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b14augrana · 3 months ago

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Coastlines

You and your mami go on vacation

Alexia Putellas x child!reader

masterlist

Warnings: ✖️, this is just fluff

A/N: this is my first time writing a child!reader fic 🥴 everyone say hi to our baby putellas!

i know i had a poll up for a few hours but i’ve just realised that ad astra per aspera (which won by a long shot) will probably take a while to write because it’s gonna be pretty long and in depth, and i wrote this quicker than expected so i might as well publish it. enjoy and let me know what u think!

“Capri, cariña. Can you say Capri?”

You smile at your mami in the mirror as she braids your hair, and you respond to her, “Capi!”

“Very close. Ca-pri, come on, you can do it,” Alexia coos, securing the end of your braid with a little rubber band. Your eyebrows knit together as you concentrate extra hard on pronouncing the word right for Mami. “Capi– noooo, that not it. Ca-pri… Capri?”

“You did it!” Alexia cheers, clapping her hands together. You beam immediately, copying her gesture as you clap your little hands and grin at her in the mirror. “Capri, am I saying it?” you ask eagerly, turning your head to look at her.

“Perfect,” she replies, placing a soft kiss to your forehead as she holds onto your shoulders gently. “Now you can pick what to wear in your hair.”

“Can you pick for me, mami? Too many, hard to pick,” you say.

You stand up and toddle over to your box of hair accessories. Alexia still remembers when you were half the age you are now, and you could barely stand up. You’ve come so far.

You lift the box up, and it’s not very heavy or big, but you feel strong lifting it all on your own without Mami.

She’s about to choose when you reach in and pull out a colourful bandana. It’s got a design on it that represents a neighbourhood, and it’s printed in purple-blue and pink stripes. In other words, it’s a 21/22 Barça third kit that Alexia repurposed.

About a month ago, she asked you what you wanted to wear in your hair, much like she did today. You got up and told her to wait, then you ran out of her bedroom.

When you came back, you had your tiny-versioned third kit on your head and a beaming smile on your face as you told her you were ready to go.

Alexia had multiple copies of the third kit from the 2022 season, so she transformed it into a little bandana you could properly wear on your hair.

“You want to wear that one?” she asks, and you nod confidently, handing it to her so she can tie it on your head.

She spins you around and ties it just above your hairline, smiling fondly as she spins you back around and admires her work. “Muy guapa, cariña. Put on your shoes and we can go to the beach.”

Mami stands up and walks to her suitcase, then she grabs her flip flops. You remember that you have the same flip flops as Mami and naturally, you want to match with her, so you run to pick up your own flip flops that are left beside your open suitcase.

You appear beside Alexia and stamp your foot to draw attention to your footwear. “Mami, look! I’m just like you!” you giggle.

She hopes that one day, other people will say the same thing when you grow up and play football for Barça just like her, keeping the Putellas legacy alive for another generation.

All she’s ever wanted out of a child is one who will inherit her footballing prestige, and she thinks you’re exactly that, because you love to kick your mini football around the house back at home, and you’ve got an eye for hitting it against the couch.

For now, she smiles at you, sticking her foot outwards while you’re amused by your matching shoes.

“Let’s go to the beach now,” Alexia says, offering you her hand. You happily grab ahold of her index finger with your entire hand, since that’s all you can fit.

Your little bag full of beach essentials is on your back as you and Mami walk to the beach. The bag of actual essentials is on Alexia’s back. Italy is a very nice country, and there’s so many colourful houses in Capri.

As you totter down the streets alongside Mami, you pass many people. To each one of them, you wave hello, and you grin every time they wave back at you as you turn to your Mami and tell her about your new friends that waved at you.

You’re totally enamoured of the neighbourhoods you two walk through to end up at the beach.

Immediately, you bend down to swoop your hand through the soft sand and laugh at the sensation. “Sand!” you exclaim, holding a fistful up to Alexia.

“That’s very nice, but what about the water?” she responds, motioning to the clear light blue water ahead. Your eyes light up, and you tug Alexia towards the water, though she doesn’t go far because you’re only tiny and not that strong yet.

She laughs and pulls you back towards her, picking you up in one fluid motion. “We can’t swim yet, you need to put on sunscreen!”

You huff and fold your arms stubbornly, frowning until Alexia gently tickles you in the stomach and sends you into a giggle fit which brings back your grin.

“Sunscreen first and then you can swim for as long as you want, I promise,” Alexia says, walking to a nearby beach umbrella with you in her arms. She sets you down, and once she lays out the beach mat, you plop down and get ready for her to put the sunscreen on.

She unpacks the bag and puts your water bottle and beach towel out on the mat, along with the sunscreen and her own water bottle. You unpack your own bag and pull out your mermaid toys and arm floaties.

“Mami, blow?” you toddle over to Alexia with the floaties in your arms, thrusting them forwards for her to blow up.

“In a minute cariña, sit down first so I can put your sunscreen on and then I’ll blow up your floaties. Vale?” She takes the floaties from you anyway and places them down beside her.

You nod, bum shuffling across the mat until you’re sitting in front of Alexia. You giggle as the cold sunscreen touches your face, and you scrunch your nose with a little gummy smile.

You’re just the bubbliest baby she’s ever seen. You have her smile and the same almond eyes, which disappear whenever you smile. Everything about you is tiny and adorable, and Alexia can’t help but be in awe of you the entire time.

Many people she knew had plans to spend their vacation with others. Alexia elected to spend hers with you, and she’s unapologetically glad she did, because now she’s on an island off the coast of Italy with the person she loves most and she’s the happiest she could be.

“All done,” Alexia says, rubbing the excess sunscreen on her own arms. You clap your hands and your smile hasn’t faltered. “Can we swim, Mami?” you ask hopefully, but your smile finally fades when Alexia shakes her head.

“I’m not swimming yet, I’m sorry cariña. Maybe later.”

“Not swim without Mami!” you protest, smacking your hands against the mat. You pout and cross your arms once again, kicking your floaties away.

Alexia frowns, grabbing your floaties back as she tries to restore your good mood. “I’ll swim later! Don’t you want to go see if you can find any fishies?”

You turn your back on her, shaking your head adamantly. “No!”

Mami sighs and begins to blow up your floaties anyway. When she’s done, she puts them in her lap. “You still need to put your floaties on.”

You let her slip them onto your arms, but afterwards you go back to crossing them tightly over your chest. “No mami, no swim,” you state.

“Okay okay, you little monkey,” Alexia laughs, standing up and running to the water. You’re quick to follow her, and you stumble along happily behind her with a newfound smile on your face that’s wider than ever. You and Mami go crashing into the water with a big splash.

Alexia pops up from underneath the water, and she shakes the water from her face and flicks it on you. “Mami, watch out!” you laugh, splashing her back by slapping your toys on the surface of the water.

She laughs as well, and soon you’re both splashing each other with your hands and toys. She puts you on her back and wades through the water, the pair of you floating calmly in the clearest sea you’ve ever seen.

“I like Ca-pri,” you say, holding onto Mami tightly as she swims. “Me too, cariña. It’s very nice,” Alexia replies, and the water laps at your back while she speaks.

Eventually, when the water is shallow enough, Mami lets you off her back and you can play with your toys in the water. Your bandana is helpful because your head doesn’t burn in the sun while you play, and you have more fun.

Alexia watches you fondly as you kick your little legs to stay afloat and play with your mermaids until it’s time to go and you trudge out of the water, teeth chattering slightly. The water and the sun kept you warm, but now it’s starting to set and you’re getting cold.

Mami wraps you in your towel and deflates your floaties while you put on your flip flops again, and then she packs your toys and floaties into your bag. “Come on cariña,” she says once you’re all packed up, giving you her hand again, “Do you want ice cream?”

“Yes! Love ice cream!” you exclaim, doing a little jump of happiness before gripping onto Alexia’s index finger again. “Let’s go get ice cream then, hm?” she adds, and you let go of her finger for a moment so you can clap your hands excitedly.

“Ice cream, ice cream!”

The chances of you pursuing the same career as Alexia used to be her biggest concern, but now there’s so many other things she looks forward to, like vacationing in lots more places with her carbon copy and eating gelato in Italy while the sun goes down.

She wouldn’t have it any other way.

#fc barcelona femeni #fc barcelona #fcb femení #fcb femení x reader #fc barcelona x reader #woso #woso community #woso imagines #spanish woso #woso x reader #woso fanfics #alexia putellas x reader #alexia x reader #alexia putellas #fcb femeni #woso imagine #barcelona femeni x reader

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leggerefiore · 9 months ago

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Villainous Team Boss's S/o Sneaking a Team Uniform and Wearing It For Them

(being a grunt uniform, the boss's uniform, and their own admin uniform. thanks to @whoisthatcreepoverthere for the original idea!)

cw: fluff,

characters: Maxie, Archie, Lysandre, Guzma, Giovanni, Cyrus

☀️Maxie🌋

🪨 Sneaking one of Team Magma's grunt uniforms is harder than one might expect. Maxie prefers everything to be quite organised, so it would be rare that they have extra uniforms around or that a grunt would misplace theirs. However, as Maxie's partner, you had an advantage somehow in sneaking one. The Magma Leader looks up from his laptop on his desk, ready to scold the grunt who just walked into his quarters without scheduling a meeting beforehand or even buzzing themselves in. He then feels bewildered as to why you were wearing that. Did you join Team Magma? Why had Tabitha and Courtney not alerted him? Why did you not tell him yourself? He then realises you managed to sneak one of the few spare uniforms they had around when you started laughing.

🪨 Maxie feels embarrassed for getting so worked up over what was essentially a prank on him. You are asked to please return the uniform, as they need to keep track of their inventory and whatever else. Before you go off to do it, however, he does admire how nice his team's colours look on you… The maroon compliments you nicely, and the knitted fabric looked strangely… cute on you. He has to snap himself out of it because he feels less like he is ogling his lover and more like he is staring at one of his grunts.

