#it's a pretty good make of lemon drizzle cake

[marthawrites]

Beneath the Blooming Branches

Rhaenyra Targaryen x fem reader

Word count: 800+

About: Spring has officially sprung. You and Rhaenyra enjoy a quiet afternoon strolling and picnicking in the gardens.

Includes: Soft wlw fluff 🩷

Note: Hello lovely reader! This fic was inspired by @hotd-bigbang! It is purely self-indulgent because our dragon queen deserves more soft moments. I wrote this with young Rhaenyra in mind, but you can use whichever Nyra your heart desires! As always, reader is non-descript. Please, enjoy!

Cross posted on ao3 too!

-

“Would this be considered improper if anyone were to see us, princess?” You asked Rhaenyra in an excited, hushed voice, keeping pace with her agile steps out of the Red Keep and into the gardens. On your arm was a small basket of treats. During your time as one of the princess’ maid servants you discovered she had quite the sweet tooth. Some of her favorites were: candied lemon slices, candied orange slices, and sponge cake drizzled with honey. You just so happened to have all of those in your basket–along with a couple extra treats, too.

A small smile quirked her lips as her fingers interlaced between your own, continuing to drag you along the path. “Perhaps you have me mistaken for a princess who cares what others might think?” With a playful arch of brow her smirk gave way to a wide dazzling grin. Her clean teeth and pale purple eyes sparkled in spring's midday sun.

For a moment you weren't sure what to say. When she smiled like that–truly smiled–your belly and heart did silly little flips that stopped you in your tacks. She was lovely in a maroon silk dress with delicate lace details accented by pearls. In the high noon, her golden jewelry gleamed on her ivory skin like pure strings of sunlight. Radiant. How someone like her developed such a fancy for you was one of the biggest mysteries of your heart! You felt dull next to her in your common servant attire. But, beneath the neckline of your dress, you felt the silver chain dotted with its tiny crystals against your chest that she had gifted you; pretty, beautiful.

Rhaenyra was good at keeping secrets. As were you.

Besides, a headstrong Targaryen dragging her favorite maid around hardly looked suspicious. Simply two girls out enjoying the change of spring weather!

“Oh, silly me. Apologies, princess, I must have been thinking of someone else,” you winked.

“Just as I thought.”

Giggling, while still walking hand in hand, Rhaenyra led you along the garden's path. Sun dappled through bright green flowering trees making her silver hair glow. Fragrances–lilac, rose, lilly–filled your senses. The gentle ever-present buzz of bees hazed your brain in the best of ways. Each time Rhaenyra smiled at you, or squeezed your hand affectionately, magic bloomed to sweeten the memory this would soon become.

Between gossip, jokes, and easy conversation, you barely noticed how much time passed. 

“Oh! Let's stay here,” she said wistfully, tipping her head back to stare up at a blooming cherry tree. One of the prettiest sights this time of season. 

Next thing you knew you were laying out a blanket to sit upon beneath the pink and white tree; petals falling lazily from its branches like gentle snowflakes. Worker bees were louder here than anywhere else. Calm. Relaxing. You sat with a contented sigh. “I've brought your favorites. Are you hungry?” you asked, eyes bright.

“Always so sweet for me,” Rhaenyra replied as she carefully knelt behind you so as to not wrinkle her dress. “First, though, I want to do something.”

Since she was behind you you couldn't even see her from your peripheral. You trusted her, though. Maybe that's why butterflies twirled in your belly. You felt her fingers gently loosen your hair until it lay loose and natural. Despite the gentleness–or perhaps in spite of it–a shudder ran all along your spine and you couldn't help but squirm. A little. “What are you doing?” You asked, turning your head over your shoulder curiously.

“Hold still,” she answered with mock seriousness. Then, she added, softer, “I'm going to braid your hair and put cherry blossoms in it.”

You bit your bottom lip in an attempt to not let out a tiny squeak of delight. “Ooh! Okay. Afterward, it's my turn to give you a surprise,” you proclaimed sweetly with a glance at your basket. A smile grew on your mouth and your cheeks warmed with joy. By the time Rhaenyra was done you could have dozed off against her in the warm sun.

“There,” she said, a gentle ‘aww’ escaping her. “I wish you could see it from the back! It's so lovely.”

“I'll be careful so that when we return to the Red Keep I can use two looking glasses to see it at the right angle," you promised. Grabbing for your basket, you turned around so you were both kneeling and facing each other. “Ready for mine?”

“Yes!”

You opened the basket and pulled out a clear glass jar of preserved, still plump, cherries. “From the last harvest,” you said, beaming. “How extra fitting that we can share them here.”

“How did you know I've been craving these?” She asked with bright eyes.

You shrugged, grinning. “Just a hunch.” The seal popped when you opened it, and the scent of syrupy sugar and perfectly ripened cherries wafted from the jar. You pulled one out by the stem and offered it to Rhaenyra. 

Taking it, she savored it as she ate it. Then, she did the same for you. 

Cherry after cherry, you shared the treat. By the end of the small jar both of your fingertips were stained red, as were your lips, and it made the kisses that followed all the sweeter; a saccharine secret beneath the heavily bloomed branches.

-

Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed, please consider a follow, and/or reblog, and/or letting me know as it all makes me vvvery happy! ♥

To be added or removed from the taglist, hit me up!

Masterlist

Main taglist: @watercolorskyy @melsunshine @girlwith-thepearlearring @arcielee @barbiedragon @targaryen-dynasty @succnfuccubus @fan-goddess @schniiipsel

[theirishwolfhound]

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick Headcanons

My thoughts on pretty boy Kyle are actually relatively new. The longer I spend reading and writing about him for my own purposes, the more I absolutely fall in love with this man. As a collective whole here on Tumblr, as far as I’ve seen, we’ve collectively decided that Kyle is the heartthrob of the Task Force.  In this I'll cover the basics that will be prevalent in my own fics, if you wish to use any feel free, they're mostly rambles as is :)

“Oh come off it, sweetheart.”

Age: I wholeheartedly believe he’s older than Soap, but younger than Ghost, so between 27- 33. Personally I think he would be 29-30. With a bit of research it is said he enlisted in 2008 when he was 16, so I’m more inclined to believe he’s 30. (not me having to fix my own fucking story because I fucked the math up and got their ages wrong like a stupid moron) Sexaulity: Omnisexual, like he’s definitely some sort of queer and it’s hard to place him. Would he love a pretty lady or man? Absolutely, just as much as he would love a more rugged woman or man. -As for his own gender, I don’t think he would really care what pronouns he’s given so he could just be a cisgendered man who’s comfortable with himself or he’s just gender nonconforming. Height & Weight: Definitely 6’/182 cm and weighs roughly 198 lbs, I see him as a toned athletic man for sure.  Personality: Just like in the game, Gaz has to be sassy. We love sassy men who can match vibes. He’s the guy you want to go clubbing with, not only because he’s fun as hell but because he makes you feel safe at the same time. You give him an attitude he returns it with little effort and it either matches the energy you gave or it surpasses it. -He’s very comfortable with himself. Secure with showing both masculine and feminine traits. Give the man a crop top and a skirt he’ll wear them for you. He’ll let you paint his nails, do his makeup, ect.  Birthday: September 26th, 1992 (I'm using 2022)

Car Or Truck?: It honestly depends. I feel like he could potentially have both given his current vibes. But I would see him with a car, a nice sleek car with leather seats and a bumper sticker that says: “If at first you don’t succeed, call an airstrike.” given to him by Soap. -Specifically thinking of a core model BMW 740i xDrive Sedan, dark charcoal grey in color, glossy coat and dark windows. Cat or Dog?: He has the silliest dog that stays with his parents. I think it is a boxer, or a boxer mix of some sort, that has almost the same personality as Kyle. Boxers are a hyper and goofy breed of dog, and he is very certain that if he knew Soap before he got the dog he would've named it after him. Favorite Food: Vindaloo, specifically lamb Vindaloo. He just seems like the person who would prefer the more savory foods. As well as spicy foods. And if he had to go with something sweet, he’d go for a lemon drizzle cake.  Favorite Drinks: This man drinks fruity cocktails without fear of judgment just as easily as he drinks whiskey, and for non-alcoholic drinks he's a big tea, latte, and ginger ale fan for sure.  Favorite Music: 2000-2010’s music for sure. This man knows Britney Spears’ Toxic like us Americans know the pledge of allegiance.  Song I think Fits their Vibes: Feel The Way I Do- The Jungle Giants Hobbies: Gives off the vibes of a man who taught himself how to play guitar and jewelry making. Makes Soap bracelets and teaches him how to make them as well. More physical activities might be running and swimming. Fears: Oddly enough, not really, falling. It's not a terrible fear, it just gets his heart racing enough that he steers clear of the helicopter doors until they land. 

