#in the wake of their spectacular breakup

[mikkeneko]

If I can add one tip about how to write characters' emotional journeys over time, based on my experience both in real life and in writing:

The number one cause of emotional conflict is when people feel an emotion that, for whatever social or personal reason, they don't think they are permitted to feel.

There can be a hundred reasons why they feel like they aren't 'permitted' -- maybe it's a gender socialization issue, maybe it runs afoul of a social taboo, maybe they feel like they're in the wrong in whatever the conflict is and so they are obliged to defer to the other party's hurt feelings over their own, maybe this is a maladaptive coping mechanism where in the past they've suffered consequences for feeling and expressing the feeling, so now they don't dare.

This conflict, this dissonance, between what they think they 'should' feel and what they ACTUALLY DO feel can manifest in a hundred different directions, and drives a lot of seemingly irrational behaviors, but if your characters are not doing it, why aren't they? Are they really that perfectly in tune with their emotions? Or have you as a writer just not identified what the underlying emotion really is?

That post that's like "stop writing characters who talk like they're trying to get a good grade in therapy" really blew the door wide open for me about how common it's become for a character's emotional intelligence to not be taken into consideration when writing conflict. I remember the first time I went to therapy I had such a hard time even identifying what I was feeling, let alone had the language to explain it to someone else. Of course there are plenty of people who've never been to therapy a day in their life who are in tune to their emotions. But even they would have some trouble expressing themselves sometimes. You have to take into account there are plenty of people who are uncomfortable expressing themselves and people who think they're not allowed to feel certain ways. It also makes for more interesting conflict to have characters with different levels of understanding.

[evilbridgetjones]

So naturally, I subsequently had my heart ripped out in the most spectacular way. After I thought I’d done everything right, I didn’t just go back on my promise of spinsterhood, committed to dying alone and having my face eaten off by my roommate’s cat, I threw out the whole fucking program. But fast forward three months, and I was just trying my best to act like it had never fucking happened.   But it happened, and it hurt. And it made me feel like I had been wrong about everything. Not just about finally getting it right, but about the whole fucking theory that I had been so set on testing. Fuck the theory. Fuck the results. Fuck the arcade you took me to for a fucking breakup date. And fuck you.  So, this is the part where I say something good so I don’t sound inconsolably desolate and more than slightly unhinged, right? Like I was having trouble coping with losing my love or I got my heart broken unexpectedly and needed to adjust. But I’d much rather call a spade a spade. You ever have somebody get you so fucked up that you’re imagining smashing their windows with a tire iron during your workouts? I got my heart broken, I forgot to eat briefly, and I had to rot depressively in my childhood bedroom because my entire life outside of the romance department was also in shambles. And now instead of waking up excited for good morning texts, I wake up excited to crush some pre-workout and feel the sun, or the rain, or the mist of a foggy day. 

Why I Swapped Dating Apps for 5 Mile Runs This Year by Evil Bridget Jones | Full Post on Wordpress

[path-of-my-childhood]

1. Swift's "August" is simply perfect.

Among many other musical talents, Swift has two primary strengths that set her apart from her peers: lyrics that feel like emotional knives and bridges that bring their songs to another level. Not only does she deliver both with "August," but she circles back to twist the blade.

The vast majority of Swift's songs follow one reliable architecture: verse/chorus/second verse/chorus/bridge/chorus. And make no mistake: both verses, the chorus, and the bridge in "August" are all spectacular.

But the song's outro is what truly elevates "August" to god-tier status. Swift weaves recurring images and lyrics into the crescendo, mirroring the song's themes of reminiscence and nostalgia. When the drum beats drop out, only to surge back moments later, Swift creates a perfect sonic metaphor for nostalgic waves of regret and cyclical games of "what if."

"August" is poetic genius - not to mention a pure joy to listen to. In terms of production, it's fittingly warm, lush, and dreamy. This song epitomizes why Swift's foray into alternative folk-pop was so very welcome.

9. Swift's "Tolerate It" has already entered the pantheon of immortal heartbreak anthems.

"Tolerate It" is ostensibly about a crumbling marriage. The narrator toils away in the kitchen, setting the table and washing dishes, while her husband responds with cold indifference. She notices. In fact, all she does is notice. This is one of multiple songs on "Evermore" that excavates Swift's fascination with long-term commitment, and its various pitfalls.

But goddamn, "Tolerate It" takes me right back to being a teenager, desperate for my boyfriend's affection, waking up every day and resolving to deserve the love I craved - and being met with persistent, crippling disappointment.

Swift stages this emotion all too realistically. Whether she envisioned the song's characters to be 17 or 70, the story speaks to the greater human experience. I don't think that feeling tolerated, rather than cherished, ever gets easier to deal with - especially by an "older and wiser" partner, who may or may not have conditioned you to feel grateful for scraps (ehem, John).

Breakup songs have always been Swift's specialty. Perhaps that's because, even four years deep into a happy relationship, she can conjure pain and past suffering by brushing her hand across a piano like she's casting a spell. Perhaps she has lived many lives, had many reincarnations, and the poetry gods forgot to erase her emotional memory this time around.

Though if they did "forget," it might've been strategic. After all, our collective musical history is much richer for it.

20. "The 1" is among the most relatable and stirring songs that Taylor Swift has ever released.

In terms of relatability, Taylor Swift has set a very high bar for herself; she built her career upon songs about unrequited crushes, high school jealousy, and Shakespearean daydreams.

Of course, Swift is no longer a teenager writing songs in her parents' house - and you probably wouldn't expect to see yourself in the musings of a 30-year-old multi-millionaire. But as it turns out, Swift has spent quarantine pouring through old journals, reminiscing about lost loves, and pining for simpler times just like the rest of us.

As somebody who constantly worries that I feel things more intensely than an average person, who berates myself for dwelling on every rupture and mistake, "The 1" speaks to the deepest caverns of my soul. It's not an example of elaborate, textured lyricism, but the song's power resides in those one-liners that feel so simple and so true: tender moments of insecurity like, "It's another day waking up alone," and "But we were something, don't you think so?" Here's hoping Swift never quits digging up the grave another time.

[krispyweiss]

Movie Review: “Travelin' Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall”

Like the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival never played more than an hour in concert. For CCR, 45-minutes-and-out - no encore - was the rule.

When the latter finished slaying a sold-out crowd at London’s Royal Albert Hall in April 1970 in the wake of the former’s breakup, CCR could claim the mantle of biggest band in the world.

So says narrator Jeff Bridges at the conclusion of “Travelin' Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall,” a new documentary that features the titular show alongside a short history of CCR up to that point.

The companion LP - At the Royal Albert Hall - inexplicably presents the songs in slightly altered running order. It’s spectacular, but short. So the film is buffeted with background on the group’s origins and its 1970 European tour to stretch it to almost 90 minutes.

Beginning in El Cerrito, Calif., where drummer Doug Clifford, bassist Stu Cook and guitarists Tom and John Fogerty first came together as Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets and, later, the John-fronted Golliwogs, “Travelin’ Band”’s front half is based around rarely- and never-before-seen footage of the foursome as they evolve from obscure local act to worldwide phenomenon.

Early videos of a dimly lit, mustachioed John Fogerty miming “I Put a Spell on You” alongside his clean-cut bandmates and later gems from Woodstock and inside their rehearsal space - the Factory - with its apropos-of-everything, blue-velvet drapes are priceless.

Footage of the band exploring European cities and playing their stages build up to the unedited concert at Albert Hall, which is jaw-dropping in its spartan presentation and musical and intensity.

The stage is small and unadorned. There’s no light show. And the audience is virtually on top of the band.

John Fogerty plays his guitar solos while facing Clifford. Cook and Tom Fogerty occupy the other side of the stage, sharing a mic for backgrounds on tracks such as “The Night Time is the Right Time” and “Proud Mary.”

“Born on the Bayou” simmers like cooking gumbo. The triple-time pairing of “Fortunate Son”->”Commotion” roils over the side. And “Keep on Chooglin’,” which closes the show with John Fogerty alternating between harp and axe solos as his bandmates vamp, just sizzles.

It’s easy to forget just how good Creedence Clearwater Revival was during its all-too-short time in the spotlight. “Travelin’ Band” - particularly the concert sequence - is a powerful reminder.

Biggest than the Beatles?

Nope.

Fab in their own way?

Absolutely.

Grade card: “Travelin' Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall” - A

9/27/22

[crimsonlocks]

💕 Ship: Laurence x Lilli ((I know u dont ship it but maybe for fun?))

@schattenmagier please tell me if I got something wrong, I am trying my best In some kind of AU in which a divorce is waiting to happen:

How did they meet?

Laurence saw her stealing something, called her out and took her to the church. Nothing changed here.

Who flirted with who first?

Laurence, even though he hated that he did it.

Was it love at first sight or a slowburn romance?

It was an enemies to lovers hands down. Totally an enemies to lovers.

Did they start dating right away or were they friends before things became romantic?

They were enemies before they were friends.

What was their first date?

A horrible no good really bad date that Gehrman arranged so that the two could get closer. It failed spectacular. There is a whole RP about it.

What are their favourite things to do on date nights?

I can see them making fun of stuck up jerks together.

Do they still go on dates after being together for a while?

Not really, no. Their relationship is kind of awkard already, so they mostly stay home.

What is their love language?

Laurence is making sure to sometimes shut up when Lilli is near. In turn, Lilli won't insult him left and right.

Who kissed who first? We had asks about this... I think Lilli kissed Laurence first.

Who started the relationship?

Laurence. He wakes up every day and asks himself "Why? Why did she say yes? It was supposed to be a joke." But it isn't a joke anymore. There is a certain fondness inside of him. He hates it.

Monogamy or Polyamory? Monogamy.

Are they/do they plan on getting married? In this AU they are already married and nobody knows why and how it happened.

Who proposed? Was it a yes or no? Laurence. It was a yes, which surprised EVERYBODY.

Do they want kids? Who brought it up first? Laurence is infertile, so no kids.

Do they already have kids, together or from previous relationships? Laurence has an adopted daughter named Amelia, but she mostly gets raised in the church orphanage.

Do they have any routines/rituals in their relationship? They fight a whole lot. The people around them see it as ritual/routine.

How do they take care of each other when they are sick/hurt? Lilli refuses to take the blood, so Laurence gets advice from Gehrman how to make her feel better. But mostly she has to be left alone to just sleep it off.

How do they like to spend time together? Either by making fun of others or by fighting with each other.

What are their favourite non-sexual forms of intimacy? For Laurence it is talking about whatever goes through his mind and Lilli for a change just listening.

What are some of their favourite things about their partner? Laurence: "I wish I knew!"

How do they comfort the other when they are upset? Laurence just needs to hear a few uplifting words. Lilli is better left alone when upset. Laurence learned that she often needs space.

Who buys the other spontaneous gifts? Laurence.

What position do they sleep in? Lilli refuses to sleep in the same bed with Laurence.

Do they bathe/shower together? No.

Do they do anything else in the bath/shower other than wash? No.

In the bedroom - Vanilla, a little spice, or kinky af? I am not comfortable answering nsfw asks about this ship, so I am going to cross all these out.

For applicable ships - who tops/bottoms?

For applicable ships - who is more dominant/submissive?

What is their favourite sex position?

Do either of them enjoy bringing sex toys into the bedroom?

Favourite place to have sex?

Most adventurous place they’ve had sex?

How often do they fight? What about? ALL the time. Mostly because Laurence can't shut up and said something stupid.

Have they ever broken up? Everyone is waiting for it.

Messy breakup, amicable split, remain friends, ride or die or til death do us part? They will have a messy breakup eventually.

[binunus]

college bf!mj

a/n AH !!!! THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ASTRO COMEBACK ???? APRIL 5TH ??? WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE LOVES !! i genuinely...do not know if I will be able to survive this month bc of them. 

(also i tried to get this posted on mj’s birthday but I’m so sorry a lot of shit happened and I had a ~bad mental breakdown~ and it’s just been rough out here but that’s a story for another time if any of you lovely beings wanna know hehe)

→ genre: fluff, smut

→ tw: mentions of cheating (in past relationships)

→ word count: 4.9k ____________________________________

KIM MYUNGJUN !!