🪨 If you manage to steal his somehow, he will be mildly annoyed. He likely only has three – a spare at home, a spare at the hideout, and the one he usually wears. He cycles through them as needed. Today was an “as needed,” and he had headed home quickly to grab the spare since it was closer than the hideout. He could only stare blankly at you, imitating his poses in front of a mirror in his uniform. There was only an ask for you to please return his clothing. He feels more embarrassed than anything about this – especially if his uniform fits you well.

🪨 Maxie would prefer his partner to join Team Magma, actually. So, in his ideal situation, you would have your own Magma Admin uniform. Naturally, he would have to approve any uniform you would design… Though, whether it be cosplay or an actual uniform, he would feel strangely flustered at seeing how it complimented you. Perfectly attuned to whatever you wanted it to focus on, so long as it kept to the red and knit style of Team Magma. Whether you go for shorts or a knitted dress, he appreciates the aesthetics dearly. He is notably more flustered if it was a cosplay, though, since he wishes you were a member of his team so dearly. Maybe now is a time to convince you…

🌧Archie🌊

💧 Getting an Aqua grunt uniform is too easy, honestly. Distressingly easy. Archie's filtering is mostly done by asking random aquatic facts and whether or not you support water pollution. Granted, not everyone did get approved since Shelly proved herself to almost be the brains of the entire operation. No one really questioned why Archie's partner was grabbing one, either. You just took it, put it on, and no one thought anything of it. Even Archie barely thought on it when you entered his quartets, busy tapping away and speaking with Matt and Shelly about who knows what. He popped a look over at you, about to tell what he thought was a grunt to come back later, before gasping.

💧 Archie instead gave a hearty laugh and a thumbs up before continuing his conversation. The Aqua Leader has no complaints or comments. You want to wear a uniform? Well, he trusts your interests align enough with his own that it will not cause any issues for him or his team. Besides, you look cute in the bandana and stripes. He almost wishes to ask you to wear it more, if anything. You look good no matter what, though.

💧 You likely have to sneak his uniform after he changes into something else (rare), so it is difficult to get the chance. Though, when you do, he finds out pretty quick since he probably wants it back. The sight of you in his wetsuit – whether it be horribly ill-fitting or surprisingly worn well – makes him grin. Though, he likely loses his mind a little if it is too big for you and scoops you up to laugh some more. If it fits, he is impressed by your form, however. He approves again, but he really needs it back.

💧 Like his dear red-headed companion, he would adore for his partner to be in Aqua with him, and it would only make sense for them to be an admin. Even if you are not, you are essentially an unofficial member with how you can come and go throughout the Aqua hideout with ease without question. So, he has given some thought to what you would wear as an admin. Granted, it would just be a themed wetsuit, but he loves the thought. So you were making it a reality? He is overjoyed and cheers on the cosplay while assuming this is your subtle way of asking him to join his team. Get ready for endless compliments and praises.

🔥Lysandre🍷

☕️ Getting your hands on a Flare uniform… Now, that was a difficult thing to do. No one was really eager to give up their 5,000,000 dollar uniform to just anyone. Well, except, maybe their boss's lovely partner, who seemed just so curious as to what one would fit like. Needless to say, you managed to get one of the bright red suits for your own. Wearing it, you almost wanted to say the price tag felt reasonable. Until you remembered why Lysandre even made his group in first place. Encountering Lysandre in the outfit had been difficult, as the average grunt was not at all allowed in his office. His café, however, served as a well enough hub.

☕️ Lysandre barely registered it at first, having been more focused on his many projects and getting a cup of coffee than any lonesome grunt. Something about you made him double-take, though. Upon a second glance, he registered your face almost instantly. The Flare Boss struggled to comprehend why you were in a Flare grunt uniform. There was absolutely no way you joined without him knowing. He then is pleasantly surprised by how well you pull off the suit. The bright red compliments you well and seems to bring out an elegant, almost handsome side that deeply respects. That almost makes him forget to question how you got a suit of your own. You do get interrogated, however.

☕️ He is mildly entertained by the sight of you in one of his suits. Naturally, it was not his only one he owned, but he found your attempt to wear some of his clothing rather adorable. Unless you are somehow both his height or build, the suit fits you improperly. Lysandre does debate having you made an outfit like his own since the thought of you in something properly fitting like his uniform almost seemed to suit you well. You are, however, his beloved lover and will be at his side of the helm in his beautiful world. The least bothered by it outside of Archie.

☕️ As for an admin uniform, assuming you go for the generic admin uniforms rather than one of the scientists, he finds himself intrigued by how long it took you to acquire the items to imitate it. He is an active purveyor of fashion, after all. There is also a minor concern about leaking among his group, but he just assumes you found out due to your connection with him. He enjoys the way it looks on you, truly, but he feels there is a certain lure that is missing and almost wants to design you one of your own. Perhaps… It was time he finally started involving you more actively in Team Flare. You opened a door that you can not close with this one.

🕶Guzma💀

□ Getting a Team Skull grunt uniform is easy. They are almost all DIY anyway, and the ones stashed out in the Po Pokemon Center are already selling some in there. You buying one barely raises any eyebrows, too. Boss's partner wants a uniform? Whatever, fine. Even when you pop into Guzma's room, he barely questions what you are doing. It does not even register with him at first until you try to sit on his lap. Then, he is suddenly aware that you have changed clothes.

□ He honestly feels a bit smug, seeing you in the uniform. The Team Skull cap and necklace look nice on you, and he barely cares to question where you got it. They have spares all around, and, once again, most are DIY made. He gets a chuckle out of it and just decides to roll with it. You were already an unofficial member. Why not let you wear a uniform? Besides, seeing you as an “underling” let his mind drift in some fun directions that it would not go for any other grunt.

□ Now, you stealing his uniform is less fun. Especially when he enters to see you sitting on his throne with his sunglasses over your eyes. He does not even want to know how you sneaked his watch without him noticing. He starts off with a laugh, expecting it to be over quickly, but you instead do a bad imitation of him. Guzma is now feeling annoyed about this. You get away with it until a grunt walks into the room and does not even realise that you have replaced Guzma at first. He is destroyed internally.

□ Team Skull's admin outfits… are not really a thing. It really is just your own flair to the general scheme they use, with a Skull necklace and black and white clothing being the only requirement. Or maybe you can match with Plumeria if you want. Either way, your wearing it intrigues Guzma. You are not an official member, no, but you do have some authority around Po town. He likes it a lot. There is almost an urge to ask you to join completely, but he gets you have your reasons. For now, he will enjoy your styling completely.

🚀Giovanni🐈

🟥 Getting a Rocket grunt uniform…. is likely easier than Giovanni would want it to be. They have spares in their hideouts, so sneaking one is not so hard. What proved a challenge was how unknown you are among the grunts and trying to navigate the den to even get a glance at your busy lovers. Too many questions and demands, or getting an order barked at you by some random higher-up. You felt like you were never going to get to Giovanni. Even trying to enter his office got you some looks from his guards, but they seemed to quickly recognise you. A questioning look was given, but the doors were unlocked.

🟥 Giovanni barely knew what to think at some random grunt, interrupting his busy schedule for an impromptu meeting, but before he could put the fear of whatever deity they believed into them, he felt suspicious Sure, he registered just the uniform at first, but when his eyes glanced at your face, he let out a sigh. Just what were you doing? He decided against questioning it and instead took a second glance at you. You really fit perfectly into the black clothing, and he would admit the bright red “R” almost felt like a claim on you. Suddenly, he will let this slide. His mind has gone elsewhere.

🟥 He barely responds to you wearing one of his suits. Yes, haha, very funny or interesting. You are even trying to get his sinister grin down but are not quite there. Giovanni claps but is mostly unimpressed. He instead recalls a time his son did something similar, and you get the feeling that he is calling your actions childish. He once again does find himself quite smug about the “R” logo, though it is quite a bit smaller on his own attire.

🟥 In a hand-crafted admin uniform, he finds himself more impressed with your talents in arranging such a look rather than you dressing up like a knock-off member. You even chose the correct styling uniforms his elite executives wore. Were you wanting a position in his organisation? He certainly hoped not because you were not getting one. Work and romance were entirely divided things for him. Though, you have given him an idea as you turned to show off the uniform. Maybe he should order you around like he did his underlings and give you a taste of the “boss” side of him.

🌌Cyrus🛰

☄️ It probably would not be that hard for them to get a grunt uniform since they most likely do have a bulk around HQ. Just go in, grab one, put it on, and give Cyrus a heart attack when you pop into his office. Saturn would not approve you as hire, he knows for sure. He wants to know where you got that and also to take it off right now because he does not like the idea of him viewing you like one of his grunts.

☄️ The Galactic Leader does hate how it makes his thoughts swirl, though. You do not look bad in it — no, not at all. It appeals entirely to his tastes. He feels so bothered by this. The last thing he wanted was for you to figure out his group's real intentions since he knows even those among his most trusted seemed to struggle with it. You truly do look good in the grey uniform. If he was not so restrained – no, if he did not lack spirit, he would allow his mind to wander more.

☄️ As for getting his, well, if the cat is already out of the bag, he is probably leaving a uniform at home to change into instead of having to wear a suit out instead. Sneak it out and discover how ill-fitting it is on you (or maybe well fitting it is if you match his height and body type). Cyrus is mildly disappointed and confused as to why you are wearing his uniform. You are not trying to join Team Galactic and usurp him, are you? He asks you to take it off again.

☄️ If you style your own commander costume, he presumably walks into your shared home to see you in it. He blinks a few times in confusion. That is certainly not one of the uniforms commissioned by him or a commander. It resembles the general theme well, but he is distressed by how you got that and why you are wearing it. Are you… pledging your support to his new world? He feels like he is left reeling by all this… You just get to watch Cyrus.exe crash before your eyes as he fails to process all this. In the end, you will be asked where you got the outfit and the explanation of wanting to try out a uniform in the style of his team leaves him bewildered and a little disappointed since he had hoped he could have your support.

