#josie x guest

[thesecretgossipdiary]

↳ request: oblivious crush ft. kaylee bryant & katie douglas

[smusherina]

yard work - chapter 8 (regina george x reader)

fandom: Mean Girls (all media)

pairing: Regina George x OFC/Reader

summary: You'd been in the same class as Regina George since kindergarten. You'd lived on the same street even longer. Once upon a time, when life was sandbox disputes and who got the swing first arguments, you'd even been friends. Now, in junior year of high school, you doubted she even remembered you. The same couldn't be said about you. You definitely remembered her.

warnings(s): not so much homophobia in this one! not even cigarettes!

chapter 1 / chapter 2 / chapter 3 / chapter 4 / chapter 5 / chapter 6 / chapter 7 / chapter 9

A snowball hit you on the back of the neck. Squealing like a pig and whirling around indignantly, you caught Kylie's eyes across the yard. Softball had made her aim dangerous. Luckily, you had one big advantage.

You lifted your arms above your head, miming a rearing bear, and charged towards her all the while bellowing like a beast. She giggled and began running away, rounding the pool. You gave chase, not even having to pretend to have a hard time since she was ridiculously athletic for her age, but eventually caught her. You hauled her into your arms and into the air, spinning around while cackling maniacally. She laughed and screeched in joy as you shook her around, screaming once you intentionally fell into the snow.

"I won!" She yelled in your face, cheeks rosy from the cold. Her grin was gap-toothed and so carefree.

"No! The snow monster caught you!" You protested playfully.

"Nuh-uh, I threw the last ball an' hit you- hit you square in- in the neck!" You'd heard from Mrs George that Kylie was in speech therapy for the stammer. In your opinion, it just made her cuter.

"The snow monster doesn't agree!" You lowered your voice and made it gruff, putting on the snow monster role, and stood up. She was tiny so there was no issue picking her up whenever you wanted. Holding her by the back of her jacket and knee, you threw her into the nearest snow pile.

"Again!" She stumbled down and out of the pile, back to where you stood, and you picked her up. Spinning around a few times, her legs flailing as you did, you launched her into the air sending the kid off in a great trajectory right back into the snow.

Before she could demand you manhandle her some more, you heard the backdoor slide open.

"Girls!" Mrs George hollered. "Josie and Riley are here!"

Your shoulders slumped in relief. You didn't know what you would've done if it'd been Mr George at the door. Kylie, eager to see her cousin and aunt, sprinted to the door. You lagged back, happy to be alone for a bit.

"Kylie! Kylie, through the garage please!" Mrs George waved her arms like a frazzled traffic guard, desperately not wanting wet floors. Kylie skidded to a stop right before the porch steps and swerved right, headed for the garage door now. You walked at a level pace behind her, knowing full well both the guests' attention would be taken up by the youngest of the Georges for at least the next half hour. Kylie had redecorated since they last visited after all. Priorities.

Your clothes were covered in snow, so due to be soaked pretty soon. You brushed off what you could but hung them up to dry nonetheless. You shot a text to Regina, asking for spare sweatpants 'cause your jeans were not suitable for inside wear. You got back a LOL. You crossed your fingers that meant yes.

"You did not put on that fugly sweater to meet my aunt and cousin." She said once she saw you. You could only shrug helplessly. You liked the sweater.

"I guess I did." You looked at the clothing in her arms. "That for me?"

"Yeah." She handed them over. You stared at her for a moment, waiting for her to either turn around or leave the room. When she didn't, you decided that, hey, she asked for it.

Unbuttoning and unzipping your jeans, you revealed a pair of Ironman boxers.

"Do you shop at the kids' section?" Regina sneered at you.

You winked in response. "I know you like 'em."

"Sure. Love 'em."

You pulled the sweatpants on. They were soft and grey and somehow exactly the right size.

"Did you get these from your dad?" You asked dubiously, not too thrilled by the prospect of wearing Mr George's clothes.

"No, they're for you," Regina responded as if it were obvious. "I got some stuff for you when we started talking. Like, it'd be really inconvenient if you had to go back home just to get a toothbrush or something when you were staying over." She expanded, sounding confident but fiddling with her nails. You'd driven her to an appointment a few days ago to get a new autumn set. "But then, y'know, we spent more time at yours so... Hasn't been much use."

"Huh. I should get something like that for you at mine."

"No." She grinned. "I like stealing your clothes."

"Do you use my toothbrush too?" You acted scandalized, hiding how her saying she liked your clothes made you giddy. She couldn't hate your sweaters that much, then.

She rolled her eyes. "No, idiot, I carry one in my purse always."

"Gotta always be prepared." You clicked your tongue and swung your arm in jest. "Did you already say hi to your relatives?"

"Yes, so now we can go hang out in my room until dinner." Regina grabbed you by the arm and dragged you out of the mudroom. You went pliantly but redirected your path to the living room before she could climb the stairs. You ignored Regina's groan.

Introductions happened swiftly. You were Regina's friend and your family was spending Thanksgiving elsewhere, leaving you in charge of the house. The story wasn't entirely truthful, but neither was it a lie. Riley was a bit younger than Regina but only by a year or two. You could tell she wanted to spend time with her older cousin so bad, but Regina was not enthused.

Luckily, Kylie wanted nothing more than Riley to play Wii with her in the basement. So, off they went. You sat on the couch next to Regina, subtly leaning back and putting your arm on the backrest behind her. You were being totally casual and cool. You weren't even sitting that close so it didn't even look like you had her arm around her. It was totally cool.

Mr George sat in the recliner, eyes trained on the TV. Some sports game was on, but you paid more attention to Mrs George and her sister.

"So, what do y'all wanna do when you get outta high school?" While Mrs George's Southern accent had dulled down over the years to a North-Western one, which meant she sounded like any other Illinois local, the same could not be said for Aunt Josie. Her Texas twang was prominent.

Regina went first. "College." You did so wish she could find it in herself to be a little nicer to her relatives.

"I'll probably take a full-time position at my dad's shop." That'd been the extent of your plans since forever ago.

Regina looked at you oddly, but didn't say anything.

Mrs George and Aunt Josie nodded along, mildly interested, then started talking about college these days and the state of youth in America. You excused yourselves from the conversation and pulled Regina into the kitchen.

"Mom forbids snacks on special days, you know this," Regina grumbled as you dug around in their pantry.

"Does this count as a snack?" You pulled out hot cocoa packets. They were probably ages old, been there since you used to regularly visit the George residence, but you didn't believe in expiration dates anyway. It was just powder.

"We could make real hot chocolate, though." Regina pointed out, eyeing the dusty packets with contempt.

"Well, we could spend some more time in the kitchen making all that and be roped into sitting with them again to drink or we could be quick and tactically retreat upstairs."

"Get the big mugs. We're putting at least two packs in one. And make it with milk."

So, you got to work. You, specifically, while Regina sat on the island and watched. You didn't mind. She looked really pretty. She kind of matched with you, coincidentally enough. Your sweater was a motley of orange and brown patterns and shapes, itchy on bare skin and more so frizzy than fluffy. Regina had a sweater too, and of the same colour scheme, but hers was much more refined, soft to the touch, and had sensible patterns. She had on a black skirt and white legwarmers.

You snuck upstairs with your steaming mugs, tiptoeing so you wouldn't be heard. Once in the safety of Regina's room, you quickly huddled up on the bed.

"Good, right?"

"Swiss chocolate would've been better." She took a sip. "That's really good, though. What is that?"

"I added a little cinnamon."

"It tastes a bit like Christmas," Regina said, looking at you above the rim of her cup as she drank.

"It's right around the corner." You got comfortable on the bed, laying on your side facing Regina.

"Ugh, I hate Christmas. Everybody always comes here, as if Uncle Charlie doesn't have a huge log cabin that he doesn't even use most of the year. If I have to share a bed with Luke this year, I'm quitting."

"He's your oldest cousin, right?"

"Yeah. He's a dick. Last year, he totally-"

As she got into the story, you were lulled into a sense of comfort. Safe in Regina's room, warm hot cocoa cup in your hands, her voice regaling her cousin Luke's douchebaggery, you could almost forget everything else.

You decided you didn't want to think about difficult things during Thanksgiving. Even if the holiday itself hadn't ever been sacred or even fun for you, the fact that you got to spend it at the Georges' made it special.

At one point or another, you felt Regina pluck the mug out of your hands.

"Hey..." You slurred, blinking awake.

"Shh, just go to sleep." She patted your shoulder. You mumbled sleepily and nodded. Somewhere in the distance, she giggled, her hand still warm on your shoulder.

You stirred a couple of times during your nap. At first, you saw Regina next to you reading. Still Catcher in the Rye. She didn't look your way and you fell back asleep.

The second time she was closer. Your eyes met and her hand squeezed yours. She smiled and shuffled closer. Had you not still been halfway to sleep, your heart would've beat right out of your chest.

The third time, her arm was around your waist and knee slotted between yours. It'd been a long time since you'd been held like this. You and Regina used to cuddle in bed for sleepovers, but those were so long ago. She'd always insisted on being the big spoon despite you being bigger. Even now, she had you by your waist while your hands were tucked close to your chest. Wiggling one out, you threw it around her back.

The fourth time was the last. Regina had rolled partly on top of you. Her cheek was pressed to your shoulder, arm secure around your belly, while her leg was bent over your hips. You were firmly held down. There was a gentle knock on the door before it creaked open.

"Sweetie, would you come down to help with dinner?" Mrs George was there, head poked into the room. You nodded with a smile. She eyed you two for a bit, a secretive sort of smile on her lips, before closing the door again.

You took meticulous care to not wake Regina up as you wriggled out of her hold. You replaced your body with a couple of pillows, hoping it'd be enough to keep her asleep a while longer.

After splashing some cold water on your face in the en suite bathroom, you headed downstairs.

"There you are," Mrs George waved you over. "Slice up those mushrooms, would you?"

You washed your hands and got to work. Mrs George and Josie were singing along to some music playing on the radio, chatting occasionally. Kylie and Riley were seated on the island playing on their Nintendo gadgets, at times demanding to taste the contents of the various pots on the stove. The sisters fed them spoonfuls dotingly. Mrs George came up to you a few times too, holding a spoon in one hand while the other was cupped under it, feeding you this and that. The gravy was really good.

The Georges were going all out, going above and beyond in both the taste and sheer amount of food. There were three courses, appetizer, entrée, and dessert. You could only dream of a spread like this and, maybe a little selfishly, you wished Mrs George would pack some of the leftovers for you. It sounded like an utter dream, food for days, good food for days. Mrs George's mac and cheese, buttery mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffed mushrooms, pear salad, heartily roasted vegetables—you could go on.

"Turkey's ready!" Josie called gleefully, clapping her oven mitts together. "Let's get her out, Judie."

Once the turkey was out and placed to the side to wait for dinner, you popped the green bean casserole in. Along with it went the mac and creamed Brussels sprouts. Kylie bemoaned the dish and made a big show of declaring she would not be eating Brussels sprouts in any way, shape or form. You kinda liked them, but it wasn't your favourite.

At some point or another, Regina came down, rubbing sleep dust from her eyes. Still groggy, she didn't even try to bat her mom's hands away when she started smoothing down her bedhead.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," You greeted from your spot at the stove. The job of stirring all the pots had been handed off to you.

"Morning," She yawned. "I'm not gonna get any sleep tonight. You should've woken me up."

"Sorry." You didn't really feel sorry, and she knew that, but that didn't stop you from patting her on the back in consolation. She leaned into you, mind clearly still addled from the nap of the century. She didn't like being touchy-feely in front of other people.

Just under two hours later, you were all ready to sit down for appetizers. You offered to help Mrs George with bringing the dishes back and forth, but she insisted she had it. It made you feel bad since she was the only one who didn't get to sit down and eat in peace. Under the strict eye of Mr George, you didn't dare to go against her wishes. You didn't know what he would take as disrespect or how he'd react to a guest misstepping in his house.

You mirrored Regina the whole time. You ate when she did, took more when she did, and focused on conversation when she did. The tactic was a safe one, but even so the shift in vibrations when around Mr George was palpable.

He didn't talk much. Mostly he just asked his daughters questions about school and their extracurriculars. He only nodded at Regina when she briefed him about the goings-on at school. He indulged Kylie's retelling of her most recent ball game with a subtle smile. He gave his compliments to Mrs George. It made your stomach twist, seeing Kylie beam like she'd won something when she got a smile out of him. Watching Mrs George's nearly full, almost untouched plate sit unattended as she busied herself with the pecan pie in the oven, you quietly wished he wasn't here at all.

Even though the air was soured by Mr George's aloof presence, the food was good. Delicious, immaculate, spectacular. Regina was a much slower eater than you, so you did eventually give up mirroring her because there was no way you were not stuffing yourself full. By the end of it, your stomach was maybe visibly distended and you could taste cranberry sauce at the back of your throat. It was a horrible feeling, but you wouldn't take any of it back.

Mr George went to his recliner, Mrs George and Josie retreated to the sitting room, and you were roped into playing video games with Kylie and Riley. Regina came too, seemingly pained.

The food baby melted away slowly as you watched Regina's younger replicas try their damndest to beat a boss in some game with a raccoon in blue. There was also a pink hippo and a green turtle. Eventually, they pawned the controller to you and told you to beat it. It took you a little bit to figure out the controls, but eventually, you were beating some tiger to the ground as a pink hippo. As you played, you noted that the plot was pretty good for a kids' game. You'd have to see if you could get it for yourself next time you went to GameStop.

With the boss beat, the younger girls took over again. Regina decided that that was enough and bid the two goodbyes, dragging you out with her.

"Not a fan of Sly Cooper?" You teased once she'd deposited you into her room. You walked in further and sat down on the floor, leaning against the frame of her bed.

She was looking at you like she never had before. Or maybe she had, but this was intense. She walked closer, forcing your neck to crane up as she stood above you.

"Reg?" You whispered, confused and a little wary. Had you fucked up somewhere?

"You always ruin the moment with that." She wasn't smiling, or scowling, and there wasn't anything hostile or hurt in her eyes. You couldn't read her. Unexplored territory. She came even closer, stepping so that her feet were on either side of your legs. Your vision blurred as she knelt down, straddling your things. She was soft, her usual perfume faded and mixed with the delectable smells of Thanksgiving dinner, and her hands were coming around your neck.

You swallowed, not daring to move lest you scared her off or something. What was she doing? She couldn't be, just, simply, that was too easy, you were being delusional-

She was soft there too. Glossy, tangy like cranberries, gentle and slow. She kissed you. Regina kissed you. You held your breath for a moment, not even realizing it, and shuddered as it released. She smiled against your mouth.

"C'mon, jorts." She whispered, lips brushing against yours as she talked. Her eyes, so close you couldn't really even look into them, glinted in mirth. "Kiss me back."

Your hands snared around her back, pulling her close to your body, as your lips found hers again. She giggled and you swallowed the sound, feeling it expand in your chest like sunlight.

Even hidden in her bedroom, sharing a kiss you didn't know would mean anything- could mean anything- there was nowhere else you'd rather have been.

Notes: We're still not at the climax. Or, well, we're very close, very much in it, but The Moment is yet to happen. Everybody knows it'll get worse before it gets better. That's just how it goes. So, have this fluff before it's yanked away from you! <3

Taglist: @autorasexy, @wedfan2, @unadulterated-moron, @modernsapphicism, @9unknown0, @sage-rose2000, @massive-honkas, @nattys-swiftie, @likefirenrain, @luz-enjoyer, @dandelions4us, @natashamaximoff-69, @alexkolax, @jareaul0ver, @here4theqts, @charleeeesworld, @natsbiggestfan1, @brocoliisscared, @yellowwallflowers, @scarlettbitchx, @ayoungexwife, @cyberbonesworld, @syddie-reads, @screechcat

(holy moly there's a lot of you. if you wanna be added to the taglist, say so in the comments!)

[hazelsmirrorball]

BOTTOMS THE PODCAST  | Hazel Callahan

Rockstar! Hazel Callahan x  Host! Reader Summary: Hazel Callahan is a special guest on The Bottoms podcast after Y/n said in a lie detector machine that she was her crush.  Warnings: Not proof read. Sorry for any mistakes, English isn't my main language.  a/n: Wrote this in my costume design class, something happy after that angsty Rockstar girlfriend chapter. I've been binge watching frenemies so that's how I got this idea. Hope you guys like it! I really love reading ur comments, they really make my day <3

Y/n always had a lot of things to say. All her life people would make fun of her because she never knew when to shut up. Maybe it was the fact that she knew a lot about several things  or the fact that she just enjoyed talking shit. But the girl could talk hours on end about things not knowing when to stop. Thankfully, Y/n had friends that liked to talk as much shit as her. Josie, PJ and Y/n could drag people like they were drinking water. So when they were offered to do a podcast the three of the girls agreed without hesitation. Getting paid to talk shit on the internet for an hour? That was an amazing deal. 

And by the looks of it, everyone around them agreed that talking shit was good since they were having a godly amount of streams daily. The girls had decided to name the podcast “Bottoms” and it took place in a small studio in downtown. The girls wanted the studio to look as cozy as possible. So instead of a serious looking podcast they decided to decorate the room with vibrant colors and random knick knacks, the three girls had a say in how the studio looked so at the end of customizing it they had an unintentional division of their areas. Different colors and decorations that made their area theirs but the only thing the girls had agreed on was having bean bags as chairs, that was the best part. 

Their podcast “Bottoms” was popping off, so the girls had come up with several ideas to not make the podcast repetitive or boring. Costumes, themes, breakdowns and most importantly, special guests. Due to the fact that people actually like them, there were a lot of celebrities that surprisingly wanted to be on the show. So in the last episode when Y/n was attached to a lie detector machine and was asked if famous rock star, Hazel Callahan, was attractive. She had rambled about her crush not thinking that Hazel was going to hear the podcast let alone be the next guest on it. 

There she was, academy award winning rockstar, Hazel Callahan, sitting across from her. Her hair was messily styled as she threw her head back laughing at something PJ had said, her pearly whites showing through. She slammed her ring covered hands as she attempted to stop her laughing fit.  For the first time in Y/n’s life she was speechless. Hazel was beautiful, Y/n knew that. But having her so close by made Y/n malfunction with her beauty. Hazel was sculpted by god and being near her made Y/n feel things she couldn’t say on air. Y/n wasn’t going to survive an hour of talking, she glanced at the timer that was behind the cameras noticing the 00:10  on the screen. Ten minutes and she hadn’t said a single word. Ten minutes of her staring at Hazel while she talked about the tour and her life.  The only thing viewers could possibly see was her staring lovingly at Hazel and if she had to see a compilation on youtube  of her staring at Hazel she was going to lose it. 

“Damn, Y/n. Cat got your tongue? See people…Y/n likes talking shit about how much game she has. But as of right now she barely said hello to Hazel. May I remind you guys that in the   last episode she said that Hazel was her dream girl and that she could take h…” PJ started pulling the microphone towards her as everyone focused her eyes on Y/n, including those damn blue eyes. Y/n could feel her body tense up but she quickly analyzed where PJ was going, so she slammed her hands on the table interrupting, PJ. 

“Miss Callahan, Do you have a girlfriend? The people want to know” Y/n managed to get out. But after hearing herself in her headphones  say those words she felt herself cringe instantly regretting asking that. Miss Callahan? Who the hell did she think she was speaking to? Y/n moved on her bean bag chair noticing how it sucked her up. Y/n closed her eyes not wanting to face even more embarrassment while she heard Josie and PJ attempting to hold in their laughs. 

“I’m single, actually. So I hope that’s good for the people.” Hazel said, pulling her mic towards her with her ring covered hand. Hazel quickly shifted on the bean bag crossing her leg on top of the other one resting her hands. 

“Oh, but there’s a rumor that rock stars get puss. You don’t have groupies all over you after shows. I’ve heard your name countless times, supposedly you're a pussy pleaser in the community. Opinions on that.” PJ added trying to stir up the pot for the episode. Y/n stared at PJ agape not believing the words that were slipping out of her mouth. Hazel let out a loud laugh, surprising the three of them. 

“The question was if I was single, not how much I got laid. But I’m glad you’ve done your research. Not a lot of people mention my supposed pussy pleaser ways in interviews, which makes this one intriguing. So thank you for putting that out there” Hazel said sarcastically while attempting to hold in her laugh. 

“Supposedly?” Y/n let out looking at Hazel slightly. She quickly gripped on her head regretting letting that slip noticing the cocky look on Y/n’s face. 

“Well, I can’t confirm the rumors myself but if you want, we can test that theory.” Hazel replied, sending a wink towards Y/n direction. PJ gasped loudly hitting the table once again. 

“You're good. Like a god, never have I seen Y/n this quiet. What is going on?”  PJ said in between laughs while looking all around the set. 

“I don’t want to be cocky but if we get past this pod, I’ll promise you she’ll be really vocal and loud. But that’s not important right now…How about you? Are you single Miss L/n? I want to know” Y/n looked up, her face completely flushed as Hazel grinned towards knowing the effect her words had on Y/n. 

“What are you  supposed to be?” Y/n said quickly trying to change the subject off her once again. Hazel looks down at her outfit trying to hide her smile while Josie instantly notices her discomfort so she takes the lead clearing her throat. 

“What Y/n is trying to ask is,  what is your costume? For all of you guys that don’t know we are in halloween. We have been doing different themes for each episode to dress up and all that.  By  the looks of it you’ve always dressed up. But if you do not dress up then I like your new style. It makes your eyes pop” So why don’t we go around the room and say what we are dressed up as. The theme this week is crush. It can be a fictional crush, celebrity crush, real crush, whatever crush you want. So I decided on dressing up as my lovely girlfriend, Isabel. My biggest crush in the whole world. Shout out to you, babe.  She did my makeup and styled me this morning. Who’s next? ” Josie said as she pulled her flower dress down as PJ applauded obnoxiously loud making Y/n cringe one again. Hazel reached towards the water in front of her arms slowly grazing Y/n’s leg making her tense up once again. 

“Y/n, why don’t you go? Who are you supposed to be, Anakin Skywalker?” PJ asked in a joking tone while turning towards her. 

“First off all, Fuck you. Second of all I was told that our costume was going to be fictional characters not crushes.” Y/n started while fixing her robes. Josie chuckled, pulling out her phone to check  the email while Pj shook her head. 

“Don’t worry, Y/n. For you it’s the same person that’s why we didn’t tell you anything. We didn’t want you to be a more blushing mess than you already are. So don’t be such a puss and tell the camera who are you dressed up as” PJ continued pointing at the camera while Y/n rolled her eyes.  

“I’m dressed up as Kit Tanthalos from Disney’s Willow” She muttered into the mic while glaring at PJ ignoring Hazel’s eyes. 

“Wait isn’t that, Hazel's character in that show she’s in,” Josie started making Y/n groan throwing her head back clearly embarrassed. 

“You know what I want to know, what the hell is PJ dressed up as. Who’s your crush” Y/n said quickly, making PJ look down at her shirt. 

“I’m dressed as a Milf, obviously. I know Hazel being here has taken your common sense but we need you to be attentive. Now, Hazel. Who’s your celebrity crush?” PJ asked, turning to Hazel. Hazel smiled widely, turning to Y/n, not unlocking their eyes. 

