#in part to all my lovely friends and mutuals

[stars-and-the-min]

☆ the wrong way to hard launch (17) | OP81

summary : oscar's girlfriend is a walking pr problem for literally everyone (including herself) social media au

pairing : oscar piastri x zhou!fem!singer!oc

a/n as it turns out, life is better with people you love

masterlist | last part | part 17 | next part (tba)

INSTAGRAM

cameliazzz

liked by aidan_ebass and 932,845 others

cameliazzz hey hey hey lover tagged: aidan_ebass

selinabui EXCUSE ME WHAT THE FUCK ↳ lukaszhang @.selinabui ohhhh this is too much fun ahaha ↳ eb_jonno @lukaszhang YOU KNEW??? ↳ lukaszhang @eb_jonno NO I WON A BET ↳ selinabui @lukaszhang can we... can we talk this out 🥹

eb_jonno @.selinabui @lukaszhang hang on if none of us knew... who took those pictures??? ↳ emptybottlesbar @eb_jonno 👋 ↳ eb_jonno @emptybottlesbar admin i thought we were friends

2cami4lina no fucking way they decided to hard launch on a random monday after a show??? i can't decide if oscalina or this was more unexpected

zhouguanyu24 Congrats! liked by creator ❤️ ↳ selinabui @.zhouguanyu24 DID YOU KNOW?????? ↳ zhouguanyu24 @.selinabui yes

siera_mblanc ijbol not even the rest of the band knew 😭😭😭

emptybottlos bandmates dating and it's NOT kaslina was not on my bingo card ↳ bugeyedfroag @emptybottlos real bands are back June 24

MESSAGES

from the phone of selina bui

from the phone of lukas zhang

TWITTER

pookie piastri @.op81ln4 · 2h OH MY GOD OH MY GOD NEW DRESS!!! IT'S SO SPARKLY AND PRETTY #TMDWorldTour

emme @flowersforcami · 1h I CAN'T FUCJING BREATHE THIS IS A COMEDY SHOW

EB Updates @emptybottles_news · 1h Lina, Kas and Jonny have declared that they're on strike against bandmates Cami and Aidan until further notice (it's a joke but Aidan looks pretty done) ↳ kayla @luna_apocolypse · 50m but not telling your closest mutual friends while on tour together is crazyyy

camilina gfs fr @ drummergf · 9h lost both of them to comphet in the same year 😔 ↳ president linami @ linaminami · 6h you did not just call bi-con selina bui comphet in pride month ↳ cami yang's defence attorney @ camilovve · 7h love cami down (i would go to war for her) but that girl doesn't have an ounce of sapphism in her i fear

liv is SEEING EB LIVE!! @olivielina · 31m i hope stockholm really appreciates the drama bc no other city is going to get lina angstfully serenading cami while aidan glares at her like she's actually seducing his gf

TMD Tour News @EB-TMDTour · 43m The audience encore song for Stockholm N2 was 'This Love' by Maroon 5. This was then followed by 'You Belong With Me' by Taylor Swift without Cami and Aiden #TMDWorldTour ↳ kayla @luna_apocolypse · 40m her dramatic ass i'm wheezing ↳ jules 🌿 @juliiaapxp · 35m the way jonny was so unsubtly looking at kaslina after they finished the first song 😭 he was like 'are we still doing this???' ↳ emme @flowersforcami · 3m ybwm without the drums or bass was an experience for sure

INSTAGRAM

emptybottles_official Stockholm, Sweden

liked by cameliazzz and 795,385 others

emptybottles_official Adjö Sweden 👋 Thanks for rocking out with us, hope you have fun messing with us and we'll definitely be seeing you guys again

cameliazzz really felt all the love from sweden 🥰 ↳ aidan_ebass @.cameliazzz I felt like I was on a watchlist

siera_mblanc HELP TOO MUCH TALK ABOUT CAMI AND AIDAN THAT WE MISSED THAT LINA DEBUTED A NEW OUTFIT ↳ mrslukaszhang @siera_mblanc who's we? i went catatonic when she came on stage June 25

selinabui 🎵 Taylor Swift · My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys (Remix) (Feat. Selina Bui)

liked by taylorswift and 879,289 others

selinabui so i did a thing... ms swift i have been obsessed with u ever since the 3rd grade and the fact that u know of my existence has me literally on the floor, i love u so so so much 🫶 make sure to give "my boy only breaks his favorite toys (remix)" a listen 🤍 tagged: taylorswift

taylornation Welcoming the newest member of The Tortured Poets Department liked by creator ❤️

landonorris ok and you didn't think to tell me about this? criminal. i thought we were friends ↳ selinabui @.landonorris i signed an nda 👍

linasgirl4 OH MY GOD UR KIDDING ME WAS THIS WHY U PLAYED YBWM IN STOCKHOLM

oscarpiastri Listening on repeat 🎧 ↳ landonorris @.oscarpiastri Mate, did you know about this? ↳ oscarpiastri @.landonorris I may have been privy 👀 June 29

TWITTER

june @linafesting · 3h i'm dreaming or smth right??? lina feature on a taylor swift track?? ↳ opal @pxastrixxx · 2h it's just a remix lol ↳ june @linafesting · 2h i get to hear both their voices on a song, i've won so hard

kayla @luna_apocolypse · 1h o h it's a sad remix... lina bui how did u make it sadder??? lina bui ur supposed to be in a happy relationship??? lina bui why has it dropped an octave lower??? lina bui i know ur a mezzo-soprano u can hit those notes why are u making it sad 😭

amie <3 @mieflrs · 2h i hate this woman she was probably giggling when she posted her ttpd release day story like 'these bitches have no idea what's coming' ↳ amie <3 @mieflrs · 2h played you belong with me at her latest show as well stfu lina

emme @flowersforcami · 32m don't tell me that sydney n2 errors moment was also an easter egg, blondie i can't with you

🕯️manifesting EB3 🕯️@ linabelles · 2h lina's pen game stays immaculate i need moreeeeee

oscalina real ?! @emptyginbottles · 2h can u imagine being a swiftie and finding out ur teammate's girlfriend collaborated on a song with taylor swift? lando norris i hope ur doing ok ↳ piaa⁸¹ @ papayaeightyone · 2h oscar knowing about it and probably hearing lina's verse before taylor did is unbelievably hilarious to me ↳ pookie piastri @.op81ln4 · 2h oh to be a fly on the wall at the MTC rn 🥹

president linami @ linaminami · 4h quick! who's lina's verse on mbobhft about?? (wrong answers only) ↳ fiona🩷 @fififorlina · 4h thomas micheal howard, tennessee titans running back, player number 24, argue with the wall ↳ president linami @ linaminami · 4h get the fuck out 👉 ↳ amie <3 @mieflrs · 3h christopher yamada and i am right ↳ president linami @ linaminami · 3h ur delusional is what u are ↳ piaa⁸¹ @ papayaeightyone · 2h the kick sauber pit crew ↳ president linami @ linaminami · 1h i laughed YES

INSTAGRAM

emptybottles_official WiZink Center, Madrid

liked by cameliazzz and 978,485 others

emptybottles_official Te amo Madrid, you guys were awesome 🤘

cameliazzz to whoever caught my jacket, pls shoot us a dm asap and we'll try sign it before we leave <3

mrslukaszhang dang why does my husband look so good in ripped jeans 🫦

marie_h.sb is lina still sick? ↳ emptybottles_official @marie_h.sb she's all better now 🫶

linasgirl4 AHHH MY SHOWS ARE NEXTTTTTT June 30

MESSAGES

from the phone of selina bui

TWITTER

Kas 🎸 @EB_KAS · 4h some idiot lost her contacts in spain and is now legally blind ↳ lina !!! @EB_selina · 4h DUDE, SO NOT IT

kay ♡ @ blackcatluna · 1h does anybody have the video of kas and lina in the middle of a random gas station obviously talking about the fact she's lost her contacts bc i need to see it again ↳ lina bui x2 grammy winner @urdaisea · 52m is it the one where he looks like a disappointed father lecturing her ↳ camilina gfs fr @ drummergf · 33m oomf ik what ur talking about. the way kas just STOPS WALKING and stares at her 😭😭😭

lina !!! @EB_selina · 2h lost my contacts, lost at uno, lost my sanity - what else can i lose tonight :) ↳ Aidan Park @EB_Aidan · 2h The attitude, you sore loser. ↳ lina !!! @EB_selina · 2h LISTEN, I KNOW UR CHEATING SOMEHOW