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watercolourcritters · 4 months ago

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Hey folks, just a little note to share that I have now put most of the stickers that I sell up on my Ko-fi shop! I've been migrating stickers (and eventually maybe other things) over from Etsy, and from now on Ko-fi will be my main sticker shop. I have 30+ designs, including encouraging stickers, funny ones, loads of cute animals, pride stickers, and some OFMD fanart stickers!

Note - for the pronoun possum stickers, I have she/her, he/him, they/them, it/its, and any/all available, and you can also order it with custom pronouns!!

Check it out here!

[ID: ten photos of my stickers, all of which feature original art. They include, in order:

Cowboy ghosts with pride flag themed bandanas, including bi, trans, rainbow, and lesbian pride flags.

A vulture with text saying "I'm going to be a huge bitch about this."

A quokka with text saying "I'm glad you're still here."

A toad with text saying "I will love this world fiercely, with my whole fucking heart."

Pronoun opossum stickers, with he/him, she/her, and they/them pronouns.

DnD dice showing a natural one with text reading "fail with pride." The dice are in pride flag colours, including bi, lesbian, trans, nonbinary, ace, and rainbow pride.

An orca with text reading "thick hips sink ships."

A sleeping fox with text reading "you deserve safety."

A chicken with its mouth open as if screaming and text reading "Time to scream AAAAA (repeated A's indicating screaming)"

Two stickers of toads - the first one is a toad over pink background with text reading "hello lover," the second is a toad wearing a cowboy hat over red background with text reading "hey baby."

End ID.]

#stickers #sticker shop #stickers for sale #animal stickers #encouragement #messy encouragement cards #kofi shop #art for sale

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sluttery-withoutshame · 11 days ago

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This latest sighting of Eric in the wild is once again hat free. I have a theory on why he’s ditched the hats.

The dude is 66 years old. Obviously the dark brown was not his natural colour. While it’s freshly coloured, it looked beautiful on him. I mean…look at this.

But he would have had a lot of grey, and it doesn’t take long before those grey roots start showing. Obviously, you don’t want that out on display, thus the hats.

So whether indoors or out, playing drums or just chilling, he has hats on.

Not just hats, but look where he wore his bandanas. When he tied his hair back, any grey roots would be on display.

Now it’s blonde, even when it grows out a little, the grey and the blonde kinda blend in a little and he doesn’t need to cover them up!

So please, Eric, keep the blonde going. I want to see your beautiful hair.

#eric singer #snack cake #swag master #pretty kitty #hi blondie #kiss band #singer simps

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chouxsardine · 11 months ago

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Love is a four-legged word--Sam Kiszka x reader

Summary: Love comes in all forms, it is, afterall, a four-legged word--Sam and y/n met at a park while walking their dogs. The furry friends are their best wingman.

Pairing: Sam Kiszka x f!reader

Word Count: 7418

Warnings: dogs, description of crying, allusion to death of pet, death of animals, mention of the name of alcohol (but no alcohol involved) (please let me know if I missed any!)

Genre: fluff, angst, hurt/comfort

Author's note: This is my longest piece so far and my first Sam piece (yipee!! exciting!) This was a Christmas gift to I want to @dannythedog thank her for hosting the gvf secret santa. But as late as it was… I hope it can still count as a New Year's gift? This took so long to write and I myself went through a pretty emotional journey while writing this. I have more to say, but I will save for the end if you care to read it. Enjoy for now.

“Come on, Rosie bug, it’s time for your walk.” Sam stood up from the sofa, raising his arm for a stretch.

Being the good girl that she is, Rosie was already waiting patiently at the door, sitting still while Sam put the harness and leash on her.

It was a sunny afternoon, warm and cloudless after consecutive days of rain. Taking advantage of the delightful weather, Sam decided to extend their daily walk and take Rose to the park. He has always loved this park. There’s just something so intimate about this public space that always draws him towards it. It is situated a few blocks away from downtown, a beautiful getaway from the hurly burly of the city. It has a large lawn area that turns into the most pleasant shade of green in April, around his birthday. The colour so lovely that it gives him the urge to touch the grass, hug a tree, and nuzzle his face into nature. It is also the best place to people-watch—college lovebirds, laughing toddlers, family picnics—it is like being in one of Georges Seurat’s paintings.

It seems that many people think the same way as Sam. The park was busier than usual. The duo took their familiar route, following the gravel path to the fountain where the running tracks start. They would take a break on the bench where Rose can enjoy some treats.

Sam has done a good job socializing Rose due to the need for frequently traveling on the road. Rose is a curious girl and is open to making new friends, but she always listens to Sam. When other dogs pass by either barking over-excitedly or stopping to exchange friendly sniffs, Rose generally remains unfazed. She knows that remaining her composure and staying close to Sam is going to warrant some loving pets and yummy treats. Therefore, when a black and white Pit Bull trotted up to Rose, Sam didn’t pay too much attention. The dogs are all on leashes in this area. If any of them stop for a little longer, Sam will usually exchange a friendly smile with the owner, then each side will go about their own business. However, Rose seemed to be especially interested in this new friend. She stood up and started wagging her tail softly, gently bumping nose with her newfound friend, learning their smell and demeanour. That’s when Sam noticed that this dog looked a little special. Instead of the common collar, it was wearing a blue bandana with the word “adopt” printed on the corner. Sam followed the leash and looked all the way up. He saw a pretty girl looking down at the two dogs interacting with a mesmerizing smile.

Sensing his gaze, the girl quickly looked up.

“Oh hi, so sorry about this. Klaus is a shelter dog; he doesn’t get to interact with other dogs a lot, so he got a bit excited.” She said apologetically.

Ah, so that explains the bandana.

Now it seemed that Klaus took an interest in Sam as well. Considering his lack of socialization, Sam thinks Klaus is doing exceptionally well. He was sniffing Sam’s jeans, nudging his ankles with his nose.

“No, no, don’t worry. I don’t mind.” Sam bent down and extended the back of his hand to Klaus. After receiving a lick and some kisses as signs of approval, he started scratching Klaus behind the ears. “I’m Sam, and this is Rose.”

“Nice to meet you, Sam. I’m y/n,” y/n said before crouching down. Rose immediately moved towards her and started pawing her hand.

One thing Sam loves the most about Rose is that she has good taste in people. Come on, this girl chose Sam to be her handler. (Sam has always believed that it is Rose who came to him, not the other way around.) And based on Rose’s reaction now, Sam would like to boldly assume that y/n is a decent person as well.

“Come on, Klaus, let’s go.” y/n gently tugged the leash, but she was completely ignored. The two dogs were already playing together, bowing and bouncing just like puppies.

“They can play for a bit,” Sam said. He loves seeing Rose Bud making friends. “If you are not in a rush, that is.”

“No, I’m not. Thank you so much,” y/n relented.

“So, Klaus is a shelter dog, you said?” Sam asked as he scooted over and let out more space on the bench for y/n to sit next to him.

“Yes, today is his Doggy Day Out,” y/n kindly explained. “People can sign up to take a shelter dog out for a ‘field trip’ for a day. It helps them manage kennel stress and increases their chances of getting adopted.”

The thoughtfulness of the idea makes Sam smile. He has heard about similar programs before, but this was his first time encountering an example in real life. “So you chose Klaus?”

“Yeah, Klaus is one of the longest residents at the shelter.” y/n cupped the dog’s adorable face in her hands and cooed. “I mean, look at his face, how could I say no? Besides, people often have a misunderstanding about Pit Bulls, you know, about them being aggressive and all; so it’s harder for them to get adopted.”

As absurd as it sounds, that is sadly the truth. Sam remembers seeing more than once those distasteful comments under Rose’s account.

“Indeed. Sometimes we truly don’t deserve dogs.” He said.

A comfortable silence draped over them, except it was quite loud in y/n’s mind and chest right now. Y/n had been stealing glances at the man next to her in between conversations the whole time and she hoped she wasn’t being too obvious. There was no denial that Sam is outright gorgeous. He was wearing a navy blue t-shirt underneath an unbuttoned black plaid shirt, black pants, and a pair of Nike blazers. But what attracted her the most was his hair, the hair that suddenly made her self-conscious about her own (which really needed to get washed today). Sam has dark brown hair the length to his shoulder. The loose curls look lush and smooth, shining under the sunlight, which makes it a lighter flax colour. The strands that frizzes away are delicate and golden, swaying along with his breathing. Y/n bet they are silky and soft to the touch too. Plus, he has really pretty hands, with the pink leash wrapped around his palm contrasting against his olive skin. Slim, bony fingers, with nails that are clean, round and well-trimmed. Those are hands well-kept.

Maybe there is a grain of truth to what people say about first impression after all, Sam thought. A girl with Rose’s approval, a nice smile, and a sensible and tasteful take on Pit Bulls (She also looks cute). Sam thinks he quite liked her.

“So, what are your plans for the day? I mean, for Klaus?” Sam quickly corrected himself to sound less snoopy.

“We haven’t left the shelter for long. I was planning on getting him a pup cup first.”

“Pup cup! What a coincidence, that’s exactly what Rose bug and I have in mind,” (Liar. He didn’t). Sam put on his best smile. “Mind if we join you?”

Their conversation carried on smoothly as they made their way to the nearby bakery. Sam found out that y/n volunteers at the local shelter and works as a freelance photographer and a part-time dog walker. Y/n learned that Sam is a bassist and keyboard player who is in a band with his brothers (“That explains the pretty fingers,” Y/n thought to herself).

The bakery is a hidden gem in the neighbourhood, with a walk-up window inlaid into the white brick wall. A blackboard with cursive chalk writing was propped up beside it, displaying the menu. A separate hand-drawn poster on the wall sayid “puppuccino available for furry friends” in brush lettering.