A LIVING REINCARNATION OF THE SUN

this is gonna be so cute i just !! love him so much???

has his own apartment, but he honestly stays over all of the boys’ places so much that...he barely sleeps at his apt

major: vocal performance

his voice is literally honey

can probably sing higher than some sopranos in his major

so friendly, everyone who meets him loves him

mj just has a way of attracting people and making people comfortable around him

in short, he is – of course – the moodmaker

can turn anyone’s frown upside down

he’s down?? for like everything

an adventurous spontaneous type

has...probably failed a ged ed class once or twice before...

he’s not stupid okay! he just doesn’t really care about the classes that has no connection to his major

like will he ever apply calculus in singing? probably not

oh but professors can’t hate him, even if he just messes around during class

he’s just so kind and likeable

loves his boys aka astro

will literally do anything to make them smile, even if he’s had a rough day

as long as his boys are happy :’) he’s happy :’)

now how do you meet myungjun??

he’s in an acapella group on campus

he just has to be alright

he was the only freshman that got in during his first year

that shows how good he is :*

a tenor in the highly competitive co-ed group

spoiler alert, he convinces sanha to join, but that’s for college bf!sanha

myungjun is what me and my friends like to call: the solo whore

and it’s not bc he’s greedy for solos, he’s a real team player

his voice just happens to sound the best for most solos your group has??

you’re also in the acapella group

im not giving a voice part bc then that would put you in a binary category

so soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, you pick love

anyway, you and myungjun were chosen to sing a duet for one of your competition pieces

and it was the key emotional piece so you and him had to be on your A games

you and myungjun were friends ofc, you had to be some sort of friends with everyone in your acapella group

but you never really hung out with him outside of rehearsal

well until you got this duet together

and you weren’t worried about it, mj was so fun and nice and an amazing singer, you had no doubt these extra practices with him would be a good time

and you were right! besides singing, you actually got a chance to get to know him and how goofy he really was

you’re pretty sure you always had an ab workout whenever you hung out with him bc of how much he made you laugh

about a month away from competition, you and myungjun were like best buds

literally a chaotic, iconic duo

the chemistry you two had during your duet was spectacular, your voices highlighted and bounced off each other very well

but! your leader had a little critique

“y/n, myungjun, that was great but...can you guys pretend to look...like in love? I get we’re all friends here, but if you can’t convey the emotion of the song in our performance, what’s the point? This goes for everyone, this is a song about how much you love your partner and would give them the world, we need to show that in our eyes and movements, even if you’re just singing ooh and woah for like 10 measures.”

you and myungjun decide to stay after rehearsal and practice the emotions you guess...

your leader had a point, good singing could only go so far

and for the first time, myunjun was a bit...? awkward??

you: alright so how are we gonna pretend to be madly in love with each other

he chuckles and shrugs: honestly I don’t know, look at me like I’m your boyfriend or something??

you: well, I hate my last boyfriend so that probably wouldn’t be a good idea

myungjun offering you a high-five: I hate...well I think I hate...my last partner too so at least we have that

you: how do you think you hate your last partner? are you not dating anyone right now?

he gives you a smile and like you notice it’s forced?? it’s not genuine or bright like the one he usually gives

mj: no I’m not dating anyone...my last relationship sorta traumatized me I guess. 

you: ...how did it traumatize you...? you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to myungjun

mj: ah *awkward laughter* well...I was sorta going through it my senior year of high school, stress from graduating and what to do with my life and all that shit, you know? I dated this person since my freshman year and I guess my mental health got the best of me during that time and they couldn’t handle it. We were planning on staying together throughout college and do long distance but I found out in the summer before starting college that they fucked my high school best friend behind my back...when I confronted them about it, the answer they gave me was that I was too down and preoccupied with my worries to notice about my partner’s needs...pretty fucked up right?

your jaw dropped, your eyes were bulging out at his story

you: myungjun what the fuck??? what college do they go to? I’ll pull up right now and beat their asses, I don’t know scream in their face or something! That’s fucked!

he’s laughing a little: thanks y/n, but it’s alright. You know, maybe I was too caught up in my own problems that I ended up neglecting my partner’s needs...I guess that’s why I’m always just trying to be carefree and fun now.

you: that doesn’t justify the fact that what they did to you was wrong. you should have never gone through that myungjun, it’s not your fault that you were going through it mentally, your partner should have been there to support you and understand your struggles, not cheat on you with your best friend. ugh I’m pissed for you. 

mj: I appreciate it y/n, but yeah love’s sorta a hard subject for me.

you nod in understanding

mj: well! that’s my traumatic breakup story, it’s only fair you share yours

you laugh: you’re right. Well I was dating this guy right when I entered college, met him at the freshman orientation, completely hit it off. I was so in love with him, we dated for about a year. And then last semester he broke up with me out of nowhere, said he wanted to focus on school and himself and that he needed a break from dating. I found out two days later that he started dating one of his suite mates and that on the night he broke up with me, they fucked. So love? also something hard for me.

mj: aww look at us both unable to find or relate to love because of past relationship traumas.

you hit his shoulder laughing: you’re such a headass

mj: I’m kidding! anyway, I’m sorry you went through that too y/n. it sucks and your ex is a dumbass for breaking up with you. Do you still have feelings for him? w-wait, you don’t have to answer that, was that insensitive?

you: you’re fine haha. Um...well...sometimes when I overthink things at night, I do miss him and I wonder what the hell I did wrong for it to end so abruptly because I was honestly really happy with him, but then I wake up in the morning and I hate him again. 

mj: you did nothing wrong y/n...and if you need to call me at 2 am when you’re overthinking and need some badass confidence knocked into you, I will be awake.

you smile and give him a hug: thanks myungjun...you know the same goes for you too?

mj: hm??? what do you mean??

you: you don’t always have to smile around me, especially if you don’t feel like it. Don’t repress your mental health, huh? It’s bad for the soul to bottle it in. I’m not gonna force you to share your darkest fears with me, I’m just saying that if you feel drained and wanna talk about it, I’m here to listen

myungjun pouts a little bit, he’s really touched?? it’s hard for him to share his troubles with others

like as much as he loves astro and is close to them, he doesn’t share his down sides with the boys as often as he should bc he never wants to burden them

myungjun just always thought it was easier to suppress the bad feelings and put on a happy act

but he couldn’t deny the weight lifted off his shoulders after telling you about his breakup

and maybe it was because your energies were on a different level lately, but he found it so?? easy?? to just vent to you after that

until competition, the two of you worked on faking like you were in love (basically imagining that each other was your favorite actor/actress or whatever, something like that)

it was good enough for the group to believe it lol

but what about the judges and audience hmmmmm

anyway, fast forward and it’s competition day!!

myungjun introduces you to his best friends aka the boysss aka astro

they come and support him for his competition ugh we love

you’re like smiling and hyper when you meet them

...has myungjun been rubbing off on you???

you: it’s so nice to meet you all! myungun always talks so highly of you

astro: huh?? you’re lying, myungjun hyung complimenting us???

and then they start messing and friendly bickering with each other and yes they’re teasing mj

you’re laughing bc it’s so cute?? you can see in their eyes and their smiles how much they really care about each other :’)

also astro, probably jin or eunwoo, maybe rocky: we’re sorry if m hyung has driven you to insanity these past few months of rehearsing

you just laugh as myungjun hits them: myungjun’s actually been like my partner in crime lately, so we’re all good :)

*cue the boys exchanging looks with each other*

you perform ah ha ha

alright, you were so used to thinking that myungjun was...idk kim soohyun or something bc mm chef’s kiss his acting...to get into the emotion of the song

but then during the actual performance you saw him as myungjun and like all the hard work and extra practices and late night talks came in full force and you were just...singing to him

and you notice how...handsome?? and charismatic?? myungjun really is...and the little sparkle in his eyes when he’s performing like...wow

and after your set, you’re just like shit, what the fuck was that??

your group doesn’t win though, you place second!

but you and myungjun get awarded best solo/duet of the entire competition

astro: ;)

your acapella group: ;)

the judges: ;)

alright so im a firm believer that if myungjun had feelings for someone, he would straight up tell them like balls to the wall full fucking send

after competition, the routine of school comes back. you occasionally hang out with myungjun outside of rehearsal

by occasionally, I mean once a week hangout with myungjun (and astro bc they started inviting you to their dinners)

and then one night – at midnight – he calls you like out of pocket and his tone is like completely serious

you’re a bit scared?? like: myungjun...is everything okay? did something happen?

mj: y/n...can I ask you something?

you: yeah, of course

mj: do you still think about your ex?

you: o_o um...honestly no, not really...why?

mj: well, if I’m being honest. y/n, I have feelings for you. And i’m not asking you to like me back or give me an answer straight away, but I just wanted to let you know. If you don’t think about your ex anymore, and if you think you’re ready...maybe you can consider thinking of me??

mmmmm kim myungjun you slick flirty dog grrr bark bark

and you know how he can just talk, and talk fast, so you’re still in the middle of processing this and he just goes on like

“sleep on it, y/n. I’ll see you soon for rehearsal, okay? good night”

like you don’t even have a chance to respond to him bc he just hangs up the phone

you think about it, of course you think about it, you’ve been thinking about it ever since competition

having feelings for myungjun has always been in the back of your mind since then

like did you notice that when you hung out with him, your heart would flutter if he said something sweet?? or if you two were a bit too close to each other?? 100%

but you didn’t know if either of you were ready for another relationship so it’s just been put on the back burner

at the next acapella practice, you find that your cheeks just flush whenever myungjun looks your way

the rehearsal went a bit??? weird?? like even your group noticed that there was a bit of a tension between you and myungjun

but of course, he goes up and talks to you after rehearsal ended and he’s like: hey...I’m sorry if my confession made you feel weird, I didn’t mean for that at all. If you want, we can just forget about what I said and stay friends! 

you just facepalm like: myungjun you idiot, I’m acting weird because I like you too. God, you know maybe the boys are right, maybe you need to shut your mouth for a little bit

and he whines like: hey!

but then he realizes what you said and he gives you the brightest smile: you mean it?? you like me back??

and you’re like shyly smiling now: yeah...I do...but do you want to take the next step?? I mean...do you think you’re ready for another relationship??

he gets like serious and he grabs your hand: not gonna lie, I don’t think I’ll ever be fully ready after my last one...but if there’s someone I wanna try it with, it’s you.

:’) kim !!! myung !!! jun !!!

dating myungjun?? the best thing ever

the cutest boy alive honestly

he has so much cute and goofy in him already with just friends and strangers

but with you, it’s increased tenfold

even you start to act cute and goofy after dating him

petnames?? bub and bubby

myungjun is not serious about a lot of things, but he is very serious about his feelings for you and your relationship

y’all take things at your own pace and he !! values !! consent !! even if it’s just like making out

he just doesn’t wanna mess things up with you :’)

the type of boyfriend to sing you to sleep ah !!! his voice is heaven alright

will be extra about pda in front of the guys to make them grossed out

and yes you get embarrassed, but myungjun’s too cute to scold

you get used to a lot of second-hand embarrassment dating him and being friends with the boys

but it’s just so endearing, you can’t even fight it

will swing your arms together when you’re out just walking

screams he’s so cute

you don’t really fight bc communicating with each other is one of the biggest things in your relationship

like if a disagreement or a situation comes up, you two are mature enough to talk it through and work things out bc you both already been knew what it’s like to be in a relationship that didn’t have full transparency

you do jokingly bicker about small things though (like think about how astro fights)

but he always ends fights by scooping you up in a hug and showering your face with kisses

loves kissing your nose

just imagine: you and myungjun cuddling and he just kisses your nose and you scrunch up your face and he just laughs and kisses you all over and you two end up giggling

will do anything to see a smile on your face, it’s the greatest sight to him

alright we been talking too much about how cute myungjun is

he’s also a hot motherfucker alright

the most attractive when he’s singing in your opinion

you know how charismatic he is, you’ve seen it first hand during rehearsal and performances

he’s very good at hiding his horniness, especially in public

but phew when you two are in private and myungjun’s in the mood

you can tell bc his eyes just get hazy and he immediately just starts kissing your neck

a very passionate lover, will prioritize your pleasure over his

sex with myungjun can go from being sweet and sensual, to fun and playful, to hot and exciting

by that...I mean that he is down to try every kink and position you can think of

as long as both of you are okay with it ofc

he’s one of the kinkiest members in astro im convinced

blindfolds? bondage? ice cubes? wax play?

you want it? you got it

he’s not into feet though, i apologize to my foot fetish lovers

his favorite position is actually missionary

myungjun loves being able to watch you and to see how good he’s making you feel

in missionary is when he feels the most connected to you, it’s just a passionate position

and yes he’s very vocal, so you betcha he encourages you to be vocal as well

will try to mess with you in a sense where say you two are hanging out with the guys, he’ll touch you and challenge you to not make a noise

and then he’ll snicker and wink at you if you even let out a peep

he’s a tease !!! like will edge you until you’re on the brink of cumming at least 3 times

myungjun has pretty good stroke game alright

very fluid with his hips, idk he just knows all the right spots to hit

praise...kink...that’s the tweet, need I say more

he’s into hair pulling !! both ways !! 

okay hear me out...myungjun fucking you and pulling your hair until your screaming and then after you both cum, he’s like: you hit a high f earlier bub! I almost wanted to harmonize with you but–

you: myungjun are you serious!

sex with him would always just be a fun time, like he’s hot and grrr it feels so good but there’s always a bit of laughing and joking around in the process

like he will tickle you before he puts his cock in you just to see the switch of you laughing to moaning

alright but shower sex?? he’s into that

and just the acoustics of both of your sounds in the bathroom?? it’s so filthy he loves it – and it’s easy to clean up afterwards

you bet that after any performance with your group, the two of you have sex, even if it’s just a quickie in an empty practice room or whatever

no shame, will kick the boys out or announce “we’re going to fuck bye!” if you or him get too horny in the middle of a hangout

im just gonna throw this out here...you and myungjun...mile high club

(your group competed in an acapella competition and the flight there...it just happened)

all in all, myungjun just wants to make you happy and feel good and smile, even if you two just finished an intense sex session

let’s get into the deep stuff though, you are the only person myungjun is comfortable with to not show a smile all the time

even with the boys, there’s always a small part of him that wants to just push through and be optimistic just so that they won’t worry

but with you, he knows that it’s okay to be sad and to be vulnerable :’)

when myungjun cries bc he’s upset :( fuck you cry too

he loves when you just hug him and stroke his hair when he’s stressed

very showy about your relationship, not bc he’s braggy, but bc he just wants to show the world how happy you make him and that he’s in love <3

the boys are so happy to see their eldest in love :’)

they don’t show it around each other, but they’ve come up to you in private and say sweet things like

“you make myungjun hyung so happy, he always brings joy to everyone but you bring joy to him, thank you”

im !! getting !! sentimental !!

the day you found out myungjun was in love with you was the day you met his parents

‘twas a bit spontaneous

his parents came to see one of your group performances and myungjun’s like holding your hand and leading you somewhere after you get off stage and he’s like “bub! these are my parents!”

you end up getting dinner with his family and yikes you were hella nervous, you were not expecting on meeting his parents right after your performance

not gonna lie, you thought he was leading you to the car for some post-performance sex

but they adored you, his parents could see how much you meant to their son ugh I cry

anyway, the L word

as you’re finishing dinner, myungjun’s all giddy and just like

“I’m so glad you came and watched mom and dad, the timing was perfect too! I wanted to introduce you to y/n for a while now and have you meet the person I love.”

and his parents are just smiling at you and saying how they’re so happy to finally meet you and how you have an amazing voice and to take care of myungjun and you’re !!! just !!! blushing !!!

as soon as you both got in the car after saying goodbye to his parents, he’s just like: hope I didn’t surprise you too much bubby, I didn’t know my parents were coming to watch until like an hour before we went on stage

you just give him a little smile: I was a bit caught off guard, but it’s okay. Your parents are so sweet, I see where you get it from bub.

myungjun: I can tell that they love you already! well of course not as much as I do, but with time I know they’ll come pretty close

and you’re blushing again, it’s the L word: do you mean it myungjun?

myungjun: that my parents love you?? of course–

you: no, bub...that you...love me?

myungjun: yeah...unless you don’t feel the same way–

you: myungjun! no, of course I do! I just wasn’t expecting the first time to hear it was with your parents

you two are laughing, ugh this man

after your giggles subside, he leans over from the driver’s seat and he just cups your cheek and pecks your nose: I love you y/n, thank you for reminding me what love feels like

you: I love you too myungjun

and then you two are just like sharing a sweet kiss in the parking lot of the restaurant before starting the drive back to his place

do you and myungjun make duets together for fun and post it?? yeah probably

you are the luckiest dating myungjun, the living breathing embodiment of serotonin and love

even when you two are older and out of college, he still gives you the same affection and attention and authenticity ugh he’s just amazing

im so sorry this was late but happy belated to our happy virus <3

3-12-21

[sitp-recs]

Do you have any fave break up/make up stories? That’s one of my favorite tropes

Hi nonnie, I love this trope as well! Hope you like these as much as I do :)

Light Years Away by lettersbyelise (M, 2.5k)

No one told Harry about the training courses young Aurors and Curse Breakers have in common, just like Harry never told anyone about his one-night encounter with Draco Malfoy two months prior.