“Why don’t we go this way? Y’know, away from the edge, yeah?”

Familial Relationships: Has a relatively good relationship with his mom and dad, they probably live somewhere closeish to his flat in London. They would have a key to take care of the plants on the inside for sure. Has an older sister and a younger brother. They’re all fairly close and he’ll visit them on his leaves if he has the chance, otherwise they all have a group chat to check in with one another.  Relationships with the team: I definitely think this varies based on what sort of relationship you’re seeking to read/write about. I try to always write polyamory, as a poly-person I like having the representations.  Price: Coming from someone who loves PriceGaz, they are either the best mentor and trainee coupling or the most judgemental couple. They can read each other relatively well and work together rather well. (Though they equally get on each other's nerves.) Soap: Definitely best friends if they’re not dating, they get up to the most interesting shenanigans. They’d go clubbing in matching outfits and are annoyingly catty together.  Ghost: As lovers and friends, they’re totally the ones that would seek quiet comfort from one another. They have secret tea time and share snacks. Totally make fun of Soap's hair if it's in need of a shave.  Love Language: Physical Touch and Gift Receiving/Giving. He'll do a skin care routine with you, massages, and he'll make sure to buy the stuff for it to give to you or you to him if you get him something. He knows what makeup you wear or what size to buy your clothes in to surprise you. 

Civilian or Military Lover: Prefers civilian lovers over other soldiers, but like he’d date other soldiers given they’re the right person.  What would their civilian job be?: I see Kyle being a Paramedic, like he’d be the one I’d ask for if I fell in the shower because he’s not gonna make fun of me and he’s hot. How’s their charisma: Rizz Master, man. I'm convinced he's got a smolder that'll knock the clothes off of anyone lucky. Voice is smooth like honey and sweet to boot, he's an interrogation expert— he's gotta have a way with words. What would your first date be? Hard to say. I think he'd take you out to a coffee/tea house or you'd go get Ramen. But in reality I know it would be put up to a mutual agreement. He’d totally pay the bill and makes sure you never even get to see the slip. What would they call you? “Baby” is definitely one of the top ones, but I think the next contenders are as followed: “Sweetheart” and “Pretty/Handsome”

“Gonna make me feel pretty, baby?”

Size: Gonna have to say he's not the biggest or longest but I agree with the post that said he's the prettiest of the four cocks. A neat 6.5 in, circumcised, hits the right spots and he knows how to use it well.  Kinks: Bondage, Exhibitionism, and Sensation Play Position?: Pretty boy Kyle is a complete switch, though has a more dominant leaning personality. He’ll let you top, but he's gonna boss you around while you do it.  Sharing?? Kyle loves to share. He is inclined to share with his team, after all those are his best friends and his brothers-in-arms, they saved his life many times— just a little peek won’t hurt. Song that fits his vibe in the bedroom:  Swim - CHASE ATLANTIC

[solar-sunnyside-up]

!! So today my mom made an apple *cake* instead of an apple pie! It was really interesting as it came from a cookbook that belonged to her grandmother (one of those cookbooks that were compiled by a bunch of Christian church members) and my mom wasn’t too sure how many apples to put in or how to put it into the cake. It doesn’t even call for butter. She also drizzled a powdered sugar frosting with lemon extract as her own spin on it. It wasn’t as much flavor as I would like as it didn’t have nutmeg or allspice. But for the first time my mom making it, it was pretty nice to eat. Now the exciting part is all the different ways my mom can experiment with it 😊

Wowwww that sounds so good!! Have fun with your experiments!

(I want apple cake.. hm.. research time🎂)

[duchessas]

Heylo! I enjoyed your questions, so here are some for you :)

Are you a baker? A few years ago I was really into it, I bought recipe books and I’d make my family treats almost every week. It was an obsession—I tried out cookies and pies and cakes and biscuits. My aunt was a huge inspiration, she has an at home business and she sells a type of cake and she’s been going for years! She also loves baking with a passion, she’s always making treats for us to try and coming up with recipes in her head (that’s so crazy to me, can you imagine?). Her trifles and meringues are something else.

Have you ever been drawn to another language? I find Japanese to be a really beautiful language, I love the way it sounds and flows. (Yes, unfortunately the obsession did come from watching anime, but I think I can be forgiven for that.)

What’s your favorite flower? I ask this knowing it’s very very hard for me to answer because I always switch it up, but I’m always obsessed with daises and lilies of the valley! Also tulips (and plumerias and hydrangeas…) BUT I absolutely despise foxgloves, they give me the creeps😭

Oh, these are SO fun. Thank you!!

Your aunt sounds INCREDIBLE. I love cakes. I love anything sweet actually, so I would have thrived living with you 🤣 I can bake, but quite basic iygm? Like I am actually v good at cakes but I’m a recipe gal, I do not have the creativity to make something up! I hated cookery lessons at school because they were like make up a fun recipe for X and I was like … can’t u give me one and I’ll produce it? My grandmother was an incredible baker and my godmother makes the most divine lemon meringue pie. I usually bake something once a fortnight for me and my partner, but he prefers flapjack and cookies to chocolate brownies and lemon drizzle cake, which are my jam 🤤

Ooh, I do know what you mean about Japanese! I’ve always loved to see it written down. I studied French and German at school and did German at university. I’m very, very rusty now - I wish I had kept the German up. Frustratingly enough, I was very close to fluent and I didn’t realise how quickly I would lose it. I can still read some German and I could probs navigate myself pretty well around the country if needed. Maybe I should try again - I loved speaking it. And I’ve always been drawn to Russian, for as long as I can remember, but without a proper teacher I haven’t been able to pick it up. I spent hours on duolingo a few summers ago trying to get my head around the alphabet to no avail 😢 there’s a prime window for language learning and I’ve well and truly passed it!

My favourite flowers are tulips! I love the colours and the time of year I associate them with (I think we would get along like a house on fire and live very happily with sweet treats and pretty flowers in vases and no foxgloves in the garden as they have always freaked me out as well. Poisonous flowers always stress me out and foxgloves look ghastly!) When I got married, I had the most beautiful memory lane roses in my bouquet that are another favourite. I also love love love trailing greenery and cheeseplant leaves. There’s something about that deep vivid green?? Idk. I don’t like lilies as the smell reminds me of funerals, but I think they’re soooo pretty to look at

These questions were so fun to answer! Thank you so much 🤍

[dipstick-university]

i went to the butchart gardens with my mom today. the is first time in my adult life i have actually gotten her alone for more than a few minutes. it drizzled all day, cold-in-the-bones kind of damp, but the gardens are exactly how i remember--opulent and edwardian and uncomfortably british. it exudes the atmosphere of a royal auntie, one who thinks exacting control of her garden validates all her good intentions, colonial though they may be.

the place radiates aesthetic philanthropy and invisible labour. on display is a letter written to the owners humbly thanks them for allowing the orphans to visit and drink tea among them. a statue allows visitors to emulate saint francis of assissi's halo of birds in flight. ('with enough goodness, you, too, can speak to nature'.) the garden staff work on the large wire frames of animals across the garden, pulling out the dead brown moss and replacing it with dead green moss. (is there a more on-the-nose metaphor for colonialism?)

over a million visitors come each year. it is genuinely fun and pretty. my mom and i ride the carousel, the fastest in bc. i take her to afternoon tea, where she refuses to eat any 'grain combined with potato product' (this means any bread with baking powder.) instead she digs out the innards of the sandwiches and takes the smallest bites of the fragrant layered lemon cake while i eat everything she cant. (is there a more on-the-nose metaphor for the child-parent relationship?)

over tea we discuss my father's family. my grandmother's electroshock therapy (already known family fact) and my grandfather's physical abuse of her (fun new family fact). how my uncle left his cats to cover the family house in their shit. how my father now makes her keep her phone in a faraday cage, her credit card in an altoid tin.

my father calls me, later. she is not picking up her phone, he says. i miss you, he says. i hope you are both okay, he says.

now, behind me, she blasts her jehovahs witness meeting. tells everyone on the zoom call that the gardens are just like the garden of eden. even with earplugs and earphones on maximum i cant drown it out (is there a more on-the-nose metaphor for leaving an abusive religion?) she spent the day misgendering me and my partner, calling me by the wrong name. we are now the physically closest we have been in years. i feel grateful this is our only night in the same room. i sit next to the space heater and try to keep out the chill.