“Well, I decided to dress up as my favorite podcaster. I thought my outfit was pretty obvious.” Hazel said standing up, giving an awkward turn. Y/n could feel her face turn completely red noticing that her outfit mimicked one that was recently posted on her instagram story. 

“You see guys, this is how we make love in this podcast. In the next episode we will probably talk about all the puss Y/n got.” PJ almost screamed into the mic. 

...

Thank You Guys For Reading!

[reqxxyt]

why not december

pairings: oscar p. x f!reader

summary: after discovering the man who once had your heart soaring from a glance was your bestfriends boyfriend, you are confronted with conflicting feelings, needing them to die down but all they do is grow the longer you know him. (part one)

disclaimer: heavily inspired by 'One Day in December' Josie Silver. This is a part two to 'followed by december'

warning: angst, falling in love at first sight, reader is a homewrecker..., cursing

masterlist requests are open!

[uedited] 2.5k

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

“y/n?” What was it that made your heart go on a mile drive when you heard your own name called by him? Clearly, your silence as a response didn’t work in your favor, walking forward now leaning against the railing beside you, where you once had peace of mind. The silence lasted only a couple of moments before he finally began “Do you by any chance-”

“y/n!” was now your sister calling for you and looking for any chance to escape, you glanced at him for a second before excusing yourself grateful she cut him off. You walked up to your sister with a soft smile, appearing fine. Because you had to. “Have you received any news on the photographer?”

“Yeah, he’s already at the reception” you reassured her, allowing her to take a deep breath knowing how stressful weddings can be, it took a lot to convince her to have a big wedding from your mom but in the end, your sister ended up winning (being the bride and all) but even then, a small wedding is just as stressful. So you hand her your best smile, a genuine one meaning to reassure “Don’t worry about anything, I got this”

“You’re the best” she complimented and while you usually answered with an ‘always’, you found yourself staying silent, a tight smile tugging on your lips, almost forceful but your sister, already juggling with enough possible problems, didn't notice.

A couple of hours later you managed to not run into Oscar with having to arrange the reception and making sure everything stood perfect until it officially started, guests pouring into their designated places. Until you finally realized, because Martha was the only bearable person that wasn’t your sister, you and she had to sit together. She and Oscar, because he was her plus one. 

Why didn’t you realize this sooner? Now, you had no choice but to eat in front of the person that nearly made you want to throw up, feeling guilty. Instead of enjoying the food, you found yourself picking at it. 

“You okay, y/n?” Martha's sympathetic gaze met yours, which was meant to help but was indeed doing the opposite. 

“Not hungry” you made a poor excuse before glancing at Oscar, taking a quick breath. You needed to appear normal, and while normally you hated interacting with others, you needed to appear like a good friend, because at the moment you felt like a terrible one “So, uhh Oscar, do you study?”

You didn’t miss his look of surprise, you instigated the conversation. But it was your poor excuse for trying to appear normal. Hey, maybe he had a terrible personality in compatibility? That was your only hope at this point. 

“Yeah, literature and English,” he said, taking a sip of his drink and now you find yourself to be stunned. Martha gave you a proud smile, knowing it was the same major as yours. She really wanted you to get along with him.

“That's– that's great” You nod with a small smile, not being able to form a proper sentence. He gave you a soft smile, his eyes brightening but you blamed it on the lights behind you. 

“Yeah, Martha told me you study the same. What university?” He placed his fork down, putting his all attention on you. There seemed to be something behind those eyes, recognition almost but you doubted it. It's been a year, and you never spoke to him up until today, but your heart is aching either way. 

“Adelaide,” you told him, nodding along and his smile only got bigger, you wanted to sink lower into your chair. You took a glance at Martha, and she only held a comfortable smile, no sign of anything wrong. The pit in your stomach grew, in any other scenario you would probably lie to him, make him believe you weren't the girl that made him stop and stare a year ago. But Martha knew everything about you.

“She spent the entire month in the library, practically had to drag her out of there last year” Martha joked and internal panic started to settle, knowing where she was going with this when you spotted the spark in her eyes, “Hey, Oscar does too, maybe he knows about-“ 

“I moved on” you replied quickly and she gave you a strange look, confused to say the least before turning back to Oscar seeing his curious gaze now. Looking back at Martha with a small smile “It was silly anyway”

“Oh, okay” Martha’s gaze dropped, a bit disappointed, taking a sip of her champagne before the presentation began and just like everything my sister, Isabella wanted, it was perfect. Except for the constant glances you would hand to Oscar, to which he glanced at Martha. Forcing your eyes back on the center couple, you lifted your gaze, smile dropped an inch as you clapped along with everyone, canceling out the thunder of your heartbeat. 

Oscar went to the bathroom after that, Martha took another sip of her champagne, turning to me with a mischievous yet excited smile on her features, one that pinched her eyes, a blush slowly but surely rising onto her cheeks. 

"So?" she asked, you gave her a raised eyebrow, pretending to be confused because the last thing you wanted to do was spill your feelings about her boyfriend who she seemed to be fawning over as well. "Oscar," she said, and the way the name so simply rolled out of her mouth, you had to swallow the lump in your throat that began to form. She was clearly in the process of falling in love and you hated the thought of being the one to wreck that. 

"Yeah, he's great" again, a forced smile. But Martha recognized it, immediately dropping her smile making your heart quicken. 

"Just great?" her words don't sound convinced, barely heard over the music blasting. You hated the look on her face, disappointed. But because she was Martha, she took in a deep breath after a silent response, putting back her smile only smaller this time "Do you like him?"

"What?" you couldn't tell if your stomach dropped or if you malfunctioned in the moment but to the best of your attempt, you shook your head, a laugh, one wanting to be genuinely exiting, realizing what she meant, "I think he's perfect for you"

"you think?" her own eyes grew in adoration at the thought that he could be the one, while you clenched your jaw nodding with a small, soft smile before Oscar could arrive back, inviting Martha out to the dance floor leaving you at the table with only your niece in sight, who held her iPad in her hands. 

Only an hour later, Martha stumbled back to her chair with a chuckling Oscar, having his arm around her waist as support. You couldn't help but let out a small giggle, seeing her state as you helped her sit down, you gave a glance to Oscar noticing his flushed cheeks, probably having a few drinks himself and you can't help but think back to last year, his red tinted cheeks and nose, caused by the cold. You wonder if they would do the same now, but you looked away before he could notice your stare. 

"I guess I learned how much of a lightweight she can be" he tried to joke but you could only let out a small smile.

Only a couple of moments later, Martha had slung herself forward, resting her head on the table, sound asleep. You wonder how it was possible, considering the music being blasted but just rubbed her back instead. 

"What year did you graduate?" Oscar suddenly asked, you almost didn't hear him but you swallowed whatever you normally would try to pull and decided: fuck it, you can befriend him because once thing you didn't want to appear as a bitch that wouldn't talk to her best friends boyfriend just because of a silly thing… very silly (send prayers). 

"2021" you said simply, not in a rude way, glancing up at him to answer his own question. 

"2020" he said, understanding your look. "Martha told me you're into films, any favorites?"

A smile naturally rose to your cheeks, sparking an interest in the conversation, and just like that, you found yourself having the best conversation you've ever held in your life. Questions were thrown, answers were given, and while some lead to arguments and disagreements they ended with laughter. You've never felt so close to someone in such a small amount of time. 

It was only until midnight when you realized how late it was getting, servers picking up empty plates and the music began to repeat. Your sister gave you a glance, seeing you enjoy yourself not taking notice of who exactly it was that had your heart open in such a way that your natural smile and laughter would leak. 

"I'll take her home" you offered and Oscar nodded, not wanting to argue but either way you took his offer of having him help carry her to your car. On the walk over, the moments were silent until Oscar said

"if only you didn't leave so soon last year" making you stop in your tracks, you wanted, to dare yourself to believe you had misheard him. But he looked back, still with his arm around your best friend only a couple of feet from your car. Something between an amused smile and a small smirk on display as he tilted his head at you "You forgot, huh?"

You considered lying, hell you should've but instead, you said, softly "No, I didn't" before looking back down, forcing a foot in front of the other before you got to your passenger door, opening it for him to place Martha inside, an insane good excuse as to why he should've never brought it up. 

"I never saw you after that" he whispered, but you shook your head not allowing his words to register long enough to travel where it hurt most. Before he could reach out, you stepped back, wrapping your arms against your chest, body disgusted by all the wants you wanted at the moment. 

Your first thoughts should've been Martha. You were about to open your mouth to say something, but quickly closed it once spotting his upset look dropping whatever speech you made up in a matter of seconds. 

"I know we shouldn't-" he started. 

"No. Don't say anything" you interrupted him, shaking your head not sure if angry at yourself or just overall upset. "Whatever happened last year was clearly just some fucked feelings that occurred after a series of sleepless nights."

"So you feel nothing at the moment?" he countered, taking a step forward. "Absolutely nothing?" his voice low, in a desperate tone, daring me to say the words, ones that he both didn't and wanted nothing more than to hear. 

"No," you said softly, now at a small distance to where you could smell his cologne, mixed with Martha and you felt your own heartache at the familiar scent, stomach-churning now. You shake your head "I can't do this to Martha" stepping beside him and getting in the car, driving the miles to where you hoped he would be buried in your thoughts. 

You felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. Except for guilt as you glanced at Martha for the feelings you held for her boyfriend. Absolutely nothing, your head told you. 

"we broke up" with stained makeup, Martha walked into your bedroom only two months later and you immediately sat up at the news. With a crack in her voice, she softly asked "That's okay, right? You never like him anyway?"

You swallowed the pit back into your stomach, just nodding for encouragement. The truth was that after the wedding, you made up excuses to not hang out with them, denying any plans that could involve him. 

"No, he was a douche" made her chuckle, just hearing her laugh made the corners of your lips lift up. You never wanted to hurt her, had no intention. 

You spent the entire day comforting her and by the end of it, as expected went to the club. Getting wasted with her, although to your high dislike of alcohol, allowed her to drag you to try a couple of sips. The morning after, Martha ended up at some guy's place while you decided to go back home. 

Yet, with very little alcohol having drunk, you still woke up with a throbbing headache. Driving yourself to the local coffee shop, just as a treat, which ended you in front of a bookstore you've been meaning to visit. 

Sipping on your coffee did little to relieve your headache as you scattered around to look for books of interest.

"stalking me, y/n?" the soft, teasing voice nearly sent you to drop the book you were holding. You instead swallowed your fright, looking up at him seeing him with a small smile. Just as you expected, Oscar "It's been a while"

"Yeah," you only said, about to walk away. This was wrong. Not sure whether worse but wrong in any sense. 

"Are you really trying to ignore me now?" His surprised but upset tone followed you through every corner at a fast pace. "I'm not trying to start anything" Exhaustion being heard is what now makes your tracks slow down before coming to a stop. 

"You broke up with her, why?" you turned to him, looking up at him still in a hushed town, aware of their surroundings. He gave you a look of confusion, shaking his head.

"Is that what she told you?" he asked, looking a bit irritated and you only nodded, now the one confused. "She broke up with me. Said she noticed how I fell out of love with her. Said the spark was no longer there"

Your eyes narrowed up at him, realizing he was telling the truth, either that or he was one hell of a good liar but remembering from the wedding, he wasn't the best. "She always was a romantic" You can't help but release a soft smile, thinking about it. Yes, Martha believed in love, she wasn't the only one, but she was a hopeless romantic, believed that the second a relationship loses its spark, its game over, onto the next. 

His eyes gathered a cloud of sadness, "yeah" a small whisper. "Look I know, normally an ex-girlfriend's friend is off limits but" he paused, taking in a quick breath and you can't help but hold yours "Why not, just try being friends? I don't want to lose our spark.. of friendship obviously"

Biting your lip, thinking for a moment as your head pounding was interfering with your moral thoughts, saying a simple "Sure, I can do that"

୨♡୧⠀

tags: @ladywhistledownx @almostjollypizza @hevburn @81astri @thatsdemko @elamultistan

hope i didn't disappoint-

[moonlightisdancing]

Something Old, Something New/j.t.k

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x Female Reader

Word Count: 3495

Content Warning: [18+ Minors DNI] wedding/soft/girl-dad jake, soft twin moment, uncle/aunt talk, mention of alcohol, very light pirate play (if you squint), fingering (private and sorta public), accidental edging, bondage, hot wax, oral (f receiving), biting, sword play (no blood or cutting), praise, breeding

••≫────≪•◦ ⚓️ ◦•≫────≪••

“We ask that all guests please stand for the bride.”

Jake’s standing at the altar, waiting for the moment he’s anticipated since the day he met you. Josh is his best man, Sam and Danny standing behind Josh as groomsmen. Your sister is your maid of honor, Josie and Ronnie are your bridesmaids. Your daughter stands alongside Josie holding a basket filled with red and black petals. Everyone’s turned to the doors behind them, eagerly waiting for you to walk down the aisle. This will be the first time anyone but your mom has seen you in your elegant dress. Your dress is long, black and lacey, a more gothic approach to incorporate you and Jake’s aesthetic. You slowly stride down the aisle, looking at Jake as if he’s the only person in the room. He starts to tear up as he turns away facing Josh.

“Oh man, I can’t- she’s so gorgeous.” Jake mumbles to Josh as he drags his fingers across his eyes.

“Jake, you got this. She does look beautiful.” Josh pats his twin’s shoulder and spins him around.

“Daddy, are you sad?” Your daughter lets go of Josie’s hand and walks towards Jake.

“No, baby. Daddy’s not sad, both of my girls are just too pretty.” Jake picks her up and places her on his hip, he takes the basket out of her hand so it doesn’t hit anyone.

“Daddy! My basket!” She giggles as Jake hands it off to Josie.

“Aunt Josie’s gonna hold it so you don’t get Mommy with it, okay?” He says kissing her forehead as she nods in agreement.

All of the guests are giggling at the exchange between Jake and his daughter as you make your way to the altar. Jake turns and hands off the little one to her Uncle Sammy. It’s no secret her Uncle Sammy is her favorite, he lets her play with Rosebud and Sam had started teaching her piano on the weekends. Once Jake returns his attention to you, he grabs both of your hands and whispers, “You are so gorgeous.” Emotions have visibly taken over the room as you stand with Jake, the bride and groom before their entire family. Josh and Danny have little tears in their eyes, and Sam would if his niece wasn’t trying to make him giggle. You can’t see the girls behind you, but you can hear sniffles amongst your side. Jake’s instructed to give his vows, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a folded up piece of paper.

“I hope these words make sense, I had Josh help me write it since words are kinda his thing,” He chuckled and the room followed suit, “My beautiful girl, as I stand here, my heart overflows with an intensity of emotion that words can’t describe. I have loved you with every beat of my heart, and I will continue to pass the day I die. I promise to be your unwavering support, your protector and your greatest admirer. You are the fire that ignites my spirit, and the melody that sings in my heart, lighting an eternal flame marked forever by our love. I am deeply in love with you and cherish every day I get to call you mine.”

After the room coos and tears up, you’re instructed to give your vows. Josie hands you a folded paper.

“I didn’t ask Josh for help, but now I’m wishing I had…” Everyone laughs again, riding the ups and downs on the rollercoaster of emotions. “Jacob, from the depths of my soul, I love you. You are the anchor that keeps me grounded and the strength that lifts me up. The moon guiding me through darkness. I promise to continue giving you my unconditional support and love. In your arms, I have found my home, my sanctuary. You are my soulmate and I am eternally grateful to call you mine. I love you forever, my darling.”

Jake’s eyes were glazed over with tears, one blink would release the floodgates. The two of you exchange “I do’s” before you hear the magic words, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Mr. Kiszka, you may kiss your bride!” Jake wraps his arm around you placing his left hand at the small of your back, his right arm at the nape of your neck. He presses you into his body with all he has, holding onto you for dear life. The room fills with joyous crying, clapping and cheering as the two of you kiss for the first time as husband and wife. The kiss engulfs you, melting away the background noise and again it feels like you and Jake are the only ones in the room. He pulls away and whispers into your ear, “I can’t wait until later.”

After the ceremony everyone heads to a nearby beach for the reception. The beach is set up with tents and tables for guests to sit at. The center pieces for the tables are tiny glass skull bottles filled with sand from Tybee Island, where Jake proposed to you. The bottles are sealed with white wax, surrounded by chains and ship rope. There’s a barrel with a helm resting against it, topped with a big glass bottle that says “leave us a message.” Guests are encouraged to write you guys a note on some aged paper and pop it into the bottle for you to read later. The night is spent celebrating with one another, dancing, laughing, drinking, making memories.

“Alright, we ask the bride and groom to make their way to the dance floor for their first dance.” Jake takes your hand as you guys work your way to the front of the party. At Last by Etta James starts playing as Jake pulls you close to his chest. The sun has set, the autumn air is crisp and lit by fairy lights hanging around the edges of the canopies. You rest your face on Jake’s shoulder and your moves melt together. He leans his head closer to your ear and whispers, “A little longer and I can have you the way we both need.” He kisses your cheek and presses his face into you, shivers are sent down your spine.

As the night progresses, you reach the fun part, garter removing and bouquet tossing. You guys decided on tossing a plastic skull with a black rose in its eye instead of a full bouquet of flowers. Your sister catches the skull but opts to hand it off to Josie, “I will NOT be the next one married, you have fun with that Jo!” Josie giggles and takes the skull from your sister, placing it on her table as they return back to their seats. A chair is brought up for you to sit in, prepping for Jake to remove the garter from your thigh. Hot in Herre starts playing as Jake gets on his hands and knees, looking up at you with brown doe eyes. You mouth to him “We should do this later.” He giggles before sticking his head under your dress. You always felt that this was an awkward thing to watch at the few weddings you’d been to, but you never imagined how weird it would feel being the one in the chair. Jake decides to play dirty with you where everybody’s watching, but none of them can see. He drags his tongue all the way up your leg, teasing the inside of your thigh before you feel his teeth bite at your skin. He’s nowhere near the garter, purposefully trying to get a rise out of you in front of everybody. Catching on to his game you don’t give in, Jake gives up and drags the garter down your thigh, kissing your ankle before sliding it off your leg entirely and removing his head from under your dress. He stands up, tosses the garter and kisses you on your lips. For the remainder of the night you can’t help but think about your after party, just you and your husband. As the night wraps up, everyone says their goodbyes, Sam hangs behind with you, Jake and your daughter.

“Her overnight bag should be in your car, Mom said she put it in there before the ceremony.” Jake says to Sam.

“Yep! Right in the front seat! Mom set up her car seat too, I was afraid I’d put it in wrong.” Sam still hasn’t figured out the car seat yet even though it’s been 3 years.

“Okay, baby. You’re gonna spend the night at Uncle Sammy’s, Mommy and Daddy will see you tomorrow.” Jake picks up your daughter and squeezes her, swaying back and forth, rapid firing kisses on her cheek, giggles escaping from both of them.

Sam gives you a hug, “Congratulations, you look gorgeous.” Jake hands off the child to you so you can say goodbye. While you’re hugging her and kissing her cheeks, Sam hugs and congratulates his brother. He grabs his niece from you, “Say bye-bye to Mommy and Daddy.” He waves his arm so she follows suit. As they’re walking away you hear her ask, “Uncle Sammy, I can play with my Rosie tonight?” He’s too far away for you to hear now, but you see his shoulders bounce in a chuckle.

“You ready, baby?” He looks at you with heavy eyes, grabbing your waist.

“Always.” You wrap your arms around his torso.

There’s a black SUV waiting to bring you guys back home, Karen made sure a ride would be set up so you guys could enjoy your night and celebrate. You guys get into the SUV, and before the driver pulls off Jake is all over you. Luckily there was a divider between the two of you and the driver, granted it was just a sliding window, that doesn’t stop Jake from warming you up. He starts kissing any bit of your skin exposed, touching you in any way he can that won’t elicit too much attention from the driver. He runs his hands up your dress, dragging his rough fingers over your skin making his way to your hips. His lips are moving up your neck from your chest until he reaches your ear, tucking his thumbs into the waistband of your panties, he nibbles your ear.

“Can I take these off?” He whispers in your ear, tugging at your panties for approval.

“Anything you want, Captain.” You respond, waiting for any response regarding the pet name .

“Oh, naughty. You wanna walk this plank tonight?”

“Only if you help me control the waves.”

He slowly starts to pull your panties down your thighs, you lift up off the leather seat so he can slide them down your legs and off of your ankles. He raises them to his nose, taking in your scent , “If you make any noise, these go in your mouth, understand?” You shake your head ‘yes’ as he tucks your panties into his pocket. He puts his hands back under your dress, reaching for your exposed clit. Jake starts to work soft circles over you, just enough to make you writhe under his touch. He kisses up your neck again, making sure to leave marks, your breaths become sharp as you try to keep quiet. He drags his fingers down between your folds, collecting your slick on his fingers. Lingering his ring and middle finger at your entrance, he locks eye contact and pulls the top of your dress down with his free hand, exposing your left breast to the cool air. He keeps his eyes locked with yours watching for any sign of discomfort as he works his calloused fingers in, moving his warm tongue across your nipple. His thumb finds its way to your clit, you feel yourself getting closer but your orgasm is put on standby.

“We’re here, Mr. and Mrs. Kiszka.” The driver taps on the tinted window.

“Fuck, I’m sorry, baby. You know I don’t like doing that to you. Let me help you.” Jake mutters as he removes his fingers and helps you pull your dress over your breasts.

You guys stumble out of the van, Jake gets out the same side as you and picks you up bridal style. He carries you inside, flicking on the light with your heel. He sits you on the couch and gets on his knees to take your heels off, kissing the top of each foot after removing them.

“Tell me when you’re ready.” Jake’s rubbing his hands up and down your calves.

“I’m ready, Captain.” You giggle and reach down to run your fingers through his hair.

He stands up and grabs your hands, leading you off the couch, picking you up and tossing you over his shoulder. As he’s carrying you into the room you see an array of items splayed out across the dresser’s surface. A lit candle, rope and a sword to be exact. He gently tosses you onto the bed, making quick work to remove your wedding dress. You’re sitting naked on the bed as Jake goes and grabs the rope from the display.

“If it’s too much, tell me.”

“I will, Jakey.”

He lays you back on the bed, situating your legs open, tying each ankle to a bed post with a single column tie knot.

“Is that too tight?”

“No.”

Jake nods as he reaches up for your hands, tying them together in a simple handcuff knot, pushing them up above your head, body on full display. He goes back to the dresser and picks up the candle. You guys have only tried wax play once before, but it turned out well enough for you to agree to trying it again. Making his way back over, he hovers over your body tipping the candle at an angle. The hot wax drips onto your sternum and down your belly, earning Jake an audible gasp. The look in your eyes is one of pleasure and excitement. He lets a few more drops of wax find their way onto your skin, pooling in your dips. Once he’s satisfied with the coverage, he blows the candle out and returns it to the dresser. Impatience settles in while Jake’s waiting for the wax to solidify, he starts kissing you from the tops of your feet, trailing up your leg until he reaches your thigh, gently biting the flesh.

“Do you wanna try something old, or something new?” His eyes find their way to your face between the valley of your breasts.