“Do you want anything? My treat,” Sam asked as they approached the queue. “Please say yes so I have an excuse to ask for your number just in case you want to return the favour sometime.”

A bold move? Yes. But he felt like taking chances today.

Y/n raised her eyebrows in slight surprise. Sam held her gaze, silently restating his point.

“Fine, if you insist.”

“I do insist.” Sam stepped aside as it was their turn to order and let y/n go first. “After you.”

That’s smooth. Real Smooth. Y/n thought. Almost as smooth as his hair.

For the next few weeks, Sam and y/n has been talking on and off through text messages. Their chat history was mainly composed of Sam sending goofy dog videos and y/n replying with cute pictures she took of dogs at the shelter. Sometimes Sam spotted y/n holding multiple leashes, walking dogs on the sidewalk, and sometimes he went to the shelter under the excuse of dropping off donations just to see her. Occasionally, they would fix a date to meet at the park for a “puppy play date” when y/n took another dog on their Doggy Day Out. While the dogs rolled together or chased each other within their sight, they would sit on the bench with coffee cups in their hands and a box of cookies between them to share. Y/n found Sam to be a charming guy. She loves his brutal honesty and his humour with a witty tongue. He loves to hold her gaze while talking to her. At first, she hated it—the unrelenting stare from those captivating brown eyes makes her want to squirm in her seat—and Sam was never the first to break eye contact. But over time she had learnt to stare back nonchalantly, usually with a single raise of her eyebrow.

There was no lack of vocal banters as well, which usually embarks after one of them blurts out some controversial opinion. With some people, a debate over things like if pineapple belongs on pizza or should you pour milk before cereal can quickly lead to annoyances, but it’s different with Sam. Sam brings out the competitiveness in y/n just like she was back in her high school debate club. Backchat with Sam is fun; he makes one willing to takes all the steps—from gathering evidence to forming thesis statement—just to be rebutted by a single line of his ingenious comment; and y/n is not even mad about it. The cherry on top is that Sam always likes to push one step further by adding the flirtatious “What now, little mama, cat caught your tongue?”. She feels offended in the best possible way.

On the other hand, as composed as he seems to y/n, Sam feels that things always came out of his mouth without filters when he is with y/n. For example, he will never let go of that one time they argued about the right way to hang up toilet paper.

“It’s obviously under! Have you ever had times when you hang it over and it unrolls itself and you get this massive pile of toilet paper on the floor?”

“No, Sam, I have not. I’m pretty sure that’s because you got a bad roll or some mean spirit in your bathroom pulled it.”

“It’s a perfect roll, just out of the package!”

“Then it’s definitely some mean spirit. Burning some sage should fix it. Obviously, the correct way is over so that it doesn’t rub against the wall.”

“Bold of you to assume I have dirty walls!”

“How do I know? You probably do!”

“I will not stand any defamation to my name and my wall. You can only form such an opinion after you have checked it out!”

Y/n gave him an interesting look. Just before she could say something, Rose rushed back to their side, and for once, Sam was relieved that the debate withered away because as soon as those words left his mouth, he wanted to slap himself.

Why would you say that, you freaking idiot? What kind of activities should you be engaging in that will lead to a situation involving you showing her the cleanness of your bathroom wall, which unfortunately is, in fact, kind of gross and stained with flashed pee?

But fate is a fickle little thing. Little does Sam know, it was not long before they did end up in that situation, just not in the way as he has expected.

Earlier that day, Sam has sent y/n a message asking if she wants to meet at the park the next day and received a brief message that reads, “Sorry, got caught up at the shelter”.

That is usually a bad sign because it means that there’s either a large intake or some kind of emergency. Y/n also ran a volunteer social media account, posting adorable pictures and short videos that she took of the dogs when she takes them out for a walk for temperament tests, adding visibility to help they find a loving home. Sam vaguely remembered y/n mentioning that they took in a puppy that was hit by a car. He secretly hoped it wasn’t any bad news. Sam debated between sending her a goofy dog meme with the caption “Take care” to lighten up the mood or asking further. He waited, but the three dots on the other side of the chat box never came up.

It was around nine in the evening when Sam received another text from y/n.

Y/n: Are you busy right now?

Sam: No, just chilling. What’s up?

Y/n: My car broke down.

The three dots are still blinking when Sam’s finger flew through the screen.

Sam: location?

Sam: I’ll be there.

Rose looked up confused from her spot on the couch, when Sam rushed to the foyer, one arm already in his jacket and stuffing his feet into shoes.

“Hold the fort, Rose bud!” He yelled before locking the door behind him.

Y/n’s car broke down not too far away from the shelter. Sam saw the tow truck and the roadside assistance as he drove near. Y/n was talking to the truck driver. From the distance, she looked so forlorn and lost under the jarring redness of warning lights. The size different between her and the heavyset man towering over her makes her looked like a puppy soaked in rain. Sam had never felt such a strong sense of protectiveness towards anyone. He wanted nothing more than to rush to her side and engulf her in a hug, if she would let him.

He almost drifted as he swerved his car into an empty parking space by the side of the road. He ran to y/n’s side.

“Okay, Miss. The insurance company will contact you for further details,” the roadside assistance worker nodded to y/n. “The truck will tow your car to the garage. Do you have a ride home?”

“Yes,” said Sam before y/n could answer.

The man gave him a knowing look before he said, “Good. Make sure you take all your valuable belongings in the car with you.”

Sam helped y/n put her stuff in the backseat of his car before opening the passenger side’s door for her. Sam had noticed that y/n’s body was stiff and tense the whole time when she was standing outside, and it remained so as she plopped down onto the seat.

“Are you okay? Did you get hurt?” Sam turned to her eagerly once he had situated himself.

As soon as the words left his lips, the dam broke loose. Y/n’s shoulder visibly relaxed as loud sobs ripped through her body. She tried to purse her lips and contain herself but tragically failed. For a minute, she couldn’t make a single syllable other than frantically shaking her head and shoving her hands to her mouth, trying to muffle her crying. Y/n’s whimper filled the car, mixed with the loud beeping alert and yelling outside as the truck towed y/n’s car away.

“Oh, y/n,” Sam felt like someone had stamped on his heart. “Can I give you a h—”

Without a word, y/n almost knocked herself into his arms. It was only when he was holding her that he realized how badly she was trembling. This is their first proper hug, far from how Sam has imagined it. He wrapped his arms around y/n’s frame, one hand hugging her shoulders to him and the other rubbing her hand in wide, gentle stripes, tucking her head under his chin. Y/n’s hand held onto Sam’s arm, fingers digging into his biceps like a drowning person holding onto a piece of driftwood. Sam was firstly relived that y/n was not physically hurt; and then there were the emotions, which they could deal with. Whatever made her this devastated, he was determined to turn it around and make it better.

They stayed like that for a while, bodies squishing together uncomfortably over the middle console, until Y/n finally started to calm down.

She pulled away from Sam’s hug. Sam immediately reached to the backseat for the tissue box, from which y/n took a handful of tissues and turned her head to the side to wipe her face.

“It…it was Huxley,” she was fighting to speak without breaking down again. “He’s g—gone.”

Upon hearing the name, Sam’s heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach. His former wish had fallen through after all. Huxley was the puppy that came to the shelter from a car accident. He was sent in by a Good Samaritan on Monday. From the photo y/n posted, Sam knew that he was a young Australian cattle dog. Sam thought he was out of danger as y/n updated the post on Tuesday, saying that there was a rescue willing to pull him.

Sam didn’t press on with further questions. He sat patiently, handing y/n more tissues as she needed and waited to piece together the story from snatches of her speech.

“They did an x-ray and found he has a fractured pelvis. A rescue tagged him…and he was supposed to l-leave the shelter today.”

“We thought he was f-fine until…until he suddenly deteriorated this a-afternoon. There was, um, internal bleeding and… the vet said, the in-injury was too serious to recover and, and s-suggested…”

It was taking all her strength for y/n to squeeze out the last few words: “…it…it was the kindest to..put him d-down.”

Y/n buried her face into her hands as she resorted to another burst of weeping. Her shoulders shuddered with every muffled sob. “He reminded me of Wendy…I couldn’t save n-neither of them!”

This was the first time Sam has heard about Wendy from y/n. He guessed that Windy used to belong to y/n. He had once saw a photo of y/n and a white puppy tucked in her wallet when she was paying for coffee. Y/n never talked about it and Sam never asked. He decided he was still going to be silent about it today. He wouldn’t want to force her to narrate whatever tragic event that had happened in the past again, knowing that she probably had already done it to herself over and over again in her brain upon seeing the loss of Huxley.

Sam mulled over his words. Platitudes like “you have already done your best” sounded superfluous. Y/n, and he believes that everyone at the shelter, did everything they could; but that doesn’t fix things, does it?

“Was he loved when he was gone?” Sam gently took y/n’s hand in his.

“I was too coward to stay until the last moment,” y/n looked at Sam through teary eyes, “and he couldn’t really stomach any food by then. But yes, we made sure he was surrounded by treats and toys.”

“Then that’s what matters,” Sam managed a smile and said softly. “Dogs are very grateful creatures, you know that. Now that Huxley has crossed the rainbow bridge, he must be thanking you for loving him to the end, to provide him with a warm bed so he didn’t have to go alone and scared on the side of some highway.”

Y/n’s was still hiding her face in her palms, with her elbows resting on her knees, but Sam recognized a trembling nod from her. Now he felt tears stinging in his own eyes. He rubbed the area between y/n’s shoulder blades and carefully opened his mouth: “Look, y/n. I don’t want to sound like I’m taking advantage of the situation. But I am really worried about leaving you alone for the night like this. Would you like to perhaps crash at my place for the night? Rosie can keep you company.”