[cauliflowertree]

Congrats on 400!!! May I please request a 🍰 [lemon drizzle cake] — tell me your gender preference, fandom preference & a small description of yourself & i’ll ship you with a character with 3-5 headcanons. For Harry Potter ( golden trio era preferably)

I have no gender preference. I’m a pretty easy going person but around the right people I can get really loud and outgoing. I enjoy reading and writing and like to say I’m decently smart and funny. Listening to music is a must and every day thing for me. I really enjoy being around people. However too much time being around people can get just really exhausting. I hope that wasn’t too much or too little, again congrats!! Your writing is so so good and every single fic you write is amazing!! Keep doing what you’re doing :))

thank u thank u thank u <3

i ship you with cedric diggory !

i think ur perfect for cedric, i think he’d need someone easy going and chill but also able to have a lot of fun.

even though he’s constantly around people, he most definitely understands the need be alone sometimes & recharge so he’d be very accommodating of your need for that.

he’d love to joke around with you & tease you. probably into pda but not if it makes you uncomfortable.

he likes showing you his fav wizard music & writing down a list of your favourite bands & artists so he can look out for them in muggle london.

he’s not so much of a reader, but he does enjoy a good book. he definitely prefers to have you read to him than read by himself.

400 follower celebration !

[crooked-hourglass]

violet, marigold, & cherry blossom? 💕

Thank you for the ask! 🖤

violet— do you like to cook or bake? if so, what is it that you like to make?

Honestly I'm not a very good cook, but I do like baking! I live by myself so there's not many opportunities to bake but I'm pretty good at cookies and lemon drizzle cake

marigold— do you wear any kind of jewelry on a regular basis? if so, what kind?

I have 6 ear piercings that have black studs or rings in them. I don't like having jewelry on my hands so I very rarely wear bracelets or rings. I usually wear a small silver pentagram necklace which I think of as my business casual pentagram for going into the office

cherry blossom— how do you feel about perfume or cologne? do you personally wear it or do you prefer not to?

I wear perfume pretty much everyday. At the moment its usually Daisy by Marc Jacobs or Alien by Mugler

[reciperesolutions]

Warm peach cake! As our household has been driving to eat less carbs, the last couple of months, I haven’t done a lot of baking lately. But there were just too many beautiful peaches, still at their peak of ripeness at the farmers market this week! I just grabbed two extra cartons and figured I would figure the rest out later :)

I turned to my William Sonoma seasonal fruit desserts cookbook, and yet again, this was a winner! The star of the dish was the peaches (as they should be), drizzled with their own juices, sunken into a flavorful batter that was just enough to soak in all the goodness and hold things together. Lemon and ground ginger add beautifully to the flavor profile, and a dollop of fresh vanilla whipped cream was a great accent.

The recipe was easy to throw together pretty quickly (would’ve been easier if I read it correctly and peeled the peaches BEFORE slicing them, ha… but even that was really no problem, I just tossed them into boiling water as slices and they were easy enough to take care of after the fact!). I didn’t have a quick release spring pan, but I used a round pan with the removable bottom, and that worked well enough for me. 

I think this recipe, like their raspberry scone recipe, will make it into my regular seasonal rotation!

[dairyfreefoodie]

Hooray - im back as i've found another amazing 10 dairy free/Vegan* snacks to write my 3rd blog post on!!

Not all are Vegan but not sure what's in them to make them not plant based🤷‍♀️ sorry!)

Let's go:

11. Aldi 52% salted dark chocolate🍫

This chocolate is just the best (along with number 12 but this one wins as its cheaper🤷‍♀️). I used to HATE dark chocolate before I was dairy free but grown to love it - I think being salted helps and its in little bars which helps me not to eat the whole lot in one sitting 👍

12. Tony's almond sea salt dark chocolate🍫

It's pretty pricy but occasionally on offer and found in most supermarkets. It's chunky and delicious. The texture is quite nutty but it doesn't taste too almondy which I wouldnt like personally- just very rich salty dark chocolate.

13. Vegan Kitkats 🍫

These are amazing as they pretty much taste like a normal milk chocolate kitkat. Bad thing is I can't seem to ever find them anywhere except in a tesco meal deal which I now buy a lot more of for this reason. I've also asked my local convenience store to stock them haha 😄

14. Asda apple pies 🍏 🥧

So good - and not dry like I thought they may be being also gluten free. I mean its kind of healthy having apple in right? Starting to realise how unhealthy all my snack recommendations are lol...oh well yolo (and maybe for less time with all this cholesterol lol...dw I've joined a gym finally!)

15. Tesco Pesto 🍃

Alright this isn't a snack...but i just love Pesto so much. I am so glad there are quite a few dairy free Pestos in the supermarket and this one is probably my fav so far I've tried. I add half a jar with a little low fat mayo or dairy free yoghurt/cream to add to pasta (usually with mushrooms, chicken, bacon lardons or chorizo, sweetcorn and rocket). I even took 2 jars to Italy with me as thought it may be a struggle to get vegan food out there (turns out I was right!). See below my Italian michelangelo inspired version lol

16. Nomo caramel chocolate 🍫

More chocolate. I told you in my first post I'm a chocolaholic and woohoo for now having 3 favourite dairy free ones. This is my 3rd favourite and found in most supermarkets now!

17. ASDA vegan lemon muffins 🍋

These taste just like my old homemade Lemon drizzle cake (which used to be packed with dairy butter) - crunchy sugary top and soft crumbly cake, sooo good. The chocolate ones were okay too...but not as good as the Lemon. We need a break on this post from chocolate too haha!!

18. Vegan butter

Talking of butter - this one I find tasty for cooking/toast (which can be a snack before you comment lol - or with crumpets/butter biscuits - without butter obv haha) and it apparently lowers your cholesterol too 🤷‍♀️ win win!! Sorry for the photo bombing foot😅

19. Applewood vegan burger cheese 🧀 🍔

The app is saying there is a limit of 10 photos. Boooo! This is my favourite sliced cheese for burgers (normal cheese favourite on 2nd post). Applewood was literally my favourite cheese before last year and this isn't a bad dairy free version at all - just has to be a little melted! Okay no defence here, this is not a snack

20. Turns out I don't have any more, I lied.. - just 9 for this post folks!! Hope it's helpful😁🥰

[xmadeoflightningx]

Mariana smiles setting down the cloth to pack up his order. Boozy cakes were a fun new addition to their menu that she was pretty sure her friend's got a kick out of taste testing. While wedding cakes were always fun, she couldn't help but look forward to wedding season dying down enough for her to have the time to test out new recipes. "Well I have to strongly advise against eating the whole cake in one sitting, a couple slices can give a nice buzz. Which one would you like? The Prosecco is a good lemon drizzle, the chocolate Guinness is a local favorite. If you come back around holiday season I make a mean Caribbean Rum Cake."

Her head lifted at his comment, her eyes flickering to her tattoos as her mouth formed a grin. "Thank you, I honestly have a lot more than these. I started back when I was 16, with parental permission of course. The larger ones honestly kept me from getting more, they typically took more than one session." She chuckles softly, "I'm happy to spark your adventure in ink, I can recommend a few great artists depending on what style you're looking for. I do warn you they are pretty addictive."

She was unlike any person he had ever seen working at a bakery. One arm partially covered in inked art, the other on its way. He was reminded then of the time he was close to getting a tattoo, and he wondered if it was a sign from the universe. "Boozy cakes sound interesting. I can't say I've ever had one. Do you actually get a little buzz off them?" He curiously questioned, intrigued by the sounds of a booze filled cake. "The Crookie sounds delicious. I'll definitely take one of those. You know what? Add one of the boozy cakes too. Why not?" He looked at all the various baked goods as he walked past a display case, trying to decide if he needed anything else.

"Your tattoos are pretty cool." He comments, pausing in front of some macaroons. Perhaps he'd get some for his roommate to enjoy too, not that he was certain on whether or not they liked macaroons. "I've been debating for a couple of years on getting a couple done, but it has yet to happen. Seeing yours has sparked that idea again. How long have you been getting them?"

[thomaspaine]

how does one lose a lemon drizzle cake? how does one find one?

I misplaced it. Several bits of tin foil with things in them look alike.

[faeriegirldaydream]

I think we need to talk more abt the boys in present day California - does Marko get matcha lattes? He definitely goes to a Pilates class. He likes befriending yoga mums - their plant based diets make them excellent snacks.

