel your shoulders tense, jaw setting when you slammed the door behind you. You didn’t take off your shoes, didn’t set down your purse, stomping straight down the hall towards the small closet where your washer and dryer sat. You lifted the lid, the mildewish, soured smell of wet towels filling your nose.

The bubble of calmness you’d kept all day popped, exploding in hot rage out of you. You dropped your purse, reaching in to grab one of the still soaking wet towel, heavy and wet on your hands.

You marched in front of Eddie, blocking his view, fuming with the towel in your hand. “Baby, one sec, I’m almost-“ Eddie stopped, eyes trained on the towel.

He flicked up the mic to his headset just in time for you ball up the towel, throwing it so it thudded against his chest. You jammed your finger in the button of the PlayStation, powering it off furiously. Eddie grimaced slightly, slipping the headset off.

“I asked you to do one goddam thing!” You screamed, throwing your hands out.

“Baby, I forgot-“

“-You always forget, Eddie!” You scoffed, rolling your eyes. His eyes rounded slightly, pleading and sorry. You snarled, shaking your head and stomping towards your room.

You plopped on your bed, angrily ripping your shoes off. It was a constant fight since he’d moved in. Towels left on the bathroom floor, not putting down the toilet seat, forgetting to start the dishwasher, putting the coffee cups up too high.

You bristled with anger, jaw grinding and huffing. All you’d asked him to do was one thing. One. You didn’t give a shit that he stayed on your couch, that he played his game all day, only leaving to get food or do a deal. You didn’t care, really. But what you did care about was when he disrespected your space; you. You’d had this fight already, about him helping you around the apartment- your apartment.

You tried to be understanding, it was clear he wasn’t doing it maliciously. He didn’t have a good home life, and his uncle raised him the best he could, but Wayne was too busy working to make sure their lights stayed on to worry about if Eddie’s room was clean. As long as Eddie was clean, he didn’t care. That was clear when you’d gone into his room once, staying at the trailer one night only, scared by the ecosystem growing under his bed.

But on days like today, days when your nerves were shot and the last thing you wanted was to deal with things like that, it infuriated you. There were no clean towels for a bath, so your afternoon plans to soak were destroyed, which made you fume all over again.

You could hear Eddie starting the laundry, the small trill of the chimes on the machine starting. You rolled your eyes, pulling your shirt off, balling it up and tossing it in the hamper.

The door’s hinges squeaked softly, Eddie’s footsteps soft and muffled against the carpet. You ignored him, pushing down your black jeans into a puddle on the ground.

“Baby, ’m sorry.” Eddie whispered softly from behind you. You felt his fingers ghost over your hips, trailing over the silky material of your panties.

You huffed, wiggling out of his grasp. “Don’t.” You snapped. “I had a really shitty day and all I wanted was to take a bath. I’m disgusting and-and… just don’t touch me right now.” You hissed, holding your hand up.

Eddie nodded, eyes trained on your chest, watching you unclasp your bra, breasts falling free. He swallowed hard, putting his hands in front of his sweatpants. “I’m so sorry, baby. I forgot, really.” He cooed sweetly, taking a step towards you.

You rummaged through your drawers, pulling out a big tshirt, soft with wear, and a pair of fresh underwear. Eddie took another step forward. “Did you have a bad day?”

You huffed, slamming the drawers. “Yeah, I did.” You snapped. “And this didn’t make it any better. I got bitched at all fucking day, and I just wanted to come home and relax.”

“I’m sorry,” Eddie sighed sympathetically. “I’ll go run to Target and get you a towel if you want me to. You can get in the bath and I’ll be right back.”

“No,” You huffed, pushing your underwear down. His eyes widened slightly. “I just- I want you to do shit when I ask you to.”

“I know,” Eddie nodded, stepping towards you again. “I know, I’m sorry, baby, I swear I didn’t mean to. I just- I forgot honestly.” He hesitated, reaching out to touch you, slow and soft. You were bare in front of him, arms crossed over your chest, glaring angrily at him but you didn’t push him away.

He pulled you close, your crossed arms in his chest, chin resting on your shoulder, pressing sweet kisses into your cheek. His hands rubbed up and down your back, slow little circles that had you relaxing slightly, melting further into his chest.

“I’m sorry you had a bad day, sweetheart.” Eddie muttered into your cheek. You huffed, pouty and breathy into his chest. “Let me take care of you.” His hands trailed down your spine, squeezing the fat of your ass.

You whined, pulling back. “I’m gross, Ed, no.” You protested lightly, his hands still kneading your cheeks. “I’ve worked all day. I’m sweaty and gross.”

“You’re not gross.” Eddie muttered, nose nuzzling into your hair line, breathing in your scent deeply. “C’mon, let me help you relax, baby. ‘S least I can do. Make it up to you.”

You hesitated, the kisses he was trailing down your neck were making you relax enough already. You whimpered when he sucked lightly into the nape of your neck, his hands still grabbing your ass.

“C’mon, lay down, baby, I got you.” Eddie coaxed gently.

You melted into the mattress, letting him lay on top of you, hips rolling and grinding into you. You blamed the sweatpants, they were your weakness. You could always see his dick outlined in them, so casual and innocent. You were always dropping to your knees when he wore them.

Eddie wedged his body between your legs, sliding down the mattress, trailing kisses between your breasts, down your sternum, towards your core until his shoulders had your thighs spread wide around him. He could feel the heat off your pussy, radiating and warming the tip of his nose before he ever touched you. His hands ran up your torso, smoothing over the skin of your tummy, squeezing your breasts before sliding back down your waist, pressing wet kisses to the inside of your thighs, over your mound, teasing.

“Stop,” you whined, high pitched and nasally,  wiggling your hips towards his face. Your brows creased, pouting when you looked down at him.

He grinned softly, hand pulling your thighs apart further, tongue running over his bottom lip before he licked you, slow from your hole to your clit, swirling around the sensitive nub. Eddie moaned loud, enough to have vibrations sending shockwaves to your bundle of nerves making you arch.

“You taste so good, baby, fuck.” Eddie rasped, licking another long stripe, eyes closing and fingers digging into your thigh.

You whimpered, hands threading through his curls. You loved that he kept his hair long. He looked so different from all the other guys, wild curls that always seemed to have your hands in them, playing with the ringlets sweetly. You loved when he'd let you style it, load it with products and diffuse it, or put a mask in it in the bath, clipping it up sweetly while you soaked. Eddie loved it too, he loved that you loved it, loved that you'd scratch his scalp and coo at him, so sweet and giggly.

You were a whirlwind, an enigma of personality. Sweet and sour, he called you his little 'sour patch kid' and while he always played it off like he was joking, you both knew deep down he was being serious. He knew you were just high strung, wound a little tight, and the snapping and snarky comments were a defense, a default when you felt out of control. He knew you could be sweet, knew you were sweet, you were so sweet to him.

You whined, wiggling your hips closer and closer to him, sighing heavy when he sucked at your clit. “That feels good…” You mumbled, hips jumping towards his mouth.

Eddie grinned, another long lick to your slit that had you reeling. “Mmm, I’m glad.” He kept his lips against your core when he said it, he knew you liked it like that. He knew you liked the vibrations, how they’d tickle your clit and make you clench. He didn’t even have to use his fingers, could have you coming undone with his tongue alone.

You whimpered, feeling his hand press against your lower tummy, thighs tightening when he ran a soft hand up and down your belly to your chest, rolling your nipples just barely in his hands. “Feels so good, Eddie, fuck.” You whined. “Oh! Right there! Do it just like that, please!”

Eddie repeated the action, fingers pressed in a ‘v’ over your puffed lips, exposing and revealing your throbbing clit to him, sucking the bud at a pace that had you seeing stars. You cried, hands fisting in his hair to bring him closer and closer, his nose was pressed against your mound, inhaling your scent deeply, lapping away until you gushed hard around him. His eyes fluttered up to yours, licking you through your orgasm while you bucked and writhed, his arms locked around your waist to keep you still. He loved watching you come undone for him, get you in that hazy headspace that always had you needy and clingy afterwards.

“That good?” Eddie asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand when he moved up.

You nodded, chest heaving slightly. “Very good.” You looked at him with glassy eyes, smiling slightly. The blush on your cheeks was enough for him to know you meant it. He was always wanting to please you, especially after you were upset with him.

He shoved his sweatpants down, kicking them off until they pooled at the end of the bed. You could feel his erection between the two of you, rutting his hips into yours, whining slightly at the friction.

“You wanna be like this? Or you wanna be on your stomach?” Eddie asked, his nose touching yours. You could feel his curls around your face, making you giggle at the tickling feeling. It made your heart swell slightly, any feels of irritation disappearing with every soft kiss of his pillowy lips on yours.

"This is fine," You sighed contently, eyes shutting when he pressed his lips to your neck. "Wanna see you." You muttered.

Eddie fucked you slow, your legs wrapped around his waist, fingers intertwined with his. He grunted lowly in your ear, reveling in the little whines and gasps you'd let sneak out sweetly, muffled into his neck.

You'd curled up beside him, he'd used his boxers to clean you up before dropping them back into the floor, your head on his chest, his hands stroking your hair softly. You could feel your eyes droop, heavy with the stress of the day. Eddie put on New Girl for you, he knew you liked to watch it when you were falling asleep.

When you awoke, the screen on the TV with the Netflix logo, asking if you were still watching. You could hear Eddie in the living room, the soft glow of the kitchen light down the hallway. You felt heavy, warm, a little disoriented with the nap. Your phone on the bedside table read eight-twenty-two.

Eddie looked up when you walked in, pausing his game and pushing the headset off his curls. "Hi, baby," He greeted with a small smile. "Did you sleep ok?"

You nodded, stretching and rubbing your eyes. You started for the closet with the washer and dryer. "I already dried them." Eddie said proudly. "I put them up too, so you can take a bath now if you want."

Your heart swelled, smiling with a soft, sleepy smile. You walked over to him, straddling his lap, still warm and soft. Eddie's hands rubbed down your back, grabbing on your hips gently. "Thank you." You whispered, pressing your lips to his sweetly.

"No problem, baby." Eddie hummed, a soft smile on his lips. "'M sorry I didn't do it earlier."

"That's alright." You muttered, sitting down in his lap. Your legs on either side of his, arms around his neck, head tucked under his chin. His hand found your back, rubbing small circles down your back, sneaking under the fabric of the shirt- his shirt.

"I'm sorry you had a bad day." Eddie pressed small kisses to your hair line.

"'S alright." You pouted, huffing slowly against his chest. "I hate prom."

Eddie laughed softly, chest vibrating with laughter. "Yeah? I wasn't a fan of it either."

You craned your neck to look up at him. "Who did you go to prom with?"

Eddie scratched his neck. "Uh, my first senior year, I went with this emo, alt chick. Her name was Haley." He grinned slightly and you frowned. "Then my last senior year, I just went with the guys. Only went for a little bit, then hit the after parties to sell." You scoffed slightly, and he smiled down at you. "What about you?"

"I went my sophomore year with this guy names Parker. He was a friend and he needed a date, so we went, talked shit the whole night it was fun. Then I went my junior year twice, because the guy I was with at the time went to a different school. Then senior year I went with the same guy but just to mine, because he had graduated." You explained.

Eddie snorted. "Seems like you loved prom if you ask me."

"Hated it. My mom made me go." You wrinkled your nose. "I looked so different too. Weird when I look back."

"Bet you were still hot." Eddie grinned. You scoffed loudly. "What? I bet you were. What's that Drake song... high school pics you were even bad then?"

You laughed, cringing slightly while you covered your blush. "Eddie, oh my god, that- you're so lame." You giggled, shaking your head.

"What? It's a good song. I thought you'd love that song." Eddie jested, poking your side sweetly. "Gotta be nice for what? That's practically written about you."

"I'm very nice." You pouted playfully, eyes narrowing at him.

He grinned. "You are." He said sweetly, pressing his lips to yours, hands cradling around your jaw. You really were.

[pumpkinsy0]

Curly and Ponyboy as camp counselors!

Curly groaning about how boring this is going to be (and hating that his parole officer suggested the idea as a way to "help curly understand the meaning of responsibility.") but he locks eyes with Baby Curtis who's just as surprised as he is to be there. Pony informs him Darry signed him up because 1.) it was fee and 2.) it looks good on the state record so no social services breathing down their neck.

Ponyboy singing songs for the kids on the bus but Curly adding naughty lyrics to it.

Ponyboy wanting to be the responsible camp councelor and asks the kids if they know their medications or allergies meanwhile Curly is hooking up with the fat kid promising a single cigarette for two Twinkies a day.

Curly smirking and Ponyboy groaning. They have to share a cabin, which is fine but-----there's only one bed.

Ponyboy in a crop top and shorts? Curly hid his nose bleed, lying that he fell in the shower. (Pony doesn't recall a thunk)

The camp has a lake. Cool. Not all the kids can swim or are as excited. Ponyboy trying to get the kids to gently walk into the lake. Curly throws them kicking and screaming.

Lunch time rolls around and everyone pigs out. Curly likes the BBQ little weenies and Pony wolfed down those hot ham sandwiches. They have an activity hour. Curly likes to play on the jet skis (cause hey he's poor as hell and these rich people know how to have fun) Ponyboy likes to go to the art rooms. Yeah he can draw and paint at home, but there are so many supplies here and he likes the hour of peace and quiet.

Purly camping out? Lord help them. Yeah they bicker over how their tent is set up and to be honest, it looks like crap when they're done. The kids all have their tents set up and they scavenger hunt, roast marshmallows, and Curly told the most terrifying story of the Haitian equlivant of The Boogeyman and a couple kids cried.

Que Ponyboy glaring at Curly for the next hour and a half after lights out because so many campers are scared.

Because their tent is poorly built, they make a hammock and sleep under the stars snuggled under a big quilt.

"Hey, Curtis."

"What?"

"Brats are sleeping and there's a lake not too far away. Dare you skinny dip."