“Let me take care of you.” Sam closed his eyes for a second before he added, “As a friend?”

To his relief, y/n nodded again before turning her head slightly to face him, revealing half of her face, all wrinkled with red marks and tear stains, her eyes bloodshot and glassy.

“Sorry for being a bother.” She whispered through quivering lips.

“Never. Never a bother, mama,” Sam’s heart clenched again, hard. He reached out and gently squeezed the back of y/n’s neck before starting the car. “I got you.”

Y/n could hear Rosie’s claws clacking on the wooden floor before Sam turned the key in the lock. As he opened the door, they are welcomed by an excited Rosie, just as expected. Sam had taught Rosie well not to bolt towards guests or jump on them, so she was expressing her joy through a wagging tail that put her whole body into motion and repeated bowing; her pink tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth. The goofy gestures raised a chuckle out of y/n. The first smile that he had seen on her face all night.

Sam’s apartment is cozy and vibrant. It has rustic brick walls and exposed beams. A red oriental rug lies in the middle of the room in front of a light camel-coloured sofa. There are touches here and there where Sam lets his intrusive thoughts win—so a piece of decor that does not match the general style appears but ends up working nonetheless, such as the banana leaf wall paper that only covers one side of the wall. A long-neck floor lamp throws warm glow over half of the living room.

“Go sit, y/n. Make yourself at home. You want some tea?” Sam laid out a pair of slippers for her as he asked.

Y/n had half a heart to reject out of politeness but realized she was too tired to put on any facade, and it is unnecessary after all considering she had just bawled her eyes out before Sam. Her eyes were stinging from crying and her face must have looked like a mess now.

“Thank you. Can I borrow the bathroom, please?”

“Of course! It’s right there.” Sam pointed her the right door.

Closing the door behind her, y/n felt like her legs were about to gave out. She sat down on the closed toilet lid and closed her eyes, thoughts swarming in her mind. Now that the initial throbbing pain in her chest has subsided, she began interrogating herself. What was it that made her agree to stay here overnight? “Worry about leaving you alone”….You are used to being alone—heck, you have been for years. All the past experiences and rational judgements were reprimanding her in a motherly tone with a scowl, but her body was faithful to the ghostly touches and phantom breaths that he had left on her skin during their hug. She forgot when was the last time that she had received a hug that conveyed such empathy without blind assumption. She forgot when was the last time that she felt valid for her feeling sad and mourning. She forgot when was the last time that she was not forced to explain. Yet Sam came and reset the record for her.

Three gentle knocks on the door interrupted her thoughts.

“Yes?”

“I grabbed you a clean towel. I’m putting it on the handle, so just watch it when you open the door.” Sam’s voice came from the other side of the door.

Oh Sammy, Y/n thought to herself with a wry smile. The nickname naturally slips into her mind. This is not helping.

What it is about this man that makes you trust him enough to break down in front of him and then agree to stay at his place overnight? Was it because he was nice to dogs? Green flag. Nice hair and clean nails, perfect side profiled, chiseled like an Apollo statue? Green flag. Top tier banter and flirting? Beige flag (but has potential).

Her brain started hurting again. Her heart said fuck it, go wipe your face, drink tea, and pray that he’s not a patient serial killer three months in disguise who likes to collect dog memes. Y/n opened her eyes and the first thing she saw brought an untimely giggle out of her.

Toilet paper hanging from under? Red flag.

When y/n opened the bathroom door again, Sam was feeding Rose her dinner.

“There you are! Thought you fell in.” Sam looked up at her with a toothy grin.“Sorry,” he apologized for his joke before y/n even said anything. “I made you tea, I guess you haven’t eat yet? I can order takeout or whip something up real quick.”

“That’s very nice of you, Sam. But I really don’t think I can handle a meal right now. Tea will be just fine for me. Thank you.”

Y/n must have washed her face in the washroom. Now her face looked fresh, setting off her reddish nose which she rubbed a little too harshly. The bags under her swollen eyes made her looks droopy, much different from the energetic y/n under the sun in the park. She looked very….huggable.

Y/n took a sip from the mug Sam handed her. It’s lavender tea. She felt her nerves slowly stretched as the warm liquid slid into her stomach. Having finished her dinner, Rose wasted no time joining them on the sofa. She found the perfect spot between Sam and y/n, laying her head on her folded paws.

“Do you want to watch a movie or something?”

“Um-hmm,” y/n absent-mindedly hummed. “You take the pick.”

Absolutely nothing furry, nothing barking, nothing wagging its tail. Sam scrolled through the catalogue.

Y/n raised her eyebrows when she saw Sam finally settling on Vanderpump Rules.

“Surprised?”

“Surprised, amused, guilty as charged.” Y/n admitted.

“No way! Which season are you on?”

“Seven? I can’t remember much though.”

Sam couldn’t deny it, there’s just something about watching and becoming invested in other people’s cheating drama that gets you to forget about your own problems real fast, at least temporarily. When one of the girls made an especially spiteful comment and Sam got no reaction from y/n, he turned and saw her dozing off, her chin rested on her clavicle, one hand still resting on Rose’s back.

She’s bound to get a stiff neck sleeping that way. Sam gently pulled her shoulder to the side, resting her head on a cushion, and pulled the blanket over her. Other than making a few indistinguishable murmur, she didn’t stir; or if she did, she chose to relent to Sam’s touch. Now that her eyes were closed, she looked peaceful under the orange light of the lamp, one almost couldn’t tell she was crying so hard a few hours ago. Sam debated if he should carry her to the bedroom or at least wake her up, but in the end, he did neither. Instead, he sat down on the carpet, his side pressed against the sofa, putting his head on his elbow.

Whatever this is, it fels tranquil and nice. She is close and far, her silence remote and candid, still as a star*. It feels like love. He feels his heart heavy with love. She doesn’t know. Maybe she will, eventually. But not now. Now he just wants to have this moment, in case it is all he will ever have.

Y/n is woken up by the wetness of her face. “Rose, stop!” She managed to open her eyes under Rose’s kiss attack. She propped herself up on her elbow and saw Sam sitting on the floor next to her, still asleep. But that changed quickly as he became Rose’s next target. Did he just sleep all night like this? The light seeping through the curtains formed bright patters on the floor. Gosh, she must be really tired to sleep so soundly on the sofa.

“Morning.” Y/n pursed her lips, containing a chuckle as she met gaze with a hair-disheveled Sam, who was holding the side of his neck, grimacing.

Sam felt every single bone in his body crackling as he stood up. Actions have consequences.

The drive back to Y/n’s house was quiet. Y/n thanked him for letting her stay overnight, which he insisted that was no big deal. Then he cranked up the radio and let Stephen Stills take over.

“Thank—-”

“I swear, if you thank me again—-”

They almost said together as the car pulled up to a halt in front of y/n’s apartment.

Y/n smiled apologetically nonetheless.

“Hey, like I said, it’s really no big deal. It wasn’t so courteous of me not to offer you dinner and let you sleep on the couch anyway,” Sam said. “I am very sorry about what has happened. I hope you are feeling better now.”

Y/n chewed on her bottom lip and nodded. It was after several heartbeats that she said, “You know, your bathroom walls are dirty, Kiszka.”

Sam blinked and then barked out a laugh, throwing his hands in surrender. “Guilty as charged.”

“Call me if you need anything, yeah?” Sam watched as y/n unbuckled the seatbelt. He could tell that for a second, y/n was going to thank him again.

“I’m not guilt tripping you into this, but…the offer to co-dog walk always stands.”

“Sure. I’ll let you know.”

“Oh, and one more thing,” Y/n paused as she shut the door.

“Hug Rosie extra tight for me.” With that, she turned on her heels and walked away.

It was three days later that they met again at the park. The weather was starting to get cold. Sam would always choose the vivifying spring days over fall, but he also appreciates some delicious crunching of the leaves as one walks.

“I can really tell the season is changing when the benches feel a bit cold under the tush.” Sam commented as he sat down next to y/n.

“Oh, do we have to get you padded pants then?”

“Seriously, do they make those?” Sam gasped in feigned surprise. “Anyways, how’s your car?”

“I got a call yesterday, it should be ready to pick up by Thursday,” Y/n said. She was chewing on the edge of her coffee cup. “I feel so stupid losing it like that the other day.”

“But you don’t have to, though. There’s nothing wrong about feeling things, and emotions don’t lie.”

“Yeah, I guess. But in the end it’s not about me, it’s about them. There’s always more dogs that need help and always more to do.”

“I know you said not to, but I really need to,” y/n said as she turned to Sam and threw her arms around him, catching him in surprise. “Thank you, Sammy.”

Sam couldn’t help but notice how nice it felt to have her nose buried in his shoulder. Talking about emotions don’t lie.

His hair smells nice too. And it is indeed so, so soft. Green flag.

Somehow, they fell back into the old rhythm after that. Sam guessed that when people say woman in a dream, they must be referring to their phantasmagoric nature. With each day passing, he became more and more inclined to believe that what he thought he had was nothing more than wishful thinking and self-deception.

Christmas was approaching. Their brother’s lack of contribution to the holiday preparation did not go unnoticed by the twins. Jake was first to approach Sam, saving Josh as the last resort. Although Jake doubted if they would really need him.

“Sammy boy, what are you sulking about?” Jake sat down next to Sam, who was lying facedown on the carpet.

“M’not sulking,” Sam mumbled. “You just interrupted my perfect nap.”

“No shit, wonder if you can even breathe lying like that.” Jake nudged him in the ribs, earning himself a smack on the arm.

“Have you asked her out yet?”

“Who?”

“Quit playing with me, brother. You’ve been spending enough time at the shelter and the park that we thought Rosie was going to the big sis this time.”

Sam flipped over with a groan, his hand laying across his forehead. “No. I think she probably doesn’t feel that way, honestly.”

“Okay,” Jake rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “But how do you feel? Really smitten?”