Paul goes to a dispensary and buys wedding cake and lemon drizzle - which David refuses to smoke on principle. He ends up getting a job there. He gives me big vlogger energy - definitely has a review channel for his newest strains.

Dwayne re-wired the cave so that they can have an Alexa - which is very helpful when arguments over historical events start- and they start. He runs a music channel- I can see him posting anonymous virtuoso guitar covers. Like really subtle flexing. I mean he’s had decades to practice… so he’s gotta be pretty good?

And David… David definitely had a Mac set up. He uses it as a surveillance he likes playing cat and mouse with the cops. Will they find the latest bodies ?? He definitely has a drone for in the day, so he can nosy at what’s going on

They have a ring doorbell- just for laughs.

BONUS • star learns aerial hoop and becomes an international performer - and launches a range on athletic wear

i should probably sleep but I’m on a lost boys kick and this will now become a lost boys acc

[clatterbane]

Just out of the oven: some gingerbread I decided to bung in a loaf pan!

With a few tweaks including subbing GF flours, of course. 😁 I also changed the spices around a little, and used a teaspoon of chai masala along with the ginger and half the cinnamon called for. That has worked really well used like mixed spice/pumpkin pie spice in some gingerbread before. (Another version where the author incidentally mentions using it in baking!)

Also, this batch may turn out not as dark, since I had to use some dark syrup instead of molasses.

It should hopefully still taste pretty good, though. Back home we usually just kept local sorghum molasses, which also has a little different flavor and doesn't make things as dark. Wish I could readily get it here, tbh.

While that cools down enough, I'm about to stir up some super simple Greek Turkish yogurt icing for a little glaze drizzle.

Haven't quite decided whether to add a hint of vanilla or lemon to that, so I pulled both out. May actually use a touch of vanilla along with lemon, because why not. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[hamsterclaw]

Never Mind (Part 2)

You and Jimin analyse risk for clinical trials. Namjoon? He's just there for the ride.

Pairing: Jimin x F!reader, Namjoon x F!reader

Rating: 18+

Genre: Non-idol AU, smut, fluff

Word count: 9.6k total

Warnings: Sexually explicit scenes, explicit language

Part 1

Part 2

Cari and Hoseok are arguing over cake layers. You’ve never seen Hoseok get this riled up before, but apparently he feels very passionately about lemon drizzle.

Jimin forks a piece of red velvet into his mouth and chews slowly.

You tilt your head at him, trying to telepathically communicate that this is exactly why you invited him along.

Jimin swallows, and you say tentatively, ‘The fruit cake is classic.’

‘No one likes fruitcake,’ Cari and Hoseok snap at you in perfect unison.

Jimin sighs. ‘A five layer cake is classic,’ he says. ‘I’d get alternating layers of lemon drizzle and red velvet, and top it with a fruit cake for the traditionalists.’

You choke on your fruitcake, which, truthfully, is kind of dry.

Jimin hands you a water bottle whilst nodding graciously at Cari and Hoseok, who are now looking at Jimin like he’s a wedding messiah.

After the bakery you and Jimin walk home.

‘How do you come about all your wedding knowledge? I swear, Cari is angry with me for not introducing you into the mix sooner.’

Jimin side-eyes you. ‘Like I said, I’ve been to a lot of weddings. I pay attention to detail. I love cake.’

He comes to a complete stop. ‘I’m going this way, I live down here. Want to come in for a drink?’

‘Sure,’ you say, easy. You’re pretty curious to see how Jimin lives.

Jimin leads you to a tiny residential pocket set between a shopping mall and a police station. He unlocks a black door and gestures you into his little maisonette. Inside, it’s a mix of modern and cosy, the stone floors of his entryway giving way to a tiny open plan kitchen and living room.

‘Cute,’ you say appreciatively, looking around. He seems to favour greys, apart from splashes of colour like the rust-coloured rug on his living room floor.

Jimin puts the kettle on to boil and turns on some music.

You sit on one of his overstuffed armchairs and accept the tea he makes you.

‘Shall I order in some food for us?’ Jimin asks.

You sip your tea. ‘Sure, sounds good,’ you say.

Over dinner, Jimin tells you about the person he was partnered with before you. The conversation flows easily, you feel you’ve really got to know Jimin better in the last few weeks.

Jimin rolls his eyes. ‘At least Seokjin has settled down over the last few months. It was so tricky getting him to listen before.’

‘He’s energetic,’ you agree. ‘So what’s the deal with the company dinner he wants us to go to?’

‘Usually there are some high-up executives at these dinners, there’s not usually much business chat but occasionally there’s someone who wants more detail on a project. Seokjin’s not much on detail so I guess that’s why he wants us around.’

‘It’s why he wants you around,’ you say. ‘I’m not much on detail either.’

Jimin pauses, and looks at you. You realise that you are sitting quite close together. You look at your arms braced next to each other on Jimin’s coffee table.

‘You are pretty detail oriented,’ Jimin says, contradicting you. ‘You have a way of zooming out though. I like that about you.’

‘Wait. Did you just give me a work-related compliment?’ you ask.

Jimin rolls his eyes again. ‘Don’t get used to it.’

You lay your head back on Jimin’s sofa, closing your eyes. ‘Wait, just give me a moment to savour it.’

Jimin shoves a pillow in your face.

***

Namjoon yawns and stretches as the end credits of the film run.

‘Hey, can we talk?’ he asks.

You look at him, smiling. ‘Want me to listen to a track and give you my opinion on whether it’s misogynistic?’ you tease.

Namjoon laughs. ‘Always. But I wanted to talk to you about something else.’

You look at him expectantly.

‘I’ve been invited to work with a new artist, help them produce their debut album,’ Namjoon tells you.

‘Wow! That’s amazing,’ you say, delighted for him. ‘Sounds like a great opportunity.’

Namjoon looks at you, something you can’t quite understand in his eyes.

‘Yeah,’ he says. ‘I think it’ll be great.’

‘When do you start?’ you ask.

‘Next week,’ he tells you. He rubs the back of his neck, and something about his body language makes you pause.

He turns to you again then. ‘It’s in Japan.’

‘Oh,’ you say.

‘Yeah. It’s for a few months, possibly a year, and then depending on how it goes, it could be longer.’

You look at your hands briefly, then turn to him. ‘Sounds like a great opportunity,’ you say. You grin at him. ‘You’ll be amazing.’

Namjoon gives you a crooked smile. ‘I’m guessing you can’t move to Japan in a week.’

‘No, but you can, babe,’ you say. You reach out and give him a big hug. ‘I’m so fucking proud of you, Joonie.’

Namjoon kisses you, sweetly, lingeringly. ‘I’m going to miss you.’

‘I’ll miss you, Joonie.’

‘Maybe you can come and visit me sometime,’ he tells you.

‘Yeah, I’d love that,’ you say.

You exchange a smile.

‘One last fuck for the road?’ Namjoon suggests.

You burst out laughing. ‘God, Joonie, you’re a menace.’

He laughs with you, and his expression is so fond as he strokes your hair that before you know it you are falling into his strong arms again.

Namjoon kisses you, his lips warm and sweet. His tongue slips between your lips, and you moan as his hands come up to cup your face.

‘God, I’m going to miss you,’ he murmurs to you. He pulls you closer to him, pressing his warm hard body against yours. You love the weight of him. You part your legs, and he settles his hips between them.

You run your hands up his muscular arms, revelling in the feel of his arms flexing as he grinds his hips against your pelvis.

‘So fucking strong, Joonie,’ you say, gasping as he enters you. His big cock stretches you, and as you wiggle your hips to get more comfortable he groans.

‘You like my fat cock, baby?’ he asks.

You know he’s not really asking. He knows you love his cock.

‘Yeah, Joon. I love it,’ you affirm.

‘Ready for some more, baby?’ he asks.

Again you don’t think he’s really asking, but you lift your legs, wrapping them around his hips.

‘Yeah, fuck me, Joon,’ you say breathlessly.

‘Stop wriggling like that,’ he tells you. ‘I’m two seconds away from ---’

‘From what, Joonie?’ you taunt. You wriggle again.

Namjoon laughs darkly and pulls out of you.

You cry out in dismay, and he laughs again.

He turns you over and his large palm lands on your ass in a hard smack.

You squeal, and it turns into a moan as he spanks you again.

His fingers press into you in between spanks.

‘God, you’re so fucking wet,’ he mutters. ‘More, baby?’

Your eyes flash to his, and you’re torn between arousal and defiance.