INSTAGRAM

selinabui Lisbon, Portugal

liked by oscarpiastri and 876,478 others

selinabui sweet like lisbon tagged: lukaszhang, cameliazzz, eb_jonno, aidan_ebass

ceciliapham the polaroids???? oh wait why does it feel like the end we're not even done with the europe leg

oscarpiastri It's not too late for me to fly over ↳ landonorris @.oscarpiastri no mate, it is too late, we're on the radio tomorrow July 2

MESSAGES

from the phone of selina bui

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

taglist @ririyulife @ashy-kit @fionaschicken @namgification @cherry-piee @urfavsgf @eiaaasamantha @sp1rl @destinyg237 @iloveyou3000morgan @heart-trees

[cupidhoons]

( 📢 ) ANNOUNCEMENT . . .

hi loves! i didn't want to make this post myself about what has been happening on blr these past few hours due to the fact that didnt want to potentially fuel the fire even more, however after thinking about it some more, i feel as though that i should speak up on behalf of my mutual and friend.

in my opinion, this started from someone checking author's and their authenticity of their writing. though the intentions are very much there and clear, it allows hate anons to rise and continue to spread towards many authors on this platform. it starts nothing but hate train after hate train to writers and it gives the community a toxic environment and it's not the first time that this has happened, either. it disappoints me to say the least that our community has hit such a low point where we constantly come at each other's throats with no regard of how the opposing party feels. not only that, but going as far as exposing and leaking a MINORS face and posting it without their knowledge at all to send hate to my mutual / friend proves my point further. its not only sick and twisted, but its also an invasion of privacy. i will not disclose who it is as it's bad enough that their face is just uploaded on a blog for everyone to see, and i will not be answering anons that has anything to due with this person.

many of you anons who send hate and think that you're remotely even doing anything do not understand how powerful and hurtful your words are. many of you guys do not understand that sending someone hate DOES NOT equal holding a person accountable and educating them at all. you all scream and shout that you want the old tumblr community back and complain how toxic it is nowadays, but none of you realize that you're part of the problem. it's pathetic and disgusting having to see stuff like this happen multiple times and never learn from it.

this is absolutely not what tumblr, especially enhablr, is about. it is not a community where we all send hate to each other and continue to bring other authors down consistently. it's a place for us to write and appreciate enhypen, it's a place for us to meet other engenes and make friends. it truly makes me upset that we've all lost the purpose of this community.

other than my thoughts on this whole thing, i can only pray and hope for the best for my dear friends who were affected in this situation. please continue to report the account and avoid interacting with them further. to my anons, please refrain from asking questions to writers and follow my request to take down the account.

[5mcsinatrenchcoat]

a bit of emotional ramble on Harding's romance

There's something funny and endearing about playing the silliest damn Rook and see the romanced companion crushing on them.

But also there's something about it especially in Harding's romance. And only partially because Rook being a lovestruck fool is a big part of most of their scenes by default. ("Knew you couldn't resist my moves" oh my god, shut up indeed :D said affectionately.)

But like. I made my Rook purple silly (coping mechanisms yada-yada). And the amount of times she couldn't land a joke in a romance-related scene is truly something.

And Lace does look exasperated every time, but also... lovingly? Like, sure, Rook is a fool, and here she goes again joking, but that's her fool. (And Rook does make up for every joke with genuine support at the same time, so it never cheapens the interaction in any way).

And I am politely putting the rest under the cut because pictures are incoming.

And then like. I somehow made my Rook especially smiley in CC (is it a dwarf thing? are the eyebrows at fault? is it something else? idk but she looks noticeably more smiley at almost any given time than my other Rook or my friends' Rooks. In a silly way).

Like, look at her.

She just walked in and Emmrich told her to "stand over here, please". Doesn't know what's going on. Just happy to be there. Look at that goofy face.

And.

Uh-huh! She sees that goof and is fucking smitten instantly!

I don't know I just find it all so sweet and endearingly funny I'm gonna explode. Get yourself a woman who will groan at your jokes but also love them. She's the "Oh my god she's so stupid I can't believe I'm going to sleep with her. No, no, I'm gonna" meme in the best way.

And the best part is all that kinda pays off?

After returning from the [that one spoiler place] and while having the romance scene in Rook's room I, after some consideration, had Rook joke again. And holy shit that time it sounded. Defeated. Sorta self-deprecating. She barely finished the joke, looked at her feet, it was voiced and played off as SUCH a poor attempt at shielding behind the laughs.

And Harding gently shushes her. And Rook says okay.

(And also later. When they sit together. THAT'S when the purple options finally land and make her laugh. Two times in a row, in fact. Which could mean nothing)

I don't know where I'm going with this, this is not an analysis of any kind, I'm just rambling. There's something about the dynamic that gets me. The core is the same regardless of the tone - the support, the trust, the mutual "together" part. But this added layer just makes me so squishy about them.

(In case of my Rook it's also, accidentally, a mirror. She had very rough first 15-ish years of her life, and her "If I'm funny people will treat me better" is such a mirror to Lace's "If I agree with people they will like me".

And then they meet and get into all this bullshit together and get to see behind each other's masks in real time.)

[writeforthepeople]

Heyy! I've been thinking about Damien and the reader being in a YouTube short film together playing as a married couple and as filming goes on they find themselves actually falling for each other 😩😩 specifically a scene where they're lying in bed together and have to face each other all closely and they're staring into each other's eyes all soft UGHH anyways! I would love if you could write a lil fic like that 🥹🫶 even if you don't end up writing it ty for reading this req!

Absolutely LOVE this idea. The UGHH says it alllllll. Summary: You are cast in a short film your friend Amanda is working on and you are playing Damien's love interest! While you always strive to be as professional as possible, the acting feels a bit too real...and maybe it is?

Warning: No smut, slow burn. Word Count: 4k ... I might have gotten carried away with this one.

You woke up to an early alarm, you had to wake up earlier than usual to start getting ready for your first day on a new set. Your friend Amanda was making her first short film and decided to cast you, of course, you were excited to work on the project because you love her, but you would have been willing to do any part of the project to help. You getting cast as the love interest to the main character certainly gave you a confidence boost though. Nerve racking? Sure! but exciting none the less.

You continued going over the script for what must have been the 10th time as you finished getting ready this morning. It was a romantic comedy about the main character, Gideon Hale who is able to see ghosts. He makes a living running a small bed and breakfast, but on the side he is a bit of an 'Afterlife Coach' (the name of the film) where he coaches ghosts on getting through the afterlife. He meets an old friend (you) who is back in town after many years for a mutual friends wedding. The story focuses on his journey helping the ghosts around him and getting to know you and falling in love. You were a little nervous for a few of the more romantic scenes, but it is nothing you haven't done before. You've been in many plays and projects where you have had to kiss or be romantic with a partner. This one felt different though, you had met Damien a few times through Amanda and somehow knowing him made it feel a bit awkward. Not to mention the fact that you thought he was incredibly attractive, but that would only help the acting be easier, right? It didn't take long to get to the filming location, Smosh had offered to let Amanda use some of their space for filming. When you walked in you were immediately greeted by Erin, the set coordinator. We chatted for a few moments before she brought me to the set Amanda was working on. You were blown away with all the effort that had gone into really making the set look like a bed and breakfast. There was a lobby, a kitchen, and a bedroom plotted out for various scenes. "Y/N!! You're here!" you heard Amanda's familiar voice yell out as she made her way over to you. She was beaming, and it made you smile. "I'm here and ready to work!" you said, giving her a quick hug. "I hope you are here and ready to fall in love because we are about to make magic" She laughed, but you knew there would be more jokes to come on that front. You looked around and didn't see Damien yet but you noticed several other familiar faces from Amanda's parties. It looked like Angela was running the show, directing and moving people about. You think to your self, this must be the most serious you've ever seen her.

