#it’s 3 am and I’m so tired but I’ve finally done this and I’m finished and now I can sleep

[ghoulinfuschia]

Hey, so I get not wanting to engage with the MD community after that, but this is NOT most of the community. There are around 3 guys who do this, and the rest of us literally hate them, and they do this INTENTIONALLY because they also hate the rest of us. And the problem is, if you DO give up on MD projects, then that hands a win to them, and encourages them to keep harassing people. One of them even put up a post on their YT channel, CELEBRATING that you had stopped work on MD projects, and actively calling for more harassment for other creators because of it. I would implore you to PLEASE continue making MD projects. Don't let the bullies see that bullying gets a rise out of you, they will ONLY keep going further. These are not 'people', they are basically demons and letting them stop you from doing anything is just feeding them.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkxll_x-BP3bHPxIlGgdexKgQ4xqt3wbA7v?si=2KH6dTbDNeNuljkX

Thank you for your kindness and encouragement, from you and everyone else. I appreciate how much people care about the things I make. Unfortunately, however, my leave was already planned back in January 2025. This decision wasn’t solely made because of this person’s comment. Rather, that just ended up being the final nail in the coffin. After Intermission I already felt burnt out on MD and I was ready to move on, but I had Catalyst’s script finished and I wanted so badly to work on something with friends.

I decided I would stay longer just for the sake of completing this project with my team who now makes me so so so happy. While I am tired, I don’t regret my decision to pursue this. Catalyst has brought me so much joy in a time where I’ve been struggling with unemployment and fear for what my future looks like. I can’t stress enough how much I care for them. I’ve made new friends and my irl gang has met my online gang. It’s been a wonderful experience. After this is done though, I’m ready to pursue my own stories.

Also I never disclosed this since I didn’t want to bring attention to it, but this sort of vitriol has become normal for me. I’ve been sent death threats and comments that are attacks on my character. Critique of my work is something I can handle. I actually always seek out constructive criticism on the things I make because how else am I supposed to grow if I don’t know my weaknesses. Comments telling me to kms and insults? They start to weigh on you the more you get them.

This is the internet. I’ve been here for over a decade. As long as I’m here I know there will always be a chance someone throws words like those at me. The only thing I can do to combat it if ignoring doesn’t work is to walk away.

I hope you all will continue to support me and my work, though. I will do my best for you.

[ice-man-goes-bwoah]

Hii<3 can I get Remmick x fem! Reader fluff (could also be a little suggestive if you don’t mind), established relationship, he comes to her house every night to be with her, but this night shes overthinking things like what if his vampire instincts come out and he attacks her? Or what if he doesn’t actually love her he’s just tricking her into something bad? He assures her that that’s not the case and it’ll never happen.

You’re safe with me||Remmick x fem!reader

Summary—every night remmick comes to visit you quiet and steady and gentle but tonight your thoughts spiraled what if his vampire instincts break through? What if he’s only pretending to love you? What if you’re just prey?

Word count—886

A/n I finished this two days ago and forgot to post it 🥲

The house creaked like it was breathing—long, tired exhales in the walls, like it had been holding its breath all day just to finally sigh into nightfall. The porch light flickered once before giving up, leaving the room in that cozy honey-colored lamp-glow you always loved, even if tonight it felt a little too dim.

Remmick’s presence filled the room like he belonged there. Like this house had been waiting for him to show up, just like you always did. And usually, you’d be running into his arms by now, mouthing his name between kisses, tugging him down the hallway before your feet could catch up with your heart. But not tonight.

Tonight you were in your head.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, after he pulled you close. “I know I sound paranoid.”

“You don’t,” he said simply. “You sound like someone who’s smart enough to know what I am. And brave enough to love me anyway.”

Your heart twisted. He said it so plainly, like the words weren’t loaded, but they were. They always were. He was old—centuries old—and you still didn’t know everything he’d seen. Everything he’d done. You weren’t sure he even wanted you to know.

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m enough to keep you… tethered,” you murmured, voice muffled against his chest. “Like, what if something snaps? What if the wrong scent hits you or something just breaks inside and I’m not fast enough to stop it?”

He pulled back slightly, just enough to look you in the eye. His gaze sharpened, not unkind, but deeply focused.

“There’s no ‘snapping,’” he said, voice low. “I’ve been what I am for longer than this country’s had a name. If I was gonna lose control, it wouldn’t be now. Not with you. Never with you.”

He cupped your face again, thumb brushing just beneath your eye where he knew a tear threatened. “And if you think for a second I don’t love you, we’re gonna have a whole other conversation, sweetheart.”

You tried to smile, but it wobbled. “I just—sometimes I think you could glamor me, or manipulate me into thinking this is real, and I wouldn’t even know. I’d believe it. I’d believe you. That scares me more than anything.”

Remmick exhaled through his nose, slow and careful. Then he leaned in, his lips brushing yours in a kiss so soft it barely happened. When he pulled back, his voice was quieter.

“Come with me.”

“What?

He stood, tugging your hand as he headed toward the back of the house. “C’mon.”

You followed barefoot across the old wooden floor, cool against your skin. He led you into your bedroom—the one he knew better than his own. Where his clothes still lingered in your drawers, where the shadows felt heavier but warmer with him in them.

He sat on the edge of your bed and pulled you gently into his lap, straddling his thighs. His hands rested low on your hips, thumbs brushing skin beneath your shirt.

“Look at me,” he said. And when you did, you saw the faint shimmer of gold behind his eyes. Not the predator—no. Something deeper. Something fiercely human trying to claw its way out of an inhuman body

“I could’ve taken anything from you. Your blood. Your will. Your trust. But I didn’t. I don’t. You give it to me freely, and that’s worth more than anything I’ve ever known.” He leaned in, forehead resting against yours. “You keep thinking you’re small, or breakable, or powerless. But I’ve seen your heart, sugar. There’s nothing small about it.”

ou swallowed hard, arms sliding around his neck. “So… I’m safe.”

“With me?” he said, voice turning low and tender. “Always.”

You nodded, but the tension hadn’t fully left you. He could feel it in your spine, in the way your hands trembled just slightly against his skin.

“You wanna test it?” he asked, eyes dropping to your mouth.

You blinked. “Test what?”

“That I won’t hurt you.” His voice darkened just a little, not in threat—but in challenge. “Let me show you exactly how in control I am.”

The words sank low in your stomach, heat blooming where anxiety had been a moment ago. He didn’t move, waiting for you.

You nodded slowly, and that was all it took.

His lips claimed yours with purpose this time, not hurried but deep—possessive. He kissed you like he was trying to rewrite every doubt in your head. His hands explored slowly, worshipfully, fingertips drawing invisible paths along your back, your sides, your thighs. Every movement said you’re mine, but not in a way that caged you.

It was tethering, yes—but in a way that made you feel anchored, not trapped.

And true to his word, he was in control. He didn’t push, didn’t take more than you offered. He moved with intention and restraint, even when your kiss deepened and your hips shifted against his lap. Even when your breath hitched and your hands tugged at his shirt.

“You feel that?” he murmured against your skin. “That’s me. Choosing you. Every second. Not hunger. Not instinct. Me.”

You nodded, breathless. “I feel it.”

“Good.” His lips brushed your neck, dangerously close to that soft, sensitive place. “Then trust it. And tomorrow, and every night after, I’ll keep remindin’ you if I have to.”

[writtenfoxscreams]

Been procrastinating on posting this for so friken long now for no reason, but I finally got my ass in gear, so hear are some things I wanted to say a while ago, but never did cause my brain is bad:

So. I did not expect this to blow up as fast as it did (or really at all), but since it did, I thought might reblog to explain some stuff.

First thing, this chart is a joke. I posted it as a joke. Please do not take it as this great guide for Jewish holidays. It is silly and goofy, and should be treated as such.

Second thing—cause I saw some people taking and asking about it—the new years. So, in Judaism there are four new years that are talked about in the Mishnah. They are:

- Aleph B’Nissan: the first of Nissan is the New Year for Kings and Festivals (also, the first day of the year according to the Torah).

- Aleph B’Elul: the first of Elul is the New Year for Animals, specifically Animal Tithes.

- Aleph B’Tishrei: the first of Tishrei a.k.a Rosh HaShanah, the New Year of New Years.

- Tet Vav B’Shvat: the fifteenth of Shvat a.k.a Tu B’Shvat, the New Year for Trees.

Aside from Tu B’Shvat, I’m not really sure what they have to do with trees, and I mean, we don’t actually celebrate the New Years for Kings and Animals anymore cause we don’t have the Beit HaMikdash, but anyways, now you (and me too actually) know.

Oh also, the Yes? for Lag B’Omer in the ‘they tried to kill us’ row is probably cause Hashem was doing the killing there, not people.

Also, also, no one asked about this, but I thought I should mention it anyway: the fast day of Tisha B’Av is not a holiday, but the only other major fast day (Yom Kippur), so, cause it wouldn’t make sense for it to just be by itself, it go grouped with the major holidays.

And last thing, the amount of holidays here that relate to trees (or rather, nature and plants in general) is actually a little misleading.

The holidays, Hoshana Raba, Shmeni Atzeret, Simchat Torah are all actually under/grouped withthe holiday, Sukkot. Sukkot is the Jewish Harvest holiday where we build a hut of sorts called a Sukkah (Sukkot is the plural), and eat, or even sleep, in it for the duration of the holiday (a week).

Hoshana Raba is day number seven. We have specific traditions that we do on that day which is why it has its own, separate name.

It’s a little different with Shmeni Atzeret (literally, ‘the eighth day’) though, cause it is actually a different holiday, but still connected to Sukkot, while Simchat Torah is a much newer concept that’s not biblical.

Basically, the rabbis decided that it would be easier to separate the traditions for Shmeni Atzeret into two days (only outside of Israel though), so they added Simchat Torah on, and that’s how we do it today.

Okay, I think that’s everything. Wow, that’s a lot. I tried to break it into smaller pieces, so it would be easier to read, but I don’t know how much it helped. I hope it did at least a little though.

I’ve also been recently informed that this chart was created by @jewish-kulindadromeus. So, all credit goes to them of course.

But yeah. Hope that explained some things, and an early Pesach Semeach to my fellow Jews, as well as a Happy Easter and a Ramadan Mubarak to any Christians or Muslims who see this. Love you all!! <3333

So, I know that quite a few people know the Jewish joke: “they tried to killed us, we survived, let’s eat”, and a friend found this chart years ago explaining all the Jewish holidays and fast days through that joke, with one very important addition: TREES.

And since today was Tu B’Shvat, I found myself thinking that this would be a great day to share it.

Enjoy :)) and hag sameach!! <333

[4-the-l0ve-0f-art]

"Caleb becomes a wet rat (and gets unpixelated?!)"

Chapter 3: Dumbfounded

Pairing: Caleb x GN Reader

Word count: 866

Genre: Reverse isekai, fluff, romance, comedy, supernatural, angst, slow burn

Rating: General Audiences

Triger Warnings: None

<< previous next >> Ao3 Link

---

You called out to the cat. “Hey.”

He didn’t respond, still fixated on the screen.

A sigh left your mouth. It was late, the cat was dirtying your counter after refusing to bathe, and you were tired from working all day.

You got up and walked over to him. Until now, he would’ve gone running across the room, but he didn’t even notice you while he was still staring at the trailer that had just finished playing on the TV. Or maybe he simply didn’t care about your presence. With cats, it was difficult to tell.

“Hey.” You tried again, poking his head gently with your index finger.

His eyes darted over to yours and he let out an annoyed “Mreow!”, as if to say, “What?!”

“Can we bathe you and go to sleep now?” You asked him slowly, hoping the cat is calm enough by now and maybe even understands you.

“Mreow,” he responded quietly, still looking distracted.

“..Okay..?” You scratched your head in confusion. “Uhm…”

Trying not to startle him, you slowly stretched out both your hands and gently touched both his sides. He didn’t give you a reaction, just staring off into the distance. You lifted him up and paused, looking for any sign of fighting back.

His limbs went slack and he blinked twice, looking dumbfounded. 

“..Meow.” He gave in.