"No."

"C'mon, I'll do it too."

"No!"

(Pony made it up to Curly by making him a bracelet in arts and crafts that Curly snorted at but didn't take off the rest of the summer and wore it till it broke off in the spring of next year)

i remember talking about them being camp counselors like a good while ago, this gave me such a whiplash😭😭

one of the lyrics for the song pony was singing was “banged her-“ but she couldnt even finish his sentence before curly said “banged her🤔🤔i hardly know her🗣️”

and curlys that counselor that like, NEVER follows the rules but the kids still love him and get excited when they have him as their group leader

they like pony too but pony follows the rules more and theyre like “why cant u b more like curly” and ik curly rubs that in his face but pony does NOT care, hes not gonna b the reason y theres gonna b a real life equivalence of jason voorhees

also their groups r always together, like the whole point is for them to have separate groups but pony and curly just merged and formed one fucking gigantic one

ALSO CURLY ON THE JET SKIS REMINDS ME OF THAT TIME DJ KHALID GOT LOST RIDING ONE OF THEM, PLEASE GO LOOK THAT UP THATS SO CURLY FOR THIS AU LMAOOOO

BUT THE KIDS LOVE WATCHING PONY DRAW, they constantly ask him to draw something for them

curly scaring the kids w haitian monster stories??? so real,,, he told them about the lougawou and for the rest of the time there, the kids were just terrified of any dog like thing they saw snooping around near camp😭

btw funny of u to assume they would even have that conversation, ik their asses was having trouble even getting in the hammock let alone setting it up, they got some bruises and scrapes i just know it

[writtenonreceipts]

Ao3 Link // Part One

HA! I can’t do anything right.  Let’s pretend it was always spring/summer that the story was happening in, not winter.  Like why did I say winter in pt 1?  I feel like I knew that weddings in the regency/Victorian era were most always in spring/summer…Anyways here’s part 2.

And in true written fashion—we’re gonna need at least one other part to finish us off.  I’m sorry.  Really.  I’m posting this one before Rowaelin Month kicks off and then I’ll try and have it finished up in October.

Warnings: bits of abusive parents, mild violence, steam. ~7k words

.*.*.*.*.*.

When Our Fingers Touch, I Find My Way Back Home

She was seventeen and still subject to the whims of her mother.  Two weeks after the chilly dip in the stream and Elain was confined to the house.  Because, really Elain how could you be so foolish as to do a thing like that?  And in front of the duke’s son, no less.

It was just as well, she supposed.  She caught a bit of a fever by the following day and needed all the rest and tea possible to get her on the mend.

Nesta at least wasn’t quite so clipped in her admonishments.

“I thought you knew to be more careful than to get thrown in the river,” Nesta commented blandly as she arranged a new tea service on the small table in Elain’s bed chamber.  For once, the eldest Archeron daughter didn’t sneer away from mundane tasks.

“It was a stream and I am fine,” Elain replied.  She didn’t look up from her cross-stitching as Nesta settled into pouring tea and preparing their cups.

She really hadn’t meant to fall but no one seemed to care beyond the fact that she, delicate Elain, had gotten soaked to the bone and was now ill.  Oh, Mother wouldn’t let her hear the end of this. 

“Are you?” Nesta asked.  She arched one of her perfectly shaped brows, her hair swept into an elegant coronet of braids.  Her coming out had been a smash and she’d already had many a suitor.  Yet…Elain could tell there was something weighing on her sister’s mind.  Just eighteen and Nesta seemed to carry a far too heavy load then most and Elain had no idea what it was.

“Yes.” Elain punctuated the word by casting aside her stitching and taking a cup of tea. “It’s merely a chill.  I shall be fine by the morrow.”

“You sound like a toad and look like a drunkard rolling in from the bar.”

“Nesta!”  Elain tried, and mostly failed, in hiding a smile.

Nesta merely rolled her eyes and sipped her own tea.  “Well, so long as you say you’re fine and don’t lie to me, I’ll believe you.”  She paused before continuing then nodded to Elain’s bed. “Why do you have a man’s coat lying about, sister?”

“Oh!” Elain nearly scalded her tongue.  She hurriedly set her cup down, and tried not to spit up hot tea. “It’s nothing!  Lord Lucien was kind enough to offer his jacket after resc—helping me.  I’ve yet to return it.”

“I can have Clare clean it up and send it over with an errand boy,” Nesta said.  She was already rising to the servant’s bell as though to do just that.

“No, no.”  Elain reached out and tugged at her sister’s sleeve before she got very far. “Don’t worry yourself.  It’s just a coat.  I’m sure the lordling has plenty more to use.”

Nesta eyed her with mild confusion.  But then she shrugged and plopped back in her seat.  “Fine.  Save’s me from having to do anything.”

Elain sat back and let her sister talk about the -ton and all the scheming of the other mama’s and daughters and how one way or anything she would have no part in it.  As Nesta continued on, Elain found her mind beginning to wander back to the simple green coat the rested on her bed and the strange little flutter it caused deep within her chest.

.*.*.

Evidently, her wedding was to be a grand affair, the talk of the entire -ton.  Once, Elain would have been elated.  Once she would have reveled in her mother’s praise and the expenses being rained down upon her.  Once she would have taken it all in great pride.  She was the daughter to make her parents happy and allow their grand dreams to come true.

But as she waded through fittings and talks of florals and guests and food—Elain was focused on something else entirely.

Lucien’s mouth.

It was strange really, to think about a man’s mouth such as she was.  There’d only been one other man she’d been interested in kissing and that had not ended well at all.  Since, she’d never been interested in kissing another. 

Lucien Vanserra threatened her resolve with only the briefest of interactions.  Him and his stupid smirk, his full lips, and that insufferable way he said her name.  Elain.  As though it were his duty to pronounce each individual syllable with the utmost care and precision.

If it wasn’t his mouth, it was his hands.

This probably was not what one friend thought about the other regularly.

She was not a very friend.

“Elain, darling, you must pay attention!”

Drat.

Elain looked up from her tea to find her mother and Lady Vanserra herself eyeing her.  Mother of course was very close to loosing her control and saying something unbecoming.  Lady Vanserra however had a genuine smile of conciliation.  She always did seem like a wonderous woman.

“I beg your pardon,” Elain murmured.  She straightened her posture and recrossed her ankles.  “There is just so much to think about right now.”

“It’s your wedding,” Lady Vanserra said.  She reached over and patted Elain’s knee. “Of course you’ve got plenty on your mind.  There’s so much to think about and worry over.”

Mother looked as though she’d swallowed a lemon, but she was a lady so she held her tongue.  A true miracle if Elain had ever seen one.

“Thank-you,” Elain said with sincerity.  She offered her future mother-in-law a small smile, even as her cheeks flushed with the embarrassment of being caught lost in her own thoughts.

“Yes, well,” Mother said tightly, “we still need a decision on your bouquet.  Now we know there won’t be sunflowers, but I thought—”

“What?” Elain blurted. “There needs to be sunflowers.”

Mother’s nose crinkled. “Oh, there so strange, Elain.  Truly, the daisies and orange blossom will do nicely.  They’re far more elegant.  I know Lady Doyle keeps a remarkable garden of her own.  I’m sure she would be more than willing to—”

“I would prefer sunflowers, mother.”  It was the first time that Elain could remember ever being so firm in speaking to her mother.  Truly, she never raised her voice or spoke out of turn.  Not even when she wanted to most.  And now that she was, Elain could feel a new wave of horror wash over her at the reality of what it meant.

Her mother’s silver eyes flashed in warning.  Her mouth thinned impossibly and Elain wondered if her teacup would shatter from how tightly it was held.

“Sunflowers,” Lady Vanserra said, voice soft as the folds of her gown, “are lovely.  Margot, let me and my house prepare the bridal bouquet and other florals, please.  You’ve already offered up so much.”

Elain didn’t think she was breathing.  Not with the way her entire body seemed to contract and retract and her heart beat an entirely new tempo.  She kept her eyes trained on her mother, chin firm mouth set.  When finally her mother looked away Elain felt only a bit of relief.  But wondered if she’d truly won any sort of battle.

“That would be delightful, Dierdre,” Mother said.  Her ire, for the time being, had gone and Elain managed a deep, calming breath.

.*.*.

Dawn rose bright and warm on the day of the wedding.  It was a good sign.  A welcome sign.  Many ladies faced woeful downpours during these early months of spring, many forced to postpone parties and honeymoons because the roads grew too muddy in some stretches between cities.  Not today.

Pale blue sky stretched for miles without even a whisper of cloud to interrupt it.  That combined with the thriving green laughs, full trees, and vibrant flower bushes of the Archeron gardens—it truly was a beautiful day for a wedding.

And yet, Elain’s stomach churned with anxiety.

She rose far before her lady’s maid came to collect her and was found seated before the bay windows that opened over the back gardens.  It was usually her favorite place to sit and reflect.  She could spend hours there as the morning passed in lazy fervor.

Never again.

The door of her room burst open without warning, nearly sending Elain to floor in a panic.  She should have known her mother would come and make such an entrance.

“Are you not up?  Elain, we don’t have long to prepare you for the wedding.”  Mother swept through the room with various maids flowing after carrying fabrics, cosmetics, and other such items.

They in fact had hours yet to prepare meant nothing to a mama when her daughter was set to marry the son of a duke.

“It’s still early—” Elain wanted her mother to see reason and just give her a moment longer to herself.  It was in vain and soon enough, Elain was thrust into a heated tub and was scrubbed down with salts and oils and pumice stones.  She would be radiant if it was the last thing Mother did.

After bathing, her hair was taken over by brushes and pins.  The curls could get rather unruly, even when wet.  It didn’t help that mother hated Elain’s hair as it was.  Thankfully Nuala took over on styling her hair while her mother focused on the dress.

Elain hadn’t had time to appreciate the gown during all the visits with the seamstress.  She’d been too nervous over her upcoming nuptials that she hadn’t paid attention to any of the details.  Which, she supposed, she should be upset over.  She’d thought about her wedding often as a girl and young woman.  She’d planned every detail in her own might, straight to the point of what design her shoes would be.  This was supposed to be a remarkable day.

But as she had lotions applied to her skin and powders pressed to her nose, Elain felt like a stranger in her own body.  None of this was the way she pictured it.

“Where are Nesta and Feyre?” Elain finally asked her mother.  Maybe with her sisters present, some of her trepidation would ease.

Her mother waved a hand dismissively.  “They don’t need to be here.”

“They are to stand with me, are they not?” Elain asked.  Maybe if Nesta were here Elain could glean some of her sister’s iron will and feel even a modicum of strength.

“Your sisters are hardly worthy examples of virtue, Elain,” Mother said.  She pulled Elain from the vanity and into the center of the room, stripping the dressing gown Elain’s shoulders without any warning. “Now come along, step into the dress, we need to ensure there aren’t any last-minute adjustments.”

Elain bit down hard on her tongue.  Maybe once she was married, she needn’t be around her mother so much.  She could send for her sisters as often as she liked.  She could have a house to herself and a strange sort of friendship with her husband and child—no children.  That wouldn’t be an option, would it?  Lucien wouldn’t be under pressure to bare an heir.  Not when he still had four remaining brothers.  Besides, they were just friends.

“Arms, Elain!”

Elain lifted her arms for her gown’s sleeves. 

Well, she could still have a fulfilling life, couldn’t she?  She didn’t need children.  Nesta may have a child and Feyre was still unwed.  And she could always have her other hobbies, Lucien seemed amendable in that regard.  She could bake, she could garden, she could host scores of her own parties.

“Elain, could you at least try to appear amiable?”

Wrenched from her thoughts, Elain lifted her chin and plastered a comfortable smile on her face.  She was dressed in a pale gown of lilac and lace, the sleeves long as they flowed to her wrists.  The waist line cinched in a daring way against her ribs and the corset was tight enough to create the illusion of a full bust.  Elain turned to the mirrors that had been brought in for this exact moment.

She did her best to keep her smile in place, but she just couldn’t make it reach her eyes.  Her hair was twisted up and out of the way pinned with gold and orange blossoms.  And while a lovely style, Elain wished her hair could have at least hung a little bit so she could feel a touch more like herself.  The gown itself was beautiful and complimented her pale skin and slim figure.  At least her mother insisted on keeping with the fashions.

And yet…and yet…Elain felt nothing like herself.

“You really must smile better then that, Elain.”  Mother tutted and continued to move about as she straightened none existent lines and plucked invisible bits of lint from the dress.

“Yes, ma’am.”  And she did smile then, that practiced one that mama always said made her pretty.

She smiled as her lady’s maid applied a final round of blush to her cheeks.  She smiled as her mother pinned a necklace of sapphires to her neck (hardly Elain’s first choice).  She even smiled as rose water splashed against her wrists and she was ushed from her room for what would certainly be the last time.

No matter how badly she wished it—time would not slow down.  Not even as Mother ushered her through the house and to the waiting.  Not even as Mother barely explained what would happen during the wedding night consummation.  Not even as the chapel came closer and closer.

Time was a thief, Elain supposed.  Plucking memories straight from your mind and burying them deeper until they were barely whisps behind your eyes. It was thief and she a mere victim.

By the time the carriage rolled to a stop just outside the chapel, Elain was in a fit of worry.  She was certain the rose water had worn off thanks to an unholy amount of sweat shimmering against her skin.  That would be blamed on the unnatural heat of the day.

As a footman helped her mother down from the carriage, Elain nearly slammed the door shut again and yelled from the driver to hurry on and get as far away from here as he could manage.

It was to no avail because her father, having arrived earlier with the guests, was already reaching in for her.  As if someone else were taking over her body, Elain accepted the outstretched hand and stepped into full daylight.

She would have thrown up, right there on the church steps, if her eyes hadn’t caught on the flowers.  Vibrant and colorful, the steps of the church were lined with intricate displays of flowers.  Foxglove and marigolds.  Pansies and dahlias.  Lilac and sunflowers.  The sunflowers.  Elain had to stop and stare at the incredible sight of them all.  Their bright yellow petals wove in and out of the various floral arrangements.  It was beautiful.

