#it for home care and my go to excuse was that i was caring for a family member

[brunchable]

Christmas Present | B. B.

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x F! Reader Themes: Christmas Meet-Ugly, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers(ish), rom-com Summary: You and Bucky are fighting over the last deluxe holiday gift set. The petty bickering escalates into a full-blown argument in front of shocked holiday shoppers, causing store security to intervene. As punishment, the frazzled guard handcuffs you together in the security office until you both "calm down." A/N : This oneshot is part of my 4K Follower christmas themed celebration. I hope you enjoy this first one! Thank you so much for reading my stories! Dividers by @saradika-graphics

It was supposed to be a quick trip. Grab the deluxe toy train set, pay, and leave. That was the plan. But life had other plans, and those plans came in the shape of a six-foot something man with a smirk as sharp as the jawline above it.

You reached for the last box on the shelf—your prize, your golden ticket, the sole reason you braved the chaos of twenty-third shoppers.

"Excuse me, I believe I was here first," you said sweetly, gripping the box.

"Excuse you, sweetheart," the man countered, one metal hand already gripping the other end of the box. "I had my eye on this before you decided to swoop in like some holiday vulture."

"Holiday vulture?!" you spat, yanking the box closer to your chest. "I don’t see your name on it, Terminator."

He raised an eyebrow, leaning in just enough to make you flinch. “Name’s Bucky, not Terminator. And I’d be happy to write it on the box for you... after I take it home.”

“Not happening,” you hissed, tugging harder. The box creaked ominously under the strain.

“Let go,” he growled.

“You let go!”

By now, a crowd of amused onlookers had formed, phones out, capturing every moment like a live-action reality show. One kid shouted, “Go lady! You’ve got this!” while a woman in a reindeer sweater whispered, “This is better than The Bachelor.”

“Look, lady,” Bucky said through gritted teeth, “I don’t want to ruin Christmas for you—”

“Oh, really? That’s what this feels like!”

“But my friend’s kid specifically asked for this,” he finished, as if that were a valid excuse.

You rolled your eyes. “Well, so did my niece. And unlike you, I didn’t wait until the last minute to shop.”

“Your cart’s full of candles!” he shot back, pointing to your precariously stacked haul.

You gasped, scandalized. “They’re scented candles and they make great gifts! Not that you’d understand.”

“I understand they’re not as hard to find as this!” he said, gesturing wildly to the now-doomed train set.

The tug-of-war escalated, your battle waging in the aisle of festive chaos. The crowd grew, complete with commentary.

“Bet five bucks on the lady!”

“Ten on the guy with the arm!”

And then—CRASH. The box tore clean down the middle, spilling its contents across the floor. Tiny train cars scattered like shrapnel, and a miniature conductor figure flew into a nearby stroller, making the baby cry.

Gasps echoed through the store as you and Bucky froze, still clutching your respective halves. Somewhere in the distance, someone yelled, “SANTA WOULDN’T APPROVE!”

A whistle cut through the air. “Alright, break it up, you two!”

You turned to find a middle-aged security guard glaring at you like an exhausted babysitter. His name tag read “Carl,” and he looked about one tantrum away from quitting.

“We were just—”

“I don’t care!” Carl snapped, his moustache twitching with barely contained rage. “Both of you. Security office. Now.”

The security office smelled like stale coffee and regret. You sat handcuffed to Bucky, who, despite his protests, looked far too comfortable with the situation.

“This is ridiculous,” you muttered, yanking futilely on the cuffs. “We’re adults!”

“Debatable,” Carl deadpanned, sipping from his 'World’s Best Grandpa' mug. “You two are staying cuffed until you learn how to act like it.”

“I’m not a criminal!” you protested.

“Not what the footage shows,” Carl replied, spinning his chair to reveal the grainy security camera feed of you and Bucky mid-squabble. The freeze-frame of you squawking like a bird while clutching a toy train in a death grip was particularly unflattering.

“I’m offended on her behalf,” Bucky said with a smirk, leaning back in his chair.

“Oh, shut it,” you hissed, elbowing him.

“You’re the one who tore the box!”

“You’re the one with the metal arm. That thing’s basically a wrecking ball!”

Carl slammed his mug down. 

“Enough!” He massaged his temples like a teacher on their last day before retirement. “You’re staying here until I feel confident you won’t burn the store down.”

“Burn the store down?” you repeated, aghast, throwing your hands in the air as much as the cuffs allowed.

“Trust me, I’ve seen worse,” Carl muttered, eyeing both of you like feral raccoons fighting over a sandwich. With an exhausted sigh, he locked the door behind him and muttered something about “needing a damn coffee break,” leaving you and Bucky alone in the tiny, overheated room.

The silence that followed was so oppressive it felt like the room had shrunk. Only the faint, mocking jingle of Jingle Bells played faintly from the store’s speakers as you and Bucky sat shoulder-to-shoulder, stewing.

Bucky, apparently unable to sit still, started bouncing his knee—a rapid, relentless motion that made your entire chair vibrate like a washing machine on spin cycle.

“Stop that,” you snapped, glaring at him.

“Stop what?” he asked innocently, his knee bouncing harder.

“Your leg,” you hissed. “The whole chair is shaking! Are you trying to make me seasick?”

His lips twitched, clearly enjoying your misery. “It’s a free country.”

“Not for your knee, it’s not!”

“Well, maybe I wouldn’t be bouncing my knee if I wasn’t chained to someone with candle obsession issues,” he shot back.

“Oh, that’s rich coming from the guy who went full WWE over a toy train set!”

“You’re the one who tore it in half, lady!” he said, pointing accusingly.

“I was fighting for my family’s honor,” you retorted dramatically, crossing your arms as much as you could.

“You mean your candles.”

“It’s called being thoughtful, you Grinch impersonator!”

His knee bounced harder, and you grabbed his leg in desperation, making him pause. “Seriously, stop! I’m going to throw up, and then you’ll really regret this.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop. But only because you look like you might actually hurl, and I don’t need Carl coming back and cuffing me to the radiator this time.”

“So,” Bucky continued after a beat of silence, “Do you always fight strangers over train sets, or is today special?”

You glared at him. “Do you always shop last minute and ruin people’s holidays, or is that your side gig?”

He snorted. “Ruining holidays? That’s harsh. I’m saving them.”

“By what? Sabotaging shoppers?”

“By making sure my best friend’s kid gets the one thing he asked for,” Bucky replied, voice softening slightly.

You blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity. 

“Okay, that’s… kind of sweet,” you admitted reluctantly.

“What about you?” he asked. “Candles for everyone?”

“No,” you mumbled. “The train set was for my niece. She’s… had a tough year.”

Bucky nodded, silence enveloping the two of you yet again, the tinny chorus of Frosty the Snowman blared overhead, and the absurdity of your situation finally hit you. You started giggling, and to your surprise, so did he.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, still grinning.

“This,” you said between laughs. “This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever been part of.”

“Right,” he agreed, laughing harder.

For the first time since being forced to sit there, you weren’t arguing. Well, unless you counted arguing about whose laugh was uglier.

Carl finally returned, jangling the keys like a janitor who had seen too much. His Santa hat was slightly askew, and his mustache twitched with a mix of frustration and exhaustion. He looked like someone’s adorable grandpa who had just been told the grandkids set fire to the Christmas tree.

“Alright, you two,” he grumbled, unlocking the cuffs. “You’re free. But before you go…”

He planted his hands on his hips, his gut straining against his red vest, and glared at you like you’d just stolen cookies from the jar. 

“I’ve been doing this job for fifteen years, and let me tell you, I’ve seen a lot of nonsense. But this—” he waved a hand between you and Bucky “—takes the fruitcake. Grown adults fighting over a toy train set like it’s the last turkey on Earth? Really?”

You started to open your mouth to argue, but Carl cut you off with a stern wag of his finger.

“No, no. Don’t even try to explain. You’re both guilty. Guilty of being Christmas disasters. And you…” he pointed at Bucky, his stubby finger trembling with indignation. “You’re what? Pushing 40? Shouldn’t you know better?”

That’s when Bucky’s lips twitched. And twitched again. And suddenly, he was laughing. Not just chuckling—a full-on, shoulder-shaking laugh that echoed through the tiny room.

Carl’s mustache twitched in annoyance. “What’s so funny?”

“I’m sorry,” Bucky said between gasps for air, “but… I’m being lectured by someone who looks like Santa’s understudy.” He wiped a tear from his eye. “You’re like a cute little Christmas elf—just missing the pointy shoes.”

Carl’s face turned as red as his vest. “I am not cute!” he barked.

“You kinda are,” Bucky said, grinning.

You smacked his arm. “Stop antagonizing him!”

But even you couldn’t suppress a giggle as Carl threw his hands in the air. “You know what? I’m done. Get out. Both of you. Before I call other mall security and have you escorted out by the Grinch Squad.”

Bucky saluted dramatically. “Merry Christmas, Carl!”

Carl muttered something about needing a stiff eggnog and waddled back to his desk, leaving you and Bucky to stumble out of the security office.

“Well, that was fun,” you deadpanned, starting to walk away, only to stop when Bucky called out.

“Wait! Hey!”

You turned, eyebrows raised. “What? Did you leave your dignity back there?”

He ignored the jab, shoving his hands into his pockets. For the first time since the ordeal started, he actually looked... awkward.

“I, uh… was just wondering what you’re doing after this.”

You blinked at him, genuinely caught off guard. “What am I doing? Are you serious?”

“Yeah, serious,” he said with a little shrug, his smirk less cocky and more boyish now. “You’re, uh… funny. And kind of cute, when you’re not threatening to strangle me over toy trains.”

You stared at him, wide-eyed. 

“This—” you gestured dramatically between you both “—is the foundation of your flirting strategy? Chaos, insults, and shared custody of a train set?”

“Worked, didn’t it?” he teased, grinning now.

You huffed, crossing your arms. “I just spent an hour handcuffed to you while debating whether or not to throw you out a window, and now you want to… hang out?”

“Why not?” he asked, tilting his head slightly, like this was the most reasonable suggestion in the world.

“Because this is ridiculous!” you exclaimed. “I barely know you, we’re still enemies by all accounts, and—”

“You haven’t said no,” he interrupted, cutting you off with a pointed look.

You opened your mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Damn him and his stupid smirk.

Finally, you sighed, half-laughing at the sheer absurdity. “Fine. But if this turns into another wrestling match over a menu, I’m walking out.”

“Sure,” he said, grinning like he’d just won the lottery. “Whatever you want.”

As you both walked out of the office areas and back to the mall, you muttered under your breath, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“Believe it, sweetheart,” he said, falling into step beside you. “And next time? Maybe we’ll skip the handcuffs… unless you’re into that.”

You glared at him, but the corners of your mouth betrayed you, curving into an unwilling smile. Maybe chaos wasn’t such a bad foundation after all.

The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, illuminating the room as Bucky groggily reached for the remote. Still half-asleep, he flicked on the TV, more out of habit than interest. The morning show’s upbeat jingle played, and he squinted at the screen, his brain catching up to the cheerful voices of the two hosts.

“—and now, for what might be the most hilarious Christmas shopping moment caught on camera!” the female host announced, barely suppressing her laughter.

Her co-host, a grinning man in a Santa tie, chimed in, “Oh, this is a good one. Forget Hallmark—this is real-life rom-com material, folks. Roll the clip!”

Bucky froze mid-stretch as the screen transitioned to shaky footage of himself and you, locked in a dramatic tug-of-war over the train set in the middle of the toy aisle. The commentary from the crowd was clear as day.

“Go lady! You’ve got this!”

“Ten bucks on the guy with the metal arm!”

“Oh, no,” Bucky muttered, sitting up straighter, dread pooling in his stomach.

The video jumped to the box tearing in half, scattering train pieces like confetti, followed by the baby wailing and someone shouting, “SANTA WOULDN’T APPROVE!”

The hosts erupted into laughter.

“Okay, okay,” the woman said, wiping a tear from her eye. “I’m calling it now—this is the meet-cute of the decade. I can hear the Hallmark writers typing this into a script.”

Her co-host nodded vigorously. “Absolutely. Two strangers, both fighting for the same toy on the eve of Christmas eve—classic enemies-to-lovers setup.”

They both howled with laughter as the clip transitioned to grainy security footage of you and Bucky cuffed together, bickering like an old married couple.

“And this is where the movie writes itself,” the man said, pointing to the screen. “They’re forced to spend time together, cuffed in the security office. Sparks fly. Cue the heartwarming ending!”

The woman leaned toward the camera, her expression conspiratorial. “So, the real question is… did they exchange numbers? Did they get coffee? Did they—”

Bucky groaned and buried his face in his hands as his phone buzzed on the nightstand. He grabbed it, flipping it over to see a message from Sam:

Sam: Congratulations, you’re famous. 

A second message immediately followed:

Sam: Also, what happened next? Don’t leave me hanging! Did you at least get her number?

Bucky tossed his phone onto the bed with a groan, only for it to buzz again. This time it was Steve:

Steve: They’re right. This does sound like the start of a love story. Please tell me you didn’t blow it.

“Unbelievable,” Bucky muttered, scrubbing a hand down his face as the TV hosts continued speculating.

“What do we think, folks?” the male host asked, gesturing dramatically. “Should we start a Twitter campaign to find out what happened next? I need closure!”

“Absolutely!” the female host replied. “If you’re watching this, toy train couple, please—reach out. America is invested.”

“I’m never leaving the house again.” Bucky groaned louder, sinking into the pillows. 

His phone buzzed again.

Sam: Famous AND trending. Look at you.

Bucky grabbed a pillow and smothered his face with it, his muffled voice barely audible: “I hate Christmas.”

He sighed and shifted, his pillow falling to the floor—he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, his irritation melted away as he looked to his right, where your figure was still peacefully curled under the covers. Your hair was a mess from the night before, your cheek pressed against the pillow in a way that made you look adorably innocent—though Bucky distinctly remembered you weren’t so innocent a few hours ago.

A small, satisfied smirk tugged at his lips. He let out a breath, shaking his head as he muttered to himself, “Actually. . . Maybe I don’t hate it too much.”

tags: @lomlbuckybarnes @mrsbuckybarnes1917 @winterslove1917 @hzdhrtss @mostlymarvelgirl

@missvelvetsstuff @unaxv @carnal-vogue @bmyva1entine @wheredidiputmyfish

@thereoncewasagirlnamedjane @wanda-widow @filmologetica @awaywithtime @Thealyrs

@greatenthusiasttidalwave @winchestert101 @strawberrybisou @unaxv @asgards-princess-of-mischief

@fynnwolff @Janonymus0 @veronicapaula

[verdaneart]

I cannot stress enough how important it is to treat ANY animals you have with care.

Do your research BEFORE getting anything

ADOPT from reputable shelters, NEVER BUY from stores, breeders, or strangers

ALWAYS SPAY AND NEUTER cats and dogs (Good shelters should have already done it if possible and safe at the time)

Properly VACCINATE your animals as their vet recommends

MICROCHIP YOUR CATS AND DOGS, EVEN IF THEY DON'T GO OUTSIDE

Ask their vet for an APPROPRIATE DIET, and KEEP UP WITH IT

DO NOT feed them anything that is NOT confirmed to be SAFE by a credible source

Regularly SOCIALIZE and/or play with your animals (I'm talking kindness every day)

If they go outside, SUPERVISE them, and it's best they have a leash

KEEP YOUR POOR CATS INSIDE FOR EVERYONE'S SAKE AND THEIR OWN FUCKING SAFETY. NO EXCUSES.

CHECK IN on their health and well-being REGULARLY. Even just being around them and socializing correctly can tell you when things are off

SCHEDULE VET VISITS for AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR like any normal doctor

If something is wrong, and you don't know what, do a bit of research, and if you can't pin it down as a specific (harmless/non-threatening) thing, TAKE THEM TO THE VET ASAP

DO NOT GIVE PETS AS GIFTS WITHOUT EXTENSIVE PLANNING WITH THE FAMILY THAT WOULD RECEIVE THEM. MANY PETS ARE A 10 YEAR COMMITMENT OR LONGER.

"But my cat needs time outdoors to entertain/sustain/whatever themselves"

You are OPENLY admitting that you cannot take care of that cat, or are too lazy to try. Letting cats roam freely outside also puts them in MASSIVE DANGER from things like vehicles, people, chemicals, pesticides, poisons, diseases, parasites, other animals, physical animal "repellants", and COUNTLESS OTHER HAZARDS. The average outdoor cat lives only 5 years or less, while the average indoor cat lives upwards of 15 to 20 years. If you want to let your cat enjoy some time outside, there's FAR SAFER options, like a cat leash, closed pet stroller, pop-up catio tent, or permanent catio. Fences CANNOT keep a cat in your yard for long, and many hazards can still get past your fence anyways. Outdoor cats- both feral and domestic- are responsible for countless deaths of small wildlife, threatening many species and driving others to extinction. The cats don't understand that, so we have to understand the dangers for them.

"What about Feral Colonies/Barn cats?"

Feral Colonies can be properly maintained if needed, or adopted out if possible. Many known colonies are cared for and monitored by nearby individuals in cooperation with a local rescue. The caretaker is generally responsible for feeding them and monitoring for changes in health or population. Rescues are then responsible for TNR (Trap, Neuter/Spay, Return), recording health/population, treating injured cats, and evaluating individuals for potential adoption, as well as removing any kittens to be raised and adopted. If done correctly and for long enough, the colony can eventually reach a generation where none of them are feral anymore and they all find homes.

To avoid the euthanasia of thousands of innocent animals, we MUST care for the ones we have now.

If anyone has more questions, literally just ask. I'll do my best to answer all I can, and provide resources when possible.

Euthanasia season? Please don't tell that is people deciding to euthanise because of the holidays....

It's not BECAUSE of the holidays but euthanasias do tend to increase during the holiday season. Iirc It's mostly because families are usually together at this time. One of the vets I work with thinks it's also due to colder weather being harder on senior animals.

[moonpascaltoo]

DARYL DIXON ╰┈➤ 18+ none of these stories belong to me! this is a masterlist of all daryl dixon stories i’ve read and reblogged! just thought it would be nice to have them all in one spot! (if your fic is on here and you wish not to be, let me know <3)

MASTERLIST • THE WALKING DEAD • 11/30/24

@nervoushottee ✰ it happened quiet What you and Daryl have is a soft quiet love. ✰ night shift You keep Daryl company on a night watch

@xoxo-sarah ✰ my wife

@mvth3r ✰ untitled 5 times daryl feels your affection down to his core and the many 1 time he unconsciously returns the favor ✰ drabble thinking about daryl giving you a nickname…

@r6eduss ✰ listen before i go Daryl leaves with Merle without thinking how it would affect you.