Maybe Just A Midnight Rendezvous by @writcraft (E, 4k)

Harry's back in London and he's determined to show Draco how things have changed.

Be Still by @writcraft (E, 5k)

Harry’s back in England and Draco tries to fix things before he disappears again.

Packing the Flat by marguerite_26 (E, 6k)

Months after their explosive break-up, Draco insists Harry return to their flat to remove his belongings.

Vintage by momatu (T, 7k)

Of all of the vineyards, in all of the regions, in all of France, Draco's blasted editor sends him to Potter's....

like a scratch on the roof of your mouth by @eleadore (E, 9k)

Two weeks into the new year, Draco Malfoy saves Ron's life in a spectacular fashion.

Can’t Fight this Feeling by @writcraft (E, 11k)

A year may have passed, but Harry Potter definitely isn't over Draco Malfoy.

A Song, Incomplete by RurouniHime (E, 11k)

Draco’s photograph took up the entire top half of the Prophet’s front page. Below the photo: DRACO MALFOY DEFENDS SON OF FORMER LOVER. As if that were breaking news.

After Hours at the Ministry of Magic by birdsofshore (E, 11k)

It isn't precisely how Harry planned to spend Christmas Eve: trapped in a lift with his ex-boyfriend, somewhere between the third and the fourth floors of the Ministry of Magic.

Let’s Dance to Joy Division by @femmequixotic (E, 12k)

Let the love tear us apart, I've found a cure for a broken heart...

Petrichor by @lazywonderlvnd (E, 12k)

Breakups hurt, especially when you're still in love.

Polar Night by hereticalvision (E, 13k)

Still in recovery from their break-up, Harry and Draco must travel through the arctic conditions of Svalbard to catch the last Death Eater still at large.

And Back Again (Where You Belong) by eidheann (E, 16k)

He thought back on their previous handshakes, and smiled faintly at the fact they always seemed to mean so much more to him than they did to Potter.

this will be my beacon by huldrejenta (M, 16k)

Draco and Harry spend one night together after the war, and when one of them sees it as the beginning of a relationship and the other one sees it as a one night stand, things do get awkward. 

Thickets by @wolfpants (E, 17k)

When Draco returns to the UK after two decades of building his career as an internationally-renowned artist to look after his ailing, estranged father, he crosses paths with his former flame, Harry Potter, in the most unexpected way.

if you've changed your mind by warmfoothills (E, 20k)

The first Draco knows of the whole thing is Harry Potter standing in his broom shed.

My Own Worst Enemy by dysonrules (M, 22k)

After a night of heavy drinking, Draco wakes up fully-clothed to find that his flat is a wreck and several things are missing. Things only get worse from there.

Blueprints for a Dream by Frayach (E, 24k)

Harry breaks Draco’s heart, but that doesn’t mean Draco’s going to let him go without a fight.

If We Were Honest by daisymondays (E, 26k)

Two years ago, Draco and Harry had a whirlwind secret romance that ended in heart-break. Since then Draco's written a best-selling novel based on their relationship, but with one key difference—the characters get a happily ever after.

Make Me a Headline (I Want to be That Bold) by @dictacontrion (E, 31k)

Draco never expected to see Harry doing that again. Especially with someone else, in a grainy photograph that's landed on his desk one Monday morning.

Sæglópur by @femmequixotic (E, 34k)

After a difficult breakup, Draco finds himself dragged to the land of magic, law, and natural wonders where, of course, nothing goes as planned.

Blood and Fire by @lqtraintracks (E, 45k)

Harry has spent the last twelve years in Romania, not returning to England as often as he knows he should. It's complicated. But when Ginny asks him to be her best man and help her plan her wedding, he can't say no. 

Paper Rings by @lettersbyelise (E, 50k)

When Harry’s in need of a divorce lawyer, he has no choice but to turn to the best in the trade. Draco Malfoy’s reputation for discretion is flawless, and his track record for winning cases is close to perfect. But he’s also ruthless, passionate, and as infuriating as ever, and the brief relationship he and Harry had in Eighth Year still feels painfully fresh despite two decades spent apart.

Of Roses and Dragonfire by xErised (E, 53k)

Years after That Kiss, Potter (and his new pet snake) appears again, this time as Hogwarts's Quidditch and Muggle Games instructor (what are Muggle Games anyway? Is this why Potter is swimming in the Great Lake wearing such a tiny pair of pants?), disrupting Draco's peaceful life as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. 

A Private Reason for This by Femme (E, 92k)

When the wife of a star politician in the Scottish Ministry turns up dead just outside Hogsmeade, Draco Malfoy and his murder investigation team are called in from the Edinburgh Auror force to find her killer. What DCI Malfoy doesn't expect, however, is to have an ex from two decades past end up in his murder room, endangering not only his case, but also his heart.

A Case of You by @epitomereally (E, 97k)

Draco was doing just fine working as an Unspeakable in Paris, hanging out with his living and ghostly pals, inventing new spells, and definitely not thinking about Potter. Then, Lucius just had to break out of prison and turn his world upside down. Now, Draco has to return to England, where he is forced to confront how family ties bind us—and one infuriatingly fit Harry Potter.

Dwelling on Dreams by @the-sinking-ship (E, 135k)

Draco thought he could avoid Potter for the duration of his brief return to England. He’d stick to his schedule and be back home in Paris, where he belonged, in a few short months. No trouble at all. He had plenty to occupy him, what with the opening of the London branch of his successful apothecary, his innovative research, drinks with Pansy, a backlog of unread potions periodicals.

A Secondary Education by Thunderbird587 (E, 234k)

Fleeing the aftermath of his recent divorce, Draco Malfoy takes up a post as the new Potions Master at Hogwarts. At first he believes his hopes for a fresh start are dashed when he sees that a certain boyhood rival is on staff there as well. 

[senlinyu]

Dramione- draco blackmails Hermione

“What do you want?”

Draco quirked an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. “Want?”

She scowled at him and pulled an envelope out of her bag, throwing it venomously down on his desk. The force caused the flap to open, several pictures slid out.

They featured Granger’s extremely recognizable face involved in a scene that would, even conservatively, be termed an orgy.

She wasn’t engaged in anything illegal, but the very existence of the photos was career ruining in a culture as fastidiously conservative as the British Ministry of Magic.

Draco only glanced at them for a few moments before looking back up at her.

Her cheeks were stained scarlet as she glared at him. “I assumed this envelope was from you—given that you’re the only one who continues to see the need to interfere and try to destroy everything I do.” Her voice was shaking and slightly choked sounded. Her teeth were bared and she looked nearly feral. “So—obviously: you. What do you want?”

Draco leaned back and gave her a hard smile. “Now, now, Granger, think of how much weaker an opponent you’d be if I hadn’t been here all these years, going to all the trouble of bringing all your legislative loopholes and vulnerabilities to your attention.”

His smile grew razor-sharp and he laced his fingers together, resting his chin on the knuckles. “I must admit I was beginning to question whether I’d ever manage to knock you low enough to finally come crawling into my office. But even the Muggles know the higher the climb the longer the fall. It just goes to show that none of us are perfect, not even you.”

His eyes peeled away from her and he reached down to pick up one of the photos. He stared at it for several seconds while Granger seethed.

“Since we’re here, alone, I have to ask,” he finally said without looking away from the photo. “What on earth possessed you to do something this idiotic?” He glanced up at her. “You’ve had your eyes on the Minister’s seat since before you graduated. You had to have known this kind of—indulgence had the potential to destroy all your dreams in a manner both permanent and spectacular.”

He tsked and shook his head before flashing one of the photos at her. She immediately averted her eyes.

Granger’s cheeks were stained red but the rest of her face was steadily growing whiter and whiter.

Her mouth worked soundlessly for a moment before she swallowed visibly. “It wasn’t my idea,” she finally said in a strained voice.

Draco snorted. He was tempted to roll his eyes and assure her that that much abundantly obvious, but instead he waited to hear her try to explain it.

“It was—it was—” She actually looked as though she were on the verge of fainting in front of him. “He—he said I treated my job like it mattered more than our relationship. That I—always based my decisions on it, rather than him. It was—it was supposed to—“ her throat bobbed, “to spice things up. I didn’t know it was going to be—like that. He promised it was very discreet.”

Draco snorted again and glanced at the date on the back of the photo. “Anything Pucey knows about does not fall anywhere in the realm of discreet. You should have asked me,” he leered over the photo at her. “I could recommend several places that take the privacy of their clientele seriously—if this is your kind of thing.”

His eyes slid over her, and then flicked back to the photos on his desk.

Her chest was heaving sharply. “What do you want, Malfoy?”

He cocked his head slowly to the side, laying the photo down and tracing his fingertips lightly over it. “Come now, Granger, put that oversized brain of yours to work. What do you think I want?”

A decade earlier and she probably would have cried. Granger used to cry about things. When she was angry, or overwhelmed, or happy, or sad, she cried.

She appeared to have rooted out the habit at some point, although not—he noted, some of her other ones. Her fingernails had been bitten to the quick and she stared at him with her lower lip caught between her teeth.

“I won’t withdraw the bill,” she said after a moment. Her voice almost a whisper but nearly vibrating with determination. “I don’t care what you threaten to do with those. You can ruin me.”

Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. “Gracious me, Granger, you still have all the subtlety of a beater bat. How exactly would forcing you to withdraw your beloved house-elf protections bill benefit me?”

“I don’t know.” She appeared to be shaking with rage. “How have any of your attempts to block my legislation benefited you? At this point I just assume you exist to try getting in my way.”

“I didn’t say a word in opposition to the WRA,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “It was legislatively flawless. I believe I even sent you a congratulatory note on your excellent work.”

She looked angry enough to spit.

Draco shrugged and gathered up the photos again, flipping through them slowly. He paused at one and stared at it for several seconds before turning it so she could see. “This is a lovely shot of you. You have better tits than I would have credited you with.”

She twitched and her jaw started trembling minutely. “Just—tell me what you want. You have infinitely more money than I do, unless you just want to ruin me financially. Do want me to remove my name as a sponsor of the bill? Are you expecting me to withdraw from politics altogether?” The trembling appeared to have spread from her jaw into the rest of her body, she was swaying like a broken tree branch. “Just tell me what it is, I’m sick of trying to guess what you’re doing.”

Draco looked down and slid the photos neatly back into the envelope. “As it happens, Granger…” he said her name slowly. “There are several things I’m interested in.”

She stared at him for a moment and then her eyes widened and she looked as though she were on the verge of screaming or bolting.

He chuckled under his breath and tapped the sharp corner of the envelope on his desk. “You do have a filthy mind, even if a sex club wasn’t to your—tastes. No, despite how surprisingly lovely your tits are, I’m didn’t send this because I wanted a turn as well.”

She didn’t relax in the slightest.

Draco leaned back and stared coolly across his desk at her. “I want you to add my name as one of the sponsors for your house-elf protections legislation, and I want you to include me on whatever your next campaign is. I want to be consulted, I want to be a co-sponsor. I want a seat at the highly exclusive little table of do-gooders, and you will be the one to get it for me and ensure that I stay there. And—“ he gave her a slow smile, “you’ll owe me favour, which I will call in someday whenever I happen to feel like it, and you will do it whatever it is I that I ask.”

He straightened as he watched her reaction carefully. “In exchange, I will ensure that these photos never again see the light of day.”

Granger stood frozen for several seconds. Her expression was masked but there was confusion behind the obvious strain in her eyes.

“I won’t do anything illegal,” she said in a tight voice.

Draco rolled his eyes. “It will be an entirely legal favour.”

“Fine,” she finally said in a voice that only had a hint of tremour underlying it. “I want a blood oath.”

When it was done, Granger gripped the vial in her hands as she backed away from him towards the door.

Draco stepped back over to his desk and caught up the envelope, flashing her a final grin. “Did you want these as a keepsake?”

She shot him a look of pure loathing as she disappeared through the door.

The smile dropped from his face the instant she was gone. Draco slid the envelope into his robes, withdrew his wand, and cast a quick disillusionment on himself before stepping out of his office. He moved slowly in order to make as little a visual disturbance as possible.

At the first hallway, he turned and walked quietly down it until he stood outside an innocuous, and difficult to notice broom closet.