"Damien is wrapping in hair and make-up, he has a few scenes to shoot before you enter so once he is done you're next in the chair!" Amanda talked as she led you to the small room right off the stage. "Hey Trina, this is Y/N, she's up after my little star here" he pointed to Damien, waving her finger around in a funny gesture. She walked off without saying anything else. "Hi Y/N, you can take a seat we are almost done here" Trina said and Damien smiled "How are you feeling?" he asked you politely "I'm good, a bit nervous but I am excited" you admitted, trying to hold back your surprise. His hair was different. Last you had seen him his hair was getting long, but was distinctly dyed a silvery white, but the man sitting in the chair has more of a slick backed 90's look and was dyed completely black. "How about you?" you asked, not mentioning the hair. "I'm good" he said not moving his head as Trina added hair spray and tapped him on the shoulder "You are set" she she smiled and turned back to her kit. You watched as Damien examined his look and quickly turned to you "I've never had black hair, how does it look" it was as if he was scanning your features for an answer. You shook your head "it suits you. I like it a lot" you admitted, your cheeks a bit red. "Did you dye it just for the role?" you follow up with and he smiled and nodded "It felt very Gideon" he said with a chuckle "plus Amanda had a vision and who was I to say no to that?" he added. "Well hopefully I don't have to dye mine, but anything for Amanda right?" you smiled.

"Luckily your hair just needs styled" Trina chimes in. "You ready to hop in the chair?" she asked and you nodded, standing up. "Well I will see you out there" Damien said, leaving the room with a wave. "What a nice boy" Trina said after he left and you nodded "he's really sweet" you agreed. "So, you are the love interest huh?" she turned you to the mirror and talked through a bit of Amanda's vision and you got started. You didn't need anything to crazy, she was going to style your hair and put on some make up and take you over to wardrobe. After you were ready, you headed to the set and took a seat in the corner to watch the scene they were filming. Damien was speaking to a ghost played by Tommy, helping them understand that he has options in the afterlife. Amanda came over after they cut and asked if you were ready. You oddly weren't, your nerves were high but you shook out your hands and planned to fake it til you make it. She led you to the scene in the lobby of the bed and breakfast Damien's character, Gideon, owned. You stepped to your marker and looked to Damien, who was reading the script once before the scene and you smiled to yourself, thinking about how cute his thinking face was. You shook out your hands again, you needed to shake any thoughts like those away.

"Ok" Amanda starts "Damien, Gideon is prepping for two arrivals he has today, both are high school acquaintances in town for your friend Aprils wedding. You are feeling uncomfortable, knowing you will have to make a lot of small talk and feel a need to be more entertaining than with any standard guests" she said, nodding but speaking again before he can talk at all. "Y/N, Gwen is nervous about being back in town. Not only is she having feelings about her close friend getting married and starting 'the rest of her life' " the ending she added finger quotes "but Gwen is also feeling inadequate, not being as advanced in her career as she thought she'd be by now, knowing she'll have tons of people asking about it all weekend." I nod to her "I don't want to give too many notes upfront, lets just vibe" she said and you chuckled. That is so like her.

"Action" she said before taking a seat. You begin walking up to Damien, a smile appearing on his face, it looked so genuine. "Hi, I'm uh checking in under Henry, Gwen Henry" as you reached the counter. "I know exactly who you are" he responded. "I'm Gideon, we had 11th grade history together" he spoke, checking you in. "Of course! Gideon, wow, you look great man. I didn't know you worked here" you could feel your nerves leaving as the conversation, while in character, felt so comfortable. "Yeah, I have been running the place for a few years now. Want me to help you with you bags? I can show you to your room" The two of you walk off scene together before it cuts. You ran the scene a few more times, taking notes as you went. Your characters filmed a bit more together, discussing the upcoming wedding. "Do you need a ride to the wedding? Damien asked you, as you sat at the kitchen table the next morning. "I am going alone so I would be happy to drive you" he added. The first time is character is meant to outright flirt with you. "Unless you have a plus one" his character sits across from you and you look up. "I do not" you smirk, as Amanda had instructed "I would love a ride" you went back to looking at your phone but the smile stayed. "Alright folks, that's a wrap!" Amanda yelled and people began bustling around again. She jumped on set and put her arm around around you "you guys did great today" she pulled you in closer "thank you for doing this" she added and you grinned "literally anything for you, and I didn't even have to dye my hair" you joked "Isn't he the best for that?" Amanda asked "It seems like it" you said before her added in "I really am" with a joking shrug. "

The next morning was filming day two of three, and you had a later call time, the morning being a lot of Damien filming with his ghosty friends. By the time you got to set, things were in full swing, but you had a lot to do to get ready. Your scenes were around attending the wedding of your characters friends. Which meant your make up and hair were done up and you were going to be in a nicer dress. Trina got you in the chair quickly, and she did great work. You needed to take some notes because you loved the way she did your make up. Next was finding the right dress. Amanda had the team bring in a few options to find what would be best. When you tried on the first one, you were instantly relieved that there were more options because this was not it. The dress was too tight in the worst ways. The second dress however fit you like a glove.

You were nervous enough about what you had to film today, you didn't want to also have to worry about how you looked. When you stepped back out to the main set area you were greeted by Amanda's grin "giiiiiiirl" she shook her head "If I wasn't married, I'd be the one falling in love with you today" she made you laugh, it was nice to feel all dolled up even though it was only for a few scenes. The bigger issue was the scene after that. Where you and Damien's character end up in bed together at the inn.

No big deal, just awkwardly laying in bed together, staring into each others eyes, with cameras, cast, and crew all staring at you. Totally fine. "Are you ready?" She asked, her tone more serious "nervous at all?" she asked. "Me?" you responded "never" you faked a laugh and she nodded, but you know she saw right through that.

You filmed a few scenes. It felt like you had to film the scene of you walking out in your dress, Damien seeing you for the first time, over and over. Notes given everytime about changing the reaction, Amanda wasn't sure if she wanted an immediate connection, or if it would be one sided from the start so you got several take options to use. Then a few scenes at the wedding, where your characters ended up dancing together, both drinking and feeling the weight of all your old acquaintances feigning interest in your lives. Gideon calls you both an uber back to the inn, far to drunk to drive. The scene cuts to Gideon helping Gwen to her room. The both of you stumbling and laughing, making jokes about the music and the speeches , but when you reach the room the mood shifts. That shift was hard to capture, filming over and over a small but crucial scene.

"Oh, Gideon..could you help with my dress?" your character says, Damien's face heating up at each take. If you didn't know better you'd think part of it wasn't acting. As his character helps, he sits down on the bed, listening to Gwen continue a story as she changed in her bathroom, door open but just out of view. That is when she climbs into the bed with him, both talking and becoming more comfortable. Only taking two takes to get that just right, natural as could be. It was the next scene, the final scene that caused issue.

Gideon and Gwen lay back on the bed, laughing about the way an old school mate said the word "wildest" in his speech, he'd spent the summer in London and now thinks he has an accent. As your laughing slows, you look at each other. Your characters seeing each other in a new way, but you and Damien could not stop giggling. Ruining the scene each take.