@optimist-pine ✰ bodyguard You need a bath, but there's no way you're going alone ✰ eloquence

@lunajay33 ✰ migraine You get frequent migraines but they’ve been mia since the apocalypse but even since you got to the farm they’ve returned but you didn’t wanna bother anyone until Daryl finds you balled up on the floor in pain

@hidtired ✰ poison for some Your deathly allergic to nuts and dinner in the prison leaves you running for medicine. Your abrupt departure confuses everyone, until your partner Daryl remembers of your allergies. Now it was 24 hours and you were no where to be found. ✰ miles away A last minute trip leaves you separated from your fiancé when the world ends. Years of travel inevitably returns you to him. But years out in the world causes change.

@daryldove ✰ shower thoughts, water falls

@secretlovezz ✰ kiss me while you and Daryl are out on a run feelings are disruptively revealed

@holdmytesseract ✰ approaches When Andrea mistakes Daryl for a walker and shots him, you are here to take care of the injured archer; causing the both of you to get closer...

@maggie-atwood ✰ last night on earth During your time with the Atlanta Camp, you form an unlikely friendship with the younger Dixon brother. When the group finds their way to the CDC, you feel safe enough to push past the lines of just friends.

@darylssunshine ✰ caring

@mystic-writings ✰ ink on skin daryl gave up on the concept of soulmates long ago, even with the words marked on his wrist. and then he found you.

@dixons-sunshine ✰ no-nonsense ✰ i found you When the dead started to rise and the world went to hell, Daryl got seperated from you, the love of his life. After over a year of searching for you and finding no evidence of your survival, Daryl was beginning to give up and count his losses. One day, Carol stumbled upon a wounded woman while out on a run with Glenn, and the two of them decide to accept you into the prison. Little did they know, that would end up being one of the best decisions they could've ever made. 

@metanoiahh ✰ get off my back A great fascination for the youngest Dixon took over you ever since the Quarry. Daryl notices and in fear of reciprocating your feelings, he continuously pushes you away. After Andrea shoots him, you don’t leave his side with the excuse of keeping an eye on him.

@collecting-stories ✰ bitch You throw some choice words Andrea’s way as she heads out into the woods with Daryl, partially because you hate her and partially because you’re jealous.

@emswritingsstuff ✰ home at last After being left on the roof with Merle, you're separated from Daryl. ✰ quite badass

@theteasetwrites ✰ soft spot part 2 Daryl finds his lady love injured in the woods after being separated, and everyone is surprised to find not only that Daryl has a girlfriend, but that he's very, very soft for her. ✰ protector A one-night stand with your brother's best friend, Shane, proves to be more trouble than it was worth when he develops a bit of a worrisome obsession with you, and your friend and confidant, Daryl, isn't too happy about it.

@violettwrites ✰ the fall daryl loses you during the start of the apocalypse, and then he finds you again.

@daryltwdixon ✰ request A drunk Daryl grows uncharacteristically shy around you, forgetting for a moment that you're together.

@weretheones ✰ to the bone You can’t stop shivering and Daryl can’t sleep.

@d1xonss ✰ pretty when i cry

@cultofdixon ✰ shot in the dark Andrea shouldn’t have been on top of that RV and shouldn’t have fired. She asked for what happened next ✰ i found yea, bunny Never did he think he’d find anyone to love him, then when someone did. The world ended ✰ vocalize whats inside Risking your life  countless times for someone who doesn’t notice, only for you to realize it was never one sided ✰ falling for you...wasn't meant to hurt The two of you grew close because the universe thought you were meant to be. But Daryl agreeing to let you help him find Carol’s daughter, he didn’t expect anything bad to happen

@multific ✰ a new start Daryl loved the nights, this was the only time he could see you again.

@sukunasbow ✰ childhood friends in which you reunite with your childhood friend, only for him to underestimate your value in the current state of the world.

@magicalqueennightmare ✰ back me You and Daryl form a friendship at the quarry camp

@darylsgirl ✰ there ain't no competition darlin reader has feelings for Daryl. And one Day Daryl brings an injured girl from the woods to the prison and becomes really close with her, which hurts the readers feelings. Also make the ending of your choice 

[pricesprincess]

from this ask | 1.4k wc | smut mdni | incest | dark content | breeding | daddy kink (you say dad as well) | milestone event

"mom!" your stomps could shake the entire house from anger as you came down the stairs, your face twisted in annoyance from the bathroom sink being covered in wiry dark brown beard hair, again.

it was the third time this week you've voiced your distaste loud enough that john, your stepdad could hear you but it didn't matter. it was obvious he loved getting under your skin and riling you up.

your mom leaned against the counter dressed in a blouse and slacks with heels that scream businesswoman. ever since the divorce she went through a phase of getting a whole new job and work harder.

her spending time away from home also came with the new job, her time was solely for trips and business dinners and since you were busy with renovating the pool house in the back for your own place you spent a lot of time decorating and getting everything in order.

john also came with the new job, her version was that they met at a coffee place that she frequents but to him, it's the grocery store but wherever they met was where they fell in love you suppose.

"i don't have time for this honey, i have to get to work. breakfast is in the oven, i'll see you later tonight you two." your mom told you with a kiss on the cheek and a hug for john who used only one arm.

clearly, they were having issues and you could tell. john opted to sleep on the couch when she stayed the night here and when she didn't he sometimes would crawl into your bed for some cuddles.

your plush body melded so perfectly to him he had to remind you time and time again how you were made for him, and that's all that ever happened even though you wanted your stepdad, badly.

was it gross? maybe.

but did you care? hell no.

not when he was sad and lonely, the way he held you and nuzzled his face into the softness of your neck as he groped your hips and just holding you close to him, back to chest that way he could enjoy your scent that wafted around him like a morning haze. soft and sweet.

you couldn't even remember the last time it was when you had someone to hold you and to banter back and forth with, which isn't an excuse but you were only a human who craved attention.

the moment the door clicked close you turned to john with a look that could kill, your upper lip curling. "must you do that? you need to shave outside since you're a bear, hairy all over the place." you huffed.

john's grin widened as he placed his coffee cup down bringing your attention to his attire, a loose t-shirt, and sweats where you could see the outline of what he had to offer. "want to shave for me then?"

"i'd rather shave a rat's ass before helping you." you hissed annoyed with the hair you'd have to clean up once more. he chuckled and brushed past you with a wink before heading up the stairs.

your bratty attitude was like red flares as you stomped back upstairs to the guest bedroom making a show of cleaning the hair. "i don't think your mum spanked you enough since you act like this at your grown age." john murmured when he appeared in the doorway.

warmth flushed through your entire body as you felt the flame of desire meltdown to sap that flowed through your veins like honey. "have a baby with her then if you want to discipline someone." you shot back with a fake smile hating the idea of that.

john took that as an invitation and stepped inside the bathroom shutting the door even though there was no need for it, his look was predatory as his eyes drank you in, your pussy almost ate your cotton sleeping shorts and nestled between warm plush thighs.

years of yearning and subtle touches boiled over igniting the room with the heat of desire and need. "i don't have any kids of my own so you're going to be a good girl and help me with that, aren't you?"

your eyes went wide and your jaw went slack as a second heartbeat came to life in your clit, you ached to be touched by him. you couldn't say anything but step forward to crush your lips to his quickly.

they were warm and a bit dry but flavored with coffee which you tasted more when your tongue glided against his as john drew you closer in an embrace that made you feel like jelly as he held you.

his hands went down to your ass, groping and massaging the globes as he rutted against you before he was pushing you against the counter. "gonna make you a mamma and you're gonna make me a daddy." john rasped as his mouth moved to your neck and chest.

while his lips suckled on your pulse point his fingers drifted along the bottom hem of your shirt before he slid his palms under the fabric to pinch and twist your nipples into stiff peaks, tweaking the pleasure that zipped up your spine. "don't tease me dad, i want you so bad."

"no daddy? you're a nasty girl who needs to keep her mouth occupied." without any words you dropped to your knees pawing at the band of his sweats to pull them down freeing his fat cock.

you parted your mouth and leaned forward eager to suckle the tip to hear him hiss and grip the counter as he leaned over you and bullied his dick to the back of your throat making you sputter wetly.

john held your head still and fucked your mouth as you kneeled so prettily for him, his cock throbbed on your tongue that you used to lave every warm and silky inch of skin while you cupped his sack.

there was no thinking about anything else or how this was wrong on many levels you just didn't care, not when john looked at you like you were his own personal pornstar ready to do whatever it is.

your eyes flicked up to him and you smiled with them as you gagged around his cock, your fist jerking off whatever was left that you couldn't suck on as you bobbed up and down giving him your all.

before he busted in your mouth and ruined his load john pulled you off him with a wet pop, and then he helped you up while you shucked your shorts off and hopped up on the counter spreading your legs.

john met your heated gaze as he stood between your thighs, your pussy slick and pretty as it glistened under the light. unable to help himself he thumbed your clit softly and sucked your essence off it.

"fuck me please, dad." you begged, your hands busy squeezing your breasts as you batted your eyelashes at john with a sweet pout.

"you're making it hard not to darlin'." he muttered and fisted the base of his dick to slap the tip of it against you with a chuckle hearing you moan then he afforded you the pleasure by thrusting just the head in.

it was enough to make your eyes go wide as you gripped his shoulders to wrap your legs around his waist pulling him forward giving him no chance to go anywhere as he bottomed out.

john growled in your ear feeling your wet heat so tight around his cock. "you're going to be such a pretty momma." he cooed in your ear as he found a slow pace making sure you felt how he throbbed in you.

you felt so full of him.

the bathroom filled with your pants that fogged the mirror as he folded you up more and fucked you deeper, your knees pressed back as he held your thighs obscenely wide open for his viewing pleasure.

he watched as you coated his cock with a creamy white sheen that made him groan deep in his chest, moving one hand he pressed down on your lower tummy savoring your soft squeals.

your orgasm ripped open causing you to cry out and knock over the bottles as you gasped and writhed under him when his thumb joined in to circle your clit making your cunt spasm around john.

it wasn't long before his hips were stuttering and his own climax rose high and crashed over him sending tingles down his spine as he coated your walls with a thick load that he kept you plugged up with.

john held you close to him as you both came down from your highs that cleared your head. "we should probably start crib shopping." he whispered in your ear before he pulled out and kept you plugged.

comments and relogs with tags are really appreciated <3

[mattsturnioloz]

I found you again: Pt 3.

Summary: Sequel of 'Then I lost you', A year after a devastating break up, Y/n finds herself reuniting with the love of her life, Matt Sturniolo, at a mutual friends birthday party. Will they rekindle their love?

Pairings: Y/n x Matt Sturniolo

Warnings: UTI, cussing,

A/N: (honestly i’ve been so lazy to work on this part but I gathered the motivation to write it since you guys love it so i hope you guys enjoy 💚)

I slump myself on the ground, still crying. The night air getting colder by the minute. I look up at Matt who’s taking deep breaths, trying to compose himself.

“Look Y/n, let’s get you home okay? You’re drunk, you’re not taking an uber and i’m not letting you stay here so come on, get up.” He says, calmer, a little bit of guilt in his tone. He takes a step forward holding his hand out but I don’t take it. I try to balance myself as I stand up and I stumble back to my original spot in the car, opening the door and getting in next to Chris again.

I buckle myself in, crossing my arms as Matt opens the drivers door and gets in. I wipe my tears when I look over and see Nancy staring at me with a smug look on her face and it pisses me off even more. “What the fuck are you looking at bitch?!” I spit out, aggressively, my voice still shaky from crying.

“HEY! ENOUGH!!” He yells, turning his whole body around to look at me with disbelief written all over his face as her jaw drops, smiling as she scoffs. I roll my eyes and look over at Chris and Nick who are waking up from all the yelling. “Matt, don’t fucking yell at her like that.” Chris slurs, sternly, his voice groggy from waking up.

“Chris go back to fucking sleep kid. You guys need to shut up and relax, i’m tired of it!” He replies, in the same stern tone. “Can you just drive?!” I yell. “Fine!” He starts the car and starts driving. Finally the car is moving.

A few minutes later Matt starts playing music to cover up the silence in the car and Chris looks over at me empathetically and he can see I was crying. “Are you okay?” He says putting his arm around my shoulder pulling me to his chest and I nod. Surprisingly he’s already starting to sound pretty sober, considering that I still feel like I JUST got drunk.

I fall asleep for what feels like a few minutes but I wake up when I feel the car coming to a complete stop, thinking I was home. I lift my head from Chris’s chest to see but we were just dropping his girlfriend off at her house first. She goes in for a kiss but he moves his face dodging it. Probably to make up for making out with her in front of me earlier. She scoffs and gets out slamming the door.

Matt sighs before starting the car, driving off again. A few minutes pass and I still feel empty, my chest feeling like there’s a big metal ball in it. “H-hey you passed my street!” I say leaning forward to talk to Matt. “You’re not staying home alone, Y/n. You’re drunk.” I know he was right so I don’t protest.

We get to the triplets house and I open the door, stumbling out and I fall. I feel dizzy when I look up and see the world spinning and everything feels lighter as I feel myself pass out.

I wake up in the middle of the night in Matt’s bed covered in blankets, the smell of fresh sheets and candles filling my nostrils. I take a look around and take in the familiar feeling of the room since it was once mine too. I felt a massive hangover coming from the slight headache that was starting to throb.

I get up and leave the room to get some water and pain killers from the kitchen and I see Matt at the couch. Feeling the need to talk to him, so I look for an excuse. “What time is it?” I ask him.

“3:47” He says not even looking at me. “Why are you still up?” I ask, I don’t even know why I did. “Why do you care?” He snaps, turning his gaze to the tv, watching gravity falls. He always loved that show, especially when we were together he would put it on almost every night before bed.

“There’s no need to get snappy, it was just a question.” I reply, with a frustrated tone and all he does is scoff. I roll my eyes and taking some pain killers and I feel hungry all of a sudden.

“Can we go to Mcdonald’s?” I ask, quietly. I’m surprised he even heard me. “It’s almost 4 am and you want Mcdonald’s?” He gives me a baffled look.

“I’m already feeling the hangover and i’m hungry.. please?” I put my hands together, pleading him. He lets out a sigh and gets up. “Fine, go get my keys.” He answers with an attitude. I don’t know what his issue is all of a sudden but it’s starting to get to me.

I go get his keys and hand them to him. “Can I borrow a sweater?” I ask, shivering a bit. “No.” He simply replies. “What’s your issue?” I almost yell. “Nothing, now do you want Mcdonald’s or what??” He raises his voice tilting his head with an annoyed expression.

“No, just take me home.” I reply, looking away. “Come on don’t be like that. I swear you’re so difficult Y/n.” He walks towards the front door opening it and waiting for me to follow so I do.

I leave the house, the cold air hitting me as soon as I do and I get whole body chills. We make our way to his car and I get in buckling myself in before crossing my arms, looking out the window.

He buckles in and pulls out of the driveway and I notice that he’s driving to Mcdonald’s. “What are you doing? I said I wanna go home.” I look at him waiting for a response. “I’ll get you home after we get Mcdonald’s, relax.” He sighs and looks back at the road.

The car goes silent the rest of the way before we go though the drive-thru and we get our food and park in the parking lot to eat. The only sounds being us eating our food.

“Thank you..” I give a slight smile. “You’re welcome.” He says with the same smug face. We finish eating and he starts driving to my place. It all felt so wrong. The silence was so fucking awkward, so quiet that I might go crazy.

We arrive at my place and I unlock the door to leave but before I could open it he locks it again. I look at him confused and when I look at him he opens his mouth before closing it, like he wants to say something. “What are you doing?” I ask, super confused.

“L-listen.. can we talk?” He says with a vulnerable expression but I honestly don’t even want to hear it. “There’s nothing to talk about Ma-“ He cuts me off all of a sudden and grabs my hand.

“I still love you, Y/n..” He says, looking at me dead in the eye. I freeze up and I feel myself start to shake. I’m so confused, was was just so rude to me and now he’s saying he loves me? no! He’s staring at me and I feel overwhelmed, not knowing what to say as I grow nauseas.

I open the door not saying anything and I get out closing the door a little too quick and I run inside my house slamming the door behind me. I slide down my front door after locking it and I feel my eyes fill with tears. I left him hanging. I shouldn’t have done that. I know I have to apologize. I just can’t right now.

1,286 words.

A/N: (I hate this so much, i’m so sorry for the delay guys, I haven’t been able to write at my full potential, it’s been a rough time for me but i have like 50 anons asking for this chapter so here you go 🫶🏼)

Taglist: @watercolorskyy @chrissfleshlight @realuvrrr @stonermattsgf @pvssychicken @venusbabysblog @kayla-hearts4sturniolo @endereies @starzinasblog @urfavstromboli @sturniqloo @star-yawnznn @h3arts4harry @asherrisrandom @tsturniolo4 @urmom69lol @luzsturniolo @ncm9696 @valkatriee @sturnslut1 @annielolz @sturnlover4eva @luzsturniolo @anyaa2s @sturnzpro @tpwktahlz @nataliesturn @openurbocaputitonmyballsbitch

[cuntressgoingdigital]

abby knows how god awful you are at taking care of yourself. fortunately, she learned that just a little bit of help and subtle coercion will force you through your nighttime routine.

(aka bedtime domesticity with abby)

free palestine! click this link for more info

at night when you’re already cozied up under layers of blankets, eyes glued to your phone, she pulls you out of bed and gives you a piggyback ride to the bathroom to force you into your nighttime routine. to start, she carefully undresses you while telling you how beautiful you are and how happy she is after coming home to see her beloved. her days were long and stressful. she absolutely hated coming home late at night, only being able to hold your attention for an hour or two before sleep took over. 

“did you have a good day, baby? i missed you.” 

she’d keep you talking about your day and any other musings to keep you from begging to go back and reclaim your imprinted spot on your shared mattress. 

you lean back against her in the shower, feigning exhaustion so she can hold you up. in reality it was an excuse to feel the warmth of her skin against yours. 

“my poor baby. so, so tired.” her tone would almost sound patronizing if you hadn’t known her mannerisms. “you need me to do it for you?”

you’d nod and she would. the question was superfluous. the answer was always the same. she’d start by gently washing your face with a really expensive specialty cleanser she bought for you on nora’s recommendation. then, she’d use a combination of a washcloth and her hands to wash your body. she ran her hands along your collarbones to your shoulders, slowly moving downwards to your waist and hips. she knelt down in front of you, holding your thighs up one by one, making sure she scrubbed every inch of your body. 

while down on her knees, she couldn’t help but place a few kisses against your hips and thighs. abby always had to resist the urge to bury her face in your cunt right then and there. 

right now, she had a mission. 

these moments were mostly for you. she was a morning shower type of gal, but had no problem making sure you were taken care of, even if you didn’t want to.

after the shower she would take her time toweling you off, taking in your body like it was the first time she’d ever seen you unclothed. every time was the first time to her. she couldn’t get enough of you. 

the two of you would do the rest of your identical skincare routine together, a ritual she imposed as a ruse to get you to actually use the products you begged her to buy for you. while she brushed her teeth, you would undo her braid and carefully detangle her hair. 

at the end of the night she’d carry you right back to your spot in your dark room, pulling out a pair of pajamas for you. they never matched, something that bothered you for a while, but quickly got over knowing she would never hear out your complaints. sure, you could get your own pajamas, but it was more fun putting her to work. abby slept in the same thing every night, just a pair of boxer briefs. 

she was always the last to fall asleep, waiting to see your chest rise and fall in that familiar soft rhythm. until you did, she’d lay and watch your scroll on tik tok. abby refused to download any social media app, so you had to bookmark the videos to show to her at bedtime. the two of you softly giggled together shrouded in darkness.

abby glanced at the time, sitting up in bed to leer down at you. "don't you have to be up early tomorrow?"