He pressed his ear to the door and listened to rapid, hyperventilating sobs for a few seconds before stepping back and pulling the envelope out of his pocket. He slid a photo up just enough to verify the date on the back once more.

Just days before her very public breakup with Adrian Pucey.

He tapped the envelope against his fingers for a moment before heading up towards the Ministry floo.

——

“Zabini.”

Blaise cracked an eye open and found Malfoy staring down at him with an icy expression on his face.

He blinked, pushed off the naked witch draped over him, and sat up. He hadn’t seen Malfoy in years and hadn’t expected to wake and find him in his bedroom.

“Why the fuck are you blackmailing Granger?”

Blaise rubbed his eyes and gave the pretentious wanker a droll smirk. “Easy target. Easy money. Mother’s training.” He shrugged as he stood up. “How did you find out?”

Malfoy’s lip curled. “She assumed this was from me. Did it not occur to you she’d have trouble paying you off if she didn’t even know who sent them.”

Blaise yawned and pulled on a robe. “I fancied leaving her to stew and panic about how bad it’d be before moving in for the kill. She must be frantic if she went straight to you. It’s convenient you came by, you deal with her all the time. How much would you say she’s worth?”

He eyed Malfoy while he stretched his shoulders. “I’m thinking installments rather than a lump sum. She’ll probably be good for a few years at least.” His pulled a velvet chord on the wall to call for a late breakfast and coffee. “I couldn’t believe my luck when Pucey brought her through the door. I think she must have sedated herself, she went with it for less than an hour, then panicked and bolted.” He nodded towards the envelope in Malfoy’s hand. “Stayed long enough though.”

Malfoy was staring at him expressionless. “I want to buy all of them.”

Blaise froze as he stared at his old schoolmate.

Malfoy was politically weaker than Granger, but financially he was a larger fish by several orders of magnitude.

Blaise hadn’t considered seeking out a third party for the photos. Granger was beloved by nearly all, with the very notable exception of Malfoy, who had an inexplicable vested interest in attempting to subvert or fuck her over with any political machinations he could scheme up.

He grinned at Malfoy. “How much is finally ruining her worth to you?”

It turned out, it was worth more than three times Blaise’s annual income.

Malfoy held the cheque lazily between his thumb and index finger and stared at Blaise with glittering eyes. “This sum is conditional, Zabini. I want a list of everyone there that night.”

Blaise started to open his mouth and deny keeping records, but Malfoy leveled him with a cold glare. “I’m certain you have one. The last thing I need is to have her claiming it was polyjuice, I want to know exactly who the corroborating—participants are.”

Blaise shrugged and retrieved it from his logbook. As he held out the list of names and extended his hand for the cheque. Malfoy held it back.

“I also want an Unbreakable Vow. I don’t want to worry someone that else is going to fuck up my chess pieces once I have them in place. I want a Vow from you that I have all the photographs and any other evidence, and that all the particulars of this little business arrangement will die with you.”

Blaise’s throat tightened as he noticed the burning intensity in Malfoy’s eyes. The man was deranged in his vendetta against Granger. Then he looked at the figure on the cheque.

“Fine.”

————

Draco stopped at Gringotts in the evening after a day’s work. He sat silently beside the goblin as the cart raced into the depths of the bank, beyond the Malfoy family vault, to a smaller private vault.

Draco unlocked the door, stepped inside, and closed it with the attending goblin waiting outside.

He pulled the file with all of Blaise’s pictures out of his robes, along with the envelope that Granger had brought him.

His jaw tensed as he stared at them. His hands shook slightly and the photos abruptly burst into flames.

He dropped them on the ground.

He walked over to all the boxes of mind-bogglingly detailed analysis of several hundred legislative documents. He dragged a finger along them as he wandered through to the far wall.

A small postcard was pinned to the wall.

“Men of sense often learn from their enemies. It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls and ships of war.”

He stared at it for several seconds and then sighed and turned around. The room was burning, the fire consuming the photos had spread to the boxes.

He watched the fire.

Feuding with Granger legislatively had honed her into a lethal political weapon far more rapidly than any advisor could have hoped to.

Advise Granger about weaknesses as a friend and she had a habit of dismissing it and assuming the best about others; come at her as an opponent and she‘d strategize, strengthen her position, and then coldly outmaneuver them.

Draco had thought she was nearly untouchable until that morning. He ground his teeth together. Her personal life would be the one area that she’d remain vulnerable.

Obliviating Pucey had been by far the most satisfying aspect of the day. Draco had thought he wasn’t a killer, but he very seriously reconsidered it when he’d had a wand leveled at Pucey’s face.

Draco walked slowly around the burning boxes towards the door of the vault.

He paused by the door and stared at a newspaper clipping on the wall.

It had faded after nearly a decade.

1998. Granger was standing in the witness stand, testifying on Draco’s behalf during the post-war trial. If Draco had been found guilty, he’d be up for release in three weeks.

Hermione Granger Wants To Save The World.

He stared at the picture and nearly reached out and touched it.

Becoming her political rival has been accidental. She’d gone straight to the Ministry after school and begun her magical rights campaign with righteous fury and no training. Her team had been equally oblivious to political pitfalls.

Draco had not been, but no one listened to him.

So—he wrote an editorial pointing out all the potential risks of Granger’s legislation until she withdrew and reworked it. Draco kept publicly harassing her until it was ironclad.

It became a bizarre type of political chess. He unapologetically hounded her over her political vulnerabilities and she rapidly learned to protect herself, and spot her own legislative weaknesses without him.

Draco was tired of feuding with her.

He hadn’t considered that she’d see their rivalry as personal or malicious until she appeared his office. He considered there to be a vast difference between being politically at odds with someone and actually wanting to ruin their life.

Not for Granger. For her everything she did was morally rooted.

He sighed as he pulled the vault door open and stepped out.

Someday—he should probably admit he’d fallen for her.

[sunriseskog]

comethru- Auston Matthews

Request: n/a this was entirely self induglent bc im sad and ive had comethru by Jermey Zucker stuck in my head for weeks

Word Count: 2,267

Warnings: cursing, angst, dudes being assholes, mentions of tr*ding auston

A/N: ive been on hiatus for a long ass time so any feedback is more than welcome!!!! also i am fully aware that i used this gift for my last post but its hot and i dont care

It had been a little over a month since Auston left. No… that’s not quite right. It had been a little over a month since Auston left Toronto. It had been just barely under a month since you had left Auston.

You weren’t entirely sure who the trade surprised more, but you did know for a fact that it had had a far greater effect on you than it had on Auston.

He had remained optimistic in the beginning. After all, Buffalo is barely a 2-hour drive on a bad day. On a good day, he could probably make it in an hour and a half. But the two of you had quickly reached the conclusion that either of you driving 4+ hours a day wasn’t practical, and it wasn’t fair to whoever drew the short end of the stick, pun intended. You knew he would never ask you to move for him, hell even moving in together had been a stretch for you, but you also knew that there was an unspoken expectation that eventually the both of you would relocate closer to the arena.

Before he had even reached the border, you had managed to convince yourself that this short distance relationship would cripple your relationship before you could even begin filling out the US immigration forms to move with him, let alone actually convince yourself to do it. So you backed off. You knew that trying to exhaust what was left of the relationship would only end up destroying you the both of you more than was necessary, so you let go. You knew it wouldn’t take him long to pick up on the fact that you were becoming distant, taking longer to respond to texts, barely calling him back and conveniently timing your responses with the specific intention of him not being able to pick up. You may have been stupid, but you sure as hell weren’t subtle. You knew that as long you were the bad guy in the scenario, it wouldn’t take him nearly as long to get over you, and as long as you remained in control of the situation, you knew that you’d come out of the tail end of things perfectly fine.

And you were. You were absolutely, positively fine. But that was all you were. You weren’t good or great or doing well, you were just… fine. You were off-kilter, sure, but you were surviving, and that was honestly all you had come to ask of yourself. You were sure that the other shoe would drop soon enough, you had ridden the high and now you were at the plateau, but the comedown seemed to always be lurking around the corner.

One too many sleepless nights in a row had come to significantly impact your sleeping schedule. It had gotten to the point where your boss had come to expect your work day to end at 5 am instead of 5 pm. It was nice, though. To see the city when it felt like no one else could. To have your whole day to yourself, even though it was technically night. Everything was much quieter, and there were moments where it felt like you might be the only person in the entire city to be awake, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. You rarely interacted with anyone, you didn’t even wake up until hours after the last of your coworkers had left the building, and every errand you had to run could be completed via the self-checkout of the 24 hr supermarket a few blocks away from your apartment building. You weren’t lonely by any means, you just so happened to be alone.

Except on game nights. You were never alone on game nights. Luckily, there weren’t very many Toronto residents that enjoyed watching one of their franchise players play in a different teams jersey, but you still couldn’t help but punish yourself by watching his games whenever they were on at the sports bar you frequented. You told yourself that as long as someone else put the game on, and as long as you left with someone new before the game was over, then it wasn’t nearly as pathetic as it seemed.

An issue arose the first time Toronto played the Sabres. You hadn’t checked the schedule, you just knew that there was a game. You also knew that if you were ever alone when a game was on you would curl up with far too much ice cream and a borderline dangerous amount of rum, neither of which were ideal. Immediately upon entering the bar, you knew that it was far too crowded for there to not be a Leafs game on, it was nowhere near baseball season, and the sea of blue jerseys couldn’t be for any other team. An involuntary wince consumed your face as Auston’s name reached your ears, it seemed like every congregation of fans in the entire establishment were talking about him, and a cursory glance at the nearest screen confirmed your fears.

The bad news was that if you stayed, you would have to watch Auston play, which was bound to be painful for any Leafs fan, but this one would hurt you just a little more than all the others— the knowledge that he was just across the city weighed heavily on your shoulders as you pushed through the crowd to find an empty stool somewhere. The worse news was that there was no way in hell a single guy in here would be willing to leave before the game was over, so you’d either have to watch all of it and then fuck the feelings away, or go home and watch all of it and probably end up crying for a majority of the third period. The former seemed like a more viable option at the time.

Now, though? You wished you had just gone home. Because it turns out you were wrong, there was a dude at the bar who was willing to leave before the end, as it would turn out, he was ready to leave before the second period was halfway through. That should have been your first red flag.

In your defense, you had a lot of other shit going on, and your brain was far too preoccupied coping with the stress that the game was bringing to consider the fact that the nice guy who had been paying for your drinks might not turn out to be that nice after all.

On the cab ride back to your apartment, you found out that his name was Sam and he was a lifelong Leafs fan. The two of you bonded over having grown up around hockey without actually playing it, and you even shared a cigarette at the entrance of your building’s lobby. It wasn’t until the two of you stepped into your living room that things took a turn for the worse.

The framed and signed Matthews jersey on the mantle had been more of a joke than anything else, all of your friends thought it was funny while the two of you were together, and you hadn’t had anyone over since the breakup, so you hadn’t found a reason to convince yourself to take it down. The look of disgust on Sam’s face as soon as he laid eyes on it would have been a fairly convincing reason if you actually gave a shit what he thought about you.

“That’s borderline sacrilege,” he commented, gesturing towards the display. You shot him an incredulous look, waiting for him to give any indication that he was making a joke.

“What?” You questioned, not really confused, just wanting to clarify if he was saying. What you thought he was saying.

“You can’t seriously call yourself a leafs fan and still support that guy! He’s a traitor,” He asserted. His over passionate gesturing indicated that he was genuinely this invested in the topic, which should have been your second red flag.

“I mean c’mon, (Y/N),” He continued. “You’re not stupid, are you?”

You couldn’t help but scoff at how pretentious and condescending he was being, without seeming to realize that he was acting like an absolute prick.

“I can assure you, Samuel,” You drawled sarcastically. “I am anything but stupid, but you have got to be absolutely moronic if you genuinely believe that I’m going to let you fuck me after speaking to me like I'm a goddamn child. Your kinks are your business but that's not really my style,” you sneered as you moved towards the doorway in order to invite him to throw himself out so you didn’t have to bother touching him any more than you already had.

“Now why don’t you get the fuck out of my house, dick head,” You spoke as your lip curled and your brow quirked, gesturing through the doorway to drive the point through his thick skull.

“Gladly,” He scoffed, slamming his shoulder into yours as he stepped past you. “Not like I’d want to fuck a whore like you anyways!” He shouted over his should as he started towards the stairs.

“Open your mouth that wide again and I’m gonna have to ask you to chortle my cock, Samuel” You responded, giving a middle finger to his back for your own satisfaction. You had never been one to censor your insults, and over the years they had become more and more lewd. This, of course, had never really presented itself as a problem until you caught the eye of your neighbor as you turned to storm back inside of your apartment. You couldn’t help but wince apologetically at the old woman, giving her a repentant head nod as you shuffled back inside.

You let your back hit the inside of the door, sliding roughly down until your tailbone hit the hardwood floor beneath your feet. Of course, the first substantial interaction you had in over a month would turn out to be a spectacular disaster. And of course, it was because of Auston. Realistically, you knew it wasn’t his fault, you just really really needed someone else to blame right now. You carded your fingers through your scalp roughly, and let out an elongated groan in the hopes that it would satisfy the overwhelming urge that you had had to scream at the top of your lungs for the past month or so.

As you stared at your own intertwined fingers in an attempt to calm yourself down, you couldn’t help but notice that your fingers were shaking. This wasn’t a recent development by any means, but this was the first time that you had noticed it being this aggressive. It usually only happened when you had coffee, which was why you had abstained from it for a majority of your life. As you looked back on what your routine had become, you realized that through all the late nights and later mornings, you had been popping caffeine pills and ordering espressos far more than the ‘one-time thing’ you told yourself it was. The realization that your life had done a complete 180 in the span of 5 weeks began to weigh on you, and it seemed like your mind was consumed entirely by flurries of memories of bad habits you had fallen back into and the lifeless moments you had spent floundering, convincing yourself that you were fine on your own, despite the fact that that was anything but the truth.