Elain very nearly burst into tears as the sight.  She was so caught up in it that she almost missed Nesta who had been waiting along the steps of the church as well.  In her arms she held a simple bouquet of sunflowers and greenery.

“Lady Vanserra insisted this be for you,” Nesta said.  Her mouth barely upturned into a knowing smile.

Elain accepted the flowers, not trusting herself to speak.

Nesta wore a simple gown of pale yellow with her hair in its usual twisting braids.  As always, she looked lovely and elegant, perfectly poised for what was about to come.  Elain had a feeling she was supposed to be waiting inside, but was immensely grateful her sister had disobeyed their mother for this.

“Mother, shall we walk together?” Nesta asked, with all the innocence of a viper. “Feyre is already at the front and the groom seems very eager to see his bride.”

There was no other choice then to follow through on the suggestion (that really wasn’t a suggestion at all).  Mother and Nesta climbed the chapel steps and through the waiting doors.

That, at least, was a relief.  Elain didn’t think she’d be able to walk down the aisle if her mother were at her side yammering the entire way.  Her mother had all her expectations lined up in a perfect little row for Elain to follow through on.  Her father, however, did not.  Oh, he had his own expectations but he kept those quiet and to himself.  It was far easier to ignore his judgements that way.

Elain only had time for a single, steadying breath before her father reached out for her arm and tucked it against his.

“You’re doing the right thing,” he said. “For all of us.”

How was she to respond to that?  Was it right to foist her down the aisle to a man she barely knew?  Was it right to ignore her own wishes because he had made mistakes?  Was it right to place this duty upon her shoulders and expect her to make things right in a world that looked down upon her sex with suck ilk and ire?

Elain sucked in a breath, the sweet aroma of the flowers calming her unease.  Lady Vanserra had outdone herself.  With the beautiful arrangements, the sheer amount of flowers, and the simple sunflowers that sang their bright joy on an otherwise bothersome day.

Everything would be fine, wouldn’t it?  The flowers had to be a good omen.

Father prodded her along the steps, up and up and up.

And the sun was shining.  Elain loved the sun.

The doors of the chapel were thrown open wide. 

And Lucien wasn’t terrible, was he?

Cedar oil mixed with incense cloyed through the chapel and Elain had to stop to draw in a full breath.  Even when her father very nearly dragged her along to the start of the aisle.  Her heart was beat heavily in her chest that Elain could feel her blood actually moving through her veins.  She could feel each of her pulse points practically on fire.  It didn’t help that her head pounded just as hard. 

There was no escape, was there?  No where to run.  No where to hide.

And while Elain was quite skilled at fading away and letting other dote upon her, skilled at ignoring a problem that was annoying and otherwise uninteresting, skilled at being nothing more than Elain—she did not, could not, let that define her now.

The soft chatter of voices came to a pause as Elain and her father approached the top of the aisle.  She couldn’t make out anything other than the thin strip of blue carpet that led all the way to the front where the priest waited—rather impatiently.  But she glazed right over that because beside the old man with his stiff cravat was Lucien.

Lucien stood tall and proud, his dark suit fitting him well.  His red hair was swept out of his face, leaving his high cheekbones and sharp eyes on display.  The sight nearly drew Elain to a stop.  His eyes were only for her as she began to walk down the aisle. 

Father set a quick pace down the aisle; far quicker then what Elain wanted.  If she tried to slow down herself, she was sure he’d drag her to the alter, appearances be damned.

So Elain did the only thing she could—she kept her eyes trained on Lucien.  She didn’t know what drew her to him.  He represented nearly everything she dreaded.  She’d thought so many times about what her future would hold and the shape it would take.  She’d always known she would marry, always known her life would lead to this point.

But when it was by the forceful hand of her father, when she didn’t have a say in who her life would be entrusted—everything inside her wanted to rebel.  Even though it had only been a scant month between the marriage announcement and the actual wedding (Mother would only keep up appearances where it mattered), Elain found that every thought she’d had for her future dried up like an un-watered garden in the summer months.

Lucien remained steady before her.

It was strange because she still felt a simmering rage towards Lucien for this entire mess.  And his stupid mouth.  But she couldn’t help and also remember the kindness he’d shown by offering to be her friend.  A small offer that allowed her a modicum of peace for this betrothment.  The warring emotions didn’t help calm her raging heart nor her flipping stomach.  In fact, they made it impossible to even walk in a straight line.

If it weren’t for the hard certainty in Lucien’s gaze or the firm set of his jaw, Elain may have tested her father’s grip.  As it was, she remained focused on Lucien’s calm nature.  He was holding himself together remarkably well.  Elain wondered if he were dreading this as much as she was.  He’d flirted and teased her enough while stuffed in that closet that she didn’t think she knew what the real him was like.  Would she ever know him?

Before she had time to even digest that thought, she was standing right before him.  Numb, Elain let her father pass her hand off to Lucien whose fingers interlaced almost perfectly with hers.  It was such an intimate touch that Elain felt heat creep up her skin, replacing the cold dread of just a moment before.

She looked up into Lucien’s eyes as he studied her.  It was just a moment, a singular moment that was just theirs.  Her father had retreated and the priest yet to speak.  And in that moment, everything else faded to nothing.

“What would you ask of me, as your friend?”

“To trust me, to talk to me.” 

His words from that night weeks ago echoed in her head and Elain let herself imagine that everything would work out in the end.  She gave his hand a single squeeze and then turned to the priest who waited impassively.

“Dearly beloved,” the priest said, voice raised as if he could reach the heavens.

Elain didn’t listen.  At least…she tried.  But the longer he spoke, the faster the blood in her ears pounded and lighter her head felt.  Truly, all she could focus on was the steady feel of Lucien’s hand in hers.  So big and warm she almost couldn’t understand it.  And there was the scrape of calluses that she finally realized couldn’t have been there because a duke’s son did not work with his hands.  His skin should have been smooth, soft, unblemished.  Yet here he was with a rough patch on his thumb that moves in slow circles on the back of her hand.

It was so distracting that Elain almost missed the prompt from the priest to accept her marriage vows.

“I do.” She could only speak in a mere whisper.  And truth be told, she was surprised anything came out to begin with.

As the priest reiterated the marriage vows to Lucien, Elain finally managed to raise her gaze to him.  He was already watching her, his russet eyes bright in the pale light that filtered through the tall stained-glass windows of the chapel.  She’d never known a pair of eyes could hold such care or tenderness, never known it to be directed to her.

“I do.” Lucien replied to words Elain had long stopped trying to listen to.

“Then with a kiss shall this marriage be sealed and your lives entwined till death.” The priest retreated only a step, proffering a faux taste of modesty.

Elain wondered briefly if she should have let herself think about Lucien’s lips just a little bit.  Especially considering he was moving toward her now, one hand already reaching out to cup her chin while the other moved from her hand to her elbow.

As Lucien dipped closer, Elain took a sharp breath.  He smelled of cinnamon and sunshine, intoxicating to her as she found she couldn’t take a normal breath to save her life.

“Breathe, Elain,” Lucien whispered just for her. “it’ll be over before you know it.”

She opened her mouth to argue with him.  It wasn’t a silly little kiss she was worried about.  Everything that came after was a different story.

She never got the chance to say anything as Lucien took the opportunity to kiss her.

It was utterly chaste and hardly scandalous, but Elain could feel it pierce against her very soul.  It was in the warmth of his mouth, the softness of his lips, the feel of his fingers brushing against her chin.  She’d never been kissed like that before.  All her dalliances with Graysen Nolan were wet and quick and more for his benefit than hers.  This was something else entirely and it set her heart fluttering with unmanageable energy.

Thankfully, Lucien was able to keep himself composed as he was able to pull himself away, all the while maintaining graceful composure.  He grinned down at her, as if knowing what all was going on through her head.

“See?  Not so bad.”

“You’re an ass,” she hissed, utterly forgetting they were in a chapel.

If possible, his stupid smile stretched even wider at her irreverence.  He tugged her hand to lead them down the aisle.  Elain had never been more grateful for the ridiculous superstition of the bride and groom not acknowledging their guests until outside of the church.  With any luck her mother would be so hard pressed to send them on their honeymoon (for the sole act of baby-making) that Elain wouldn’t have to see any of them again for at least a month.  Maybe two if she was lucky.

They passed through the tall oak doors and into the bright spring sunlight.  Elain had never felt happier to be outside and in the open air as she did in that moment.

“Never a good sign that your bride is desperate to get outside, eh?” a chipper, rather proud voice, spoke up from the behind them.  Elain nearly screamed, she hadn’t expected anyone to be so close behind them.  But she turned to find it only to be Jurian Renault, Lucien’s best man.  The man, one of the most decorated officers in England, grinned broadly as he dashed a hand through his thick brown hair.

“Jurian,” Lucien said, with a bit of resignation accompanied by an eye roll.  But Elain didn’t miss the way his mouth twitched in amusement. “And where is your better half?  I’d have liked her up there with me more than you.”

Hardly offended, Jurian merely sighed. “Alas, my darling counterpart is unwell this morning.  But she sends her congratulations and will be more than happy to offer the summer manor for your honeymoon, should you need the accommodations.”

If Lucien was as shocked as she was by the offer, he made no notice, only looked down at Elain with a raised brow.  He was deferring to her?

“It would be nice to get out of London,” she said slowly, hoping to sound more diplomatic that she was feeling.  She would run halfway across the world if it got her away from her mother for a time.

Lucien squeezed her hand in understanding.  He nodded once and looked back to his friend. “The quiet would do us both well.”

“You would find no better place,” Jurian assured her.  He glanced over his shoulder as the rest of the wedding party and guests finally emerged from the church. “I’ll send word to the house keeper to begin preparations for your arrival.”

It was all he had time to say before Elain was swept into a hug by Feyre (it was rather undignified a reaction and Mama made sure to make it known).  Elain wouldn’t let the moment be ruined, however.  She returned her sister’s embrace as tightly as she could.  They were soon joined by Nesta who, much to Elain’s surprise had tears in her eyes.  She couldn’t remember ever seeing her sister cry.

“If he ever hurts you, I’ll kill him,” Nesta said fiercely.  And Elain was inclined to believe her.

.*.*.*.

Much to Elain’s delight, Lucien managed to usher them on their honeymoon not long after that.  Jurian and Vassa’s summer manor was a day’s ride away, meaning they would need plenty of time to get their reasonably.  They would end up spending a night at an inn all the same, but Elain could have kissed Lucien all over again for getting them out of the city as quickly as he had.

Her sisters had seen to collecting and packing her things, most of which would be delivered to her new home with Lucien.  It would only be a small cottage near the duke’s home, but it would be well enough for Elain.  So long as it put distance between her own family.

But she wouldn’t worry about any of that for a blessed month. 

Even though the carriage, provided them by the duke and duchess, had just barely left the main roads of the city, Elain found herself plastered to the window watching the change in scenery.  The large buildings and homes bled away into sweeping hills and fields of grass.  The actual road was still in decent enough condition that the ride was smooth and even.  It afforded her the peace of a settled stomach as the world swept by.

“Have you never come this way?” Lucien asked from his seat across from her.

Elain settled back, straightening her skirts.  Here she was acting like an over eager child.  She needed to show grace, decorum. 

“Only once when I was a child,” she said, “my aunt lives out here, I believe we’ve passed her road.  But it’s been sometime since I’ve traveled.”

She couldn’t help the wistful tone in her voice.  She loved to travel.  At least, she expected she would.  Her limited exposure to the world had only sustained that to her.  Meeting new people, experiencing new customs, seeing the beauty of new lands—it all sounded magical and wonderful.

“Hmm,” was all Lucien said.  Though, he still watched her closely.

It was the first time they’d been alone together since the broom closet debacle and Elain wasn’t quite sure how to act.  He was her husband who was supposed to be her friend and not her husband.  Their relationship would take some time to sort out and Elain wasn’t quite sure how to broach the topic herself.  She wasn’t even sure how to talk to him at all.

“Don’t you enjoy travel?” she asked, because that’s what a good friend did.  A good friend was concerned and involved and knowledgeable of their person.  “I’ve heard you did quite a bit of it.”

Lucien stretched out of his side of the carriage, his long legs bumping against hers but he made no effort to change his posture.  He looked so utterly relaxed that Elain didn’t know what to make of it.  He’d always been so meticulously put together, so at ease with life around him.  Yet here he was now with a slightly rumpled appearance and casual.

“I have,” he agreed, “my father needed someone to represent our house and since I couldn’t serve in the military, that’s wear I fell in.” A wry smile flashed across his handsome face. “It was never to places I would have liked, unfortunately.”

There was hidden meaning in his words that Elain couldn’t quite decipher.  She’d been witness to these offhanded remarks before, silently questioned them.

“Well, then we will need to some travelling of our own,” Elain said.

“Will we?” Another raise of his brow.

Elain felt a rush of heat to her cheeks.  She’d misspoken, it seemed.  Or she just spoke of things she needn’t have.  Or been too presumptuous.

“Well we’re newlyweds,” she replied as if that was a good response.  “We’re afforded our liberties.  Besides, it’ll keep us away from prying eyes.”

She was thinking exclusively of her mother but really the entire -ton could be included in that.  As soon as they returned, she knew there would be a bid out for whether she was pregnant or not.  A thought that both terrified and upset her.

“What is it?” Lucien asked.

Elain snapped her eyes back to his face unaware her gaze had wandered.  Nor that her brow had furrowed so thoroughly.

“Pardon?” She straightened, sitting up straighter, clasping her hands, and smoothing any doubt or frustration from her expression.

Lucien leaned forward; elbows braced on his knees.  He regarded her with a mute expression. “You’re upset.”

“No, I’m not,” she said primly, smoothing her skirts again.