“I don’t know,” Sam sighed. “You know the trend that goes, ‘one minute you are asking for her number, the next minute you are getting screamed at by her cat’? When I asked for her number, I was hoping so bad that we will be making advent calendar for our dogs every year.”

“Damn.” For a moment, Jake was struck by the weight of that statement; its authenticity and spontaneity echoed in the air.

“You really got some of Josh’s romantic shit, huh?”

“Don’t act like you haven’,.” Sam rolled his eyes. Jake couldn’t argue with that.

“Look, I knew you will tell her eventually. Come on, don’t give me that look. We both know that you will. But this is not like some assignment where you can just keep putting off until all the points have been abducted.”

“You have my permission to take the day off. But you better be making it up to me once you’ve got her. Do you have any idea how painful it is to untangle four strands of those lights? My fingers deserve better than that.”

Sam shot his elder brother a plaintive look. Jake raised his eyebrows provocatively, but the genuine encouragement still shone through.

“Just get your ass up already, kid.”

Sam was going to see y/n that day anyway. The shelter was doing Christmas dinner for the animals and y/n had texted him earlier asking if he wanted to come help. The shelter around Christmas looked like a kindergarten. Garlands and ribbons hung from the ceiling. Cheerful Christmas carols played through the announcement speakers. Even the bulletin board were updated with the animals’ intake pictures with their new Christmas photoshoots.

“Y/n is at the big dog kennel in the back.”

The round-faced woman at the front desk warmly greeted Sam as she recognized him. He had been a regular; the staff had naturally associated him with y/n and had been secretly calling him the sexy Tarzan*. (Y/n burst out laughing when she first heard that nickname; she couldn’t deny the resemblance is uncanny.)

Sam wasn’t sure how he was going to do this. Yes, he was going to wing it but it’s not like he could just blurt it out. The place started to smell like food as Sam passed the reception area. He found y/n and her colleagues standing in the meet-and-greet area around a table full of buckets and a crock pot with the largest turkey he had ever seen. Y/n waved him in as she saw him.

“Thanks for coming! We’re about to start.” Y/n handed him an apron.

“There are separate bucket for veggies, meat, and broth. You just grab some from each into the bowl and pass it down, Sally and Theo will squeeze in the yogurt and puree, add the dry treats…and a bowl is done!” Y/n walked him around the table as they went through each step.

“This feels like I’m at a poke station.” Sam chuckled.

“It is, special Christmas edition.”

Suddenly, Sam felt more at ease. He was grateful that y/n volunteers at the shelter. It’s at least comforting to think that he would have nearly a hundred flurry friends as his wingman.

They walked down the corridor, stopping at each kennel, opening the door and sliding in the bowl. Some dogs were more timid and nervous, huddling in the corner and coming up to the food when they were left alone. Y/n made sure to skip those ones a few more beef jerky. But most of them were already wagging their tails like windshield wipers in heavy rain, waiting impatiently at the front of their kennel.

It took them nearly an hour going through the whole the dog area before the empty cart was wheeled back to the preparation room.

“They have special food for the smaller animals like the rabbits as well. But, by far, our job here is completed. Well done, soldier!” Y/n untied her apron and threw in onto the table.

“Are you doing anything after?” Y/n asked.

“No, not really. Why?” Upon hearing that question, hope and anxiety bubbled together in Sam’s stomach.

“I could treat you to a coffee for helping out today, or perhaps hot chocolate?”

“Hot chocolate sounds great.”

“Awesome, you’re in for a treat. I know a place that makes bomb hot cocoa.”

It was snowing heavily when they stepped out. The ground is already covered in a thin white layer. The snow was coming down thick and fast, Sam could hear it falling onto the crisp fabric of his jacket. They walked along the side road. The sky was already dark, making the snowflakes dancing under the streetlights all the more obvious. The cars passing by, their tires rolling over the splashing snow, made sounds like someone stirring the repeatedly pushing the buttons of a a fountain drink machine. As nice as it was, Sam soon realized his mistake of forgetting to wear gloves when he headed out. It was strange how he seldom felt cold amid the big snowfalls, it’s always the coldest the day before. It was always the build up.

“So….do you have any plans for Christmas?”

“Oh, yeah I do. I am going to this awesome party. I'm going to dance, have fun, raid the charcuterie board, get shit-face drunk, and then crawl back home. Giving the weather we are having now, I’m probably going to slip and fall, break my face on the sidewalk, and lay there unconsciously until some hobo finds me and steals my purse, but all he is going to find are handfuls of puke that I threw up earlier,” y/n finished with a mischievous smile. “How does that sound?”

Sam was speechless for a few seconds. “I’m only with you on the ‘raiding the charcuterie board’ part.” He finally said.

“Always appreciate a good humour, Kiszka.”Y/n threw back her head and laughed. “I’m messing with you. Quite the opposite, I’m doing nothing. Probably still going to drink, but definitely no party.” She made a stank face.

Y/n has mentioned that she had just moved here not long ago. Sam never heard her mentioning much about her family, and he did not want to blindly assume.

“Do you want to come to mine for Christmas?”

“Crashing your family gathering as a stranger? That doesn’t sound like a very courteous thing to do.” Y/n replied.

Sam tried to focus his sight on the tip of his shoes. Just say it already. He was suddenly afraid to look to y/n. It feels better just to hear the rejection, not to face it head on, right? And could they still have hot chocolate after this? He could really use one now.

“Well, wouldn’t be weird if you were going as my girlfriend,” he finally said.

It was taking everything in Sam to hold his gaze on y/n. He saw her head shot right up. Beneath the initial shock, Sam couldn’t quite figure out the emotion hiding in her eyes. It’s always the build up. Always the build up. But now that the cat is out of the bag, he might as well just spill it out.

“I think I really like you, y/n.”

A smile crept up onto the corner of y/n’s mouth, and Sam saw it grew to a grin.

“Are you cold?” she asked.

“Hum?” That was not what he was expecting. But he appreciated a question, any question, to redirect the attention from the….previous embarrassment.

“Did you forget your gloves?” It was only then that Sam realized that he has subconsciously managed to snake his hands into the opposite sleeves of his jacket and fold his arms in front of his chest in order to warm up his hands.

“Yes, and my fingers are freezing off,” he said through gritted teeth. “And I am dying of suspense and embarrassment.”

Unexpectedly, y/n sighed and took off one of her own gloves. “There’s no need to feel embarrassed,” she said as she pried Sam’s right hand out of his sleeve and delicately stuck his stiff fingers into the glove, as if caring for newborn ducklings.

“It feels kind of good to see even Mr. ‘beat-me-in-every-banter’ at a loss for witty comments when it comes to feelings. Just proves we’re all human, doesn’t it?” She then took Sam’s other hand into her own and placed them into the pocket of her coat.

“There. See how much better it is if we simply express ourselves?”

Sam could feel y/n’s thumb brushing his numb muscles. “I may not be the best person to lecture you on this because, well, I myself have done a pretty lousy job at it too. But, I can try to improve, as your girlfriend.”

“Can you give me the chance to try?”

Oh god, now she’s asking me.

“My honour, y/n,” Sam felt like he could breathe again. And his quick wit returned. “One thing is not true though.”

“What?” Y/n asked as they continued to walk.

“I didn’t beat you to every banter. I lost in the toilet paper one.”

Y/n raised her eyebrows in amusement.

“I guess you were right. I called a truce with my bathroom ghost the other day.”

A man who is not afraid to confess his feelings and admit when he is wrong? Green flag.

Easter Egg

Y/n did end up attending the Kiszka’s Christmas gathering as Sam’s girlfriend. Jake was smug about it the whole time (“Told you we don’t need Josh”.) He determined that Sam owed him big time and demanded that he repays him by taking down the Christmas tree and and moving it up to the attic after the holidays are over.

Of all, Rose was more than thrilled to have her over because y/n came bearing special gift for her.

“I brought dog beer.” Y/n said proudly.

“You brought what?”

“Dog beer!” y/n laughed, showing the package of four cans. “It’s just unsalted bone broth with oat and barley.”

“Shame on you for leading Rose bug down this dangerous path!” Sam pretended to be annoyed but was already reaching for Rose’s water bowl.

“Come on, Rose’s a good girl, she can handle it. Plus, she is under parental supervision.” y/n said as she popped open a can.

“Oh, is that what we are now, ‘mummy’? Dog parents?” Sam looked smug.

As Rose happily lapped up her new beverage, y/n affectionately patted her on the neck: “And you always remember, Rosie girl, beers over boys. Well, I guess your daddy can make an exception but… ‘a healthy amount of beer over any contact with boys*’”.

*1: adapted from I Like For You To Be Still by Pablo Neruda

*2: it is from here (once you see it, you can't unsee it lol

*3: a quote from one of my favourite Youtuber: Christines Snaps

Hey, you've made it!! thank you so much for reading!

here's something more I want to say.

Firstly, the two dogs mentioned are real dogs; sadly they have both crossed the rainbow bridge now. You can read more about them here: Klaus and Huxley. I changed Klaus' story here because I'd like to imagine that having pup cups, going on walks, and having fun with other dogs is the life that he should have been having before his life was unfairly taken away. And I want to honour Huxley. The inspiration for this piece came to me because I relay information for shelter dogs that are listed to be euthanized in high kill shelters. It is absolutely heartbreaking to see how many healthy dogs lose their life at no fault of their own. I have always believed in the power of writing; I myself have been healed by the writings of others in this community many times, and I would like to do something with my writing too. I hope to raise awareness through this piece: There are just too many homeless pups. Please spay and neuter- their lives depend on it; and if you ever want a pet, please always go to the local shelter and check out their euth-list. Saving one dog is not going to change the world, but for that dog, the world is changed forever.