"You guys are KILLING me" Amanda says, giggling herself. "Ok, here is the deal. This scene is everything.. it has to be right. We have a few more scenes to get tomorrow so lets try this again then ok?" she sighs. "In the meantime, I need you two to find a way to get...better?" she said with a shrug "I need you two to look at each other like everything shifted, like your friendship is ending and a relationship is beginning. I don't care if you lay in this bed all night figuring it out...but please figure it out" she walked off and you and Damien looked at eachother as the crew starts to wrap set. "Yikes" he said, breaking the silence. "I'm so sorry" you start in but he cuts you off "hey it is both of us, it is an awkward scene" he lets out a bit of air "Maybe we should actually practice" he suggests and you raise an eyebrow

"Why Damien Haas, are you trying to get me in bed?" you ask with a smirk "Maybe" he smirked back and you and while you started it, it made your cheeks heat up. "We can order in at my place and get more comfortable?" he said, losing the edge to his voice and becoming more sincere.

"That does sound like a good idea" you admit. "I guess we haven't really hung out before, so it would be nice to just shake off the nerves and be more comfortable" you said honestly. "Anything I can pick up on the way to your place?" You ask but he shook his head "no, let me shoot you over my address and we can meet there" you hand him your phone and say goodbye to a few people before taking off and driving to his house. The nerds really hit when you walked up to Damien's door. Were you really here to...lay in bed with a cute boy? This can not be real life.

You knock on the door and hear him shuffle a bit before answering. "Hey!" he said, you could tell he was out of breath. "Sorry was just uh picking up a little" he said, gesturing for you to come in. His place looked so nice. You smiled, turning to face him "This place is very you, I like you" you said and he smiled in return "I tried to make it feel like home" he started walking to the kitchen and you followed behind him. "I thought Italian food would be a good option, so I got a few things from my favorite spot".

"I'm not picky" you smiled and watched him as he made you a plate, setting it at the table. "What can I get you to drink? I have sodas, water, tea" he looked in a cabinet next to him "Oh! I don't drink much but I have a bottle of wine we could crack open" he said, pulling out a bottle. "You know, a glass of wine sounds perfect right now" you chuckled. "You are not wrong, take the edge off" he nodded. "What, you don't often invite women over to lay in your bed and stare at you?" you joked at him

"Oh no, this s a weekly occurrence for me" he joked back. He was always quick with a joke, and you liked playing off of him. You followed him to the table, sitting down "Well now I don't feel special at all" you hold back a laugh.

You both talk, getting to know each other over dinner. You found out you had a lot in common, especially around gaming. You learned he even voiced a character or two that you liked and that was a shocking revelation. "Ok" he says, after cleaning up our plates. "I think we dive right into this. Find a way to be more comfortable with ease" he weighs in "we could like...cuddle on the couch?" he shakes his head "this is so awkward" he covers his face with his hand. You start in, hoping to ease his tension "No no, you're right." you give him a small smile "this IS awkward, don't feel bad" you both are quite for a moment "Cuddle on the couch and watch an episode of TV or something? Let us get get over the awkwardness. Pretend this is a casual date night or something" he nods "we are both actors, we can do that" he says with confidence.

You were trying to contain your feelings as he sat next to you on the sofa, turning on netflix and finding a baking show to watch. That was sweet of him since you said that was your go to type of show. "Is it ok if I put my arm around you?" he asks, not taking his eyes off the screen. "That would be ok" you glance at him. When he placed his arm around your shoulders you instinctively leaned him closer. Your heart picked up as his hand nervously laid against you. You held in your breathing slightly, afraid to move too much, wanting to just take in the moment you are in. You watched the show for several minutes like this, quite but comfortable. "I wish I could bake like this" you said, breaking the silence. "Me too" he said adjusting his arm slightly and gently rubbing his thumb against your arm. You got goosebumps very lightly, hoping he hadn't noticed. You adjust slightly and lay your head against his shoulder, allowing for a slight escalation.

In turn, Damien pulled you in a little closer and for a moment you forgot why you were here. "This is...comfortable" he said eventually and you nodded "Yeah, it is" he could not see your smile, but it was there. "Not nearly as awkward as I thought" you added and he chuckled "Oh you thought cuddling with me would be awkward? Should I be offended?" he said playfully. "or should I be happy you imagined cuddling with me at all?" he kept a playful tone but the comment made your cheeks warm. "I guess there are worse people I could have as a romantic counterpart" you joke back. "I'll take that as a compliment" he said, his thumb moving up and down your arm at a slower pace, your body acutely aware.

"We've proven we can cuddle." you say, not sure how to really say that you want to try laying down now. you feel his head nod and you move to sitting back up. "Do you want to...move to my room?" he said now looking at you. "I think so" you said, realizing how close you two still sat. "Do you..maybe want to talk expectations?" he said a bit quieter than his normal voice. "Cuddling on the couch is one thing I uh-" he stammered a bit "I want to make sure you are comfortable and that I don't overstep here" you bit your lip slightly and his eyes moved to stare but quickly came back to your eyes "Yeah" you try to say confidently "Um, the scene does call for a few things, maybe we could practice all of that.." he trail off, knowing that means a kiss.

"Ok" his smile clear "Lets just practice the scene and stop if we feel too weird. Maybe that is easiest? Lets just be Gideon and Gwen?" he suggests and you felt your shoulders actually relax a bit. "I like that Idea" you add in, starting to stand up. "well, are you going to walk me to my room?" you said in a more confident voice that you use for Gwen. Damien stood up, grabbing your hand and leading you to his room. Your heart pounding in your chest. You couldn't believe the way you were able to continue this exercise without squealing. You reached Damien's room and looked around. He had dark bedding, and low lighting. It was much like you expected it to be but very clean and still inviting in a way.

He sat on his bed, patting next to him. "So, we both are sitting here" he said as you made your way over, sitting next to him. "Laughing about the world wildly" you add and he leaned back, you followed. This time, you turned to look at him and he looked at you. This time, there was no giggling, you both stared for a moment or two before you cracked a smile. "Look at us" he said sitting back up, that had to be 5-6 seconds right? he joked. You sat back up too "Better than before right? This is more comfortable already" you tried to shake out your hands and he watched in amusement. "Am I making you nervous" he said, a hint of joking but more a sense of intimacy in his question. He actually worried that something he was doing was uncomfortable and you shook your head no at first but stopped. "I think It was more nerve racking to do all of this with you in front of everyone, judging our movements, giving us notes, you know?" he nodded, you could tell that just saying it gave him some relief. "I was thinking the same thing" he admitted "I don't want to come off as a weirdo but it felt wrong to potentially kiss you for the first time in front of all those people and immediately receive notes on it." he chuckled slightly. "not really how I imagined it" you said, not thinking about the implications of that statement. "So you imagined it huh? He said leaning into the playfulness. You wanted to backtrack, to say something about it being in the script.

Instead you played off his attitude "what if I have?" you bit your bottom lip and you saw the shift in his face, the corner of his mouth turning upwards and he cocked his head to the side. "Well now you have to share with the class. What exactly did you imagine it being like?" the way his spoke made you take a sharp breath. You leaned in closer to him "to start, there were a lot less people" you say in a low voice. Damien matched your energy leaning in, you two sitting on the bed closely "there are less people here now" he watched your eyes, waiting for any kind of invitation "and yet you still haven't kissed me" you felt his hand on your face before the words left your mouth. "I've also thought about what it would be like to kiss you" his voice low as he inched closer. You closed your eyes, waiting for his lips to meet yours. It was soft at first, testing the waters. You pushed harder against his mouth and you felt him envelop you. His hand now in your hair and his body beginning to press against yours. You fall back on the bed and follows, hovering above you as he gently pulls back.

You look up and him and smile "I think we will be just fine tomorrow" he says, before kissing you again.