“Something new.”

He stands back up and reaches for the sword off of the dresser. “It’s not sharp.” He drags the blade across the back of his arm to ensure you, but you know Jake would never do anything to harm you. He’s waving the sword in tiny figure 8s in front of himself as he walks towards you. He drags the cold blade up your leg and presses it on your clit, pulling away and gently tapping you with it, you jerk your body up. The sword finds its way to the wax pooling on your stomach as Jake scrapes it off with the back of the blade, squirming under the cold metal.

“You’re such a good girl, you know that?” He bends down and bites your stomach, cooling the sting with the blade.

Jake undoes his belt with one hand, placing the sword beside you on the bed with the other. He begins getting undressed, standing before you entirely unclothed. His cock is hard, hanging between his thighs begging to be touched. Jake slowly leans over you, his cock pressed against your stomach, he places a hand to your cheek as he passionately kisses you. You move your hands down trying to feel him under your fingers, but he’s quick to push them back where they belong.

“No touching.” He whispers.

He resumes kissing down your body, working his way down your neck and sternum making his way to your center. He licks a stripe making sure to pay extra attention to your previously neglected clit, lapping at you like he hasn’t tasted you in months. Jake’s looking up at you, eye contact being held between your breasts as he slips his fingers in where they once worked. You gasp at the feeling of his fingers stretching you out, waiting for him to replace them with something bigger. He slowly thrusts in and each time going as far back as he can reach, curling his fingers straight into what feels like your soul. Your grip starts to tighten around his fingers slowing his pace down, he places his free hand on your lower stomach to hold you down. Jake removes his lips from your clit, replacing them with the palm of his hand.

“C’mon, baby. Cum for me.”

He brings his body up more to let you taste yourself off his lips. Leaning in for a kiss, the taste of his whiskey kissed breath and your slick push you over the edge. You’re crying out his name, begging him to fuck you senseless. Jake slides his body back down lining up with you, working his cock in with his fingers still pumping inside. Your eyebrows scrunch together.

“Jake, too much, it’s too much.”

“Baby, I’m sorry.” He quickly slides his fingers out, leaving just his tip at your entrance. “Is this better?”

You nod, cheeks bright red from the heat. He pushes slowly until you take him entirely. Jake reaches for the sword and slides it in between the rope knotted around your wrists, he rips up with all his strength snapping the rope. “Do you want to touch me?” He asks as he tosses the sword on the floor and loosens the rope around your wrists. You reach up, locking your arms around his neck, moving your back off of the bed. Jake wraps his body under your arms around your torso, digging his nails into the space just shy of your armpits on either side. His grip is so tight, you’re positive you’ll have finger-shaped bruises on both sides before he’s done with you. You feel a shift in Jake’s demeanor, like something primal has woken up inside of him. Sweat starts beading up on his chest and forehead, his body temperature rising as he continues thrusting into you as fast as his body lets him move. He bends back and releases the rope from the bed posts, freeing your legs.

“Wrap your legs around me.”

You do as instructed, wrapping your legs around Jake’s back allowing him to hit your spot from a different angle. He moves one of his arms down to toy your clit, hoping to make you cum again. He messily flicks back and forth with his thumb, his pace growing faster and less coordinated. He starts to swivel his hips, his cock dancing inside of you. The movement’s feel like something you’ve seen before, it dawns on you he moves the same way on stage. The knowledge of Jake mimicking these movements becomes enough to bring you to the ledge, waiting to push you into the crashing waves. He feels you tightening around his width, pulling him under with you. He holds onto you like an anchor in a storm, taking him fully in you as your body thrashes like a ship, leaving you feeling like nothing more than a piece of driftwood yearning for land to rest on. Jake releases inside of you, the final set of waves to push you to shore, letting out a deep guttural moan. Jake’s weight is on top of you as he slowly comes back to his senses. He pulls out and lays beside you, pulling you into his side, peppering your temple with soft kisses. Silence washes over the dark room, moonlight barely poking through the curtains. He drags his fingers through your messy hair in attempts to comb it out.

“You felt so good. You’re always so good to me, my love.” He always makes it evident he worships the ground you walk on and the air you breathe.

He sits up out of bed, mindful of helping you get cleaned before he’s too tired. He grabs a towel and makeup wipes, he wipes his seed gently from your flower before wiping your running makeup off of your face. He tosses the towel on the floor on top of his dirty laundry and throws the wipes into the can below your bedside table. Jake grabs you back into his arms, barely pulling the covers over the both of you, snuggling his face into your neck as you fall asleep to the beat of his heart.

[panelshowsource]

who do you think is an underrated panel show guest? like someone who doesn’t appear on them very often but should

ohh fun question... y'know the thing about panel shows these days is they're sooo so so comedian-centric and really a lot of the same people again and again — which i'm not complaining about! i think they're the funniest people in the room and understand the dynamic of a panel show better than anyone else 99% of the time! but when it comes to people i find underrated in the most exciting way it's usually the semi-rare non-comedian who just...gets it. like, back in the day it was people like john barrowman, martin freeman, josh groban, mark ronson, chris o'dowd, christopher biggins, professor green, a couple of the spice girls (they actually run in comedian circles, interestingly)... they just fit into these shows and dynamics so well!

most of the people who have really surprised me in this regard in the last 5 or so years (bc i don't wanna reach back to, like, 2012 for this hahaha) have been on celeb juice or something like graham norton, the last leg, etc. for example, i had no idea will mellor could really hang, take jokes, dish out jokes, and do physical comedy until i saw him on juice. i think that kind of discovery is so fun!

100000% the uk drag girls (the viv being the one we see the most, love her to death and GET HER ON TM!!) NEED to be on more panel shows, jordan north (and get william hanson on SOMETHING this MINUTE), shirley ballas, ronan keating is actually a laugh, a lot of the reality show people (MIC, TOWIE, etc) who do what they do because they don't take themselves too seriously really do Get The Vibe (this is how we got rylan hellooooo), maggie aderin-pocock is an angel, ore oduba, jordan stephens, judge rinder hmm

comedians-wise (ik the drag girls often are comedians, but otherwise), people we've seen a little bit who we should be seeing more of in the name of comedy — alasdair beckett-king, kiri pritchard-mclean, paul foot, larry dean (whoever has the ‘X days since panelshowsource has mention larry dean’ sorry but you gotta reset), glenn moore, amy gledhill, morgana robinson

+ they're not underrated per say but just people i'd like to see again/continue seeing more often include ivo graham, guz khan, chris addison, holly walsh, robert webb, elis james, catherine tate, jess hynes, josie long, peter serafinowicz, humphrey kerr (we haven't seen him in a minute but i always thought he could have developed more of a place in panel show culture), and ffs can we bring back angus? should we? but could we? can we? just for one episode idk? also graham norton get your ass on tm this INSTANT new years

these types of asks always drive me crazy for the rest of the week bc i'm like "ahh i forgot ____!!!" hahahah but lmk what you think too!

[drabbles-mc]

Far From Over (5)

Gilly Lopez x OC Josephine Costa

Chapter Index

Warnings: 18+, language, smoking

Word Count: 3.4k

A/N: nothing like the release of a breakup album to make me bring back my own personal favorite pair of exes 😂 it's been 500000 years since i last updated but enjoy this little chapter nonetheless! also enjoy a little guest feature from a little side character because i was thinking about her 😌 xo

Taglist now located at the bottom of the fic because tumblr has Formatting Fuckery going on but you can always comment/message if you want to be added to any of my taglists!

She looked up when she heard the door chime upon being opened. The breath she was taking in preparation for her standard greeting to people, asking them who they were here to see and if they had an appointment, died on her tongue when she saw who it was that had walked in. Bishop and Taza never had appointments on the books to see Antonia, but Josie had figured out quickly that they weren’t the people who got turned away because of something like that. It was uncomfortable at first but it didn’t make her stomach tighten anymore like it used to.

Her hand was already reaching for the phone by the time they were standing on the other side of her desk. She was able to get out a quick, “Hey guys,” before Antonia answered on the other end of the line and she switched tracks. “Hey, yeah, Bishop is here for you. Okay. Thanks.” Setting the phone back on the receiver she looked at them from the other side of the desk, having to look up just slightly from her seated position. “She’ll be out in a second.”

Bishop nodded but it was Taza that spoke up with a smile. “Appreciate it.”

It wasn’t any of her business, but she still ventured to ask, “Everything okay?”

The beat of hesitation that followed from all of them was just long enough for her to catch the differences in their facial expressions. Bishop’s face contorted into a pensive frown, like he was trying to figure out what her angle was in asking. The grin still on Taza’s face said that he knew that Josie was just being nosey because she could, because she had them more or less hostage until the mayor walked out to collect them. The look of slight surprise on Gilly’s face, however, had her wondering if he would be willing to give her any crumbs.

Bishop cleared his throat and shook his head. “All good—nothing you need to worry about.”

Josie smiled because she knew that she shouldn’t laugh. “Very comforting, thank you.”

Their conversation was interrupted by Peña’s shoes clacking against the floor. All four of them turned to look at her. The smile on her face was just enough to come across as professional, but Bishop knew her too well to be convinced that there was anything genuine about it. Josie had been working for the town just long enough to start figuring out the changes in the mayor’s posture and energy. Granted, in the current situation it didn’t take a pro to figure out that Antonia probably didn’t want to be dealing with whatever problems the MC was bringing to her doorstep this time.

Antonia took a breath, setting her shoulders back before she addressed them. “Something I can help you with?” she asked, voice tight but still professional.

The smirk on Bishop’s face was one that Josie wished she could slap off on her boss’s behalf as he said, “Yeah, you got a minute?”

Antonia lifted her eyebrows just slightly. “Nice of you to say that like a question, Obispo.” She motioned for them to follow her. “Come on.”

Silent but knowing looks were exchanged among the three men. Taza and Bishop started to follow Peña back towards her office but Gilly remained by the front desk with Josie. Once the three of them rounded the corner out of view, Gilly stepped up and leaned against the reception desk. His forearms were braced flat on top of it, one hand resting over the other.

Josie leaned back in her seat, a smile coming across her face as she looked up at him. “What super secret motorcycle business do they have to talk to Peña about today?”

Gilly chuckled and shook his head. “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

Josie rolled her eyes with a grin as she toyed with the pen in her hand. “Actually I think if you told me then they would have to kill you.”

He laughed. “Yeah. That too.”

“Can I ask you something?” She paused and when she saw the amused look on Gilly’s face, she continued right on the way he knew she would no matter what he said in response to that. “Do they ask you to come with them to make you wait in the lobby while the grownups go and talk? Or do you ask to come along because you know I’ll be here waiting with you?”

He was shaking his head like she was asking something ridiculous, but the smile on his face was subverting it. “I don’t just—”

“Because I mean, I’m just saying, it’s not like you can weigh in on anything going on in there from out here. Unless you’ve got really good hearing.”

“I’m here just in case,” he said with a shrug.

Titling her head to the side, she mocked his shrug back at him. “Just in case what? Just in case Peña decides she’s into concealed carry now?”

That got Gilly to laugh in a way that he couldn’t hide. “You never know.”

Josie was laughing too as she said, “Yeah, that’s true. If Bishop was my ex-husband, I guess I’d be looking into that.”

He tried to stifle his laugh at that but wasn’t successful. “Damn, brutal.”

Her laughter faded into a hum. “I don’t hear you disagreeing, though.”

Gilly could’ve easily gone down the rabbit hole of that conversation, but he remembered where he was currently standing and stopped himself. Instead, he pedaled them both back to the original question that Josie had asked. “They don’t bother asking me anymore.”

Her brows met in confusion. “What?”

He nodded in the direction that Bishop and Taza had gone with Peña a few minutes before. “You asked if they ask me to come with them.” He shook his head. “They don’t bother asking anymore.”

Josie could feel her lips wanting to pull into a smile but she tried to fight it. “Why’s that?”

Gilly scoffed, gaze dropping to the woodgrain of the desk beneath his arms as he tried to keep his own facial expression under control. “’Cause they know I’ll fuckin’ come here—they don’t gotta ask.” He tried to say it casually but he knew that he didn’t quite come off that way.

She twirled the pen between her fingers as she nodded, feeling the traces of warmth creeping across her face. “They’re not worried that you’re out here fraternizing with the enemy when you tag along?”

The ease in her tone got him to meet her eyes again. “Didn’t realize you were the enemy,” he said with a laugh.

Leaning forward, she propped her elbows on the desk and clasped her hands, still holding her pen. “I just figured that was the general sentiment towards us here, that’s all,” she said sarcastically.

He laughed as he shook his head. “Trust me, you’re not the enemy we gotta worry about.”

“Oh, okay, so,” she unclasped her hands and pointed at him with her pen, a smirk growing across her face, “the fraternization is okay then. That’s what you’re saying.”

He gave a half-hearted roll of his eyes that didn’t stand a chance at being convincing with the grin that was on his face. It was hard to be convincing about anything when he realized how close they were now, each of them leaning farther than necessary from their respective sides of her desk. It’d take almost nothing for him to reach out and take her hands in his.

He fought the urge to do that as he said, “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“Well, that works out nicely then, doesn’t it?”

Gilly opened his mouth to come back with something but before he could, the sound of Bishop clearing his throat as he approached with Taza and Antonia cut their conversation short. And even though neither Gilly nor Josie were technically doing anything wrong, they both recoiled from each other. Gilly stood up straight, and Josie situated herself back in her chair, not leaning so comfortably on the desk like she had been.

Bishop only looked at Josie for a brief moment before his focus landed on Gilly. “Good to go?”

He cleared his throat awkwardly as he nodded. “Yeah, yeah I’m good.”

There was a round of brief goodbyes, ones that never felt like they were being handled quite right. There were no clear compartments to put anyone in among them, which made exits a little odd to navigate. But it was over quickly and then the three of them were heading back out the same door they’d come in through. None of them turned to look back but both Josie and Peña watched them leave until they were out of sight.

When they were gone, Antonia turned and looked at Josie. Her expression was almost completely neutral, hard to piece apart. It made the unease in Josie’s stomach intensify more and more with each second that crept by.

She set her pen down on the desk before running her hand back through her hair. “I wasn’t—”

Peña held up her hand to stop her. She didn’t need an explanation. The reality was that maybe it would be better if Josie didn’t give her one. “I didn’t ask.”

“Yeah, but I know it looks like—”

“You can do what you want, Josephine. I’m your boss, not your mother. But I have to tell you—be smart. Be careful.”

Josie laughed nervously. “Thanks, but there’s, there’s really nothing going on.”

Antonia didn’t argue it one way or the other, simply nodding along. “Okay. Just keep that in mind, alright?”

When Josie gave her a nod in response, Antonia let it close out their conversation as she turned and started to head back to her office. Josie let out a quiet sigh of relief at that, dropping her face into her hands once she was out of sight. The only thing that got her to look up again was the sound of motorcycles flying past their building on the street.

The ringing of her desk phone pulled Josie back to the present against her will. She hadn’t even realized that her eyes were glued to the cellphone screen in front of her. The text from Peña was innocuous enough, just three sentences long, but three sentences was all it took to throw her right down memory lane whether she wanted to take that trip or not.

By the time she went to reach for the phone she’d already missed the call. She leaned back in her chair, cellphone still clutched tightly in her hand as she read the text again. “Heard through the grapevine that things have been rough there. Hope you’re well. If you ever want to talk you can call”

Josie didn’t even know what she was supposed to say to that. She didn’t know what she wanted to say to that. Peña had been gone from Santo Padre for months, and as much as Josie had hated to see her go, she completely understood it. She never pried more than she should when it came to whatever was happening with her and Bishop. She caught the overflow of it sometimes, especially after she had started dating Gilly, but Peña had always been the type to play things a little closer to the vest at work. It was the only way to stay somewhat safe and sane in the job. And even then, it clearly hadn’t been enough because she was gone now.

She typed out the starts to a few different sentences and ended up deleting them all because none of them felt right. Heaving out a deep sigh, she pushed her chair back away from her desk and stood up. She wound her way through the building until she walked out onto the steps. She quickly put one foot in front of the other until she was on the sidewalk right by the road. Pulling out her pack of cigarettes and her lighter, she sparked one up before hitting the call button at the top of the screen.

After a couple rings, there was a confused, “Hello?” greeting her from the other end of the line.

Josie chuckled, smoke creeping out past her lips as she did. “You should cut down whatever grapevines you’re still hearing things through. For your own sanity.”

It got Antonia to laugh, her tone easing. “I really don’t hear much anymore. I just,” there was a shred of a pause, “I had to call the bank about some stuff to finally close on the house out there.”

“Ohh, got it.”

“Yeah. You know how it is there. You’ll know everything even if you don’t want to.”

Josie hummed as she shook her head because she knew now more than ever just how right Antonia was. “I know how it is.” She pulled a drag off her cigarette. “You sold the house though?”

The sigh that Antonia let out sounded like one of relief. “Yes. Took long enough, but yes.”

“That’s good.”

“It is.” She paused. “How’ve you been, Josie?”

“Any chance you need an assistant at your new job?” she joked. She gave them both a beat to laugh before continuing. “I’m alright. It’s different without you here.”

There was a pause and Josie had to imagine that Antonia wanted to ask about what had been going on, with the town, with the club. How could she not wonder? But she didn’t ask. If Josie wasn’t going to offer it up, it was no longer her right to pry.

“That your nice way of saying better?” Antonia joked.

Josie laughed, shaking her head even though the woman on the other end of the line couldn’t see it. “No, no. If that was the case I would’ve just said better.”

“Nothing if not honest.” A beat passed. “Something going on?”

Josie let out a dry laugh. “It’s Santo Padre—there’s always something going on.”

Antonia didn’t let it derail the conversation. “Something going on with you, I mean.”

Josie took a deep breath. “Same shit. Sorry, if, um,” she tapped ash off the end of her cigarette, “me calling freaked you out. I saw your text and just figured, you know…”

“Don’t apologize. It’s good to hear from you.”

“Now who’s just being nice?” Josie joked.

Antonia laughed quietly. “Doesn’t mean it’s a lie, though.” She took a deep breath. “Look, I have to go. But really, I mean it, if you need—”

“I know. And, you know, thanks. But don’t worry about me or this place. Block the area code or something.”

“I’ll look into that. Stay safe, Josie.”

“Doing my best,” she said as she dropped her cigarette onto the sidewalk to snub it out.

They exchanged a quick goodbye before Josie hung up the phone. She tucked it back into the pocket of her slacks, not sure if she felt better or worse having had the conversation. She plucked her cigarette butt up off the ground and tossed it into the trash can before heading back towards the office building.

When she walked back in, she looked at the young woman sitting behind the desk. She briefly looked up when Josie came back in, but once she saw who it was she went back to her computer. Josie frowned slightly in thought. She thought about the mild panic that had been on Lena’s face when Gilly and Bishop had stopped by before. Even the first time she saw them Josie wasn’t sure she was ever that worried about them. Maybe she should’ve been. Maybe if she had been none of it would’ve played out the way it did and she wouldn’t be stuck in the position that she’s in now. She just hung up on one of the only people who had tried to give her an out from it all.

She wanted to say something to Lena, but she didn’t know what. She must’ve been lingering a little too long for it to be comfortable, because she looked up once more from her computer. “You okay, Josie?”

Clearing her throat, Josie nodded as she tried to get her facial expression back under control. “Yeah, just zoned out for a second there. Thanks, Lena.”

The last thing that Josie wanted to do was go back to her desk and work. There was a knowing twinge in the back of her mind that her focus was going to be shot for the remainder of the afternoon. Part of her wanted to just up and leave, but she didn’t really know where she would go if she did.

When she sat back down, she saw that whoever had called earlier left a voicemail. She didn’t recognize the number off the top of her head, but it was a local area code, so with a deep breath she took the phone off the receiver and hit the button to play it back.

The second that she heard her name on the recording, she knew who was calling and her stomach dropped immediately. “Miss Costa,” Miguel’s tone was as even and calm as it had ever been, “I guess I missed you. Call me back at this number when you get this. I think it’s time I sit down with our new mayor now that she’s gotten some time to settle in.”

The message ended and Josie all but slammed the phone back down onto the receiver. She huffed out a deep sigh, but it wasn’t enough to get out her frustration. Pushing her hands back through her hair, she grit out a quiet, “Fuck,” as she managed to set her hands on the surface of her desk without slamming them.

As much as she didn’t want to remain involved in any of it, she knew that right now there was no getting out of it. So she pulled her cellphone back out. Without thinking she went right to Gilly’s name in her contacts. When she opened their old thread of messages, though, she felt the cold sting of reality across her face—all of her last messages to him months beforehand never having gone through. She knew that it wouldn’t be any different now.

Pinning her lips into a thin line, she went and found EZ’s name instead. “Call me ASAP”. She knew that there was no guarantee of an instant response. For all she knew he was out in the middle of the desert somewhere with no service.

For the first time in a long time, luck was on her side. Before she could spiral out too far, her phone started ringing. She snatched it up off her desk before the second ring ended. “Hello?”

“What’s going on?” EZ’s voice came through from the other end of the line, a little breathless and Josie didn’t want to think too much on why that might’ve been.

She looked around to make sure that no one else was around. “The mayor.”

“What about her?”

“Galindo called asking to meet. I’m going to have to set him up with something or he’s just gonna fucking show up uninvited.”

There was a long pause and for a moment Josie was about to ask if EZ had heard what she said. Finally, “Set it up. Let them meet.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. See what she says afterwards and let me know.”

“Don’t you want to get—”

“We’re an easier sell if we’re coming in to solve a problem that she has.”

Josie scoffed and shook her head. “You’re just gonna give her a different one.”

The pause that followed let her know that EZ wasn’t looking for the extra commentary. However he must’ve had too many other things on his mind because he didn’t say anything about it. “Let me know when you hear anything else.”

She couldn’t hide the bubbling sense of frustration as she said, “Yeah, okay. Got it.”

EZ heard it, too. She could tell by the way he changed his tone when he spoke up again. It wasn’t quite apologetic, but something akin to it. “Josie?”

She sighed. “What?”

Whatever minute kindness he was going to try and extend, he backpedaled on. “Nothing. Never mind.”

For a moment Josie wished that he could see the way that she rolled her eyes at him. “Good talk.”

She heard the telltale breath of someone gearing up to say something to try and defend themselves and she hung up before he could even try. As she reached for the office phone on her desk to call Galindo back she couldn’t help but miss the days when she didn’t know much of anything at all. Back when fraternizing with the enemy was just a bad joke that got her and Gilly laughing harder than it should’ve because they were trying to keep each other on the hook.

@garbinge @artemiseamoon @proceduralpassion @nessamc @withmyteeth

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[sunshinevanfleet]

oh, what a sin [ii]

ii. old friends

part three.

pairing: danny x reader, sam x reader

a/n: ok i finally finished chapter two!! for some reason i'm nervous about this part lol i just had a little trouble writing this one so i hope it's ok! no smut this time just lots of angst :O i'm getting ready to ramp up the drama so i hope ur all ready. shit's gonna get messy. hope u like. ok love u bye <3

genre: angst, some miniscule fluff (if u squint lol)

word count: 3.4k

summary: tensions rise as danny and the reader have a moment alone. her only comfort is sam's embrace.

warnings: angst, panic attacks, swearing, mentions of sex, etc.