"buuuuut, i'm staying up to hangout with you." you whined back.

it took a few moments for abby's face to soften with a defeated sigh "and tomorrow you'll wake up complaining about how sleepy you are."

"maybe." you reluctantly conceded. "but, what if i love you so much and want to sit and talk to you all night?"

"what if i love you more and i'll make you coffee while we talk in the morning?"

"fineeee."

wrote this at like 11pm while laying on my bathroom floor trying to convince myself to take off my makeup. love domestic abby #needthat !!

[fancyfeathers]

Happy thanksgiving, I hope it is going well🦃

Thank you for responding to my other ask about the flinching around the batfamily. But now another question has popped up in my head, what if Daughter reader just randomly picks one of the "siblings" to cling onto for dear life. But it backfires for the sibling because uh oh! Daughter Reader met their friend and suddenly boom she has a crush on them. Example Maybe: Tim? (I love Tim he's my favorite lol.) Daughter Reader sees his "subtleness" in obsession or whatever he likes to call it😒 Reader is chilling with Tim, then KON walks in and she never whipped her head around so fast. (Obviously Tim notices.) Now not only is Tim (or any other sibling of the batfamily you'd like to use) is dealing with a clingy reader, now they're dealing with said reader constantly asking them about their friend and occasionally stealing their phone to stare at pictures of said friend. (She's a little creepy she's been cooped up in a manor for like a decade by now give her a break she's trying her best.) OR! When the batsibling's friend comes back over reader gives them a drawing she made of them Thank you reading have a lovely Day/Night! - 🐈‍⬛Anon

Yandere Batfam w/ Wife/Mother!Darling & Daughter/Sister!Darling Masterlist

Ooooo this is giving me ideas

I did make Daughter!Darling younger than Damian so Kon might be a bit too old for her (or young… he was created in a lab, but that’s a whole other can of worms)

But this gave me an ideas for two scenarios that stem from this idea…

Taking the crush aspect out of this cause of age differences with the idea with Kon, like Tim brings him around to the house for the first time while Daughter!Darling is home from school or one of the many outings that Dick takes her on of his choosing. Connor is definitely friendly to her, Tim has definitely mentioned his little sister to him, how amazing she is, how adorable, how perfect-

She looks terrified when Damian came around looking for her, mentioning something about notes in class…

Then the second time he comes around to visit, he catches a glimpse of Bruce locking her bedroom door with her inside… who does that?

Then when he came around to see Tim and he walked into the living room and he saw his friends taking photos of her just sitting and doing schoolwork and she clearly looks uncomfortable.

He finds some excuse to have Tim leave the room so he can ask her…

“Are you okay?”

“N-no…”

He felt horrible for her, but he did not have anymore time to ask questions before Tim returned. Kon is not capable of taking care of a child but he knows people who definitely can.

It’s when she is at school and out on the swings alone, Damian scared away her friends again today and…

“Hello, mind if I sit by you?”

There is a man with glasses and a visitor’s pass that comes to speak with her and she lets him, he introduces himself as Clark Kent and he lets her connect the dots. He lets her know that she can speak freely and he is here to help her and just everything spills out with tears. Clark would be horrified by what he hears, this little girl is in danger and no one had cared enough to help her and-

“Hang on tight.”

There is just a quick moment before he picks her up and they are in the air with him taking her somewhere he’ll know she’ll be safe for now anyway, with his family.

He’ll explain things to Lois and Jon, but he is sure they will understand… they have to…

The other way I could see this scenario going is…

With the idea of when she starts having a boyfriend who is a member of the Court of Owls (I mentioned him in these posts, link, link, link, link)

But Damian would have probably have made friends to help with his cover, and of course there is the most perfect boy in school, talented, smart, kind, head of the student council, on many sports teams. Then when Damian began attending that school after Talia left him with Bruce, he was the one who was we so adamant about making him feel welcome, but of course it was a fake friendship on both sides. The boy had no real interest in being Damian’s friend, but he also needs to keep up his appearance.

He could honestly care less about Damian until when they come into his first period class and introduce a new student, Damian’s little sister and when the teacher asks for volunteers to show her around the classroom, his hand shoots up. Damian is fine enough with his friend to help his sister, he won’t get close-

That is until the end of the day when he sees her walking down the steps of the school with that boy, laughing and chatting with each other. It is fine, he is a family with a good reputation-

Then when he is supposed to come over for a school project for Damian’s and his science class, he is talking to his sister after they are done working and are waiting for his driver.

Then there is the time when they just went on summer break and she comes into Damian’s room and asks for the address of the boy’s summer home because they promised to write to each other and she had his address on her phone but she got it taken away since she would only need it to call the family and she-

Damian wants to pull out his hair more and more every time she mentions this boy. This goes on for years and into high school and it all comes to a boiling point where Damian catches them making out in the stairwell.

Oh my god he wants to kill them, wants to rip out his heart, wants to bang his head into the concrete over and over again. He restrains himself and only threatens him with some bruising and harsh words.

But after that nothing is the same.

His sister distances herself from Damian, he cuts off his friend, but then true colors begin to show to Damian, only Damian.

Like when he opens his locker and finds it defaced, threats, insults, and strangely enough a feather, like a signature, but to whom does it belong to?

The boy puts on his perfect facade and acts like he actually cares about Damian and as it he had nothing to do with it, but his laughter when he is talking to his group of friends just seems too loud, the kisses he shares with his sister are almost smug, and the perfect smile and the praise he receives from his teachers and classmates leaves a sour taste in Damian’s mouth.

He wished he had asked his father to have his sister homeschool.

[theocddiaries]

[Cassandra comes home late and goes to her room in absolute silence. When she turns on the lights, Bruce jumps from a corner] Bruce: You're busted! Cass: Oh, my God! Dad! You scared me. Bruce: Good. Now you know how I felt for the last hour and a half. You didn't call. You didn't answer your cell. You could've been dead! What's your excuse this time? Cass: I went to see my friend Keith's band, and they didn't go on until 10:00. And it just would've been rude if I left in the middle. Bruce: Your friend Keith's band? Who the hell is Keith? Cass: He's this guy that I really, really like, and it was really important for me to be there so I could get on his radar. Bruce: Look, I don't want you on his radar. Okay? I don't want you on any of his equipment. From now on, during the week, you have to be home by 10:00. Cass: 10:00?! Are you crazy?! Bruce: And don't talk back! Cass: I can't even-- Bruce: Eh-eh-eh! Get to bed, you have school in the morning. Cass: …Fine. Bruce: Eh-eh-eh! [leaves her room] Tim [walks back to his room while eating a sandwich] Bruce: What the hell are you doing up? It's after midnight. Tim: I'm just chatting online with my friend in Japan, Shigetoshi Takanowa. He just got back from school. Bruce: Look, we talked about this. Okay? If you stay up all night, you can't get up in the morning, and you can't afford to be late for school anymore. Okay, now go to bed. Tim: But I didn't get to-- Bruce: Eh-eh-eh! Don't talk back. Tim: Whatever. Bruce: Eh-eh-eh! [Bruce goes to Alfred's room and wakes him up] Alfred: Huh? What? Bruce: Cassandra was late again. Alfred: …If you're not talking about her period, I'm going back to sleep. Bruce: She just doesn't care, you know? It's like talking to a brick wall that every guy in town wants to feel up. And Tim, he stays up all night talking to his friend, Mitsubishi or whatever, then he can't even wake up. Alfred: Can this please wait until morning? Bruce [grunts]: Fine. [In the morning, Alfred's alarm clock goes off. He turns it off and when he turns to wake up, Bruce is still by his bed. He keeps on talking as if only a few seconds had passed] Bruce: It's like they don't even hear what I tell them. Alfred [sighs] Bruce: Or like they don't care about what I tell them… And you know what? I'm tired of it. You know, when I was a kid, I wouldn't dare talk back to my dad. You know why? 'Cause I was afraid of him. But we're so concerned with the kids liking us, now they see me as their best friend instead of the authority figure that I am. Alfred: In their defense, Master Bruce, I'm pretty sure if you asked them, they wouldn't consider you their best friend. In fact, not even a "top five" friend.

[gremlinmodetweeker]

I don't know if you're taking request right now, so please excuse me if this is bad timing. The way you right Simon is so, so, so, well. Your Ghost Icks and that other one-shot of him buying a snake was chefs kiss. You capture him unlike the other writers here. My request is about relationships, how would a first kiss between Ghost and the reader would be? It can be in any scenario really. Like a fifth or sixth date (if they go on one). I apologize if this ask is not of your time.

Okay so I'm so so sorry for this taking so much time, but I think this little ficlet took a bit longer to put together than I expected. Sometimes I get a little mental block and for some reason I just kept getting stuck! However, I figured that this might be a good little story to work with, so enjoy this little drabble I wrote!

“Simon?”

“Yeah?”

“Why aren’t you inside?”

Your boyfriend shifted side to side as he tried to think of a reasonable answer. Anything would be ncier than the truth. Anything would be easier, but how could he tell you?

“I just like lookin’ at the stars,” Simon whispered as you stepped out to stand on the balcony with him.

“Didn’t take you for much of an astronomer,” you muttered as you carefully stood by his side.

“I’m not,” he chuffed.

You gave him a tight smile, “I know.”

Simon’s eyes crawled over your form before darting back to the warm light coming from indoors. A peel of laughter fluttered against the glass door, muffled by snow outside.

“You should go back in,” Simon said quietly.

“But I want to spend time with my boyfriend,” you said back, “that’s not a crime, is it?”

Simon shook his head silently.

You smiled and carefully leaned against the freezing metal railing, careful to not let the snow soak into your clothes.

“You know,” you started quietly, “you don’t have to pretend to be happy for me.”

Simon scowled, “I’m not pretending anything.”

You frowned, “Si, I’m not mad. It’s okay to not be okay.”

Simon rolled his eyes, “You’re going and giving me the therapy talk again?”

You huffed.

“I’m not giving you the ‘therapy talk’,” you looked out to the cold streets below, “I’m worried about you.”

“That’s a first,” Simon sniffed.

“I always care about you,” you retorted.

“You do,” Simon acquiesced, “not everybody else.”

“But what about all your squadmates? They really seem to like you,” you offered as you held out a hand for his.

Simon looked at your hand and glanced away, “I guess. But I don’t have much else. Not like you.”

You let your hand drop back to your side, “Is that what this is about?”

Simon hung his head down to his chest.

“They care about you too,” you offered, “just because they’re my family it doesn’t mean they don’t care about you too.”

“Seeing them all so happy…” Simon shook his head, “it’s different.”

“Different than your home?” you offered.

“Very,” Simon agreed.

A siren screamed by in the distance as a crowd of college students laughed below you. The warm city lights glowed like bright stars running along the streets, twinkling in the night with a friendly wink. Down the road you could see the traffic lights changing to red.

“Does it hurt?” you asked quietly.

“Always,” Simon admitted.

You watched a woman push her baby stroller through the snow below you.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered.

“You shouldn’t be sorry for being happy,” Simon grumbled.

“But what about-”

“Don’t care,” Simon grunted, “don’t be sorry for being happy.”

You nodded and crossed your arms over your chest.

You looked out over the skyline with a faint smile, “I know it’s hard, but it means a lot that you came over. I don’t know if I could do this on my own.”

Simon looked at you quizzically, “It looks like you’re enjoying yourself in there.”

“Well,” you shrugged, “every family has its problems, and we have ours. It’s sometimes hard listening to my uncle saying some things, and I hate seeing how my aunt treats my other uncle. It’s hard, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

“Me being here helps that how?” Simon asked.

“Well, you got me out here, right?” you chuckled and took reached out your hand again.

Simon looked down at your hand and smiled. He took it into his and squeezed it lightly, “I guess I did.”

“You’re not all bad, you know,” you kissed the back of his hand before letting your hands drop down together.

“I hope not,” Simon let out a long breath through his nose.

“You’re not,” you affirmed and stepped close to his side, “I promise.”

Simon looked out at the skyline before looking back down at you. He smiled and brushed your hair to the side of your ear.

“You’re too good for me,” he whispered.

“I’m only as good as you are,” you replied with a small smile.

Simon rested his forehead against yours, warming your face with his tired breath. You reached up to run your hand through the back of his short-cropped hair and sighed.

“If we’re only as good as each other, then maybe both of us are damned,” Simon said under his breath.

“Then let’s be damned together,” you reached up and tugged him close.

His lips were hard, cracked, chapped with age and cigarettes and pain. You took all of it into your heart as you kissed him back. He wove a hand behind the back of your head and held you close, almost as though he was afraid of what would happen if he let go. When he pulled back, his eyes were half-closed and tired.

“You okay now?” you asked.

“Better,” Simon gruffed, “but only just a bit.”

“Do you wanna go back in yet?” you asked.

Simon glanced behind him before shaking his head, “Give me another ten.”

You traced a line of muscle down his neck to below his coat.

You looked up at him hopefully, “Can I kiss you again?”

Simon nodded and leaned in close, “As much as you like.”

[gamerwoo]

Bang Chan: The Girl Who Didn't Cry Wolf (Part Six)

Characters: Bang Chan x fem reader

Genre/warnings: werewolf au, fantasy, enemies-to-lovers-ish??, slowburn, werewolf/alpha!chan, (werewolf)hunter!reader, angst, fluff at the end, hurt/comfort (literally), knives, cutting open wounds, mentions of blood and puss and scars [dialogue in bold is meant to be korean]

Word count: 6,085

Summary: You've learned to do whatever you can to protect yourself after an incident almost a decade ago had your father and brother dragging you to a new country to start all over even though they blamed you for what happened. After finding yourself stuck in a house of werewolves, you're forced to come to terms with your feelings over what happened back home when the alpha imprints on you and his pack claims they're keeping you prisoner. You know exactly how this will end if you give in, and yet you can't seem to get yourself to leave the sweet and charming werewolf who's willing to do anything to make you comfortable. You're just hoping that maybe there'll be a good end this time.

Previous | Next | TGWDCW Masterlist

You waited another day to see if your side would get any better but it still hurt, and it was still shiny and red. It was even hot to the touch which you knew wasn’t good. You decided it most likely was infected, and you would take care of it once everyone went to bed that night. The problem was waiting that long because it hurt more than it did the last few days, so even just sitting the wrong way made you almost whimper in pain.

“Do you wanna go for a walk?” Chan asked as he walked into the den.

You looked up from your book, laying across one of the couches so it would cause less strain on your side, “No thank you.”

He frowned, “Why? You always like leaving the house, you said it’s boring staying inside.”

“Yeah, but…” you paused for a moment to think of a good excuse, “this one part is getting really good.”

Chan squinted at your book before giving you a look like he knew you were lying, “The Ultimate Guide to Gardening?”

“...I finally got to string beans.”

He sighed and took the book from between your hands, “_____, what’s wrong? Ever since Minho said...that to you, you haven’t wanted to do anything. Are you…depressed maybe?”

You knew Chan would go insane if he found out you were actually depressed being with him and living in his house. You weren’t, but if he ever thought you were, he’d surely go berserk trying to figure out what to do and how to fix it.

“If anything were going to make me depressed, it would be whatever’s goin’ on up here,” you pointed to your head, signifying your conflicting thoughts that hadn’t stopped since you first laid eyes on Chan, “rather than whatever comes out of Minho’s stupid mouth. I swear, I’m fine.”

“Did someone else say something?” he wondered.

“No.”

“Is it something physically bothering you?”

“No.”

“You know you can tell me.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

Chan was frustrated, he made it clear when he groaned and ran his fingers through his hair, tugging on the strands, “Can you please just tell me so I can help you? It’s not healthy being cooped up inside all the time. You haven’t been outside in over 24 hours.”

“You’re the one who imprinted on a werewolf hunter,” you reminded him. “Stubborness is a given.”

“That’s still not my fault, it was out of my control,” he explained for the umpteenth time, “and stop trying to change the subject.”

Something else that was different after your talk with Chan was that you two hadn’t been that close again since. You went back to sleeping alone in your room, and the most contact the two of you had was his hand on your shoulder or back. It wasn’t that you told him to stop, but you didn’t necessarily make any moves to be closer to him. Your body did crave that contact again – more than just those touches, actually – but your mind would implode. You were still fighting with yourself and needed to be away from him, otherwise you knew you’d just turn into putty in his hands.

And then probably cry again. Which you were still embarrassed about.

“I’m tired, okay?” you lied easily. “I don’t sleep that well.”

He didn’t seem shocked by this. You knew he knew that you were hardly sleeping, so technically you weren’t lying to him. It just wasn’t the real reason you didn’t feel like moving lately.

“_____…” he sighed and knelt on the floor beside you. You twitched to sit up until you remembered you’d probably wince and give yourself away. “What can I do to help you sleep better? Have you tried Felix’s bed, maybe? It might be warmer.”

“It’s not that,” you shook your head. “The thoughts keep me up at night.”

Again, another not-lie.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he offered.

Your eyes narrowed slightly in an accusatory way, “You just want to stay with me again.”

“No, I–” he paused and then shrugged. “Well, yeah. But no.”

You rolled your eyes, shaking your head, “Give me one more night and if I don’t get a good night's sleep, you can…y’know.”

His eyes brightened but his mouth fell into a frown. You knew he was excited, but he was afraid you felt pressured to say that, “Are you sure? You don’t have to.”

“I know, but the only time I slept well was when I…stayed with you…”

He sighed softly, patting your hand that rested on the couch close to his shoulder, “Alright, _____. If that’s what you want.”

You scoffed and smiled, “Don’t act like you weren’t waiting for me to give in.”

“I just want you to finally get some sleep, ba-” he cut himself off, something you noticed he did a lot. You assumed he was about to call you pet names and realized he shouldn’t in case it made you uncomfortable. “I want things to get better for you.”

“Me too.”

-

You waited for about an hour after Chan left the bedroom after saying goodnight to get up and go to the bathroom. It wasn’t abnormal for you to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom so you hoped he wouldn’t assume anything of this. Maybe he was already asleep anyway – you did your best to keep your heartbeat and breathing even so he’d think you were safe and sound asleep.

Quietly closing the door, you locked it and flipped the light on before lifting up your shirt and peeling the bandage off. The ugly red and sheen were still there. You took a deep breath, going through the cupboards to get the leftover medicine that Chan had originally cleaned the wound out with, as well as the ointment you put over it to help it heal, and a pair of scissors that they kept with the medical supplies. With everything ready, you took the scissors in your hand and tried to steady your breathing.