“Liar,” he said.

Elain gaped at him. “Excuse me?”

“You are outright lying to me, my lady,” he said, shaking his head morosely.  “Not even a day in to our marriage and my wife doesn’t trust me.”

My wife.

Elain nearly shivered at the words.  Which was a ridiculous reaction to have.  Heavens above.

“I don’t even know your middle name,” she replied, “how can I trust someone if I don’t know that, at least?”

His stoic façade splintered as he grinned.  She did like when he smiled like that.

“I don’t know yours.  So I believe we are at an impasse.”

He was taunting her. 

“Ah, but see, you’re the one who convinced me to take part in this arrangement, which means you owe me.”

Elain found herself leaning closer to him with each word.  She couldn’t necessarily help it, being drawn to him.  There was something about him that she couldn’t shake, an itch she couldn’t scratch.  Being close certainly helped.  But by this point she was impossibly close.  Close enough that she could see the outlines of his scars and the way the faded into his skin.  She could see the golden flecks of his eyes that melted into rich brown.

“I owe you?” he repeated.

“Yes.”

Lucien only shook his head, that infuriating smile remaining on his lips.

The rest of the carriage ride passed by slowly, not that Elain minded.  She loved watching the world pass by, loved seeing the way the terrain rolled together, loved the way the sky faded from blue to a hazy gold and flushed pinked.

It was only then that she remembered they would be stopping for the night at an inn.  Her heartbeat kicked up and she felt her body flood with heat and then an icy chill.  She knew what the wedding night was about and what to expect, but she and Lucien hadn’t discussed that.  They were friends.  Friends.

“It looks like we’re pulling into the inn now,” Lucien spoke up.  He paused a moment and then, as though reading her thoughts, continued to speak.  “I’m sure we can arrange for two rooms.”

Yes.  No.  Before Elain could think of a proper response the carriage rolled to a stop before the inn.  A footman hopped down from his perch almost instantly to open the door. 

Cool night air filtered inside the carriage, reminding Elain just how chill the season could still be.  She tugged her shawl tighter around her shoulders as Lucien exited.  He reached back with a proffered hand to help Elain in her decent.  She accepted, grasping his fingers in what would be the first time they’d touched since the wedding.  Lucien waited until he was sure she was grounded before release her hand and instructing the footman and driver of their duties for the evening. 

Just behind, another carriage approached, this one filled with their belongings and their respective servants. 

“I’ll make sure your room is ready and have dinner sent up,” Lucien told her.  He kept her hand tight in his grasp drawing her closer to his side.  She had to admit that she didn’t quite mind the protective nature.  Not right now at least.

“Thank-you,” Elain said.  She didn’t let him pull away either.  Not until they’d entered the inn and the keeper’s wife immediately swept Elain of with her.

Elain cast a single glance over her shoulder to find Lucien watch her as she departed.  She’d told herself that she wasn’t going to look back, told herself she didn’t need to.  But she did all the same, her breath catching at the soft look in his gaze.

She stomped down the feelings that rose in her chest, hard.  She did not need to feel things for him.  Especially not when they were still figuring out who they were to one another.  Married or not, friends or not, they still didn’t know each other.

The innkeeper’s wife led Elain and her lady’s maid upstairs to a room.  For once, Elain was grateful for her husband’s reputation and status as a duke’s son, it allowed a bit of an expedited process to get a room.

The room in question was a modest size, but not small by any means.  It boasted a spacious area with a large bed and fireplace already crackling happily.  A smaller doorway led to where a wash bin and the chamber pot were kept.  A footman dropped one of Elain’s trunks at the end of the bed before bowing out.  Immediately, her maid set to readying her night clothes.

“My lady,” Nuala said, voice chipper as it always way, “I can prepare a bath if you’d like before Lord Vanserra—”

“No,” Elain said quickly.  “It’s been a long day, just getting ready for bed is enough.”

She ignored the way her skin flushed and the sudden heat that washed over her.  She didn’t want to think at all about what her wedding night was supposed to be.  All she wanted was to get in her nightgown and go to bed and put this day behind her.

Nuala was just beginning to plait her hair for bed when there was a soft knock at the door.

Elain froze in her seat before the vanity.  Nuala gave her a significant look through the mirror, which she promptly ignored.  Instead, Elain tied off the braid herself and stood, running her hands down her nightdress.  It wasn’t scandalous by any means, a simple silk thing with lace hems.  She hadn’t even bothered to get anything nicer. 

“Enter,” Elain said.  At least her voice didn’t warble.  She tugged on her robe for good measure as she stood in the center of the room.  Nuala cleaned the vanity and tucked her dress away without a sound.

The door opened to Lucien.  He didn’t enter the room completely, only remained in the doorway.

“Lady Vanserra,” he said, telling her his own valet was with him as well. “It seems the inn is limited on rooms.”

It took a long stretch of silence before Elain grasped his meaning.

“Of course,” she said, “come in. I’ve finished my preparations.”

The door opened a bit wider and Lucien entered, his valet and a footman behind him.  The valet held a tray of food and the footman one of Lucien’s own trunk.  While the footman left immediately, the valet remained.  He held on to the tray, standing dutifully out of the way.

“Set the tray on the bed,” Elain instructed him.  “The washroom is available for Lord Vanserra to make his own preparations.  Nuala, you’re dismissed, go get some rest.”

Both servants obeyed with efficiency.  The valet extracting a few of Lucien’s items to take to the washroom. 

With perhaps five minutes to herself, Elain sat on the bed and grabbed a bowl of stew and roll that were waiting for her.  It was a simple meal; the stew had thick chunks of beef and potatoes, the roll light and buttery.  Her mother would have turned her nose to such a meal served in such a way, but Elain quite enjoyed it.

She wondered if she could finish and move the tray from the vanity and slip into bed to pretend she was asleep.  She barely ran through that checklist before the washroom door opened again.  Shame, she would have liked to avoid anymore awkward interactions that night.

Lucien dismissed his valet and when the door clicked shut, he released a long sigh.

“Tired?” Elain asked.  The question slipped out before she could stop it.  She didn’t know why it felt so strange asking him a question, so strange venturing into whatever this would be.

“It was a long day,” Lucien said, a wry smile twisting his lips.  He wore a loose linen night shirt and a pair of cotton trousers, nothing elaborate.  She didn’t know why she’d expect anything different.

“Well have a seat and eat something,” Elain told him. “You must be as hungry as I am.”

He paused a moment as if debating to himself what he wanted to do.  He came to some sort of conclusion before crossing to the opposite sit of the bed and taking a seat on the edge.  The bed sank beneath his weight.  When he took his own bowl of soup and roll, they fell into a companiable silence.

It did nothing to ease Elain’s anxiety.  Sure, when she was able to garden or bake and she could fall into a meditative state as she worked.  She liked having her thoughts to herself, liked being able to think about whatever she wanted.  But now, she felt a surge of energy building in the room.

“How are you feeling?” Lucien asked, his bowl half drained in a matter of minutes. 

“Fine,” Elain murmured, “just tired.”

She tore a piece of her roll, nibbling it.  There was still plenty of space between them, she on her side of the bed and he on his. 

“If this is making you uncomfortable—” he began.

“Lucien,” she cut him off and smiled softly. “It’s fine.  I’m fine.”

When he set his finished bowl down, Elain thought that would be the end of it.  That he would clear the dishes and set the tray out in the hall for a maid to collect.  Instead, he reached over and took her hand in his.  Just like at their wedding, when their fingers touched, she felt a spark and gooseflesh pebbled on her skin.

“Are you sure?” he pressed.

There was an earnestness in his eyes that had her heart squeezing.

“Of course,” she replied, doing her best to push against the rising heat in her cheeks.  She set her own bowl down and stuffed the remainder of her roll in her mouth before sweeping the tray up to take to the door herself.

She thought she’d managed to temper her emotions by the time she turned back around.  Only when she did, she found Lucien was looking at her with a small frown that clouded his features.  Elain wondered if she’d said something wrong or misspoke in some way.

“You,” he paused a moment, “I didn’t coerce you into something you did not want?”

“No, Lucien.” Her heart squeezed again, more painful this time as she thought on his words. “H-have I already been such a miserable friend you regret the offer?”

“No,” he said.  Again, he reached for her hand, this time pulling her closer until her knees bumped against the bed. “No regrets.”

She wondered, briefly, if he was lying to her.  Not that it would surprise her if he were.  They’d been friends barely a month, married less than a day—what reason did he have to trust her?

“If you would prefer, I can sleep on the floor,” he said, “let you have the bed.”

“Nonsense,” she said immediately, “you’re the son of a duke.  You’re not sleeping on the floor.  The bed is perfectly big enough for the both of us.”

Even if it would only be sleeping, she wouldn’t be alone in bed.  Not on her wedding night.

Lucien seemed reluctant to agree, but when Elain fixed him with a glare, he obliged and scooted to the other side of the bed.

With far more courage than she ever thought she could muster, Elain settled into bed beside him.

“We never did establish any rules, did we?” she asked, busying herself with flattening the wrinkles in the bedspread.

“Rules?” Lucien repeated.

“Of what—of how—” She bit her words off and stared forward into the fire at the opposite end of the room. “Of where we go from here.  I know there are expectations for us, for you.��

“I don’t care about anyone’s expectations,” he said, “we don’t have to define ourselves by anyone.  Least of all—”

He trailed off and Elain looked at him.

“Least of all?” she prodded.

“Nothing.”  Lucien turned down the oil lamp on his bedside table, casting the room into a cold darkness, save the low burning fire. “Let’s sleep, Elain.”

Elain wasn’t pleased with his non-answer.  She kept looking at him in the darkness willing him to say something else, willing herself to work up the courage to speak up herself.  But nothing came out.  Hunkering down in bed, Elain turned on her side and closed her eyes to a dreamless sleep.

[thebluestbluewords]

and soon it’ll be spring

testing out some character voices. Set in a vague future timeline, fandom-typical discussions of child abuse.

+

Carlos hasn't seen his mother in years. Hasn't spoken to her since he left the isle. There's phones, and computers, and mail service to the isle, and sometimes the reception even works now, but he hasn't reached out. 

Evie sends letters to her mother sometimes. She addresses them to her old castle, encloses herbs and chocolate and eyeshadow. She doesn't read the responses that come back, but her mother sends them anyway, and Evie keeps sending her packages even though she can't bear to see whatever her mother has to say back to her. 

Carlos can't even do that. 

He's a bad son, probably. An ungrateful brat. Useless. Worthless. His mother could have drowned him as a baby, killed him like an unwanted puppy, and they'd all have been better off without the bother. He's been a bad son since he was born. Weak. A vulnerability. 

He breathes, keeps his voice steady. "Yup. That." 

Diego moves in a flurry of violent motion. He's facing away, towards the river, but Carlos still has to suppress the urge to flinch. Diego wears heavy boots, steel-toes even though he's never been in a real factory in his life, and every Isle kid's seen the damage they can do. 

The rock he kicked goes flying into the river. 

"Fuck." his cousin snaps. "Fuck! I remember that." 

Carlos can't laugh, but there's a sort of bubbling fear that's catching in his throat, and he can let some of it out. "Hah. Yeah. Um, I sort of — I cried a lot, that summer? It was hot and awful and you wouldn't come by the house, and I wasn't allowed to be at yours, so we started looking for a better hideout that year. D'you remember when Ivy found that place by the forest—" 

"—the one with the metal roof, where we got trapped by Kaa and you rigged a crossbow out of guitar strings." Diego finishes. "Fuck. I knew we found a new hideout that year, but I thought it was 'cause we got those drums for Sierra and couldn't keep them quiet down in the warehouse." 

Carlos shrugs. He's always been the little one, the tag-along. Diego's gang didn't tell him anything when he was a kid, and they still don't really talk. He's magicam friends with Sierra and Ivy, but Mia won't even accept his follow request. They didn't want him then, they don't want him now, and it's not even really a sore point anymore. He's got his own pack. No teenagers really want a little kid hanging around them, especially a kid who's already showing that he's a weak point.  "Might'a been. I dunno." 

"Nah, it was 'cause dad didn't want you hanging around the house anymore," Diego says firmly, shaking his head. "We found a new place so you'd have somewhere to go'n hide when your mom went ballistic. You were tiny, y'know."

It's sort of a logical leap, but sort of not.

 "I'm still short." Carlos points out. "You don't feel compelled to protect me now, right?" 

"Hah. Hah. Very funny, nerd." 

"I'm just saying—”He ducks the hand that shoots out to scrub his hair into a rat's nest. Score one for Isle kid instincts. "I'm say-ing," Carlos continues, undeterred. "That you didn't have to protect me back then. I could've taken care of myself." 

"You were a kid." 

"And you were what, twelve? Thirteen?" 

"Older," Diego says firmly. He's still looking out towards the water. "Old enough to protect my baby cousin." 

"Mom didn't kill me. I'm still here." 

Diego's arms are smooth and unmarked by the round cigarette burns that cover Carlos's arms, hands, chest, belly. Anywhere he was soft, she liked to burn. 

"She could've," Diego rasps out. "She almost did. I wasn't big enough to stop her."

"The spell—”

"FUCK THE SPELL." he shouts. Too loud. People are looking at them. People in Auradon love to stare and judge VKs, even when they're dressed just like anyone else in the city, but shouting was a reason to stare even back home. 

Diego notices, and drops his arms down, swinging the cup in his hand back and forth like a melting pendulum of coffee and sugar.  "Fuck it," he repeats, quieter. "If Auradon wanted us alive so bad, they should've put in the work themselves instead of relying on the barrier to keep bouncing us back." 