‘I’m going to fuck that look off your face,’ he says, his voice deeper than you’ve ever heard it.

‘What look?’ you ask.

‘That look,’ he says, calmly, casually. ‘That look where you think you’re in control.’

Namjoon fucks you until you’re crying out, senseless, on his cock.

It’s a fitting goodbye.

***

Seokjin glances at you and smiles. ‘You look very pretty, Y/N.’

You smile back at him. ‘As do you, Seokjin.’

In reality, he does. He has swapped his usual workwear for a gorgeous sky-blue shirt, open at the collar to reveal collarbones that could cut glass and black slacks.

You’re wearing a silky blue dress and heels and have added gold link earrings to your outfit.

Jimin rounds the corner from the coffee room, and you and Seokjin pause.

Jimin is always beautifully dressed, but the maroon suit he has on now is a step up from his usual workwear. Paired with a silky cream shirt, he looks almost intimidatingly good looking. A lock of blond hair is curled over his forehead, and the placement of it is too perfect to be accidental.

‘Looking good, Park,’ you say casually.

Jimin raises an eyebrow at you. ‘Back at you, Y/L/N.’

Seokjin holds out his arm. ‘Let’s go. At least it’s a decent restaurant today.’

You eat too quickly, and are stuck with an empty plate whilst you wait for everyone else to catch up.

Jimin glances at you. ‘Want some of mine?’ he asks in a none-too-subtle stage whisper, pushing his plate at you.

You sip your white wine. ‘No thanks, Jimin.’

The man sitting on your other side smiles at you politely. ‘Seokjin says you and Jimin are an excellent team,’ he says. ‘I’m Jungho, part of the regional team.’

‘Pleasure to meet you,’ you say, nodding politely. ‘Are you overseeing the follow on to Bexsero as well?’

He looks interested. ‘Actually, I am. It’s fortuitous that we’re sitting together. I’ve got a concern about the follow on. I believe you’re in phase 3?’

‘We’ve just started,’ you affirm. Jimin leans a little closer to be able to hear.

Jungho asks you about the drug you’ve chosen to compare the new drug you are developing against. It’s the market leader, you really had no other option. His concern is about the randomisation of the pilot trial you are currently running.

‘It’s not blinded, of course,’ Jungho says, like this should be obvious to you.

You look at Jimin uneasily. He had been in charge of liaising with the clinicians running the trial, and you haven’t really be involved, but you could have sworn the trial was blinded.

To your surprise, Jimin looks blindsided by this.

It’s not really the kind of detail he usually misses.

Quickly, you say, ‘Oh, no, it’s impossible to blind.’

Jungho nods. ‘It’s just that in the trial protocol – ‘

‘Oh does it say that? My bad,’ you say, giving Jungho what you hope is a charmingly scatty smile. ‘I’ll get that changed. Don’t worry, the premise doesn’t depend on it being blinded.’

You kick Jimin under the table when you see him open his mouth.

Jungho seems satisfied by your quick reaction – you can only hope it comes across as efficient rather than panicked.

You change the subject.

After dinner, you have barely left the restaurant when Jimin starts talking.

‘It’s my fault,’ he says. ‘The clinician team didn’t mention blinding, and I forgot to follow it up.’

You shrug. ‘Don’t worry about it. Jungho’s convinced.’

‘You didn’t have to take the fall for it,’ Jimin says.

‘There’s no fall to take,’ you reply. ‘I’m pretty sure we can just fix it tomorrow and send out an amendment.’

Jimin runs a hand through his hair. ‘Shit. I’m not going to be able to sleep. I need to fix this tonight.’

You raise an eyebrow. ‘Tonight, really?’ You’ve only had a glass of wine, but you definitely don’t feel like you can take on the fine print in a trial protocol right now.

Jimin shakes his head. ‘I’ll go in now and sort it. Can I get you a taxi home?’

‘We’re a team,’ you say. ‘I can go with.’

Jimin looks dubiously at you, but you end up going back to the office together.

Jimin pulls up the trial protocol, searching for the clause and rapidly correcting it.

You idly check your emails. Your phone pings. It’s Cari, reminding you about the rehearsal dinner in a week.

You try to send her a selfie of you at your desk captioned ‘some of us actually have work to do.’ At the last minute your thumb slips and you actually click on Namjoon’s dick pic from the other day.

‘Shit,’ you say. If you weren’t tipsy you might be upset, but at this point it strikes you as funny.

Your phone pings again, and it’s Hoseok.

Hoseok: Can you please not send your boyfriend’s dick pics to your sister? She hasn’t stopped staring at the screen for at least a minute.

Y/N: Sorry. Thumb slipped. I’m actually at work.

Hoseok: LOL. Work. Yeah sure.

Y/N: No, genuinely.

You send Hoseok the actual selfie you meant to send, and realise Jimin is now standing by your desk.

‘Fixed it?’ you ask.

Jimin nods. ‘Yeah. Let’s get out of here.’

Chatting to Hoseok reminds you that you now don’t have a date to Cari’s wedding.

‘Hey, Jimin, are you free on the 25th? I’d love for you to come to Cari’s and Hoseok’s wedding with me,’ you say, before you lose your nerve.

Jimin just says, simply, ‘I’d love to.’

He walks you back to your apartment, pausing by the door as you fumble with your key fob.

Jimin reaches out and plucks the fob out of your hand. He places his other hand on the small of your back, and walks you to your door. He unlocks it, then pushes the door to your apartment open.

‘This is you,’ he says. His lips quirk with amusement at you.

He is standing so close, much closer than you remember him ever standing.

He’s taller than you, but not by much.

Your eyes are level with his plush lips.

‘Thanks, Jimin,’ you say.

He leans closer, and your heart stutters in your chest.

How have you missed until now that Park Jimin is sexy?

His lips brush your forehead in a chaste kiss.

‘Thank you,’ he replies. ‘For saving my ass at dinner.’

You scoff quietly, but he is so close he can’t miss it.

You tilt your face up at him. ‘I didn’t save anyone. It’s not a big deal,’ you say.

Jimin just smiles. ‘I’ll see you at work tomorrow.’

His hand brushes your back again, and he turns you in the direction of your open door.

His eyes meet yours, and you close the door quickly before you do something silly like throw yourself at him.

***

Seokjin’s face is turned towards you, but you are struggling to read him because of the big-ass blackout sunglasses he has planted on his face.

‘Drank too much,’ is all he said when you asked him about it. Which seems unfair because his skin is as glowy as ever and his hair looks immaculate. You are about to ask him about his self-care routines when you remember he is meant to be telling you and Jimin off.

Jimin mumbles something at Seokjin.

You raise an eyebrow. It sounds like Jimin just told Seokjin he can’t take him seriously with those glasses on his face, which you can’t imagine Seokjin will take well.

You hastily say, ‘Oh yes, sorry Seokjin, we missed the bit about the blinding. We’ve corrected it and emailed the clinician team to confirm.’

‘No actually, I missed it. Y/N had nothing to do with it,’ Jimin says, staring you down.

You have no idea if Seokjin is even listening. He purses his lips and drums his fingers on the table.

‘It won’t happen again,’ you add for good measure.

‘You know Jungho is a hardass about these things. The least we can do is not to give him any more ammunition at the next executive meeting,’ Seokjin grumbles.

You apologise again.

Seokjin turns his face to you, then Jimin. ‘See that it doesn’t,’ he says.

You don’t think comical is the look he’s going for.

You bite your lip to suppress a laugh.

Seokjin sighs, then gets up to leave.

‘Kombucha?’ you offer, pulling a cold bottle out of your mini-fridge.

Seokjin accepts, and you let out a sigh of relief as he leaves the office.

‘You should check my work. Two sets of eyes are better than one,’ Jimin says, going back to his desk.

You yawn. ‘Sure.’ It turns out Namjoon is still capable of messing with your sleep cycles from Japan. He sent you another quite beautiful dick pic in the early hours, which you swiftly forwarded to Cari, resulting in an irate phone call from Hoseok at 6am.

Jimin tosses you his multivitamins, and you grab the bottle out of the air, surprising you both. You swallow one and toss the bottle back. It hits Jimin in the centre of his forehead, and he tips back, falling off his chair.

‘Shit!’ you say. You get up and hurry over to him. He is flat on his back on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

‘Jimin, I’m so sorry,’ you say, surveying him for injuries. Apart from a tiny red mark in the middle of his forehead, he looks unharmed.

He fixes you with a look, and you lean over him. You rub your thumb gently over the mark. ‘Are you ok?’