You tried not to grin. You could finally, finally, bathe him and go to sleep.

“I guess cats really are liquid, huh?” You couldn’t help the smile forming on your face.

…

Bathtime (part 2) went surprisingly well. He just stood there, not doing anything or responding to your sentences, looking somewhat upset. So you bathed him as fast and as gently as you could, not wanting to waste the opportunity. 

Regardless of knowing whether or not he understood you, you found yourself talking to him through the entire process.

“I’m going to apply soap on you now.”

“You would’ve caught a cold if you stayed dirty with rain water in your fur any longer than that, you know? That would’ve been troublesome.”

“Is this okay? The water feels a little colder than before.. We’re gonna have to add more hot water to the bath.”

“You haven’t responded to me even once. Do you hate me that much?”

“We’re done now. Come here, let’s dry your fur.”

The only time he responded was when he got closer to let you wrap him in a clean towel.

“So you do understand me, you rascal!” You huffed. 

What a mean kitty. You thought to yourself.

You cleaned the bath while he was wrapped up in the towel, looking like a wet rat. You couldn’t help but laugh at the site and he glared at you, making him look even more like a rat.

…

Caleb’s mind was reeling with questions too fast for him to keep up with. He couldn't think. Or, rather, he was thinking too much.

That was me.

No, it can’t be me.. Am I seeing things?

But this doesn’t feel like a dream. I’m not..

This isn’t Linkon. Or Skyhaven. Or any other place I’ve been to.

This isn’t a human body I’m in. Why am I a cat?

I’m not going insane again, am I?

No, no I’m not. This is real. I am a cat. And I just saw myself on TV, in my uniform, in places I’ve been in. 

And this person picked me up. Wait, this person-

He looked at you. You were asking him to come over so you can dry him.

They speaks a lot.

…

He sat near the radiator and watched you clean dirt from his paws off the kitchen island. Warm lighting from the mood lamps illuminated your figure and lit the dining and kitchen area. You had turned off the lights of the rest of the apartment aside from the hallway in preparation for sleep.

“I have a half day at work tomorrow, since it’s a friday. Once I’m home, we can get you the items you need while you stay here.” You talked as you slouched and rested your head on the freshly cleaned counter top, facing him.

“Meow.” His highness replied, acknowledging you.

“What should we name you?” You wondered out loud. “How about making “wet rat” official?”

“Mreow!” He said no.

“Aw, okay. Then..you seem to like Caleb, no? Or you were at least interested in him.”

His ears perked up. Hearing you say his name so naturally like you knew him was something he wasn’t used to.

I am him. He thought.

“Now that I think about it, your eyes..” You paused. You straightened up and walked over to him, wanting a closer look.

He stayed glued to his spot, watching you.

You crouched next to him.

“Your eyes are kind of similar. To Caleb’s, I mean.”

Both of you stared at each other for a moment. Like you were trying to understand what the other was thinking.

You chuckled to yourself, muttering,”..wouldn’t it be weird to name you after an otome game character?”

He was still staring at you, eyes unblinking.

“Caleb it is, then.”

He blinked.

It was decided.

“Time to sleep.”

---

Taglist: @roseapov @mangooes @zukini-01 @browneyedgirl22 @mavix @staristoo @hohoooowhy @pirana10 @lunia-likes-pomegranet @bertieorangy @heyimseli @xxnessinessiellexx @mcdepressed290 @mentaltrouble2201 @stardustsunflowers13 @I-lover9 @destheoren

A/N: You can DM me or comment if you want to be tagged in this series and it'll be done in the future parts !! hope it was a good read <3 i'm still learning how to characterize him as a cat :')

[evertidings]

— DECEMBER 2024.

Accomplishments.

I thought I was forgetting something and then I realized it was my monthly update. Oops. So even though we’re a third into the month, here’s what I did in December.

To be quite honest, most (if not all) of what I did throughout the month was work on the Holiday Special. I’m really glad to see that it was well received (honestly, even though I’ve been doing this for a while, putting anything out is stressful so it’s always great to see positive feedback). I’m a bit of a slow writer so it took me a while, but I’m glad it paid off. I always love writing extra content for you guys anyway.

In terms of Chapter 12, I’m back at it this month and slowly chipping away at it. Still no estimated time for when it’ll be released, but I’m hoping Q1 of 2025. Of course, the break last month didn’t help in terms of productivity and word count, but at least it refreshed my mind. I had just finished up writing a big branch (probably close to 15,000 words) so I was pretty exhausted and tired of the content. That happened a lot when I was writing Chapter 11, which eventually led to a big burnout that I am trying to prevent this time around, because, well, it was not fun. But now that I’ve stayed away from Chapter 12 for a bit, I feel excited enough to go back.

I’m currently writing Eliana’s initial meeting with the Hunter and am trying to pinpoint how I want her to come off. Of course, I have a set personality for her, but determining character traits is one thing—actually making sure they are portrayed in writing is another. It’s been a bit challenging so far, but I do usually say that I like a challenge, so I think it’ll be fun.

I’m estimating the final chapter word count to be somewhere around 45-50k—possibly more if I decide to torture myself with another branch—so I’m at least halfway or a third of the way there. None of the chapters have ever surpassed 70k and I doubt this will, so I don’t have to worry there.

For the rest of January, I’m focusing on just getting as much done as possible. My four year anniversary (wtf) is also coming up for this game, so I’m trying to decide what to do for it. I want to write another short, but that would delay Chapter 12 even further so I’m not sure. Perhaps just a set of drabbles? Let me know if anyone has any ideas. As always, take care of yourselves <3

Stats.

Chapter Total: 21,850 words (+1640)

Game Total: ~533,280 words

[slvtforfiction]

Could you pls write a Johnnie guilbert x f! Reader where reader is a famous song writer and she’s up late at night like around 2:00-3:00 am working on a new song and Johnnie is sick and tired of her staying up all night and not taking care of herself so one night he gets up and hauls her ass to bed and when reader try’s to protest he tells her to stfu and plops right on top of her so she can’t go nowhere.

☆ Ahhhhh yes omg thank you anon x

☆ Sorry it’s short ☹️

☆ Johnnie Guilbert X Reader

☆ Fluff

☆ If you are going to request: please check at the pinned post if requests are open,otherwise I will delete your requests which I have already been doing

☆ Creds to @cafekitsune for dividers :)

Masterlist | Pinned Post

“Pumpkin,come to bed.” Johnnie whispered as I shook my head, “I can’t,I have to finish these lyrics.” I whispered as I barely looked away from my computer screen.

“When will you come to bed? It’s already midnight.” He told me and I nodded my head, “I know,I’ll be in bed by one,I promise,but I really have to finish this.” I told him with a sigh.

“If you’re not in bed by one,I’m turning off your pc.” He told me jokingly and I giggled, “Sure.” I said lightheartedly with a smile.

I continued to write as Johnnie walked off to bed,I had to finish these lyrics because the deadline was in three days,I was already behind and if I didn’t get this posted to them I would be worse off.

The amount of emails I was getting about the deadline was finally getting to me,the pressure put on me was keeping me up at night.

Ironically enough it was a song about the love between two people.I’ve always loved Johnnie,since the moment I saw him,so the second I got the chance at a love song I took it.

I hummed a tune to myself,listening to the beat of a song and editing the lyrics to fit the best I could. I knew I would end up scrapping and editing a few lines but I didn’t mind,as long as I got a base for my writing.

“You’re my my my lover~” I sung softly to myself as I checked if the lyrics matched the beat.

It was the most ironic situation I’ve been placed in,Johnnie was always looking out for me,taking mental health days off with me and always making sure I got enough sleep,he was the perfect example for a boyfriend.

I hummed softly to myself as I mind mapped some feelings for the song,the best I got up to was :

•love

•kindness

•looking out for people

•Caring

This was before I realised I was writing a song about Johnnie essentially. I was listing everything Johnnie had done for me,past and present. Johnnie was the perfect model for any love song.

I sit there tapping my pen against my paper,slowly running out of ideas before I edit a few more words.

“This is our place.” I hum to myself and quickly edit the line before I forget to,I smile as I realise i have my own house with the person I love. The realisation pulling a smile into my face.

“Have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?” I whisper as I read out the lyrics,humming the tune to myself. This had become a love song about Johnnie and no one would know,I laugh to myself at the actualisation.

And before I knew it the click of the clock on my laptop changed the time to 1am, “Hey sweetheart,I need you to come to bed please,this isn’t good for you.” Johnnie whispered standing in the doorframe.

“Five more minutes,” I say as I look up at him, “Please!” I whisper to him as I see the disapproval sat on his face. “Okay,but after that im gonna have to drag you to bed.” He laughs but I know he would probably do that.

I mean ; not literally but Johnnie would drag me kicking and screaming if that’s what he had to do to get me to snuggle up to him in bed and sleep.

I edit a few lyrics and words before resting my head on the desk for a brief moment. A brief moment then turns into Johnnie tapping my arm, “Love wake up,you can’t sleep here,come to bed.” He whispers lovingly.

“No I have to finish this.” I say quietly looking up at him, “No,you’re coming to bed come on.” He says as he picks me up by the waist,holding me up to his waist without a reaction.

“Okay.” I whisper quietly.Tiredly I rest my head on his shoulder as we walk into our shared room,i strip myself of my clothes and put on my Pyjamas before huddling up in bed next to Johnnie.

“I love you.” I whispered as I kiss his cheek, “I love you too,princess.” He whispers before I drift of back into sleep.

[toriwritesstories]

First day back on adhd meds after they were on back order for 2.5 weeks and here are the results

1. wow I can get out of bed on time and write an agenda for a meeting and speak with coherence and competence in all my work meetings

2. heads down work time for almost 3 solid hours in the afternoon during which I got so much done (even when I did get interrupted once)

3. did the chore that needed doing after work

4. cooked myself dinner!

5. played tears of the kingdom while watching fantasy high and did not get bored or feel guilty for the fact that I was not writing!

6. finally finished part of my dnd character’s backstory I’ve been procrastinating for 2 weeks

guys I feel unstoppable lmao

nowww unfortunately since I have to adjust to being on the meds again the downsides are:

1. My lunch was apple sauce and a cliff kids z-bar…. Pretty much wasn’t hungry at all until dinner lol oops.

2. Can’t sleep 🙃 but on the bright side - my thoughts aren’t anxious. I thought of more stuff for my dnd character, better solutions to a problem at work, and am having art and fanfic ideas! So it could be much worse lol!

All in all: fuck the government for putting stupid manufacturing limitations on adhd stimulant medication. The last two weeks I have been putting in double the mental energy to do my job, to do the bare minimum of taking care of myself and my body, been losing dopamine so fast that even my favorite activities were getting boring and I was switching between them like every 30 minutes. My thoughts have been all over the place and my anxiety has been worse and I’ve just be sooooo tired.

I still functioned, so part of me was like “maybe I’m okay without the meds” and sure yeah I’m okay without them. But I was supplementing with caffeine (neuromints, specifically) and still when getting back on my meds, suddenly functioning like a normal person is almost (almost) easy again.

Now just to adjust back to the sleep and appetite changes lol..

[kaylatoonz]

I apologize in advance for the person I become when the next few sonic movie 3 trailer come out rather Amy excluded from the film or if some miracle she is in it.

I'm seriously considering taking a break from sonic after this years maybe move toward my other hyperfixations like trolls… maybe.

The constant hate and the need to “fix” a character that ain't broken is getting on my nerves. If it was just the majority or minority of the fandom I can probably get over it, but the writers/sega too!

I have experienced, hate and misinformation being spread about other series and characters I’ve liked but I never experience the amount of bull that is the sonic franchise/community when it comes to Amy Rose.

It tiring and disheartening to see Amy fans and sonamy fan get kicked down at their lowest or at their highest. Everytime I think things are finally getting back on the right track with Amy’s characterization they take another several steps backwards.

So here what I’m going to do for now.

I’m gonna try to finish the character sheets for movie Amy and metal AU and give a synopsis on what it’s about. (still might be a while since I’m working on other stuff).

The comic involving the AU will be on hiatus until I find motivation to do it again😓.