Carlos lifts one shoulder in agreement. He's pretty sure that the spell does a lot more than just keep them in their bodies, what with the healing factor and the way it won't kick you back in unless you've got a body to go back to, but it's a solid enough argument if you don't go into specifics. Claudine and the religious types at Dragon Hall had a whole rant on tap about how the barrier was being used to bounce their souls out of their path to heaven, so that they'd rejoin their bodies again and keep them alive even longer, but thinking about the concept of souls makes Carlos feel an emotion that Mal calls "stabbing" and Jay calls "a working bullshit sensor." Evie calls it "a rational emotional response to religious guilt-tripping bullshit", which sounds better than stabbing, but like, the point still stands that souls aren't real and listening to Claudine's lecture about them makes Carlos feel mostly doubtful, and also sort of like he's a shitty person. Which is probably the point of religion.

"S'not really bouncing," he says quietly, keeping his voice low and face turned down. People stare less if they're not obviously talking to each other, because Auradon has different standards for communication and watching VKs shout-talk directly at each other makes people stare. "It's not like we ever really die."

Diego levels a flat look at him. 

"Okay, yeah, they should've put more work into keeping us alive," Carlos agrees, because it's true. Auradon locked them up and threw away the key, and didn't even bother to check on their island of villains once they'd settled down from the initial bloodshed and power scrambles. "But the scientific basis for being bounced back into our bodies by the spell just isn't there. If they're using the barrier to trap our souls or whatever in an impenetrable bubble, then how're new souls getting in for the kids born on the Isle? If it's a true closed system it doesn't make sense. And I know--" He sucks in a breath before Diego can get a word in edgewise, because he knows. The souls aren't the point. The magic isn't even the point. "It doesn't matter how they're keeping us there so long as there's still kids starving and being killed on that rock. I know. But I can't push the wheels of government any faster, because I'm not the fucking king, or a representative, or anything. I'm a testimony at best,and it's not like being born on the Isle gives me the power to do anything about it."

Diego snorts. "Wow, you can't fix twenty years of systematic disenfranchisement on your own? Call the presses, my genius cousin can't fix something in five years that took twenty to break in the first place." 

The guilt that lives in the place where other people keep their feelings swirls up in Carlos's chest again. "I could've tried." 

"In between what, surviving high school? Petitioning the king to listen to us? 'Cause it seems like we're a lot further than we'd've been without your crew's work." 

"I built a machine to break the barrier," Carlos tells the river. "Back home. Before we left. It nearly worked." 

Diego kicks another rock into the river. "I know." 

Carlos feels his heart stutter-stop. "You—what?" 

"I know," Diego repeats. "You built shit all the time. You'd talk about it in your sleep. I stopped by that treehouse of yours one time, and you had the whole thing torn apart. You were talking to your crew about it. I listened for a while."

"When?"

The cold bottom of his cousin's coffee cup bonks into Carlos's skull. "Before you left, genius. I dunno. You didn't have it working yet."

"I thought I was being sneaky about that."

"You were. I'm just sneakier. If you'd been reverse engineering the whole barrier, you'd've built it better right?" 

"I would've given us the dignity of dying, if that's what you're asking." 

"Yeah." Diego says quietly, and then. "Fuck. That's morbid." 

Carlos shrugs. Maybe thinking about better ways to die makes them morbid, but it's still comforting to think that if he'd been the one to engineer their prison, that he'd've been able to give them the mercy of actually dying. "We're villains. It's our speciality. We're supposed to be all about death, and murder, and stuff." 

Diego laughs. They laugh the same way, the two of them. More of a bark than a real laugh. There's probably some irony there, if they wanted to go digging for it. "Didn't you hear, little cousin? We're supposed to be good now. No more murder. We're reformed villains, no more claws and fangs." 

They're reformed, but Diego still calls at 3am sometimes, just to make sure that he's still breathing. 

"Damn, guess I'll have to return the axe I bought," Carlos drawls, hefting his cup up like it's a weapon. "And the rat poison, and the chains for the dungeon..." 

"Kinky." 

[mystic-headcanons]

hihi :3 i love your writing n i literally stay up til late reading your work, it’s sooo cute >< i’ve been having hard days at work so they cheer me up a lot!!

i was wondering if i could make a req please? basically, mc comes home from work TIRED and saeyoung pampers them!!! i would love if u include writing smth along the lines of him taking off mc’s makeup too, only if u can ofc!!

thank u sososo much <3 i appreciate u so much

thank u !!! i’m rly glad they can cheer u up and i hope ur work days get better <3 i’m in food service so i know how rough it gets and esp around the holidays. i hope u enjoy !!! <3

-

there’s two different types of exhaustion. there’s just normal exhausted, where keeping your eyes open feels like a herculean task and you can’t stop counting down the minutes until you’re finally home, and then there’s exhausted exhausted, where it seeps into your bones and burrows down, down, deep into your core. where your head is filled with cotton and all you can do is stare blankly ahead of you, unable to register anything. saeyoung is intimately familiar with the latter one, with spending long days and longer nights working for the agency, and then the hacker that had threatened the rfa.

it was late when you finally came home. you didn’t say a word to saeyoung when he’d asked about your day, didn’t spare a second glance to saeran when he’s walked into the kitchen, and instead just trudged up the stairs. “they seem worn out.” saeran commented with a frown, and saeyoung nodded in agreement. if there was one thing that could make saeran drop his tough act, it was you. (and oh, that was such a lovely thing for saeyoung to witness. truly, there is not one person he can think of who is immune to his charms. seeing his future spouse and brother get along was everything to saeyoung.) without a second thought, saeyoung picked up a bowl of whatever he had been attempting to cook and followed you up the stairs.

you didn't even look up when he came into the room. you were laying on the bed with your eyes shut, still in your work clothes. "long day?" saeyoung asked, sympathy in his voice. you didn't say anything, only nodded your head. he made his way over to the bed and sat down next to you; the pressure made you finally open your eyes. "here," he quietly said, "i brought you dinner." saeyoung held the bowl out to you, but you shook your head. "too tired." you mumbled, your eyes slipping back shut. "nope. you've still gotta eat." he said, gently nudging you. at his insistence, you slowly sat up and stifled a yawn as you did so. when you reached for the bowl, however, saeyoung shook his head and lifted the fork to your lips. "i'll feed you." he said, giving you a soft smile. "saeyoung, i can feed myself." the thought of him feeding you-- like you were an infant, or incapable, was enough to bring an embarrassed flush to your cheeks. "i know." was all saeyoung said, and he lifted an eyebrow as he waited for you to eat. how many times had you taken care of saeyoung when he felt too exhausted to even breathe? when he was simply incapable of doing anything for himself? the answer was: too many times for saeyoung to keep count. it was his turn to take care of you.

once the food was gone and saeyoung was satisfied with how much you ate, he took your hands in his and gently tugged you off the bed. "come on. let's get you washed up and take off the makeup and then we can go to bed." he softly said, leading you to the bathroom. saeyoung helped you out of your work clothes and into the bathtub that was filled with hot water. saeyoung's hands were gentle as he washed over your body, as he massaged the shampoo and then the conditioner into your hair, as he kept running his fingers through the strands and gently combing them. it was the type of softness that had tears springing to your eyes-- being treated so gently, like you're something precious and breakable, was something you weren't really used to.

it felt like hours, (in reality it was only minutes), until you were finally out of the bath. saeyoung had been the one to dry you off, to dress you in his shirt and a pair of his sweatpants because you had always found comfort in his clothes, in him. he gave a low chuckle as you were literally swaying on your feet, and he reached out to steady you. "i know, i know. but we're almost done." saeyoung murmured, grabbing your makeup wipes. he slowly began to wipe your makeup off- all the eyeshadow, the smudged eyeliner, the mascara that had ended up under your eyes, the foundation that had been mostly sweat off, the concealer, the contour. he used a few more wipes to ensure that he got everything, and then grabbed your facial cleanser and used that. you had a whole routine to clean your face that saeyoung wasn't about to go through, but he knew you'd kill him if he didn't at least use the cleanser.

once your face was cleaned and clear of any makeup, and the two of you had brushed your teeth, you were finally in bed and curled around saeyoung. "thank you." you quietly murmured, turning your head to press a kiss to the bottom part of his jaw. "you don't have to thank me. you've done the exact same thing for me many, many times before. besides, i like caring for you." saeyoung whispered back, and he kissed the side of your head as you fell into a deep, deep sleep.

[hotspringsseniorcare]

At Hot Springs Senior Care, we pride ourselves on delivering personalized home care assistance in Hot Springs, AR that allows seniors to remain in the comfort of their own homes while receiving the support they need. Our compassionate caregivers assist with daily activities such as housekeeping, meal preparation, and personal care, ensuring that your loved ones can continue living independently.

Hot Springs Senior Care 131 Shore Acres Dr, Hot Springs, AR 71913 (501) 363–3996

My Official Website: https://www.hotspringsseniorcare.com/ Google Plus Listing: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=7154144135369464916

Service We Offer:

Senior Home Care Elder Home Care VA Home Care Medicaid Home Care Personal Care Attendant Care Respite Care

Follow Us On:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Hot-Springs-Senior-Care/100084869857945/ Twitter: https://x.com/SeniorCareHotS Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HotSpringsSeniorCare/

[xofanfics]

Lost for Words - Part I

Part I | Part II | Part III

Genre: angst, fluff, smut 🥺🤗🥵

Pairing: Reader x Kun // Reader x Taeyong

Word Count: 6k

Summary: You have the best boyfriend you could’ve asked for. Things take an interesting turn as you befriend your new coworker, exploring the blurred lines between friendship and something more.

Kun was the first man that came into your life that cared enough to try to learn your love language. For that, you were forever grateful. He bought you flowers, just because. He admitted that he never bought a girl flowers for no reason. Before he met you, he thought things like flowers and chocolates were meant only for Valentine’s Day and birthdays. But he bought them for you on the first Valentine’s Day you spent together. He could see the glimmer in your eyes as you admired them and, because of that, he bought them for you when he felt like you needed it. So, he bought them for you when you were feeling stressed, before a Friday night date, and sent them to your office for no reason at all. 

He’d do things like cook you dinner when you didn’t ask. He paid attention to the things you said, like if you were craving Chinese dishes. The next day, he’d been in the kitchen making your favorite noodle dish. And you’d smile wide, the sparkle in your eyes enough to light up the darkest of his days. He’d do small things to make your life easier, like run the water for your bath while you worked late or steam your clothes in the morning if you forgot the night before.  

Kun liked to cater to you, perhaps more than you did for him. Despite that, he never complained about it and he assured you that it was fine when you asked about it. He’d said, “I do these things because I want to, because I love you.” Kun’s love languages were different from yours, you realized. He preferred quality time and physical touch, so as long as he at least had those things, he was happy. In contrast, you preferred acts of service but, like him, you also enjoyed quality time.

You were looking at your sleeping boyfriend with a smile. Your leg was wrapped around his and he had his arms wrapped around you. The two of you often slept like this, with your limbs entangled around each other until it got too hot in the middle of the night. You’d roll over on your side and he’d follow so that he could spoon you from behind. And sometimes, he’d be hard and it would turn you on. And then turning over in bed would lead to you getting under him, wrapping your legs around him as he gave you what you wanted. You smiled at the thought, not because you were horny but because the love you had was so beautiful, so pure. As you watched him sleep, you realized how lucky you were to have found a man like Kun Qian. 

You buried your face in his arm and he stirred. He groaned, glancing over at the clock on the nightstand. “Why are you awake so early, baby? Let’s go back to sleep.” 

“I can’t believe we have to leave each other in a couple hours… The weekend goes by too fast.”

“I know,” he said, “The weekend isn’t enough.”

“I can’t wait to move in together,” you said, smiling at the thought. 

He pulled you closer and kissed you on your forehead. “Waking up to your face everyday would make me so happy.”

“I know,” you said, melting in his embrace.

You couldn’t imagine being with anyone except Kun. And being with him, you hit so many milestones already. You’d been together for two years now and you were ready to take the next step—moving in together. Soon, you wouldn’t have to alternate weekends, going from his apartment to yours. Soon, you’d be falling asleep and waking up together, making meals together, and heading out for work together everyday. And even if he had a business trip, you’d be at home to greet him upon his return. Still, this was a few months down the road, given that spring was in the air and summer was on its way. The decision was set for this winter.

It was perfect. Everything was perfect. He was perfect—a match made in heaven. But sometimes you wondered if things were too good to be true. Sometimes, you felt insecure. But you knew that it was your fear of abandonment speaking and that was something you had to overcome. Kun was a good man and you had no reason to think he would suddenly leave you. Always, he reassured you that you were perfect for him and that there was no way he could live without you. Despite your random feelings of doubt and worry, Kun held your heart in his hands and held it tightly. They say that actions speak louder than words and he’d proven to you, time and time again, that he had no intentions of letting you go so easily—not if he could help it. 

He told you that he would marry you someday. And despite what you may have thought, he had no intention of going back on those words. 

*

You sighed as you walked into your office that day. Staying in bed with your boyfriend would’ve been the better of the two options. The aroma of the cheap coffee the office manager ordered every week filled your nostrils, as you walked past the kitchen. In passing, you exchanged greetings with a couple of coworkers who were deeply immersed in a conversation that seemed to revolve around the latest celebrity scandal.

You placed your vanilla macchiato on your desk before you started setting up your desk for a long work day. Your coworker and friend, Hina, who seemed to have just come from the bathroom, greeted you as you sat down. “Morning, Y/N!”

You raised an eyebrow. In general, Hina was a pretty energetic person, but she seemed extra hyped up this morning. “Morning,” you replied. “Why do— no—how do you have so much energy on a Monday morning?”

“I’m excited because the new hire starts today. I dunno about you but I can’t take another second of trying to figure out how our campaigns are performing,” she complained. “I know there are a couple positions being filled but Chaerin could’ve at least left after one of them was filled.”  She rolled her eyes and slammed her notebook closed. 

“I would leave in a second if I got the offer she did. She’s making well over six figures now, can you believe it?”

She sighed. “I mean I get it but if someone asks me one more question I can’t answer,, I’m actually going to kill myself. I shouldn’t have said that I was eager to learn in the interview.”