Thoughts swimming wildly, you put on a fake smile and forced down your food. Sam sat beside you on Josh’s blanket in the grass, talking animatedly with his sister and Josie as he ate. You eyed him every now and again; he was, for once, oblivious to the thousands of thoughts racing through your head. Luckily, Ronnie was doing a decent job of distracting him from your rigid posture less than a foot away. You were pretending to watch Josh’s display of his best party trick (doing a headstand without toppling over), but you could feel a pair of eyes watching you intently.

It took everything in your power not to glance over where Danny and Jake were chatting with Karen. You wanted nothing to do with him; the whole situation was wrong. How the hell were you supposed to figure out how to tell Sam you had slept with his best friend years before? And how were you supposed to keep it from becoming an ongoing issue? Especially considering the fact that you still had dreams about Danny… Still thought about that one night with him fondly. No. You wouldn’t be able to be around him.

As Josh tumbled over into the grass for the fourth time, you felt Sam’s fingers curling around your elbow. Your plate sat practically untouched on your plate in front of you, and he had finally noticed. 

“You okay, sweets?”

You pulled your half-assed attention away from his brother. Meeting that soft gaze, your worries almost melted away. Concern played on his features, his brow furrowed slightly above those chestnut brown eyes. He was frowning.

“Sorry,” you said, leaning your head onto his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to your forehead, one of his hands coming around to cradle your face gently. “Just feeling a little nauseous.” It wasn’t an outright lie; your stomach had been rolling for the past half an hour, ever since Danny waltzed into the kitchen looking just as attractive as he had all those years ago. 

“Ready to head out?” Sam’s voice was a whisper against your skin. He rubbed your cheek with the pad of his thumb, trying to comfort you. The gesture eased your anxiety slightly, but it did not dull the burning stare you could feel coming from his best friend. 

“No,” you said, not wanting to rush him away from spending time with his family. “No, I think it’s just the heat.”

“Drink some water, baby,” Sam passed you a chilled bottle of water. You took it gratefully, trying to hide the trembling of your hands.

“You look pretty pale, Y/N,” said Josh. He finally gave up on his headstand, now mirroring the concerned face of his little brother beside you. “Maybe you should lay down in the guest room.”

You smiled sheepishly, “Oh, no, I don’t think it’s that serious–”

“I think you should,” Sam agreed. 

“Sammy, really, I’m okay–”

“It would make me feel better,” he said earnestly, those big eyes seeing straight through you. You cursed him in your head. It was so hard to resist him.

“All right, fine,” you sighed heavily. The water made you feel slightly less queasy, but laying down didn’t sound too bad at that point. You could use a few minutes alone, away from all the hustle and bustle to think. 

“I’ll show you the guest room,” Josh announced, rising to his feet.

“I think I can handle it, Josh, really.”

“Oh, no. What kind of host would I be? I insist.”

You laughed half-heartedly at his theatrics, but humored him. He led you through the backyard, and back into the house. The guest room was at the top of the stairs; the second room on the left. The dark curtains were splayed wide open, letting in the golden light from the sunset outside; the decor was very much maximalist– vintage photos hanging in picture frames, a bookcase full of old books and random little trinkets, emerald green wallpaper. In the corner sat a plush orange armchair, its upholstery faded with time. There were several multicolored pillows placed neatly on its cushion. A beaded curtain separated the bedroom from the large closet, where there were several flashy outfits on display. 

“Wow,” you said, taken-aback. You reached out to touch a hanging plant above your head, the little leaves shaped like hearts.

“Incredible, right?” Josh said, standing in the doorway admiring the room as much as you were. He looked like a proud father. “I’d like to take credit for this masterpiece, but a lot of this was left in the house when we bought it. The lady who owned the place before us was a true visionary.”

“So you gutted the rest?” You glanced at him as you kicked off your shoes, taking a seat on the fluffy duvet. At least a dozen pillows were piled on the bed, looking very welcoming after the long day you had. 

“Not really. Jake wanted to tone it down a bit, so we repainted most of the house. A lot of the furniture is vintage from the previous owner. We’ve got an old water bed in the other guest bedroom; Jake insisted we keep it. He thought it’d be a bit of fun,” Josh laughed, shaking his head. “Turns out it’s not as practical as he thought.”

You laughed, temporarily distracted from your dilemma downstairs. You were thankful for the bit of lighthearted conversation. “I can’t imagine that’d be an easy time,” you said, grinning. “Seems like something he’d find funny, though.”

“It is… definitely a conversation starter, at least.”

You nodded. “Well, thanks for lending me this room for the time being,” you sighed, kicking back and flopping down into the pillows. “Might take a nap.”

“I won’t keep you, then,” he said, winking. “Come calling if you need anything.”

“Mhmmm,” you replied, now sprawled out with your eyes closed. The sweet escape of sleep was looking more delicious as every second passed. The door thumped softly behind Josh as he left. 

By yourself, you were feeling a bit better; there was no creeping feeling of being watched behind your back, no worrying about Sam seeing the anxiety painted on your face, no threat of being exposed for your secret. You never thought this was something that you would have to deal with; things were much easier when Sam never had to know about your one night stand from years before. But now that it was his best friend…

You cringed at the thought. How was he supposed to react to that?

You were very close to spiraling when the door to the guest room creaked open; expecting Sam, you turned over to face the intruder. Your throat tightened immediately as Danny stepped into the room instead; he looked almost angry standing there.

“What are you doing up here?” you hissed, sitting straight up. 

Danny scoffed. “I could ask you the same,” he said plainly. 

“We can’t be up here alone,” you said. “Imagine how that would look to Sam.”

“Sam doesn’t know anything. For all he knows, we just met today.”

“Why’d you come up here anyway?”

He brushed his dark curls out of his face, shrugging from his place in front of the door. He leaned back against it, his body weight holding it shut. 

“I had to see you again. Had to make sure it was you.” He watched you with those observant eyes; they glowed a deep honey brown in the golden light spilling through the window behind you. You studied the shadows cast over his angular features, highlighting them beautifully. Despite how badly you wanted him to leave the room, everything about him was art standing there. There was no helping the physical attraction you still felt for him; his ghost haunting you for the past few years had done nothing to dull the affection you felt for him, even without knowing his name or anything the entire time. 

“It’s me,” you said, shaking your head. You wanted to laugh at the whole situation; it was like something out of a soap opera. Some luck you had. 

There was a brief, yet loaded silence between the two of you. The tension laid between you, suspended in the air like an invisible fog. It was almost palpable, wrapping around the both of you and pushing you closer together. 

“I’ve told him about you before,” said Danny suddenly.

“What?” you asked, your eyebrows pulling together.

“Told him about that night, all that time ago,” he continued. “When I was performing with that shitty band based out of Detroit, before all of this.”

“What’d you say?”

“What could I say? I didn’t know your name. Barely knew anything about you,” he laughed. It was a humorless noise, almost bitter. “You were just a girl in a bar; the hardest person in the world to get out of my head.”

“Sorry,” you said, though you weren’t sure what for. “I wasn’t looking for anything serious.”

“Neither was I. You think you would be every thought in my head for the last three years if I had a choice?”

You swallowed hard. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath. You couldn’t sit here and do this. You hated that he had been thinking about you, too. Hated that you were stuck on his mind, in his thoughts, making his days harder. You didn’t want any of these feelings to be mutual. There was no way to admit that you knew you had fallen for him that night, too. How could you? You hadn’t even known his name.

“And now you’re with him… The universe has a really shitty sense of humor…”

“Tell me about it.”

“How’d you meet?”

You looked at him again. Behind his straight-faced facade, you could see the hurt behind his eyes. Something about it made you want him even more– that he cared enough about you that he would be hurt by the whole situation. Your stomach ached. 

“Some bar,” you muttered.

He scoffed, shaking his head. “It just keeps getting worse.”

You frowned. “I didn’t ask for this, Danny.”

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the door. “You met him in a bar. And what made you fall for him? What was different?”

You looked at him incredulously. “Everything was different,” you said, voice defensive. “It was a different place, a different time. I was a completely different person, for fuck’s sake.”

“And it was him, right?” He looked pained. 

“It has nothing to do with him,” you retorted. “It has everything to do with me. When we met, I was young and dumb, and messy. I went out to that bar looking for a quick fuck, and you knew that before we ever even touched each other.”

“And that was supposed to make it easier…” He let out a deep breath, as if he were trying hard to keep his composure. “You know, when I was watching you out there all over each other… I couldn’t help thinking that you were mine first…”

You bit your lip, your hands clenched into fists in your lap. You didn’t know what to say. 

“He used to call you my little bird,” he saw the look on your face, and continued, “Yeah, I told him about that. Saw you out there, little freebird. I told him how you’d walked into the room and everyone else just faded into the background.” You remembered him calling you that. It came up in your daydreams. Haunted you on lonely nights. 

A pang shot through your chest. You felt very suddenly like you were going to vomit on the hardwood floor. 

“Danny, please– can we do this later? I can’t take it–”

“He knew I was in love with you. I told him everything I could remember, every little detail– I mean, he’s my best friend. Fuck.”

“Did you expect him to know?”

“No, how could he? I never even got your name. Tried to find you for the longest time, though.” He shook his head. “There’s no way he would’ve guessed anyway. Doesn’t seem like you’re much the same.”

“You’re not either.”

“Not at all,” he sighed. There was so much left to say, so many questions going unanswered, but you couldn’t stand to be in the same room as him anymore. It was too tempting; he was too tempting, standing there all tall and lean, curls splayed around his head glowing like a halo in the sunset. The juxtaposition of his appearance and how he was making you feel startled you; he felt like the furthest thing from an angel right now. 

“I should get out of here,” he said after a moment. You said nothing, but nodded. 

He slipped out of the bedroom, leaving you to your racing mind once again. You wanted Sam; he was always your comfort. You wanted to crawl under the covers with him, and bury your face in his neck. You wanted his slow breaths in your ear, his arms tangled around you. But how was he supposed to comfort you while you were heartbroken over his best friend? You had no one to tell, no escape from the reality staring you in the face. 

Danny’s hurt expression flashed behind your eyelids every time you blinked. The last time you saw each other, he was all teasing smirks and bright eyes. You hated this different version of him; this version that wanted you and couldn’t have you. If you had known he had been pining over you all of these years… It hurt more that you knew he felt the same. You should have left your number with him all that time ago. 

You remembered leaving his hotel room that night, slipping out of bed still wearing his stupid button-up shirt. It still hung in your closet at home, wrinkled and worn from years of use. At the time, it crossed your mind to leave a note, your name, your phone number, something. But you thought it would look desperate; after all, he had wanted a one night stand, too. Neither of you were looking for a commitment. 

You laughed to yourself, laying there with tears in your eyes. Life could be so funny, sometimes. 

Wiping your eyes, you told yourself not to be so ridiculous. How could you have seriously fallen in love with a total stranger? How could you even question your loyalty to Sam over a guy you slept with one time, years ago? The sex had been memorable because you hadn’t had a partner who satisfied you in a long time, but now… Well, you were perfectly happy in your relationship. Jovial, even. 

But, as you slipped off of the bed and padded downstairs, you only began to feel worse. You peeked out the backdoor at the others outside; another wave of nausea overcame you as you saw Sam and Danny joking around. They were laughing at something Josie was saying. The tears were back immediately–you felt like a complete villain. Your chest tightened, a lump forming in your throat as you stood there watching. You knew things could only get worse… How would you justify accidentally breaking up the life-long friendship between them?

More than anything, you just wanted to go home. You stood there wishing that Sam would come inside to check on you; he would see your teary eyes and your face drained of all its color and sweep you off to the car immediately. He would mutter comforting words to you as he held your hand on the car ride home, his thumb tracing hearts into your skin. He always knew just how to make you feel better. Thinking of this, you were on the brink of sobbing uncontrollably. You stood frozen in the hallway between the stairs and the kitchen still watching them. The muscles in your legs wouldn’t work; you needed to get back upstairs, or in the bathroom, or anywhere you wouldn’t be caught bawling your eyes out. 

But, as always, Sam knew you too well. He muttered something to Danny and Josie, then you saw him turning towards the house. He was coming to check on you. You forced yourself to turn away from the door, slipping into the bathroom at the bottom of the stairs. The door was half open behind you as you gripped the sink, your hands shaking.

You heard the sweet call of your name from the kitchen, and it sent your heart aflutter. He was the first and last person you wanted to talk to right now. It would break him if you told him what was actually wrong. It would break you to have to keep your secret. 

“Hey, sweets?” He was approaching the bottom of the stairs, noticing the sliver of light spilling out from the bathroom. “Hey,” he said, pushing the door open. “Josie said she thought she saw you–”

Your eyes finally met in the reflection, and you saw his smile fall into an expression of deep worry. In the mirror, you tore your gaze away and choked back a sob.

“Oh, honey, what’s wrong?” He grasped your shoulders with the gentlest of touches, turning you to face him. You immediately buried your face in his shirt, your entire body racked with sobs.

“I– wanna go home,” you said shakily. You gripped his shirt with trembling hands, the fabric gripped in your fingers so tightly that it hurt. You never wanted to let him go, couldn’t let him go for fear of losing him. None of this would ever be worth losing your Sammy. You had to tell him, before it became deceitful.

He nodded immediately, “All right,” he said. “Okay, I’ll take you home, sweets. Come on.” Using the pads of his thumbs, he brushed the tears off of your face, and stroked your skin. He looked you in the eyes for a moment. 

“I need you to relax, Y/N,” his voice was hushed, almost afraid. He never called you Y/N. 

“I–I’m trying,” you gasped, trying to match his breaths. You were basically in full on panic mode, your nerves torn to shreds after the events of the afternoon.

“I know you are, honey,” he said. You focused on the feeling of his touch, finger caressing your cheek. You breathed in his scent, listened to the warm sound of his voice. He was holding you steady, grounding you. “That’s it. Just breathe…”

You matched his pace of breathing, your heart rate slowly sinking down to a normal level. Tears still trickled down your face, though you were no longer being strangled on your own sobs. He very delicately pulled you into his arms, hugging you as if you were made out of glass.

“You’re okay, sweets,” he whispered into your hair. “I’ve got you. Always.”

You closed your eyes, focusing on only him. You let his presence drown out all of your worries; the twinge of lemongrass essential oil mixed with his natural musk, the strong grasp of his arms encircling you, the tickle of the ends of his hair on your face. You melted into his embrace, finally able to clear your mind. 

“Thank you,” you breathed at last, when you felt almost back to normal. His lips pressed briefly to your hair, and he released you. He smiled at you, brushing your hair back off of your forehead. “How bad do I look?”

He managed a small laugh. “You don’t look bad, sweets,” he poked your cheek playfully. “You’re just red… Kinda cute, like a strawberry…”

You wrinkled your nose, swatting at his finger. “A strawberry, are you serious?” But you laughed. You laughed despite it all, and that was enough. 

“Go on to the car, my little strawberry,” he said, kissing your temple and passing you the car keys from his shirt pocket. “I’m gonna go get Rosie Posie, and say goodbye.” 

You followed his directions, slipping off to the car. You hated that you were giving the Kiszkas a good old Irish goodbye, but it made you feel much better to be out in Sam’s car, waiting for him to take you home. At least there, you could pretend that the latter half of today had never happened. Losing yourself in his embrace was the only thing you could think about. You needed more than anything to be alone with your Sammy, disconnected from the rest of the world.

taglist: @dannythedog @demolitionndann @malany-gvf @poeta-nascitur

[postwarlevi]

📚Eliza's 2024 reading list

I've been reading a lot lately and thought it would be fun to keep track and share and maybe see what everyone else is reading!

I have a goal of 26 books this year including participating in this book challenge. I'll mark the books from the challenge with a 📖 and change colors with each new month from the start of a new book. Also 🚫 denotes a DNF (did not finish) and the plan is to add another book each time.

I'll update as I start a new book and note if any books are part of any other challenges.

Chat with me about books I read, that you read, or you think I'll like!

1 Midwinter Murder short stories by Agatha Christie.

2 Little Women by Lousia May Alcott 📖

3 Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey

4 Don't Look Now short stories by Daphne Du Maurier 🚫

5 Jane Fairfax by Joan Aiken 📖

6 Conceal, Don't Feel by Jen Calonita

7 Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford

8 Nancy Drew ..Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene (March mystery)

9 Isle of the Lost by Melissa De La Cruz (middle grade March)

10 Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín 📖

11 The Guest List by Lucy Foley

12 The Pleasing Hour by Lily King 🚫

13 Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

14 Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 📖

15 HP + Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (reread)

16 Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

17 Furbidden Fatality by Deborah Blake 📖

18 Return to the Isle by Melissa De La Cruz

19 Zoo by James Patterson 📖

20 Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

21 Nancy Drew ..Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene

22 Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

23 Alex and Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz 📖

24 Shopaholic Abroad by Sophie Kinsella

25 Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

26 Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan 📖

--------

Added due to unfinished books

27 Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

28 Harry Potter Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (reread)

Extras

29 Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (Jane Austen July)

30 Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie

31 Murder of Mr Wickham by Claudia Gray (JAJ)

32 Jane Austen shorts (Love and Friendship, etc) and bio

33 Crooked House by Agatha Christie

34 Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch 📖

35 Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

36 Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

37 Zombie Town by RL Stine (Summerween)

38 Long Island by Colm Toibin 📖

39 The Women by Kristin Hannah 📖

40 Beach House by RL Stine (Summerween)

41 Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (reread)

42 Final Girls by Riley Sager

43 Wreck the Halls by Tessa Baily

44 Garlic and the Vampire graphic novel by Bree Paulsen

45 And Then They Were Doomed by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

46 Pretty Little Liars book 1 by Sara Shepard 📖

47 Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

48 Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

49 Spy x Family manga book 1 and 2 by Tatsuya Endo

50 Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel by Alyssa Palombo

51 Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie

52 Harry Potter Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling (reread)

53 Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

54 Woman in White by Wilkie Collins 📖

55 Redwall by Brian Jacques 

56 The Woman in Me by Britney Spears 📖

57 Peter Pan by JM Barrie

58 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

59 The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

60 Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

61 Marmee by Sarah Miller

62 When the Crow's Away by Auralee Wallace 📖

63 One Day in December by Josie Silver

64 Harry Potter Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (reread)

65 Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

[sweetjulieapples]

Dear Commander - Chapter Eleven: In Hushed Whispers

Cullen x Trevelyan

AO3 MASTERLIST

(Spoilers for the "In Hushed Whispers" quest)

Dorian & The Herald go on an unexpected adventure. Cullen prepares his army for the worst possible scenario.

Josephine let out a startled gasp when her office door aggressively swung open. Cullen stormed towards her desk. “I need a quill and something to write on,” he muttered in a rush.

“Commander! Do you mind?” Josephine asked in shock. She was standing in the corner of the room, chatting with a woman. When he ignored her, she hurried to the desk and shoved blank parchment in his direction, then swiftly turned to her guest. “My apologies, Lady Drummond. As you can see we are all very busy at the moment. Maybe we can speak another time?”

“Oh of course! Perhaps over a game of cards this evening. What say you?” the woman asked with an air sophistication.

Josephine smiled awkwardly. “Perhaps. We can never tell what the night has planned for us.” When the noble woman closed the door behind her, Josephine scolded Cullen with a hiss “Have you gone completely mad? What were you thinking barging in like that? You are lucky that Lady Drummond already thinks highly of The Inquisition.”

Cullen focused on dipping the quill in ink and hunched over the desk, prepared to write. “I am beyond caring what noble women think,” he said coldly.

“And what’s worse…,” Josephine continued. “…Is that now I will probably have to waste my evening playing games with her!”

Cullen gave Josephine a glance of disinterest and began to write, murmuring his words as he went. “That could have been said in the report. You are wasting resources and you are wasting my time.”

“I feel as though I am talking to a brick wall,” Josephine said with a glare.

“I’m sorry, but there is a war and I need to make preparations! That should be our priority, not…” he shook the letter, roughly to emphasize his point. “…games.”

“Which is why I am doing my best to negotiate with allies. We need Lady Drummond’s resources!”

He handed her the paper. “See that she gets this please, Ambassador.”

“Who are you talking about?” Josephine asked with a hint of irritation to her voice.

“The Herald!” he grumbled and quickly walked out the door. Leliana stood in the doorway and stepped back to let him pass, with a curious smirk on her face.

“Wait!” Josephine shouted. “Commander you dropped…” her sentence tapered off once realizing that he was gone. She picked the partially scrunched paper from the floor.

“What is it, Josie?” Leliana asked.

“This must be the letter that he was replying to.” She sighed in frustration, “Always in such a rush.”

“Let me see that,” Leliana said reaching for the letter. She began to read it out loud.

Commander, I have completed a thoroughly detailed report on our operation at The Storm Coast (like a good little mage). I’m writing to you as it should be made aware that I have negotiated with and as such recruited the Qunari leader of “The Bull’s Chargers”, the famed Iron Bull. Now, I know that you had so sensibly requested that I inform you of any intention to lead a mage back to Haven. An elven apostate will be accompanying the leader, as well as several other members of his mercenary band. Fear not, the apostate claims to be a “backup archer” and nothing more. I’d hate for you to feel the need to pull a sword on her upon arrival. Whilst The Iron Bull himself is no mage, I thought you may like to know that I have reason to believe he is carrying a rather large stick. Do with that information as you wish. The Herald Of Andraste  

“She’s willingly referring to herself as ‘The Herald of Andraste’ now?” Josephine asked, her voice wavering in confusion.

“And look. She’s drawn pretty stars next to where she signed her name. She’s taunting him!” An amused smile hovered behind Leliana’s lips and Josie began to giggle.

Several days later, The Inquisition’s plan to infiltrate Redcliffe Castle was underway. An unexpected turn of events left Juliette and Dorian grappling with reality.

Juliette looked down at the knee deep water with disgust. The feeling of wet socks made her ears itch and face scrunch up. The smell was nothing short of putrid, like what she could only assume was rotting flesh. She stared at the red lyrium until her eyes started to blur.

“Don’t even think about touching it,” Dorian warned.

“How stupid do you think I am?” she asked.

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

Ignoring his lighthearted insult, Juliette began to wade ahead. She stopped before the man that she had killed moments earlier, face down in the water. “Venatori?” she wondered out loud.

“Yes,” Dorian confirmed.

“So, let me wrap my head around this. You think that we’re still at the castle, just in another time?” Juliette asked, her voice raising in pitch with the question.

“It would seem so, yes,” Dorian said, seemingly fascinated.

“I never really did pay attention to Ferelden history lessons…”

“That’s not at all surprising, Juliette.”

She closed her eyes and sighed at his interruption. “What I meant is that I don’t recall anything about Venatori occupying Redcliffe in the past. Don’t quote me on that though.”

“If it is not the past and we have indeed moved ahead in time, I worry to think how far.”

“It just seems so insane.” Juliette pressed her fingertips into her forehead as she tried to process what was happening.

“I don’t even want to think about what this will do to the fabric of the world,” Dorian said pessimistically. “We didn’t ‘travel’ through time so much as punch a hole through it and toss it in the privy.”

“That’s…that’s terrifying,” Juliette said anxiously.