You can do this, you told yourself, Just do it quick like back home.

Before you could do anything, though, there was a loud knock on the door, causing you to drop the scissors with a clatter that seemed somehow too loud.

“_____?” it was Felix’s voice that was talking to you. “Your heartbeat is really fast. Are you okay?”

Why is he awake? you asked yourself in a panic because you were pretty sure everyone was asleep like, y’know, normal people.

Obviously, your panicked silence mixed with the weird clang of metal made the wolf think you were definitely not okay. He had no problem forcing the door open and seeing your makeshift surgery setup on the counter of the bathroom sink. Then his golden eyes zeroed in on the inflamed wound on your side, sucking in a breath.

“That doesn’t look good…” he commented with a quiet tone, walking forward to examine it better. “How long has it been like this?”

“Few days,” you mumbled, embarrassed that you’d gotten caught.

Felix sighed, his warm fingertips brushing the wound every so slightly, but still enough for you to wince, “Yeah, this isn’t going to get better on its own. We’ll have to clean it out again. Although...it seems like that’s what you were trying to do.”

He glanced up at you through his lashes with a pointed look.

You frowned and stared anywhere but at the wolf, your face warming up, “I just didn’t want Chan knowing, okay? If I fixed it myself, he wouldn’t have anything to worry about or anyone to fight with it about.”

Felix straightened and cocked his head to the side slightly, “None of us can heal this for you without him knowing. I mean, maybe we could sneak you out to Josh, but we wouldn’t get back until morning…”

“No,” you hissed. “Chris absolutely cannot find out. If he knows this is infected, he’s gonna scream at Seungmin.”

It was no secret that Seungmin and Minho were on thin ice with the alpha. After Minho’s latest remark to you and how poorly he was treating you when he ran into you, and the two of them assaulting you twice, this would be the final nail in the coffin for sure.

Felix seemed to mull over your condition as he bit his lip as stared at the claw marks. He definitely had to do something about this, but how was he going to heal this himself and keep this from your mate? Chan knew everything that went on when it came to you. Hell, he probably could sense something was wrong while he slept right now. But Felix couldn’t just let you walk around with it infected or let you try to fix it yourself.

“Fine,” he finally sighed, staring at the tiled floor, “but I’ll need help from some of the others. Probably Changbin and Jisung.”

You nodded, “Anyone but Chan.”

-

You were laying down on the desk in Changbin’s room, looking up at the ceiling as several wolves ‘prepped you for surgery’ as Jisung put it. You still weren’t very comfortable with having any of the wolves touch you, but you refused to use Chan as a security blanket right now. If he found out that the wound Seungmin gave you was infected, he’d not only kill Seungmin, but he’d never leave your side for the rest of your life.

So you just stared at the ceiling and kept your thoughts to yourself, waiting for the wolves to be ready to cut you open or whatever their plan was. Minho seemed way too casual about it as he watched with arms folded, while the other three seemed kind of stressed about the whole ordeal. You didn’t really blame them since he had to keep this from their alpha, but why was Minho humming to himself and acting perfectly fine? Why was he even here other than the fact he had woken up because him and Jisung still had to share a bed?

Then again, he was also the one who hated you and was probably hoping you would bleed out or something. If you died and Chan managed to live through the heartbreak, he’d just find a new mate. Seemed like a win/win for Minho so he'd probably want to witness it.

You hated that you had that thought because it just made you feel worse, so you tried not to think about it.

“Okay,” Changbin sighed, stepping over to you with a sharp pocket knife in one hand, and a glass jar in the other, “let’s get this over with. Jisung?”

“Y-yeah,” Jisung’s eyes snapped to Changbin, the younger wolf clearly on-edge. “I’m ready.”

“We’re gonna start now,” Felix told you.

“You know the best option is to just tell Chan, right?” Minho asked, looking between the three wolves. “He’s the only thing that can take the pain away unless we bring her to one of the healers.”

“She had a point when she said he’ll reem Seungmin for this,” Changbin pointed out, looking back at Minho. “Do you want to break up a fight at midnight?”

When Minho just rolled his eyes and conceded, Changbin put the two objects on the desk beside you before opening up the jar. He spread the contents over your wound, numbing it so you wouldn’t feel as much of the pain as normal. Then Felix held up a t-shirt that he’d rolled up the long way.

You eyed him warily, “What’s that for?”

He frowned, “Just…put it in your mouth; trust me...”

You obediently opened your mouth and let the wolf place the cloth between your teeth. Then you realized it was to muffle your cries of pain – you hoped this would quiet most of the noise so Chan wouldn’t wake up. You hoped he was too sound asleep to hear you, but just in case, you’d have to try to be as quiet as possible.

“Ready?” Changbin asked, but the question was aimed at you now.

You nodded, not saying anything with the towel in your mouth.

Changbin looked over to the younger wolf, “Do you want to clean the wound or help hold her down?”

Jisung’s eyes widened in horror, while Minho’s widened for a different reason.

“Hold her down?” Minho repeated, sounding almost…excited.

“I don’t know if I can handle…all of that…” Jisung admitted, eyeing your wound.

“You make all of the medicine but can’t handle what it’s for?” Changbin asked.

“I’ll hold her down,” Minho immediately volunteered without any prompt to do so.

Changbin shot Minho a dirty look before he sighed, “Just help Minho hold her. Felix, try to comfort her, okay?”

Felix nodded, “Got it.”

The three wolves shifted around, Jisung and Minho standing on either side of you with their hands braced on your shoulders. Felix stood between them and looked down at you with his classic bright smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes like it usually did.

You saw Changbin pick something up out of the corner of your eye, and then you felt something sharp poke your side, but it was bearable. It wasn’t until Changbin dragged the blade of the knife down one of the scratches that you felt white hot pain in your side that made you arch off the table and groan into the shirt while your eyes screwed shut.

“It’s okay,” Felix shushed you as one of Minho’s hands moved down to your hip to force your body back down, “it’ll be over soon.”

“If she moves, I’ll accidentally cut where I’m not supposed to,” Changbin warned, his golden eyes staying trained on the wounds the whole time.

You bit down on the fabric as hard as you could, trying not to make any noise. You were sure your jaw was going to snap from how hard you were clenching on the shirt, and you couldn’t stop the tears pricking at the corners of your eyes, slipping out and down your temples to your hair. Felix tried to wipe most of them away while Jisung and Minho pressed you down into the wooden desk.

Changbin began cutting open the second one, sucking in a sharp breath when he saw just how much blood and puss there was. He was so sure they had cleaned the wound out, so he wondered if maybe somehow stress was affecting the healing process. Or maybe Chan just didn’t do the best job of cleaning it despite how thorough he was with wounds. Or maybe it was some third thing they didn’t know about. He wasn’t sure.

The whine you let out was bordering a scream, the third one hurting more than the others, and all three wolves by your head tried to calm you this time. Changbin paused and leaned his head toward the door like he was listening, before the door opened and a very-tired-looking Seungmin came in with a half-asleep Jeongin and a slightly-terrified Hyunjin behind him, taking in the scene before them: you laying on the desk desk, three of his brothers holding you down, Changbin cutting your side open, and all the blood and fluid coming out of you and onto the towels Changbin had laid out.

“What the fuck are you–?!”

Before Jeongin could even finish his question, Minho was in front of him, gripping the back of his head with one hand and firmly placing the other hand over his mouth, “If you wake up her mate, we’ll do this to you too. Got it?”

“We’re just draining her wound,” Changbin explained, not looking away from his work. “It’s infected pretty badly.”

Seungmin quickly gathered everything he needed to know, and realized this meant his ass was on the line, “You better know how to fix that before Chan wakes up.”

“A ‘thank you’ might be better than a threat,” Changbin sneered.

Jeongin, however, had decided he didn’t want any part in the ordeal, yawning, “You never saw me in here,” before he left the room.

“Channie is gonna be so mad,” Hyunjin panicked, looking around the room for at least one sane person.

“Then go back to bed so it’s one less person to be mad at,” Changbin said gruffly. “I’m busy.”

But instead, he closed the door and went to stand by Felix. Changbin called Minho back over to help with you, and Seungmin followed behind him and stood at the foot of the desk, taking everything in. You were squirming and crying, and Changbin couldn’t do anything when you were moving around so much.

“I know, _____,” Changbin sighed as Minho stood on the other side of him and put his hands firmly on your abdomen, “I’m sorry. I’m…almost done.”

This time when the door opened, you knew it could only be one person – unless Jeongin randomly decided he did want to be involved. But your eyes were so filled with tears that it became too blurry to see, and you couldn’t even keep your eyes open because of the pain.

Despite that, the voice you heard shook you to your very core, and actually sent pure fear straight through you. You’d never heard Chan sound this angry – not since the first night.

“What are you doing to her?!” Chan roared right before you felt his large, familiar hands cupping your face.

You didn’t dare open your eyes to meet his that you already knew were red with rage. But you weren’t going to let him get angry at his brothers who were only trying to help you. But you still had a shirt in your mouth being held there by your jaw that wouldn’t unclench because of the pain, therefore, you couldn’t do much to back up the wolves.

“Chan, the wound is infected,” Changbin told him, his voice trying to calm the alpha. “Look.”

When you heard him suck in a sharp breath, you knew he saw all the blood and puss that was in the wound. But then you heard the growl of Seungmin’s name leave his mouth, and you blindly tried to find your mate. Your hands flailed and searched, but Chan was already backing Seungmin into a corner.

“Um, a little help might be nice,” Minho spoke up. “Considering she’s, y’know, in severe pain.”

He paused and his head whipped around. Then he was rushing over to your side and crouching down beside you, his eyes full of hurt as he let out soft whimpers.

“_____,” Chan’s voice was much softer than it was previously, and the shirt was removed from your mouth, “I’m so sorry I let this happen.”

You opened your eyes now that the tears had cleared out more, and the pain of Changbin opening the first three scratches had become a dull, burning ache – you almost wanted to thank him for stopping before he went on to the final scratch. Chan’s eyes were still red, but they were soft when they looked at your paling face. You placed a hand on his cheek and felt somewhat better when Chan leaned into your touch.

“Please don’t get mad at Seungmin,” you croaked, stroking his cheek with your thumb. “Or any of them; they’re only trying to help.”

“You wouldn’t have to be in this mess if Seungmin hadn’t–”

“Seungmin didn’t know,” you cut him off with a whine, knowing it would be difficult defending the younger wolf from his alpha’s anger. “Nobody thought anyone would imprint on...the idiot hunter that broke in. He just wanted to protect his brothers.”

“Chan? Help?” Changbin prompted again, breaking the two of you out of your conversation. “I still have to get this last one open before she loses too much blood and I need you to help.”

Chan moved away from you, and your hand dropped back off the desk. Changbin moved slightly to the side to make room for him as Chan placed his large, warm hands on either side of your wound.

“I wish you asked me to do this originally,” he grumbled as his hands started to feel warmer and warmer, and the pain in your side faded more and more. Chan sucked in a sharp breath as he winced. “Can’t believe you let her be in this much pain.”

“Don’t worry, it gets worse,” Changbin told him before he placed the tip of his bloodied knife at the last mark. “Ready?”

He nodded, bracing himself for the worst of it.

Meanwhile, your body slowly untensed, relaxing onto the table. You didn’t feel anything. You wondered if Changbin was waiting for you to completely relax before he started again, but you just breathed heavily and enjoyed not feeling the sharp, hot pain of the knife. You actually didn’t even feel the sting of the other wounds Changbin had cut into your side. You felt a little warm there, but that was it. It was nice. You almost fell asleep like that.

Chan, however, felt everything. He twitched in the opposite direction of the side he felt the intense pain. He bit down on his lip, trying to keep his sounds of pain to himself but letting out grunts as his eyes squeezed shut. Seungmin could see from where he was standing that three claw marks had already been scarred into his side, matching the ones on yours. And as Changbin dragged the knife, the fourth one was carved into his skin.

These scars were bigger than most of the others that littered his skin. He had a few on his neck, and only a couple on his face. But the rest of his body – mostly his torso and arms – were covered. And yours were now his newest addition.

“Are you okay, _____?” Felix’s deep voice pulled you up from the waves of grogginess that were washing over you.

“”M okay,” you mumbled, your eyes closed. You were too tired and still felt the ghost of the pain you had felt before Chan’s hands were on you.

“How do you feel?”

“Warm…”

Felix looked to Chan, who was catching his breath after Changbin finally brought the knife away and began cleaning at the wound. This hurt less, but was still painful nonetheless and made him wince with every pass of the clean cloth and cotton balls that Changbin used.

“She’s tough, I’ll give her that,” Minho mumbled as he looked down at your face.

Your breathing was even through your lips and the pack could tell you’d fallen asleep. It was probably for the best anyway. 

“You alright, Channie?” Changbin asked quietly once he was done cleaning you up, looking down at the alpha that had removed his hands from your side and sat back on the floor, laying back on the floor.

His skin was covered in a sheen of sweat, so the cool hardwood felt nice on his back.

“I don’t know how she stood that,” he breathed, one arm laying across his forehead as he laid there with his eyes closed.

“Masochist,” Minho suggested, trying to lighten the mood.

Seungmin stayed silent, still standing in the corner where Chan had backed him into. His eyes stayed on your unmoving body, but his expression was unreadable.

-

The only thing keeping Chan from ripping Seungmin’s head off was making sure you were safe and would wake up. He stayed beside you as Changbin and Jisung worked to drain your wound properly and patch it back up, and he stayed beside you after he tucked you into his bed in a large t-shirt of his. 

Now, Chan was sitting on the hardwood floor, his hand reaching up to stroke your hair and cheek as he studied your face. He wanted to hold you closer but if you woke up with him like that, it might freak you out.

“Hey, Chris?” Felix spoke up as he entered the room. The alpha didn’t look at him, but hummed in acknowledgement. “I don’t think you should be so hard on Seungmin.”

“It’s his fault for scratching her in the first place,” Chan stated harshly. “He deserves whatever comes to him.”

“She told you not to be angry with him,” Felix reminded him, “and I know you can’t ignore that. She’ll be upset with you if she finds out you did anything to him.”

“Not that it’s any of my business,” Jeongin began as he wandered in through the open door, “but I couldn’t sleep because of all the noise, and from what I heard, I can’t help but think she didn’t want you to worry about her. Hyunjin said she told everyone not to tell you what they were doing.”

At that, Chan turned his head, “Why would she not want me to worry?”

“Because she does care about you, idiot,” the youngest wolf sighed. “She’s said it before – we’ve heard all the breakdowns.”

“It’s conflicting, we know, but she can’t help how she feels, either,” Felix said with a shrug. “Emotions are hard. We all know that.”

“Why would she care if I’m upset with Seungmin or not, though?” the alpha quizzed.

“I think that’s her way of caring about you and your relationship with us. You know how Minho and Seungmin are sometimes? I think that’s just her all the time.”

Chan turned back to you, watching your sleeping form. He wondered if you’d wake up soon so he could just ask you himself. He didn’t care how long it took, he’d coax the answer out of you even if it took days. He wanted to know if you really did truly care for him enough that you’d go through all this trouble so he wouldn’t worry about it. He thought it was stupid of you but it still was sweet if it was true.

Like you were connected enough to hear his silent plea, you shifted a bit and your eyes fluttered open. The three wolves studied your movements carefully as you pushed yourself to sit up, wincing and hissing in pain. Chan helped you up the rest of the way, doing most of the work until you were sitting up against the headboard.

“How do you feel, _____?” Felix wondered quietly, keeping his voice low so as to not scare you. “Are you still dizzy?”

“No,” you shook your head as you rubbed your eyes that still stung from crying, “my side is just sore.”

“Which is normal,” the freckled boy shrugged. “Changbin said if it’s still looking rough in a couple of days, we’ll drain it again. Otherwise, keep applying the ointments. Jisung mixed up a new one that should help with keeping infection away.”

“I think it’s time to head back to bed,” Jeongin decided, putting a hand on Felix’s shoulder and nodding toward the door.

“Right,” he nodded like he just realized Chan probably wanted to talk to you privately – or, at least as privately as he could in a house full of werewolves that heard everything. “Have a good night, guys. Channie, please remember what we said, okay?”

Once the two boys made it out the door and Felix turned around to close it, Chan’s eyes looked at you. They were still their warm gold, but his expression was unreadable.

“That your power?”

His eyebrows furrowed at your question, not expecting the first thing out of your mouth to be that, “What?”

“I didn’t feel anything,” you mumbled, your eyes looking down to scan his exposed torso, “and you have those marks on your side where mine are. Those weren’t there before.”

He nodded a little, “I can take away others’ pain. The only catch is I feel it instead, and I get their scar, so…”

He held out his arms for you to see, rolling them over to examine all of the scars that littered his skin. It was silent, and then he let his arms rest on the bed beside you, both of you waiting for the other to say something.

“Are you mad at them?” you asked him quietly, finally breaking the silence. “Or me? …Or both?”

“Dunno,” he murmured as his eyes looked back at the blood-stained bandage covering your side. “Trying really hard to not be mad at all, but it’s hard.”

“I did this to me, not them,” you insisted, immediately going into defense mode. “I made Felix and Changbin and everyone promise not to tell you; I was basically holding the knife myself!”

His eyes darkened. You noted it was definitely a bad choice of words.

“_____, why did you keep this from me? You should’ve told me.”

You cast your eyes down to your bare lap, toying with your hands nervously. “Well...I thought it was getting infected and I wanted to fix it.”

“That doesn’t explain why you intentionally kept it from me. You made my entire pack swear to secrecy for what?” he pressed, sounding like a father scolding you.

“Because you’d get worried and get mad at Seungmin…” you admitted softly, still not making eye contact. It felt embarrassing to admit all of this to him. Was it because you were basically indirectly telling him that you do care and then it would set that in stone instead of it being kind of ambiguous by your actions? “I didn’t want to make you angry at anybody, and I didn’t want you to have to waste time worrying about me.”

“Listen to me,” he demanded softly, holding your chin gently and forcing you to look at him. His eyes were now sad as they bore into yours. “Worrying about you is not a waste of time. You’re constantly in my head; I think about you all the time. You’re never a waste of my time, _____. I love you and you know that.”

“But why do you love me when-”

“So this does have to do with Minho, too!”

Hot tears pricked your eyes, getting frustrated because you were making him angry at more person than one, when your goal was zero. “No, this is different!”

You hated yourself for being a frustrated cryer.

But having you cry, especially because of him, was the last thing Chan wanted. In a swift movement, he was sitting on the bed and had pulled you into his lap, cradling your head against his chest as he softly rocked you and shushed you, “I’m sorry. I’m not thinking right. I just...I’m angry at myself for not being able to help you or stop you from doing this. I hated seeing you like that. I think I almost died.”

You were going to make a, ‘no, I almost died’ joke just to lighten the mood but you knew it would upset Chan, so you just hid your face in his chest. This time, you would let yourself just rest there in his hold.