It didn’t take very long to find his contact picture in your recent messages. You hadn’t had much of a reason to talk to that many people lately. It took longer to open up the message thread, trying to prepare yourself to view the unbearably awkward finality of your most recent messages to each other. The preview underneath his name only served as a painful reminder that the last time he had texted you was to say that he loved you. And you hadn’t said it back.

You weren’t sure if he was going to respond, hell you went sure he was even going to read it. For all you knew it was entirely within the realm of possibility that he had blocked you a while ago. You knew exactly what to say, surprisingly, that wasn’t the hard part. Of the few letters that you typed, the closer you got to reaching out to him again seemed to calm you down more and more. By the time you tacked on the question mark at the end, your fingers had stopped trembling for there first time in what you could assume had been at least a couple of weeks. You let your phone drop to the floor as soon as you hit send, either he would be here within the hour or his response wouldn’t be worth reading. Those were the only options on the table. Either he was going to come and the two of you were going to get to be okay for a little while, or it truly was the end. If that was the case then you really didn’t want to see what he had to say. You heard your phone vibrate from where it laid just a couple feet away, and as much as the desire consumed you, you couldn’t bring yourself to move to see what it said. So you sat there, and waited to see if you would be able to hear those oh so familiar footsteps ascending your staircase again, responding to your oh so familiar request.

‘come thru?’

[1dshortficfest]

2019 1D Short Fic Fest Round Up

Down Memory Lane by flicker_album Harry and Louis have known each other since they were five. Now they’re in their senior year of high school and still best friends. Harry, as sentimental as ever, keeps anything Louis gives him in a box under his bed. He doesn’t anticipate Louis finding the box.

A Way So Familiar by yeah_alright Liam squeezes Zayn’s hand and presses a light kiss to his fingers. He freezes when Zayn stirs, worried he’s woken him. He’s not ready to wake him. He’s enjoying being held as he wades through the memories of that first night he’d held Zayn. Held him so properly and thoroughly that he had fallen asleep still holding him tightly. That night of pizza and beer and unadulterated flirting, when their playfulness had taken on a greater significance. It had felt revelatory. Like it was all finally – fucking finally – happening. Liam wakes up in Zayn’s arms and reminisces about some of their “firsts.”

an honest mistake by disgruntledkittenface “You look different when you’re not covered in come,” he blurts out, immediately regretting each and every life choice that has led to this exact moment. Elevator Guy is going to hate him. Louis has ridden the elevator with his neighbor all week. The first time they speak, there’s a misunderstanding.

nothing breaks (like a heart) by thelouistiti Such a good time, Louis believes it this time.

Heat by jacaranda_bloom Louis was smitten from the moment Harry had arrived a month ago. Long, curly hair which he mostly keeps up in a bun, and a sinfully deep voice. Cheeky too. Louis likes that the best. He gives good banter and laughs at Louis’ dumb jokes, adding his own woeful puns. When Louis had asked him why he was in this godforsaken dust bowl, he’d said something about a ground crew traineeship and fulfilling his visa requirements while experiencing the real Australia. Louis had been momentarily distracted by Harry’s plush, red-bitten lips so the salient details may have washed over him. OR Drinking beer in a blow-up pool, in a backyard, in stupidly hot temperatures, in outback Australia should be ridiculous, and it would be, if Louis didn’t have a curly-haired workmate to keep him company.

Fistiana by yesisaworld They met in the center of the ring and bumped their bare knuckles together.

All I See Is You, Lately by runaway_train Harry noticed him for the first time three months ago. He couldn’t not, really, what with the man being so pretty and all, and Harry remembers it well because it was three days before his birthday and he had joked to himself that seeing someone so gorgeous for three days on the trot must be an early present from the Gods. Or The one where Harry has a crush on a fellow commuter.

we’re right here in this room by flicker_album Shawn goes to the same cafe every Sunday. After he meets Niall, a friend of a friend, he can’t stop thinking about him.

Insomnis by FullOnLarrie Harry’s been having trouble sleeping. Louis makes everything better.

The Truth Of It or The Day That Changed Everything by Larryhasmyheart You are Louis, the son of a wealthy horseman. Your father has been trying to ingratiate you into his circle of friends and set you up with their daughters, but you just aren’t feeling it. Instead, ever since the new stable hand smiled at you, you have been drawn to the barn. Today, you come to understand why.

it’s only your imagination again by wreckingtomlinson “So,” Louis begins, curling up in one corner of the sofa. “Guess my secret’s out.” Harry nods. “The cat’s out of the bag,” he says with a completely straight face. ~ Or, Harry’s pretty convinced his new neighbor has a cat.

Pals and Confidantes by yeah_alright The Guys sit around the kitchen table sharing cheesecake and stories of bad dates. Golden Girls AU.

Soju (소주) by gettingaphdinlarry After a spectacular breakup he’d like to forget about, English language teacher Niall Horan finds himself in starting anew in Seoul, South Korea. He’s perfectly content being single, but when his friends try to set him up with Shawn Mendes, well… Maybe it’s time to give love another shot.

Was Sort Of Hoping That You’d Stay by Sasparella76 Last night, Louis Tomlinson hooked-up with a drop-dead gorgeous man who, right now, is sleeping contentedly in his arms. Sure, the sex was good - really good, in fact - and the guy was charming and funny, but it was just a one-time thing. The thought of having to engage in some awkward morning-after chit-chat with the lad makes Louis shudder. He needs to get up, get dressed and get out before his one-night stand wakes up.

the pain’s only temporary by wreckingtomlinson They call him The Phantom. He’s something like a myth in the industry—almost everyone knows of him, but real information is few and far between. But the one thing everyone seems to be able to agree on is that anyone who dares to make a deal with him becomes untouchably, irrevocably, successful. ~ or, Harry seeks out the help of a mysterious figure referred to only as The Phantom for help getting out of a contract, but is he prepared to pay the price?

Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by allwaswell16 Louis is having a personal crisis, a third Valentine’s Day being single. Unless he meets someone this week at the high end department store he works at, he’ll be stuck going to Niall’s Valentine’s Day party–again. Or the one where Harry mistakes Louis for a mannequin.

please forgive me if my lips quake by disgruntledkittenface Hi ! Got your number from your cat Lou. Just want to make sure they’re not lost, only visiting Harry’s pet cat wing-womans her into a date.

sunbeams by ohsailor Harry is the new neighbour suffering from insomnia. Louis is the night nurse across the hall trying to find ways to help him sleep. They find one that works.

honey (you’re familiar) by hazkaban harry had always thought that if he stumbled into the wrong date, somehow, it’s just like him, honestly, he would come clean instantly and go find his real date. that is until he’s face to face with louis, who is very pretty and not at all the man he’s supposed to be meeting.

Fluro by silveredglass Doesn’t matter where you go to help you forget - symbols, and reminders, and good old heartache is always neon bright.

Screamin’ At My Face, Baby, Don’t Trip by runaway_train He’s been waiting at their table in the restaurant for thirty minutes now, already deep into his second large glass of Shiraz, when he checks his phone. No new messages. He clicks onto WhatsApp to check when Louis was last online; 3.34 p.m today. That certainly doesn’t bode well. Louis was always late, yes, but he had promised, he had sworn to Harry that he wouldn’t be late tonight. But he was. By thirty one minutes and counting. Or The one when Harry’s anniversary dinner plans don’t go quite how he hoped they would.

She’s Got Particular Taste by Miadotfi They eventually change topics but it’s still in the back of Harry’s mind. So naturally, as soon as they get home, Harry drops her coat on the living room floor and gets naked from the waist up. With her bra in her hand she turns around to face the door. Louis enters the room and freezes in the middle of taking off her beanie. Her gaze slides down in a heartbeat, mouth hanging open. Harry waits. And waits. She doesn’t know what she expected. She shouldn’t have just stripped down first thing when they arrived home. Harry has nipple piercings and she’s more than willing to show them to Louis.

Ticket To L.A. by Tomlinsontoes Fun little airport fic based on the song “Ticket to L.A.” by Brett Young. Harry is a musician who meets Louis in an airport when all of the flights are delayed. After accidentally hitting him with his guitar case, Louis agrees to get a drink with Harry as long as he doesn’t start playing “Wonderwall”

Back To Life by Laziam (MItCheLlInE) When a fun day out turns into a horror scenario for Zayn, a kind stranger turns his entire world upside down.

The Bet by jacaranda_bloom Louis Tomlinson never reneges on a bet. Ever. He may be many things - a joker, a sometimes-wayward student, a loyal friend, a Tony Award winner in the making, and a card-carrying member of the Chad Michael Murray fan club - but never, ever, a welcher. Louis makes good on his promises and does it with flare. OR The one where Louis misjudges Harry’s ability to do TLC’s Waterfall rap and finds himself having to put on a one-man show for his viewing pleasure. If Louis decides to go all-in and dress the part, then that’s just a bonus for his (very appreciative) one-man audience.

Calling out for somebody to hold tonight by cristalrush “I saw how you kept looking at me. I’m Louis, nice to meet you.” The raspy voice startled Harry. There he was. The guy he had been watching. He looked around discreetly to make sure Louis was actually talking to him. But there was no one facing them, so Harry thought it must be him. He offered his hand to Louis, “I’m Harry, nice to meet you too.” Or Harry has almost lost hope to ever finding his soulmate and just wants to have a fun night.

A Snapshot by haztobegood That one time Harry’s photo was uploaded to Louis’ instagram.

Drunk on summer by sweetsumerstyles Zayn and Louis are on a beach stargazing with a bottle of wine and a blanket wrapped around them.

Size Difference by FullOnLarrie Harry avoids confrontation until he can’t anymore.

Angels in the Airwaves Tonight by shiftylinguini Louis is between jobs. Niall is always along for the ride.

Beautiful Disaster by FallingLikeThis Harry is broken. Maybe Louis can help with that.

Harry’s Love Song by writcraft Harry calls Nick to let him know he’s coming back to London.

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of Cheese (who am I to dis-a-brie?) by EmmyLouWho The first time it happened, Harry had assumed that it was an honest mistake. The second time it happened, Harry thought it must have been a coincidence. Perhaps if he hadn’t been such an eternal optimist, the possibility that someone was stealing his food might have occurred to him a bit earlier, but Harry had a great deal of faith in the goodness of his fellow students, and so he continued to believe that it was an accident. But by the third time he had returned to an empty microwave, Harry was starting to realise that someone was stealing his mac & cheese on purpose.

A True Love of Mine by myownspark Niall’s peaceful afternoon at the beach with Shawn is interrupted by a group of strangers. One man in particular reminds him of someone special from long ago.

sweet, sweet fate by bottomlinsons Harry’s lived with a NSFW soulmark for almost twenty-five years now. When he finally meets the man responsible, he gives him a little piece of his mind.

As Luck Would Have It by Justalittlelouislove We’ve all experienced the trials and tribulations of technology. Louis is sabotaged by a bit of unhelpful autocorrect, but maybe luck is on his side after all.

It Could Be Sweet (like a long forgotten dream) by Harryskiwiposes “You did all this? For me? Even after I ignored you all week?” “I know why you’ve been ignoring me. If you had given me a chance to explain.” He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, “I was never going to set up a dating profile. That was all Niall’s idea. He thought he was helping, but…it’s…it’s you, Louis. I just want to be with you. I was going to ask you out before Niall burst in and -” OR - the one where a miscommunication and a blackout lead Harry and Louis to admit their feelings for each other.

[missytearex]

I’ve had a bit of a busy week this time around, so I really appreciated all the short fics that have been posted for @1dshortficfest! Also, posting has officially begun for the wonderful @potterdirectionficexchange, which I have been looking forward to for a long time now, and I’m nearly jumping out of my skin from excitement! 

Here’s what I read this week!

💚 Pals and Confidantes by Anonymous — [fic post]

gen | 2.5k | general audiences — (au, screenplay, humour)

The Guys sit around the kitchen table sharing cheesecake and stories of bad dates.

Golden Girls AU.

🧡 High enough for you to pull me under by @a-brighter-yellow — [fic post]

larry | 65k | mature — (au, coming of age, childhood friends, body swap)

Louis makes a mistake that alters the course of his entire life. The universe wants him to fix it. 13 Going On 30 AU.

💙 Soju (소주) by Anonymous — [fic post]

shiall | 2.4k | not rated — (au, drinking games, travel)

After a spectacular breakup he’d like to forget about, English language teacher Niall Horan finds himself in starting anew in Seoul, South Korea. He’s perfectly content being single, but when his friends try to set him up with Shawn Mendes, well… Maybe it’s time to give love another shot.

🧡 Was Sort Of Hoping That You’d Stay by Anonymous — [fic post]

larry | 2.4k | mature — (au, strangers to lovers)

Last night, Louis Tomlinson hooked-up with a drop-dead gorgeous man who, right now, is sleeping contentedly in his arms. Sure, the sex was good - really good, in fact - and the guy was charming and funny, but it was just a one-time thing. The thought of having to engage in some awkward morning-after chit-chat with the lad makes Louis shudder. He needs to get up, get dressed and get out before his one-night stand wakes up.

💙 the pain’s only temporary by Anonymous — [fic post]

gen | 2.2k | not rated — (au, supernatural elements)

Harry seeks out the help of a mysterious figure referred to only as The Phantom for help getting out of a contract, but is he prepared to pay the price?

🧡 See You In My Dreams by @alarrylarrie — [fic post]

larry | 4.9k | mature — (au, dreaming, love at first sight)

Harry meets a handsome stranger in a night club who he feels an instant connection to. The stranger issues a challenge to Harry. If Harry can make his subconscious comply, he might just gain more than he could dream of.

Loosely based on the song “In My Dreams” by Ruth B.

🧡 don’t let the pictures leave your phone by @thepriestthinksitsthedevil

ziam | 2.5k | mature — (au, one night stand)

Liam has never been someone to go out to clubs and pick up boys for the night, but the one time he does it comes back to haunt him weeks later. In the best possible way, it turns out.