“There’s been so much going on, I guess I forgot about someone new coming on.”

“He should be getting here soon.”

“He?”

“Yeah. The HR lady had his new hire paperwork on the desk when I went in there a few minutes ago looking for her.”

“So nosy,” you said, shaking your head before taking a sip of your coffee. 

You looked up as you heard the light murmur of chatter coming toward your side of the office. You saw the HR Manager walking into her office with a handsome man walking behind her, looking around the office with big, curious eyes that darted from left to right. 

“He’s good looking,” said Hina, nudging you with a wink.

You chuckled. “I thought Kevin was your office crush?”

“Hey, I can have two office crushes!”

A half hour passed and as you were getting into the groove of your workday, the Creative Director, David, walked over toward your desks with Taeyong behind him. “Meet Taeyong,” he said. “He’s our new analyst. He’s going to be trained by Valentina once she’s back from maternity leave in a couple weeks. Of course, we will all be working together closely as we use analytics to inform our decisions for our upcoming campaigns.”

You stood up, shaking his hand, after he greeted Hina. “Hi, I’m Y/N. I’m one of the marketing managers. If you need help with anything or have any questions, you can ask me. I know things can be a little overwhelming on the first day but if Valentina picked you while on maternity leave, I already know you’re the best of the best!”

“Nice to meet you,” he said, smiling brightly. “And thank you so much. I look forward to working with everyone.”

At that, David cleared his throat. “I have a meeting with a partner in a few minutes but, Y/N, could you get him set up and show him around the office? Hina, could you come with me? I want you to join this one, since you had some ideas from our brainstorm last week.”

“Um, sure,” you said, as your coworkers walked away from you, leaving you and Taeyong behind.  You walked ahead, to the next row of desks across the aisle. “So this is going to be your desk while you’re here. You actually have a nice view on this side of the office.” You turned the monitor on to check if it was functional and checked that he had all of the cords he needed to set up. 

Taeyong let out a lighthearted chuckle as he placed the laptop he’d been carrying on the desk. “I just can’t believe I have the newest MacBook. My last work computer was so slow and it would overheat anytime I opened Chrome.”

You laughed. “Sounds like a pain in the ass.” 

“Definitely…”

“Did you go to school in Seoul?”

Taeyong shook his head. “No, I actually went to the University of Hong Kong. I ended up getting a scholarship.”

“Wow. That’s amazing. I wish I had the opportunity to study abroad. It seems like a great experience.”

“Yeah,” he said, “I’m definitely glad I left Korea for a while. It’s nice to experience new things, meet new people, you know, and get out of your comfort zone. Plus, I even learned a little Cantonese.”

You led Taeyong through the office, showing him where the product, sales, and tech teams all sat. You showed him the meeting rooms, some empty and others filled with two or three people getting their days started. You showed him the kitchen and how to use the coffee machine while you explained that there were bagels on Mondays and that you’d have half days on Fridays once summer commenced. 

Taeyong looked around the office with curious eyes, excited to be a part of this company. He’d been so excited to hear back from this company after three rounds of stressful interviews. He’d heard of people struggling to get a job in the current economy. So, he was grateful to be in a company that seemed to have some good perks. 

His last job treated him poorly. He’d spend hours, sometimes even outside working hours, working on reports. And then, the data wasn’t even used. He never received any recognition and barely received any feedback. The only feedback he ever got was when his work wasn’t what the higher ups wanted. If it was negative, he sure got feedback. But as for anything positive? There was rarely any feedback there. So, Taeyong gave his resume a much needed makeover and set his sights on a new job and a company that would at least value his work. 

He got good vibes from this place so far, especially from you. He thought about what it’d been like when he came here for his very first interview. Honestly speaking, he remembered seeing you. He saw you while he was waiting for the hiring manager. You’d been walking past the blue armchair he was sitting in. You were with the coworker he met today, Hina. He noticed you right away, mostly because you had this loud laughter. It wasn’t obnoxious but it was the kind of laughter that was contagious, the kind of laughter where you had no choice but to laugh, too. But he noticed how wide your smile was and how happy you seemed and how long it’d been since he’d seen a woman smile like that. 

You noticed him then, a worried expression plastered on your face. “Hi, are you here for an interview? Did someone help you already?”

“Yeah, they know I’m here. Thanks.” 

“Do you want water or anything to drink?” you offered. “I know interviews can be a little stressful.”

Taeyong shook his head. “Water would be nice. Thank you.” And a moment later, you returned with a cold water bottle for him, handing it to him with a smile. And then he aced his interview and ended up here, with you. 

He figured it was probably insignificant but he found that a lot of people in the working world could be so cold. But Taeyong was a person who cared a lot. He was someone who treated everyone with kindness, because that’s what he’d want in return. He was the kind of person who cared about the people he worked with. 

“Have you been working here long?” Taeyong asked, as you showed him into the main kitchen. He noticed that the kitchen was stocked with snacks and fresh fruit, as he recalled you mentioning that the office manager, placed an order every week. You added earlier that if he had any requests, for office supplies or for snacks in the pantry, to let them know. 

“Almost two years,” you replied. “I actually just got a promotion. I came up with this amazing concept for one of our new products. It wasn’t perfect but I worked with the product development team to figure it all out.”

“That’s really impressive,” he said. “I hope I can grow here, too.”

You nodded. “I’m sure you will…Between you and me, they took forever to fill this role. I feel like they were looking for the perfect person and, well, it looks like they found you.” 

Taeyong chuckled. “That’s great to know.”

The two of you stood at the coffee machine, deciding to get a fresh cup from the machine that seemed to have endless options; from lattes to macchiatos, it seemed like the machine could do it all. You were very friendly, he noticed, and he hoped that the others were just as nice as you were. 

*

Two weeks had gone by since Taeyong was brought on. In just two weeks, he’d gotten a lot done. Taeyong went from meeting to meeting, learning as much as he could about the company’s products. He took in your marketing plans, asking questions as he went. And soon enough he was churning out data reports based on your past campaigns.  So far, he seemed to be the type to go above and beyond and you appreciated that. His doing his job well helped everyone else do their jobs well, too.

It was Friday and it was nearly five o’clock. It’d been a long week, full of deadlines and you were relieved to have a couple of days to relax. As of now, you had absolutely nothing planned. Kun was going out to a friend’s birthday dinner, so you figured you’d stay home and make dinner while enjoying a cool glass of wine. 

As you made mental notes of the groceries you wanted to buy, you heard a slam from across the office. You’d been lost in your thoughts at that moment and you shrieked aloud. 

Hina looked up from her laptop with a grin. “You’re so dramatic!” she said, nudging you in the arm. You both chuckled. 

David stood up from his desk. “Please tell me that everyone is finished with their to do lists for today,” he asked, with a hopeful tone. 

Mostly, everyone nodded, except Kevin who huffed and said, “We need to have a meeting with the product team on Monday. I just saw that they rejected the new design for packaging. And at this point, we’re going to have to push back the launch again.” 

David sucked his teeth, turning back to her laptop screen. You knew his stress all too well. If his team’s work got rejected one too many times, all of our plans got pushed back. “What’s the issue now?” David chimed in, glaring across the room at the product team’s side of the office. “You know what? I don’t care. It can wait until Monday. I will send out a calendar invite. We can’t keep pushing these launches back like this…Anyway, I was thinking that we could go for a team dinner tonight if most of you are free? We haven’t officially welcomed Taeyong to the team since we’ve been so busy. My treat.”

The team clapped in response. Typically on Fridays David and Valentina didn’t make anyone work late, but very rarely did it come with either of them offering to pay for dinner. Within five minutes, all ten members of your team were packed and ready to go. 

“Where are we going?” asked Taeyong in a curious tone. 

“How about dim sum?” David suggested. “I’m in the mood for some dumplings and they have really good soup dumplings. Have you had those?”

Taeyong nodded. “I haven’t had any since I left Hong Kong.”

“Right, you went to school there. You’ll love these. The owners are from Hong Kong so it’s authentic and delicious.”

There were some murmurs of agreement and you and your team were whisked away, heading toward the elevators. 

Taeyong walked with you, Hina, and your other teammate, Michelle. Taeyong was the talkative type, from what you could see, and he held up most of the conversation. You wondered how he had so much energy. Maybe it was because it was Friday and you’d left the office to start the weekend. Maybe it was because he was new and excited about his new position. Maybe he just had a lot of energy, in general. It wasn’t that you hated your job but it was rare that you felt feelings like joy or excitement about coming into work. Taeyong was excited and you almost envied him for it. 

Your stomach grumbled as you went inside the restaurant and got a whiff of whatever was cooking in the kitchen as your group walked toward a large table in the back. Just as you were about to take a seat next to David, he waved Taeyong over. “Come sit here.” He made a hand motion at Hina, who had sat next to the seat he apparently wanted Taeyong in. “Scoot over one seat and let Y/N sit there so Taeyong can sit here.”

The three of you shuffled about until you were in your “assigned” seats. Hina whispered, “God, are we adults or are we in elementary school?” The two of you snickered together as the waiter placed a fresh pot of barley tea in the middle of the table. 

The group spent the next ten minutes figuring out what to order. Your boss ordered several orders of everything—dumplings and buns in just about every form, wine chicken, tofu dishes, bok choy, chicken feet, and probably more rice rolls than you needed. And of course, he ordered some liquor to get everyone started. That was always his strategy: get everyone at least tipsy so that the conversation would be more interesting, as he put it. 

The conversation was spread across the table, with your half of the table talking amongst yourselves and the other half doing the same. It wasn’t until the food came that your boss decided to be more interactive with Taeyong.

“How were these past two weeks? Are you adjusting well? I told everyone to take care of you so if they didn’t, you can tell me.”

Taeyong nodded. “It’s going well. I’m enjoying the work. And Y/N is really sweet. She helped me get settled easily.” He then turned to you directly. “Thanks for being so helpful and answering all my stupid questions. You’re really good at explaining! And you too, Hina. I’m learning a lot from both of you.”

You felt yourself blushing at the sudden compliment. Your work was something you were proud of but it was rare that someone openly appreciated the projects you’d worked on or your knowledge of the company products. Of course, Kun would always congratulate you when you told him about your accomplishments at work. But it felt good to hear it from someone at the company, especially from someone new to the team and someone who knew more about the things you were working on. You and Taeyong collaborated more than you thought you would initially. And the meetings you had with him were extremely helpful and even gave you some ideas for future projects. Taeyong seemed to be pretty creative and even contributed ideas that he wasn’t sure were even possible. But you liked that he seemed to believe that you could do anything with the right people and the right tools and resources. 

David’s lips parted in surprise. “Wow, Taeyong is showering everyone with compliments today. I feel a little left out.”

Taeyong laughed. “Of course, I like working with you all but I have to admit, I think Y/N and Hina are more my style.”

You felt heat rising to your cheeks at Taeyong’s seemingly flirty comment. It wasn’t that you had a crush on Taeyong, but you were interested in him as a person. You genuinely enjoyed spending time with him and working on projects together. You were a marketing manager and he was an analyst. The two of you made a good team…along with Hina of course. 

***

After food and a couple more drinks than you should’ve had, you were thoroughly stuffed. Your boss paid for the meal with the company credit card and scurried off saying that his wife was waiting for him at home. Then your coworkers began to disappear, one by one, until only you, Hina, and Taeyong were left. And Hina insisted on finishing the liquor your coworkers left behind in the pitcher. 

You said, “I must have gained like fifty pounds.”

“Let’s start walking so we can lose at least five,” Taeyong said, nudging you. 

“I should go on a diet,” you said, standing up from the chair, stretching.

“You don’t need a diet,” he said. “It always bothers me to hear women say that…”

Hina said, “So, your type is a woman who eats well, hm?”

Taeyong nodded with a smile. “Yeah. I love cooking so I want someone who can taste it first and tell me if it’s good or not.”

“Will you cook for the holiday potluck?”

Taeyong smirked. “Maybe.”

“I never had a man cook anything for me,” said Hina, frowning as she stood.

“But your dad cooks really well,” you said. “I still think about the clam soup he made for your birthday.”

“That doesn’t count,” she explained, as she slowly began to tip over into the chair. She held onto the table to hold herself up and rolled her eyes. “He’s my dad. I want a man to cook for me!”

Taeyong chuckled. “Does that mean you’re good at cooking? Do you take after your dad?”

Before she could answer, you opened your mouth to speak. “Let’s just say she could use a little work…”

Hina laughed. “Hey! I improved since last time!”

Taeyong patted her shoulder. “Let’s get you home.”

“I can go myself,” she said, doing her best to stand straight. Whether she realized it or not, she definitely couldn’t do it on her own. 

You said, “Don’t worry. I can take her home.”

Taeyong shook his head. “What kind of man would I be if I let you go by yourselves? I’ll call a taxi and the three of us can go.”

Hina said, “I’m perfectly fine to take the train!”

“Fine,” said Taeyong with a sigh, “we can take the train.”

***

Hina was the one who insisted on taking the train despite hardly being able to support herself on her own two feet. She stumbled into you and Taeyong as the three of you walked to the station and even fell asleep in her seat, her mouth wide open. 

“I’m sorry about Hina,” you said, as you arrived closer to her stop. “She’s one of those people where you don’t know how drunk she is until it’s too late.”

Taeyong smiled. “We all have that one friend.”

You’d been worried that Taeyong might be annoyed but, from what you could see, he seemed to have a lot of patience. 

“Well I’m sorry that you have to spend your Friday night with your drunk coworkers,” you said, chuckling. 

“It’s fine,” he said. “Really. I don’t mind at all. This is better than spending my Friday night by myself. I don’t have many friends in Seoul since I moved back. I got pretty close to a few people in Hong Kong but, you know, they’re in Hong Kong…” Taeyong continued. “My best friend from high school was an international student from Thailand so he’s back there. Lucky for me, he comes to Seoul pretty often for his work. And my other best friend is living in Incheon, so he’s close but he works in finance and he has a girlfriend now so he’s busy.”