He held you closer, rubbing your back soothingly. He purred softly in approval at the amount of contact, and you were just as happy, albeit a little confused because of your heart battling your instincts. But were you making any movement to leave his hold anytime soon? Absolutely not.

“Please don’t be mad at them,” you mumbled, your words getting muffled by his chest. “Any of them. Not Seungmin or Changbin or Felix...even Minho.”

He sighed, trying to see it from your point of view. He felt he had to take it out on someone or something or he’d just make himself more miserable for not being there for you. He felt like a bad mate. 

“If you promise to always tell me when something’s wrong…” he began slowly before taking a deep breath to calm himself, “I won’t be angry with any of them. Although I do have some strong words for Minho for the things he said to you.”

You forgot Chan had been ignoring him ever since he found out the things he said about you being his mate. You pulled back a little to look up into his eyes. “I can’t tell you all the time.”

“You can try,” he smiled softly. “Promise me you’ll try?”

You nodded, “Promise.”

He cleared away any stray tears but continued to hold you in his arms, his back against the wall. 

“I know it’s late but...I don’t want to move,” he admitted with a warm laugh.

“My head is still screaming to run,” you laughed softly, your head resting against his shoulder.

“What about your heart?”

“God, Chris, that’s so cheesy,” you whined.

“Come on,” he laughed, carding his fingers through your hair, “just tell me.”

You sighed and closed your eyes, “I guess…I think it’s kinda nice.”

“It’s just a matter of getting that pretty little werewolf-hunting head of yours to agree.”

“How did you just...give in to it?”

He hummed softly as he thought it over, wanting to give an answer that might actually help you, “Well...I think part of it is that the feeling is much stronger for us. But I think it helped that I started to trust you being around my brothers. I knew they would still be safe with you here, so I didn’t have to hold myself back anymore. I had to be near you and make you happy.”

“So...I should just ignore my head?” you asked slowly, repeating what you’d gathered from his speech.

“I know it’s easier said than done,” he chuckled, moving his head to look down at you, “but it’s worth a shot. Just start small.”

Start small, huh? What’s something small you could do? Your eyes wandered around a bit before settling on his hand on your thigh. You carefully took it off your thigh and put your hand on his like you were measuring who had bigger hands – you noted that Chan’s were a bit larger. Then you laced your fingers through his, giving his hand a gentle squeeze that had his inner wolf grumbling with joy.

“Is this...okay?” you asked, still unable to make eye contact with him – especially now.

So you didn’t see his wide grin as he nodded, “This is perfect.”

-

It didn’t take long for you to fall asleep in his lap. You were exhausted, too exhausted to move, so you ended up knocking out while he hummed softly and told you stories of his brothers and the pack.

When he noticed you were asleep, he carefully shifted you onto the bed, laying you down and tucking you in before he got up, deciding to go sleep on the couch again. He thought you’d want it to yourself as he said you should take small steps, and he didn’t want to just assume he could sleep in the same room as you, even if it was in Felix’s bed. Although you’d slept in the same bed together before, that was when you said you wanted to. Now, he wasn’t sure, and it was better safe than sorry.

He laid down on the couch that was a little shorter and thinner than his bed, and tried to get as comfortable as he could. He laid in the dark, staring at the ceiling, and trying to listen to every move and sound you made in your sleep. That’s why it didn’t take him long to get to you about an hour later.

“No!” your tired voice gasped, and he jolted out of bed and ran up the stairs, taking them three at a time. Upon flinging the door open, he saw you were still sound asleep, the moonlight shining in onto your sleeping face. “No…”

Your brows were creased slightly, a small frown etched onto your face. You kept softly repeating ‘no’, so Chan took a cautious step in, wanting to wake you up in case you were having a bad dream.

“Finley…”

He paused. You’d mentioned Nolan, who was your brother. But…who was Finley?

He heard a bedroom door open a split second before he heard, “She’s already talking about other men?”

The voice made him jump and he quickly but silently closed your bedroom door. He whipped around to see Minho standing in the doorway, smirking playfully at the alpha, but it was clear he had woken up from the hour or so of sleep he’d gotten between then and everyone cleaning up after the incident.

But Chan just looked at him expressionlessly before turning and going back downstairs to the couch.

Minho’s expression fell as he watched his brother go.

»»————-　　————-««

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[queen-of-the-avengers]

Harsh Reality

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~3.8k

Warnings: minor angst, being cheated on (not by bucky), fluff

Summary: You come home to surprise your boyfriend only to end up catching him with another woman in bed. Now, you have to live somewhere else. You try to move on with your new roommates but it proves to be difficult when you were never really good at the dating part of your relationships.

Square Filled: safe house (2023) for @buckybarnesbingo

Author’s Note: a while back, i announced i wanted to make a series based on the show New Girl, and i didn't want to wait around to write it. i won't be doing every episode in the seasons, and i won't be doing it word for word like i do for my rewrite. enjoy!

x

Your plane lands earlier than expected and the first thing you want to do is surprise your boyfriend, Jack. You left to go to a teacher’s conference in New York and have been gone for an entire week. That’s not much but it is when you consider you and Jack haven’t been apart for more than a couple of days out of the six years you’ve been with him.

You left your car with him since he didn’t have one so you took a taxi back to your apartment. You’re bouncing with giddiness and slight anxiety because you’re doing something you’ve never done before.

For those who know you, you’re not very good with the whole sexy seducing thing. Jack makes it easy for you. He takes care of everything and that includes you. Still, doing something out of your comfort zone is nerve-racking as it is exciting. Your best friend, Natasha, is on the phone while you’re in the back of the taxi wearing nothing but a brown trench coat.

“Why am I so nervous? This is a good thing, right? I mean, this is for Jack.”

“You’re not used to doing something like this but trust me, he’s going to love it.”

“Yeah, I’m just going to walk in and drop my coat on the ground. He says he had this fantasy that I'm a stripper with a heart of gold, and he's helping me put myself through college.”

“He didn't say the college part, did he?”

“Um, no, I wanted to create a three-dimensional sex character.”

“Really? What's your stripper name?”

You look at the driver who briefly looks at you. “Rebecca Johnson?”

“Your stripper name is Rebecca Johnson?” Natasha asks.

You can practically hear her bitch face.

“Boobies Johnson,” you quickly correct. “Two-boobs Johnson.”

“Look at you, in the back of a cab, totally naked. I am so proud of you.”

The driver pulls up to the house that you share with Jack. “I gotta go. I’m here.”

“Good luck, Two-boobs Johnson,” she chuckles.

You pay the taxi driver as you get out and walk inside your home. It’s quiet so maybe Jack is still sleeping. He’s known for sleeping in late. He doesn’t have a job because he got laid off two months ago, but he’s been doing odd jobs to keep the money coming in. That plus your teacher’s salary is enough to get by. You walk to the closed bedroom door and open it with a smile, however, that smile is lost when you come face-to-face with Jack.

He’s not sleeping. No, he’s fucking another woman. Both of them look at you with wide eyes, and Jack pushes his mistress off him as if she means nothing to him.

“Y/N! You’re home early.”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“It’s not what you think.”

“I gotta go,” you whisper.

You quickly turn and run out of the house, forgoing the fact that you’re practically naked. Jack calls after you but you don’t stick around to hear what kind of lame excuse he has for you. The taxi is long gone and you don’t have the heart to call for another one, probably because your hands are shaking so much. How can he do this to you? You’ve been together for six long years.

You thought he was the one.

Natasha lives on the other side of town but you make it there sooner than you thought you would for someone who was running. She has a nice apartment overlooking the city. It was out of her price range but because she is so good with selling herself, she talked the landlord down to a price she was able to afford. She’s one of the best real estate agents this city has ever seen, so the landlord didn’t have a problem with lowering the price for her.

You knock twice on her door and she opens it with a frown.

“What happened?”

“He cheated on me,” you whisper. “I caught him with a woman in his bed.”

“Oh, babe. I’m so sorry. Come in.” She wraps an arm around your shoulders and pulls you into her place. “I’ve never liked him.”

“Yeah, well…”

“Listen to me. I know how you are. Don’t blame yourself for this.”

“Why did he do that? Am I not attractive enough? Sexy enough? Is it my singing?”

“No, it’s not your singing,” she sighs. “Men are pigs and Jack’s true colors came through. This is all on him.”

“I wondered why he wasn’t taking my calls. I just figured he was working.”

Natasha sighs and rubs your back in comfort.

“You don’t need him, Y/N. Listen, you can stay with me until you find something else, okay?”

“No, I don’t want to impose.”

“I’m serious. It’s okay. I have the spare bedroom you can use.”

Despite her offer, you don’t want to worm your way into her life. She’s active on dating sites which means she brings home guys left and right. She lives alone and you remember what it was like to have someone invade your space like this. It’s why that night, you go online to see if there is anyone who is looking for roommates.

You shouldn’t go on sites like Craiglist when it comes to living somewhere, but you don’t make a lot of money as a teacher. If you were to go through an agency or even on Facebook, you wouldn’t find something cheap. You scroll through the obvious trolls until you get to one ad for an apartment downtown.

Four bedrooms. Open floor plan. It’s a loft of sorts. There are three women there looking for a fourth, and you think this is what you need to make a new start. You’re afraid if you slow down, you’ll be forced to think about your ruined relationship with Jack. You’ve never been cheated on so the betrayal hurts that much more. You gave him six years of your life and now…

What are you going to do?

Before you can talk yourself out of it, you respond to the ad that you’re interested and go to bed.

Tomorrow morning, you wake up to seven missed phone calls from Jack and over twenty messages, but you ignore them and get ready. Natasha is eating breakfast in the kitchen already dressed to show a house.

“Have a house to sell?”

“Yeah. I’ll be gone most of the day.”

“I might have found an apartment.”

“What?”

“I saw an ad on Craigslist. I know it’s not ideal, but I’m going over to them right now. It’s three women looking for a fourth roommate for their loft.” You see the look on Natasha’s face and sigh. “I need something to do Nat, otherwise all I’ll do is cry.”

“Okay. Call me if you need me.”

“I will,” you smile.

You get dressed and head over to the apartment downtown. You knock on their door and freeze when a man with a metal arm opens the door. Two men, one blonde and one muscular, stand behind him, and you look confused when you don’t see any women.

“Are you Y/N?” the man at the door asks.

“Yeah. I’m here for the apartment listing if you’ll still have me.”

“Nonsense. Come in,” the blonde one smiles.

You walk in and look at the loft, already liking what you see. You don’t care that you assumed it was women and they’re men, you just need a new place to live. As much as you love Natasha, that’s her space and you don’t want to intrude. Plus, you don’t want to feel like a charity.

“My name is Y/N, but you already know that from the ad,” you say nervously.

“I’m Steve and this is Thor and that is Bucky.”

“Cool metal arm you have. I’ve never seen that before.”

“Thanks,” he mutters.

When you get nervous, you get chatty, and these three men make you hella nervous. It’s not that they’re intimidating or mean, but you’ve never lived with three guys at once. The only man you’ve ever lived with was Jack, and even sometimes that was too much. So, you start by telling them more than what they want to know.

“So, you know in horror movies when the girls are like, ‘Oh my God, there's something in the basement. Let me just run down there in my underwear and see what's going on in the dark.’ and you're like, ‘What is your problem? Call the police.’ and she's like ‘Okay’ but it's too late because she's already getting murdered? Well, my story's kind of like that.” You tell them everything from Jack cheating on you to not wanting to live with your best friend and invading her privacy. “So, that happened. That's why I need a new apartment. I'm sorry, what was the question again?”

“Do you have any pets?” Bucky asks.

“No, I don’t,” you chuckle and stand up. “This place is beautiful. It gets so much light. Jack hated light. It's hard to say his name.”

“It's okay. Bucky knows. He got dumped,” Steve says.

“Dude,” Bcuky hisses.

The place doesn’t look fancy but it’s new and it can be the start of a new chapter if they let you.

“You know what, I want to live here,” you grin.

“Actually, I still have some questions,” Bucky says. “No offense, but we barely know ya.”

“Yeah, okay. Full disclosure, I'm kind of emotional right now because of the breakup so I'll probably be watching Dirty Dancing at least six or seven times... a day.” Thor shakes his head but doesn’t say anything to that. “Um, I'm a teacher so I bring home a lot of popsicle sticks and arts and crafts. Also, I like to sing to myself… a lot.” You start to sing. “A lot.” You sigh. “I don’t want to live with my friend. I hate feeling like a charity case even though she doesn't mean to treat me that way.”

“If you’ll excuse us, we’re going to talk in private,” Steve says.

All three men go into the bathroom while you take the opportunity to look around.

“I think it’d be good to have a woman in here,” Steve says. “It’s good to have a woman’s touch in here.”

“No, all she’s going to do is disrupt our vibe,” Thor argues.

“Bucky? What do you think?”

“Well, I’ve lived with a woman before so I know there are pros and real cons. For one, they smell good but their girly shit will start to be everywhere. Um, they’re good at folding.”

“Okay, we’re not going to come to a conclusion but I’ll take Bucky’s indecisive for a yes. She’s in!”

“Yay, I’m in!” you say from outside the door. Steve chuckles and opens the bathroom door, and you smile at all three men. “You won’t regret this.”

Natasha was weary about you moving into a place with three strange men but you need this. It didn’t take long for you to move in since you didn’t take much from your old place, so the reality of your situation comes crashing down around you the second you get a bit of breathing room. Dirty Dancing plays on the TV for the third time, and you’re lying on the couch surrounded by used tissues and a few of your boxes. Natasha must have called your mom because she immediately called you, worried about living with three strange men.

“I’m fine, mom. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Baby, you and Jack broke up. Of course, I’m going to worry about you. You’re not watching Dirty Dancing, are you?”

“No, I’m not watching Dirty Dancing,” you mutter.

“Did you make sure those men aren’t murderers? You know how badly I stress Stranger Danger. You’re my baby, Y/N.”

Just then, Bucky walks into the room.

“Hey, are you gonna murder me 'cause you're a stranger I met on the internet?”

“Yes, I am,” he says without looking at you.

“He says no,” you say to your mom. Thor and Steve walk in, having just come from the gym. “I gotta go, mom. I love you.”

“So, the biggest party of the year is on Saturday. I'm trying to get us in but you may need to call Sharon,” Steve says to Bucky.

“I’m not calling Sharon.”

“Hear me out, Buck.”

Before Bucky can say anything, you sob as another wave of depression hits you. All three men look at you and huddle around each other, not sure how to handle this. They haven’t lived with a woman in years, and Bucky slaps his hand on Steve’s chest.

“You did this. You wanted her in. You fix it.”

“Okay, I got it.” Steve walks over to you and sits on the edge of the couch. “Hey, Y/N. Are you doing alright?”

“I’m fine,” you sniffle.

“Why don’t we turn off the movie, okay?” Steve takes the remote from you and turns off the movie. “Come on, sit up.” You do and he smiles kindly at you. “See? Doesn’t that feel a bit better?”

“Not really.”

“Look, I was cheated on before. It wasn’t fun. In fact, it felt a bit shitty. I don’t know you that well but I know you didn’t deserve it. Look, there’s this party on Saturday, and you need to get your mind off your ex. It’ll be fun. You’ll go out, meet some people, have a few drinks, and forget all about him. Sounds good?”

“Yeah, I guess that doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Good,” he smiles. “Now, why don’t you get dressed? Bucky works at a bar. We’ll go out for a few drinks and maybe get you a rebound.”

“Okay,” you whisper.

You get off the couch and trudge to the bathroom to shower.

“This is all hinging on actually getting into the party,” Thor says.

“Buck, come on. You don’t even have to see her. Just call her and ask her to get us on the list.” 

Bucky walks into the bathroom just to get away from Steve but the latter follows him in.

“There’s someone in here,” you say when you hear them entering the bathroom.

“We're leaving in ten minutes, did you shave your legs?” Steve asks.

“I will now.”

“Front and backs?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” Steve looks at Bucky. “Just call Sharon. You call her all the time when you're drunk.”

“No, I don’t. Shut up.”

You shave your legs and finish with the rest of your shower. Luckily, the boys have taken their conversation outside of the bathroom. You wonder what the deal is with Bucky and Sharon. How did things end? Based on his refusal to call her, you assume it ended badly. Will you be like this with Jack?

Like Steve said, you all leave ten minutes later to the bar Bucky works at. Bars aren’t usually your scene but you really want this to be a fresh start. You haven’t flirted with or been on a date with someone in six years. Everything was reserved for Jack. You’re not even sure if you have it in you to find a rebound. If you can’t be sexy well, how can you expect to capture a stranger’s attention?

All it takes is one bad experience to ruin potential future ones. Bucky, Steve, and Thor watch you try to flirt with men but each one fails. You’re either too weird, too loud, sing too much, or too awkward. After about six tries, you sit at the bar with a defeated look. Bucky walks over to you and slides you a pink wine, your poison of choice.

“Well, I guess I can't hide my crazy,” you sigh.

“I don't think you're trying that hard.”

“I've never been great at this stuff, so…” You look up and muster a smile. “Looks at us, a couple of losers. We both got dumped, jeesh.”

“I’m fine,” he says. “It was six months ago.”

“Do you know why she dumped you? I mean she must've hurt you pretty bad.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he sighs.

“Aren’t you always wondering, like, what it was? Like, was there something you could have done differently?” He shales his head wordlessly. “Do you know what happens to people who keep it all inside? They get old and they get sad and they get weird and then you're the old man yelling at the kids who are running across your yard and you're telling them, 'Don't run across my yard. My life's full of regret'. You can't just pretend like it didn't happen.”

“Or I could pretend to be more like you, Y/N, and live on a sparkly rainbow and drive a unicorn around and just sing all the time.”

“Yeah, I think you should sing all the time,” you giggle.

“No, I was being mean, I'm not gonna do that, Y/N.”

“Why not? It’s fun!”

“Because I have a dick, Y/N.”

“I’ll get you to sing one of these days,” you chuckle.

One of Steve’s friends comes up to the bar and smiles flirtatiously at you, and Bucky backs up to give you some space. He watches you smile at the man, and he looks down in thought. If you can try and move on, he can, too. He takes out his phone and dials Sharon’s number before walking away to take the call.

“So, I was going to go to the party this Saturday, but I’d rather take you out if you’re interested,” he says.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” you smile.

“Great. Maybe we can go to dinner first.”

“Sure. Let me put my number in your phone.” The man hands over his phone, you put your number in, and you call yourself so you have his number. “I’ll text you, okay?”

“Sounds good,” he smirks and winks. “I’m Peter, by the way.”

“Y/N,” you smile.

Looks like you scored a date and you weren't weird at all. The high of getting a date wears off an hour before you have to leave for it. You’re stuck in your room, wondering what to wear. What would be sexy enough? Should you be sexy? Cute? Casual?

God, what am I doing?