Dorian placed a hand on her shoulder. “But don’t worry. I’m here. I’ll protect you.”

She looked at him, unsure how serious he was being. “What happens if we can’t get back?”

With a somber stare he said, “Then we get comfortable in our new present.”

As Dorian and Juliette tried to navigate their way through a time travel disaster, back at Haven, Leliana had called a war meeting.

“My agents have confirmed that they’ve arrived in Redcliffe. Operations should be underway as we speak,” Leliana announced.

Josephine exhaled loudly. “I hope that this doesn’t sour relations with Ferelden.”

“I hope that they don’t get themselves killed in this ridiculous plan!” Cullen added with folded arms and a grumpy face.

“While we’re being optimistic…,” Leliana said with sarcasm. “The spies have sighted several Venatori camps in the Hinterlands. The refugees could be at risk once more it seems.”

“Of course they have.” Cullen rolled his eyes. “We can’t take in more refugees, we haven’t the —”

“Resources?” Josephine asked with a smug smile.

“We’ve nowhere to put them! We need to drive back these cultists,” he looked to Leliana and sighed. “Where should I send the soldiers?”

“Here’s the map,” she said, passing him documents. “Harding will report back soon enough with more information. Perhaps we could get The Herald to assist after Alexius. With Luck, success there will deter them.”

“If they are as obsessed with The Herald as you say, I doubt they’ll just pack up and leave!” Cullen ran his fingers through his hair and blinked excessively. “They’re after her. I’ll prepare the soldiers. We need to send word to Corporal Vale, let him know what’s coming.” He began to march for the door. “Watch Redcliffe , they could ambush The Herald as she leaves.” He turned to look at Leliana. “Are you certain about this secret passageway?”

“Again, yes. I’ve travelled it myself.”

“Alright,” he nodded, not entirely convinced, but accepting.

“Commander, before you go,” Leliana handed him a letter. He looked at the seal and clenched his jaw. This time, Juliette didn’t bother to address him or sign it.

Yet, you still reply.  

“She makes a good argument,” Leliana whispered to Josephine.

Cullen scrunched the paper and scowled. “Have you been reading our letters?”

Leliana looked him dead in the eyes and with a straight face said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Josie slowly held her clipboard above her face to conceal her laughter and Cullen shook his head.

“I don’t have time for this,” he muttered to himself and walked out of the room.

Water dripped from the ceiling and the stench from the lower cells wafted through the hallway. Dorian strolled through door and casually remarked, “So wonderful to see old friends.”

Juliette stumbled behind him , her hair disheveled and her face smeared with blood and soot. “Friends?” she whispered in disbelief.

“Oh, of course not actual friends. Fellow countrymen. Fantastic work back there, by the way. You almost got by without my help.”

Juliette grunted in response. She looked around, horrified by the signs of torture and despair. The red lyrium alone was unnerving. “They’re monsters!” she spoke in a soft, quivering voice.

“Yes, they are,” Dorian said. “All the more reason to set the Venatori on fire.” He turned around to look at her and shook his head. “I sometimes see you and think how did she get through her Harrowing?”

She glared at him. “Those events are locked in the Ostwick Circle history book and shall never be spoken of.”

“It’s a story?” he asked with intrigue. “Now I must know!”

“You really must not know,” Juliette pushed past him and began to descend the stairs. “We should check these…” She stopped and gagged at the smell. “Cells.”

Covering his nose, Dorian begged, “Distract me, will you? I’m starting to think of what scandal has you so hush about it all.”

“It’s really not —”

“Did you flirt your way through?”

“No!” she exclaimed, her voice echoing against the stone walls.

“I assumed you must have. Much like the way you recruited Blackwall.”

“I didn’t flirt with…” she paused to think for a moment “Well, maybe I did. He was being difficult.”

“Oh, yes,” Dorian grinned. “Was it your nobility then, hm?”

“Dorian, can we speak of something else?” she asked, tired.

“Nobility it is!” There was an awkward silence as Juliette looked around. “Tell me, Herald. How—”

“You’re not done?” Juliette gave an exasperated sigh.

“Your little tantrum last week. Any thoughts?”

“There was no tantrum and I have nothing to say about that.”

“Really?” he asked with surprise. “Because you conjured one little puff of smoke and had every Templar in Haven shitting themselves. You’ve truly nothing to say?”

“Now’s really not the time, Dorian.” Juliette stopped before a door, bracing herself for what horrors could be waiting on the other side.

“On the contrary! We are not even certain what the time is!”

Soldiers gathered around the war table as maps and tactical charts covered its surface, illuminated by candlelight. Commander Cullen stood at the center of the table, hovering his hand over Ferelden on the map. His stern gaze swept over the assembled officers while they awaited his instruction. His voice cut through the room, commanding immediate attention from everyone present.

“Lieutenant , deploy your team to the north of The Crossroads. CorporaI Vale will assist in guarding the refugee camps. There are reports of cultist activity nearby, I want a full sweep of the area.”

The Lieutenant nodded and answered, “Yes, Commander.”

“Rylen and his men will remained stationed at Redcliffe , monitoring the castle for activity. We’ll send support to stand by should he need it. Templars, you’ll move to the outskirts of the village. The mages remain neutral, for now. Our soldiers are protecting them from bandits, however if they turn hostile…” Cullen paused at the thought and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. With a slow blink he continued, “We must be prepared. Act on Rylen’s Command and only on his command.”

Cullen looked ahead and stepped backwards, addressing the room in it’s entirety. “My main…our main priority is to protect The Herald. Whilst these Venatori cultists remain, her life is at risk.” He looked down at the map, taking a moment to reflect on his words. “We will assemble a convoy to safely escort her back to Haven.”

Cullen looked up from the table at the sound of the door opening. He remained still with a questioning gaze at the intrusion.

“Now this is a war room!” Bull mused with excitement. The room fell silent, watching the Qunari for an explanation. “Cullen,” he greeted with a tilt of his head. “How’s it goin’?”

“Iron Bull, I presume?,” Cullen spoke with a flat tone.

“The Iron Bull,” he corrected.

Cullen at first said nothing, instead shuffling papers in his hands. “That is all,” he then said aloud. “Await further instruction from your Lieutenant. You’re dismissed.” When the officers cleared out of the room, Cullen looked to Bull with a shrug of his shoulders, inviting him to speak.

“I saw your men piling in. I want in on the action,” Bull explained. “Who we killing?”

“We’re not killi—” Cullen abruptly stopped mid-sentence, considering his options. “Your Chargers? Will they eliminate Tevinter cultists at The Inquisition’s command?”

“Fuck yeah, they would!”

With weary eyes, Grand Enchanter Fiona stared at Dorian. He shuddered at the sound of Juliette violently throwing up in the corner of the room.

“Don’t take it personally, Fiona. Our Lady Herald has a weak stomach. When we got here she had to fight the urge to vomit at the first sight of a Ferelden tapestry.” Soon after he spoke, Juliette began to loudly cough and splutter as she gasped for air.

“Er, should someone be holding back her hair or something?” Varric asked, his distorted voice bouncing around the dungeon. “Seeker! You’ve got this, right?”

It wasn’t clear if Cassandra had ignored him or was too disturbed to hear in the first place. She stood with a stony expression, gazing towards an empty cell while a haze of red radiated from her chest.

Dorian quickly exhaled and composed himself, asking in a much more serious manner, “Can you tell us the date? It’s very important.”

Fiona lifted her head from the wall that she was resting against, slowly as not to move too much and cause the Lyrium crystals to further shift into her flesh. “Harvestmere…nine forty-two Dragon,” she answered with an eerily weakened voice.

“Nine forty-two?” Dorian exclaimed with shock. “Then we’ve missed an entire year.”

Juliette stood up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She sniffled and stumbled briefly as dizziness took her by surprise. “I promise, I will do everything in my…” She quickly turned her head away from Fiona. “Forgive me, I can’t look. I’ll set things right. We won’t let this happen.”

The image of red lyrium shards protruding from Fiona’s chest burnt into Juliette’s mind. She couldn’t begin to imagine the agony that she would have experienced as the lyrium grew from inside her. Just standing near the stuff made Juliette feel as though her skull was about to explode. She didn’t want to think about how close that Cassandra and Varric were to succumbing a similar fate. Everything about this was wrong! Disturbing and sickening. They had to stop it.

Dorian walked over to Juliette and put his hand on her shoulder. “Our only hope is to find the amulet that Alexius used to send us here.”

“Do you think that you can use it to re-open the rift?” she asked him, her eyes filling with tears.

“Maybe,” he answered softly.

“Good,” Fiona said with relief, overhearing their conversation.

“I said maybe,” he replied firmly, turning back to face her. “It might also turn us into paste.”

“You must try!” Fiona said, resting her head back against the wall and closing her eyes. “Your spymaster…Leliana…” she began to fade out of consciousness.

“Leliana?” Cassandra asked frantically, speaking for the first time since she was released from her cell. “She’s alive?”

“You must find her…”

The screams that rang out from the torture chambers were chilling. Varric walked ahead and turned over his shoulder to look at Juliette with concern. “If there’s anything left of your stomach, this might be a good time to hold onto to it.”

Juliette gazed blankly ahead, her mind racing with various scenarios in which this reality could have unfolded. Widened eyes and trembling hands hinted at her unease. “If Leliana is here…” she wondered out loud. “Could there have been others?” She turned to Dorian as he walked next to her. “Do you think? Could Cullen have led soldiers here…could he?” She let out a soft gasp and with a shaky hand held it over her mouth.

Dorian leaned in closer and said under his breath, “None of this is real, Juliette. Remember that.”

Leliana refused to speak more than necessary. No one could say how long she had endured the chains and torture. People would often talk of how terrifying the spymaster could be. Juliette had known Leliana to be cold and calculating at times, but to see her withstand such torture only to break a man’s neck with her thighs moments later, was disturbing yet profoundly impressive.

Dorian was baffled by the way she moved promptly to action after Juliette had helped unchain her. Perplexed, he asked, “You…aren’t curious how we got here?”

Leliana sifted through a chest, searching for weapons. “No.”

“Alexius sent us into the future,” Dorian began to explain. “This was never meant to be.”

Cassandra stared at Leliana and said nothing. It was as though emotions were coursing through her body, only to be suppressed within by the red lyrium infection that was brewing inside of her. Juliette could see the pain in Cassandra’s eyes, although her posture remained stoic.

Leliana stood from the chest that she was crouched before and turned to face both Dorian and Juliette. With a hauntingly bitter tone she said “And mages always wonder why people fear them. No one should have this power.”

Juliette wasn’t offended, partly she agreed. She’d by lying if she were to admit that her own powers didn’t scare her at times. What she found jarring was, however, that Leliana’s words were a striking contrast to those that she spoke several days earlier regarding mages. “No man should be caged for what he could become.”

“It’s dangerous and unpredictable,” Dorian agreed prior to arguing, “Before the breach, nothing we did—”

“Enough!” Leliana snapped. “This is all pretend to you, some future you hope will never exist. I suffered. The whole world suffered. It was real.” She ran out the door, deranged and determined to end Alexius. Juliette stood with her head down, fighting back tears. Dorian looked at her and sighed, before chasing after Leliana.

“What happened while we were away?” he asked.

“Stop talking!” she snarled.

“I’m just asking for information,” he replied, offended.

“No. You’re talking to fill silence.”

Juliette followed behind them and asked softly, “What about Haven?”

Leliana stopped and froze at the question. Slowly she turned and said “Nothing happened that you want to hear.”

Juliette stood with a vacant expression and stilled posture. Varric and Cassandra followed after Leliana while Dorian remained by Juliette’s side. “It’s not real,” he whispered, trying to reassure her. She looked up at him, a storm of rage in her dark brown eyes.

She reached for her staff and charged towards the stairs. “I’ll kill Alexius myself.”

[contreparry]

I'm feeling in the mood for some fluff today so how about "squishing the others cheek"?

Here’s some Leliana x Josephine for @dadrunkwriting !

She looked particularly frazzled today, which was to be expected. An Antivan delegation was due to arrive in two days (more likely three by Leliana’s estimations, accounting for the road conditions), and Josephine practically turned Skyhold on its head to make ready for the dignitaries. She did this every time they hosted guests, of course, but she had high hopes of settling several matters in this one visit. Therefore everything must be perfect, Josephine informed them over the War Table. Nothing could be left to chance.

Nothing save for her own appearance, apparently, for Josephine’s normally perfectly coiffed hair was rumpled and she had an ink smudge on her cheek. Leliana leaned against the doorway and watched as Josephine poured over some notice or something. Her brow furrowed as she read over a line, re-read it, and checked one more time before setting the paper down on her desk. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed loudly, and Leliana stifled a laugh before making her presence known.

“Problems, Josie?” she asked, and Josephine nearly jumped out of her skin at the question.

“Leliana! Don’t startle me like that!” she exclaimed. She tried to look stern and dignified, lifting her chin and glowering at her, but between the smudge on her cheek and the tremble of her lips as Josephine tried not to giggle Leliana simply couldn’t find it in her to be intimidated. Instead she swooped into the room and planted a firm kiss on Josephine’s mouth, sighing happily when Josephine wrapped her arms around her and returned her embrace. Leliana cupped her face in her hands and gently squished Josephine’s cheeks. Josephine pouted and leaned back.

“Leliana! Really?” she protested, but she didn’t step away. Leliana brushed the pad of her thumb along the ink stain on Josie’s cheek.

“You have such an adorable face, I couldn’t help myself,” Leliana insisted. “You fell asleep at your desk again, didn’t you?”

“How did you-“ Josephine’s hands flew to her face as her eyes widened in mortified horror. “Oh Maker, how bad is it? Is that why- oh what a mess!”

“It’s charming, I assure you. And everyone is aware of how hard you push yourself. I’m sure that your underlings were pleased to learn that you’re as mortal and fallible as the rest of us,” Leliana said, and she sneakily pushed her way in to steal another kiss.

[fantasies-fairytales-n-fics]

Code Blue Ch. 21- Thunderstruck

Summary: Lee and Josie ride the storm out at the lake house, both struggling with nerves on overload and not because of the weather. Lee has an embarrassing moment. He tells Jo a story and acts it out. His heart is in the right place, but Jo panics. Apologies and sweet nothings are shared along with kissy fluff. Are you ready readers?? The moment has finally arrived. One kiss leads to another as JoLee gets sweet and spicy.

*Warnings* 18+...language, anxiety, storms, smut

Stories Stories Stories Masterlist

Chapter characters: Lee, Josie

Salem, Massachusetts

February 27, 2023

12:30 AM- The Lake House

Lee took off his coat as you stood there studying him, nervous as hell after sharing that heavenly kiss in the car just moments ago. Judging by his body language while trying to untangle his scarf, he was a bundle of nerves too. Neither of you were anxious then, so why were you both so tense now? In fact, you and Lee were so at ease with your lip lock and now you felt like you could hurl at any given moment.

"Jo...are...you ok?"

"Yeah, besides looking like a drowned rat and wanting to collapse."

"Well, you are one beautiful drowned rat who needs some rest. You're exhausted....and it's all my fault."

"Lee no...it's not. Everything tonight was all Gordon and Ethan, they triggered you. It was all so perfect before their interference. If anyone's exhausted, it's you. I'm so sorry for what you went through tonight."

Lee finally stopped moving about and smiled at you, releasing a soft sigh and lowered his head.

"Why are you smiling?"

"I think you know why."

You figured it out quickly by his tale tell blushing cheeks. The kiss....and now your stomach did one big flip, as if you were falling. He then continued on with sweet words in a much more relaxed demeanor and stance than you. It was so hard to believe this was the hot mess you witnessed only an hour ago.

"You're worried about me when you were thrown some heavy shit tonight that you didn't deserve Jo. I've asked this before and I'll ask it again...where the hell did you come from? Heaven is my only guess."

"I could ask the same of you...." you answered while anxiously biting your lip while unable to fully look him in the eyes..

"Jo...you're tense. Why don't you sit down and relax, get out of that wet coat. You seem cold. Would you like some wine to help warm you? Something to eat? I'll start a fire. There's a blanket there on the couch."

The only thing you wanted to warm you and knew that could, was his body and now your face felt extremely flushed for such a thought.

"Thank you. No...no food. Wine would be good though. Would...you mind if I go upstairs and change into something dry? I..I brought some other clothes...only because I didn't know if...I would be staying or not..."

Lee stared at you for a moment, noticing how nervous you really were. He was too, extremely.

"Jo, you can stay here anytime. I told you that you could stay tonight and the guest room where you got ready earlier, is all yours if you want it. Go ahead, go get changed and I'll pour us some wine and start this fire and....we can sit and....talk? Unless...you don't want to anymore. It's ok if you would rather just turn in soon."

Just then, the thunder rolled through the house, making you jump.

"Uhhh, no. I cannot sleep in this. Never could. I...I want to sit with you...please."

Your desperation wasn't your finest moment but the thought of being apart from him, especially right now had your tears threatening to fall, but you choked them back.

"Of course Jo. I'll stay up with you all night if I you need me to. I'm not going anywhere. You're safe here...with me."

The way he said that, his tone and how he looked at you, It was like he had x-ray vision, just like superman and could see how scared you were. It made you just want to run back into his arms and kiss him all over again...but you knew where that might lead...and now you knew exactly why you were so damn nervous.

"I'll ummm...be right back then..." you skittishly said and began to head up the stairs, tripping over the first step like the love sick klutz you were.

"Hey Jo..."

"Yeah?" you swiftly asked as you spun back around, almost losing your balance in your overwrought state.

"Thank you."

"For?"

"Being here. Being my only true friend. Being you....just for everything."

"Of...course Lee. Right back at ya babe."

Lee humbly smiled as he winked at you and walked off to the kitchen.

You barely made it to the bathroom without peeing your pants and sat on the toilet with your head in your hands, feeling your chest tightening as you panted. You had never felt so timorous in your life, not even on that rollercoaster that caused your fear of heights. How could one simple man make you feel this way? No man ever had, not even Gerry and my god, you were going to marry him. Your hands were shaking so bad that you could barely wipe yourself.

You got up, slipped out of your skirt and fumbled with the soap to wash your hands and then splashed cold water on your face.

"Come on Jo...calm your ass down before Lee has to scrape you up off the floor." you said, scolding yourself in the mirror.

Just then, you heard loud music turn on from downstairs.

"Whewwwww.....breathe Jo. You can do this...because it's everything you have always wanted....God you look like hell." you said one last time to yourself in the mirror and then went to change.

The storm was getting stronger and Lee's attempt to block out the thunder for you with music was not working. When you came downstairs, you found him peering out the window in a concerning way as the lightning flashed upon his face.

"Lee?? Is everything alright? The storm, it's getting worse isn't it?"

"Heyyy, Jo, it's alright. I was just looking out over the water. You can see it from up here. It's really pretty when the lightning flashes on it. I tried the tv to check on the weather but the satellite is out, but I haven't heard of any storm warnings for the area before today....here sweetheart, I poured your wine. You ok?"

He handed you your glass and all you could think of was how pretty his face was when the lightning flashed upon it.

"Thank you and...I guess so. I should call my mom and check on her."

"Good luck with that.. I just tried to call my farm sitter to see how things were out there. The signal is shit. Texts won't go through either. You can try the landline but I got nothing but static. Try not to worry Jo. I've got a generator if the power goes out, and a basement."

"You have a landline?" you giggled.

"Yep, doctor remember? Need all possible forms of communication....well at least I did need it..."

Lee went and sat down and patted the spot beside him.

"Come sit with me, try to relax. Put your feet up."

You were more than happy to do it as you plopped down right up against him, pulling your legs up. It's all you had wanted to do since he had put you down after carrying you inside. Lee placed his hand on your leg and smiled so lovingly at you.

"Speaking of feet...what happened to your shoes from tonight anyways?" Lee asked with a raised brow and a curled smirk.

"Oh...ummm. I kinda...threw them at Gordon's head."

Lee busted up laughing. "Dare I ask?"

"Well, after you left, I went to leave and I fell...DON'T laugh...stupid ass heels...and he tried to help me up and it just pissed me off after all he had done...one hit him square in the ass too." you explained as you also laughed.

"Ha...ha....well, I did fuck my knee up."

"I thought I saw you limping...damn Jo, can I see it?"

"Y..yeah...sure. It's...just a scrape really."

"Who's the doctor?" he jokingly reminded you again with both his brows raised. Quite the habit of his, but then again, it was quite the habit of yours to keep getting hurt.

There went your butterflies again as he began sliding your pant leg up, swarming in your gut as if there were thousands of them. The thought of his hand on your leg again, like when he checked over your ankle at his other house, sent out of control tingling sensations to your lower region.

When he pulled the fabric over your knee, he gently laid one hand on the side of your leg and with the other, he traced his finger along side the wound, causing your knee-jerk reflex as if you had been tapped with one of those medical hammers.

Lee swiped his hand back and looked at you with astonished eyes.

"Did I hurt you?? I..I'm so sorr..."

"No..nooo Lee, I... I'm fine...I..don't know what happened."

Oh yes you did, but you weren't about to tell him that his feather light touch caused such a reaction in you. You could see that he had caught on to what just happened as he replied to your answer with a very cute smirk.

If he were honest too, he would tell you that simply touching your knee was also doing out of control things to him in places they shouldn't be, and your reaction to his touch didn't help. All he could envision was you in that mini skirt you had on earlier. He quickly stood up with his hands on his hips and nervously sighed.

"Yeah... ok then, I am going to go get some peroxide to clean that up." he rambled out and hurried off.

You flung yourself against the back of the couch, throwing your hands over your face and quietly groaned. Of course, your hands were intensely covered in his cologne, making you whimper. What in the world was happening? You had always been quite jittery around him because of how you felt for him, but it was now magnified times a thousand after sharing an out of this world kiss and professing your love for one another. If the two of you ended up in bed, you were almost certain you would unravel before he even got to fourth base.

Lee fumbled through the medicine cabinet as his forehead began to lightly perspire. He stopped and placed his hands on the vanity and lowered his head with a heavy exhale powering out of him. His eyes unwillingly traveled to his man hood that was becoming prominent under his slacks.

"No..no..no..noooo.no NO...Not now." he complained in a whisper as he crunched his eyes shut. "You just shut up!" he ordered to his cock as if it could hear him, and worse yet, as if it would listen. He repeatedly splashed cold water on his face and dried it off as he chuckled and shook his head, pacing in a circle until, finally his soldier was at ease.

Lightning flashed and then a sonic boom of thunder pounded over the house, rumbling through the floor, causing the lights to go out.

"LEE!!!" you screamed as you sprung up.

"Jo! I'm coming, it's alright."

Lee raced up to you and you leaped up into his arms just as the lights came back on.

"It's alright baby, I've got you. It's ok, It's ok." he sweetly assured you as he caressed your back.

You were shaking so bad as you squeezed him like a boa constrictor. His embrace took all your fear away as he lightly rocked you, as if you were dancing again, just like after the elevator episode.

Lee kissed your head softly and lifted his head up to look at you as he held his hand on your cheek.

"I'll never let anything happen to you. Come on, please sit back down and let me fix your knee up."