“Wow, so most of your friends aren’t even in the country, huh?”

“Lucky me,” he said, with a sigh. 

“Well we’ll definitely be friends with you. Even though Hina fell asleep, she really likes you. She said that you’re way better than Chaerin.”

You laughed and Taeyong joined in with a laugh that seemed so light and free. You liked hearing him laugh. Taeyong could be quiet at times but he was playful, too. Hina liked him and you liked him, too. 

You and Taeyong helped Hina up and off of the train a moment later. Together, you brought Hina to her small apartment a couple blocks away from the station. As you got into the elevator, she said, “I ordered pizza.” 

“When did you order pizza?”

“When you went to get me water from the convenience store.”

In those couple of minutes you were inside the store, Hina apparently ordered pizza while in Taeyong’s care. You shot him a look, to which he said, “I didn’t see her do it. I just thought she was texting or something.”

You laughed. “Well hopefully she can stay up long enough to eat it…”

Hina put in the code to her door and you and Taeyong followed her inside. You said, “I’ll help her put her pajamas on. You don’t have to stay. You’ve helped us out a lot tonight. I really appreciate it.”

Taeyong said, “I’ll stay here at least until she gets settled. I should make sure you get home okay, too.”

“Okay,” you said, before you disappeared with Hina into the bedroom. Thankfully, Hina had had a little bit of time to sober up and she didn’t seem as wobbly before. You pulled out pajamas from her drawers that didn’t match and handed them to her. You turned while Hina got herself undressed.

“I can’t believe I’m this drunk,” she said. “I’m so embarrassed Taeyong saw me like this.”

“It’s fine,” you assured her. “You had a little too much but it’s not like you did anything embarrassing. If you jumped on top of the table and started dancing, that would be a different story.” The two of you laughed for a moment before you turned to her. “Wait, you ordered pizza, right?”

Hina said, “Oh! I almost forgot. The app says it’ll be here in ten minutes. I’m so tired though.” She walked over to her bed. “I don’t care about taking my makeup off or taking a shower right now. Actually, can you just stay here until the pizza comes? I’m just gonna take a little nap. Wake me up when it gets here.” She put her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. She fell asleep almost instantly and you knew that she would give you hell when you tried to wake her up in a few minutes to eat. 

You figured you should go to the bathroom before leaving. As you headed down the hall, you tripped over an unknown object, sending you crashing into the wall. As you collided with the wall, you knocked down a photo frame. It plummeted to the hardwood floor, crashing to the floor, the glass shattering. 

Before you could blink, Taeyong was by your side, eyes wide and full of concern as you’d also ended up on the floor. “Are you okay? Did you get cut anywhere?” He took your hand, examining it for cuts.  

“I think I’m okay,” you said, putting your palm on the floor to help you up. 

“Wait,” he said, putting his hand out before you could touch anything. “Let me clean up the glass. There could be some small pieces and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

You waited for him to get back with the broom and watched as he swept up every single piece you could see. 

“I guess I’ll buy her a new picture frame,” you said, chuckling. “What did I even trip over?” You turned to find one of Hina’s slippers in the middle of the floor. They must’ve come off as you brought her into the bedroom. 

Taeyong winced as he picked up the last piece, shaking his hand. “Damn it!”

Your heart dropped as you saw a tiny sliver of blood pour from his finger. You got up, despite his protests, and got Hina’s first aid kit from the medicine cabinet. You called him over to sit on the bathtub edge, next to you, and pulled out a bandage and alcohol wipe. 

He sat down and said, “I can do it, you know…”

“It’s fine,” you said, ripping the paper open on the alcohol wipe. You swiped at the blood coming from his cut, causing Taeyong to yelp from the sting. His reaction made you chuckle. He rolled his eyes as you put the bandage on, wrapping it carefully around his finger. “There.”

“Thanks,” he said, smiling at you. 

Your eyes met his. The air felt heavy for a few seconds. It felt almost as time stopped. There was this slight tension that you weren’t sure if he felt, too. The few seconds that you had locked eyes felt like hours. The doorbell rang, interrupting the seemingly intimate moment. 

“I’ll get it.”

*

As you predicted, Hina didn’t wake up in time for the pizza. When you attempted to wake her from her drunken state, you were met with protest and crankiness. Despite your best attempts, Hina refused to be pulled or prodded. So, you and Taeyong helped yourselves.

In the middle of your bite, you heard a loud vibrating sound. “Oh,” you said, “my phone!” You realized that you hadn’t paid your phone a single ounce of attention since you’d arrived. Your heart dropped as you realized that it was your boyfriend calling. 

You answered. “Hello?”

“Are you okay, babe?”

“Of course. I’m fine.”

“I was worried,” he said. “I was trying to stay awake until you came home but I fell asleep…Why didn’t you text me back?”

“I saw your message but I forgot about it. Hina got a little too drunk, then me and Taeyong helped me get her home…”

“Taeyong?”

“He’s new to the team. I told you, remember?”

“Right,” he said. “Anyway, are you still going to come here? Maybe you should go home instead. I could meet you there?”

“No, it’s okay. We have pizza so I’ll eat a little more and then come there.”

“Use my account and take a taxi, okay? I’ll wait for you.”

“Okay, I’ll see you later.”

“I love you, Y/N. Get here safely, okay?”

“Yeah,” you said, “I will.”

You pressed end and returned to your pizza. To be honest, you felt a little awkward having that conversation in front of Taeyong. 

“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend,” he said. “Have you been together long?”

“It’s been about two years,” you explained. “I guess I just don’t talk about him much.”

Taeyong nodded, taking his last bite of pizza. “We should get going,” he said. “Will Hina be okay?” 

“Yeah,” you said, “I put a bottle of water on her nightstand and the garbage can is by her bed if she needs to throw up.” You stood up. “I’m just going to go to the bathroom.”

While you went to the bathroom, Taeyong picked up the paper plates and cleared the counter. He put the pizza box in the fridge and then went to get your coat. By the time you came out, Taeyong had your coat and bag ready for you. 

“You ready to go?” he asked. 

***

Kun was awake when you arrived. He was sitting on the couch waiting for you, makeup remover and cotton balls ready. 

“Hey baby,” he said, a wide smile on his face. “Welcome back.”

“Hi,” you said, sitting next to him. You planted a kiss on his lips with a loud smack. “I’m not that drunk babe. I can take my makeup off.”

He chuckled in response. “A good boyfriend should always be prepared for his drunk girlfriend to come home. They’ll come back too drunk to take off their makeup, they’ll start demanding to order chicken nuggets or they’ll throw you on the bed for sex.”

“I’ve only done those things like once.”

“I mean, you definitely made me go to McDonalds and yelled at me because it was late and they only had breakfast. So, you asked for a McGriddle instead.” As you laughed and reached for the cotton balls, Kun stopped you. “I got it, babe.”

You shrugged and let your boyfriend remove your makeup. He was always so gentle with you; it was as if he thought you might break if he held you too tightly. In that moment, you realized how tired you were. And Kun knew that because he picked you up off of the couch, carrying you into the bedroom. He kissed you as he placed you onto the bed. Before you knew it, he was peeling off your clothes, kissing each spot where he removed something. 

You could feel yourself getting wetter and wetter with each kiss. When he finally took your panties off, you couldn’t take it anymore. You found yourself climbing on top of him, cupping his face with your hands around his face. You kissed him, pushing your tongue in his mouth. 

“What’s with you?” Kun asked, surprised by your forwardness, as he pulled away from you. 

“I just want you, babe,” you said, kissing his neck. 

“I want you, too,” he said, rolling you over onto your back. He swiped at your pussy, feeling how wet you’d gotten. He hummed in satisfaction. He pushed a finger inside, your wetness covering it. You gasped at the feeling, gripping around his finger. As he added another, you let out a moan. He fingered you for a few moments, driving you crazy. You needed him inside of you and you needed it now.

“Please,” you whined. 

At that, he pulled his fingers out. He got on top of you and you used your hands to guide him inside. He plunged deep into you, taking a moment to revel in the feeling. You pulled him closer, wrapping your arms and legs around him. Your lips parted in satisfaction as he began to pull and push himself in and out of you. Kun loved it when you were on your back and he could look deep into your eyes. 

You pulled him closer, bringing him into your neck. He kissed it so tenderly with each stroke, allowing a soft moan to come from your lips. He went slow for you, plunging seemingly deeper and deeper into you. 

Moments later, he wasn’t going easy on you anymore. He’d bent you over the bed and was pounding you hard, sending you into a frenzy of loud moans in which you were sure the neighbors could hear. And with one last stroke, he came undone with a heavy sigh. 

After, you and Kun laid down in bed. Naked bodies pressed against each other, Kun held you in his arms as you began to slowly drift to sleep. 

“I love you, Y/N,” he whispered before pressing his lips to your shoulder. You heard him but couldn’t bring yourself to speak back. It was just seconds before your world went dark.

***

General Taglist: @to-all-the-stories-i-love​ @sweetnspicy-noona​

LMK if you want to be tagged in the next part! - Part II coming soon!

[fatuifucker]

could i request service top afab ! xiao with fem bodied ! reader ( they/them )

service dom trans! xiao x sub fem-sex! reader (no pronouns used, mention of breasts)

WARNINGS = smut, implied oral sex (reader giving), modern au, honestly this is very vanilla lol

W/C = 0.5k

TAGS = @edenialucas, @huboi, @nejibot, @yumixxn, @teallapril

His lithe fingers trace the seam of your cunt, dipping into the opening of your wet pussy and stretching it wide. Your essence is already spilling all over him, slathering him with your clear fluids. You would've been embarrassed if you weren't so horny. A wanton moan slips out of your sinful lips as you keen into him, while his other hand climbs up your body to cup your breast.

"My roommate is coming home soon." There is a rasp in his voice, as if he is as parched for you as you are for him. "We'll have to get this done quickly."

"I don't care," you drawl, desire dripping with every word. "I don't care if he comes back and hears us, I want you for the whole night."

He huffs, burying his face into the crook of your neck. "How indecent.”

Yet, he speeds up his ministrations, squishing your breast with a calloused palm and rolling your nipple into a stiff peak before repeating the motion on the other side. He adds a third finger and your needy hole takes it with glee, wet squelching accompanying the streams of even wetter juices, spurting out with every movement of his deft digits.

Hot tears form at the corner of your eyes. Not of fear or pain, but of want. For more, more, more. Amber eyes widen, but he relaxes once more upon hearing your pleas.

God, you want his cock. You want his bulging strap in your aching hole. You want him to watch you bounce on it like a crazed, cockdrunk whore. You want more, more, more of him.

Xiao curls one of his fingers and caresses your g-spot, procuring another melodious moan from your tired throat. It’s like he’s injecting electricity into your bloodstream with every caress of his fingers. Everytime he pads of his fingers rub against your spongy walls, you feel yourself constricting around him, pulsing in need.

It’s never enough. Never enough for you but your Xiao is a generous soul. A generous soul who is infatuated with you, who doesn’t spare a second thought as he keeps giving and giving.

“Gonna cum…”

Your boyfriend just gives you a ‘hm’ as he watches you unravel. Your hands spring to your mouth, muffling your cries as speckles of wetness drenches the sheets. Xiao presses a kiss to your glistening face, pushing you against him as your chest rises and falls. Although your eyes are shut, you could hear the sound of licking beside you. Your eyelids flutter open to catch Xiao licking the remnants of your slick, a string of saliva linking his fingertip to his bottom lip for a split second before snapping. 

There’s the sound of a lock opening, signalling the arrival of his roommate. Xiao gets off the bed, looking back at you.

“Shall I get you a glass of water?”

You shook your head. “I’m fine. You haven’t cum yet.”

“Yes but–”

“I’m fine so let me serve you this time!” you insisted, puffing out your cheeks.

Xiao relents, locking the door before getting back on the bed. He faces the opposite way and lifts up his ass, making you realise how utterly soaked he is.

“Aww, you’re this turned on from pleasing me?” you tease, gently prodding his pussy. “How cute.”

Xiao huffs, stuffing his face into the pillow below him. You waste no time in shoving your face into his ass. In the other room, Xiao’s roommate thanks himself for spending that extra bit of money on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. 