Natasha comes over to help as soon as you text her, and all three of your roommates are shocked into silence, more so Steve than the others. She’s beautiful and has guys hanging off her arm. She’s well known, her picture is on billboards across the city. She’s not shy about her appearance, and this is one of those times. Thor and Bucky look at each other when they notice Steve staring with a smile on his face.

“Natasha. Do you go by Nat?”

“Only to my friends.”

“Cool,” he nods. “I’m Steve.”

“Y/N, do you need my help?” she calls out.

There is a thump followed by a yelp. “I’m okay.” She gets up and walks to your bedroom to see you lying on the ground like a starfish. “I tripped on my heels.”

“Okay, sit up.”

You sigh and do as you’re told. “What am I doing? I can't go on a date. What if it's horrible? What if I have nothing to talk about?”

“Then you go to the bathroom, you call me, and you tell me all about it.”

“Maybe I just shouldn't go.”

“Babe, you got hurt. That doesn't mean you stop trying. Okay?”

She has a point. Some might think it’s quick how fast you’re trying to move on, but you can’t slow down. If you do, you fear that you’ll never stop crying. With Natasha’s help, you dress in a short black dress that’s classy but still covers everything. You two walk out, and all three men look at you in surprise. Bucky leans his elbows on his knees and rubs his hands together. Thor and Steve smirk at each other, already in tune with what Bucky is thinking.

“Wow. You look amazing,” Bucky says.

“Thank you,” you blush. “I’m kind of nervous but also kind of excited. I’m going to text him and tell him I’m heading over.”

“Wait, have you been texting him?” Bucky asks.

“Yeah, is that bad?”

“No.” He smiles slightly. “It’s nice. Have a good night.”

“This is going to be great,” you grin.

Natasha drives you to the restaurant, and you grab a table since Peter isn’t here yet. You’re a bit early, anyway, so you don’t mind the wait.

Sharon is able to get all three men on the list at the party since she knows the owner. Thor, Bucky, and Steve arrive at the party which has a bunch of people outside waiting to get in. They’re in line when Bucky notices a few of Steve’s friends, including Peter. They spot Steve and head over immediately.

Bucky frowns when he doesn’t see you.

“Where’s Y/N?”

“Oh, dude, she texted me like seven times. Like long ones. I just wanna hook up.”

“So, is she waiting for you to show up or did you call her?”

“Yeah, that's what I did, I called her,” he laughs.

Peter and his friend head inside but Bucky stays where he is. Thor is about to go in when he notices his friends not following him.

“What are you doing?”

“I can’t go inside, man.”

“What do you mean?”

Bucky shakes his head, turns, and jogs away from the party with Steve. Thor’s been looking forward to this party, but he understands that you need them more. He sighs and runs to catch up with his friends.

After thirty minutes of not showing, you know Peter won’t be here. You’re the only table in the restaurant without food except for the free bread they give out. You sigh sadly and look down at your lap, picking apart the bread. You look up when you hear footsteps head your way. Oh, it’s only a waitress.

“Do you have anything else that is free, but also has bread in it because the good bread I ate and uh, all that's left is a… it's like a… it's kind of like a health bread?”

“I'm sorry. We're gonna have to ask you to give up the table.”

“Um, can I please just stay, just a little bit longer?” you ask in a small voice.

“We’re here!” You look behind her to see Thor, Bucky, and Steve enter the restaurant. “Yup, we’re here, Y/N!”

Seeing them is ten times better than seeing Peter.

“We're here for the date thing,” Steve says.

“You're all here for the date?” the waitress asks, shocked.

“Yeah, we are. We're her boyfriends. We are reversed Mormons. One man just isn't enough for her,” Bucky says.

“Okay,” the waitress sighs and walks away.

Now that she’s gone, you look down in sadness. The reality of being stood up weighs heavily on your shoulders.

“Hey, Y/n, that guy was a jerk. You don’t deserve him.”

“You guys missed your party to come here to see me?” you ask and look into his eyes.

“Yeah, we care about you. We like you.”

“That’s so nice,” you sniffle with a smile.

You’ve only met these guys, but you know that moving in with them is one of the best things you could have done for yourself.

x

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[rylem33]

The Camera Doesn't Lie

I hope you all enjoy this new story. If you liked it, you can find it and all of my 100+ stories over at my blog (link on my Tumblr home page).

Eliza tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she wandered through the antique stalls. The final project for her sociology course was her chance to make a difference. Her theme, The Faces of Strength, aimed to shine a light on the struggles of the homeless community. Her professor had been thrilled with her idea, praising her for her empathy and commitment.

But Eliza wasn’t here for praise. “I just…want to help them,” she’d said during their last discussion.

As she scanned the market, her eyes landed on an old, sleek camera resting in a faded velvet case. 

“Excuse me,” she called to the shopkeeper, an older man with a wiry beard. “Does this camera work?”

“Ah,” he said, his smile spreading as he picked it up and held it out. “The Iris 2000. It’s a special piece. A real classic.”

Eliza looked it over, intrigued by the faint engraving on the lens. “How much?”

“For you? Twenty bucks.”

Her brow furrowed. “That seems fair.”

The old man chuckled. “I think you’ll enjoy the results.”

The price was within her limited budget. She handed over the cash and tucked the camera into her bag.

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

The community center’s main hall was decorated with string lights and colorful banners that Eliza and a handful of volunteers had painstakingly set up the night before. Tables were piled high with donated coats, gloves, and blankets, and the scent of warm casseroles and fresh bread wafted from the buffet line.

Eliza stood near the donations table, hands on her hips, surveying the scene with pride. Weeks of planning, endless emails, and sleepless nights had culminated in this charity dinner and giveaway for the local homeless community.

Beside her, Lisa, a fellow volunteer, was unpacking another box of donations. “You really outdid yourself this time, Eliza,” Lisa said, pulling out a bundle of knitted scarves.

“Thanks,” Eliza said with a tired but genuine smile. “I just wanted everyone to feel cared for tonight, you know? A warm meal, some essentials…it’s the least we can do.”

Lisa paused, holding up a bright orange bikini with a baffled expression. “Okay, but…what about this?”

Eliza turned, her eyebrows shooting up as she stifled a laugh. “Seriously? Someone donated a bikini? A bright orange bikini. In the middle of winter?”

Lisa chuckled, dangling the bikini from her fingers. “Yeah, because this is definitely what you wear when it’s twenty degrees outside.”

Eliza shook her head, laughing. “I guess someone was really cleaning house.” She grabbed the bikini and tossed it into the corner of the box. “Let’s stick to coats and boots for tonight, huh?”

“Agreed,” Lisa said, grinning.

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

The community center was alive with guests lined up for the buffet and sifting through tables of donated supplies. Eliza and Lisa worked tirelessly, darting between guests to answer questions, restock tables, and keep everything running smoothly.

“Eliza, we’re running low on gloves over here,” Lisa called from across the room.

“Got it!” Eliza said, grabbing a box from the supply corner and weaving through the crowd.

As she set the gloves on the table, her eyes fell on the camera tucked into her bag. She froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. The project! I completely forgot about the photos.

She hurried over to her bag and pulled out the sleek, vintage camera she’d bought earlier that week. Its weight felt satisfying in her hands as she adjusted the lens.

“Hey, Lisa!” she called, raising her voice above the chatter.

Lisa appeared a moment later, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “What’s up?”

“I need pictures for my project,” Eliza said, holding up the camera. “I was going to document the event, but it’s so busy I almost forgot.”

Lisa smiled. “Oh, right! That’s a great idea.”

Eliza aimed the camera at the tables filled with donated items, adjusting the frame. But before she could take the shot, Lisa stopped her.

“Wait,” Lisa said, placing a hand on Eliza’s arm. “You should be in the picture.”

Eliza frowned, lowering the camera slightly. “What? No, that’s not the point. It’s supposed to be about the event, not me.”

Lisa gave her a knowing look. “Come on, Eliza. You put all of this together. You should be in at least one picture to show the hard work you’ve done.”

“I don’t know…” Eliza hesitated, glancing around at the bustling room.

Lisa tilted her head and smiled encouragingly. “It’s your project. People will want to know who’s behind all this. Just one picture, for context.”

Eliza sighed, reluctant but unable to argue with Lisa’s logic. “Fine. But just one.”

Lisa grinned and gestured for Eliza to stand by a table piled with scarves, coats, and blankets. “Okay, stand here. Maybe hold one of the items to make it look natural.”

Eliza grabbed a thick scarf and draped it over her arm, standing stiffly beside the table.

“Relax a little,” Lisa said, laughing as she adjusted the camera. “You look like you’re posing for a passport photo.”

Eliza forced a smile, adjusting her posture. “Better?”

“Much. Hold still—aaaand…perfect.”

Click.

The flash of the camera was surprisingly bright, and for a moment, Eliza felt disoriented. She blinked, rubbing her eyes as the sensation faded.

Lisa lowered the camera and smiled. “There you go. See? That wasn’t so bad.”

Eliza nodded, though her thoughts lingered on the odd feeling from the flash. She glanced down at herself, smoothing her sweater absently.

“You okay?” Lisa asked, noticing her distraction.

“Yeah,” Eliza said quickly, brushing it off. “Must’ve just been the light. Let me see the picture.”

Lisa turned the camera around to show her the screen. Eliza stared at the image.

There was something about the picture, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, that made her look…better.

“Huh,” she said softly.

Lisa grinned. “You look amazing, Eliza. Like a natural.”

“Yeah…” Eliza murmured, unable to look away. “I guess that old camera takes better pictures than my phone.”

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

Eliza moved away from the donations table and spotted Tony, a familiar face among the guests, sitting near the buffet line with a plate piled high with food.

“Tony!” she called out, her smile bright and warm as she approached.

He looked up, his face breaking into a grin. “Eliza! You’ve outdone yourself this time. This is incredible.”

Eliza slid into the seat across from him, waving off the compliment. “It’s not just me. A lot of people worked hard to make this happen.”

Tony chuckled. “Yeah, but you’re the one who brought us all together. You should be proud.”

Her chest swelled at his words, she felt pride, but satisfaction at the recognition. Maybe Lisa was right about being in the pictures.

“Thanks, Tony,” she said, her tone soft. “I just wanted everyone to feel cared for, even if it’s just for one night.”

“That’s why you’re the best,” he said, his grin widening.

Before Eliza could respond, she noticed Lisa nearby, camera in hand.

“Smile!” Lisa called, and before Eliza could react, the flash went off.

Click.

Eliza blinked, again momentarily disoriented by the light. This time, she felt oddly warm.

“Lisa!” she said, half-laughing as she turned toward her friend. “A little warning next time?”

Lisa grinned sheepishly. “Sorry! But it’s such a great moment. I couldn’t resist.”

Eliza hesitated, her annoyance fading as she caught sight of the camera. She touched her hair, smoothing it absentmindedly.

“Do you want to take another one?” Lisa offered, holding up the camera.

Eliza hesitated for only a moment before nodding. “Yeah, okay. One more.”

She turned toward Lisa, adjusting her posture and tilting her head slightly. Her smile was more deliberate this time.

Click.

The rush was immediate. Her heart beat faster, and she felt her lips curl into a wider smile.

Lisa lowered the camera, laughing. “See? You look great again.”

Tony chuckled. “Eliza, you’re a natural. Maybe you should be in the pictures more often.”

Eliza turned toward him, her smile bright but sharper than before. “Well,” she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, “it doesn’t hurt to show people who’s responsible for all this.”

Tony blinked, the words catching him a bit off guard. “Uh, yeah. You’ve earned it.”

“Exactly,” Eliza said, her tone carrying a hint of satisfaction. She glanced back at Lisa. “Let me know if you need more shots for the project.”

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Eliza strode toward the dessert table, clicking her heels as she walked. She stopped as she passed a wall-mounted mirror, tilting her head as she studied herself. Her hair seemed shinier. Her skin, usually blotchy after a long day of volunteering, had a smooth glow.

She reached up, brushing a hand over her cheek. I didn’t even put on makeup today, she thought, her lips curling into a slight smile.

“Looking good, Eliza,” she muttered to herself before a flicker of confusion crept in. Wait—heels? She glanced down. Sure enough, the sturdy flats she’d been wearing earlier were now sleek black heels.

Her brows furrowed, but she brushed the thought aside with a shrug. It’s been a busy night. Maybe I grabbed the wrong shoes on my way out.

“Come on, Lisa!” she called over her shoulder, the sound of her heels clicking against the tile floor growing oddly satisfying.

Lisa hurried to catch up, the camera swinging from her hand. “Where to next?”

Eliza gestured toward the dessert table, where Ms. Louise was chatting with another guest. “Over there. Let’s get some more shots.”

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Ms. Louise looked up as Eliza approached, her face lighting up. “Eliza! You’re making the rounds tonight, huh?”

Eliza smiled, her teeth startlingly white. “Of course. I want to make sure everyone’s having a good time.”

Louise gestured to the pie on her plate. “You’ve outdone yourself. This event is amazing.”

“Of course it is,” she said smoothly. “I mean, let’s be honest, who else could’ve pulled this off?”

Louise blinked. “Well, it’s clear you’ve worked hard…”

“Hard?” Eliza interrupted with a laugh. “Louise, this took more than just hard work. It took vision. Talent. And, well…” She gestured vaguely to herself. “Not everyone can manage something like this.”

Louise hesitated, her gratitude faltering. “You’re a real blessing, you know that?”

Eliza’s smile widened. “Oh, I know,” she said, her voice dripping with self-satisfaction. “But it’s nice to hear it said out loud.”

Lisa stepped closer, raising the camera. “Can I grab a picture of you two?”

“Of course,” Eliza said, immediately straightening her posture. She glanced at Ms. Louise, her smile faltering slightly. “Louise, maybe sit up a little straighter? And wipe that smudge off your cheek.”

Louise blinked, flustered. “Oh, sure.” She quickly dabbed at her cheek with a napkin, her movements hurried.

Lisa hesitated, glancing between the two women. “Uh, ready?”

“Ready,” Eliza said, her pose relaxed but deliberate, her chin tilted just enough to catch the light.

Click.

The rush she felt was instant. Eliza felt her heart race as warmth spread through her chest and down her arms. Her dress, once loose and practical, clung to her figure in a way that accentuated her curves.

She ran a hand over her waist, her brows knitting briefly. Did this dress shrink?

“Looks great,” Lisa said, lowering the camera.

“Let me see,” Eliza demanded, stepping forward.

Lisa handed her the camera, and Eliza’s lips parted slightly as she stared at the image. Her hair looked longer and lighter. And her figure looked good, no…striking.

She handed the camera back with a satisfied smile. “Perfect,” she said, glancing at Ms. Louise. “See? You look good when you try.”

Ms. Louise hesitated, her smile faltering. “Uh…thanks, I guess.”

“Take another one of just me,” she said as she nudged Louise to the side.

“Umm, okay,” Lisa replied.

Click.

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Eliza stepped onto the stage, her heels clicking against the polished wood. She turned, letting the lights hit her just right, and gestured for Lisa to follow.

“Everything okay?” Lisa asked, stepping up beside her.

Eliza blinked, snapping out of her daze. “Yeah, fine,” she said quickly, flipping her hair over one shoulder. “Just…thinking about the next shot.”

Lisa raised the camera. “What are you thinking?”

Eliza turned to the stage, a slow smile spreading across her lips. “Let’s get one of me up here,” she said, her voice edged with excitement.

Lisa hesitated. “You sure? I thought we were focusing on the guests.”

Eliza’s smile tightened. “This is my project, Lisa. People need to see who made this happen.”

Lisa frowned but nodded, following Eliza as she stepped onto the stage.

“Over here,” she said, her voice sharp. “Stand by the aisle so you can get the full angle.”

Lisa hesitated, glancing around at the guests who had started to notice. “Eliza, are you sure? This feels…a little much.”

Eliza’s gaze snapped to Lisa, her eyes narrowing. “Do you want these pictures to turn out well or not?” she snapped.

Lisa flinched but moved into position, raising the camera.

Eliza’s smile returned, layered on thick for the camera. She tilted her head slightly, her pose effortless and confident. “Make sure you get my whole body in the frame. And don’t forget the lights behind me, I want everything to look perfect.”

Lisa’s hands tightened around the camera, but she nodded. “Fine. Ready?”

“Always,” Eliza said.

Click.

She stepped forward, grabbing the camera out of Lisa’s hands. “Let me see.”

Eliza studied the photo, her lips curving into a satisfied smirk. She looked…stunning. 

“This is amazing,” she murmured, handing the camera back without looking at Lisa. “Keep going. We’re on a roll.”

“Eliza…” Lisa’s voice was hesitant. “Don’t you think we should…”

“Lisa,” Eliza interrupted, her tone icy. “You’re here to help me, right? So help me.”

Lisa’s jaw tightened, but she did as she was told.

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Eliza descended the stage, her heels clicking loudly as she approached a group of guests near the dessert table. She smiled broadly, her gaze sweeping over them like a spotlight.

“Hey, everyone,” she said, her voice warm but calculated. “Mind if we get a picture?”

The group nodded eagerly, shuffling into position.

Eliza stepped to the center, gesturing for them to move slightly. “You, stand over there. And you, don’t slouch. This is going to be in my project, so we need to look our best.”

One of the women hesitated, her smile faltering. “Oh, um…okay.”

“Perfect,” Eliza said, brushing off the hesitation as she adjusted her hair. “Lisa, take it from this angle. And make sure you don’t cut me off.”

Lisa raised the camera, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Ready?”

“Of course,” Eliza said, her smile bright but shallow.

Click.

Eliza quickly examined the picture.  Her hair seemed even lighter, and the faintest glint of gold appeared in her earrings.  When did I put on earrings?

“You look great, Eliza,” one of the guests said, her voice soft with admiration.

Eliza flashed a fake smile.. “Thanks. You could look good too, if you cleaned up a bit and knew how to pose.”

The woman blinked, her face falling as she looked at her second hand clothes.

“Don’t worry,” Eliza added smoothly. “It’s just something to think about for next time.”

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“Eliza…” Lisa started, her voice trembling. “Do you…hear yourself?”

Eliza stopped, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she turned to face Lisa. Her smirk was icy, her patience thin. “What are you babbling about now?”

“You,” Lisa said, gesturing with a shaky hand. “The way you’re acting. The way you’re treating people. This isn’t you.”

Eliza raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “Oh, really? And who exactly am I, Lisa?”

Lisa stepped forward, her expression desperate. “You’re kind. Compassionate. The Eliza I know cares about people. She doesn’t talk down to them or treat them like props for some project.”

Eliza laughed, the sound sharp and cold. “Is that what you think this is? A little project? Please, Lisa. This is my work. My success. And if you can’t see that, maybe you’re not as smart as I thought.”

Lisa flinched but held her ground. “You’re being cruel, Eliza. Do you even hear yourself? You’re treating everyone like they’re beneath you. This isn’t the person who planned this event.”

“Oh, please,” Eliza snapped, her eyes narrowing. “This event wouldn’t even exist without me. None of it would. So, excuse me if I expect a little gratitude for everything I’ve done.”