If I feel up to it after I’m done with the character sheets, I’ll continue drawing the other movie Amy au ideas.

As for the fanfic… hiatus for now, unfortunately. It’s just a one-shot but it's like pulling teeth to write this thing🥲. And the added fact that I am losing motivation for creating sonic content is making it harder.

Lastly, I’ll try to take a break from Twitter and maybe mute or block anything involving ” Amy is better off with her “obsession” with sonic Being removed because it was her only character trait now she can be a “good”character”😑(maybe on Tumblr too).

At this point, I’m gonna just skip shadow generations for now too. Most of the leaks made me more and more disinterested in the DLC. In a recent leak I heard that they might’ve removed any mention that Amy had involvement with shadow turning a new leaf.😤

Unless something really interesting happens in the shadow story I don’t think I want to see anything.

[foldingfittedsheets]

I finished Luigi’s Mansion 3 it was so fun, it was my first Luigi game, definitely wanna play more.

I have Assassins Creed Valhalla waiting for me to start but I’ve spent most of today in a desperate exhausted fugue state in which I’m incapable of resting while desperately needing rest and my brain can’t conceptualize new content.

I was so frantically busy this morning I literally forgot my thyroid pill, forgot to eat breakfast, realized I hadn’t done either critical activities then had to wait for the pill to digest until I could eat. I got to breakfast at 1pm. I went for a vial test for my allergy shots, hauled my ass to the pharmacy for more pills, cleaned the litter box, wrapped holiday gifts, and started digging a bunch of clutter out of the closet to get trashed or donated.

Forced myself to lay down finally but my head is just Going and my exhaustion is not and I am caught in the jaws of both. I can’t settle to reading. Ultimately I feel like sitting and watching Over the Garden Wall would fix me but I’d have to sit up at my computer and I’m too tired for that.

[nanowrimo]

5 Tips for Building a Sustainable Writing Practice

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. First Draft Pro, a 2023 Camp NaNoWriMo sponsor, is a great writing app—whether you’re writing solo or with a co-author. Here are a few tips for building a sustainable writing practice, brought to you by author Ariana Brown and First Draft Pro.

We’ve all heard the advice to “write every day,” as if it were that easy! Translation: suck it up, no one cares if you’re tired. But what if there was another way to get writing done, without being unkind to yourself? 

Hi, I’m Ariana Brown, and I teach writers how to create a writing practice that is sustainable, flexible, and fulfilling. Most of my students are chronically ill, disabled, neurodivergent, or simply exhausted from the daily stresses of life. I know writing isn’t your only responsibility—capitalism makes sure of that! But I strongly believe that writing should be an enjoyable activity you look forward to.

Below I’ve compiled my top tips for exhausted writers who want to be kinder to themselves—and still get the work done.

1. Add pleasure to your writing routine.

Sensory pleasures are neither frivolous nor are they only for children. They’re a crucial part of being alive! They give us something to look forward to when times are tough and we need motivation. Candles, soft blankets, cold beverages, mood lighting, dance breaks, yummy treats—whatever you choose, make sure it’s something you love. Paint your nails a fun color so you have something beautiful to look at while you’re typing away. Make a playlist of your favorite songs and after you finish a chapter, blast one song so loudly you have to get up and dance. Then, get back to writing. Remember, even for the most focused among us, pleasure is a better motivator than shame.

2. Be clear about your intentions.

What brought you to writing in the first place? For some, it was the ability to escape into our imaginations. For others, it was the chance to finally express what we’d been holding inside. Identify your reason for writing, then ask yourself: Am I still enjoying this? Do I still feel connected to my reason for writing? If not, explore how you can strengthen your connection to your inner child’s reason for writing. 

3. Work with your brain, not against it.

If we know that everyone’s brain works differently, why do we force strict discipline and linear processes on ourselves? My advice: find or create a writing process that works for you. Maybe you love outlines; maybe you prefer to see where the words take you. Either way, make space for wandering, play, and discovery as you write. Take brain breaks. Doodle, map, dance, and draw when you get distracted. Body double with other writers, try new exercises and prompts to make the writing sing, and take plenty of breaks to stretch your body and talk to friends. We come to writing with our whole selves. Listen to your body, don’t shut it off.

4. Find a writing community.

You don’t have to wait for a community to come to you! I offer co-writing sessions on Zoom four times a month for my Patreon supporters, but do what works for you. Attend local open mics as an audience member and cheer on your peers. Invite your best friends to your living room once a month for a two hour writing/crafting session. Or check your local library and bookstores for free workshops and author events. You don’t have to do this work alone.

5. Develop a gratitude practice.

Finishing your draft is a huge accomplishment, but it’s not the only milestone to be celebrated. Consider creating opportunities to thank yourself throughout your writing practice. You’re doing an amazing and difficult thing. The fact that you keep showing up is worthy of celebration. Whether you decide to journal, rest, pray, meditate, or reward yourself, a little gratitude goes a long way.

Ariana Brown is a queer writer from San Antonio, TX, based in Houston. She is the author of We Are Owed (Grieveland, 2021) and Sana Sana (Game Over Books, 2020), and a national collegiate poetry slam champion. Ariana holds an MFA in Poetry, MS in Library and Information Science, and a BA in African Diaspora Studies and Mexican American Studies. She has been writing, teaching, and performing for over a decade. Follow her online @ArianaThePoet and www.arianabrown.com. 

[gyuuberryy]

sleepy smiles

pairing: soobin x reader summary: you comfort soobin after he has a really bad day. genre: fluff, comfort, established relationship warnings: mentions of crying, kisses, tooth rotting fluff note: i’ve finally gotten back to writing since my boards are finally over, i’m so glad to be back!!! word count: 1.1k If you liked it please reblog or comment to give me your feedback! <3

the rain poured harshly, drops the size of coins pelting down mercilessly on anyone who dared to be outside. 

you couldn’t see a thing outside of your apartment’s window, the thick blanket of rain not even letting the orange glow from the street lamps diffuse through. humming to yourself, you turned back towards the stove where your ramen had been boiling. smacking your lips in glee, you hovered over the metal pot and watched as your noodles boiled in the thick, bubbly broth.

at the sound of the doorbell, you turned the stovetop to the lowest setting. wiping your hands on your pants, you made your way towards the main door. 

upon opening the door, you were met with the sight of your drenched and shivering boyfriend looking at you with droopy eyes. you gasped at his miserable condition and ushered him inside.

“soobin it’s raining so heavily today, you didn’t even tell me you were coming over!” you fussed and sat him down in a big and cushy armchair, “i would’ve picked you up or brought an umbrella to the bus stop.” 

“i didn’t want to cause you any trouble”, soobin murmured softly. “and i really need you right now.”

you sighed in concern and gently pushed his wet bangs away from his face. planting a small kiss on his forehead, you cupped his face and smiled at him. 

“your needs will never trouble me binnie, i’m always here for you.”

he gave a small smile in appreciation and whispered a ‘thank you’.

you pulled away and started walking towards the kitchen. “go take a shower and freshen up.” pouting at the overcooked noodles you turned the gas off and looked at soobin, “i’ll put out your clothes for you and make you some ramen.”

he only blankly stared at the wall in front of him.

“soobin?”

your voice brought him out of his thoughts and he slowly stood up, “yeah i-i’ll go do that.”

you watched him worriedly as he sluggishly walked towards the bathroom. he seemed so out of it today. you hadn’t seen him so worn out and dejected in a long time. frowning, you started on another fresh batch of ramen for him.

you were looking through your cupboard for clothes soobin had left from his previous visits when you stopped at the sound of soft sobs coming from the bathroom. as much as you wanted to knock on the door and ask him what was wrong, you decided on giving him privacy. placing his clothes and a towel on the bed, you silently walked away to the kitchen to serve the food.

you had only just finished garnishing the noodles when the soft pattering of feet made you turn around. “take a seat love, i’ve already put your clothes in the washing machine.”

soobin nodded and pulled a chair to sit down. his face lit up when you placed a steaming, hot bowl of ramen right in front of him. he immediately thanked you and dug into the food, making you smile.

a comfortable silence hung between you both, save for the occasional slurping. once you both were done, you picked up the dirty dishes and filled them up with water to be washed later. wiping your hands on a towel you turned back towards soobin.

“so, what do you wanna do now?”

the only response you got was a shrug of his shoulders so you suggested watching a movie since he seemed too tired to do anything else, to which he agreed.

grabbing the neatly folded blankets kept on the sofa, soobin wrapped the both of you in it and shuffled closer to you. you were only twenty minutes through the movie when soobin spoke up.

“i suddenly feel so sleepy.” he rubbed his eyes, “i can barely keep my eyes open.”

you turned to face him and frowned in concern, “you must be exhausted.” 

“am i?”, he hummed and fiddled with a loose thread protruding from the blanket.

you smiled and grabbed his hand, “you should lie down and get some sleep.”

he grinned and immediately lay down, his head finding place on your lap. “is this okay?”

you giggled and shifted so you both were in a comfortable position. carding your fingers through his damp hair, you admired his handsome face. the colourful lights from the television danced across his smooth skin, highlighting his features. you couldn’t resist placing a kiss on his forehead which caused his eyes to slowly flutter open.

“oh no, did i wake you up?” you brought a hand to your mouth, “i’m so sorry binnie, go back to sleep.”

he only smiled sleepily at your words and clasped your raised hand, “give me another one.”

you rolled your eyes but complied anyway. at his continuous demands, you peppered soft kisses all over his face; his nose, cheeks(dimples!), eyes and finally a longer one on his lips.

pulling away you tried to look at everything but his eyes, no matter how long you both had been together, he would always make you nervous after intimate moments like this. to make matters worse, you were left a blushing mess at his next words.

“i love you so much.”

finally looking into his eyes that were gazing right back at you, you repeated his words back with a shy smile.

he gave you an adorable smile, his eyes turning into crescents. “i knew i made the right decision by coming over, you’re really my comfort person.”

taking a deep breath, he continued, “i had a horrible day today, i felt like everyone was mad at me because i kept messing everything up.” his smile turned into a sad pout as he recollected the day’s memories.

“i swear, it was like the universe had some sort of grudge against me today.” he winced, “you could literally make an ‘embarrassing fails’ compilation out of today’s events and it would go viral.”

you gave him a sympathetic smile, “i’m sorry you had to go through that, don’t worry about it though everyone has their bad days. it won’t get any worse after today.” 

“i really hope so.”

after a moment of looking at you with fond eyes, he broke the silence, “you really brightened up my mood.” he interlocked his fingers with yours, “i love living such simple and comfortable moments with you, you’re the best.”

you beamed at his words, “me too bin, you’re my comfort person as well.” you were glad that you were able to make him forget about his unfortunate day, he seemed more like himself now.

you were broken out of your thoughts when soobin flashed you a cheeky grin.

“how about you give me another kiss, just to ensure i have a good day tomorrow?” 

𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 ©𝗴𝘆𝘂𝘂𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆𝘆 on Tumblr

˚ · .𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱

[bangtanhoneys]

GRACE TOUR DIARY: April 4th - 10th 2025, Seoul

APRIL 4TH: INCHEON AIRPORT, SOUTH KOREA

The noise from the private plane made for an uncomfortable sleep, and Grace was awake on and off throughout the journey. The adrenaline from the concert and the adrenaline of the thought that she was finally going home, albeit for not much of a break, meant sleep came sporadically. Up, down, up, down. Deep sleep, light sleep, no sleep. A lap or two of the plane to get the blood flowing into her legs, multiple trips to the bathroom, and returning to her seat to curl up underneath the blanket. 

Catching up on her Korean dramas kept her mind off the remaining hours of the long flight, and the bits of food shared by her team meant she had enough fuel for the remaining few hours in the sky. By the time it hit 3 am, she was wide awake and into a comfortable set of clothes with her face washed and her hair tied up underneath a cap. 

Getting into Incheon Airport at 5 am meant there would be little traffic around, and since this was a trip back home undercover, no press or announcement had been made. For all anyone knew, Grace’s tour finished in New York last night, and her current whereabouts were unknown to everyone, including BTS. A couple of fan photos taken of Seokjin arriving at the airport two days ago added to the speculation that the couple would be going on holiday together, missing the tribute concert that the government had been putting together.