You believed him with every ounce of your soul and sat down as he asked. This time you lifted your pant leg up for him to make things easier on the both of you. Lee grabbed the peroxide and cotton balls off the table where he had tossed them on his sprint to get to you, and then sat down beside you. Gently, he began dabbing the cotton balls over your wound, careful not to touch your skin again at all with his hand so he didn't have a repeat episode with his defiant member down below.

Another bout of thunder rippled through the house, making you tense up, so Lee began talking to you while he tended to your knee, like the two of you were supposed to be doing anyways.

"When I was a kid, I was scared of storms too. We lived in Texas before we moved to the farm just outside of Salem. I'm sure you can imagine what the storms there were like. I would hide under the kitchen table or behind the couch with Gordon. As kids, he used to look out for me. He was scared too and one night dad got out some flashlights, told us they were storm zappers, that all we had to do was point them at the sky and the storm would be afraid of us and leave. Of course, me being a kid, I asked him how, because we certainly didn't want to go outside to do it. He said for the mild storms, it would work if we just pointed it at the ceiling. Well, me and Gordon tried that, but obviously, it didn't work. I remember crying, so dad, my hero, took the flashlights and went outside to zap the storm himself as Gordon and I knelt on the couch and watched from the window. Now mind you, it didn't work either BUT my dad was out there in the blowing wind and rain, soaking wet doing the funniest things, like falling over on the muddy ground as if the wind was too strong and it had me and Gordon cracking up, totally distracting us from our fears...which is exactly why my dad did what he did...and because of him, I was no longer scared of any storm."

Lee then began rolling up his sleeves and crossed his arms over his stomach as if he were pondering on something.

"Lee, your dad sounds like he was the best dad in the world and obviously loved you very much to do something so dangerous like that...I'm so glad it helped you. If only storm zappers were real, then I wouldn't be afraid anymore."

"Oh but they are real. I'll show you." Lee said with a sly smile and a look in his eyes that told you he was about to do something off the wall.

"Wait, what?"

Lee got up and scavenged through a drawer, pulling out two flashlights and checking to see if they worked...and then looked down at you.

"I promise to be careful...just watch."

"Lee, WHAT are you doing???"

He walked out the side door off of the kitchen as you jumped up and followed him, standing in the open doorway.

"Lee, stop this! There's lightning, you could be struck and it's so windy, a tree branch could fall on you or something! You don't need to do this baby please!"

"I know I don't. I want to. I don't want you to be afraid anymore."

"But I am afraid, FOR YOU!!"

The fact that he was doing this for you was honorable, yet fucking ridiculous, but you still couldn't help loving him even more for his determination and selflessness.

All you could do was watch as the rain plummeted over him. He was completely saturated within seconds. The lightning was like a disco show as the thunder drummed to it.

Lee stood for a moment and just stared at the sky, letting the rain wash over his face as he stretched his arms out. Something in this moment told you it wasn't all solely for you, but for him as well. You believed he felt connected to his father by doing this and that he also didn't want to be afraid anymore from the storms life was throwing at him....and it broke your heart.

Lee then turned to look at you...instead of showing him your fear, you just smiled at him and let him have this moment, while praying to God he would be safe.

He then raised the flashlights to the sky and began slowly spinning around, as if he were zapping every inch of the storm with his will. You had never seen anything so damn sexy but yet so scary as the lightning danced all around him.

And then...he did it....what he told you his father did. Lee began acting as if the wind was knocking him over as he tumbled around on the ground....and then got right back up and began fearlessly fighting the storm again.

You stood in awe with tears while laughing because you just couldn't help it. This was your man, your unstoppable hero and you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him.

Lee then stopped, raised his arms straight up as he stared at the sky again, pointing the lights at the storm and then gave one final swipe of his arms, slaying the monstrous beast.

"Lee, please come inside!"

Finally, Lee came to the door.

"Are you satisfied yet, or do you maybe want to run around the block a few times, taunting the lightning some more to strike you down??"

"I don't." he replied in a somber tone followed by a tiny frown.

He could tell you were unhappy as you abruptly moved to the side, staring at him for him to pass.

Once inside, Lee grabbed a towel from the bathroom and sat at the table vigorously drying his hair.

"Now who's the drowned rat?" he chuckled as you just stared at him some more.

"Ok storm slayer, you killed it. Are you happy now?"

Although you appreciated what he did and was trying to do, you were slightly pissed off.

"You're...mad..." he quietly said as he gazed up at you.

"Yeah Lee, I am. I get what you did and why, but you could have been hurt or even killed and I'm not ok with that at all! Do you have any idea what that would have done to me??"

Your eyes welled up again as he stood in remorse.

"Jo..I....I only wanted to help you...because...I...I love you."

Instead of saying it back, you carried on in your anxious state.

"That's no reason to put your life at risk Lee! It's like you lost all rationalization...and it was just plain stupid! Were you trying to get yourself killed? because it almost seemed like it. You can't just come into my life like this, make me fall for you and then do dumb shit that could take you away and I know how selfish I sound right now, but I don't fucking care. I would rather go through the storms with you than without you....damn it."

Lee was speechless for a moment after you rebuked him in such a manner.

"You're right. It was very fucking stupid of me, which that's all I seem to do is stupid shit. I'm a fuck up, I get it. I am going to go dry off." he flatly said, then walked around you and swiftly left the room, cranking up the music and then headed upstairs.

Now you were the one who felt instantly stupid and really bad. You poured another glass of wine and knocked it back. As you went to go after him, you caught sight of something and stopped to look at it. Drawings...all over the refrigerator. Jacob's drawings. You wondered if they had always been there or if Lee had just recently put them up when he was unpacking the boxes of Jacob's things he brought there from the other house....and now you felt even more like shit. You needed to go apologize, so you slowly crept up the stairs to find him.

Your anxiety was causing you to overheat, so you quickly went into your room and removed your shirt, leaving only a skimpy white tank top on that you wore underneath. You stared in the mirror, now feeling to bare as you fidgeted with your cleavage area and then tied your hair back. Picking up a magazine, you fanned yourself aggressively, trying to breathe and get the annoying hot flash to go away. Once it subsided, you then took a few deep breaths to settle your raging butterflies and went to his room.

The door was ajar enough for you to see in. Lee was sitting at a desk, lost in thought and still in his damp clothes. You slowly walked in and went over to him.

"Lee.." you squeaked, almost in a whisper. "I...god I am so sorry. I...I was just so scared for you, much more than I was of the storm. If anything were to happen to you...I...I just can't even think of it...."

He gazed up at you briefly, affected by your words, then lowered his eyes back to where they were.

"I understand what you were doing. I'm not upset about that. In fact, it means the world to me that you would go to such lengths to make me feel safe, but I don't feel safe when I don't feel that you are safe...I..I can't lose you Lee...I..I love you too. So much."

You smiled at him, trying so hard not to cry.

"And...god it feels so good to say it, because I need you to know something. I have been in love with you for quite some time now, so scared that you didn't feel the same way or that if I told you, you would run...because I know that love was the last thing you were looking for. It was the same for me. I swore all men off, that they were the devil and vowed to never let anyone in ever again...and then there you were, my prince on a great white horse that I only ever wrote and dreamed about, and there were times that I swear I could feel that you were out there but I refused to try and find you, telling myself that if it was meant to be, we would find each other when the time was right. When I found you, you rocked my entire world in a way that's indescribable. A thief in the night that stole my heart. I couldn't get you out of my head and...you were just so perfect, in every way to me. I had such a hard time believing you were real, that's why I pushed you away before. You scared the hell out of me, and if I am being honest, you still do....because I have never felt this way for anyone...ever...and the thought of losing it, losing you...There is no one like you and could never be...tonight...I...I just panicked and I was so mean and cruel and I swear to god, I didn't mean to be because I would never hurt you. Seeing you in any kind of pain hurts me and I just want to take your pain all away and I can't....just like you were trying to do for me tonight."

Lee's eyes then locked into yours and you could see that he believed you and was deeply moved, and even taken aback by what you just confessed.

"Jo, I understand why you reacted the way you did. You were right, it was stupid. I shouldn't have behaved so carelessly. especially with your feelings. Instead of making you feel better, which is all I was trying to do, I only made you feel worse. I scared you and I am so sorry, because the last thing I ever want to do is scare you. You deal with enough fear in your life and don't need me adding to it. I've wanted to tell you so many times how I felt about you, but I was just so afraid I would push you away again., and yet there I was, pushing you away. The truth is, we were just so afraid of each other because it was all so new to both of us. Everything...every single thing we have done in our lives and been through has led us to each other, and it was hard for me too, to believe you were real but all the signs that you have made me believe in, I couldn't deny anymore. You say you want to take all my pain away, well...I want to take all your fears away...but I too... can't. I want to be your hero, the superman you dream of. You turned my world upside down from the first time ever I saw your face..and those beautiful sun-like eyes of yours, I thought the sun rose in them...they just sucked me right in like some vortex... you tore up my life Jo, in the best way possible....you literally had me at hello...and yes I've seen Jerry McGuire." he lightly chuckled and took in a nervous breath, then continued.

"You're my lady strange Jo, because I too, have never experienced anyone like you or anything like this and I don't want to lose this or you. I can't. I'm so lost in you that I can't see straight anymore. I fell so damn hard for you, tripped over my own two feet and fell face first, flat on the floor. I can't imagine a world without you. I've been missing something my entire life and now I know that something was you. You're my rock and my true best friend and I am so in love with you, it hurts. You're literally the love of my life Josephine Leeann March. I am nothing without you, no one, nothing at all."

Lee was becoming emotional in expressing how he felt about you, trying to choke back his own tears and hold eye contact with you, and you were just absolutely falling to pieces inside over his heartfelt words that were damn near like wedding vows.

You needed to touch him. You needed to make him feel loved and wanted. He was so vulnerable, so broken and you wanted to do everything in your power to put him back together again.

You squatted down beside him and reached your arms up, tenderly placing your hands on each side of his face. He struggled with looking at you and you knew that was because this was all new to him, being so naked, trusting you with his shattered heart.

Piece by piece, you were going to stitch him back up. You were going to be the doctor now and take care of him for once. He had been neglected for so long in the ways that mattered before you met him and he had felt so alone and lost.

"I'm here now Lee...and just like you want to protect me, I want to protect you. You told me I was safe with you and I need you to know that...you are safe with me too. I have waited a lifetime for you."

A tear snuck out of his eye and rolled down his cheek.

"God Jo, if you only knew. You're the only one I believe in. There are times I can't breathe without you next to me."

"I do know...I'm right here beside you so...just breathe. Just like you told me to do, remember?"

Lee gasped in and then exhaled as another tear fell.

You leaned into him and lovingly kissed his tears and then his forehead. Finally, he looked into your sympathetic eyes with such incredulity in his drowning eyes over your genuine endearment.

"Where...did you come from?" he whispered.

"You already asked me that." you replied with a soft smile.

"And you never answered me."

"From right here..." you humored him and placed your hand over his racing heart.

Another moment was there, screaming at you to go to him and nothing or no one was there to interrupt it. Slowly, you brought your lips to his and softly kissed him.

Nose to nose, he then opened his eyes and gazed at you.

"Jo...is this real?" he asked with an exhilarated smile.

"Let me show you just how real this is."

You slid your hands up his neck and pushed into him, kissing him so deeply. His hands glided up your back, pulling you against him as he lowly moaned. As your lips reluctantly parted, Lee stared down at your hands and then at you like a frightened little boy. You didn't realize you had partially opened his shirt, revealing his chest.

"Jo....I...."

"Shhhh. You're safe with me, I promise. I've seen your scars. They're a part of you and I...I love you Lee....you. I only see you."

Your eyes lowered to your hands and you slowly began to undo the next button as he watched, frozen, forgetting to breathe.

You smiled as you looked back up at him. "Breathe..."

The music from downstairs was still blaring on shuffle, and just then, a song came on that couldn't have been more perfect for what was happening...another sign, you thought.

(En Vogue- Don't Let Go)

Your lips grazed his chest and softly kissed one of his scars. You could feel the erratic thumping of his heart against your mouth as his fingers trembled upon your back.

Lee suddenly exhaled deeply and began to breathe, and as he did so, you felt his hands grip your waist. You squeaked as you were then hoisted up over his lap. His breathing was heavy as his bare chest rose and lowered in thirst for you, his pupils dilating in hunger. You undid the rest of his buttons, slowly, one by one while he continued to watch like a mountain lion. Seductively, you opened his shirt up and gazed at his toned form. His stomach quivered as you laid your palms over his belly button, gliding them up to his chest. Lowering your head, you then butterfly kissed his midriff. Lee sucked his stomach in as he arched his head back and released a hard moan with your name inside of it as if he had been punched in the gut. To him, he had been, because your touch was doing insane things to his body that were beyond his control.

Lee swiftly sat up, running his hands up your back and fingers up through your hair, passionately kissing you, this time his gently tongue finding yours. Small whimpers escaped you as you pushed your hips into his rapidly growing hardness, pushing Lee over the edge.

"Hold on to me."

He placed his hands under the back of your thighs and stood up as you wrapped your legs around him. The kissing began again as he slowly moved towards the bed. The feeling of being up so high in this 6'5 man's strong arms truly made you feel like you were his Lois Lane.

Lee knelt on the bed and gently laid you down with your legs still gripped around his waist.

"Am...am I too heavy?" he asked in concern before let his weight fall over you.

"God no, come here." you panted and pulled him into another deep kiss. You couldn't get enough of his taste and the way that he kissed you.

You slid your hands under his shirt and over his shoulders in an attempt to remove his shirt completely. He balanced himself on one arm as he shook the other to free himself from the sleeve with your help, and then repeated with the other, giving the shirt a free throw right onto the chair you just made out on. The heat of his skin was driving you wild as he laid back down upon you. Your hands traveled like a race car all over his muscular back and arms as he fervidly kissed your neck and collar bone, sending goosebumps clear down your legs and a throbbing ache into your core. His velvety kisses continued to your chest as you ran your fingers up through his downy hair. Lee's hand pushed up your side and as he neared your breast, you jerked and giggled.

"I..I'm sorry! Should I stop? Is this too much?" he desperately asked.

"Noooo! Please don't. I...I'm just...ticklish." you laughed and stroked his cheek.

Lee closed his eyes and sighed in relief as he formed a smile and chuckled.

"Here..." you said and crossed your arms over your stomach, grabbing the end of your tank top and without hesitation, you glided it up and over your head, revealing your highly aroused breasts.

Lee's mouth dropped open as he went into some kind of trance, staring at your body.

"God...you're beautiful." he whispered as his eyes came back up to yours.

"Right back at ya babe." you sweetly said as you traced his scars with your index finger.

Lee took that hand and kissed it, and then you pulled his hand down and led it to your breast with an approving smile. He tenderly cupped it and kissed your nose, then your cheek and then took your mouth fully into his once more. Now that you were skin to skin, his body heat was intense and you craved him even more.

You tightened your legs around him and began softly rocking your aching bud into his now solid cock. Lee responded with a deep groan and pushed back against you in a slow swaying motion. If this kept up, you weren't going to make it, just like you told yourself earlier.

Your hands released his back and slid under him, searching for the button on his pants. He stopped kissing you and slightly lifted up.

"Jo....are...are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I've dreamt of this for so long. Make love to me Lee."

He was speechless for a few seconds, so you helped him out and stuck your thumbs inside your leggings, then began to slide them down.

Lee backed up onto his knees and sat on his heels as he took your hands, helping you pull them off. His eyes rolled over your now vulnerable form as you nervously kept your legs together with your hands on your knees.

"So have I, so many times."

You climbed up on your knees and over his lap, molding against him. He kissed you again, intensely, over and over. You clutched his hair in your fist as you could now feel his solid form between your legs more prominently.

The heat was stronger than his bare skin and you reveled at his size, almost worried it was going to hurt at first because you hadn't been with anyone in so long....but you also knew as slick as you felt, the pain would be short lived and oh so worth it.

Lee lifted you up and laid you back upon the pillows, still kissing you. His hand glided up your entire leg, ankle to thigh as your nails gently grazed down his long back, making him gasp and grind against you.

You aggressively pulled at his pants, wanting them gone. Lee understood and swiftly lifted up, unbuttoned his pants, then unzipped them and slid them down along with his boxer briefs. The room was dimly lit, but you could still see the silhouette of his full attention, confirming to you that it was definitely going to hurt.

Lee maneuvered his legs free from his pants and whipped them through the air, falling right back into your welcoming anxious arms.

His cock was so hot as he pressed it over you. The soon to be inflicted pain was gone from your mind and overtaken with wanting him inside of you right now.

"Please..." you whispered into his ear as he kissed your neck.

He brought his face to yours, his blue orbs fixed in your lustful eyes and caressed your cheek, kissing your lips softly, then he raised his hips, letting your hand guide him to your entrance. Once you actually held him in your hand, your stomach did a flip, knowing you were about to lose the ability to breathe...

Lee sensed your tension and didn't move as he laced his fingers into yours. The sweet form of endearment helped you to relax a little.

"I love you Jo....more than anything in this world."

You kissed him and smiled as your eyes teared up with love, for you were getting everything you ever wanted and more.

"I love you too Lee."

His hand gripped yours firmly as he gently pushed into you.

"Ahhhh!" you cried out at the sting as you arched your back.

Lee gasped and looked at you. "Jo...sweetheart...I can stop. We don't have to do this."

"Oh yes we do." you panted.

Your aching desire for him overruled your pain, for it would be gone in a matter of seconds once he was fully sheathed.

You placed your free hand on his glorious bottom and pulled at him, encouraging him to continue, and so he did.

Lee cautiously pushed again as you held your breath. Again, and again he entered you a little further with soft shallow thrusts until your wetness covered him, and finally, he slid all the way inside of you.

"Breathe Jo." he said as he stopped.

You blurted out a deep exhale and kissed him, then began to rock your hips up. The pain was history and all you felt now was the urge for him to go faster.

"I'm ok, please, don't stop. I want you so much." you pleaded and kissed him frantically.

He slid partially out and then back in, pushing deeply as he softly moaned in your ear, and then began moving at a steady pace.

"My god, you feel so good Jo."

You moved with him, wrapping your legs around his lower backside, taking in the immense pleasure. Every time he became flush with you, you could feel your walls threatening to unravel. You knew what a powerful feeling that was going to be, but the moment you were in right now was so impassioned, that you just had to make it last.

Lee kissed your neck and massaged your breast as you rocked up into him, groping at his back and lightly biting his shoulder. His moans became louder and more consistent as he now was thrusting in a more zealous way. You had experienced a few erotic dreams of him, but this by far surpassed them all combined. The only difference is, this time you had better control over your release, or so you believed. The fact that he was nipping at your sweet spot with every grind meant that when you climaxed, it was going to be sudden and without warning for you to be able to stop it and prolong it.

"Are you ok baby?' he panted into your ear and nipped at your lobe.

"Uh huh..." is all you could mutter through your hard and heavy breaths.

Lee smiled and placed you arms above your head, held your hands and picked up his pace. His thrusts were harder and deeper...you were not going to make it much longer, but you knew if you asked him to slow down, you would unwind within seconds.

It didn't seem he was going to be able to hold back much longer on you either. He was perspiring and pursing his lips as his forehead laid upon yours, letting hard sighs escape him every other lunge forward. Your profound moans weren't helping his case either....so he did what you hoped he actually wouldn't do...he slowed down.

Lee's momentum was now laggard but extremely intense as he was shaking with every drive forward. This was going to be it, for both of you. Nothing could stop it, just like a volcano that was about to erupt and eject it's hot magma.

"God.....Lee.....I....can't..." you whimpered over his lips.

You should have never opened your mouth, because it set him off. The culminated rapture had arrived as he propelled forward at an excessive rate, his breathing erratic and loud.

Thunder crashed all around the room, making the anticipated moment biblical.

"Jo...fuck....Jo....."

"Oh my...oh god, my god...oh...Leeeeeee!" you squealed as you bucked your hips up with raging force. You saw blackness with stars bursting into glitter as you vigorously unhinged on him. You could swear you felt the earth move through your vehement contractions.

Lee bellowed out a substantial groan as he released, his hand now clutching the headboard with white knuckles. You felt every violent pulse of his cock as he expelled into you. Jesus, you were coming again....

"Fuuuuuuck!!!" you screamed, rolling your hips ferociously as this orgasm outdid the first. Britt had told yo once that you were wound like a top, and boy was that an understatement.

"My god....baby...." Lee panted as he held your face and kissed your forehead. "Are...you ok?" he asked with a cute smug smile.

"Y...yea...yeah.." you smiled and stuttered as you were going through the aftershocks. You smile quickly collapsed into a frown as you began to cry and flung your arms around him, clinging to him tightly.

"Jo, sweet girl, why are you crying?" Lee asked as he held you snuggly and stroked your hair.

"I...I...I just....I love you so much and...this... was just...everything, so perfect. God, please believe me, that I am so happy right now." you explained in a soft whine as you gazed into his eyes.

Lee lightly chuckled. "Oh my girl...you have no idea how happy I am right now too. I don't ever want to let you go. I love you too Jo March, till the end of time, my love."

@redeemer46

[demonsfate]

No Lidia or Kuni 2, game bad.

Joking of course, but maybe they'll be some of the first DLC characters for Tekken 8's content cycle, since it'd be a shame to lose them, along with most of Tekken 7's new characters despite negative reception to Lucky Chloe and to extent, Josie.

Though, I am curious in a way, who will be a guest character Tekken 8 since it seems to be the norm now that all fighting games must have a guest character as DLC.

Honestly I think it should be criminal that Eddy and Miguel are also absent. I gotta admit, while I didn't particularly hate or dislike the T7 newcomers, none of them really stuck with me other than a few (that being Lidia, Leroy, and Josie)

I REALLY haven't a clue who could be a guest character. Frankly, I think the demand for guest characters in all fighting games is a bit silly ngl. Don't get me wrong, they ARE really fun, and it's interesting to see who gets in (who would've thought fuckin NEGAN?) But the issue with guest characters is that they can cause problems for the games 10 to 20 years later. Supposedly, I heard that's why they added Tekken 2 to PlayStation Plus/Now because they're having copyright issues with Tekken 3 regarding Gon's character. And it's also why Mortal Kombat 9 was removed from Steam not long ago because of copyright issues regarding Freddy Krueger.

But slight criticism of guest characters aside, yeah! Who knows who will be in. Like how Tek7 had Negan, I hope Tek8 has some random American show character that doesn't fit in at all. Maybe Gus from Breaking Bad. I can't really say if there's anyone I really want. People will egg me for this, but I wouldn't mind seeing Ryu, just because I enjoy his and Jin's interactions from Project X Zone.

[nabanna]

session cinco (five)

more unfortuante news gamers I Am Once Again Caffeinated !!! And It’s The Blood Moon !!! There Are Some Vibe

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X has new math rocks!!! we have had a majority vote to peer pressure the DM into giving her Inspiration :D

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Ghost: [starts pushing over flower vase] Dread: NO THE FLOWERS Frida: Is that any way to behave around a guest? These flowers are for you, too!