He reaches up and catches your hand in his. He pulls you forward suddenly, and you tip over. You brace for the impact but all you feel is Jimin’s other hand gently cupping the back of your head.

You open your eyes just in time to catch the look in his eyes as he tilts his head and kisses you.

Your eyes close again, and you hold your breath. You don’t want him to stop. Jimin’s soft lips press against yours. He nips at your bottom lip, and you sigh.

Jimin’s hand that is holding yours squeezes gently. ‘Breathe,’ he says, softly.

You suck in a breath, and Jimin deepens the kiss.

‘Breathe, baby,’ he says again. His breath is warm on your cheek, his body solid and strong against yours.

You suck in another breath, and Jimin rewards you by kissing you again, tongue gliding into your mouth.

You realise two things as Park Jimin kisses you. One, how much you’ve wanted him to, and two that he’s really rather good at kissing.

He pulls back and your eyes pop open in disappointment. Jimin laughs softly.

‘Can I take you out to dinner?” he asks.

‘I’d love that,’ you say. He helps you up and a little awkwardly, you head back to your desk.

Your phone lights up. It’s Cari. She wants you to meet her at the banquet hall tonight before the rehearsal dinner tomorrow.

You say you’ll be there, then turn to Jimin. ‘Hey, Cari wants to meet at the banquet hall tonight for some final checks before the rehearsal dinner. Shall we go together then go to dinner after?’

Jimin smiles at you. ‘Sounds like a date.’

Cari stops you at the banquet hall entrance.

‘Does it look ok?’ you ask, worried.

Cari nods, pressing a hand to her mouth. ‘It’s perfect.’ The expression on her face almost makes up for all the times she’s made you come around at short notice over the last few months.

She hugs you, and greets Jimin fondly.

Hoseok steps out, and he glowers at you.

To your surprise, Jimin steps closer to you, almost protectively.

‘Sorry about all the dick pics,’ you say swiftly.

Cari sighs, and Hoseok glares at her, then you.

‘No one’s got any business being that hung,’ he mutters.

You swallow a giggle. Namjoon is a lot of things, and well-endowed is definitely one of them.

Jimin raises an eyebrow at you.

You smooth your face into a neutral expression.

‘I won’t send Cari any more,’ you say.

Cari winks at you, none too subtly. Hoseok rolls his eyes.

You miss what he says next, as Cari pushes the double doors open, and you see the banquet hall.

It was beautiful before, but now it looks phenomenal. Twinkling lights are strung around the high beams, and there is a wall of lights behind the top table. You can only imagine how stunning it’ll look in pictures.

Jimin’s hand presses against the small of your back.

‘Beautiful,’ he says.

You turn to him, and realise he isn’t looking at the lights. He is looking straight at you.

You smile at him, and he leans forward, inviting you in.

You kiss. The second his lips brush yours your heartbeat accelerates. He slips a hand around the back of your neck, and you suck in a breath. He tastes like mint and honey.

You suddenly remember where you are.

You pull away, and Jimin smiles at you. ‘I can’t wait to take you to dinner,’ he tells you, rather sweetly.

You smile back at him, and Hoseok’s voice pulls you out of your reverie.

‘Oh, sorry, is our wedding interrupting your make-out session?’ he asks, raising an eyebrow at you.

‘No, we were planning to have dinner first, too,’ you reply evenly.

You pass Hoseok the box you have brought with you. You’d stopped at a bakery on the way to get him a slice of lemon drizzle as an apology for sharing Namjoon’s attributes with your sister.

‘It’s lemon drizzle,’ you tell him.

Hoseok accepts the cake, leaning forward to give you a hug. ‘I’m sorry I was so pissy with you,’ he says.

You shrug. ‘I’m sorry for accidentally sending Namjoon’s dick pics to Cari,’ you reply.

Jimin smiles charmingly at Hoseok, and Cari. ‘Do you mind if I take Y/N to dinner now? The venue looks perfect.’

Cari laughs as she embraces you. ‘I knew Jimin and you would date!’ she says quietly in your ear.

‘Because I’m irresistible?’ you ask, jokingly.

‘Yes. Also because he clearly has the biggest crush on you,’ she replies. She brushes your hair off your face fondly.

You laugh, surprised. ‘Of course he doesn’t.’

Cari rolls her eyes. ‘Called it when he came here with you that first time.’

***

At dinner, Jimin is distractingly flirtatious. It’s as though you kissing has let down his boundaries, and you’re seeing a side to him you haven’t seen before.

‘How’s your steak?’ he asks.

You chew and swallow. ‘Great. Want to try some?’ you ask, pushing your plate towards him.

‘Sure,’ Jimin says. He just looks at you, waiting, and you laugh.

‘Waiting for me to feed you?’ you ask.

Jimin just cocks an eyebrow at you, and you hold out a speared piece of steak on your fork.

Jimin’s plush lips close around your fork, and the tip of his tongue slips out, swiping at his bottom lip.

You raise an eyebrow at him.

Jimin chews slowly and swallows. You try not to watch how his throat moves.

‘Delicious,’ Jimin says, voice low, suggestive.

After dinner Jimin walks you home. You unlock your door and turn to him. He saves you any awkward small talk, and kisses you the instant you are facing him.

Jimin smells as pretty as he looks, and his woody musky scent fills your nostrils as his lips press against yours. He’s warm, and the gentle but firm pressure on your lips has you parting yours. He licks into your mouth and you realise his hands are around your waist.

‘Are we doing this, Jimin?’ you murmur to him, pulling him into your apartment.

Jimin’s lips curve in a smile. ‘Do you want to?’

You look up at him, and smile back. ‘Yeah. Do you?’

‘More than anything,’ he tells you.

Jimin has always appreciated symmetry, and the fact that your apartment is a mess is a stark contrast to how perfectly put together you are. He’s spent all day with you, and he hasn’t seen you touch your hair once, yet it falls in a riot of waves around your face, framing it like it’s a work of art.

Your eyes are wide, and the look in them as he pulls away from kissing you is making him feel a little crazy. Why do you look at him like that?

He doesn’t realise he’s asked the question out loud until you quirk your lips at him.

‘Like what, Park Jimin?’ you ask.

Jimin is distracted by the flash of your teeth, the curve of your cheeks. ‘Like you’re waiting for me to kiss you,’ he replies.

You giggle. ‘But I am.’

Jimin laughs and pulls you closer. He kisses your jaw, breathing in the scent of you. You smell bright, fresh, just like your personality. The sigh you make encourages him, and Jimin slides a hand over your collarbones, tugging at the top button on your shirt.

To his delight, you start unbuttoning your shirt, exposing an expanse of warm skin and an edge of lace.

‘Beautiful,’ Jimin says encouragingly. You’re starting to make more noises now, your hands tangling in his hair as he kisses down your chest.

Jimin takes a moment to appreciate the curve of your breasts in your black lacy bra before looking up at you for permission.

‘Can I?’

You are watching him, lips parted.

‘You have too many clothes on,’ you tell him.

Jimin thinks you have a point. He slips his jacket off, then his belt.

‘Dammit Jimin, you’re making a mess,’ you complain, nodding to the pile of clothes he is making on the floor, and the mischievous smile you give him makes his cock twitch in his trousers.

‘I get the sense you like mess,’ Jimin remarks. He undoes his trousers, and is gratified by the way your eyes fall to his cock, clearly outlined in his black boxer briefs.

You bite your lip. ‘Yeah, Jimin,’ you say, and you sound meeker than he’s ever heard you.

You grab Jimin’s hand, and he follows you to your bedroom. For all of his attention to detail, he doesn’t think he could name a single thing in it, because somehow, you’ve managed to shed all your clothes on the way, and damn you look great in black lingerie.

His cock surges in his briefs when your warm hand closes over it.

‘You want it?’ he asks, voice husky.

You look up at him. ‘Yes, Jimin,’ you say.

Jimin slips your panties down your sleek thighs and the sight of you makes him suck in a breath.

‘I think you’ll look really pretty around my cock,’ he tells you.

You grin at him. ‘Yeah?’

He leans over you, entering you, and your grin turns into a moan. You tighten around him, and Jimin kisses your neck as you arch back.

‘So good,’ you breathe, and Jimin hums approvingly.

Jimin lifts one of your legs to his hip, circling his hips as he thrusts into you. He fucks with the same precision he brings to his work, and like always, it’s you who gives first, spiralling into your pleasure, curving yourself around him, breathing his name.

Jimin bites you as he cums, teeth closing over the meat of your shoulder. He lays there on you for a minute, trying to catch his breath.