What people didn’t see was Seokjin being escorted back out of the airport and taken home. This was child's play for a couple who had to hide their relationship from everyone for several years. For them to dupe even the rest of the band meant a job had been done very well. The big test would be if anyone was in the airport at this time of the morning to spot them. 

Lucky for Grace and unlucky for those wanting updates, the private jet touched down without much fanfare, and two blacked-out SUVs were already waiting on the tarmac, as was an official from the airport. Her passport, ticket, immigration, and everything else were checked and double-checked before she was allowed to leave the plane. Outside, the cold air hit her, and as she breathed it in, it finally hit Grace that she was finally on Seoul soil and that she was home. Grace spotted a familiar face as Sejin, Hana, and the others loaded up the two cards.

Seokjin, leaning up against the passenger side of the cart, his face partially hidden by his mask and a cap covering his still short hair. It was unmistakably him, and his eyes lit up when he saw her, though he looked as tired as she felt.

“Welcome home, superstar,” he said as he pulled her into a tight hug the moment she was in front of him. 

“You have no idea how much sleep I need,” she murmured into his chest as the tension of the tour and the flight began to melt away.

He chuckled softly, tucking the escaping hair back under her cap that wasn’t doing a good job of hiding who she was. “Oh, I think I do. You look like you could use a week of sleep.”

That sounded like an amazing idea as she climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV, and Seokjin walked around to the other side, slipping into the driver’s seat. She’d have a couple of days of rest, but then it would be straight to work for the government BTS tribute concert. 

“They have no clue?” she asked, watching as the airport drifted away and they were on the road to their shared apartment.

“Nope,” Seokjin laughed. “Yoongi was just complaining to me the other day over dinner that you were likely to miss the concert. I think the boys think you’re still stuck in the States, and I’ve somehow managed to go over there, though they know I’m going to be at the concert so they suspect something. But no, they’ve not fully cottoned on yet.”

Perfect.

There were seven days until the government concert, and Grace had two days of rehearsals, once again in secret. So that meant she had four days of chill time, where she could catch up with her parents, Seokjin’s parents, her nephews, and her team, and get to work. Maybe there would be a chance to escape somewhere with Seokjin for a day or two.

“Fancy a trip to the beach?” 

It was as if Seokjin read her mind, and she glanced towards him. “Let me shower first; I feel like I’ve been through a war.”

APRIL 8TH: HYBE, SEOUL

How Grace managed to stay under the radar while at home was a complete mystery to her. No one had spotted her while she ran to the local convenience store near her home with Seokjin; no one had seen her entering and leaving her parents' apartment building; and no one had seen the two of them as they drove from their home to Hyangho Beach and back again. 

It was a perfect few days of lazy mornings, late-night conversations, and home-cooked food where her attention wasn’t demanded for hours on end. 

But now there was no denying that it was going to be a case of going back to work.

The concert was three days away, and the hype around it was more than the Busan concert. Many were guessing what songs were going to be played, many were guessing who was going to perform, and many were guessing who was going to attend out of BTS. Big Hit had been very tight-lipped, and no mention of the concert had been spotted anywhere on any of Big Hit's social media accounts other than HYBE, who shared the date of the concert, and that was it. 

However, inside of HYBE, it was chaotic. 

One of the practice rooms had been set aside for Grace only to practice in and this is where many of the meetings about the concert were held with the director, stage, dance captain, costume and more. While two of HYBE’s artists, Tomorrow X Together and Seventeen were both set to perform - they also had no idea of Grace’s involvement. Other than Soobin, who like Seokjin, had managed to find out completely on his own and had remained tightlipped about it. 

The set list had been prepared and signed off months ago with songs set aside for various groups and artists. Sets had been designed, costumes had been designed and props had been allocated for various uses. It was going to be a long concert to try and cover the most popular songs and some of the bigger hits while trying to show off a long career that only BTS could pull off. 

While the boys had some say in it, it was mostly left to the Big Hit team and, in secret, Grace. What songs could she easily perform on her own without needing seven others? What songs could she do all the choreography to without someone else taking over? Some hard-hitting hits really needed to be showcased, especially to a government that used and abused BTS at any given moment. Something Grace herself wanted to at least pinpoint with one particular song. 

“So, this is the stage's layout,” a staff member pointed out to Grace and the seven male dancers she used for her tour. The stage itself was similar to the LOVE YOURSELF tour stage, a little bigger to accommodate bigger idol groups and a live band as well. “For the entrance, you’ll be popping out of here,” the staff member circled a set of stairs that was on the main stage, “and then walking down the steps to come towards the edge or near the edge of the main stage.”

Her introduction would be one of the biggest of the night and every single second had been planned with meticulous detail. The intro or at the least the instrumental had been messed around with enough that it could give Grace time to get down the stairs and where she needed to be to start the performance. 

But for now, she needed to pre-record her opening. 

The biggest dupe the K-Pop world had ever seen. 

It would have been easier to do the pre-record before she left for her tour, however, the song in question hadn’t been given the green light as the team wasn’t 100% on what it should actually be. Something newer like RUN BTS or an old hit? But in the end, it had been Tomorrow X Together who had solved the issue with the medley they were set to perform.

Out of HYBE and only a fifteen-minute drive away, Grace found herself on a soundstage that had been set up for the pre-record. She would give a very brief hello and introduction before performing a live version of No More Dream with the band, who were some old friends of Yoongi’s crew and their band from Busan.

As the cameras were being prepped, Grace softly rapped both Yoongi and Namjoon’s parts under her breath. While it was easy to focus on one rapper, this song in particular had four rapper parts and two of the fastest were right at the beginning. It had been an age since she had performed this song, let alone danced to it and she could see out of the corner of her eye the seven male dancers from her dance crew were practising the breakdown. 

This would be the opener for Tomorrow X Together and their medley of early Bangtan hits including Danger, War of Hormone, Run and Boy with Luv and, of course, No More Dream. However, Grace would be doing her own version of their very first single - acoustic and sitting on a chair, on her own with the band and then as it got to Yoongi’s second verse, the dancers would appear. 

Four large screens on stands behind the band would play four separate videos: the original music video for No More Dream, the last performance of No More Dream which was from the Map of the Soul: One 2020 concert, the ARMYPEDIA version and the final dance practice which was uploaded to YouTube. 

The set itself was dressed in black with hints of gold and white, referring back to the original NMD clothes.  But thankfully for Grace, she wouldn’t be required to go back to the original look - black jeans, black top, black leather jacket and the old school black & white Converse. Simple and easy to dance in, but effective to put her back into those old days and her blonde hair was styled back into the ponytail she always used to wear. 

It took the whole day to record the performance for everyone to be happy with it. For Grace, it had been hard to remember the lyrics of everyone and dance the central position after not performing the song itself in years and for the dancers it was getting the dance break down to match the original movements. And after reviewing the footage for a couple of hours, they got the all-clear to say they could go home.

APRIL 10TH - SOMEWHERE NEAR SEOUL OLYMPIC STADIUM

It was the final day of rehearsals for everyone including Grace. For the idol groups and idol performers, all their rehearsals would take place at the Olympic Stadium and for Grace, they hired Jamsil Arena for her rehearsals. 

There was a large monitor for her to watch everyone do their rehearsals and she could send notes to the director, making points and suggestions as to what she thought. Trying to fit a nearly 13-year career into two hours was a difficult one especially when some of the songs were demanding on idols who might not be used to the high intensity of the dance routines. 

But for the people outside, ARMY were oblivious to what was going on.  

Every day they would crowd around the stadiums, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone. Whether it was from Seventeen, Tomorrow X Together, Stray Kids, Enyphen, or even Twice, they were all kept under secrecy. But at least ARMY were allowed to get to the merchandise stalls, food trucks and a megamix of the BTS songs was playing over the speakers and videos were being shown on screens around the area.

 And somehow, they didn’t see Seokjin being driven in. 

“You got this whole place to yourself?” Seokjin asked, amazed even though he wasn’t sure why he was since this whole thing had been a big spectacle of a show. Of course the government had hired a separate arena just for Grace, of course they had hired the best teams, and of course, they had hired the best designers to make costumes. 

“I can keep an eye on everyone’s rehearsals and their timing their performances with my own, so we can keep an eye on the full run time,” Grace explained as she sat down next to her partner who handed her a takeaway cup of tea. 

“Mental,” he shook his head as he watched everyone get the stage ready for the next rehearsal. 

“Still nothing from the boys?” Grace asked, leaning against Seokjin’s shoulder and closing her eyes for a moment.

He snorted and shook his head, taking the cup from her as a just in case. “Namjoon is fully starting to suspect something, he’s been asking questions at the company and Yoongi has been doing his digging around. As far as I’m aware, no one has given away anything. So they're going to be fully surprised tomorrow as long as no one blabs.”

The 8th member of BTS yawned and stretched, her body starting to feel sore with the amount of rehearsals as she was starting to get used to doing the famous BTS routines but in only a matter of days, she’d be back rehearsing for her own tour. This time in Europe, with Paris being the first stop. 

“Grace!”

Seokjin laughed at the sigh that came from the person who the name belonged to. “Go on, you’re needed.”

“You hanging around for a while?” Grace asked, standing up with a reluctant pout.

“I’m here for another hour or so and then I’m heading to the company as we’ve got a meeting about tomorrow. Apparently, we’re being debriefed by the military,” Seokjin raised his eyebrows at that.

“Oh, joys. Well, if I don’t see you in an hour, I’ll see you at home. Need me to pick anything up on the way?” she asked, taking the tea off Seokjin and accepting his kiss on the forehead (they were in public after all.)

“Min-ji wouldn’t mind some snacks and I’m sure you can think of something to get me,” he grinned then gently pushed her towards the stage where the dancers were waiting. “Go on, Grammy award-winning singer.”

Seokjin cackled at the dark look he got in return and settled back in his seat, with Sejin joining him to watch rehearsals for the next hour. ARMY, BTS and the world were going to be blown away by the concert and Grace’s performance, he knew that. To see her perform some of their hardest routines while singing all their lines and without being out of breath - the only person who could pull that off would be Jungkook. 

Tomorrow would be one of her greatest achievements. 

[sucka4pain]

𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐔𝐏 ♡︎

After dating for so long, you have finally gained Hobie’s trust enough to play with his hair

Hobie Brown x Fem!Reader

Warnings: cursing, pet names (love, darling, babe,) Hobie being a teaser, and just sweet sweet fluff<3

A/n: it’s like 4 am and I decided to write this small thing so I apologize for any spelling mistakes, I’m really tired lmao:)

“Please!!” Y/n practically begged.

“No issa’ no babe.” Hobie spoke as he continued to dry off his wet body after he finished his shower. He looked behind him to see her still looking at him with a small pout on her face.

“Ya’ know I don’t like people touchin ma’ hair darling.” He said before walking out the bathroom and to their shared bedroom with Y/n following behind him, still begging to play with his hair.

She sits down on the bed as she watches Hobie change into some clothes. “Not only that, ma’ hair takes time to manage. So if ya’ mess it up, you gon have ta fix it ya?” He asked as she nodded excitedly.

“You’re lucky I’ve been datin you long enough for ya’ to gain my trust to play wit ma hair.” He sits between her legs with his back turned to her.

“Have fun, just don’t mess it up..” He mutters making Y/n smile. She carefully lifts up one of her hands and gently placed it on his hair.

Wow..it’s so soft!

She thought as her smile got bigger. Her fingertips carefully played with his coiled curls and try’s her best to not mess up his hair or get it tangled.

And it smells good too! I wonder what products he uses

The scent of Hobie’s hair filled Y/n’s nose as she softly digger her fingers deeper into his hair until the tips of her fingers were met with his scalp. The tips of her nails scratched his scalp making him hum and roll his head up against her fingers.

“That feels nice?” She asked.

“Nice? It feels fuckin’ amazing, should have trusted you more earlier if dis is what it felt like.” He ranted but then silencing himself shortly after to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and the feeling of Y/n’s fingers play with his hair and massage his scalp.