Lisa’s mouth fell open, her face pale. “That’s not… I’m worried about you!”

“Worried?” Eliza’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Don’t bother. I’ve never been better. Maybe you should stop worrying about me and start worrying about yourself.”

Lisa stepped back, stunned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Eliza said, her voice dripping with venom, “you’re just bitter because for once, it’s not all about you. Admit it, Lisa, you can’t handle the fact that I’m the one in charge. That I’m the one everyone’s looking at tonight.”

Lisa shook her head, her grip tightening on the camera. “That’s not true. I’m just trying to help…”

“Spare me,” Eliza spat, cutting her off. “You’re just a jealous little bitch who can’t stand not being the center of attention.”

Lisa flinched as if she’d been slapped, her hands shaking.

“Give me that,” Eliza demanded, snatching the camera from Lisa’s hands before she could respond.

“Eliza, wait…”

But Eliza was already turning away, her stride purposeful as she headed toward the donation pile, the click of her heels echoing through the room.

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She reached the table piled high with clothes and supplies. Her eyes scanned the pile until they landed on the bright orange bikini she and Lisa had laughed about earlier.

Her lips curled into a slow smile as she picked it up, holding the fabric between her fingers.

“Eliza,” Lisa’s voice came from behind her, strained and pleading. “What are you doing?”

Eliza turned, the bikini dangling from her fingers. “I’m just putting all the donations to good use. It’s not like any of these people could wear it anyway.”

Lisa stared at her, horror etched across her face. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I’m very serious,” Eliza said, her voice low and sharp.

Without another word, Eliza turned and strutted toward the back room, her golden hair bouncing with each step.

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Eliza entered the room, the orange bikini clutched tightly in her hands. Her heart was racing. 

Standing before the mirror, she held up the bikini, smirking as its bright color contrasted against her hair. Why not? she thought. It wasn’t like anyone else would appreciate it the way she could.

She pulled off her dress, noticing for the first time how much her body had changed. Her waist was narrower, her stomach flat and toned. Her thighs were long and lean, her arms sculpted like she’d spent hours at the gym.

The bikini fit perfectly. Eliza ran her hands down her sides, her smirk widening.

I look…incredible.

“Let’s see what this baby can do,” she muttered, angling the camera toward herself.

She struck a pose, hips cocked, lips slightly parted, and snapped the first selfie.

Click.

The flash hit, and the familiar hum surged through her, stronger than ever. Eliza gasped as the changes rippled through her body. Her hair lightened further, turning an icy platinum blonde. Her lips plumped, forming a perfect pout, and her cheekbones sharpened, giving her a high-fashion model look.

She stared at herself in the camera’s display, her heart racing. “God, I’m gorgeous,” she whispered, her voice carrying a new sultry edge.

Eliza adjusted her posture, turning slightly to show off her profile. She raised the camera again, a look of excitement in her eyes.

Click.

Another flash, another rush. Her body grew more defined, her chest fuller, her waist impossibly narrow, her hips curving just right. Tattoos appeared on her arms and ribs, delicate but striking, adding to her newfound allure.

She ran her fingers over the ink, her smirk growing. “Perfect,” she purred.

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“Eliza!” Lisa’s voice called from the hallway.

Eliza turned toward the sound, her smirk fading into a scowl. Her again? She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Lisa appeared, her expression a mix of confusion and alarm. “Eliza, what are you…” Her words trailed off as her eyes widened, taking in the transformation.

“Do you mind?” Eliza snapped, gesturing to the camera. “I’m in the middle of something.”

Lisa blinked, struggling to process what she was seeing. “Eliza, what’s happening to you? You’re…”

“Beautiful?” Eliza interrupted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Yeah, I know.”

Lisa took a hesitant step forward. “This isn’t right. You’re acting…cruel. And that camera…”

“Is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Eliza finished, cutting her off. She turned back to the mirror, raising the camera once more. “Maybe you should try it. God knows you could use some improvement.”

Lisa flinched, her face pale. “Eliza, stop. Please.”

But Eliza ignored her, snapping another picture.

Click.

She turned to Lisa, her gaze cold and dismissive. “You can go now,” she said, waving a hand as if shooing away a pest.

Lisa stared at her, tears brimming in her eyes. “Eliza, don’t do this.”

Eliza laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. “Oh, Lisa. It’s already done. And if you can’t see that, then you’re even more pathetic than I thought.”

She spun on her heel, the camera still clutched in her hand, and strutted away without a second glance, her every step oozing confidence and superiority.

The crowd at the event turned to stare as she re-entered the room, their faces a mix of shock and awe. But Eliza didn’t care. Let them look. Let them admire.

After all, this was her moment.

[allthingsfangirl101]

Unlike Anyone Else – Glen Powell

Masterlist

Glen walked into the coffee shop, hiding his cringe behind a smile when people started noticing him. He walked up to the counter and ordered his coffee from a very excited barista. This has been happening a lot more since his role in Top Gun: Maverick. It got even crazier after Twisters.

As he waited for his coffee, he stood off to the side, using his phone to avoid making eye contact with anyone. When his name was called, he walked up and grabbed his coffee. He turned around but pumped into someone.

"I am so sorry," Glen panicked. "Did I get any on you?"

"Don't worry about it," the young woman shrugged. He looked up at her, instantly noticing how beautiful she was.

"I didn't spill my coffee on you?" He double-checked.

"I'm all good," she chuckled.

"Coffee for Y/N!"

"Excuse me," the woman smiled. Glen was slightly shocked as she walked past him and got her drink. He expected her to walk back over and talk to him, but she sat down at a table in the corner. He couldn't help but watch her pull out her laptop from her bag. She took a drink of her coffee and over the cup, noticed Glen was still watching her.

She sent him a wink before going back to work. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him debating something. She hid her smirk behind her coffee when he made up his mind and walked over to her.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," she smiled as she sat back. "But can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he shrugged as he sat across from her. 

"You always stare at a woman after almost spilling your coffee down her shirt?"

"Only the special few," Glen winked at her.

"Last time I checked, there weren't twisters in LA," she smirked.

Glen chuckled awkwardly as he ran his fingers through my hair. "You know," he sighed, "for a second there, I thought you didn't recognize me."

"Please," Y/N laughed, "the second you walked in, everyone recognized you. I doubt you can go anywhere without being noticed."

"That is true," he sighed. Y/N studied him.

"You okay, Hollywood?"

"I'm fine," he laughed a little too forcefully.

"It's okay not to be," Y/N shrugged as she took another sip of her coffee. "After a rough day at work, I got to the nearby bar and drink and drink and drink. If it's a really bad day, I go home with a sexy stranger."

"That sounds like a wonderful plan," Glen chuckled. "What do you do for work?"

"I'm a lawyer," she explained, "currently working toward partner."

"That's awesome. You close?"

"Hell yeah," Y/N laughed. "I basically do everything in the office. Not only do I handle my cases, but my coworkers always seem to need my help."

"Damn," Glen smirked. He looked down at her empty coffee cup and had an idea of how to keep her here. "You got time for another coffee or do you need to rush back to work before the firm falls apart?"

"I've got some time," she shrugged. "If you're buying."

"I'll be right back," Glen winked. He stood up and ordered another coffee for her. As he waited at the counter, he looked over his shoulder and watched Y/N answer her phone. He watched as her whole demeanor changed as she spoke to whoever was on the other side of that phone call.

She hung up as he walked over. "Everything okay?" He asked, suddenly worried she might have to leave.

"Everything is fine," she sighed, not sounding convincing. "Just morons at my office that don't know how to staple paper, let alone talk to a client." She looked up, her face slightly reddening when she saw him staring at her. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice lightening up. "Work is just. . . a lot."

"Sounds like you need something stronger than a cappuccino," he tried to tease.

"That's for sure," she mumbled. "Then again, it's not even 10 o'clock. But I will definitely be making a stop at a bar after work."

* * * * *

They spent the morning, talking about their jobs and their lives. The entire time, Glen couldn't believe that this amazing girl didn't care who he was. Not once did she treat him like a famous actor.

Y/N sighed when her phone rang for the third time. "I'm sorry," she sighed before answering her phone. "What now, Caleb?"

Glen sat back and watched as her facial expression changed. "We have gone over this so many times," she sighed. "The case files are not. . . Yes, the client. . . You know something Caleb, I'm getting awfully tired of doing my job and the job of my assistant."

She hung up and her eyes softened when she looked at him. "I should really go. I'm half-expecting my office to be on fire when I get there."

"Well," Glen sighed as the two stood up, "if your office is on fire, call me."

"And what are you going to do about it, Mr. Hollywood?" She smirked.

"Run into the building and save you," he said like it should've been obvious.

"Can't have you doing that," she chuckled. She reached up and patted his face, as she added, "This pretty face is your job. Can't risk anything happening to it."

* * * * *

Glen tried to go about his day, but his mind was constantly on the woman he met at the coffee shop this morning.

"What's with you?" His manager, Andrew, asked when he walked into the hair and makeup trailer and saw Glen staring absentmindedly at his phone.

"Nothing," Glen stuttered. "Just. . . distracted."

"Who?"

"What?"

"Only a woman can make a man. . . distracted," Andrew laughed. "Who is she? Coworker? Neighbor? Friend?"

"Nothing like that," Glen sighed as he put his phone down. "Just a random girl I met at my coffee shop this morning."

"Wow," Andrew chuckled as he sat next to him. "What's her name?"

"Y/N."

"By the look on your face and the way you smiled when you said her name, something tells me you actually talked to her."

"I did," Glen chuckled. "We talked for over an hour, but her work pulled her away."

"What does she do for work?"

"She's a lawyer."

Andrew studied Glen as Glen thought about Y/N. "Did you ask her out?" Andrew asked.

"No," Glen sighed.

"Did you get her number?"

"No," Glen said, clearing his throat.

"Do you know what law firm she works at?"

"No," he said, looking down at his phone. "All I know is her name is Y/N, she is a lawyer, and she likes to go to the bar close to the coffee shop."

"There you go," Andrew shrugged.

"What?"

"You know where she's going to be, right?"

"Well, yeah. I do, but. . .Oh."

After work, Glen headed to the bar. The second he walked in, he searched for Y/N. His heart jumped into his throat when he saw her sitting alone at the bar.

"Fancy meeting you here," Glen chuckled as he sat at the bar next to Y/N.

"Really?" She smirked. "You just happened to show up at the bar I was telling you about this morning?"

"I always come here."

"Mmhmm," she rolled her eyes as she took a drink.

"Can I buy you a round?"

"How about more than just one?"

* * * * *

The next morning, Glen woke up to an empty bed. He ignored the feeling of disappointment when he realized Y/N was gone. He spent the entire morning, slowly getting ready for the day.

As he drove to the set, his thoughts were only on Y/N.

He thought about the coffee shop. He thought about the bar. He thought about the night they spent together. He thought about the feeling he got when he looked down and saw her asleep on his chest.

He hated himself for not getting her number. He hated himself for letting her leave without kissing her goodbye. He hated himself for not asking her out on a proper date.

He vowed to do whatever it takes to find her.

[sickficideas]

Eeeeee ty for answering my dandadan ask!!!

Though I love both of them I'm a bit biased towards okarun so Ill focus on him (tho I might come back for momo later)

Curious about when the random fevers started after he started transforming, how did discovering that side effect go? When did they start, and how often do they happen, and any other details you have about them? How worried do people get about him too

I am a sucker for fevers, esp when someone does the tender hand on forehead check it's so cute, and the thought of momo (or anyone else) feeling okarun's forehead got me giddy

- danon (dandadan anon lol)

DANON.....that's like the perfect name welcome back!!! This is kind of related to that fic I'm writing so I've already thought about this a lot and am very happy to answer LOL...

- 12-24 hours after Okarun transforms is when the fevers usually start and they started pretty much right away after gaining that power. The first few times he didn't transform for any great length of time and as a result just dealt with drawn-out low grade fevers where he just feels terrible and doesn't know why.

- Momo notices the change in behavior because she watches him like a hawk and is The Overthinker...he's always tired and seems sore and slow the day after using his Yokai form but she doesn't usually connect that it's a fever. A few times she notices he has a fever, she's nervous about taking care of him but (forcefully) makes sure he's drinking water and taking medicine lol💖

- It Slowly starts to get worse though...the longer he uses that form, the worse he feels after, and the change is sudden and drastic enough for Momo to notice that something is very wrong. He's visibly stumbling or ends up passing out, maybe even hallucinating (Momo always worries it's real, after all, who knows what all these aliens are capable of). If she's ever concerned to any degree she makes him come home with her (and her excuse is always that she'll be too worried about him not taking enough care of himself that she won't be able to sleep...not cause she's in love with him or anything pshhh...)

- I love the idea of one day he's so sick from it that he can hardly lift his head, he's in Momo's room on a mattress on the floor, she thought he was acting weird at school but it seemed like he completely fell apart as soon as they got home 😭 She ends up involving Seiko and she deduces pretty quickly that it's Turbo Granny's power's fault (to which Turbo Granny has no input because how could she have known this was a side effect lol)

- They never last long though, never more than 12-24 hours, and he always feels fine after no matter how bad the fever was, and Momo is always keeps an extra close eye on him in case he's lying to avoid her worrying about him lol...she's checking his forehead all day long and she does Not Care how many times her friends tease her for it!!

- The Gang coming around obviously joins in on the concern...Jiji noticing that Okarun isn't feeling well and Okarun begging him to not tell Momo (Jiji does not listen, he Will be telling Momo), and Aira being overprotective too (to Momo's dismay), Okarun is so glad that he has friends that care about him like this but he's embarrassed and shy about the attention lol💔💔

[neferaskingdom]

♡ The Great Christmas Yard-Off | MV1

Pairing: Max Verstappen x Reader

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Summary: Y/n decides to join the neighborhood Christmas yard decorating contest. Somehow it ends with Max and George at war with each other.

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A/N: wanted to try my hand at a Christmas series. I plan on uploading 12 fics but we'll see. I choose to do this with George because apparently George and Max are beefing now?. Also guys please send some inspiration my way cuz deciding to make this series was a totally impulsive decision.

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Part 1 of my Most Wonderful Time of the Year series: Masterlist

The holidays had always been your favorite time of the year. The twinkling lights, the smell of gingerbread, the comforting hum of Christmas carols — it all felt like a warm embrace. And this year, you and Carmen were determined to make it even more special. You both had signed up for the neighborhood’s annual Christmas yard decorating contest. 

Max on the other hand didn’t give two shits about Christmas. He tolerated your festive spirit because you loved it, and every December, your shared home transformed into a holiday wonderland. You handled the decorations, baking, and cheesy Christmas playlists, while Max provided the occasional muscle for hanging lights and reaching the high shelves. It was a system that worked.

Until George Russell opened his big mouth.

It started at a padel game. You and Carmen were sitting nearby, swapping ideas for the neighborhood Christmas yard decorating contest while Max and George squared off on the court. You weren’t even halfway through explaining your plans when George’s ears perked up.

“We’re doing the yard decorating contest?” George said, wiping sweat off his forehead as he approached. His interest was piqued, and that was never a good sign.

“Yeah,” Carmen replied cautiously. “Why?”

George grinned, leaning casually on his racket. “This is going to be fun we’ve got this in the bag”

You and Carmen exchanged a look, bemused. “We do?” Carmen asked, crossing her arms.

George beamed. “Obviously we do! Especially since I’ll be helping”

You snorted. “What does that even mean?”

“It means that I have impeccable taste,” George said smugly.

At this, Max snorted from across the court. “It’s just inflatables and fairy lights. Relax, mate.”

George turned to him, his grin widening. “Says the guy who probably hasn’t even untangled his lights yet.”

Max froze, narrowing his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like,” George replied, clearly enjoying himself. “I’m just saying, you probably lack the creative vision to pull off anything more sophisticated than a blinking Rudolph.”

“Creative vision?” Max repeated incredulously

“Exactly. It’s not just about the lights or the inflatables!” George replied, puffing out his chest. “It’s about taste. Sophistication. Something you wouldn’t understand, Verstappen.”

Max just glared, his jaw tightening. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” George said, the smugness practically radiating off him.

It was at that moment you saw the shift in Max’s demeanor. What had started as a casual exchange turned into something much more dangerous: a challenge.

By the time you got home, Max was fully committed to the cause.

“Okay,” he said, pacing the living room. “What’s the strategy?”

You stared at him blankly from your spot on the couch, where you’d been happily sipping hot chocolate and scrolling through Pinterest for DIY ideas. “What strategy?”

“For the yard. To beat George,” Max replied, as if it were obvious.

“Max,” you began slowly, “this isn’t about beating anyone. It’s Christmas.”

Max stopped pacing to look at you. “It is about beating someone. George thinks he’s going to win, and I’m not letting that happen.”

“Why do you care?” you asked, genuinely baffled. “You didn’t even want to help decorate two hours ago.”

“That was before George made it personal,” Max said, grabbing his phone. “Right. I need to order lights. Big ones.”

You groaned, already sensing this was spiraling out of control.

“Max,” you said, trying to keep your voice calm. “You don’t even care about Christmas.”

“I care about not losing to George bloody Russell,” 

The first couple of days were peaceful enough. You stuck to your original plan of simple, tasteful decorations, while Carmen did the same across the street. But then George upped the ante.

“Have you seen this?” Max stormed into the kitchen, waving his phone at you.

On the screen was a picture of George’s front yard. He had installed a massive inflatable snowman wearing a Santa hat and, inexplicably, a Mercedes team jacket.

“Is that…branded merchandise?” you asked, squinting at the screen.

“Oh, it’s on,” Max growled, grabbing his coat.

“Where are you going?”

“To the hardware store.”

“What for?”

“To buy everything.”

“Max, let it go,” you said exasperated,

“Let it go? Let it go?” Max repeated, scandalized. “You don’t let things go when you’re trying to win.”

You sighed. “We’re not trying to win. We’re trying to have fun.”

Max ignored you, muttering something about needing to rent a ladder.

Across the street, Carmen was facing her own struggles.

“George,” she said firmly, “I thought we agreed this was my thing.”

George was busy attaching halos to his newly erected nativity scene. “It’s our thing, darling. A team effort.”

“You’re hogging the team effort!” Carmen snapped.

“Nonsense,” George replied, stepping back to admire his work. “Do you think the fog machine is too much?”

“Fog machine?” Carmen repeated, aghast. “Are you kidding me?”

“It adds character,” George insisted.

“It looks like a rave!”

It wasn’t long before the antics escalated.

One morning, Max woke you up at the ungodly hour of 6 a.m., shaking your shoulder. “Y/n, wake up! Emergency.”

“What?” you groaned, sitting up. “Is the house on fire?”

“No, but George sabotaged Santa!” Max exclaimed, holding his phone up to show you the security footage of the animatronic Santa in your yard. Its mechanical arm, which was supposed to wave cheerfully, was instead frozen in a position that looked suspiciously like it was flipping people off.