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Visiting Neighbor: ...and there’s a bookshop there– Jerry: BOOKSHOP OWO ??????? (wizard moment) Josie: [eyes emoji] (wizard moment)

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Smiles: hey if you need anything I can run and get you things Neighbor: oh I couldn’t impose Smiles: no no I insist Frida: you really can’t stop Smiles from being....... friendly :)

Smiles: HEYYYYYY I wasn’t outright flirting... YET...... Frida: :)))))))))))

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Jerry: Hey ghost! knock over my hat if you’re a guy! DM: Jerry would you like to make a dexterity save? K: K: I’m! not sure I want to! (me): You can probably choose to fail! :) DM: You can choose to fail! :) K: I GUESS I FAIL???? Ghost: [throws a tankard at Jerry’s forehead]

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Eilistraeeans: [general lack of clothing for religious reasons] Smiles: [AAAAAAAAAA] [is normal]

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CAT

BEE HAS FOUND A CAT IN REAL LIFE

WE HAVE HEARD THE CAT

SHE HAS REMOVED THE CAT FROM THE STREET THE CAT IS SAFE

CAT

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Mars Artistic Representation of the ladies entering the Dancing Haven

DM’s transformative work:

Bee/Smiles: (you’d think I’m a catholic with how repressed I am)

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Smiles: [seeming to get flustered around a man? oh?]

oh?

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DM: Jesus Christ doesn’t go here. Only Eilistraee K: Jesus Christ is a type of lesbian the gang: y’know what yeah I’ll incorporate that into my belief system

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Jerry: Hey Clover? I’m not sure how to ask this but? Clover: Yeah? Jerry: How do you feel about... regular cats? Clover: Clover: I try not to think about it too much Jerry: That’s fair [knocks on the door]

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During the party split I may have gone upstairs and chased my brother around the house for about 10 minutes before finally bugging him into picking me up and then biting him (only once this time!) (last time I had coffee I bit him TEN times) (affectionately)

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NPC: if you could help me get my hands on some high quality specialty wood- (me): [very badly concealed giggling] DM: [knows what I am] ..........Okay Lianne, why are you giggling? Something to share with the class young lady? (me): he w wants s why he want h hey why’s a man want som some hey h hhey sir why do you as a man want to get your hand on High Quality Hard Wood Huh–

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Homo-Erotic Sparring at the Dancing Haven Temple Of Eilistraee

Mars Moment

extreme wlw moment

(guys I think I figuresd out where the caffeine went)

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Seance Time! Smiles: (is it just me or is it gusty in here–) everybody: (SHHHHHH)

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NOOO THE SEANCE

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THE HAPPY YOUNG COUPLE NOOOO

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(brought to you by last campaign’s Slap Her Bald Head Sunday final meme compilations)

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we gave the ghost quills and paper

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TAVERN NAME ACQUIRED

TIPSY PIXIE

(might change if someone advises us against it for potential fey racism? unless pixies are generally chill with that sort of thing we don’t know)

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Jerry Inventor Of Magical Picture Taking (He Has Take Magic Photo As A Cantrip)

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TODAY’S SESSION SPONSORED BY MISS EMILY FANTASYNAMEGENERATORS OF https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/

EVERYBODY SAY THANK YOU EMILY WE OWE YOU OUR LIVES EMILY

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Trollskull Manor Tipsy Pixie Tavern Family Portrait

So my good friend @thebestbeearts just finished running our group through Descent into Avernus, and for the whole time there was this post that she did that we kept reblogging every week when we had a session.

Now, I'll be the one running our group through Waterdeep Dragon heist, and she has asked me to continue the tradition...with my own post:

LIKE TO SLAP HIS BALD HEAD

REBLOG TO SLAP HIS BALD HEAD

(don't touch the goldfish)

[frankcastlescumslut]

Fuck it, I love you

word count: 8.3k

pairing: Matt Murdock x Female!Reader

warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI!!!! make up sex, oral (f receiving), p in v, fingering, choking, slapping, degrading Matt, slight spit play, breeding if you squint, language, exhibitionism, daddy kink, borderline cheating (oops), slightly toxic relationship between Matt and reader (lol), some angst, some hurt/comfort, mainly smut

synopsis: you would be lying if you said you weren’t feeling lonely. of course you love Matt and respect his love for the city, but there was only so much you could take before that loyalty made you question his love for you.

DO NOT steal or copy my work!!!!!! I’ll find out if you do and hex you!!!!!!!!!

COMMENTS/FEEDBACK/REBLOGS/LIKES are all welcomed all the time <3 thank you for reading!!!

a/n: I would be lying if I said I didn’t clench my thighs while writing this… this is my first Matt fic!!! I pretty much combined multiple ideas I had into just one lengthy piece, so I hope it’s cohesive and enjoyable! I also wrote different parts of this to multiple Lana songs… oops. enjoy!

————

song 1

ice rattles at the bottom of your glass as you slam it on the bar, signaling your need for another. you secretly hoped it was loud enough that Matt would look over at you from his hushed conversation with Foggy, but it wasn’t. of course it wasn’t.

you knew they were both stressed from some important trial going on, but you would be lying if you said you weren’t feeling lonely. of course you love Matt and respect his love for the city, but there was only so much you could take before that loyalty made you question his love for you.

you shake your head at the doubt. what is wrong with me? maybe it’s the drink you had finished, maybe it’s the ache in between your legs that hasn’t been satiated in a few days, or maybe it’s the way Josie was paying more attention to you than your lover.

“long night?”

you snapped back to your current state as the new voice pulled you from your trance. your eyes trailed over his suit and up to his gorgeous face, landing on an infectious smile.

“you could say that again.” you chuckled while looking away as a slight blush bloomed onto your cheeks.

“mind if I sit?” he motions towards the empty chair to your right.

“be my guest” what am I doing?

out of the corner of your eye you can see Matt; the grip on his beer was dangerously tight. Foggy gives Matt a chance to interrupt and come to your rescue, but to both of your surprises, he doesn’t. he takes a swig of his drink and continues on with his conversation.

interesting.

“Billy Russo” he offers a polite hand to shake.

“nice to meet you” you give him your name and hand.

it was large and inviting- something you have desperately missed for a while. you were a little startled by the way you wanted to ease into the handsome stranger.

“if it’s not too forward, may I ask what a beautiful woman like you is doing here alone? especially on a Friday night?”

you were entranced by his smile and the natural coolness of his tone. his eyes were knowledgeable and the crinkles were so similar to Matt’s.

Matt.

“well, actually” you stuttered, trying to gauge your boyfriend's reaction. you knew he could hear your heart beat rise, and you knew he was a possessive man. this could be fun but he was unresponsive and didn’t interfere. you tilt your head slightly while trying to settle your internal argument. what’s the worst that could happen, right?

you sit up a little straighter, making sure to accentuate your chest. Matt’s gaze doesn’t waver.

“actually, I really needed to unwind.” you lean back in your chair some, making sure Billy catches the way your breasts slightly move with your body.

“is that right?” he leans his arm onto the bartop and motions for two more drinks.

“mhm. i’ve had a really long week and just needed something… new, I guess.” you weren’t sure if you were talking to Matt or the handsome man.

“change of scenery?“ he questions, leaning forward.

“something like that.”

your drinks landed in front of you with a clink, and you took the opportunity to glance at Matt. Foggy was visibly nervous, not really sure what to do while his best friend’s girlfriend flirts with a random man right beside him. you’re almost annoyed- no, upset- at the fact that Matt is ignoring you.

unbeknownst to you, the thud of your heart pounds in his ears. he catches the way you hide a small sniffle. is she crying?

fuck it you thought. if he doesn’t want me, at least someone else does.

time to up the ante.

you squeeze the lime into your drink, mindful of how it drips onto your finger. here goes nothing. you drop the fruit into the glass before meticulously bringing your finger into your mouth, lightly sucking, and releasing it with a pop.

Billy’s eyebrows raise incredulously. the drink warms you up, causing your cheeks to blush. was it the drink or was it the way the gorgeous man beside you licked the salt off of his hand? or maybe it was the way he delicately sucked on the fruit before dropping it into your glass with a plop.

a drop of lime juice dribbled from his lip onto his chin and you fought the urge to lean into him and clean it with your tongue.

“do you play pool?” you interrupted the electricity in the air.

get it together. you love your boyfriend.

“eh, here and there.” Billy chuckles and leans into his chair.

“I’d bet I can beat your ass.” your feet hit the ground, not waiting for a decline.

you knew he would follow you; of course he would, you were magnetic. but what you didn’t know is that Matt had been listening the whole time. he, however, wasn’t prepared for the sweet scent of your arousal to flood his senses as you climbed down the bar stool.

a flicker of doubt stunned Matt. what the hell is she doing? Foggy’s voice became background noise as he honed into your heartbeat and breath from the other side of the room. it wasn’t rapid, but it wasn’t steady. she’s excited. it wasn’t even, but it wasn’t rushed. she’s enjoying it. the gentle exhale of your breath along with the sound of your soft skin stroking rubbing against the wood of the cue caught him off guard. the stranger’s heartbeat increased.

“alright, so if I lose, what’s the catch?“ Billy leans against the pool stick.

you hadn’t given much thought to your wagers.

“hmm. if you lose, you get to buy me another drink.” you say matter of factly.

“oh come on, you don’t need to win for that, but i’ll take it.” his teeth nearly blind you.

“but if I win, dinner at 7 tomorrow night. wear something pretty for me.” his lip turns into a smirk.

the playfulness of the conversation brings you back to when you first met Matt. neither of you willing to make the first move, Foggy was the one who set you up. I can’t take it anymore, if I win, you both need to just go somewhere and figure this shit out he gambled.

the rest is history.

you want to say no. you love Matt with your entire being, you really do. any kind of excuse that he may throw at you to explain his distance was more than valid, you knew that- I signed up for this. you want to say no because he loves you. you want to say no because he would freeze hell just to keep you safe. he would become judge, jury, and executioner if you asked him to.

you want to say yes. you love Matt with your entire being, you really do. any kind of excuse that he may throw at you to explain his distance overshadowed you. you knew what you signed up for he would remind you during your few fights. you want to say yes because he loves you, but how much? you want to say yes because he would be the only thing that would harm you. he would become judge, jury, and executioner if you asked him to.

song 2

you say yes because you want to face the consequences. you say yes because you want the devil of hell’s kitchen.

“oh, so what I’m wearing now isn’t pretty enough for you?” you challenge.

“no! no- that’s not! that’s not what I meant-“ Billy scrambles to save himself.

“I’m teasing” you flash a smile. “you won’t be disappointed. I’ll be right back, okay?” your feet carry you towards the bathroom as Billy relaxes with a smile.

you really should have known better. this game you were playing would only last for so long- until Matt finally caved.

turning into the hidden hallway, a large pair of hands cover your mouth and steady your head while you were held against a firm body. your chest heaved at the sudden assault.

“this is what it’s come down to, huh?” the familiar voice growls against your ear.

“had to go and be a little whore for me to pay attention to you? huh?” a hand creeps up your neck, slowly squeezing as you sigh into the body.

“matt- I” your voice is uneven.

“shhh sh sh. you don’t get to talk right now.” your body feels like it’s on fire as Matt’s free hand roams. tugging at

your breast, pinching your nipples through your blouse, pulling up the front of your skirt, a slap to your inner thighs, your panties being slid to the side, two thick fingers plunging into you. you can’t help but throw your head back onto his shoulder and moan.

“hm. you’ve been such a brat tonight, I don’t even think you deserve this.” the ache in between your legs doesn’t leave. you need more.

“look at you. this wet for a fucking stranger? god, you’re pathetic.” his voice growls into your neck.

“oh fuck, Matty-“ your eyes roll back as you watch the ceiling, suddenly becoming aware of your surroundings.

“ah ah, what did I say?” a red handprint marks your inner thigh and it becomes increasingly difficult to stand up straight.

“do you even understand what I’m saying? nod your head if you do.” you aren’t given the opportunity- Matt fists your hair at the root and nods it for you.

“good girl” a nip at your ear sends shivers through your body.

“I want you to listen to me, can you do that? can a dumb little slut do that?“

you whimper in response as his fingers hook into you, paying careful attention to that one spot.

“you’re going to go over to your new friend and you’re going to play a game of pool.” your moans reverberate through the empty hallway.

“you’re going to win that game of pool” your wetness soaks his hand.

“and then you’re going to leave with me. do I make myself clear?”

“y-yes sir!” you groan at the sudden emptiness.

even through hooded eyelids, the sight of Matt cleaning your arousal off of his fingers sends a jolt to your core.

his lips leave a tender kiss to your forehead before he departs. good girl.

the door knob rattles as you push yourself into the small restroom, nearly toppling into the mirror as you attempt to catch your breath. taking inventory of your appearance, you can only chuckle. your blouse is missing a few buttons, your hair was pushed in multiple directions,

your neck began to blossom purple marks, and your lipstick is smeared. quickly combing through your hair and fixing your makeup with a sigh, you notice a slight rip in your skirt before noticing the state of your underwear.

red lace. soaked through. hanging on by a thread. let the games begin.

song 3

“you alright? started to think you may have left me” Billy pushes himself off of the wall he was leaning against.

“yeah! good! just a little nervous, I think” you practically hiccuped.

Billy’s delicious scent blanketed around you as he leaned in to hand you a cue.

“nothin’ to be nervous about, unless you’re tryin’ to win” he purrs against your cheek. the featherlight touch of his lips burns your skin.

“I’m breaking” you clear your throat and desperately try to undo the heaviness of your eyelids.

stepping backwards with a grin, Billy’s eyes never leave your body.

from across the room, Matt’s senses are directed to you. Foggy had left while you fixed your appearance- he did not want to be caught in the crossfire of your secret game. he could hear the fabric of your skirt stretch over your curvy hips and thighs, severely limiting your range of motion. the silk blouse threatened to burst at the seams as you attempt to lean over the pool table. he can sense the way your calves flex as you stand on your tiptoes in order to reach for the rack. he can taste- what?

“here, let me help you with that” a warm body presses against your back, enclosing you as the rack is pulled towards your chest. you don’t miss the way he subtly dips his head toward your neck as he frees you.

you shudder at the foreign touch from a different man.

not willing to give him the satisfaction, you slightly look over your shoulder with a cocked eyebrow and slight smile. lining up the tip to the cue ball, you exhale as you launch your shot.

“nice” Billy slowly shuffles behind your erect stance to marvel at your possible moves.

“I know” you smile to yourself before moving to the opposite end of the table.

everything goes according to plan.

there weren’t many possible shots, but that wasn’t your priority, if you were honest. you just wanted to make Matt squirm. you hold the pool stick in between your breasts as you calculate your next move. stripes to corner pocket.

Billy’s eyes trail from the suggestive way your chest encompasses the cue up to your face, unapologetically meeting your gaze. neither of you break eye contact.

suddenly becoming aware of Matt’s lingering presence, you bunch up the bottom of your skirt before hoisting it up a few inches for wiggle room. although you were completely covered, you knew he would pick up on your scent.

the taste of your arousal lands on his tongue as he goes to take a swig of his beer, nearly choking as you overwhelm his senses. he coughs back embarrassment and cocks his head towards you, trying to make sense of his surroundings and your actions.

you missed the corner shot with relief. you weren’t sure how much more you could take- your neck was still sensitive from Matt’s bite and you couldn’t stop clenching your thighs together to provide some sort of relief.

“don’t look so upset, honey” Billy murmurs into your hair. you weren’t sure when he made himself to you, but you weren’t objecting. he traps you close to the table, arms coming around your sides as he lowers himself to look for a shot. his face is practically aligned with the sides of your breasts and he doesn’t miss the way you shiver. craning his neck just millimeters away from the place between your waist and dip of your chest, he takes a deep breath in before slowly standing beside you.

you became painfully aware of how empty you were and how your body craved something- anything. your eyes fluttered close as you clenched your thighs together, unintentionally spreading your wetness all over your cunt. your tongue took the brunt of the pain as you bit down in attempt to hide your moan. fuck this.

“I’ll be right back” you’re barely audible as your body is drawn to the magnet in the room. it’s thrilling to know that there’s nothing for you to hide; you were clothed but felt completely exposed as you near him. your heartbeat rings in your ears when you feel his gaze on you.

“just a vodka cran. can you add a cherry, please?” you ignore the way he cocks his head towards you but pay attention to the way his fingers rest on the bartop, begging to touch you.

“are you playing nice?” his voice is a breath of fresh air and you don’t pay attention to the way your body relaxes at the familiar timbre.

“define nice” you’re interrupted by the drink sliding towards you.

the cherry is cold as you wrap your lips around it. the sweetness floods your taste buds as your tongue swirls around the sweet fruit. your teeth graze against the stem before pulling it off with a pluck. matt nearly groans at your performance. he only anticipates the way your lips will be wrapped around him soon.

you carefully descend from the stool and place a kiss to the back of Matt’s neck. he feels something fall into his lap, but his attention is pulled to the way your tongue lingers on his skin- the smell of cherries mix with your scent. you’re gone before he even opens his eyes. his hands pat his thighs, searching for whatever fell on him, when he freezes like a deer facing oncoming traffic.

he doesn’t need sight to know that he is holding your ruined pair of panties.

song 4

“that’s not fair!“ you pout as you miss your shot.

“hey, you’re the one who got another drink, not me.” Billy raises from his seat to analyze the table. “besides, life’s not always fair.” the butt of the cue lightly taps the back of your thigh.

you cross your arms and huff in defeat as you take another sip of your drink. solid into side pocket.

“lighten up, it’ll get better.” billy flashes a grin in your direction.

“yeah yeah yeah, that’s what they all say!”

“yeah? well your ’better’ starts tomorrow at 7. what are we having for dinner?” he’s leaning over the table next to you. solid into corner pocket.

“you haven’t won yet, mister” you raise a finger to point towards your opponent but stumble backwards into a familiar chest.

“good game.” that soothing voice interrupts.

you can’t help but giggle at the look on Billy’s face as he meets Matt’s gaze.

“Matt Murdock” he offers a hand.

“Billy Russo” he accepts.

“gentlemen!” you push yourself off of the familiar body.

“it’s been a pleasure. have a wonderful night!” you saunter towards the door, colliding with a chair here and there. you wish you could’ve taken a picture of the two men silently realizing they had just lost the game.

it’s colder than you remembered. goosebumps rise on your exposed skin as the air whips around you. the free fabric of your skirt gently lifts as a taxi whirls past you, and you shiver as the quick breeze kisses your exposed cunt.

Matt’s slim frame stalks behind you, relishing in the sweetness of your aroma. it’s like a goddamn drug- he’s pavloved himself to your taste.

you miss him. he’s right behind you, but you miss him so much. you miss the way he sings your name in the morning while fixing breakfast. the way he brushes your hair from your face as you nestle into the pillow, begging the sun to go away. the way he places tender kisses into your back to ease you into your day. the way he wraps his hand around your throat when you press against him just right. the way his fingers hold your hips as he grinds himself into you, afraid you would fly away. the way he moans your name as he spills into you.

“Matty” you slow your pace and turn to find your magnet.

“keep walking” he orders, not even paying attention to the way you falter.

“but”

“I said keep walking. do you need me to put you on a leash to understand what I mean, princess?”

your mind threatens to become fuzzy at the thought.

you aren’t sure how your legs carried you to the apartment building. all you could think about was the way you craved to submit.

the clack of your heels and the shuffle of Matt’s shoes echoed in the stairwell. you had nearly reached the second floor when you realized you were walking alone.

“baby?” you called, staring down at your boyfriend.

“what’s the matter?” you began to descend.

“keep going. just walk slower” his voice was threatening.

your eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“slower? why?”

“I’m enjoying the view.” his tongue darts out to taste his lips. his personalized view.

you had no panties on. you were completely bare.

“I- okay.” your cheeks were hot to the touch.

“okay? let’s try that again.” his head cocks to the side in amusement.

“yes, sir.” you curse silently to yourself.

turning on your heels, you begin the climb.

you’re curious as to how much Matt can really see, taste, smell- you feel like you’re under a microscope. the thought and knowledge that you are so vulnerable and on display, practically being preyed upon, is unnerving. and yet, you feel yourself becoming more desperate and unwound.

the stairs creak underneath you as you gently shuffle your weight around. the hard wood is rough against your knees and heels of your hands as you begin to crawl up the stairs. you can practically hear the way Matt tenses at this new angle. he desperately is trying to control the urge to grab your hips and bury his face between your legs, lapping up the evidence of your arousal. but if he did that, he would lose his own game.

you try to make as little noise as possible as you begin to ascend the third floor. Matt is now stalking over you instead of waiting on the platform of the previous floor. his head cocks to the side as you make your way up. it’s uncomfortable, but you distract yourself by imagining the way his tongue will be buried deep into your pussy soon, collecting all of your wetness and pulling more from you as he circles your clit. a small moan slips from your lips as you deliberately raise the skirt so that it bunches over your hips. you are completely bare.

Matt palms himself through his pants as his senses become compromised by your smell. you almost celebrate but are abruptly pulled from that thought as you’re shoved against the stairs, surprised when Matt buries his face into your drenched cunt.

“oh god!”

he licks a stripe with the flat of his tongue from your clit all the way to your leaking hole. your sternum presses against the wood uncomfortably and his hands squeeze and spread apart your ass as he devours you; the pain and pleasure morph into one sensation.

“fuck, kitten!” he gasps, reluctantly pulling away to catch his breath. a hard hand slaps against the fleshiness of your ass.

”look at how wet this pretty pussy is” he runs two fingers sloppily up and down your folds.

you flinch as he brings his hand down with a slap against your exposed core.

“look at you…” his tongue flickers over your sensitive clit, pulling a whine from you.

“pussy dripping over some stranger? another man paying attention to you? huh?” you can feel the bruises begin to form as he kneads your flesh.

“that’s all it takes to make you a dirty whore?” he huffs.

“pathetic” his spit covers your pussy and you let out a defeated moan while falling into the stairs. neighbors be damned.

“oh please, matt. please please please” tears threaten to spill from your eyes already as he fucks your tight hole with his tongue.

an arm drapes around your waist and anchors underneath as the pads of his finger finds your clit.

“fuck daddy!” you can’t help but throw your head back.

two fingers prod at your entrance while Matt shuffles behind you, now looming above your submissive stance.

“oh, it’s daddy now?” he teases a finger into your leaking hole and is met with a whine.

“it’s daddy now, after you let another man get you wet, huh?” his knuckle gets lost into your tightness.

“I-I didn’t mean it! I swear-I swear!”

“hmm. I don’t know if I believe that sweetheart.”

white stars burst behind your eyelids as you’re hoisted backwards. back pressed against Matt’s torso, your knees dig into the wooden stairs as he keeps you upright by hooking you onto his middle and ring finger.

“god!” you throw your head back in ecstasy.

the squelching sounds of your pussy echo into the empty stairwell. your hips grind against the fingers that welcome your oncoming orgasm.

a hand finds its way to your open mouth as you’re hoisted to your feet.

“shut up” Matt growls into your ear before sucking on your earlobe.

you have absolutely no control over your muscles and you practically melt into his hold.

“someone’s about to open their door. you’re gonna stay quiet if you want to cum at all tonight. can you do that?” he kisses the place below your ear.