She continued to massage his head before sneaking in her other hand to give him double relaxation. The second he feels her other hand in his hair as it played with his curls and her original hand still massaged his head, he felt like he was in heaven.

He laid his head back on her lap and looked up at her. “You’re really cute from here love.” He told her making her face turn red. He smirks seeing her flushed face and continuing to let out hums in satisfaction from the pleasure he’s getting.

“Enjoy this moment, don’t be a tease now.” She told him as her hands switched jobs. The hand that was playing with his hair is now massaging his scalp and the one that was massaging his scalp is now playing with his curls.

“By the way, what products do you use? Your hair smells amazing!” She spoke as he opened his eyes and smiles yet again.

“ ‘m not sure love, why don’t ya join me next time to find out for ya self hm?” He says as his smirk grew wider seeing her face get flushed again.

She removed her hands from his hair and crossed her arms. “Alright I’m done.” She said looking away to try to give her face some time to relax from the teasing that Hobie was giving her.

“Ya can’t be mad at me for too long babe.” He said chuckling as his lanky arms reached for her hands and puts her hands back on his hair.

“You wanted this, so enjoy it while it lasts ya?” He cocked a brow while grinning.

2023-2024©𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐚4𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧-- 𝐃𝗼 𝐧𝗼𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥, 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝗺 𝗼𝐫 𝐜𝗼𝐩𝐲 𝗺𝐲 𝐰𝗼𝐫𝐤-- 𝐜𝗼𝗺𝗺𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐥𝗼𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝗼𝗺𝐞𝐝!!

[snakxreader]

I know this is like SUPER gay of me but could you pretty please give us (and me) some floofty worked too hard and reader/buddy had to convince them to REST FOR ONCE

Please and thank you

A/N: HI HELLO! ITS THE BITCH WHO NEEDS A BETTER UPLOAD SCHEDULE. Thankfully, tomorrow is the last exam before break!!! And I’m gonna be on vacay the whole time so!! Lots of writing to be done! This blog is not dying anytime soon I swear on my heart.

Enough rambling. I really did enjoy writing this fanfic! I haven’t done a Floofty x Reader before, but I like to think while they’ve still got a few walls and that stubbornness…they can be open and emotional vulnerable around their parent. With that said, I hope they’ve been done justice!!

Floofty x Reader (Rest Up)

“It is 3 AM, why won’t you just go to bed?”

You watch Floofty’s tired, groggily body turn to face you, squinting like a hairless cat that had been out in the sun too long.

“I am,” they state, eyebags growing eyebags under their eyes,”Perfeeeeectly fine.”

“You’re slurring your words.”

“Irrelevant.” Floofty dimissies, waving you off. They turn back around, carefully typing while looking at the notes they took during their experiments.

You click your teeth. You loved Floofty, you really did. But you always had to be a bit concerned when they did things like this, burying themselves in their work and ignoring their mental and physical health.

“Floofty, when was the last time you even ate? Slept??” You questioned, almost like a demand.

That second of hesitation speaks volumes. “Everything,” Floofty finally answers, “-is fine.”

“Floofty.”

They avoid your eyes. “I just…I just need to finish these notes.”

“Floofty.”

“Just….” They yawned. They sighed, pushing their goggles up on their face. “…I have to do this.”

You don’t respond for a bi, letting the silence echo for a moment before sighing. You walk towards your partner and hold their paw up, gently holding it alongside your own. Floofty sighs, exhaustion in their town.

“…I just…it doesn’t feel like I’ve gotten anywjeee as of late.” They mumble. “My research is hitting a dead end, either due to my own inability to catch Bugsnax or lack of volunteers beside myself.”

“You’d know I’d help you in a heartbeat, right?”

Floofty huffs. “I don’t want to risk hurting you.”

“So you rather hurt yourself?”

They fall very quiet after that one. You nuzzle into their neck, feeling them purr softly.

“I promise to help you in someway.” You state. “But it’s late, love. Let’s go to bed.” You take a bit of pride in the bristle of their fur at the mention of the l-bomb.

“Y-you know I could care less for petnames…” They respone, a faint stutter in their voice. There’s no malice either. You’re finally able to pull the purple grumpus from their seat, taking off their bow tie and goggles.

“Was that so hard?” You ask teasingly.

“Shush.” They grumble, cozying up to you in the bed.

You giggle slightly, brushing their locs back just to kiss their forehead. “Love you, Floofty. Sleep well, ok?”

“Hmm…..Love you too.” It’s quiet, but that’s ok. Because it’s for your ears only. And so is the sound of their soft snores that drift you off to sleep right with them.

[foreverdreamingxblog-blog]

Petals - Luke Hemmings (3)

Warning: This contains highly adult and explicit content. Please do not continue if you are underage. 6.5k+ words this chapter.

Masterlist for sites and previous chapters here.

Chapter 3: Basic Rules

This week has been so long. It was genuinely feeling like it would never end. While I came to LA to be a writer in some capacity, it is not that easy to get your foot in the door or make money, so I obviously had to get a job that comes first before that if I wanted to afford rent and other things. Naturally, the easiest job to come by is something in customer service. So where did I end up? At a retail shop that focuses on clothing and accessories. And I took a management position about a year ago because I hate myself and needed the money.

It’s Friday night and we close soon, but the minutes are dragging, going by at the speed of a fucking tortoise. In a way it’s a good thing since I need to finish this display, but damn do I want to get out of here. I had to cover for someone who is sick, so I’ve been working a double. Extra cash is nice, selling my soul is not. The life of management, though, I guess. 

Stress relief is definitely something I could use at this point, and every time I look at the clock I’m so tempted to text him… It would be absolutely stupid since it’ll only make me more tired… But I’m also not sleeping the best. My brain is filled with ideas to get down on pages and I just have not had the time during the chaos unfolding at work. Basically every day someone has been sick or calling out and it falls on management to pick up the slack if we can’t get someone else.

I glance at my phone. 8:55pm. Five more minutes.

As I hold my phone in my hand, I feel my fingers subconsciously grasping it tighter and I know exactly why once I realize it - Luke. The stress relief. That’s exactly what this whole thing is anyway, right? May as well use it… even if I’ll potentially be more tired.

I let out a breath and release my tight hold, unlocking the device and flipping to my texts. I scroll down the messages and tap on our conversation, biting my lip. The images of him are still etched in my brain and I truly don’t know if they’ll ever go away. He’s just so damn sexy, especially when his clothes come off. 

My fingers quickly fly across the screen as I cave and just give in to what I want and the whole reason I agreed to this arrangement.

Me: Hey. Busy in like 30?

After hitting send, I shove my phone back into my pocket and put the final touches on this display. The sign is hanging from the ceiling and it was an absolute pain to get up here alone since it was not very small but I kind of am. 

I huff as I attach the last piece to the chords in the ceiling and then climb down the ladder, folding it up and taking it with me to the backroom. 

The store is quiet, only myself and two others that work here. I’d imagine no one will be coming in, so I allow my employees to leave a few minutes early and lock the inside lock behind them before heading back towards the backroom.

Just have to fill out this paperwork for the advert, then I'm done.

I plop down at the desk in the small office and thumb through the papers from the company. Once I find the one I need, I grab a pen and fill in the pertinent information. Just as I finish signing the page, my phone buzzes in my pocket. 

Please don't let it be Sarah needing something or anyone else calling out.

Before I even acknowledge my phone, dreading the thought of it being anyone but Luke at this point, I fold up the paper and place it in the envelope for outgoing mail tomorrow. With the envelope sealed and ready for delivery, I'm finally finished for the day. 

I get up from the desk and grab my things from the coat rack, turning off the light to the room and walking through the store. I steal a glance at the display I finished as I head out, a faint twitch of my lips as I admire how put together it looks.

I unlock the door from the inside and step out into the cooler night air. My keys jangle when they're removed from my bag, the sound like music to my ears knowing that I'm free for now. I relock the doors and head to my car, finally pulling out my phone as I settle into the driver's seat. A breath of gratitude mixed with relief leaves my lips when I see that the message is from Luke.

Luke: How about 45? Meet me at mine. You still have the address? Me: Sounds good. I have it, yeah.

As I look at the time, I realize it's a good thing he said 45 minutes, because I would not have made it in 30. Oops. 

I start up the engine and put the address into my GPS, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the main road. 

After a long week, I'm sure I look a bit of a hot mess, but I don't think that really matters in our circumstances. No one is trying to impress anyone, just enjoying the mindless physical contact. It's kind of a nice change – not having to feel the need to constantly look 110%. If your clothes are on the floor, who cares what they looked like.

When I eventually pull up outside of Luke's place, I turn off my car and send Sarah a quick text that I probably won't be home until late and not to wait up for me. She responds rather quickly, just telling me to have fun along with some suggestive emojis. I can't help but roll my eyes amusedly as I imagine the way she'd say it to my face.

I shove my phone into my pocket as I step out of the car and shut the door, heading up the walkway to the front door of Luke's house. My knuckles rap against the wood a few times before I take a step back and wait.

Within a few moments, the door swings open and Luke stands in front of me – his light brown curls are a bit messy, his blue eyes piercing in the dark of the night, and that sexy smirk is tugging at the corner of his lips. He leans on the doorframe with one arm just above his head, looking effortlessly irresistible even in a simple black t-shirt and matching jeans.

“You made it. I was thinking you might stand me up,” he says, the smirk never wavering.

“Yeah. Sorry, traffic, I guess,” I reply with a gentle huff.

He chuckles and shakes his head, pushing the door open a bit further with his free hand. “I'm kidding. You're perfectly on time. Now get in here.”

There isn't a ton of space between him and the door, but I comply and squeeze in, my arm brushing against his as I step inside of the house. Once I'm inside far enough, I hear the door click shut behind me and the turning of the lock. 

Hands grab my hips from behind, pulling me backwards into his firm chest. It catches me off guard for a second, making me stumble ever so slightly, but I quickly find my footing again. Luke's arms slink around my waist, holding me against him as his lips connect with my neck, causing me to tilt my head the opposite direction.

“You look kind of tired tonight,” he mumbles into my skin as his lips trail slowly.

“Thanks for noticing,” I mutter. “You seem a bit worn out too.”

He inhales sharply, as if I dealt a physical blow with my comment. “Oh, so you're feeling feisty tonight? I can deal with that.”

His lips stop at my ear, teeth gently rolling the lobe between them like he does.

“Just had a long week, that's all,” I explain with a soft sigh.

Luke pulls back, turning me to face him, and raises an eyebrow. “You wanna talk about it, or…?”

I shake my head before he even finishes speaking. “No, I don't.”

And there it is, that damn smirk is back. “Good, because I had a long week too and I definitely don't want to talk about it.”

“Well… then I guess we should do something else to forget about it,” I suggest, my palm going up to rest flat against his chest as I look up at him through my lashes.

“I like the sound of that,” he murmurs huskily, his thumb tracing my bottom lip as his index finger curls under my chin. “And I think I have the perfect idea to make us both forget.”

With that, his hand drops to my wrist, a quick wink thrown my way before he pulls me upstairs and down the hall to the semi-familiar bedroom. Sure, we spent hours in here, but I wasn't exactly taking in the scenery. The king sized bed is what I remember most, if I'm honest.

Once we enter the bedroom, Luke stops and turns to face me, his hands coming to my hips again and pulling me in. Within seconds, his lips are on mine, the feel of them soft and even recognizable at this point. His fingers snake under the hem of my top, trailing along my waist and sending a chill through my body as the kiss deepens, his tongue slipping past my lips and caressing mine. My hands come forward, palms flattening on his chest again and sliding up towards his collarbones and shoulders. I'm pulled closer still, one of his hands leaving my waist to travel up my spine and unhook my bra, which has me smirking slightly into the kiss. Luke's lips curve upwards as well in response before he breaks the kiss, our faces still only a few centimeters apart.

“Smug and sassy tonight, huh?”

“Maybe,” I mumble back, the word like a breath ghosting over his lips.

Both of his hands slide up my stomach and under the wire of my bra, nudging it out of the way as they cup my breasts instead. His thumbs brush over my nipples, eliciting a barely audible gasp from me when they harden and he brings his forefingers into the mix, pinching and twisting. Luke chuckles, the sound low and dark but laced with amusement.