[little-diable]

Little-Diable's 17k Celebration

So, I completely forgot about my 17k celebration but I had a whole thing planned - now I feel like turning it into a Christmas writing challenge would be more fun! ❄️

First up, as always, please know how much I appreciate all your love on my fics, this is my soul's home and I'm so glad I get to share all these things with y'all.

So, my lovely writer friends, here‘s what you’ll need to do:

Choose one of the following characters: Tommy Shelby, Dean and/or Sam Winchester, Aaron Hotchner, Spencer Reid, Negan, Sihtric, Tom Riddle, Carlisle Cullen, Tyler Owens, Jake Seresin, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen

Pick your favourite Christmas movie (if you don’t have any feel free to pick one you absolutely hate) and somehow mention it, let it be the name, something out of it, or a line from it

Write a Christmas themed fic with the character you chose and the movie, go for whatever genre you want

You'll have time to write your fic until the 23rd of December 2024

Please only write reader-insert fics, use a keep reading tag, and use appropriate warnings. It can be as dark, as angsty, as smutty, as fluffy as you want, there is no limit for the word count. You can combine this with other challenges if you want. You can also write more than one fic for this celebration.

Post the fic with #little-diable17k, message me if I don't reblog it within two days

I hope this is all clear and somewhat understandable! I am so excited for this, and I hope lots of you will take part in it! I’d be grateful for a signal boost so many writers can take part!

Tagging some mutuals and writers/readers who may enjoy this:

@whitedarkmoonflower @zablife @running-outof-time @sansaorgana @band--psycho @cillmequick @earlgreydreamreplies @sehnsuchts-trunken @footballffbarbiex @writingliv @holylulusworld @pink-sparkly-witch

[prince-rowan-of-the-forest]

Part of the Team

The vigilante Duality gets hurt in a fight, Virgil goes to the only hero he can trust to help him.

It turns out that they might all know each other better than they thought.

----

| Ao3 |

Warnings: None

Pairings: Virgil/Roman/Janus/Logan (Analoroceit??)

Word Count: 1421

Notes:

My second fic for the @tsspromptmonth sleepy bean cafe event!!!

So Roman/Janus/Virgil/Logan is not a ship I would normally write and I actually intended this to just be anaroceit but then Logan inserted himself in so now we're here.

Written for @nonbinary-octopus

The Prompt: superpowers, secret identities, mutual pining, and ""only one knows their dating"" with a polycule of at least three

----

Virgil smashed the rock that had been launched at him mere seconds ago, it broke into shards that bounced off his costume easily. 

“Can you listen to me for one fucking second?” Virgil yelled at the superhero attempting to fight him, the hotshot in town, “I don’t want to fight you-”

“Of course you do!” Prince said, puffing out his chest as he landed in front of Virgil, who was about three seconds away from a panic attack as the most powerful hero in the city and also Virgil’s longest standing crush, “That’s like- our entire thing!”

Virgil, admittedly, loved their fights. It gave him an opportunity to both punch Roman in the face and also to get close enough to him to see his face, how his eyes widened and his pupils dilated when Virgil got too close, how his hair never looked messy no matter how many times Virgil landed a hit, it was fun to fight the hero. But not right now.

“Look - I just- fuck-” Virgil said, lunging to grab Roman by the collar of his shirt with an involuntary crack of electricity in his hand to stop him from zipping away with those stupid flight powers he had on top of the others, “I need your help.”

That seemed to strike a chord, as Roman practically went limp for just a few seconds before righting himself. 

“You need my help?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Don't make me regret asking you, Princey,” Virgil growled, choosing not to notice the blush that bloomed on a Romans face because of it, instead dropping the hero, “Duality is in trouble.” 

“Duality? The vigilante?” Roman asked, immediately getting up from the floor seemingly unharmed to Virgil's displeasure, “What- what's wrong with him? And what did you have to do with it, villain?” 

Roman had hastily added that last part to cover up the clear worry on his face at the idea that the vigilante who always seemed to pop up during Roman's operations to help might be in trouble. 

“I didn't have shit to do with it, you asshole,” Virgil hissed, the idea that he would've done something to get Janus hurt, “It was another villain he ended up fighting who could stop him from shifting - I had to drag him back home and I don't know what the hell to do- I just- you have healing powers so-” 

“Okay okay-” Roman said, reaching forward to take Virgil by the arms. The villain froze, “I'll help Duality okay? You just gotta take me to him.” 

Virgil took a deep breath and nodded, taking Roman's hand and dragging him off,  determinedly pulling him along until halfway there when he stopped abruptly, “Princey.” 

“Tempest,” Roman returned, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Look - he’s- he’s not in the best state right now, before we go in, and I wanna warn you - you’re gonna find out stuff that you can’t fucking tell anyone. Okay?” Virgil stressed, “Not even your stupid hero buddies.”

“Like I would tell them anyway,” Prince rolls his eyes, “They’d arrest me for talking to you like a normal human being let alone helping a vigilante, just shut up and show me what’s going on.”

“Right - well um- Logic is also there, so just- be prepared,” Virgil mumbled, going back to dragging the hero across town to a fairly nice apartment building.

“What- the hell is Logic doing there?” Prince asked, eyes wide. 

“They're my friends, and it's my damn apartment so I'll invite whoever I want, deal with it.” 

—

“Duality isn’t in costume,” Virgil told him firmly, “So just- nothing you see here leaves this room.”

“I already said yes,” Prince rolled his eyes as Virgil dragged him up the stairs. Virgil called out once they arrived at the apartment, fumbling to unlock the door and drag Prince inside. Prince came easily, pushing the door closed behind him and trailing behind into the living room, where Duality - or, right now, Virgil’s best friend Janus - was laying on the sofa. Currently he was being looked over by Logic, the notoriously hyper intelligent supervillain - which sure was a sight for the hero to behold… especially since he happened to recognise Janus. 

Prince stopped in the doorway, staring at the two of them, before grabbing Virgi’s wrist and dragging him back.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Virgil hissed as Prince shoved him back into the hall. 

“That is my boyfriend-” Prince said in a whisper-yell, Virgil’s eyes widened. 

Janus was Virgil’s best friend - they knew each other’s civilian identities, and because of that Virgil knew that Janus was dating two people, and one of them was already in his apartment with Janus. 

“Holy fucking shit,” Virgil mumbled, “You’re Roman Kingsley.”

Roman went pale, before flailing a little, “What? No- no of course not- why would I ever be-”

“Roman shut up,” Virgil said, shaking his head, “This is so dumb - I’m Virgil.”

“...Oh,” Roman said, blinking at him, slowly his eyes widened, “Oh! Virgil!”

And Virgil found himself swept off of his feet and spun around by the hero, and Virgil struggled to get out of his hold.

“Shut up - what the hell-”

“Virgil! Oh this is wonderful! We’re all together now! Thank you for telling me what was going on-”

“You’re welcome-?” Virgil said awkwardly, blushing despite his attempt to quell his own feelings - they were all in a relationship, apparently, which meant even his crush on the stupid superhero was even less attainable, “Can we - can we just go inside-?”

—

It took almost no time at all for Janus to be patched up with both Roman and Logan helping out. It was odd to Virgil to see both a notorious supervillain and hero working together to help someone they both clearly cared about. Virgil meanwhile was steadily keeping watch, both on the two of them to ensure they didn’t try anything in his apartment. 

At some point, Logan’s identity had also been revealed and the two had comforted Roman on the fact that he was dating a supervillain, while Janus just snuggled up to Roman’s side, mentally and physically exhausted from the day. 

“Here,” Virgil says, carrying a pile of blankets and pillows into the room, placing them next to Janus, “I’m guessing you guys are gonna want to stay here, so um, here’s some blankets and stuff, you guys can stay on the sofas and stuff? Unless you’d rather take my bed and I’ll sleep out here-?”