“Sabotaged?” you repeated, rubbing your eyes. “Max, it’s probably just broken.”

“It’s sabotage,” Max said with absolute certainty.

That morning, George’s inflatable reindeer mysteriously deflated.

“Max,” you hissed when you caught him sneaking back inside with scissors in hand. “What did you do?”

“I’m was just trimming the hedges,” he said innocently.

“With kitchen scissors? At five in the morning?”

“I just wanted to be done with it early,” he replied, giving you a cheeky grin.

George wasn’t innocent either. That evening, Max’s synchronized sleigh started playing an obnoxiously distorted version of "Jingle Bells."

“That son of a—” Max growled, storming out to fix it.

From your vantage point on the porch, you saw George leaning against his front door, sipping tea and waving smugly.

By the weekend, both yards were unrecognizable. Max had rented a cherry picker to string lights on the trees, creating a display so bright it could probably be seen from space. George retaliated by adding a life-sized nutcracker army to his yard, complete with sound effects.

You and Carmen sat together on the porch, sipping mulled wine and watching the madness unfold.

“They’re insane,” Carmen said flatly.

“Completely unhinged,” you agreed.

“Do you think we should try to stop them?”

“Not a chance,” you replied, taking a sip of your drink. “They’d probably turn on us. Just let them tire themselves out”

When judgment day arrived, the tension was palpable. Max and George stood in their respective yards, glaring at each other like two prizefighters about to enter the ring.

Then Sebastian Vettel pulled up in an electric car, stepping out with a clipboard in hand.

“What the hell is Seb doing here?” Max whispered, frowning.

You shrugged. “I have no idea”

“Why would Seb be judging a Christmas contest?”

“Why are you treating this like a world championship?” you shot back.

Across the street, George was equally confused. “Seb?” he called out, waving. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m the judge,” Seb replied simply.

“Why?” George asked.

Seb shrugged. “Why not?”

For the next hour, Sebastian walked up and down the street, inspecting each yard with an inscrutable expression. When he reached Max’s yard, he tilted his head.

“It’s...bright,” Seb said diplomatically.

“It’s also synchronized!” Max said proudly, hitting a remote to start the light show.

Seb blinked as the display erupted into a cacophony of lights and music, the animatronic Santa jerking its arm wildly.

“Interesting choice,” Seb said, jotting something down.

When he got to George’s yard, he paused at the nativity scene. The fog machine puffed dramatically, obscuring the baby Jesus.

“Very…cinematic,” Seb commented.

“It adds to the atmosphere,” George corrected with a grin.

Seb nodded slowly. “Hmm.”

Finally, he reached Nico Rosberg’s house. Honestly speaking you had kind of forgotten he was even in the competition. Nico’s yard was a chaotic mix of DIY decorations—crooked garlands, hand-painted ornaments, and a slightly lopsided tree. His two young daughters were bustling around the yard, stringing up a series of haphazardly cut-out stars and paper garlands. A few hand-painted reindeer made of cardboard were scattered across the lawn. It was the polar opposite of both Max and George’s gaudy, over-the-top displays.

“What’s this?” Seb asked, intrigued.

Nico poked his head out the door, a mug of coffee in hand. “Oh, the girls did the whole thing. It's kind of last minute cuz I forgot all about the competition.”

Seb’s face lit up. “The girls? They did this?”

“Yeah, they love this kind of stuff,” Nico said with a shrug.

Seb nodded approvingly, turning back to the yard. “It’s heartfelt and homemade. Captures the true spirit of Christmas.”

Max and George stared at him in horror as Seb marked something on his clipboard.

“I think I’ve found the winner,” Seb said. “Yup, this is the one.”

“You’re giving it to that?” Max sputtered, gesturing wildly at Nico’s yard “He’s got two cardboard reindeer! You can’t just—what?”

George stared in shock, unable to process the sight. “This... this looks like a kindergarten craft project.”

Seb turned to them with a calm smile. “Your yards look like a commercial for overconsumption. Nico’s daughters made something meaningful.”

Nico just stood there confused, while his daughters proudly adjusted the crooked garlands and DIY decorations they had made. “What?” Nico said, looking around. “Wait, we won?”

Sebastian smiled. “Yes. This yard shows the real spirit of Christmas. It’s genuine, heartfelt, and doesn’t rely on flashy lights or over-the-top theatrics.”

Max was in absolute shock. “We lost... to Nico Rosberg?” 

George looked equally scandalized. “But we put so much effort into this!”

“Effort doesn’t always mean better,” Seb said sagely.

Nico laughed nervously. “I mean, my daughters just wanted to make something fun. It’s not that great.”

Sebastian held up a trophy. “It’s perfect. And you’re the winner.”

Max flopped down on the couch next to you, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, and his face twisted in frustration. He was still sulking about losing the Christmas yard competition, and it was clear he wasn’t letting it go anytime soon.

“I can’t believe we lost to Nico Rosberg,” Max grumbled, throwing his head back dramatically. “Nico. Nico won because he brought his daughters into it. It’s like they manipulated Sebastian with their cuteness! That’s not fair.”

You bit your lip to hold back a laugh, but you could tell this was no laughing matter to Max. He was seriously upset. You scooted closer to him, putting a hand on his arm in an attempt to comfort him.

“Max, it’s just a silly contest,” you said softly. “It doesn’t really matter who won. You had the best lights and decorations, okay?”

Max let out a heavy sigh and turned to look at you, his eyes filled with exaggerated indignation. “No, it’s not okay! I worked so hard on that display. And then Nico just... has his little girls do all the work, and bam! They win! What was I supposed to do? I’m not going to bring a bunch of random kids to decorate for me!”

You couldn’t help but chuckle, nudging him playfully. “Yeah, I don’t think that would have been a good look.”

Max’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “You know... maybe I’ve figured it out. Maybe that’s what we’ve been missing. If we had a kid, they’d be adorable, and there’s no way Sebastian would resist that kind of cuteness. I’m telling you, we would definitely win next year.”

You blinked, staring at him in disbelief. “Wait... what? Max, are you seriously suggesting we have a baby just to win a Christmas decoration competition?”

Max shrugged, a sly grin creeping across his face. “Why not? If Nico can win by using his daughters, we could do the same. Imagine it: one little Verstappen decorating the yard, all wide-eyed and cute. Sebastian wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Your heart nearly stopped. “Max, no. Absolutely not. You cannot possibly think about having a child just to win a Christmas contest.”

Max didn’t pay any attention to your protests. He was already scheming, his eyes lighting up with excitement. “I’m telling you, it’s genius. We get the kid involved, and next thing you know, Sebastian’s giving us the trophy. It’s foolproof.”

You grabbed his arm, still flustered, but now more worried about where this conversation was going. “Max, no. You’re not thinking straight. You can’t just—that’s not how things work.”

Max leaned back against the couch, crossing his arms behind his head, looking far too pleased with himself. “I don’t know, Y/n, I think I’m onto something big here.”

Max grinned mischievously, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Well, if we want to win next year’s Christmas contest…” He paused, leaning in closer, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper, “maybe it’s time we make that baby, schat.”

Before you could even respond, Max pounced on you, wrapping you in his arms and planting a playful kiss on your lips, causing you to squeak in surprise. You pushed him away lightly, laughing. “Max, you’re impossible!”

He just smirked. “Maybe. But think about it—one little Verstappen running around decorating. We’d definitely win.”

You rolled your eyes, still flustered, but couldn't stop the smile that crept onto your face at that thought. "You're ridiculous."

Max winked. "But you love me anyway."

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

[bobur-the-berry-guy]

Toman boys and winter activities!

• ft : mikey, draken, mitsuya, baji, chifuyu, hakkai, kazutora, takemichi, smiley, angry

• part 2 - tenjiku boys, in the making!

part 3 - koko, inui, taiju, hanma & kisaki, in the making!

• requests are open!!

๑ I definitely may or may not have favourites, is it noticeable?

Christmas market

Oh my god, eveything is so cute— Chifuyu absolutely loves the Christmas maker, but his wallet would say otherwise. The decor, the clothes, the knick-knacks - they're all calling to him. He touches everything, its all so cute, but he buys only a few things. He's not a big christmas person really, but the holiday vibe itself is more than enough for him. He just wants an excuse to be a bit more giving than he usually lets himself be. The christmas market is window shopping and he can guess what you'd like for a gift - it's a win-win! His favourite is when it gets dark and the christmas decorations around the street light up. The sky is dark and the weather is cold, but the warm glow of the lights and the warmth of thick scarves and hot chocolate make it one of his favourite times of the year. And to top it all off, you look breathtaking. All wrapped in your winter clothes like a present, his fluffy scarf bundled up to your face, cheeks and nose rosy from the cold, your breath cloudy around you, the colorful christmas light glimmering and bathing you in a warm light, and you're smiling and laughing— he's absolutely smitten. Be careful not to say too many things from the market are cute though, that would make his wallet wail.

Oh i know that the christmas market games hate to see Kazutora coming - this man is an absolute menace when it comes to that. If there are games to guess, he's gonna take his time thinking what would be the right answer. Be it how many candies are in this jar or what is the decoration in the box — best believe not only is he guessing correctly but he's taking the prize home with him and you. Never let him near a diy stations. Ever. Not because he won't have fun, but because he will make a mess. There's not a single time he hasn't caused absolute chaos upon a diy project, and the christmas market no different. The knick-knack he's made will be pretty and would match the rest of your decor, and the cookies he's embellished will only look even tastier, but the havoc he leaves behind is something you'd never wish on anyone else. As much as he cleans up after himself, it's still not little to deal with. To him it's worth it though. Seeing you giggling over him having elements of the decorations over him and cleaning him up is something he wouldn't trade for the world. He just might make a bit more effort into being messy if it would mean you're there to laugh and take care of him.

The christmas maker is calling Baji's name, but not for the decororations— its the food. He will make a point to look around and spy observe what the people are eating and drinking. By that he will guess what's the best you can try. That is to say it doesn't mean he'll exclude certain things just because not many people are buying it. He wants to and will take a bite or a sip from everything. He's going to check it out during the day and when it gets dark and cold and there aren't as many people, he'll take you there and have you try everything along with him. That just makes the food and the drinks better. Hot dogs, pies, baked goods, candied almonds and ginger, chimney cakes, gingerbread cookies, mulled wine, hot chocolate— there's a lot to try and everything is to be shared. There's no such thing as my piece of this or your piece of that. If you don't like something he's gonna eat it himself and vise versa. If you don't like something and make a face he wont let you live it down. He's gonna eat it himself yes, but each time he takes a bite he will make grimace just to annoy you. He won't tell you if he doesn't like the thing either, he'll eat it regardless even if its just to make tou giggle a bit. If you like something a bit more he's gonna let you have the most of it, not that he won't pretend he doesnt like it just as much. He's there to enjoy the goods, sure, but he's there mainly to enjoy being with you.

Ice Skating

Who would've thought Mitsuya was such a good ice skater? It's almost as unexpected as it is expected. He's skilled at so many things - cooking, sewing, fighting, riding a motorcycle- if you're to write down everything, it would take up half the day. But still, skating? He's full of surprises. He's taken you with him on the skating rink, just the two of you for once. Hakkai is looking after his sisters so you two can be on your date. You think yea, he knows how to skate, but not that he's so good at it. You're still struggling around the entering point, sorry if u can skate i cant holding onto the fence, and he's gliding around the rink like he's one of these fantasy movie elves. He makes it seem like it's as easy as walking. Moving smoothly in a slow rythm, just because he's a little rusty. He's twirling around elegantly, you can see just how ethereal he looks and- oh— you're still struggling to do it?? He's going to help you, but that doesn't mean he won't show off. It's his time to shine. On his way to you he's a bit faster, a bit more fluid, almost like he's dancing. He takes you by the hand to show you how it's done. He's chatting with you during that too- sure, you're focused on trying not to fall onto the ice, but he's holding you and he's having so much fun like that. Showing off doesn't hurt every once in a while, no?

You definitely wont be bored if you're skating woth Hakkai. He's good at it, he said. He can do it, he said. Thing is he can do it, but its about just as much as chicken can fly - not for more than 13 seconds. As you're putting on the skating shoes he seems to be a bit nervous, but then again it's Hakkai. As soon as you get in the rink you understand why he's so nervous. He's holding onto the fence, trying to move his feet the right way. He finally catches onto what hes supposed to do and he's drifting around you slowly in a fluid motion. He looks so graceful, peacefully skating along and— WHAM! The second you stop to admire him it's over. He was trying his best to impress you, he really was, but when he felt you genuinely looking at him his nervousness ruined it. He embarrassed himself so bad and you think he's lame now and— you're giggling. Not mocking at him, but giggling at him. "Ohmygod Hakkai- I'm sorry you just-- that was so silly— god, you're cute!" It's over for him now, it's sealed. If an ice skating injury doesnt end him, his heart will. He can feel it every time you look at him, every time you smile, every time you laugh - he feels it going into overdrive. It feels like its soaring, closing up his throat and stolping his brain from working. Please have mercy on him, he can only take so much!

See what i did on the Wham! part hihi

Snow activitities

You've got my condolences if you're out in the snow with Nahoya. You're out in a field, it's freezing and the snow is so deep it's like a snowy desert. You'd think he'd have some mercy on you when it's so cold but you're mistaken. He's pouncing on you with eveything he has - snowball after snowball is coming your way. He's throwing them at you anyplace he can hit too. It's like he's hunting you - hiding behind trees and snow piles, stalking you quietly, waiting for justtt the right moment— HEADSHOT! By the time he's finished with you you're basically a snowman inside and out. You've got snow in your hair, in and on your jacket, between your scarf and your neck, in your hair, your back— and it's so, so cold!! You have Nahoya laughing in your face, rolling around on the snowy ground. And now it's time to head back in. You're both pretty much soaking from the melted snow when you're finally at his place. Best to have a hot bath, you don't wanna get sick. I hope you're good at sharing because he's getting with you in the bath. He's washing your hair for you and you're gonna be soaking in that bath until your fingers prune and the water cools down. He's been so mean to you, now is his moment to make it up to you, no?

Who'd think that Takemichi was the outdoorsy type in winter? The snow is still fresh and its glistening in the sun, its so early still nobody else has went to wherever he's taking you. It's close enough, he says, you'll love it. And finally you're there - the biggest, cleanest, fattest snow slope you've seen. How did he even find that?? Near the city especially??? And it's untouched??? That doesnt matter right now though, you're both too busy running up the snowy monstrosity. He's pulling the small sleight, slowing him down a bit. That doesn't stop you from going ahead of him to the top, he's trailing right behind you. When you're finally ready and set on the sleigh he explains what to do - just hold onto him and don't let go. After you're hugging him around the waist securely he pushes the sleigh. It feels like you're flying down the slope. The icy air is brushing over your face. Your hair is like a whip waving behind you. The ride is so smooth. It feels like you're floating— and your on your side in an instant. The sleigh is sideways. You and Takemichi are laying in the snow. And you both start laughing. By the time you're up on your feet you're both teary and wheezing. The view up the slope was gorgeous for sure, but for Takemichi the better view is right in front of him.

As lazy as Mikey is, he'd never refuse a walk when it's snowing. His favourite time for that is during the late afternoon, right before nightfall. The city falls quiet, the cobalt sky contrasting with the warm streetlamps, the quiet people-chatter filling the streets. The atmosphere is so peaceful, especially when you're right next to him. Your breath creating a glittery mist around you, the twilight making your eyes look shinier. You're on your way to a cafe, passing trough a foresty park. Down the path you can see the marks people have left behind. It seems like the quiet little park would be so lively during the day. And finally you're at the cafe. Its a small cozy place, snuggled between the tall surrounding buildings. In front of it two tiny, perfectly shaped snowmen holding hands. "That's us" and he is right, they do look like you two - with their small scarfs, happy little smiles and intertwined hands. Mikey's hand feel warm agaist your in his pocket. You forgot your gloves and your hands were freezing before he gave you one of his gloves and took your other hand in his. You have moment to admire him, the dim light from the cafe making his gentle face look even more delicate. From the cafe you take a few sweets and a hot chocolate each. This time he takes you to a different way and you're at his home in just a few minutes. When you question him he says he wanted to take a walk but got lazy on the way back. In truth, though, he wanted to have you all to himself for a bit — he didnt need you to talk or to entertain him, he just wanted to you to be there with him. And he wanted an excuse to hold your hand.

Staying in

When it's freezing outside and there's not much to do it's best to stay home and chill, in Drakens opinion. What would you be doing out and about in weather like that anyways? It's best to stay in - its warm, cozy, and most importantly you both can relax. That is, until you dedice you want to make gingerbread cookies so bad. As much as he wants to he knows he cant refuse you, he's too weak to do that. And he only has himself to blame for his predicament. He's dolled up in a frilly apron, he some of the batter still sticks to his hands and there's flour everywhere. You're laughing at his pout, unbothered by the mess. Swatting at him, bending over in laughter— and he smacks you right back. Of course he doesn't do it hard, but he won't go down without a fight! And chaos ensuses. By the time the cookies are ready for decorating the whole kitchen is in dissaray - bowls are upside down and over, theres spoons everywhere, everything and you two are covered in flour. You're both barely breathing and wheezing from laughter, stomach hurting and eyes teary. Holding onto him for support, almsot falling laughing. He has flour all over his face, hair and clothes, and you're no better. You'd have a huge cleanup to doz but that can wait for a little bit. As stoic as he is, he's still smiling like an idiot at the whole situation. To him it only serves his preference to stay in, with you.

The best part of winter is when its the dead of the ice-cold night and you're home, warm and toasty for Souya. The wind is whispering quitely like a dove, a few scattered constellations twinkling across the midnight sky, only a few of the windows on the opposite apartments still glowing across the sleeping neighborhood. All that is tangible trough his window. Hes on his bed, snuggled up with you. Warm, cozy and safe. He can hear music still playing from his phone somewhere, but he doesnt care enough to turn it off. You've been on his big, fluffy blankets for so long that they seems to smell a bit like you. Even his pajamas feel infused with the heat of you, him and the blankets. You look peacefully asleep, resting next to him. He's caressing you. Normally he'd be too flustered to, but you're asleep and you feel so soft— surely you wouldn't mind. It feels like he's itching, burning to have you close to him. He feels like he could melt right into you. For once he finds his words to talk. "You're so beautiful." He's muttering the words so quietly, his voice is soft like that of a dove."i wish i could look you in the eyes to tell you that, you know?" He's caressing the side of your head. "Are you an angel? I think you are. To me, you are." He presses a kiss on your forehead. On your temple. On your cheekbone. On your cheek. Right at the corner of your lips. His lips feel so tender, he's so careful not to wake you up. He wouldn't ever live that down."I love you. I'm gonna tell you that when you're awake too, yeah? Good night." Of course, he didnt have to know you were awake. He needed his quiet moments too.

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I'm gonna die from the cold here i despise the school heating system e s p e c i a l l y in the basement

I have 8 classes a week in the basement save me