You hold him to you, and when he pushes up, propping himself up on his forearms, you smile.

‘Yes, Jimin?’ you say.

Jimin laughs. ‘You’re so annoying.’

You laugh. ‘But you like me anyway.’

‘That’s true,’ Jimin muses. He rolls over, away from you. ‘Did you know I’m getting promoted?’

‘Yeah?’ you ask, curious.

‘Jungho is moving me to lead his sub-team. I’ll be in the building, but we won’t be sharing an office anymore.’

You mull that over. ‘Can we still hang out?’

‘Yeah. You can still make me coffee.’

You shove a pillow over his head, and Jimin grabs your wrists. He pins them above your head, and you wriggle, intrigued.

‘Don’t stop liking me just because technically now I’m your superior,’ he says to you, giving you a smug little smile.

You raise an eyebrow. ‘Yes, Jimin,’ you say, half mocking, and you feel his cock twitch between your legs. ‘Oh,’ you say, intrigued. ‘You like that?’

‘God, so much, say it again,’ he says, all signs of his earlier smugness gone.

‘Yes, Jimin,’ you say, looking up at him through your eyelashes, and he is now hard enough to slip into you again.

You both sigh as he pushes in to the hilt.

‘God, you’re so messy,’ he says, but the look in his eyes tells you how much he loves it.

You want to reply but Jimin is now fucking into you again, and you moan instead.

***

You look up as the door to your office slams open.

The man standing in your doorway looks at you, eyes wide, lips slightly parted.

You smile. ‘Hi, I’m Y/N. Are you my new teammate?’

He steps forward, and leans over your desk to shake your hand. ‘I’m Jungkook.’

‘Welcome,’ you say, gesturing to your old desk. ‘That’s your space.’

Jungkook drops the cardboard box he’s holding onto the desk, and you both wince at the unmistakeable sound of something snapping.

‘Coffee?’ you offer, getting up to make some.

‘Sure,’ Jungkook says. He starts unpacking, and you shudder inwardly as you glimpse the jumble of crap he has in his box.

When you get back, coffees in hand, Jungkook is trying to log in to the desktop.

You hand him his mug and walk back to your desk. Your phone rings. It’s Jimin.

‘Lunch later?’ he asks.

‘Sure,’ you agree, eyes flicking to the messy pile of papers Jungkook has unceremoniously dumped on his desk. ‘How’s your new place?’

‘I’m on the thirtieth floor,’ Jimin says. ‘My office has floor to ceiling windows and an amazing view. Perfect for you to enjoy whilst I’m fucking you.’

His words pull a surprised laugh from you.

‘Better watch it, Park. Soon you’ll be sending me dick pics,’ you tease.

Jungkook’s head swivels around to look at you, and the tips of his ears turn pink.

Jimin laughs. ‘You seem to enjoy that, though.’

‘I gotta go,’ you say. ‘See you at lunch.’

You hang up and look at the spreadsheets you’ve just been sent from the Bexsero follow up.

Jungkook clears his throat. ‘Thanks for the coffee.’

‘No worries. Want me to catch you up on where we’re at with the Bexsero follow up?’ you ask.

You both look up as Seokjin pushes the door open. He gazes at you, and Jungkook.

‘I want an update on phase 4 tomorrow morning,’ he says, looking at you meaningfully.

‘We’ll be ready,’ you say smoothly. Jungkook coughs. Seokjin looks at you both a moment longer, nods then closes the door.

‘Don’t worry,’ you say reassuringly to Jungkook. ‘We’ll be ready.’

You smile, and Jungkook is so busy watching you he almost slops warm coffee over the front of his shirt. You both pretend not to notice and you get back to work.

***

You hurry up the last few steps, Jimin’s arm supporting you as you balance awkwardly on the cream silk heels your sister has chosen for her bridesmaids.

Jimin glances at you. ‘If I don’t remember to tell you later when I’m peeling you out of this dress, you look stunning.’ He smiles at you, his familiar flirty grin making you feel warm inside.

‘Thanks. You’re not too bad yourself,’ you say, nodding at his beautifully fitted rust-coloured suit.

You pause by the double doors of the wedding hall.

‘Ready?’ Jimin asks.

You nod. ‘Yes, Jimin,’ you say, throwing him a look.

Jimin’s silvery laughter rings in your ears as you head in to your sister’s wedding.

©hamsterclaw 2021

[forabeatofadrum]

Wielded by the righteous

Summary: Jamie learns to sword fight with Simon.

Notes: This post compiled a bunch of mostly cracky prompts that were posted in the Carry On Discord, and there are a lot of good ones, but the moment my eyes landed on @facewithoutheart‘s prompt about Jamie and Simon, my mind started writing it. So here it is.

AO3

--

SIMON

Jamie Salisbury is looking at the Excalibur that is sticking out of my new tea table as if it’s the most interesting thing in the world. Well, I don’t blame him for that. It once used to be his sword and it’s not like there’s anything else of interest in my flat to look at. And it also is not like there’s something to talk about. I’m an absolute shit host and I wonder what possessed me to invite Jamie to my flat.

Therapy. That’s what possessed me. I’ve gone back to therapy and my bloody therapist told me to invite Jamie to bond. She said it’d be good for me. (And I’m stupid and I believed her.)

Jamie’s been here for twenty whole agonising minutes. I’ve given him tea and he’s brought cake from home. We had some small talk about the cake and about my flat, but now we’re just both sitting in silence, staring at the ancestral sword of our family. (Our family. Huh, still getting used to that.)

I wish Baz were here, but the whole point of inviting Jamie was for the two of us to get to know each other a bit better. But this is going nowhere. I think Jamie is still a bit embarrassed about me having to find him locked in Smith-Richards’s basement and I honest to fucking God have no clue how to act. When Baz and Lady Salisbury are around, it’s less noticeable, since they’re fine with domineering the conversation, but they’re not here.

I asked Baz if he wanted to stick around. He was on his way out when I practically begged him to stay, but he just kissed my cheek and shook his head. He said some bullshit about how this is something I have to do myself for myself. Fucking therapy and whatnot.

I mean, I’m suppose I cannot ask him to be around all the time. He has a life and all that. He’s making friends at university and he’s thriving. I also cannot ask Penny to be my anchor, since she’s visiting Shepard’s mum in America.

But Penny would know how to break this terrible silence. And Baz actually bonded a bit with Jamie over topics like music and classic cars. I don’t know shit about that. Honestly, the only thing Jamie and I have in common is our last name. (Kind of. I’m still using Snow. I might never use Salisbury but technically I am a Salisbury.)

“So. Cake.” I say, again. I’ve already exhausted my comments about the cake, but the longer this silence stretches out, the worse it becomes.

“Good cake,” Jamie agrees.

“We can get another slice,” I say. It’s true. Lady Salisbury has given us an entire lemon drizzle cake. It’s really fucking good.

“That’d be nice.”

I take our plates and go to the kitchen to also catch my breath. Jesus fucking Christ. This is horrible. I feel like I have to be better, since he’s my uncle and everyone’s expecting us to have some kind of relationship, but this entire ordeal makes me want to go back in time and prevent past me from ever pulling that fucking sword out of Lady Salisbury’s dining table.

I splash some water on my face. I don’t know if it does anything, but it feels good. (Placebo effect, Baz would say.)

I get the cake box out of the fridge, but I cannot find my fucking kitchen knife. How the fuck do you lose a kitchen knife? This is why I need to go back to Ikea to buy more shit. I sigh and I reluctantly walk back to the living room. The sword will have to do.

Jamie watches how I pull the sword out of the tea table. I give him a quick nod to, I don’t know, acknowledge that he notices or whatever. Really, I am so fucking bad at this. I go back to the kitchen, open the box, and I suppress a sigh when I see that the kitchen knife is in the cake box. That’s apparently how you lose a kitchen knife. I still cut the cake with the sword, which is honestly pretty funny, and I take it back to the living room.

“Did you… just cut the cake with our sword?” Jamie sounds just as amused. He accepts the plate.

“Yeah,” I say with a cheeky grin. I put the sword back in the tea table.

Jamie lets out a genuine laugh and my grin widens. This is progress, right?

“Oh, mum would love that.”

I use one shoulder to shrug.

“It’s not like I have any use for it. Not anymore,” I say.

“Honestly, if it becomes a high functioning kitchen knife, then it’ll finally be useful for the first time in generations,” Jamie shrugs too. Is shrugging a Salisbury thing? “Grandma and dad always had it mounted on a wall. I sometimes stuck it in surfaces to make mum laugh, but it’s been a decoration for decades. Quite a pity.”