“Why can’t you join us?” Roman asked, tilting his head, looking a little disappointed as he held a pillow. 

“I-” Virgil started, looking around at the three of them, who all looked at him the same way, “Why would you want me to stay?”

“Why wouldn’t we want to spend more time with our boyfriend?” Logan asked, looking confused, “Especially when he’s done so much for us today.”

“I- I’m sorry, what?” Virgil asked, “The hell do you mean, boyfriend?”

“You’re… our boyfriend, aren’t you?” Janus asked, looking confused. 

“Not as far as I knew!” Virgil cried, confusion and fluster alike squeezing his chest tightly, “You guys - you guys think we’ve been dating?”

“Well- yeah! We kept inviting you on dates and you kept coming-” Roman said, shaking his head, “We thought you knew!”

“I thought they were just hanging out!” Virgil said, fidgeting with his sleeve, he’d changed out of his costume into a more comfortable hoodie since they’d gotten back. 

“Oh - no sweetie-” Janus said softly, “‘m sorry if our advances were unwanted-”

“What advances??” 

“Virgil… we’ve been flirting with you for months…”

“Oh my god…” Virgil groans.

“If you don’t want to date us that is alright-” Logan piped up, “Apologies that we misinterpreted this relationship-”

“No no-” Virgil said quickly, “No- I mean- I do want to date you - fucking hell I’ve had a huge crush on all of you for like years - but I just-”

Janus offered his arm on the opposite side to Roman, and with a look at the other two, Virgil hesitantly walks over and sits, letting Janus pull him in until Virgil is more comfortably curled up to his side. 

“Since we never made ourselves clear enough before,” Logan says, walking around the sofa to stand before them, “Virgil, would you like to be part of this relationship?”

“I- Yes - yes I would,” Virgil nodded. Roman grinned and took one of his hands, bringing it up to his lips and kissing his knuckles. 

“Then we are incredibly happy to have you, darling stormcloud.”

----

Tags: @full-of-roman-angst-trash @your-local-random-dino @cutebisexualmess @glacierruler @roseianxiety @bella-bugatti-frogetti-baguetti @scalesfeathersnfur @oatmealdaydreams @littlerat2 @goldnskyart (if anyone wants to be added, let me know!)

[halfagonyandhope]

ignite the stars │ch. 15

first chapter (x); previous chapter (x)

Satine Kryze is an internationally-recognized scholar in genocide studies who recently resigned from the Department of State over her concerns regarding the agency's ethics. Ben Kenobi is a tenured professor at Georgetown University studying the use of religion to justify military conflicts. Once high school sweethearts, the two haven't spoken since parting ways for university. That is, until Satine accepts a research fellowship - at Georgetown.

---

Come Monday morning, Satine is greeted with a knock on her office door. It’s Anakin, holding a garment bag. “Delivery from Padma’s closet,” he announces.

Satine stands, honestly a bit surprised. “She remembered,” she says. “I just…I know she’s working on several bills at the moment. And she’s pregnant! She’s got a lot on her mind.”

“Clothes are one of Padma’s love languages,” says Anakin, handing Satine the bag. “Gifting them, loaning them out, repairing them, upcycling them. If I had it my way, I’d wear the same jeans every day to work, but she’d be scandalized.” He watches as Satine hangs the bag on the coat stand by the door. “She sent a few options,” he adds.

Curious, Satine unzips the bag, realizing that a few is a massive understatement: she’s sent an even dozen. Some are for warmer weather, and Satine suspects she won’t end up wearing any of those - though spring in the District can be beautiful, it likely won’t be mild enough for the thin fabric. One she suspects will be too heavy unless there’s a surprise blizzard, which of course is a possibility. The others will probably be more likely choices, ranging from a bolero-style shrug to a soft, golden infinity-type scarf.

Satine notices the tags. All are designer.

She tries to ignore the way her hand suddenly shakes. The cost of the garments together is probably more than Satine makes during an entire pay period.

“Thank you,” she says, zipping up the bag again. “I really appreciate it. Truly.”

Anakin grins. “This is how Padma likes to make friends. She also said you’re welcome to borrow a handbag or clutch if you don’t have anything that will match.”

Satine looks up at him. “She wants to be friends? With me?”

Anakin crosses his arms against his chest. “Believe it or not, it’s kind of isolating being a Congressional representative, from what I’m told. Obviously she has Breha and Bail, but she’s struggling to find people who aren’t fawning over her or wanting to use her to get a voice at the House.”

“Well,” says Satine, “I can’t promise not to fawn over her - I mean her work speaks for itself.”

Anakin bumps her shoulder lightly with a closed fist. “Hey, she’s familiar with yours as well - she knew your name before you started dating Ben! I think the admiration is mutual. I’ll get Ben to text you her number. And speak of the devil…” he trails off, hearing a key in the lock to the office next door. Anakin spins and calls out to greet his old advisor, diving into an intricate question about military history as he leaves Satine’s office.

Satine takes a last look at the garment bag before smiling to herself and heading back to her desk.

---

That afternoon, Satine and Ben are in the library again. She’s stuck in the middle of the chapter she’s supposed to be proofreading, and she wants a distraction. 

She rummages through her bag to find her notebook, and scribbles a note to Ben.

Why did Anakin call you “Obi” this morning? she writes. Or did I misunderstand him?

And she slides the notebook to Ben. He’s on his laptop, composing an email, but he immediately diverts his attention to the notebook.

He snickers, then gestures for her pen.

Two letters, not three, he writes. O.B. Stands for “Old Ben.” It’s something he began calling me last semester when my beard started turning gray. Coincidentally, it was the first semester I had Ahsoka as a student. He refuses to call her my grad student; instead, he says she’s my grand student.

Satine bites her lip to keep from laughing aloud. Her hand brushes his as she takes back the pen. “Grand” as in “granddaughter”?

Exactly.

Satine pushes the notebook to the side. She turns slightly and reaches up to touch the pad of her thumb to the gray hair that has started to come in around his temple. He watches her with interest as her thumb moves to trace the wrinkles at the corner of his eye.

“I quite like the gray,” she admits, her voice just a whisper. “It suits you. Makes you look distinguished.”

“It’s entirely Anakin’s fault,” Ben responds. “There was no gray at all before I took him on as a student. He’s aging me prematurely.”

But he leans into her hand gently, and she knows he’s joking.

“O.B. Kenobi,” Satine says, smirking. “It’s kind of cute, actually.”

“Oh, don’t you dare take his side. I’m fairly certain Ahsoka calls me that, too - when she’s talking with Anakin. She has the good grace not to say it to my face.”

“We should all be so lucky to grow old. I hope I do.”

He lifts a brow. “Easy for you to say.” He gestures to her hair. “Are you saying you won’t dye it?”

She shakes her head. “My hair has always been thin. Wouldn’t want to risk damaging what I do have.” She laughs, reaching back to remove her hair band. Her ash blonde hair tumbles around her shoulders. Satine reaches for some strands, teasing them apart, and she leans closer to Ben. “There are bits and pieces of gray already, actually,” she says. “But having naturally cool undertones disguises it a bit more than if my hair were auburn.”

Ben studies her hair, almost as if in wonder. “How did I not notice before?”

She grins at him. But then she notices someone who is within earshot, and Satine reaches for the notebook again.

Our eyes have been…otherwise engaged much of the time we’ve been together, she writes.

Ben turns his laughter into a cough. He takes the pen from her and writes below her message. Well, it sounds like it’s high time I took a complete inventory of every surface. What else has changed and escaped my notice? Have you gotten a tattoo?

She shakes her head as he hands the pen back to her. There’s nothing I’ve felt strongly enough about to warrant such permanent modification to my body.

And then she quirks a brow at him, silently asking:

What about you?