“Yet you still react like this to my touch,” he murmurs, almost like a dare for me to deny. “And I plan on getting a very positive reaction tonight.” 

“I'll admit that I'm curious.”

“Good,” he says simply before backing away a smidge further and pulling my shirt up and over my head.

As the material falls to the floor, I shrug my arms out of the bra straps and let that drop to the floor as well. Luke's eyes rake over my chest and torso for a moment before he tugs his t-shirt off and tosses it carelessly aside. My fingers go to the button and zipper of my jeans, undoing them as I kick off my shoes. I can feel his eyes on me the entire time as I shimmy out of the denim, his gaze burning into my skin.

The second that my foot is freed from the pant leg, Luke's hands are cupping my face and his lips are crashing into mine. He isn't gentle this time – no, this time there's a hunger in the way his lips move against mine, the way his tongue demands entrance, and the way he fully takes control of my mouth when I let him in. The kiss alone has my heart beating harder, my head spinning from the intensity. 

When he finally breaks away to give us both a chance to breathe, I'm still reeling a bit, but manage to ground myself again and reach out for his belt. As my fingers work on the buckle and other obstacles of removing jeans, Luke's hands travel down my upper arms, stopping at my elbows and moving to my hips. His thumbs press into the bones as he gives me a little squeeze, all the while kissing and nipping at my neck. 

All of the hours we've spent over the last couple weeks just with each other's bodies has definitely become apparent in this moment. He knows just where to graze his teeth, how hard to suck to make me gasp. It could really become problematic for me after this arrangement comes to an end. I'll have expectations, and I wonder if anyone will ever know my body the same way.

Luke's hands cover mine after I tug his jeans down some and go for the elastic band of his boxers, preventing me from continuing.

“Not yet,” he murmurs against my skin. His lips trail up to my ear and he whispers, “I said I had something I wanted to do, remember?” He pulls back, his eyes meeting mine as his index finger slips into the hem of my underwear and tugs at them playfully. “Take these off, then come here.”

I watch curiously for a moment as he rids himself of the jeans fully and steps away, getting onto the bed and laying down on his back.

He brings his hands behind his head as a smirk forms on his lips. “You just gonna stare the rest of the night?”

“Just trying to figure out what's going through your head,” I admit before finally reaching down and pulling off my underwear.

“I don't think you'll be disappointed.”

“Oh no?”

I climb onto the bed, straddling his waist and running my hands along his chest. Luke's eyes roam over my body once more, his chest rising and falling beneath my hands with a deep breath like he's trying to contain himself.

“I think you'll be thoroughly satisfied,” he says, his voice low and convincing. He brings his hands to my legs, running them up from my knees to my thighs and squeezing at the top. “I want to taste you, and I don't mean like normally. I mean I want you right here,” he explains, pointing to his lips while tightening his grip on my one thigh. “On my face.”

I can't help but blink a few times in surprise, the air seeming to have left my lungs. Fuck, that's hot.

Luke's grin is almost feral as he sees my reaction to his words, his hands rubbing my thighs once more. “What's wrong, Lex? Did I finally make you nervous?”

I swallow harshly and shake my head. “No, just… caught me off guard. Are you sure?”

“Oh, I'm positive. Get up here.”

For a brief moment, I hesitate to move, but then I nod and crawl my way up his body. I can feel my heart racing in my chest as my knees settle on either side of his head and I place my hands over the edge of the headboard. 

“Fuck,” Luke whispers, his hot breath fanning over my core in a way that makes me clench. 

His arms wrap around the backs of my thighs as he gently pulls me down a bit closer. I glance down at him and when our eyes lock, he darts his tongue out, licking a slow strip through my folds to my clit. The gasp that leaves my lips is all but voluntary, and it only seems to make him want more. He flattens his tongue as he repeats the motion a few more times, his eyes focused on my face. He knows I want more, but this is his game and he also knows that I know it. 

“Luke,” I practically whine, my hips beginning to rock in an attempt to get what I want.

His grip on my thighs tightens and he groans at the sound of his name on my lips, so desperate for him. He doesn't waste any more time, pulling me closer and closing his lips around my clit. I let out another gasp at the sudden change, my hands grasping the headboard as he alternates between sucking and flicking his tongue over the sensitive bundle of nerves. 

“Oh god, yes,” I praise in a blissful whimper, my eyes closed as I focus on the sensations.

Luke hums in response, the sound vibrating through me. His fingers dig into my flesh as he changes to delving his tongue into my heat, lapping up my growing arousal and thrusting his tongue in and out of me. The stubble on his cheeks grates against my inner thighs as he loses himself devouring me, but I barely notice the harshness of the feeling, too wrapped up in everything else. 

Before I even realize it, my hips are moving in time with his ministrations and I'm a moaning, incoherent mess with the sole focus of chasing my own release. He knows I'm close too, he can feel it in the way my thighs are trembling beneath his hands. He redoubles his efforts, focusing more heavily on my clit and adding a few hums that jolt through me. I'm desperately clinging to the wooden headboard at this point, and with a final few flicks, I'm falling apart with a couple higher pitched moans. He doesn't stop, even when I'm shaking above him, drawing out every ounce of pleasure he can give me. 

Eventually, he slows down his movements, the licks of his tongue almost tender as he cleans me of my release. His grip loosens, his hands coming to my waist and carefully guiding me off to lay next to him. I close my eyes once more as I come down, resting the back of one of my hands on my forehead.

“That was…”

“Amazing?” Luke offers when I don't finish my sentence.

I nod, jumping ever so slightly at the unexpected brush of his fingers between my legs, which makes him chuckle.

“I don't think I've ever seen you so sensitive,” he muses, turning on his side to nuzzle his face into the crook of my neck. “Maybe I'll have to do this more often,” he whispers.

His hand travels to my hip and up my side, the bulge in his boxers pressing against my outer thigh and reminding me that he's far from done with me.

“Mm, careful, I'll start having expectations,” I mumble, reaching over to run my fingers through his curls. 

The action seems to make him tense beside me for a moment, his hand pausing in its ascent. He raises his head and my fingers remain barely in the ends of his hair as he looks at me, something I can't quite place flashing in the depths of his eyes. Just as fast as it came, it went, and before I can say or do anything his fingers wrap around my wrist and press it down beside my head with him quickly getting on top of me in the same instant. My eyes widen slightly, not expecting such a turn of events from a simple touch, but Luke just smirks.

“You didn't think we were done, did you?”

“No, I just-”

“Good, ‘cause you're still mine for the night.” He leans down, the cool metal of his cross necklace grazing over my sternum. “And I think you had a long enough break,” he continues, his lips brushing mine with every word.

Luke grinds his hips into mine, his hand releasing my wrist and coming to my jaw where his index finger trails its way to my chin. I swallow slowly, my eyes locked on his as he teases me with the deliberate centimeters between our lips combined with the slow rolling of his hips. His free hand cups my breast, squeezing and kneading in just the right way that has me whimpering and wriggling beneath him.

“Use your words, sweetheart,” he whispers darkly. “You know I'll keep this up if you don't.”

He has this absolutely infuriating way of driving me crazy with so little. It's ridiculously unfair and incredibly hot at the same time.

“I want you, Luke,” I whisper back. “I need you.”

“Need me where, Lex?” 

His finger on my chin slowly makes its way towards my neck and down to my collarbone in a tantalizing manner, his erection pressing more forcefully against my core.

“Inside me. I need to feel you inside of me.”

“That wasn't so hard, was it?” he taunts before shutting me up with a deep kiss the moment I part my lips to speak.

He releases his hold on my breast, both hands making their way down my sides to cup the sides of my bottom as he rolls his hips once more, eliciting a soft moan from me that's swallowed up in the kiss. I'm growing increasingly more impatient with every touch. I need more. I need all of him.

My legs wrap around his waist, heels digging into his lower back. “Now, Luke,” I mutter, my tone a mixture of demanding and frustrated.

A groan surfaces from his throat as he's forced impossibly closer, and he pulls back, his hands running along my thighs and then working to free himself from the vice of my legs. I let him go, but my eyes stay trained on him, willing him to give me what I crave. He seems to be finally obliging my request as he gets up and slips his fingers into the elastic of his boxers, sliding them off of his body before settling between my legs again. 

“So fucking needy tonight,” he grumbles, but his voice gives way to a hint of amusement. “Is this what you want?”

With that, he snaps his hips forward, fully sheathing himself inside of me in one swift motion. I can't help but gasp at the sensation, the sweet stretching of my walls to accommodate him paired with a slight, yet not unpleasant, burn from the suddenness of it. 

I nod, my words a bit breathless still as I respond. “Yes, yes that's what I want.”

Luke dips his head down to my collarbone, nipping at the skin as he starts to pump into me at a deliberately steady speed, his hands roaming all over my body. “Fuck, you always feel so perfect,” he mumbles. 

I let out a whimper as he punctuates his words with a harder, deeper thrust. “More,” I plead.

He lifts his head at my simple request, something primal flashing in his eyes as he gazes at me. “You want more? You can have more.” 

He stops moving, flipping us over so I'm on top of him. His hands grip my hips, guiding my movements above him. I quickly gather my hair, bringing it over one shoulder as I begin to rock my hips, and then place my hands on his chest for support. He starts to thrust up, meeting my downward motions in perfect sync. 

“That's right, baby. Ride my cock like you fucking mean it,” he encourages as his hands slide around to squeeze my ass. “Fuck, you feel so good wrapped around me.”

“Shit,” I breathe out, leaning forward and rolling my hips. The dirty talk is making my head spin and the way he's looking at me with those lust-blown eyes is driving me wild. 

Luke leans forward a bit as well, taking one of my nipples into his mouth and sucking hard as I ride him. His teeth scrape over the sensitive bud, soothing the sting with his tongue.

“You're taking me so well. So fucking perfect for me,” he praises, his hands on my ass tightening and spreading me wider so he can thrust deeper. “Gonna fuck you so deep, fill this pretty pussy with my cum.”

I cry out in pleasure as he pistons into me harder, deeper, my hips struggling to keep up with the intensity. “Yes… Yes, just like that,” I manage to get out between ragged breaths. I'm certain that he can feel my walls starting to flutter around him, signaling my impending orgasm.

“That's it, baby. Come on my cock. Let me feel you squeeze me,” he demands, his thrusts becoming more erratic as he chases his own release. His rhythm is faltering and I can tell he's teetering on the edge but holding on desperately.

“Oh god, Luke,” I cry out as one last powerful thrust hits in just the way I need it. 

My nails dig into his shoulders as the waves of ecstasy crash over me, his hips stuttering as the clamp of my walls around him triggers his own orgasm along with a guttural moan. We ride out our highs together, our movements gradually becoming lazier until they reach a stop. I roll off of him and onto my back, my chest still heaving with exertion as I gaze up at the ceiling.

After a few minutes, when I've caught my breath and returned back to planet earth, I begin to shift to get up and get dressed, knowing it's surely late and I still need to get home before the exhaustion of the week and tonight hits me like a freight train. What I didn't account for was Luke's arm once lazily draped over my waist to become firm.

“Don't. Just stay,” he murmurs from behind me, as I managed to get onto my side before being halted.

I freeze where I am, fully caught off guard and confused. “What?”

“You were obviously very tired when you got here, so you've got to be close to passing out after that. Stay, just for tonight, so my conscience is clear and you don't roll your car into a ditch,” he grumbles in explanation.

“Are you-”

“Shut up and just sleep,” he cuts me off abruptly. “You need it.”

I'd be lying if I said the drive home wouldn't be a potential struggle, but that didn't mean I expected to stay here. Nevertheless, he doesn't seem in the mood to negotiate and I don't have the energy to fight it. So, I slump back into the mattress and pillows in acceptance that this will be a one-time thing just due to my hectic week and lack of energy.

Luke's arm loosens again and then slips away from me. “You can use the bathroom first.”

“Right. Thanks.”