“can you be a good girl and be quiet for daddy?”

you mewl into his hand, your eyes fluttering shut and nodding profusely.

as predicted, a door opens from the fourth floor. you’re not even sure if the curious bystander can see you, completely spread open on the stairs, fighting an orgasm with Matt’s fingers working your weeping cunt. the muscles in your thighs begin to shake on their own accord. you’re not sure how much more you can take.

the sound of the door closing brings temporary relief as Matt’s hand uncovers your mouth and allows you take a full breath. the relief is only brief as you fall to your knees when he suddenly removes his digits from your body. your head drops between your shoulders as you gasp- desperately trying to catch your breath.

shuffling of shoes brings you back to your senses. you watch the soles of Matt’s shoes as he treks up the last flight of stairs. the faint rustle of keys indicates he has reached his destination, and you watch his body disappear. bracing yourself on the hand rail, you force yourself onto your feet, wincing at the way your knees ache. your throat is uncomfortably dry as you huff your way up to the apartment.

song 5

it’s quiet as you let yourself in. the living room dances with shadows that splay across the wall as the billboard flashes neon. Matt’s outline leaves you breathless. he’s calm. collected. his breathing is even and you’re an absolute mess in the entryway. the energy is buzzing as you shyly make your way to him.

“angel” his head cocks to the side as he becomes aware of your closeness. he hadn’t even heard you come into the room as he deeply considered this precipice. you fucked up, Murdock.

he catches the way your heartbeat quickens and your breathing becomes shallow. you’re nervous.

“c’mhere” he rests against the leather couch, stretching his legs as he motions for you to join him.

he’s surprised when you rest on your knees in between his legs. he would usually welcome the sight, but right now he needed you- just you.

“hey hey, hold on.” he stops your wandering fingers by placing a warm hand on the side of your face. you deeply lean into his tender touch with closed eyes.

“I want to talk to you about something” he catches the way your heartbeat thunders in your chest and the way your ears begin to warm. every one of your choices from this evening suddenly becomes painfully poignant.

you raise your head from his touch, desperately wishing he could see the sincerity plastered on your face.

“Matthew, I am so sorry for-“

“no, no angel. don’t apologize” his fingers graze your scalp with soothing scratches.

“but, what I did was wrong. exponentially, Matty. I shouldn’t have even looked-“ you close your eyes in shame.

“sh sh sh. I’m not upset with you, sweetheart.” he swears your heart stopped in your chest.

“I’m actually really upset with myself.” his confession burns.

not quite understanding what he means, you swallow hard and slightly adjust, straightening your back.

“I’m… I’m not following.” you cock your head to the side.

Matt sighs deeply as he tries to find the right words.

“I’ve been.” he feels a familiar lump in his throat. you can’t help the tears that threaten to spill.

“I haven’t been good to you.”

your heart stops.

“Matthew. do not even say that.” your voice is serious, but your touch on his forearm is gentle.

“I haven’t, and I have to admit that. it’s important for me to admit that not only to you, but to myself.” his lip quivers.

“I need you to know that I am not angry with you, sweetheart. for tonight, for-for the fights we’ve had, for feeling however I’ve made you feel-“ he quickly inhales, trying to smother a sob.

you scramble from your knees and find your spot next to him.

“honey… honey, please don’t be so hard on yourself right now” you stroke his hair so that it sits in its correct style.

your name leaves his lips.

“I haven’t prioritized you- us. I realize that and I should be on my knees begging for your forgiveness right now.” he weeps.

“I swear to you, I’m going to fix this. Seeing you so sad at Josie's- god!” his face is hidden as he lowers his head into his hands.

“I’ve been a fucking idiot. There’s no excuse.”

you inhale deeply at his honesty. it should feel relieving to have your feelings and concerns validated. it should feel good to see your boyfriend understand the weight of his actions. it should feel refreshing to see your lover broken over his faults- but it hurts.

it hurts to know that you had been overlooked. it hurts to know that you have been accepting the bare minimum for a while. it hurts to know that your actions hurts him. and it hurts to know that this is what it had to come to for him to see his shortcomings.

“Matt. I need you to hear me, please” you’re not even sure of what to say. one of his hand splays against your thigh and the other hides his face in shame.

“I promise you, I’m not angry at you. I’m-“ you know you can’t lie to the human lie detector.

“I am hurt. I am hurt and I am sad and I am a little pissed, but it’s because I just love you so much.”

you watch as he just nods his head at your own confession.

“I miss you. All the time, I miss you so much and you’re right in front of me!” you start to stand, unsure of where your feet are taking you.

“I miss you and I miss our date nights!” you’re not shouting, but you’re not mindful of your neighbors.

you mindlessly walk around the shared apartment and Matt gently follows behind.

“I miss you, and I miss hearing you try not to wake me up in the morning!”

your breathing becomes heavy and you turn towards him; the anger and hurt bubble in your chest.

“I miss you and I miss coming home to you, even if you burnt the pasta!“

your breathing becomes jagged as he attempts to draw near you, but you shove him back.

“I miss you and I miss when you come home to me and-and when you tell me you love me after work!”

your breathing is shallow as the force of your hands create a thud against his chest.

“I miss you and I miss when I could roll over in bed and you would still be there!”

your palms force him to step back and your breathing stops.

“I miss you and I miss the way that you used to miss me!”

the sides of your fists meet his chest and you finally break.

the tears spill from your eyes like a dam broke in two. you don’t fight him anymore- you can’t.

you don’t register the warm arms that encase you. you don’t register the way your head is pressed against the broad chest. you don’t even realize you’re crying until you see the wet spots against his shirt.

song 6

although it felt like his world was just ripped from his feet, Matt was grateful for your honesty. there was nothing in this world that was more important to him than you- even being hell’s kitchen’s savior. his world was breaking in his arms from his own actions, and he would do anything to make it right- even if it meant hell’s kitchen was unprotected.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry” Matt cries into your head.

his apologies ring in your head.

“please forgive me, angel. please forgive me.” he prays into your warmth. as you slowly regain your strength, you wrap your arms around your lover and breathe in his welcoming scent.

“I love you, so much.” you whisper, knowing his expert ears heard your declaration loud and clear.

“god” he huffs, his head laying against the top of yours, squeezing you as if you would run away from him

“I love you. I love you so much more than you know, and that’s my fault.” his catholic guilt slips.

you raise your head, hands following to cup his face in your hands.

hazel eyes scan your face, eventually resting on the space between your eyes. he wishes for nothing more than to witness the gorgeousness of your face in this moment.

“Matthew, I love you more than life itself” your hand pushes his hair out of his face, your eyes eventually landing on his dazed focus.

calloused finger tips gently lay against your cheeks and a palm cups your jaw. you share a few breaths together; the tension is incandescent.

the gentleness of the fingertips that trail along your face cause you to smile as they slowly trace your features. the smoothness of your forehead, the placement of your cheekbones, the fleshiness of your cheeks, the softness of

your jaw, the roundness of your chin, the pointedness of your eyebrows, the hollowness of your eyelids, the slope of your nose, the plushness of your lips… he commits your face to memory- you burn red underneath his touch.

you sharply inhale as his fingertips are still at your lips. you aren’t sure if he meant to slightly tug at your pout, but you don’t hesitate to lean in to meet him.

the kiss is gentle. the featherlight touch of his lips on yours ignites a small flame as you bask in its meaning. it’s almost reserved- like he’s afraid to touch you. like you’re a treasure to be admired, not possessed. like you deserve to be worshiped, and he is unworthy to be in your presence. like you are sacred.

the flame flickers. you gently tug on the nape of his neck as an invitation to deepen the kiss. his mouth opens automatically, letting a small whimper escape before meeting your mouth. you breathe into one another as he pulls your waist closer to him. if he focuses hard enough, he can taste the cherry from your drink on your tongue.

the sound of ruffling fabric fills the room as wandering hands grasp at the other’s body, desperate to become enmeshed. your lips are swollen from the foreign attention, and your body slightly melts as Matt sucks on your bottom lip. “I love you” you aren’t sure who confesses first.

Matt moans at the way your teeth catch and tug at his lip. he can’t help but to rut into you as he brings one hand to grab your ass and pull you against him. “Matt” you sigh as your head falls to one side, hairs billowing over your shoulder, as his pelvis hitting your core in just the right spot. a warm hand brushes your hair away, revealing your soft neck. Matt licks a stripe from the crook of your neck up to the spot below your ear. the flame grows hotter.

“Matt, baby” you mewl under the assault of kisses he leaves on your neck. he misinterprets your pause and quickly pulls away, eyes desperately trying to find yours. “I’m sorry! god, I’m sorry I didn’t-“ he is hushed with a kiss.

“shhh, sh. Matthew, I love you” you caress his face.

“and I love you, so much” a kiss meets your palm.

you grin at the sweet gesture and he can feel the radiant warmth of your cheeks.

“take me to bed” you whisper.

your legs leave the floor as scoops you into his arms bridal style. you can’t help but smile at him from below; his own smile mirrors yours. the bed dips underneath you as you’re gently placed on the silk sheets. you sigh into the coolness as Matt’s hands graze over your body.

his grip is gentle but purposeful as he grabs at your soft skin. your ribs, your hips, your thighs, your calves… he hooks his arms around your thighs and pulls you closer to him. leaning onto an elbow, you throw your arm around his neck, drawing him into your lips. your hands drag over his shoulders, arms, chest, before pulling apart his shirt. buttons rain onto the hardwood floor.

Matt looks up with raised brows, a grin quickly replacing the initial shock. your cheeks burn in embarrassment at your hastiness, but his hands find the opening of your own shirt and he tugs, sending buttons sprinkling to the floor.

“hey! I liked that one!” you try to hide a smile as you protest.

“yeah, so did I” his lips meet your neck, teeth lightly nipping at the tender skin.

“fuck it,” your eyes flutter shut.

“I love you.”

song 7

hands splay across your stomach and meet your supple breasts as you deepen the kiss, lightly sucking on Matt’s lip. his hips move on his own accord and thrust into you in an attempt to relieve the discomfort growing in his pants. your hand snakes between bodies, landing on the outline of his solid erection. “fuck, sweetheart” he moans into your open mouth.

the flame engulfs you. you’re painfully aware of how clothed you both are and your hands scramble to undo the leather belt. he chuckles above you at your impatience.

“nuh uh, no way.” he laughs as he removes himself from you.

you don’t even have time to protest his absence before the sound of fabric rips through the room- the remnants of

your skirt land in a pile somewhere. you shiver as you lay completely bare underneath the hungry gaze.

Matt places open mouth kisses down your body, intentionally ignoring the growing wetness of your pussy. you try and push your thighs together for some sort of relief, but his strong hold keeps you spread apart for him. he places one of your thighs onto his shoulder before placing intentional kisses down the length of your soft leg, stopping at your calf.

“baby, please” you whine into the pillow.

“please what, princess?” you squirm under his watchful eye, tensing as his fingertips tickle the inside of your legs.

“p-please”

“use your words, angel. tell me what you need” a finger traces the outer folds of your dripping cunt.

he loves the way your breath quickens and the way your skin burns under his touch. the smell of your arousal only spurs him on as he gently caresses your sensitive clit.

he smiles at the way you arch off of the mattress and hiss through your teeth.

“k-kiss me” you hurriedly reach for him as if he’s about to slip away.

he was shocked by your answer and somewhat innocent desperation. his body is held tightly against yours as you kiss him with purpose. he takes his free hand and strokes the side of your head, the smoothness of your hair melts into the silk sheets.

“baby, Matty,” you whimper into his mouth.

he brushes the hair from your face, “yes, sweet girl?”

“please eat my pussy” you kiss him once more.

he is instantly between your thighs and forgoes the teasing. your shoulders pinch together and your heels dig into the mattress, pushing yourself up and into the feel of Matt’s warm tongue. the stars twinkle behind your eyelids as his fingers spread your folds and he laps up your sweet arousal.

Matt moans at the taste of you as it coats his tongue-. it’s like nectar to him. the way you wiggle beneath him, desperate for more more more, encourages him to continue as he places a sloppy kiss to your cunt before wrapping his lips around your swollen bud.

his ears pick up on the flush of blood that warm your neck and cheeks as you moan for him. daddy.

he senses the way your nipples harden under your touch,

and he is quick to replace your hands. they pebble instantly as he gently pinches and tugs, eliciting a moan from you as his mouth is still attached to your sopping cunt. he moans into you.

“fuck baby, that feels so good” your hands tug at his hair, eagerly holding him against you.

he cocks his head to the side, the flat of his tongue still placed on your clit.

“uh huh?” he replies with an open mouth, wishing he could see your face.

“please don’t stop” your head falls against the pillows as he gently sucks.

shocks spread throughout your body as two fingers suddenly fill your needy pussy. without leaving your clit, Matt slowly begins to pump his fingers into your wetness, expertly hitting your favorite spot.

moans of pleasure fill the hot air as you feel your orgasm building.

“oh my god, you’re so good” you cry out, head lifting to watch the lewd scene below. your view nearly makes you cum on the spot.

Matt’s eyes are pressed close as he devours you. he is calculated, his fingers hooking into you with such precision that it brings you teetering to the edge. his lips and beard

glisten with your arousal, and he looks absolutely drunk off

of your pleasure. he moans breathily on your cunt before lapping at your clit with the flat of his tongue. he can feel your orgasm before you can.

“fuck! don’t stop! please! don’t stop!” you find his free hand and hold on as if your life depended on.

your face scrunches- eyebrows pressed tightly together, eyes barely open, and your mouth agape in the shape of a frown.

Matt doesn’t even respond in hopes that his rhythm would bring you to your orgasm quicker.

“just like that! I’m gonna cum, daddy!” you fight to keep your eyes open.

the way you address Matt causes him to falter, moaning into you as an apology.

“c’mon, cum for me, angel. cum on daddy’s face” his tongue is back on your clit.

you’re sure you were on fire. your orgasm burns through every spot and crevice of your body. your legs tense around Matt’s body as you release onto his tongue with a moan scream. the only thing keeping you from floating away are the strong arms that ground you to the bed. his tongue continues to lap up your orgasm. you flinch as he breathes over your sensitive clit.

your heartbeat could be felt in his chest. the way you pant his name as you try to ground yourself only makes him want to worship you. you are sacred.

he’s interrupted by the sounds of you shuffling underneath him to rest on your knees. you practically throw yourself at him, hoping your lips connect with his, but not minding if they land somewhere else.

you moan into him as you taste yourself on his lips and tongue. a slap rings through the air as his hands find your ass, and you moan into his mouth at the shock. you shuffle closer to him and feel his hard length through his pants. poor baby you thought when you found the wet spot.

your hands fiddle with the belt to no avail. he can hear the way you try to control your breathing, but your heartbeat gives away your frustrations. Matt lets out a chuckle as he expertly yanks the belt through and shuffles out of his pants with ease. the bulge in his boxers make your mouth water, and he picks up the rush of blood to your core and cheeks.

grabbing his hands, you pull him onto the bed and straddle him. you moan in unison as you grind your dripping pussy onto his clothed cock. his arms wrap around you and he pulls you forward, your face diving into the crook of his neck.

you kiss and lick at the spot, dragging your tongue to the spot that makes him jerk up, and you lightly suck.

he pulls your face to his, sloppily exchanging kisses as you both continue to grind into one another.

“feels-feels s’good” you whimper into him.

“yeah? you like making yourself feel good on daddy’s cock, princess?” your mewls answer.

the fabric of his boxers aren’t satiating your need anymore, and you begin to pull at the waistband. Matt quickly slips them off and you find yourself on top of him again.

your head falls backwards, hair following suit, as your pussy coats his heavy member. desperation sinks in and you begin to line yourself up with the tip.

you rub his leaking cock through your folds, lightly tapping your clit as you wait for his permission before fully sinking onto him.

“go on, sweetheart” his hands help to lower you on his length.

you hiss as he enters your tight core.

you rest your palms against his chest to help push yourself down further until you bottom out with a guttural moan. your fingers trail over the scars and suddenly disappear as he brings them to his mouth, sucking on each digit. the sight causes you to clench and he moans-

fingers in his mouth, eyes rolled back.

you begin to grind your hips forward, easily finding the spot that makes your toes curl.

“fuck baby, you feel so good” you cry towards the ceiling.

“you’re taking me so well, angel. that sweet pussy was made for me” Matt slurs through gritted teeth.

you moan into nothing as you rut yourself into him. his hands roam all over your body- pinching at your nipples, grabbing handfuls of breasts, holding onto your outer arms, squeezing the soft flesh of your hips, finally landing a smack to your ass.

using his chest to steady yourself, you begin to bounce up and down, your pussy practically squeezing him.

“oh baby, if you keep that up you’re gonna make me cum” he moans into the curtain of your hair.

“mmm, want you to use me, daddy” you beg into his chest, still bouncing.

“wanna be your good little cumslut” your whisper falls on attentive ears.

Matt groans at the pet name, eager to fulfill your title.

“you know I love you, right?” he brushes the hair from your face, hoping his gaze lands on your eyes.

“of course I do” you kiss the tip of his nose.

“just remember that when you can’t walk tomorrow”

you have no time to respond as his hands hoist your hips upwards and his heels dig into the bed. he fucks into you relentlessly. you didn’t know your eyes could roll back so far and your vision gets splotchy.

“oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck” your prayers sound like music to Matt.

“that’s it, angel. already cockdrunk for me?” he coos from below. you can’t even form a coherent thought or reply.

“so good for me. look how that pretty pussy just takes me so well” it takes everything in you to stay upright.

you sneak a hand to reach your sensitive bundle, jolting as you make contact.

“look at you. such a dirty girl, playing with yourself while daddy fucks you, huh?” you nod your head with fervor, your lip between your teeth.

“it feels so good- you feel so good in me. it’s your pussy” you whimper as his cock hits your gspot. your body nearly folds in half at the intense pleasure. Matt senses your oncoming orgasm.

“that’s right, baby. that’s my sweet little pussy” he snakes a hand up to your throat, squeezing lightly. your pussy clenches and you can feel yourself coming undone.

“it’s yours, it’s yours, it’s yours” you pray.

the combination of his cock filling you, the grip on your neck, and the pressure against your clit signal your release.

you are both engulfed in the flames.

“I’m coming!” you practically scream.

Matt already knew, of course. he knew your body before you did.

“there you go, that’s it. cum with me, sweetheart”’ he coaches you through your orgasm as he approaches his.

your pussy clenches around him as he spills into you.

a cacophony of names fills the air as you milk his cock and he draws out your own pleasure.

your body twitches with aftershocks and you’re gently pulled against him as he braces himself against the headboard. you bring your legs up on either side of you and cross them behind Matt’s back so that you’re able to keep him inside of you comfortably. your foreheads meet as you pant together, coming down from your high.

as your breathing evens out, Matt lifts his head to place a quick kiss to your nose and forehead. he finds a spot on your face before settling his gaze.

“you’re so beautiful” he practically whispers as he pushes tendrils of hair behind your ear. you close your eyes with a closed smile knowing it wasn’t worth arguing.

“so are you, Matty” you fix his hair as well.

it’s quiet for a moment, you both are transfixed with one another.

you rest your head against his chest with a sigh and his arms make its place around your body.

the warmth acts as a blanket and practically eases you into a meditative state. the steady thump of Matt’s heartbeat relaxes you even further. calloused fingers gently caress your back as you’re rocked back and forth in Matt’s embrace. he’s humming a song you haven’t heard of against your head, you assume his eyes are closed as well.

“let’s go on vacation soon.” his voice pulls you back from your sleep state.

“hm?” you don’t open your eyes.

“wherever you want to go, let’s just… let’s go. me and you.” where was this coming from?

“Matty,” you lift your head slightly.

“you hate leaving the city” you have to remind him.

“maybe, but I love you more.”

you sleepily kiss the man you love.

he sleepily kisses the one who owns his heart.

————

AHHHHHH!!!!! literally screaming into my pillow and biting my lip to stifle a moan. I apologize for the lack of real conflict resolution, but I’m a sucker for make up sex heheheeheh

[panelshowsource]

If you had to pick a top three favorite episodes of any panel shows EVER, which would you choose? One of mine would have to be Terry Wogan guest hosting old NMTB, which I am dying to watch again in my lifetime. Your old-NMTB-posting reminded me just how amazing and formative those old episodes were for me. Anyway, it got me thinking… I would love to hear yours!

as long as i'm allowed to answer this totally subjectively...! because the objectively most iconic panel show episodes are probably quite different to the ones i gravitate to especially for rewatching — and especially in this difficult recent climate 🫥

this choice is almost bizarre knowing me, a huge huge huge sean lock fan, but this episode of cats does countdown — without sean! and not even golden era, probably, whatever that is in my mind — is so ridiculous and chaotic and stupid that i've watched it about 1000 times. there's something very specific about the dynamic between jimmy, jon, roisin, and joe without sean; those four have been in quite a few episodes without sean and they're like actual children without an adult in the room: jon is goofier and completely lets go of the game, jimmy throws even more to roisin (we do not talk enough about what a fucking kick jimmy gets out of her), roisin and joe's insane sibling dynamic becomes next level. anyways—this episode, which includes rly funny mascots, glory hole, the fucking hoop game and joe eating an onion and jon eating peppers???, THE UNICORN, its sheer childishness just cracks me up every time :') (if we're gonna mention the golden age, 2.02 is very iconic — from rhod killin it and always arguing with jimmy to claude to nick x susie hahaha but i have sooooo many catsdown episodes i love love love)

i really love the episode of 8 out of 10 cats following jimmy's tax scandal. it's not one of my favourite panel shows in general, but the circumstances of the news and the discussion epitomised what the show was meant to be: panel show meets reality tv meets a comedy central roast. watching that live, as the news was running it so heavily that even the prime minister mentioned it, as the press and twitter were reacting to it... wild times. it holds up incredibly well — it's hilarious watching them rip him to shreds, because he deserves every word and they're having a ball doing it to him, and i really appreciate jon grounding the conversation in just how tax avoidance hurts their country and some of its hardest workers — a really interesting, engaging mix of comedy and anger and wit and disappointment and political commentary that is not only funny but strikingly relevant no matter how much time passes. like so, so many people who were so, so disappointed in jimmy, this was the foundation of his carrying the responsibility, shame, reflection, and growth that people wanted to see — and that he truly needed to. since then he's talked a lot about not only righting the wrong (in paying back what he owed in avoidance) but just how the system is so broken — and taking the least complicated, most honest road forward since.

now i want to pick 1000 different things this is why i don't make lists or rank things!!!!! while my instinct is to pick a big fat quiz, i'm actually gonna go top-level nostalgia and say this episode of buzzcocks when stephen fry was a guest. what can i say — simon, stephen, it was two intellectual, mildly bitchy homosexuals on a stacked panel including josie long, dominic cooper, and yet another skinny white rock man for simon to pretend he's not trying to flirt with. stephen saying "there is a history, in pop music, of recto-veginal insertion" and denouncing god, like, in the first 5 minutes? stephen doing the intros round?? did i mention history boys-era dominic cooper??? such a throwback!!! (not to cheat but this ep with josh groban & martin freeman is my runner up)

i want to apologise to big fat quiz, taskmaster, wilty... THE WHOLE HISTORY OF PANEL SHOWS... I WISH I COULD CHOOSE YOU ALL