He grins. You’ve seen me without a shirt, he replies in writing. 

You can get tattoos elsewhere, you know.  And she passes the notebook back to him.

Ben rolls his eyes, taking the pen. I don’t have a tattoo on my ass. Or anywhere else on my body.

How would I know? I haven’t seen your ass. I was genuinely curious.

He shoots her a glare upon seeing her try to hold in her laughter.

“You’re hilarious,” he says out loud, now that whoever was near has now wandered off.

Ben’s phone lights up as a silent alarm goes off.

“I had to set a reminder,” he explains, “so I wouldn’t be late for lecture again.”

Satine grins.

Ben shrugs into his coat and packs up his laptop. He nods to her own. “Send me the chapter you’re working on. I’ll proofread it this evening.”

She abhors editing, and he knows it. Grateful for the offer, she reaches up to grab his tie, pulling him back down so that she can kiss him tenderly.

He groans softly, pulling back. “Getting sidetracked after the alarm makes the alarm moot,” he says, but he’s smiling as he tucks his tie back into his vest. 

Ben turns to look up at her as he descends the stairs. His smile is still wide.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

---

“Calculus,” Satine whispers.

Ben stills over her, and the next second he’s pulled them both up so that they’re sitting upright on her couch. They’re both still half-dressed: his shirt is off, his belt unbuckled, and her skirt has been pushed up to her hips, her blouse unbuttoned, her blue lace brassiere on display.

Things had escalated quickly after their Saturday afternoon date at the National Portrait Gallery and the attached Smithsonian American Art Museum. While wandering along the exhibits at the latter, Ben had grabbed her hand and whispered, “Imagine my surprise to find they let you touch the art here.”

Satine had blushed at his words, cracked a shy smile at his joke. Those few words had given her courage, and she’d pulled him to the couch the moment they’d arrived home.

But now she’s wondering if her courage was real at all.

“I’m sorry,” she manages to get out.

Ben shakes his head. “Nothing to apologize for,” he says, as though reminding her. “Do you know what it was exactly that triggered you?”

Satine shivers and pulls her blouse back over her shoulder, where Ben had pushed it off to have better access to her neck. “I don’t think it was anything you said,” she responds. She has to laugh. “I mean, we actually haven't said anything since the moment the door was shut.”

“Probably the longest we’ve been with each other without exchanging words,” he agrees with a smirk.

Satine takes a deep breath, willing her blood pressure under control. “Maybe the position?”

He nods. “You felt trapped.”

“I’m sorry,” she says again before she can stop herself.

He gives her an exasperated look. “Don’t - ” he begins.

“I’m not trying to be a tease,” she says, suddenly worried. It’s not the first time in recent weeks she’s left him aroused, without release. She can feel the pent-up frustration.

Ben sighs. “I’d rather be brought to the edge of orgasm every day of my life by you than cum by any other woman.” He reaches slowly for her hand. “If you’re sensing annoyance, it’s because as long as my body is next to yours, I literally do not care if I climax or not, and for some reason I’m having a particularly hard time getting that message through to you.”

Her eyes flicker down to his crotch and then back up to his eyes.

“Poor phrasing,” he admits, but she just laughs.

The next moment, an idea occurs to her. “Can I…can I try something?” she asks.

His expression softens. “You can try anything you like.”

Satine stands abruptly, extending her hand out to him. Without hesitation, he grabs hold, and she pulls him to his feet. “Follow me,” she says, her grip on his fingers tightening. She leads him up the stairs to her bedroom, where she directs him to the bed. “Sit.”

He does, and she flicks on one lamp, setting it low. Then she returns to Ben.

Satine lays a hand on his bare chest and then presses firmly. “Lie back,” she orders.

“Yes, Madam,” Ben says, and he scrambles back so that his head rests against her pillows, shifting to swing his legs on the bed, clearly understanding where she’s going with this.

Satine unbuttons the rest of her blouse and lets it drop to the floor. Then she crawls onto the bed, onto him, to straddle his hips.

Ben’s jaw is tense. “The view is much better from down here anyway,” he says faintly, and then he’s pressing up into her sharply because her hands have moved to pull his trousers down a few more inches.

He groans, and then groans again when her fingers touch him through his boxers. “Fuck.”

“That’s the idea,” says Satine, and she strokes him.

“Not that I disagree,” Ben manages to say, panting, as she removes the last layer of fabric between them. “But are you good with that? You ready?”

“I had my IUD replaced at my annual appointment recently.”

And she seats herself over his hips, gathering her skirt out of the way, grateful they’ve already made quick work of her undergarment.

“Good to know,” says Ben weakly, “but that’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

His hands move to grip her hips, preventing her from sinking down.

“This position is better,” Satine says, her hands covering his own. “I control the speed, the angle. I control everything.” When he nods, trusting her, she says, “I’m ready. Condom?”

He nods, then smirks. “Back pocket of the trousers you just pulled down.”

Satine grins and reaches below him. He raises his hips slightly so she can reach the pocket, and she makes quick work of the wrapper before fitting the condom on him.

And then, together, their hands guide her hips, lowering her to take him into her warmth.

They move her slowly, inch by inch, both breathing heavily. Finally, finally, he’s inside her fully.

“Dear fucking God,” says Ben, and Satine laughs, practically giddy.

“Help me move,” she orders him. “What do you like?”

“You,” he says immediately. “You, just like that.”

She clenches around him, and she can tell he’s preventing himself from bucking his hips.

“Evil woman,” he whispers. “Don’t do that again or this will be over far too quickly.”

“Noted,” says Satine, and she rubs her thumb over his own.

Ben watches their fingers, and then he grips her hips more tightly. “We’ll start slow, okay?”

She nods, and he begins to help move her, even if she’s more in control of her movements than he is. As they find a rhythm, she watches his eyes lock on her breasts.

“Still liking the view?”

He pumps into her, groaning. “It continues to impress,” he grunts out, eyes still on her cleavage.

Satine reaches one hand behind her to unclip the bra, slipping out of it. She drops it behind her. “And how about now?”

Ben’s cadence slips, and his jaw goes slack. “God, Satine,” he whispers, reaching a hand up to palm one breast, his thumb concentrating on her nipple.

She whines, arching into him, and they try to find whatever remains of their rhythm. They succeed, for a bit, moving faster and then more slowly together, climbing, climbing, climbing, and then - 

“So fucking good,” says Ben, his tone clipped. “Satine, I - ”

And suddenly he jerks up, his muscles taut beneath her own, his fingers tight on her hips, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. She knows he’s climaxing without him needing to say the words aloud. 

It’s the most gorgeous thing she’s ever seen.

Satine's mind is blank, and then a moment later, he’s collapsed back on the sheets, breathing heavily, eyes soft and sated. The hand he’d had on her breast moves to her jaw, and he cradles her face. He helps her as she slips away from him, moving her from a kneeling position to being seated more comfortably. “What would you like next?” he asks, still out of breath, looking to her for their next step.

Satine shakes her head. “I don’t think I can climax,” she says, matching his tone. “At least, not right now. That was…a lot. Emotionally.”

Ben nods, trusting her awareness of her body’s limits. He kisses her softly. “I’ll be right back,” he says, going to dispose of the condom.

And he returns a moment later, trousers now zipped, belt buckled, a washcloth in his hand. He leans over her, pulling her gently to the edge of the bed and pushing the fabric of her skirt out of the way. As he wipes her clean, he catalogs the skin of her thighs, sinking down to kneel on the floor so he can press butterfly kisses to her knees.

“You good?” he asks eventually, pulling her skirt back down and making her shiver.

Her answer surprises even herself.

“Yes,” she whispers.

---

She wakes up to his lips on her shoulder.

Satine hums.

“It was much too dark last night for me to fulfill my promise of a complete inventory,” he says against her skin. “May I now?”

She nods, still groggy, still blinking against sleep.