💙 Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Anonymous — [fic post]

larry | 1.6k | not rated — (au, humour, crack, valentine’s day, meet-cute)

Louis is having a personal crisis, a third Valentine’s Day being single. Unless he meets someone this week at the high end department store he works at, he’ll be stuck going to Niall’s Valentine’s Day party–again.

Or the one where Harry mistakes Louis for a mannequin.

💚 please forgive me if my lips quake by Anonymous — [fic post]

larry | 1.6k | general audiences — (au, girl direction, meet-cute, fluff)

Harry’s pet cat wing-womans her into a date.

🧡 11 Minutes by @dimpled-halo — [fic post]

larry | 4k | mature — (angst, serious injury, happy ending)

Something that tells him there’s something wrong.

He picks up his phone and dials Louis’ number one more time. Just like previous times it goes to voicemail. Harry huffs. He can’t sit around when his body is telling him Louis is in trouble. Without another thought, he grabs his keys and heads out the door towards his car.

Louis isn’t okay and Harry has to, needs to find him.

🧡 After All This Time by Anonymous — [fic post]

larry | 36k | mature — (au, hogwarts, fluff, friends to lovers, childhood friends)

Louis and Harry have been best friends since a fateful meeting on the Hogwarts Express seven years ago. With their time at Hogwarts coming to an end, their friends are determined to make them see that perhaps they’ve always destined to be more than just friends.

Prompted into reliving some of their most vivid moments at Hogwarts, Louis and Harry come to a startling realisation… that just maybe, after all this time, they’re meant to be each others. Always.

Remember to leave kudos + comments to show your appreciation!

More lists here.

[blueboxesandtrafficcones]

The French Connection - Chapter 3

A HardyxMiller AU

Ellie Miller is left to go on her honeymoon alone after a devastating secret about her fiance comes to light - halfway through the wedding ceremony.  Sitting in St Pancras International in London waiting for her train, she runs into none other than her uni rival/best friend Alec Hardy, on the run from his own recent heartbreak.

They decide to make use of Ellie’s pre-paid trip, rekindling their friendship and escaping real life; yet, it turns out their years at uni are the hardest to outrun. Based on this prompt from @timepetalscollective  

Chapters will be posted every Wednesday and Sunday.  Beta’d by the wonderful @stupidsatsuma

Masterlist  |  AO3

Sorry it’s late; I forgot ☹️ I’m not used to posting on Wednesdays...

---

Ellie startled awake at the feel of the mattress shifting, eyes flying open to see a broad back in a tee rising from the bed.

Joe?

He turned then, creeping towards the loo, and she had an out-of-body experience wondering why her uni best frenemy had been in her bed.  It all came rushing back after a moment though, her fiancé’s betrayal straight through to running into Hardy at St. Pancras' and inviting him on her trip.

Too much wine, she chalked her lapse in memory up to, yawning as she looked for a clock.  It was perched on the telly stand, showing an early half six, and she whimpered.  Rolling over she ended up on Hardy’s side of the small bed, burying her face in his pillow.

Inhaling deeply in an attempt to go back to sleep, her senses overloaded with his scent, taking her right back to the morning after graduation so vividly she had to physically pat herself down to ensure she was wearing pajamas this time.

Jerking upright she tried to push those memories away, stronger than they’d been in quite some time, and to her horror, not entirely unwelcome.  Stop it, she told herself firmly, closing her eyes and taking measured breaths, that was four years of tension boiling over.  A one-time thing.  Forget about it!

Climbing out of bed herself, she wrapped herself in her dressing gown and started the Keurig, suspecting tea just wouldn’t cut it that morning.  By the time she hit the ‘start’ button Hardy had exited the loo, pausing in surprise at seeing her.

“You’re up?”

She sniffed at his incredulous tone.  “Yes.”  She had to get past him to get to the loo herself, her curves brushing against his hard angles, and she swallowed harshly at a particular bit of hardness in the vicinity of her thigh.  “I’m just…”

“Yeah.”

All but fleeing into the bathroom, she sternly lectured herself as she shut the door behind her.  You have both just had traumatic breakups.  You are here as friends.  It was one time at uni.  Stop thinking about it.

Splashing her face with cold water helped, and she put any thoughts of graduation night, or a potential repeat, firmly aside.  Straightening her dressing gown and re-belting it, she exited to find the room empty.

Where-

Unusually loud sounds of the city tipped her off, and sure enough, she found him on the rooftop balcony with two mugs of coffee.

“That’s yours,” Hardy gestured to the steaming mug on the tiny table.  He was leaning on the railing, watching the first hints of pink peek above the Ile de la Cite.

“Thanks.”  Cradling it between her palms and letting it warm her, she settled next to him as they watched the sun rise in silence, sipping at their coffee and enjoying the sounds of life in the city.  “I can’t believe I finally got to wake up in Paris,” she eventually murmured, once the coffee and any hint of dawn was gone.  “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah,” Hardy agreed, his voice surprisingly rough, and she glanced up just as his eyes skittered away.

Was he looking at me?  The idea was too absurd to entertain, so she changed the subject.  “What do you want to do today?”

“What’s on your agenda?” he countered, and she blinked innocently.

“Sorry?”

Hardy smirked, gesturing for her to go down the stairs to their room first, then closing the door behind them and locking it.  “Come off it Miller, we both know you’ve got this trip micromanaged down to the minute.  Out with it.”

Ellie couldn’t help the reluctant grin.  After all this time, he still knows me.  That had been evident with her perfectly prepared coffee, but it was nice to know that hadn’t just been a lucky guess.  “Breakfast in the hotel, a few sights on the Ile, then lunch on our way to the Louvre.  Jardin des Tuileries and Place de la Concorde.  Dinner.”

“Sounds good.”

-

Breakfast was easy, their suite including a continental spread every morning, and by eight they were strolling across Pont au Change, the bridge to the Ile right outside the hotel doors.  Given the early hour, the only thing open yet was the Cathedral, and Ellie led him there without saying where they were going, hoping to see his honest reaction to the Cathedral up close.

It was a short walk, one she had carefully sketched out to give the best possible first view of Notre Dame, and they chatted along the way, vaguely discussing their careers to date.  Hardy was mid sentence when they walked onto the square outside the Cathedral, where the bell towers reached to the sky, and they both stopped dead.

“It’s beautiful,” Ellie murmured, amazed that she was finally here, in Paris, seeing sights she’d dreamed of for so long.  “D’you want to go inside?”

“Yeah,” he agreed, a bit breathless himself, and they walked in together.  The first thing that caught Ellie’s attention was the sheer size – the ceiling hundreds of feet up, spectacular arches, and plenty of religious icons and statues.  It was simultaneously awe-inspiring and overwhelming, and she wondered how Hardy’s Scottish Presbyterianism was handling the decorations.

Given the early hour and that the doors had just opened they were practically alone, wandering down the outer aisles and taking in the artwork, from the carvings on the pillars to the stained glass windows.  Reaching the center of the cross-shape they found the aisle, and a view of all three famous rose windows, bright morning sun shining on the altar.

“A bit ostentatious for a place of worship,” Hardy murmured, “but as a historical and architectural sight, nearly unparalleled.”

“Napoleon and Josephine walked up that aisle,” she whispered back.  “Kings and Queens married and coronated here.  Can you imagine?  The pageantry, the beautiful clothing.”

“The smell.”

She elbowed him sharply, only for him to smirk down at her.

“Think about it.  Hundreds of people in here, candles and incense burning, and this is before frequent bathing or things like deodorant.  Would reek worse than the Tube in a heatwave.”  He shuddered violently for effect, making her scowl.

“Why must you always look on the downside?” she wanted to know, crossing her arms as she looked up at him.  “Why can’t you just see the beauty in something?”

Hardy shrugged, expression softening as he glanced around.  “I see the beauty,” he met her eye again, “but I also see what the beauty was meant to mask.  There’s a reason this country has such a violent history, particularly when it came to monarchy, and showmanship.  The things you laud are part of what sparked the Revolution.”

Ellie pursed her lips, turning away.  “I choose to see the good.” She started off back down the aisle.

“As you should.”  He didn’t hurry to catch up with her, but his long legs made easy work of closing the distance anyway.  “That’s why we always worked as partners on projects – we could each see the opposite side.”

“Funny, that’s not how I remember it.  To my recollection, we were horrible as partners, always fighting over the littlest detail.  Sometimes it was a truly terrible experience.”

They burst out into the sunlight at the same time, Ellie starting for the gardens surrounding the Cathedral to see its famed architecture and windows from the outside.

“True,” he agreed readily enough, managing to stroll along and keep pace with her quick steps, “but it made actually working with a partner on the force a breeze, I’ll bet.  How many times did you think ‘this idiot may be bad but at least he’s not Hardy’?  A lot?”

“Shut up.”  It was true, though, and they both knew it.  She’d never had a problem with getting along with anyone after working with him.  Then she realized the opposite must be true as well, and stopped dead. “Hang on, did you think I was difficult to work with?”

Hardy kept walking.  “Come on, Miller, shake a leg.  I dare not mess with your careful schedule.  A place like this, you could actually have my head if you wanted.”

Scowling, she hurried after him.  “You didn’t answer my question. Hardy?  Hardy!”

-

After Notre Dame they visited the Conciergerie, taking a guided tour to learn about the building’s history as first a palace, and later a prison, especially during the revolution.  The small chapel that now existed on the site of Marie Antoinette’s cell sent a shiver down Ellie’s spine.

“All right?” Hardy murmured, guiding her after the tour group with a firm palm between her shoulder blades.

“Yeah,” she whispered back, glancing over her shoulder towards the room, “there’s just something about history like that… women who die like that…”

He nodded in agreement as they caught up to the group.  “I visited the site of Fotheringhay Castle once, as a lad.  I’m not one for ghost stories, but… it felt haunted, even though the castle’s been gone for centuries.”

“‘Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown’”.

Hardy glanced at her in delight.  “Wouldn’t have taken you for a Shakespeare fan, Miller.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” she smirked, striding ahead as the tour moved on.  “Keep up.”

-

After lunch at a charming little bistro they entered the Louvre through the iconic glass pyramid, winding their way slowly past thousands of paintings and statues towards the Mona Lisa.

“You have to wait in line?” Ellie asked, incredulous, as they were guided between velvet ropes, the line snaking along the perimeter of the large room.  “For a painting?”

“Gee, Miller, can’t imagine why.  It’s not the reason half the people are in the building,” Hardy rolled his eyes at her, making her stick her tongue out in retaliation.  “Name one other piece of art here. Reading off the wall doesn’t count.”

She sniffled, scowling at his irritating I know more than you smirk.  “Venus de Milo.”

“And?”

“Excuse me,” she said stiffly, arching an eyebrow, “I’m not the one who spent a semester going to art museums to impress the pretty girl in your English class.”

“From what I’ve heard, you might’ve had better luck,” he shot back dryly.  “I enjoyed it as well, reasonably.  There’s more history there than a first glance would tell you.”

“Spare me.”

They shuffled forward in the slowly but continuously moving line, making an effort to admire the otherwise magnificent paintings they passed that had the unfortunate fate of being in the same room as one of the most famous.

Ignoring him, she focused on the rest of the room until it was their turn, getting in front of the Mona Lisa itself and shoulders slumping as she stared at it.  “It’s smaller than I thought.”

“A true work of art,” he murmured next to her, and she wished, not for the first time, to be able to see the world through his eyes.  “Incredible.”

After a moment they continued on, spilling out of the line into a mess of people trying to see the painting without waiting.

“What’s wrong?”

Ellie realized her lower lip was trembling, and she bit it viciously in an attempt to stop it.  “I expected it to be a lot bigger.”

“It is pretty small,” Hardy agreed kindly, “but it’s also a factor of the room.  On a normal-sized wall, it would be very different.  This was a royal palace – it’s enormous, and that changes the scope.”

“Spoken like a bloke who’s had to defend other small things,” she teased, trying for levity.  “Hear that a lot, do you?”

He laughed, shaking his head, and she realized he looked lighter, somehow, than the day before.  “Come on, you, let’s go outside, I know how you love your fresh air.”

“You didn’t answer the question,” she pointed out, letting him guide her out of the museum.

Hardy shot her a supremely cocky smirk, one that seemed almost unnatural on his usually humble face.  “I don’t remember you complaining eight years ago. The opposite, if anything.”

To add insult to injury, the wanker had the audacity to laugh when she walked right into a door frame in her surprise.

“Stop it!”

[mjalti]

ana! i need to hear a second opinion on this. my (now ex) bf came out as gay... and it made me feel horrible bcs he's only realizing that with me. i told him that and he said 'it's bcs you're literally the smartest and most attractive woman that i have ever met and if you couldn't wake that up in me, no one else can... you should take it as a compliment bcs i don't see the point in trying (straight relationships) after you' and i want to believe that but it's very difficult 1/2

bcs i have some self-image problems, i never feel pretty enough, smart enough etc. although i am generally good at hiding that. i also kind of care a lot about the public opinion of me and knowing how ppl are they will turn it into 'haha you made him gay' and i really don't want to be dealing with that. i also tend to be paranoid and i am not sure if he just lied to get rid of me. i know this shouldn't be about my feelings and that this was harder for him than for me, but i can't help it 2/2

hmm..i think you’re allowed to be upset that your relationship didnt work out. but i do not think it is good for you to tie the grief you feel for ur breakup with him being gay.

 Do you feel upset that he will never be your partner to you again but you dont really have the words to say that? Logically...you know that no one can “turn” anyone gay or straight. And you werent repulsive to him. You were, as he has said, good to him. Amazing to him. And he thought “what’s going on with me, that this spectacular woman who is the most amazing human alive...doesnt make me feel the type of love she should inspire in me?” If he was repulsed by you, he would be dating other women and wouldnt care to let you down in any type of way. No one can chance how other people were born. He has always been gay...now, he just knows it. 