I go to get up again and he doesn't stop me this time. I pad across the room into the attached bathroom and get cleaned up, trying not to think too hard about the whole situation and just taking it as a simple safety thing. 

Once I've finished, I make my way back to the bed and crawl back into the spot I had been in. Luke doesn't say anything, but I can feel his eyes on me even in the darkness when he returns from the bathroom next. He climbs into the bed again as well and pulls the covers up and over us.

He doesn't touch me again, but he remains close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from his body. For some reason, his proximity seems almost comforting as I close my eyes. Before long, the tension and prostration of the week catch up to me like a sack of bricks, putting me into a deep sleep. 

†※†※†※†※†※†※†※†※†※†

A small, gentle ray of sunlight seeps through the curtains and warms the side of my face the next morning as I begin to stir. As I rub my eyes and blink a few times, the room comes into view and I temporarily forget where I am. I sit up slightly panicked, immediately realizing that my clothes are not on, and then it all comes back. I did the forbidden sleep over. Fuck.

Was I absolutely spent last night? Yes. Could I have driven home? Probably. But what did I do? I fucking stayed the night. So stupid.

As I look around, I realize that I’m alone in this bedroom that I’ve never fully seen since it wasn’t really the focus. The room is simple, modern, and despite the size of the bed, rather spacious. There’s a round fluffy rug on the floor at the end of the bed, an oversized swivel armchair in one corner, and a charcoal colored dresser. 

My eyes finally land on the opposite corner of the bed and notice that there’s a couple towels and a slip of paper. I crawl over to the towels and pick up the paper, rather curious and surprised by the gesture. 

“Figured you might want to actually clean up.”

Simple, but I definitely would love to shower. It’s kind of weird. Hell, this whole thing is weird. May as well, though, right? I already have to wear my clothes from yesterday. If I’m going to do the classic walk of shame, at least I’ll be clean.

I get out of the bed, gather the towels and my clothes, and head to the door of the bathroom. 

The shower is nice – one of those standing showers with glass doors, marble walls, and chrome accessories. Being someone who would typically listen to music or sing in the shower, I am a bit curious what it sounds like in here, but I don't think I'll do all of that. Just a quick shower to wash away the night before and then I'll head out. 

Turns out that I'm terrible at resisting the urge to sing something in the shower at this point in my life, so I end up humming a couple tunes that pop into my head as I wash up. I've got to say, just from that small taste of the acoustics in here, I want this kind of bathroom in my future.

Once I've dried off and gotten dressed, I hang the towels to dry and make my way out of the bedroom. I'm assuming that he didn't literally leave me in his house alone because that would be crazy, but he never did come back in. 

As I begin my descent down the staircase, a familiar aroma hits me. Pancakes? I shrug it off and continue downward, despite my stomach being very interested. I pull out my phone and unlock it, but freeze in my tracks as I catch a glimpse of Luke out of the corner of my eye and look up at him instead. He's standing at the stove shirtless with messy, damp curls and sweatpants – guessing he took a shower elsewhere. Sure, I've seen the man naked, but never in such good lighting. The sight before me is simple, yet I'm almost mesmerized by the way his muscles tense and contract in his back as he moves. 

“Running away?” 

The sound of his voice breaks the near trance I seemed to be in and I clear my throat softly.

“Uh, yeah, I was going to head out,” I respond, keeping my tone neutral.

He nods and flicks the stove off before turning to face me. I have to mentally remind myself to focus on his face or I may never leave. 

“Weird seeing each other in the daylight, huh?” He muses as he leans back against the counter near the stove, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“A bit,” I agree, clicking the lock button on the side of my phone. “Thanks for the towels and all.”

He shrugs slightly, “No worries.” There's a beat of awkward silence before he speaks again. “If you aren't in a rush, I did that thing where you have either too much flour or too much milk, so you add until it evens out and ended up with way too many pancakes.”

I raise an eyebrow at the offer, relating to what he means but also erring on the side of caution after spending the night. “Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs. Robinson?”

Luke chuckles and shakes his head. “With pancakes? I don't think I need any props to seduce you, or you wouldn't be here right now.”

I tilt my head and then nod. “Touché.”

“You're welcome to leave, I won't stop you, but there's a stack with your name on it if you want them.”

He removes his hands from his pockets and pushes off the counter, taking a plate out of the cabinet and pausing. “So?”

My eyes roam over his back for a second again as I weigh my options. “Fuck it, why not?”

I step into the kitchen, glancing around for as I make my way to the table and take a seat. The counter tops are a mixture of different shades of grey marble splashed with white patterns, the island in the middle matching with a couple chairs along it. I almost end up offering to help, but that seems even more domestic than this and should probably be avoided since this could be misconstrued enough as it is. 

After a couple of trips, Luke brings everything over to the table – two plates of pancakes, utensils, butter, and finally, two mugs of coffee. Once my pancakes have been smeared with just the right amount of butter, I cut off a piece and take a bite.

“You know,” I begin to say after swallowing. “You could've just kept the extra batter in the fridge.”

My observation seems to amuse him, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards just a tad, “‘Spose so, but I don't always have time like this or even feel like it in the mornings.”

“And you just happened to have time and feel like it today, huh?”

He raises an eyebrow, a faint chuckle slipping from his lips. “You just happened to choose to spend your Saturday morning in my shower and my kitchen.”

I narrow my eyes and purse my lips, but he has a valid argument. “It was offered.”

“Could've said no.”

“After the workout last night? Please.”

“Fair enough.”

Our little back and forth is interrupted by my phone vibrating on the table next to me. I see Sarah's name pop up on the screen and my face falls, knowing she's probably been freaking out since I never came home and didn't say anything.

“I should take care of this before there's a search party for me,” I joke as I stand up from the table.

Luke nods, appearing nonchalant, but a hint of curiosity betrays his gaze before he focuses back on his food.

I step out of the kitchen and unlock my phone, opening my messages for the first time in I don't even know how many hours. There's too many to count from Sarah alone, and knowing her, it's better to just call at this point. I tap on her contact and press call, bringing the phone to my ear. The line barely even rings fully before it's answered.

“Lex? Are you okay? Where are you? Did something happen?” Sarah rambles off question after question. 

“Hey, hey… Calm down, I'm fine. I just… stayed over,” I explain, trailing off at the end and hoping she doesn't lock onto it.

“You what?!” 

I yank the phone away from my ear at her outburst, trying to save my eardrums.

“You are so fucked. You're so fucked. Are you still there? You know this is like rule number one of no strings,” she begins to rant.

“Sarah, hush. It's fine, it's no big deal. I'm just going to finish eating and then I'll be home.”

Shit.

“Eating?! Oh my god, Alexia. Your last boyfriend couldn't even make you come consistently and now your fuck buddy is cooking for you? Get the hell out of there before it's too late and you're begging to suck him off.”

I have to stifle a laugh with my hand over my mouth at her bluntness. She isn't wrong, John was kind of miserable sometimes in bed and Luke is… well, anything but that. 

“I hear you trying not to laugh right now, Lex. But seriously, you should run before you actually catch feelings… if it isn't too late already.”

“Yeah, yeah. I'll be home in a few hours. I think I'm going to pick up groceries first,” I respond simply, disregarding her concern.

“Okay. Don't forget the ice cream this time. You-”

“I owe you, I remember. I'll get it. I'm hanging up now, k?”

“Alright. See you later, Lex.”

I shake my head as I end the call and shove my phone into my pocket, heading back into the kitchen and taking my seat once more. 

“Sorry about that. Roommate,” I huff before taking a sip of my coffee.

“Roommate? Didn't realize you had one.” Luke pauses for a moment, something seeming to have dawned on him. “Were they…”

“Yeah, she was there but I asked her to stay in her room. Also my best friend, so it didn't take too much convincing.”

He nods slowly as I dig back into my pancakes, but he seems to be thinking about things. What things he's thinking about I haven't the slightest clue. And Sarah is right, I should leave sooner rather than later. We've already spoken way more personally in this last minute. It may not be that in depth, but after spending the night, you can't be completely sure when the line is crossed too far. 

There isn't too much chatter after that, just the occasional small talk. I can't help but notice that Luke seems distracted, like he's there but his mind isn't. Not entirely, anyway. Guess that's really not my problem, though, so I don't bother to ask.

“I should get going. Um, thanks, again, and I guess I'll see you when I see you,” I say as I get up from the table.

Luke watches me stand, something unreadable behind those bright blue eyes, and then nods. “Yeah. See you, Lex.”

I nod back and then turn on my heel and head out of the kitchen and to the front door. That wasn't awkward at all. I shut the door behind me and head down the little sidewalk to the driveway, pulling my phone out of my pocket again and glancing at the screen. I didn't even notice someone else approaching before walking smack into their shoulder. 

“Oh my- I'm so sorry,” I rush to get out, stepping back.

My eyes drift up to meet hazel ones, the man's face a picture of surprise and concern. “You alright?”

There it is again, that Australian accent. Band member? Surely it must be. Why is he here though?

“Yeah, I'm fine. I wasn't looking, that's my bad,” I apologize.

“No worries,” he replies with a grin, dimples prominent on his face. His eyes scan over my figure for a moment, and he doesn't even attempt to hide it. The intrigue is written all over his features and I know I need to get moving.

“I gotta run. Sorry again!” I say in a hurry as I make my way down the rest of the path and to my car.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into?

[jpmarvel90]

I'm just so tired

Masterlist Scarlett Masterlist

Word Count: 3342

Relationship: Scarlett x Reader

Summary: Y/n is struggling with a demanding job whilst Scarlett is away filming, with no idea the toll it's taking on her girlfriend.

Y/N’s POV:

It’s 9pm and I’m finally driving home from work. I really hate my job. After I left college, I got what I thought was my dream job working at a global marketing firm. But boy was I wrong. The management team treated their staff like shit and the pay was crap. When I first started working there, I had to get a second job at a café just to be able to pay rent.

Thankfully, my second job brought me the one greatest happiness in my life, and that’s my girlfriend, Scarlett Johansson. Yep, you heard me right, me a small town girl working two jobs, is dating THE Black Widow. She would come into the shop 3 times a week on her way to set and would always take the time to chat. Over time our chats became more flirty before she finally asked me out on a date.

That was just over a year ago. I’ve had a promotion at work, so I was able to quit my job at the café, which in turned allowed me to have more time with Scarlett. That was until my stupid boss started to hammer me with more work than anyone else, setting ridiculous deadlines. Unfortunately finish at 9pm was not a rarity.

I feel so run down and lost. I thought I had everything planned out, but I any enthusiasm I had for doing this job, for being in this marketing world was gone. I could feel the tears starting to roll down my cheeks as I drove home. All I wanted to do was get home and cuddle my girlfriend. But I can’t. She’s been in Atlanta filming for the last month.

We’ve spoken as often as we can, but as filming has picked up it’s become hard to talk. I dropped her a text before I left work to see if she was free for a call this evening, but I didn’t expect a response. So here I am trudging up to my apartment ready to collapse on my bed.

Just as I open my door, my phone starts to ring, and the name causes me to smile for the first time today.

Y/N: Hey Babe, how are you?

Scarlett: Hey gorgeous, I’m doing better now I’m talking to you. How was your day?

Y/N: It was busy, I’m just getting back to my apartment now.

Scarlett: Babe, it’s like nine thirty. Why are you so late?

Y/N: Oh, it was just a busy day and I’ve got a deadline tomorrow so needed to get it done. Anyway, how is filming going?

Scarlett: Filming’s fine. You sound tired. Are you sure you’re ok?

I paused for a moment, trying so hard to stop my tears from falling. I hadn’t told Scarlett how bad work was. She had so much going on that I didn’t want to bother her with it.

Scarlett: Babe? I want to see your face; I’m switching to face time.

Y/N: No, I’m fine. It’s just been a rough couple of weeks. I’m fine….

Facetime request

I reluctantly accept knowing that either way she’s going to know something is wrong.

Y/N: Ah man, did you have to tease me being in costume?

I try to lighten the mood and move the conversation on but it’s not working.

Scarlett: Have you been crying? Babe, please tell me what’s wrong.

Y/N: I’m just tired. Like I said, work has been busy, you know what my emotions are like when I’m tired.