Secondly, about the writing; this is my first time writing Sam and my longest piece. As many of you surely must have noticed there are some loose ends, I apologize. I was emotional while writing this and I dragged it out. Plus, I made the mistake of reading one of the most amazing fanfics ever while writing this. I became self-conscious and kind of defeated---emotions get in the way, so I think this is leaning more towards a cathartic experience. For those that have experienced the pet loss, I am sorry and I feel for you. Please know that they can always feel your love and you will meet one day at the rainbow bridge. I intend to dig into this piece further in the future: perhaps make some more changes and edits, perhaps writing some blurbs between this y/n and Sam. If you would like that, please let me know.

Lastly, sincerely thank you to @dannythedog for the gvf secret santa event. It may sound stupid but that event carried me through my finals and several mental breakdowns. It has not only helped me to connect with so many wonderful people in this fandom, but it has also encouraged me to write. I never would have thought picking up writing again would give me so much closure and comfort. Plus, she did an awesome pairing; I got one of my favourite writers here as my secret santa!! and I got to know Nina.

This is so much longer than I intended. If you have made it here, wow, I am giving you a big big hug. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my writings. I hope that there are many more to come.

More of my writings: Mariner's Complex || Permission to Fall || Ticked (all my boxes) || The Lucky Ones

(do we want a masterlist or a taglist? let me know :))

#greta van fleet fan fiction #sam kiszka x reader #sam kiszka fluff #gvf fluff #gvf fanfiction #greta van fleet fic #sam kiszka fic #gvf #sammy gvf

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akkivee · 1 month ago

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pyrite received the moniker fool’s gold in the mid 1800s after the california gold rush for ‘tricking’ miners, thinking they’d found gold but the rock was worthless. so if we approach bat’s dt title from the angle that ‘they found something that they thought had meaning/value, but is ultimately worthless,’ i think that can only apply to kuukou and hitoya. as for what that could be for them 🤔

kuukou:

i see it being more metaphorical for kuukou since he’s not one for material things, and i hope to god it’s kuukou’s principle to deal with things on his own being challenged lol

a subsection of solitude is him sacrificing himself to save who he considers family so that could also be challenged

could also be kuukou’s violence, despite him trying to focus it on correcting others’ behaviour (the story frames it as wrong but i refuse to accept that LOL)

there are a few material things that kuukou does have. idk if he still has the nb bandana, but that bond with ichiro could be abused/put into question in some way. nb’s team colour is gold as well

and like…………. technically????? for all that it’s a place of religion, kuugen temple like……… is a material physical place. kuukou is a wandering monk but his temple kinda keeps him in one place. the sachihoko on his jacket are hidden by nature of the photo, but the fact that sachihoko are wards meant to protect temples from storms and lightning that historically have burnt down temples are hidden…………

and as for hitoya:

if there’s anyone who places a lot of value in the material world, it’s hitoya lmao. this man opens up his check book just to look at how much money he has and feel satisfied lol. money i’ve always assumed was a form of control for hitoya, so i could see that coming into question

part of hitoya’s materialism comes from wanting to be the best. like he’s got to own the best bc it reflects he is the best and i could see that reliance on goods coming into question

the way hitoya’s removing his tie makes me think the values he has as a lawyer. he wields the law for his own benefit and that’s what makes him morally grey but i personally don’t want to see that questioned (again lol) bc he’s helped people with that ability

however lol, hitoya only takes cases he knows he can win outside of bullying cases. i think that’s a character trait that encapsulates his reliance on money, his need to be the best and that grey morality in one go lol so it’d be nice if hitoya was put in a position where he has a case that’s very clearly a lose-lose situation for himself but it’d be rly fcked up if he didn’t take the case lol

#vee queued to fill the void #like maybe kuukou fcked around and picked up some hella bad karma recently and is about to find out #(by maybe taking it too far with the final confrontation with the tobari bros for instance)#and maybe hitoya is going to have to come to terms with who he is as a lawyer being faced with kuukou’s issues #and jyushi caught in the middle is going to have to be their hero and hope lol #i don’t really want to put this in the atmosphere lol but kuukou also values bonds and family #it should be what saves him lol but he could also lose bonds he has in this track #like………………….. if kuukou loses both his temple and a bond he values in one go and maybe bc of his actions…………………………………

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averys-happy-space · 6 months ago

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was doodling the cinema trio and realised some design parallels & contrasts between all of them and thought id put it into a post because why not

design-wise fang and maisie are actually really really similar, ive always thought this but i didnt realise just how similar they are until i started listing all of it to someone i was talking to on discord

both wear sleeveless tops

both wear loose/puffy high rise pants, both of which are also cuffed at the bottom

both wear gloves

both have the popcorn logo somewhere on their design

both wear sneakers (whereas buster wears boots)

could argue both have unnatural/dyed hair colours, though i googled it and apparently it is possible for dark skinned people to be naturally blonde but its just v rare... rare enough that i reckon this point still stands

both have golds + reds as their accent colours - buster sorta has this but its much less obvious/striking compared to the other two

this makes it sound like buster is the odd one out which he v much is at least design wise. but he has some similarities with the others too:

all 3 wear something around their foreheads (bandana, sun visor, headband)

all 3 wear blue pants of varying shades

maisie and buster both have a tool (fire extinguisher / film projector) where fang does not

fang and buster both have something slung over one shoulder (suspender, film loop). theyre on opposite shoulders too (something something one completes the other)

and then there's the differences / contrasts:

this one blew my mind when i realised it but fang is mostly primary colours (red yellow blue) whereas buster is mostly secondary colours (orange purple green). feel like this point isn't that strong though if you consider that buster also has black & grey + blue jeans too, and fang's hair is arguably more purple than dark blue. but i still thought it was interesting enough to mention anyway. also, maisie is a mix of both palettes (red yellow blue / purple black + her skintone is an orangey brown).

fang's hair is made of sharp edges, while maisie's is categorically rounded, and buster is somewhere in the middle where he shares fang's sharp edged bangs but his hair curls around the back, making it more rounded like maisie's

they all have different eyebrow shapes (triangle, rectangle, oval). could probably make an argument for this being reflective of their personalities with fang having the most sharp edges (most aggressive, reckless, confident); maisie being sharp in the sense of being very perceptive, responsive, quick witted but still less intense than fang; and buster being the softest, most shy, most protective

their personality is reflected in their playstyles too which are all starkly different - fang is aggro, maisie is control, buster is defensive. also means their trio can be a well rounded team in 3v3s too (which they were until maisie and fang got nerfed lol)

lots of cool design choices. knowing the release order was fang -> buster -> maisie can also help explain why buster is so distinct from the other two as well i think. because stuff like the popcorn logo seems like a strange thing to leave out of his design until you realise oh, the designers probably weren't thinking of having that be the logo of the theatre the trio work at until maisie came along and they realised it'd make a good logo/emblem.

there is also something to be said about fang and maisie being so similar because at first glance you'd think they're complete opposites - one is reckless and carefree, the other is literally a safety coordinator. that's definitely the impression you'd get from watching the animations from maisie's release as well. but maisie's bio admits that she lowkey enjoys dangerous situations and i think deep down she is actually very similar to fang in that they're both thrill seekers. she's still far better at keeping a level head when things go wrong than he is though

buster and fang being opposites is also really cute, at least to me. opposites attract and all that. i also think buster's actually a lot smarter than the maisie release animation gives him credit for, especially considering he was able to customise a film projector from the theatre for his own personal use. writing this now though i think one thing they do have in common is they're both pussies lol. as much as i hate the willow release art where fang is in shelly's arms, i do like the idea of him being a total wimp, just because it directly contrasts against all his other personality traits. buster is also clearly easily spooked if you look at his release animations in the ghost station. but he still saves gus in that one animation and i think thats indicative of his bravery - he'll always do the right thing even if it scares the shit out of him. fang, uh... probably not as reliable for that lol

#might be the mayor of yapperville with this post #incredible what my brain can do when it wants to think about anything other than school #brawl stars #ave rambles

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myargalargan · 5 months ago

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Thank you so much for the tag @somedayillbepeterpan! 💗

Last song I listened to: The last thing I listened to was the track "Since We Met" from the Bridgerton season 3 original score, which is the music playing in the background of the church dance scene. I'm still working on my analysis of Polin's theme in part 2, so I was doing some research last night. 😜

Favourite colour: Green. I like really dark forest/emerald greens (like Pen's first makeover dress! 😉) and muted sagey greens.

Currently watching: Bridgerton season 3, of course! I'm on my first rewatch of part 2, and then I'm sure I'll go back and watch the entire season from start to finish.

Sweet/savoury/spicy?: I love savory and spicy, but I have such a sweet tooth and am very addicted to sugar. Cannot keep candy in the house!

Relationship Status: Happily married to a man who is thankfully so supportive of my obsessive hobbies 😅😅😅

Current obsession: Bridgerton season 3. Polin. Their first time. The brainrot is real.

Currently reading: Last time I visited my childhood home, I brought back some of the books I'd kept from when I was younger, so right now I'm re-reading one of my favorites from when I like 11 or 12. Anyone read the Spooksville series by Christopher Pike??

Last thing I googled: Um, the publish date for the first Spooksville book just now lol. Before that it was the spelling of "bandana" because I couldn't remember if it had a double n at the end or not haha.

Currently craving: Hmm...I just had breakfast so I'm not craving anything food-wise right now. Maybe water, though lol. Emotionally I'm craving a long walk in nature and more Polin spice.

Coffee or tea: Tea! Although I love the smell of coffee, I can't stand the flavor or the caffeine jitters.