This isnt your fault and this isnt his fault. This is a societal fault that has limited gay people’s “Recognition” to the point that alot of people dont actually realize or want to realize that they are gay, bc of the repercussions. Dont give your insecurities a voice, dont give your paranoia a platform. They arent right. He didnt leave you bc you were lacking anything. 

You really need to give yourself time to grieve the end of this love you knew and if you are in a position to do so, go see a therapist to have them guide you through this bc you’re ..going to be going through alot emotionally, especially if he finds himself closer to the bisexual side instead of the predominately gay side. You have to learn how to let go & that’s not something i can teach u on the internet. 

[raendown]

Pairing: MadaraTobirama Word count: 3810 Summary: Shattered by those they trusted, Madara and Tobirama bring the jagged pieces of themselves together in the practice of kintsugi. What once was broken is brought back to life with an unexpected appeal.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

Chapter 2

A number of different things demanded an equal amount of urgent attention the very moment Madara rose back in to the land of the waking. Or rather, the land of the living. He very seriously questioned whether or not he was currently crawling his way back from death – or possibly sliding down in to it.

His mouth tasted like the bottom of a garbage heap, made twice as disgusting by the lack of moisture on his tongue. A massive headache was doing its best to crack open his skull, radiating out from the center of his brain to cause stabbing sensations in his eyes where the sunlight filtered through the cracks in his lids, and the sounds of birdsong from the window caused physical pain with every note. The muscles in his body ached and his skin was tacky and itchy in some very suspicious places.

Most telling of all, his ass was sore. He hadn’t bottomed for anyone in more than two years, not since he began seeing someone who had never topped and had no desire to. As much as he had missed it he simply couldn’t see Yuuto changing his mind so that left very few options for why he was currently feeling the aftereffects of rough sex in that particular area.

Soft breathing down the back of his neck painted the picture of his worst fear right before the memory of why he’d had the opportunity to bottom last night returned to him.

It took several minutes of breathing through the pain before Madara was able to open his eyes and face the world, a world in which he’d caught Yuuto underneath another man and ended the longest relationship he’d ever had, the one he had started to think would last a lifetime. Apparently he was single now. Or he would be once he confronted that asshole at some point today. Maybe tomorrow. Whenever his head stopped pounding.

Knowing that he had gone out to pick up someone for a bit of good old fashion revenge sex helped calm a great deal of the instinctual panic but not all of it. There was still the matter of who exactly he had picked up. His memories of the night before were patchy at best and for some reason all he could picture was the image of himself riding Tobirama, of all people.

Had he had kinky henge sex? In fairness to Tobirama, he was quite an attractive man physically. That just seemed like a very strange choice for a henge when he could have asked whoever it was behind him to look like anyone in the world.

Carefully lifting his aching head and peeking backwards, Madara felt his stomach swoop and bolted from the bed even as his mind tried to process what he was seeing. Evidently it hadn’t been a henge. And in other news Senju Tobirama looked disturbingly peaceful while he was sleeping off a night of drunken debauchery. That seemed wrong to him for some reason but Madara admitted that in the midst of throwing up in his own toilet was hardly the best moment for him to make sense of the world.

When he stumbled back to his bedroom Tobirama was sitting up and blinking around with confused, faintly nauseas look on his face.

“Did we–?”

“Yes,” Madara answered decisively, not allowing him to continue. His ass clenched in memory and he really wished he could at least remember if the sex had been worth it.

“Huh.” It looked like his unwanted guest was still a little bit drunk, if that floaty quality of his voice was anything to go by.

Looking at him, Madara weighed some pros and cons before mentally tossing both hands in the air and deciding that he really didn’t want to deal with this at the moment. He crawled back in to bed, fitting himself in to the same cocoon of warmth he had bolted away from, and firmly closed his eyes. The world could wait until he was ready to face it.

He nearly jolted back upright when a hand snaked around to press itself against him forehead. All that kept him from biting it on reflex was the soothing sensation of healing chakra which flooded in to him, extracting an involuntary moan of sheer pleasure. The headache faded rapidly under Tobirama’s ministrations before the hand dropped away and skidded down to drape over his waist. When he peeked over his shoulder again, Tobirama had once more fallen in to unconsciousness.

Which, he thought, was probably for the best. If they could hardly deal with each other sober then dealing with each other half drunk and hungover probably wasn’t the greatest idea. He closed his eyes again and followed suit.

Neither of them woke again until several hours later and they barely managed to stumble their way through a very awkward and slightly panicked ‘this never happened’ agreement before Tobirama gathered his clothes and bolted, leaving behind nothing but a dirty towel in the corner of the room and an ache in Madara’s backside. It was pretty much what Madara had figured would happen so he didn’t really understand the cold, empty feeling which struck him the moment he was alone in the house.

Or, he did, but Madara and denial were old friends. He had lived alone before and he would survive doing so again.

The next few weeks were painfully awkward for them both. Madara ended things with Yuuto as coldly yet calmly as he possibly could, not wanting to give the man even the slightest impression that he had been hurt by what happened – and he made certain the other man understood that he knew what happened. It occurred to him too late that not showing his emotions well was probably what had brought this entire situation upon him, though that was no excuse. If Yuuto had a problem with the way he expressed himself then the idiot should have at least tried to speak to him about it before spreading his legs for someone else.

Rumors reached him quickly that Tobirama had also ended his own relationship, although the story went that their breakup had been much more violent. Madara reluctantly applauded his old enemy from afar and did his best to head off as much gossip on the subject as possible. He felt honor bound to support anyone going through a situation similar to his own, even if only in small ways like that.

When Hashirama found out the truth about the end of his little brother’s relationship his reaction was both spectacular and utterly terrifying, Madara gave some serious thought to revealing his own similar situation, just for the satisfaction of watching the same retribution be visited upon Yuuto, but in the end he kept his silence. There was no need to air his personal business so publicly when he was already hearing whispers that Yuuto had decided to leave the village for some ‘unknown reasons’.

It took a month for Madara to cross paths with Tobirama again in any significant way and although he should have been able to predict how things would end up, he truly did not see it coming. Patterns will continue but this was not a pattern he had expected this particular Senju to fall in to.

“Never thought I’d see the day I found you drinking on the job.”

Tobirama didn’t look especially surprised to see him down in the bowels of the interrogation tower at two in the morning. All he did was take another delicate sip of his liquor and straighten the pages in front of him, returning his eyes to where he had left off reading.

“Since my shift officially ended several hours I’m not technically on the job right now. And what I do in my spare time is my own business, isn’t it?”

“Pour me a drink and I won’t tell your brother.”

It was a pleasure to watch Tobirama shudder in revulsion at the idea of how Hashirama would react to such knowledge. He reached inside the bag on the seat next to him and produced another cup, wiping it out perfunctorily with the corner of his shirt before emptying a bit of whiskey in and pushing it across the table.

“Since when do you drink whiskey?” Madara demanded after pounding back most of the glass in one gulp. He was curious to see Tobirama hesitate.

“Picked up a taste for it after I drank half a bottle of yours.”

“A-ah.” Not knowing how to respond to that, Madara turned his head away and took a more delicate sip.

He was a little thrown off that Tobirama would so easily allude to that night after how emphatic they both had been that they never speak of it again. Even more surprising was that he would allow the memory to influence him in any way, such as giving him a craving for a new type of drink. Madara himself had been doing his best not to think of what happened at all.

That didn’t stop the recurring and disturbingly pleasant dreams from happening but sometimes even one’s best efforts do not succeed. It was at least a pleasant failure, all things considered.

“More?”

“Yup.”

Tobirama didn’t bother to look up as he lifted the bottle of whiskey to pour a splash more in to Madara’s glass. It took a moment of narrow-eyed study – during which he questioned his own sanity for being even the slightest bit curious – but Madara was able to make out the tiniest hint of color on his companion’s cheeks and he nearly toppled over sideways in shock. Was the man with a heart of ice actually blushing? He never would have thought Tobirama capable of such a thing. It was a surprisingly pleasing image, if he were honest with himself.

Fiddling with the glass in his hands, Madara spoke before his brain could scream at him not to.

“You thinking about it?”

“Shut up.” Tobirama’s cheeks stained another shade deeper and Madara licked his lips anxiously, striving for a casual air.

“Pour me another and I’ll let you fuck me over the table.”

He supposed he should have been smug about how fast Tobirama’s arm shot out to snatch the bottle and fill his cup but he didn’t really have time between the wash of hot pleasure in his belly and the body that appeared behind his own rather suddenly. Madara didn’t bother to fight the hand guiding his own up to bring the cup to his lips, opening his throat to the whiskey at the same time Tobirama attacked his neck with sharp teeth.

Fingers were already sliding around his hips and loosening the knot holding his robes closed by the time he finished swallowing the drink. Madara licked his lips again to catch a lingering droplet and let his head fall, let his body be gently pressed down until his hands were propping him up on what he dimly recognized as the proposals from the Merchant’s Coalition. It had been a month since he’d had sex, a month since his body was reminded of how much he enjoyed being filled by another man, and only now did he finally allow himself to admit he had been craving it this entire time. It wasn’t love but it was some form of human connection and he was at a point in his life where he was willing to take what he could get.

When his robe finally loosened and fell to hang from the crooks of his elbows, Madara arched under the broad hand that skimmed down the length of his spine. He was already stirring inside his trousers and it wasn’t going to take very much to bring him to full hardness; it seemed he had lost a lot of the stamina he used to have, all the patience for withstanding lingering touches instead of driving straight to the heart of the matter. Already he was half-contemplating demanding that Tobirama move faster and they had barely even started.

It seemed he didn’t have to, however. After a moment of quiet rustling Tobirama’s hand came in to view to deposit a small tub of weapon oil on the desk next to the papers, an herb-based oil that Madara happened to know made a very effective and very safe lubricant for certain sexual purposes. He moaned low in his throat as his pants were tugged down over his hips and the hem of his robes hiked up above them.

Tobirama didn’t bother with words as he coated his fingers and traced them around the outside of Madara’s hole, putting his mouth to better use nibbling a line across what bits of shoulder were not covered by unruly hair. He bit down harshly at the same time he pressed a single finger inside, sending Madara up on to his toes. Then he waited until Madara came back down to slide his finger deeper and slowly draw it back out, repeating the motion over and over in slow, steady strokes.

“Fuck off,” Madara breathed. “I’m not s-so breakable that you have to be – this slow!” He closed his eyes under the vibrations when Tobirama hummed against his neck.

“You are incredibly tight, though. I don’t enjoy hurting my partners. Not even you.”

“More, you pompous bastard!”

“Like this?”

Tobirama’s smug question was accompanied by a second finger joining the first and sliding in deep until Madara’s arms trembled, threatening to send him crashing down on to the table’s surface. While that wasn’t exactly an unpleasant image in his mind, he was enjoying the warmth of another at his back just a little bit too much to give it up just yet. He pressed back in to both sensations, feeling the brush of something hard against the side of his thigh and catching his bottom lip between his teeth just to keep any embarrassing sounds from escaping. Moaning and gasping were fine, obviously nothing the other hadn’t heard before, but he wasn’t about to start spilling his guts about how much he had missed a bit of friendly human touch.

“Just like that,” he choked out instead before biting down on his lip again, eyes rolling back in his head when Tobirama curled his fingers and found his prostate. “Gods just like that!”

“Mmm.” Tobirama’s body covered his like a blanket in his half-hunched position, tracing the shell of his ear with a warm tongue.

Eventually he added a third finger, then a fourth, and Madara was closer to begging than he was prepared to admit by the time Tobirama deemed him stretched enough. Judging by how sore he had been after the last time he supposed he should have been grateful for the care being taken with his body. Gratitude, however, would have to wait until after he was stuffed and sated. At the moment all he could feel was impatient.

His hole fluttered with loss as the fingers inside of him were drawn out and Madara keened, hips twitching with need until a large hand took hold of them to keep him still. His knees almost collapsed when he felt something blunt and thick pressing against him but he locked them in place and pressed backwards perhaps harder than was advised.

A gasp escaped him, half pleasure and half pain, as the head of Tobirama’s cock breached him all at once.

“Fuck, Madara.” Tobirama grunted and pinched him reprovingly in the side. “Don’t do that!”

“Then do me!” he ground out, already rapidly descending past the point where he had the mind space to be ashamed of his own desperation.

He missed the warmth immediately as he was shoved forward over the table but Tobirama didn’t give him any time to protest. As soon as his chest touched the wood, presenting his ass in what he smugly thought must have been a very tempting manner, Madara felt two hands on either side of his hips and then his partner was thrusting forward. His voice broke on a sharp cry. By tomorrow morning he was likely to have ten little bruises shaped like Tobirama’s fingers but he cared less and less with every inch he was filled.

What he did care about was when all movements paused for a few seconds as soon as Tobirama bottomed out, the skin of their pelvises flush together. Wriggling did nothing but earn him another pinch.

“Just let me have this,” his partner rasped.

The sound of Tobirama’s already deep voice turned even more gravelly by sheer lust had him hardening impossibly. Staying still right at that moment was quite possibly the hardest thing he had ever been asked to do yet he was reaping the benefits of obeying before half a minute had passed. Madara’s entire body shook under the glorious sensations as Tobirama slowly pulled out, inch by inch, then pressed back in just as slowly.

Impatient by nature, he could count on one hand the amount of times he’d gone through the effort of forcing himself to slow down during sex. Usually he preferred the rush and the freneticism of what could only be called fucking. What they were doing now was still a far cry from lovemaking but it was doing a damn good job of convincing him of the benefits therein – especially when Tobirama found the perfect angle almost effortlessly on the next thrust and paused to grind himself against that brilliant spot deep inside.

“Slow,” he gasped stupidly, fingernails leaving tracks in the table. “S’good. S’really good. Don’t stop.” He opened his mouth to say something else only to choke on a shattered sound instead when Tobirama dragged across his prostate again.