Scarlett: Y/N, don’t lie to me. In the year I’ve known you, I think I’ve only seen you cry twice. Just because I’m not with you, doesn’t mean I don’t want to be there for you. Now please, tell me what’s wrong.

Her face contorts into a worried frown and it causes me to cry but I’m able to prevent a full-on crying session from ensuing. 

Y/N: I’m just so tired. I don’t know how much longer I can push myself. I’m not getting anywhere at work. I’m getting more work but no benefits. I just feel like my whole life is revolving around work, there’s no time for anything else.

Scarlett’s face turns soft, and I can see her own eyes are glossing over.

Scarlett: Oh baby, I’m so sorry. Hopefully this will all pass, and they’ll see what an amazing worker you are. You are so great at your job, it will all come together.

I just nodded as I compose myself. I want to move on from this subject. I don’t want to worry her anymore.

Y/N: I know. I’m just being silly. It’s almost the weekend and I can take a break. Anyway, we barely talk at the moment, so I don’t want the time we do have together to be taken up by me being an emotion mess. How is filming going?

Scarlett rolls her eyes and lets out a little chuckle.

Scarlett: It’s going really well. We’ve almost finished the night shoots which will mean that I’ll be able to call you more. I miss talking to you every day.

Y/N: That’s great. I’m glad it’s going well. I miss you so much. We’re over halfway, not long to go now.

I smile, trying to keep my eyes open.

Scarlett: Babe, go to bed. You’re tired.

Y/N: Noooo, I’m awake, I’ve not spoken with you in 3 days!

Scarlett: I promise I’ll call you tomorrow. But you need sleep.

Y/N: Urgh, fine! But you’re bring that suit home.

I huff but giving her a cheeky grin and eyebrow wiggle.

Scarlett: If it’ll make you go to bed, deal! Now off to sleep!

Y/N: I’m going to hold you to that! Ok, I’m off. I miss you and I love you!

Scarlett: I love you more. Speak tomorrow.

I close off the call before grabbing a quick protein bar. These work hours are really playing havoc with my eating habits! Walking into my room, I barely have the energy to change. I leave my clothes in a pile on my floor before collapsing into my bed.

*beep, beep*

Urgh, I’m woken up at 5:30 by my obnoxious alarm. One more day and then it’s the weekend and I can spend it sleeping in. I jump in the shower and then make myself a proper breakfast, so I know I’ll be getting at least one decent meal today. 

I feel like I’m just coasting through the motions as I get ready and head off to the office. My heart sinks as I see the new paperwork sat on my desk for the admin of the latest marketing campaigns. I guess it’s another late finish for me today!

Scarlett’s POV:

It’s times like this I hate being so far away from Y/N. I just wanted to reach through the phone and give her a hug. I know she’s hiding how bad she’s really feeling. I’ve barely seen her cry and it breaks my heart that I’m not there for her when she is clearly struggling.

Whilst still deep in thought about my girlfriend, I’m called back to set to finish up the scenes for tonight. As I’m walking back over Joe pulls me aside. “Hey Scarlett, we’ve had to change up the schedule to fit in a couple of reshoots on the stunts. That means after tonight we won’t need you for a few days. You’ll be due back on set on Wednesday next week.” I feel relief wash over me.

I can’t wait to have a long weekend off. “Am I needed for anything else or am I completely free until Wednesday?” I ask, starting to get an idea. “Yep, get some rest and enjoy your time off!” He responds rushing off to his next location.

I work as hard as I can to get the final scenes completed and they go really well, and we get them done pretty quickly. I decide that I’m going to fly back to New York and surprise Y/N. As soon as I’m in my trailer I’m on my laptop searching for available flights. I book one which will get me in with enough time to set up a surprise.

Timeskip

I finally arrive at Y/N’s apartment a little before 4. I let myself in and get to work with preparing her surprise. The best thing about Y/N’s apartment is the roof access she has. Every Friday night she comes up here with a glass of wine and chills. The views are pretty cool and whenever I’m home, I join her.

Knowing how stressed and tired she’s been, I decide on setting up a movie night. I arrange a big projector which I have help setting up from my brother. I then arrange a makeshift bed with loads of comfy pillows and of course, get Y/N’s favourite snacks.

By the time I’ve finished it’s 6 and Y/N should be home any minute now. I plan to hide up on the roof and wait for her to join me. Time goes by and it’s now just after 9 and Y/N still isn’t here. I decide to drop her a text and pretend that I’ve got some time between filming.

Scarlett: Hey Babe, I’ve got an hour break if you’re free to call? Are you home?

Y/N: I’m just leaving work. I’ll call you when I’m home. Give me 30 minutes.

She’s working late again. I thought her deadline had already passed. I start to wonder how bad work really has been for her recently. We’ve always been honest with each other, but I feel like she’s been hiding this from me. I just wish I knew why.

From the roof I hear Y/N’s car pull up and I get ready for when she comes up to the roof. For some reason I’m getting nervous, I can’t wait to see my beautiful girlfriend again. About 5 minutes later, sure enough I hear the handle of the roof turn and I stand up facing the door.

I watch as Y/N walks through the door, wine glass in hand, in a pair of black shorts and one of my hoodies. I smile at how cute she looks, but it doesn’t go unnoticed how tired she looks too. She has bags under her eyes and her whole body seems deflated. My poor baby.

As she turns the corner her eye’s light up as she sees what I’ve set up. “Oh my God.” She whispers, before noticing me stood in the middle. Without saying anything further she runs and jumps up into my arms. I hold her tight. “Hey Baby. I’ve missed you.” I say into her hair.

I place her on the floor, and she looks at me directly in the eyes, I can see that she is holding back her tears. Her eyes flick down to my lips, so I pulled her close, putting a loose strand of hair behind her ear, before connecting our lips in a soft kiss full of love. I can feel that her tears are falling now, so I hold her tight letting her know I’m there.

After a minute or so, she pulls back, still clasping my hands. “What are you doing here?” She asked. “Our schedule was changed last minute so I’ve got 5 days off. After speaking with you yesterday, I knew I had to come back to you.” She smiles at me as I talk. Her eyes searching my face like she’s taking in every detail.

I lead her towards the makeshift bed, and we lie down together. She snuggles into me, her head on my chest and an arm over my stomach, slowly tracing random patterns just under my shirt. “Babe, please tell me what’s going on. Please tell me the truth.” I ask calmly, hoping she’ll share.

I look down to her as she takes a deep breath before she sits up. I turn to face her and take both of her hands in mine. “I hate work.” She blurted out. I furrow my eyebrows at her but allow her to carry on. “I work my ass off and it gets me nowhere. Each day I go in and there is more shit they want me to do in short timelines. I try and explain, and they just tell me I’m lucky I work there and that there are hundreds of other people that would do anything to be where I am.” She looks at her lap as she’s talking as if she is ashamed.

“I try so hard to prove myself above everyone else, but it gets harder every day. I’m exhausted and I just have no motivation for anything anymore. I just feel like the dream I had has turned into a nightmare.” Her voice breaks as does my heart. I can’t believe my baby has been feeling like this and I didn’t know.

“How long has this been going on?” I ask. She hesitates. “I mean it’s always been tough but these last 4 months have been unbearable.” There’s a silence as I take in that she has been feeling this broken for 4 months I hadn’t even noticed. What kind of girlfriend can’t see the person they love is hurting?

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask holding back my own tears. “I didn’t want to worry you. You work so hard and do so many great things. I felt stupid for breaking down over this.” Her words are like daggers to my heart. I feel such guilt for not providing her with an environment where she can share these feelings with me. I pull her onto my lap and hug her so tightly. “Listen to me. You are not stupid. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. But I want to know when you’re feeling like this. I’m your girlfriend, I’m meant to be able to help you. It breaks me to think you’ve been going through this on your own.”

I can no longer stop my own tears as I cling to her for dear life, like I’m going to lose her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just didn’t know what to do.” Y/N says into my chest. I pull her face into my hands so she’s looking at me. “No, you do not need to apologise. Just know that I am here for you, even when I’m miles away. I want to know how you’re feeling. Both the good and the bad. Ok?” She nods and I place a gentle kiss on her lips.

“I don’t know how I’m going to solve this.” She said, rubbing her thumb over my knuckles. “Quit your job.” I said without hesitation. “What? I can’t do that I need to pay rent, buy food!” She argues. “Firstly, you clearly haven’t been spending money on food, don’t think I haven’t noticed how thin you’re getting.” I lightly scold. I know she’s not doing it on purpose, she’s probably been too tired to eat working so late.

“Secondly, move in with me.” I ask almost at a whisper. She lifts her head and looks at me with confusion. “What?” she questioned. “I said move in with me. We’ve been together for a year. It’s about time.” She still looks confused as she rubs her hand against her forehead.

“Scar, you don’t have to ask me to move in out of pity.” She spoke cautiously. “Hey! No no, that’s not what this is. I had planned to ask you when I got back from Atlanta. You’re it for me. I don’t want to wait any longer, I want you to move in with me.” I say with conviction to show I mean it.

Her eyes fill with tears again, as she slowly nods her head. “Ok, I’ll move in with you. I’d love that.” She pulls me into a big hug and whispers “I love you.” I don’t want to ever let her go. “But I can’t quit my job.” I’m shocked by her response. “But babe, it’s not good for you.” She shakes her head. “I don’t want to be reliant on you. I want to be able to contribute to bills and treat you to fancy dates and surprise gifts.” She explains.

“You don’t need to do that. I want to take care of you. You don’t need to buy my love.” I pause thinking for a moment at how we can work this out. “How about, you quit your job on Monday. You can fly to Atlanta with me and then when I’m done filming, we’ll take a month to go travelling for a bit. Then when we’re back, you can look to get a job that you actually want. One that isn’t going to drive you into the ground.”

I can see her thinking for a while before responding. “Ok, I like the sound of that.” She says. I squeal in excitement and tackle her in a hug, resulting in us being a tangled mess on the bed. “We’re moving in together!” I exclaim. “God, I love you.” Once again I pull Y/N towards me into a passionate kiss. She giggles against my lips as I roll her over. “I love you too. Thank you for all of this. Shall we watch a movie?” She asks, looking at me with her love eyes. I nod and start the first movie. We snuggle up on the bed and spend the night watching movies.

We didn’t wake up until 12 the following morning. I woke up before Y/N and just watched her sleep, grateful she was finally getting rest. Once she wakes up, we lie in comfortable silence for a while before she slings a leg over me straddling me. “I’ve missed waking up to you.” She says, placing feather like kisses over my face causing me to giggle.

We hold eye contact for a while whilst she rubs her thumb over my cheek. “I can’t wait to move in with you if all my mornings start with you straddling me.” I tease, giving her hips a squeeze. Y/N leans down kissing up my neck then along my jaw before meeting my lips. “I’ll wake you up this way every morning if that’s what you want.” She whispers before smashing out lips together into a deep kiss. She gives both my top and bottom lips equal attention before swiping her tongue across my bottom lip asking for permission, which I instantly give.

Her tongue invades my mouth deepening the kiss with every move. I let out a small moan which results in Y/N pulling back and smiling at me. I hook my leg around her waist and flip us so I’m on top. I leant down and whispered seductively into her ear. “I brough home the suit.” Her eyes widen and a big grin appears on her face. “Well, what are you waiting for?” She responds. I jump off the bed to be greeted with a slap to my ass. I squeal and run to get dressed.

This was what I had always wanted in life. Someone who I adored and who adored me. I couldn’t wait to spend the next few months with Y/N and then the rest of our life together.

Timeskip

Y/N’s POV:

It was three months after Scarlett surprised me on the roof and asked me to move in with her. Whilst travelling she had proposed to me on a beach in Bora Bora. I of course had said yes. Once we got home, I started looking for jobs and I’m now working for a local company. It’s small but I love it. I’m actually paid more than I was, and I have much more responsibility. But the best thing is I’m happy. I’ve got a great work/life balance. I enjoy going to work and then I get to come home, at 5 every day, to my beautiful fiancé who I cannot wait to marry. My life feels like a dream and I hope that I never wake up.