“Is it?” I ask. I mean, I never saw the Sword of Mages as a decoration, but I do know that people mount swords on their walls or put them in stones as some sort of sculpture. The Excalibur is seemingly no exception.

Jamie stares dreamingly at the sword.

“This sword has been in our family for decennia. It has been used in battle, I think, but now it’s been relegated to a wall decoration. I suppose it is a good thing that we no longer need it to fight or to defend ourselves, but I’ve always wanted to wield it like an actual sword, just for the fun of it. I just never learnt how. It must be so cool to actually know how to use an object as beautiful as this.”

“I can teach you!” I blurt out before I can stop myself.

Jamie has an amazed look on his face.

“But of course!” he says excitedly, and his excitement at the idea makes my nerves about this slowly disappear, “Of course, you’re an actual swordsman. You wielded the Sword of Mages for years and- oh!”

Jamie lets out a gasp and I look around to see if I missed anything.

But no, Jamie’s staring intensely at me. I think his eyes are becoming misty. I shrink under his gaze. This is very uncomfortable and confusing.

“Uh…” I say to voice my discomfort. (Another thing therapy is teaching me, although I think my therapist expects more than a simple ‘Uh…’.)

It does have the desired effect. Jamie quickly composes himself.

“Right, right! Sorry, it’s just, hah,” he laughs, “It’s poetic, isn’t it? You’ve gone from wielding your father’s sword to wielding your mother’s sword.”

“Right.” I wish Jamie hadn’t brought up the fact that the Mage is my father. I’ve known a little over two months now, but I still don’t think about it. Fuck, I still haven’t even told Penny. This is the longest I’ve gone without telling her shit.

“Oh, sorry!” Jamie quickly says. The Mage is a sore topic to everyone in the Salisbury family. My family. Yup, still weird. Jamie clears his throat. “But I’d be honoured if you want to teach me.”

“Don’t say honoured. It makes me sound like…” A Chosen One. Lady Salisbury has gotten over her awe of my quote-on-quote celebrity status, but it’s taking Jamie a bit longer. “Just say that it’s cool or whatever.”

“Yeah. It’s cool! My nephew teaching me how to use a sword is cool or whatever!”

“Whatever,” I repeat with a laugh.

“So, what’s, uh, the procedure now?” Jamie asks. He looks around the tiny Hackney Wick flat. It’s not a perfect place for big sword manoeuvres. The Salisbury house in Mayfair is bigger, but filled to the brim with stuff, so that’s not suitable either. I know the Salisburys also have a country home, but that’s a couple of hours up north.

“I’ll look into it,” I say.

--

And I do.

That evening, I’m telling Baz my plans. We’re sitting on my (still pink) sofa and we have a nice view of the sword. The tea table is a great addition to my flat!

I also tell him that Jamie’s visit became a lot more bearable, because I finally found a common interest and Jamie was very, very excited about the whole idea, so we spent the remainder of his visit talking about swords.

Baz looks fucking proud when he hears all of it.

“I need to get a second sword,” I tell him, “To spar. Where the fuck am I going to find a sword? I cannot summon the Sword of Mages.”

“And I wouldn’t want you to,” Baz murmurs. I ignore that.

“And why the fuck is London so jampacked with people and buildings? I can show him simple manoeuvres in here, on my side of the room-” Baz snorts “-but if he wants to go big, we cannot go home.”

“I’ll arrange a sword,” he says. I raise an eyebrow and he shrugs nonchalantly.

“You have a sword?”

“No, but my parents do. As Jamie said, a lot of people use swords as decorations. The Pitches might not have an Excalibur of their own, but there has to be something around the house. I’m driving up to Oxford this week anyway.”

I don’t go with him. We’re not there yet.

I nod. That’s one thing crossed off the list.

Now we only need a place to practise. Ideally I need a big open field, like the Great Lawn.

Then it hits me.

The Great Lawn! Watford!

“Hey Baz, does Agatha actually live at Watford now?” I ask.

“I honestly have no idea,” he answers.

“I’ll give her a call,” I say. It doesn’t have to be inside the school walls, also because I’m pretty sure Jamie and I can no longer open the gates, but it’d be nice to ask for permission to be around the school. There’s a lot of open space.

Well, in that case I should also ring Mitali Bunce, since she’s the headmistress now. Or Jamie can do so. I know now that headmistress Bunce and Jamie know each other through my mum. I trust Jamie to ask her for permission without letting it slip that I’m a Salisbury. (I want to tell Penny before I tell anyone else and yeah, I haven’t told Penny.)

Oh, it’s all coming together.

Baz leans his head on my shoulder.

“You sound happy, Snow.”

“I think I am,” I say and I press a kiss on the top of his head.

“You sound excited. I missed it.”

“I really love swords,” I simply say. I don’t want to unpack the true meaning of that comment. Not today. “I think it will all work out.”

--

Every week, Jamie comes to pick me up in his car. We drive to Watford with two swords in the trunk and a lot of sandwiches for lunch, because Lady Salisbury cannot let us go without them. Baz and Lady Salisbury come along at times, but most of the time, it’s just the two of us. This is our thing, after all.

Sometimes we practise outside of the walls, sometimes Agatha lets us in when she’s around. (That’s increasing a lot.)

I love being back at Watford, despite everything. I love being able to have my wings and tail out. I love occasionally flying with the goats. I love having something in common with Jamie.

It’s nice to have this thing with him to look forward to every week and to fall back on when life accelerates. I tell Penny and in extension the entire World of Mages the truth about my parents. I’m slowly meeting Baz’s family as his partner. People at Watford recognise me every now and then, which leads to awkward questions. Agatha at one point basically moves into Ebb’s old place.

But every Friday, I’m out here teaching my uncle the tricks of sword fighting. He’s ecstatic and a fast learner and during our breaks we get to know each other properly. We talk about my mum a lot and I’m slowly letting myself accept being part of this family.

And all of this because of a damn sword.

My mum’s sword.

I wield it with pride.

--

End notes: And then Mitali Bunce decides to start a combat class as some sort of extracurriculum and she asks Simon to teach it ✌.

[dsandrvk]

Friday, October 1 - Catania, part 2

After our walk around Taormina and a drive along the coast to see Isola Bella, a small island connected to the mainland by a narrow sand spit at most tides, we headed up the mountain. The foliage gradually changed from the more tropical cactus, aloe, and palms to pines and eventually small shrubs that can stand to grow in lava fields. In this direction the lava was quite old. Etna has been active for a long, long time, but it seems in the last couple of decades to have really woken up. There have been over 30 eruptions this year alone.

When we arrived in Catania this morning, Etna was shrouded in clouds and still was very patchy aa we drove uphill. The top of the volcano is over 11,000 feet high, but due to its volatility, no one is allowed up there. A major destination is Silvestri Crater, which is at about 6200 feet. From there one can take a cable car up a short distance and then ride a Jeep up still further, but as our tour guide said, all craters look pretty much the same. I hadn't realized that Etna has many, many craters as it has moved over the hot spot. Right now the main action is on the SE flank, which had a major eruption a couple of decades ago. Houses, churches and even the highway (now rebuilt) we took back were affected. This is also the area that caused the lava flow in 1669 that flowed all the way to the sea, and inundated Catania.

Up at Silvestri, there were no views as we went in for a wonderful lunch of bruschetta, pasta alla Norma, chicken scallopini, and lemon cake, accompanied by a jug of red wine. Tasty, and by the time we had finished, the fog had lifted enough that we were able to actually see up as far as our viewing angle would allow. As we completed our circuit, the clouds came down again and it started to drizzle. Perfect timing!

Giovanni told us how he used to gather molten lava on a metal rod and fill molds to make ashtrays for the tourist trade. One time he said he got a little too close and his nylon jacket melted! I think he finds guiding a bit easier (although it's always a bit like herding cats).

Although it wasn't planned, our guide took us on a walking tour of Catania before we got back to the ship. We were able to visit the university and see this incredible courtyard and saw monuments to Garibaldi (every town has one), Bellini (local composer made good) and an elephant, which is Catania's symbol. Catania also had a Roman amphitheater, but 90%of it has been built over.

The ship and the port authorities had scheduled a bomb training exercise for our little van when we got back to the dock, so we watched as they looked for the "bomb" - a piece of paper, diffused it (the bomb suit) and then finally cleared us. Of course, if it had been real, we probably wouldn't have been sitting above it watching.

All in all, a very nice day. Tomorrow on to Malta!