His partner hushed him, murmuring encouragements before falling silent again and allowing the small room to fill with Madara’s helpless sounds. They bounced against the stone walls and echoed back in his own ears, somehow only serving to increase his excitement and embolden him to moan louder. Even the simplest things drove him higher and higher: strong hands caressing him, the cold table underneath him in contrast to the hot body behind, every involuntary gasp that blessed his ears. All of it worked together to leave him nothing more than a mass of frayed nerves sensitive to the slightest touch and it felt as though Tobirama were the only thing keeping him from flying apart.

The speed of Tobirama’s thrusts increased so gradually he hardly noticed at first. Pleasure crashed over him in wave and wave, turning his brain to mush, and he only realized when one of the hands stroking his skin slid around to take his weeping cock in a firm grip.

“Aaaahhhh.” Instinctively clenching his ass only served to remind him of how wide he was spread open at the moment. “You – close – I’m close. Harder. Fucking…harder.”

“Think you mean – nnh – ‘fuck me harder’.”

“Yes! Fuck me harder!” Madara dropped his forehead against the wooden table and closed his eyes, rocking in to the fingers fisted around him and then grinding backwards, again and again until he thought he might go mad from sheer pleasure. Sparks erupted in the base of his spine when his pleas were answered, Tobirama fucking in to him with enough force to bruise his hips.

He didn’t even have time to warn his partner he was about to hit his peak. Nirvana crashed in to him and stole his breath before he’d made it halfway through the thought and Madara came in to Tobirama’s hand with a sound that tore at his throat, barely aware of the way the other man stiffened behind him with a helpless grunt. It felt as though his orgasm lasted forever but by the time it had faded to shivery aftershocks they were both collapsing down in to a messy heap of quivering limbs and gasping lungs. Madara did his best to stay as still as possible, enjoying the weight on his back for as long as he could.

Rather than seeming in a hurry to move, Tobirama settled further against him with a final twitch of his hips, dropping his forehead down between the shoulders blades in front of him. The hand he had reached around Madara now cupped the inside of one thigh, smearing cum across skin, although neither of them paid much attention to that part.

“We are spectacularly bad at forgetting things, aren’t we?”

Madara hummed in to his own arms, amused. “Shut up, nothing happened.”

“Nothing?” Tobirama nipped lazily at his skin to make him squirm. “Careful, Uchiha, or I’ll feel compelled to give you something to remember out of sheer spite.”

“If that was meant as a threat it was a poor one.”

“Why, because you might enjoy it?”

Spluttering indignantly had very little effect when bent over a table with a softened cock still buried in his ass while his hole slowly leaked cum down both thighs but Madara refused to let that deter him. He stopped quickly and shivered at the rumbling sensation of Tobirama’s body laughing against his own.

When was the last time he’d made someone laugh? Despite having been together for more than two years, he couldn’t recall when he had last done anything to make Yuuto laugh or paid any special attention to the man. Their relationship had been falling apart right under his nose for a lot longer than he’d been willing to open his eyes and see.

Yet here was Tobirama chuckling in to his skin as easily as breathing, amused by nothing more than his natural reaction to something. Seducing him had been an easy decision, a powerful draw that he couldn’t resist, but making him laugh somehow felt like a much bigger accomplishment. The smile on Madara’s face lingered as he listened contentedly to the sounds of happiness and wondered what he could do to hear them again – also doing his best not to think too deeply about why he wanted to. Getting attached to Tobirama would clearly be a terrible idea but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have anything at all. It wouldn’t make him less lonely but at the very least he would not be alone.

Rolling his head, he peered down the length of his own body and watched the fingers absently caressing his inner thigh, following the nonsensical patterns with his eyes. As long as it didn’t mean anything then what harm could there be in having this again?

“You know most sane people would have sought their beds by this hour,” he murmured, smirking when the fingers on him passed before slowly drifting up to cup his sticky length again.

“Are you inviting me in to yours?” Tobirama asked.

“I believe I am.”

Not getting attached was going to be the easiest thing he ever did. Him and Tobirama? Never.

[ilovethings-somuch]

1,500 Followers Celebration

Hello, my lovelies! So I recently reached the milestone of 1.5k followers (as you guessed from the title) and I was to celebrate! Since I am now living in my new apartment at school and I have a little time before classes actually start I would love to do a little writing challenge. 

This is going to run in a similar fashion as my last celebration which means I will add a prompt list to this post and then you guys can either pick a prompt for yourself to write, or you can request that I write something based on a prompt. 

Rules:

I will only write prompts from the prompt list, my normal requests are still open but these will not be included in the Spectacular.

Pairings can be Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, or any of their characters with the reader. I would also love to read Stucky fics, but I don’t think I would be able to write them.

You can also request or write Diana Prince fics bc I love her.

All fics must be posted by October 6th, that gives you a little over a month.

Tag me in all fics and use the tag #Tiana’s 1.5k followers celebration

*I reserve the right to change or add any rules as well as deny any requests.*

Note: some prompts will be done twice if people request that I write them and someone else requests to write them (i hope that makes sense) but there will be a limit if a specific prompt is picked too many times. Moral of the story is if a prompt is crossed out because someone else is writing a fic using it, that doesn’t mean you can’t still request that I write something from the prompt. 

*Prompts below the cut*

I tried really hard to make this one continuous list so that there weren’t repeating numbers but it was not going to work. So, please tell me what category you want before every number. 

Themes:

Soulmate AU

FAKE DATING

Friends to romance

Weird places to meet/awkward meetings in general

Awful first time meeting

Library AU

Flower shop AU

Coffee shop AU

Kisses:

Goodbye kisses

Hello kisses

Breathless kisses

Heated kisses

First kisses

After sex kisses

Morning kisses

Post-breakup kisses

Christmas kisses

Comforting kisses

“I thought I lost you” kisses

“We can’t do this” kisses

“Come to bed” kisses

“You look beautiful” kisses

“I’ll be right back” kisses

“I missed you” kisses

Angry kisses

Sad kisses

In the dark kisses

(these are from that list entitled: Kisses I want to write about)

Domestic fluff:

Waking Up Together 

Morning Routine

Doing Laundry

Night In

Nighttime Routine

Shopping (For Needs)

Exercising

Wearing Each Other’s Clothes 

Nursing the Sick One

Hair

Coffee and/or Tea

Cooking Together 

Washing Dishes 

Homework and/or Job Work

Family Visits 

Trying Something New 

Kisses 

Hugs 

Forgetting Something 

A Heated Argument 

Road Trips 

Picnics 

Double Date 

Shopping (For Fun) 

Keeping Plants 

Doctor Visits 

Pets 

Vacation 

House Cleaning

I Love You’s

Sarcastic dialog prompts:

“I just know something bad is going to happen.” 

“You don’t look like an angel.” 

“This is who I am. Nobody said you had to like it.” 

“Don’t talk. Please.” 

“I’ll make my own decisions, thank you.” 

“This is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.” 

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” 

“Whoop! Whoop! Over-reaction alert!” 

“It’s so ugly… I LOVE IT!” 

“You lucky bastard.” 

“We’re young. We’re fine. Let’s do some damage.” 

“Who’s the bitch now, bitch?” 

“I picked a helluva a day to quit drinking.” 

“What’s that? Your stripper money?” 

“Don’t you just hate those things you say that make you feel really blonde?” 

“When I say problem, I mean global crisis.” 

“Well, you don’t need to be snarky about.” 

“If KARMA doesn’t hit you, I’ll do it.” 

“Did you just fall?” “No, I attacked the floor.” “Backwards?” “I’m freaking talented!” 

“Of course I can see you. I’m not blind you know.” 

“The world can be amazing when you’re slightly strange.” 

“Life is too short to wear boring clothes.” 

“You throw punches, I throw insults.” 

“Wow, I wish I could speak whale.” 

“Sometimes I forget my middle name.” 

“Let me just pound your head into the cement quick.” 

“Yeah, I got that from your 600 voicemails.” 

“I love the way your foul little mind works.” 

“Haha, made you look.” 

“Have you ever tried to run in heels?” 

“Oh honey, I have a fake laugh with your name written all over it.” 

“That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard come out of your mouth.” 

“All due respect, but that’s a bunch of crap.” 

“Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your lips are moving.” 

“Brains aren’t everything. In fact, in your case, they are nothing.” 

“How did you get here? Did someone leave your cage open.” 

“I hope karma slaps you in the face before I do.” 

“Well aren’t we just a freakin’ ray of sunshine.” 

“I’m the dumbest smart person you’ll ever meet.” 

“You say I’m a bitch like it’s a bad thing.”

“Do you want me to accept you as you are, or do you want me to lie to myself and try to like you?” 

“I could do that, but I won’t.” 

“How come you’re here? I thought the zoo is closed at night…” 

“You’re just jealous because the voices are talking to me.” 

“Oh, honey, don’t feel bad. There’s a lot of people out there who don’t have talent!” 

“I’d like to kick you in the teeth, but why should I improve your looks?” 

“Sorry… I wasn’t born with a filter.” 

“At least there’s one thing good about your body. It isn’t as ugly as your face.” 

“I’d like to see things from your point of view, but I can’t seem to get my head that far up your ass.” 

“People would follow him anywhere, but only out of morbid curiosity.”

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[capseycartwright]

56

#56 - “I jokingly told you that the only way I’d marry you was if you did this weird outlandish thing, and you actually did it, and I’m kind of charmed.”

Aaron learned pretty early on in their relationship that Robert had a crippling fear of heights. He’d never met anyone as afraid of heights as Robert - their disastrous trip to the London Eye was best not mentioned again, and when Aaron suggested a go on the ferris wheel, one summer down in Blackpool, Robert had gone ghostly pale.

Heights were not his boyfriends thing - and well, marriage wasn’t Aaron’s.

It was a sore point, between them - Aaron’s disinterest in marriage, not the fear of heights. Robert had always fantasied about getting married, Aaron knew that much - you couldn’t watch that much wedding related reality tv and not have a soft spot for the whole marriage concept.

But Aaron, he’d stood his ground for years now. He’d been with Robert for going on seven years now, and everyone and their mother (particularly Aaron’s own mother) had an opinion on how much of a shame it was they weren’t married yet.

(The last time Chas had said that, it had ended in a spectacular fight where a very angry Aaron had told her she was the reason he didn’t believe in marriage. Maybe it had been harsh, in hindsight, but Aaron was a product of his upbringing, and he couldn’t name a single Dingle marriage that had lasted - even Zak and Lisa had fallen victim to cheating and a breakup.)

No, Aaron didn’t believe in marriage. He didn’t believe you needed it, to prove your love - he’d loved Robert for nearly all of the seven years they’d been together, and he planned to love him forever, and Aaron didn’t need a piece of paper and a ring on his finger to prove to the world him and Robert were the real thing.

Robert, on the other hand, felt very differently. It had caused more than its fair share of arguments, in their household, arguments Titan always hated, the dog cursed with the most nervous disposition Aaron had ever seen a German Shepard to have.

The last time they’d argued about it, Aaron had made a compromise.

If Robert proposed to him in a hot air balloon, Aaron would marry him.

It had felt like a safe bet, at the time - Robert got a queasy stomach if they were on the top floor of a hotel, so Aaron couldn’t imagine a time in their lives where his boyfriend managed to force himself into a hot air balloon without passing out.

Except - well, except Aaron had been wrong.

They were on holiday, an early celebration of their seventh anniversary. They’d settled on Italy, both of them wanting some sun, good food, and peace, far from their families and their normally busy lives.

The four am wake-up call that morning hadn’t been part of the plan, but when Aaron saw the hot air balloon that was apparently going to take them on a private tour of the Tuscany countryside, as the sun rose, well - he’d realised he was about to be proved very wrong.

If there was one thing Robert was more afraid of than heights, it was losing deposits, and Aaron could only imagine how expensive a private hot air balloon tour was.

So here they were, watching the sun rise over the Italian countryside at six am.

Well, Aaron was watching - Robert’s eyes were squeezed shut, and he was breathing so heavily the guide looked concerned for his wellbeing.

“I’m not going to ask how much you paid for this,” Aaron said quietly, nudging his hand against Robert’s. “But it’s a bit of a waste of money if you don’t actually look at the sunrise.”

“I’m trying!” Robert protested, opening one of his eyes. “God, this is - this is very high up.”

“Don’t look down, then,” Aaron gave him an encouraging smile. For all the times he’d take the piss out of Robert for being so afraid of heights, he didn’t want him to freak out completely.

Robert opened his eyes properly, focusing on the horizon, letting out a shaky breath. “It is really beautiful, isn’t it?” he said quietly, holding Aaron’s hand in a vice grip. He was quiet for a few seconds before he turned to Aaron, reaching into his jeans pocket.

Aaron knew what was coming. He’d basically planned his own proposal, after all, thinking Robert was never actually going to do it, but Robert was nothing if not determined.

He’d figured he’d feel annoyed, if Robert ever did propose. Aaron had made it clear from the beginning that marriage wasn’t on the cards, but Robert had always set out to prove him wrong about everything, hadn’t he?

Robert had proved him wrong about love, about love being able to last - about lentils, and wine, and a million other food combinations, his chef boyfriend an absolute pain in the arse when it came to dinnertime.

Aaron didn’t feel annoyed, looking at the ring box in Robert’s hand, the nervous smile on his boyfriends face. He didn’t feel any different to normal, really, the love he felt for Robert having found a home, and settled in his chest a long time ago now, comfortable and familiar.

“Marry me,” Robert said simply, still holding Aaron’s right hand in a vice grip. “Let me prove you wrong about marriage.”

Aaron’s lips quirked into a smile. “I never thought you’d actually do it, you know - the hot air balloon thing.”

“I think it proves how determined I am to marry you,” Robert joked, nerves still evident on his face.

He should probably say yes.

(A part of him really, really, really wanted to say yes.)

“A deals a deal,” Aaron shrugged, holding out his left hand. “Yes - I’ll marry you, Robert, but if you think we’re having anything more than a registry office ceremony, you’re mental.”