[escapetothelake]

dale & robert for the ship asks?

thanks for the ask!! i had so much fun writing this :) some of it isn't exactly canon compliant, and therefore it's kind of a happier au

who made the first move: robert was pretty aloof with dale at first, and of course, the earliest interactions they had involved dale arresting robert, which doesn't make for a good first impression. however, dale was still kind to/patient with robert, and genuinely wanted to help him figure out what happened to laura. after robert published false accusations, dale read it and decided to meet up with robert, where they got to talking, so i guess you could say it was dale.

who kissed who first: robert did, in a moment of passion.

who started the relationship: oh boy. both of these guys have intimacy issues, so this would be quite the slowburn. despite being a pretty amicable guy, dale kind of distances himself from getting too close to people due to his trauma. robert is more open to it, but still reluctant due to the rough ending of his relationship with laura. i could see robert initiating once dale's put himself out there.

who remembers things: robert keeps a calendar and notes to help him remember things. as busy as he is, dale never forgets the important things, but sometimes trivial things slip his mind. for instance, despite liking to be prepared for whatever he may encounter, he often forgets items as he leaves the house.

nicknames for each other: dale calls robert "bob" or "rob" on a casual basis, but "honey" or "sweetheart" in private. robert often calls dale "detective", "darling", or "my guy".

who is more likely to pay for dinner: dale makes bank as a detective. robert was unemployed for a while, but some time after he published false accusations, he decided to become a full-time author. therefore, dale paid most of the time in the beginning of the relationship, and it continues to be that way, especially because robert does many of the household tasks.

who normally cooks: dale's mother taught him some nice recipes, but cooking often brings back sad memories of her. robert likes to cook, so he usually does it.

who remembers anniversaries: robert, with the help of his calendar. dale also always remembers (though sometimes at the last minute).

what would they get each other for gifts: robert's more of an acts of service kind of guy, so many of his gifts are doing things that make dale's life easier. if he wants to get an easy material gift, he can spring for some good coffee, fancy cigars, or a new shaving kit. dale's more of a gift giver, and he likes to take robert out for a drink or get him a new book. sometimes he'll bring home food or flowers.

most trivial thing they fight over: robert drinking milk straight from the carton. he forgets he's not single sometimes.

how often do they fight: not very often—they're usually both pretty chill—but that doesn't mean they don't fight. most of the fights are caused by dale not caring for himself, dale's alcoholism, and their mutual anxieties over various things. due to their trauma, both feel a need for control, which can also create conflict.

who uses all the hot water: both are used to taking quick showers because they have to get up for work, but robert loves a nice long bath every once and a while.

who calls up the super/landlord when the heat’s not working: dale. detective work has made him great at talking with people on a professional basis. of course, he has to make the call before robert tries to fix it himself and gets injured.

who leaves their stuff around: dale tries to be tidy, but when he gets very invested in a case, this often goes out the window. robert used to be very messy, especially after his breakup with laura, but being at the facility taught him that a clear space is a clear head.

who remembers to buy the milk: if dale's out, he'll do it. sometimes robert drinks straight from the carton. it drives dale bonkers.

who controls the netflix queue: robert watches more tv, but dale really enjoys putting his feet up and enjoying a nice documentary after a long day. i'd say both.

who steals the covers at night: robert usually sleeps perfectly still. dale likes to hold the blankets as though they're a person, often bunching them up and hugging them in his sleep, which leaves robert bare sometimes in the middle of the night. he runs a bit hot, though, so he doesn't mind all that much.

who cusses more: i think dale would, oddly enough. mostly when he's frustrated.

who does most of the cleaning: robert.

what’s their favorite non-sexual activity: relaxing at home. sometimes they just cuddle on the couch and read together.

who’s the cuddler: robert. he's a huge romantic. dale doesn't often initiate cuddles, but i'd say he needs them a little more.

who’s the big spoon/little spoon: big - robert; little - dale. that's often how it goes, but they switch from time to time depending on who needs to be held at the moment.

who’s more dominant: they're both switches imo

who is the dirty talker: robert does it more, but dale... that voice... 😳

what do they do when they’re away from each other: robert has separation anxiety, but he copes with it by doing mundane household tasks, going for walks, or writing. dale.. also has separation anxiety.. but he deals with it by sinking himself into his work.

what would they do if the other one was hurt: dale has anxiety regarding injuries, but he knows minimal first aid due to his job, and can therefore keep a level head when he focuses on doing that. robert would also panic, but i see him as a very protective individual who would stop at nothing to ensure dale's safety.

a headcanon: dale often gets very wrapped up in his work, and therefore sometimes forgets to take care of himself in basic ways, even such as eating and drinking (beyond pot after pot of coffee). after extensive therapy, robert learned to care for himself, and he sometimes imparts this knowledge onto dale. however, telling him "you need to get some rest" doesn't always work, and can even frustrate dale sometimes ("these cases aren't going to solve themselves, robert"), so robert chooses to care for him in more subtle ways. when he left the facility, he decided to preoccupy himself with new wholesome activities such as cooking and cleaning, and he utilizes these skills to keep dale's space clean and bring him a warm sandwich when he's up late at night. these efforts certainly do not go unappreciated.

[justroll]

Y’all may have guessed, but I’m okay. There was flooding in my town, but we have power and my house was unaffected. We have no running water due to damage from the storm, and it’s looking like it’ll be a couple weeks before we get running water again, but we’ll be okay. My brother lives in an area that was hit pretty hard, but he’s fine for now too with electricity and water (I think) but no cell service or internet. I’m okay, my family is okay. I might even be able to get unemployment since my workplace is shut down.

The area east of the mountains is fucking devastated. Chimney Rock is gone. Lake Lure is gone. Asheville, Hot Springs, Boone, all devastated and that’s just the east side of the mountains. Nobody knew it would be that bad til it was too late. People are trapped in their homes and on their property unable to leave or get supplies. Many places have no water, electricity, or cell service. I’m working on vetting places to donate to, if you’re willing to help. There are crews coming from as far as Canada to help us with restoring infrastructure and the people here are incredibly resilient, but that doesn’t mean we can do it all on our own. If you can, please help. If you can’t, please be careful with the info you spread bc not all of it is accurate and some is downright damaging.

Nobody voted for this, nobody deserved this.

[bloodyknucklesforme]

little excerpt from the restaurant AU (kind of a first chapter type beat but might get pushed back for another piece)

Her head throbbed. Her whole body ached actually. She didn't know when she got home last night...that morning? or how long she'd slept, face smushed against the couch. Jeans and one shoe still on. She, Kleo, Farah and Nova had gone out after close.

141 was closed on Mondays so Sunday was their Friday. She rubbed her eyes and pulled a pillow over her face. She didn't pull the curtains closed last night and the morning sun was bright on her face.

Her phone buzzed. She ignored it. Probably Kyle asking if she wanted to get breakfast or brunch or lunch. Possibly dinner. She'd slept the day away before. Her mouth was gummy.

Her phone buzzed again. She rolled over.

It started to ring. She groaned. She couldn't find it. Kyle had changed her ring tone to her least favorite chime. Some trill little marimba that reminded her of a cartoon bird. It was supposed to encourage her to actually answer the phone. She felt blindly for it, locating it in a crack.

"Kyle, I'm too hungover to-"

" The fuck are you?" Simon snapped. Hi

fuck.

She was supposed to meet Simon at the restaurant that morning. Nikolai was dropping off their order for the week, new stuff for the Spring menu. She was supposed to help unload and prep.

"Fuck, sorry. I'll be right there." She threw herself to her feet, hanging up before he could yell at her. The world spun and she had to swallow down vomit. She found her other shoe, grabbed an old jacket and her bag and sprinted out the door.

Her shoes were not made for running, barely even for walking. A cheap knock off of a pair that she refused to pay hundreds of quid for.

It took nearly twenty minutes to run, jog, fast walk there. The backs of her ankles were raw. Simon was smoking by the back door. Nik thankfully wasn't there yet.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She said, digging the keys out of her purse. She didn't know why Simon didn't have keys. He was sous chef. She was just a server.

"Princess treatment" is what he'd call it. Simon flicked his cigarette away and brushed past her inside. He always went in first. She didn't know if it was a power play or some form of protectiveness. First in, last out.

She limped after him, not bothering to leave her jacket in her locker. She was still wearing the black tank body suit from the night before. It wasn't overly slutish but it did have a fair amount of cleavage.

He was already setting up, lining up his knives and turning on the oven.

"Gagging for a coffee," he said, looking at her pointedly. She took the hint and headed for the drip machine in the corner. It was the 141's strongest solider but his days in service were numbered. It groaned and bubbled out a suitably dark and hot cup.

Simon nodded when she handed it to him.

"I'm sorry." She repeated. His look cut into her. He didn't have to say it. Price would be disappointed. She'd fucked up again. Simon wouldn't snitch but one look at the camera out back would show she was late again. She didn't care what Simon thought of her. She did care what Price thought though.

She wasn't oblivious to the fact he let her get away with a lot. He treated her like family or what she imagined family was treated like. One day his kindness would wear out and she'd be out of a job and her flat, considering he owned it. She sometimes hoped it was sooner rather than later. Pull it off like a bandage.

She clenched her jaw and made her way to the walk in.

[midnightswithdearkatytspb]

MidnightsWithDearKatyTSPB’s Recommendation List: May Pt. 2

Hi everyone. Welcome to the second part of May’s recommendation list. Can you believe we maxed out Part 1 linking availability? You guys are writing machines! With finals coming to a close and some of you graduating, I hope you are taking some time to enjoy reading and self-care. I’m so very proud of every one of you. If you would like a moodboard made for your story or character, feel free to send me a request. I would love to make you one. If you are interested in having your writing challenges featured here, your stories, or even your blog, please feel free to tag me in your works, message me, or use the hashtag MidnightWithDearKatyTSPB. Heads up, June may be all on one list. I’m going to my Grandmother’s 90th birthday and visit my family. I’ll get plenty of reading done while I’m gone, but I don’t know how much list-making I’ll get done. Enjoy the rest of your spring and the start of your summer!

<<May Pt. 1 💐

June 🐾 >>

Masterlist 📜

PEDRO PASCAL CHARACTERS:

DRABBLES/BLURBS:

Big Fan (Tommy's Version) by @atinylittlepain >> Tommy Miller ft. Ellie Williams - Summary: Tommy and Ellie stumble on someone very familiar to Tommy. | I was laughing so hard at everyone's reaction to this.

ONE-SHOTS:

2 Murphy's and a Peña by @violentdelightsandviolentends >> Javier Peña x Female Reader - Summary: Reader has a horrible date. Javier thinks she just needs a man who puts her needs first. (My Summary) | This was short and hot, just how you need it sometimes.

Aquatic Rehabilitation by @psychedelic-ink >> Joel Miller x f!reader - Summary: Joel has been experiencing knee pain for the past two months. When he finally sees an orthopedist, he learns that he has some minor damage to his meniscus. The doctor prescribes him anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy, recommending swimming. At the pool, he meets you. | Wowza, that was really hot.

Drown in your Wrath and Fury by @movievillainess721 >> Dave York x curvy f!reader x (with a surprise guest) - Summary: You're Dave's prisoner...and old flame. Can you survive his wrath and fury? | It was so hot, I was blushing.

*I Crawl Home To Her by @johnwatsn >> Joel Miller ft. Sarah Miller & Ellie Williams - Summary: After being stabbed, Joel floats in and out of consciousness, between then and now, before and after, and his two daughters, both saving him in their own ways. | This is just a masterpiece of emotion, and it's so well written!

Look For The Butterfly by @lily-inbloom >> post-outbreak!Joel Miller x fem!reader - Summary: Sarah reminds Joel of something very important. | Don't mind me. I'll just be over here in the corner crying like a big baby.

Prove It by @joelscruff >> boyfriend's dad!Joel Miller x f!reader - Summary: Joel shows you how much he cares about you (in a slightly depraved way). (in connection with quickie and snack break) | Made my heart drop to the bottom of my stomach with emotions while supplying wonderful filth and excitement.

Request by @joelsgirl >> Joel Miller x Reader - Summary/Request: Reader is feeling awful because she's too warm, and the relief he feels when he sees her cooling off, physically and emotionally? | A charming short piece showing the caring side of Joel is what we need sometimes.

The Saint, The Sinner, & The Devil by @joelsgirl >> Mafia DBF!Joel Miller, Corrupt Javier Pena + Reader - Sneak Peak: “Yes, little one. You'll get to service us both tonight.” | Excellent and Filthy

Satellite by @jksprincess10 >> Assistant!reader x Javier Peña - Summary: Summary: You’re trying really hard not to fuck your boss. But everyone around you, including him, makes it really hard. | Javi could probably convince me to do anything.

Sharing Is Caring by @dreamsofmandalore >> Mafia!AU Joel Miller x Reader x Javier Peña - Summary: Several people asked what would happen if mafia enforcer Joel and corrupt agent Javi existed in the same universe. | Thank you for feeding our wildest imaginations.

Waffle House Confessions by @softlyspector >> no outbreak!Joel Miller x f!Reader - Summary: You pick an inopportune moment to give Joel some news. | I felt like I was watching it play out on TV, and I was feeling all the emotions coming across—such a good one-shot.

Words by @joelscruff >> boyfriend's dad!Joel Miller x f!reader - Summary: You and Joel are left reeling from your boyfriend's discovery. (a direct sequel to prove it) | Cat has a way with words and emotions pulling you into her works.

SERIES:

I'm In A State (Prequel) | In My Hometown by @swiftispunk >> pre-outbreak!dbf!neighbour!Joel Miller x afab!fem!actor(ish)!Reader - Summary: The moment that sends you over the edge with your neighbour, Joel. | Perfect as always, Hannah. Thanks for making me giggle like a schoolgirl.

One For The Money, Two For The Show >> Rockstar!Joel Miller x Actress!Reader - Summary: When world-famous rockstar Joel Miller finds himself in some hot water with the press, his PR team suggests fake dating an up-and-coming actress to refine his image. However, when they actually start spending time together, the happy couple can’t stand each other. Will they be able to turn it around for the cameras, or will it all be for nothing? | Things are getting mighty steamy, just the way I like them. Feeling so blessed to be able to read this story.

To Polish Up A Diamond pt. i | >> @pedges >> Joel Miller x afab!reader - Summary: “We can get an annulment,” Joel says, cutting you off. It’s almost as if he couldn’t wait to say it, and you’re not sure why that stings so much. “Yeah—yes,” you mutter, swallowing the softball lodged in your throat. You clear it in hopes of sounding more compelling when you speak again. “Of course. Duh.”  -- or, the one where you wake up married to Joel Miller. | This is such an emotional roller coaster, and we are only just beginning. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

BLURBS/DRABBLES:

The Baking Lesson by @zablife >> John Shelby x f!reader - Summary: Gif Request - Sneak Preview: "C'mere gorgeous," John said, turning your chin toward him. "It can't be that bad. Just tell me," he coaxed with an encouraging smile. | John is very much my hero!

Sweetest of the Sunflowers by @peakyscillian >> Tommy Shelby x Reader - Summary: I picked the prompt “You're the best thing that's ever happened to me” for this one and also based it around the song 'Sun To Me' By Zach Bryan. | Moodboard is gorgeous, and I love how you can tell how much Tommy adores his fiance in this.

Pedro Pascal doesn't owe you anything... by @coulsons-band

Drama Actor Round Table: Pedro Pascal, Damson Idris, Kieran Culkin, Jeff Bridges, Evan Peters, and Michael Imperioli posted by @pedrohub