Ben pulls her sleep shirt up and over her head, and she shivers at the brisk air. “Sorry,” he says as she pulls her arms beneath her chest, tucking them in from the cold.

“No, you’re not,” Satine says.

He grins. “I’m not,” he agrees, and he pulls the sheet down to her hips.

His first touch is to the center of her back. “I remember this mole,” he says. “Besides the ones on your neck, it’s my favorite.”

“You have a favorite mole of mine?”

“Oh, yes,” says Ben. “I had a ranking system, back when we were teenagers. It was based on your response to my kissing them. I wonder…will the intensity of your responses to attention to particular moles have changed over the years? Another thing I must inventory.”

Satine chuckles. “For science.”

“For science indeed. The one time that quantitative ranks are actually useful.”

At this she laughs more deeply, and he chooses this moment to press a kiss to the center of her back.

“Hmmm,” says Ben. “I think you’re suppressing your reaction because I told you I was going to be watching it. I’ll have to try another day when I haven’t reminded you. That way the data won’t be biased.”

“God forbid you collect data that are not impartial.”

“The absolute horror,” he agrees, moving his lips lower. “The muscles are more defined here than I remember, more so than I’d expect from natural age-related processes. Yoga? Pilates? Barre?”

Satine nods. “All of the above. I realized I was running myself into the ground with cardio. The running was just too hard on my joints. I switched to workouts that don’t require as much impact.”

“Interesting,” he says. “The Satine I knew wouldn’t have stayed still long enough for a yoga class.”

“Well, twenty-five year old Satine grew tired of the stress fractures that made her do nothing but sit still, and she had to figure out an alternative.” She shrugs. “It’s probably for the best. My long-distance running friends now have the beginnings of osteoarthritis, and my joints seem to be better off than theirs.”

As he laughs, she feels his hot breath against her skin. His lips begin to move up her spine. “No signs of the remnants of a tan,” he says as he plants kisses between her shoulder blades. “Do you not ever go on vacation?”

“Maybe I’m just particularly careful with my sunscreen regimen.”

Ben snorts. “You always did burn at the slightest exposure.”

“One of the reasons I fit right in in Norway,” Satine agrees.

“But you didn’t answer my question.”

Satine sighs. “You know the life of an academic. It’s pretty similar to the life of a State Department employee. Technically I got vacation time, but there really wasn’t time to use it. There was always some other crisis to address.”

Ben kisses her shoulder. “We should go on vacation,” he says.

Satine glances over her shoulder at him. “You mean for Spring Break?”

“As much as I would love to take you somewhere for Spring Break, I actually am flying out to Wisconsin that week.”

Satine has to laugh at this. “Wisconsin in the beginning of April? Not the ideal time for a visit.”

“I’d tend to agree with you. But this trip comes six years too late.”

There’s sadness in his tone, and Satine reaches out to pull one of his hands so that it rests beneath her, bordered by her own.

“My advisor wrote me into his will. I wasn’t in the right headspace to deal with it when I graduated, and I’ve been putting it off ever since. Maybe my way of pretending he’s not really gone? Anyway.”

Satine feels his lips on her shoulder blade, his beard scratching her skin.

“He left me his field notes and his key informant interview recordings. Maybe there was something important in there he wanted me to publish.”

She holds his hand more tightly. “Kind of morbid to include that in his will, don’t you think?”

She feels him shrug. “I thought so at first, too, but…Russia wasn’t a safe place to do field work. He knew that. And Anakin let slip he told you what I thought my advisor was really doing over there, so maybe he had his reasons for being morbid. He had a life-partner, Tahl, who oversaw the will. The two of them were incredibly low profile, so much so that I only learned of Tahl's existence after he died. It'll be the first time I meet her.”

Ben squeezes her fingers.

“At any rate, there’s this incredible woman here in the District whom I’m trying to convince of my emotional availability, and I figure that this trip is a good first step.”

Satine ducks her head to kiss his knuckles, and she feels Ben’s lips return to her scapula.

“But in regard to vacation,” says Ben, “I meant this summer. You’ll have moved in. Now, we didn’t actually talk about this, but I’m assuming that means you’ll give up your apartment, right?”

Satine nods. “If word got around that I still had it, I think it would make people question whether I was fully committed.”

He’s kissing the crook of her neck now. “Well, when you move in, that’s only one location the two of us have to pay rent on, as opposed to two. We should splurge - would you like to go to the beach? I assume you can work from anywhere, and the only class I’m teaching in the summer term is online anyway.”

“You just want an excuse to get me in a bikini and be able to feel me up whenever I need to reapply sunscreen. Which, fortunately for you, is quite often.”

“So is that you giving your approval?” His lips are on the nape of her neck, moving to her other shoulder.

“Perhaps,” says Satine.

His hands suddenly flip her over, and she knows he wants to study her expression. “Perhaps?” he quotes.

But the cold air against her skin makes Satine suddenly hyper-aware that she had neglected to wear a bralette to bed last night. Ben seems to notice at the exact moment she does.

“Let’s come back to this discussion,” he says. “I’m finding myself momentarily distracted.”

Satine quirks a brow. “Oh?”

Ben leans toward her. “Is this okay?” he whispers, watching her eyes. When she nods, he kisses the side of one breast.

Satine closes her eyes, letting herself sink back into the pillows.

He licks her skin, swirling his tongue around her nipple. 

“I told you,” he says, his voice clipped, “back when we met again, that you were more beautiful than ever. And even then, I had no fucking idea how right I was.”

He returns his attention to her skin.

Satine smiles as she feels his fingers move to her other breast, kneading her nipple. “Ben,” she whispers, opening her eyes, and he looks up at her, curious. “Can we just do this? Not go any further. Just this.” She closes her eyes again. “It feels…it feels so good.”

“I’m yours to command,” Ben says, and the reverence in his tone could make her cry.

She reaches out to tangle her fingers in his hair, holding him to her.

[vacantgodling]

not to be weird and sappy on main, but frfr i'm so glad i have found a community of people who think my work is good

[arsenicflame]

Bonus round! Do you use a queue tag?

[ewwww-what]

friendship so strong it grants you a sixth level spell slot. I have words to say.

[cloudiness]

A little something I made inspired by this amazing photo and these last two nights of My Chemical Romance performing “The Black Parade” in its entirety for the first time since October 2007 wow im fine and so very normal about everything as I’m sure you all can tell soooo normal

New version of this work here

[laylakeating]

And isn’t it just so pretty to think all along there was some invisible string tying you to me?

[marimbles]

i miss carpisuns sometimes </3

[kuroosdarling]

hello friendz !! i am packing my bags and moving to @tetzoro !!! please come join me if ya want ^_^

back to navi.

[crispyjenkins]

i drive myself absolutely bananas, because the writing i'm most proud of? that i love even more than anything i've done for star wars (except maybe dha kar'ta) or any other fandom i've posted for in the decade and a half i've been writing? that i want to share more than anything? unfinished witcher fics. over 80,000 words spread over a few stories, not including the thousands of words of the quick notes/ideas i have for even more stories and i love them so much. but if i post them before they're finished i'm never gonna finish them, or at least that's what it feels like. i haven't worked on any of them in months, but have put dozens and dozens of hours into plotting and timeline-ing and researching. i want to share them and brag about them and collaborate on them, but also like. i'm definitely a star wars blogger. i follow like three witcher blogs and none of them are active anymore, and i don't particularly want to make a witcher blog. and the unfinished stories on my ao3 already give me so much anxiety

but it also just leaves me sittin here on my own vibrating out of my skin with no outlet

[nomairuins]

i like overthink everything now it makes me feel so dumb. i used 2 be able to just talk 2 ppl but nowadays every single thing im like Is that actually going to make them hate me. Yes probably. and then i just dont respond which makes ppl hate me. this is how it is