No pressure tags! @constitutionalweasleymonarchy @polinsated @flaming-brown-witch @smilindesperado @katenoteight

#tag game

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kindred-spirit-93 · 4 months ago

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diana daughter of apollo brainrot part ii

did more headcanons :] enjoyeth

naturally

good thing hilal is constantly feeding her via her inner old lady instincts

as all children of apollo do. her favourite ink colour is olive green

she prefers the other kind of people science

apollo kids x energy drinks is just asking for arson

CANON. in other news hilal now has an army of shinies and she names each one

children of apollo all have a strong sense of justice. and also abysmal liars

she's a do first, think later girlie. hilal nearly strangles her on several occasions

her therapy ducky called jackie, especially beloved by the kids and hilal

good posture be damned!

this is the cutest fucking thing. maybe she has a special one from her childhood? eitherway this is a new child of apollo thing

she gets hives :(

a setback of prophetic abilities? or bad experiences from foster care?

this is how hilal and diana became best friends lol

she has an impressive collection of accessories and lil trinkets from earrings to bracelets to bandanas and stationary.

SHE HAS A LIL VOID AND ITS NAME IS ABERCROMBIE

gives the best hugs (and smells of vanilla & freshly mowed grass)

#diana #diana olive #hilal #hilal khalil #headcanons #children of apollo #daughter of apollo #riordanverse

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daddyhausen · 2 years ago

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• sunflowers — hangman adam page — chapter one •

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

{ masterlist } | { aew masterlist } | { hangman adam page masterlist }

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

{ warnings } — none

{ word count } — 875

{ pairing } — fem!reader x hangman adam page

{ genre } — interactive

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

{ taglist } — @stxrrlightwrites13 @boutmachines @thewrestlingbitch @omg-im-such-a-masochist @baysexuality @legit9thlunaticwarrior @slut4kennyomega @wardlow @alexisquinnlee-bc @sammiejane22 @im-just-a-mississippi-girl @omegasluvbot @writtingrose @drummergrl1310 @unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin @baybay-boom @bonehead-playz @crowleysqueenofhell @romanreigns-supreme @janetreader @eddie-kingstons-wifey @thenerdybaker523 @sunshinevirus @nicoleveno14

{ comment if you want to be added into the taglist }

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

{ intro } | { chapter two }

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

🌻

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

it started as one flower, then two. by the end of the week the vase that resided at your window sill had been filled to the brim twice over with beautiful, blooming sunflowers, those from the field just past the stables. you’d find them on your window sill each morning, with no recollection of how they got there or from whom gifted them to you. it was a strange predicament, one that certainly left you on edge slightly yet also the act felt quite harmless and endearing.

at times you’d find yourself staring at them, admiring the beauty in their simplicity, how the vibrant yellow petals clouded around the rich, dark centre. other times you’d pluck at the petals in a hopeless game of “he loves me, he loves me not” with your so-called secret admirer. even when wilting they seemed so beautiful, you simply could not bring yourself to throw them away.

“more flowers?” willow, spoke up amongst the silence. she stood in your doorway, leaking against the worn oak frame. she was stocky, but by no means big. her body full and curvaceous, and she was well endowed, much to your jealousy. her hair sat in taught ringlets atop her head, a couple of daisies sat effortlessly amongst the curls, shielded from her eyes by a lilac and white tartan bandana, the same colour and pattern matching the dress she wore.

the sleeves hung off her shoulders slightly, stopping mid forearm, where the cuffs were ruched and tightened slightly around the skin, a white corset tied tightly to accentuate her natural curves completed her ensemble. her skin was warm and sun-kissed lightly with melanin. her smile infection to say the least. a seamstress she was, owning her own tailor shop in town, although she was not against wrangling a few horses if need be. you’d befriended her some years back. she takes up residence in the ranch also, her bedroom only a couple of doors down from yours.

you could only nod with a small chuckle, patting the mattress as an invitation for her to join you. she squeaked with excitement, clapping her hand gleefully like a small child allowed to roam free in a candy store. she took a seat beside you, hands folded in her lap eagerly.

“so, who do you think they’re from?” she questioned.

“honestly i haven’t got the slightest idea” your remark was honest, you indeed had no clue which mysterious stranger would be doing such an act. there was no card, no indication of a name, a signature not even a letter

“maybe it’s that boy from the theatre last month, the politician's son..oh what’s his name…” willow clicked to tongue sharply as if it were to regain her train of thought

“…maxwell?”

“maxwell! that’s it! that boy is always trying to court you!”

you held your breath for a moment at that thought, a shiver sent down your spine with an almost repulsed expression. sure maxwell was handsome, impeccably dressed and had an outstanding aura in social settings, however, his personality lacks the charm his exterior presents.

“trust me, he’s not the type to court for marriage, if you know what i mean”

willow burst out into a fit of laughter, unable to contain it any longer at the thought.

“yeah right! like he’d be the type to send flowers!”

willow’s cheeks were warm with laughter, hot tears pricking the corners of her eyes, wiping them away as she tried to stifle her chuckles. a silence fell throughout the room, not awkward in the slightest, merely letting your mind continue to contemplate

“are you sure it’s not you?” you jokingly poked her side with your index finger, one of which led to break out into a small fit of giggles once more, tufts of thick curls bouncing lightheartedly with her movement.

“y/n my darling, trust me. you’d be getting more than sunflowers that's for sure” willow’s playful banter made your cheeks heat up in a bashful glance at your beloved friend. your fingers toying with the hemline of your skirt, the material smooth and silky against your fingertips, the colour, a muted grey-blue that complemented the undertones of your skin .

“but really…” she continued

“maybe it’s that new stablehand, he’s rather handsome from what i’ve heard” willow raised her eyebrows in a playful flirtatious fashion, tugging lightly at your arm.

“what stablehand? father never mentioned a new one-”

“you haven’t seen him yet?” she interrupted, albeit unintentionally, a semi-shocked expression “well, we certainly must change that!”

“willow no-!” you tried to pry her grip from around your wrist, but by god the woman was strong. you were sure she’d leave bruised from how tight she was gripping you, although pain was never her intention. you held onto the metal framing of your bedpost, fingers barely clinging around the thin cylinder, holding on for dear life

“maybe you could ask him about the flowers too!” she mentioned completely ignoring your please

“are you insane?! do you want me to die from embarrassment?!”

“c’mon don’t be such a scaredy cat, what have you got to lose?” willows voice was all too chipper despite your predicament.

“only my sanity and dignity for starters…”

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

#{ my fics : 🤍 }#hangman adam page #hangman adam page x reader #hangman adam page imagine #hangman adam page fanfic #aew #wrestling imagine #wrestling smut #aew imagine #aew wrestling #aew fanfiction

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trashyocstash · 2 months ago

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chapter 5, here already because everything is outlined and i have the opposite of writer's block

chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3 chapter 4

Lily met up with Minnie, Ortensia and Clarabelle for the shopping trip at the local mall. The large, colourful building with shops at every corner was exciting to her, it had been too long since she'd had a proper shopping trip. Madison and Olivia tended to disregard her tastes and interests too, but she was hopeful that her new friends would be better about them.

Minnie had a big grin on her face, “I want to help you pick out clothes, you have such a cute style and I think it would be a lot of fun!”

“Really? Sure!” Lily agreed.

The group visited different clothing stores together, picking out what they wanted. Lily found them to be a great help, they were very kind and understood what she liked to wear. She loved that she now had a group of friends that shared her interests and seemed to care about her.

After their shopping trip, they visited the mall's food court together and sat down to eat.

“I..can't wait to wear the new clothes I got,” Lily smiled softly.

“You should! They're adorable!” Clarabelle grinned.

“I have the same love for florals and frills too, I would love to do more shopping with you, I think it would be really fun!” Ortensia excitedly told Lily.

She nodded in agreement, “Thanks for the help with my garden too, I really appreciate it.”

“It's no problem!”

“And you had Horace helping you out, with the renovations. I can't help but admire a strong, rugged man you know,” Clarabelle giggled.

Minnie and Ortensia followed her in laughter, but the trio noticed Lily frowning and her head was moved down.

“Did I say something wrong?” Clarabelle asked.

“It's just…my ex boyfriend wasn't..the best. And it made me want to find a guy who really loves me for me. I just..don't know where to look,” Lily sighed, and felt like she had unintentionally ruined the mood.

“Oh don't worry. Listen, how about Ortensia and I play matchmaker for you?” Minnie offered.

A smile appeared on Lily's face, “Really? That would be..wonderful, thank you.”

“Just leave everything to us,” Ortensia grinned.

Later, in the parking lot, as they headed over to their car, Clarabelle pulled Lily aside, “Since things didn't work out with your goth guy, I figured you might want these, you're probably feeling lonely and all.”

Lily blushed seeing the books Clarabelle pulled out of her purse; she spotted titles like “Saved by the Alpha” and “Mated to the Beast”.

“I..um..thanks..”

Clarabelle laughed, “It's no problem.”

Lily hopped in the car with the others and they drove off. Her eyes wandered to the books, she couldn't believe that was what Clarabelle wanted to give her..she wasn't complaining though.

—---------

Once she returned home, Lily put her clothes and books away and decided to do some gardening to relax after the hustle and bustle of the mall. She changed into a pair of overalls, a t-shirt, boots, gloves and bandana over her head and tied her hair into a ponytail.

She headed outside and began to care for the plants in her garden. Lily smiled to herself as she watered the plants, gave them fertilizer and dealt with weeds and pests around. Gardening was a very comforting hobby for her, surrounded by the beauty of nature and caring for things made her feel content and at peace.

Lily felt being outside like this might be risky, because she knew Phantom Blot was out of jail and looking for her. But she hated being cooped up inside and was willing to take the risk.

Once she finished gardening, Lily took the opportunity to change into some of the new clothes she bought and put her hair back down. She wore an off the shoulder top, shorts, Mary Janes, socks, a flower in her hair and a heart necklace. Lily looked at herself in the mirror and smiled, having these nice, new, pretty clothes did make her feel better, like she truly was pretty. It helped that these were the first clothes she bought in Mouseton, so they had no connection to her life in Duckburg, no memories associated with it.

Shyly, Lily picked up one of the books from Clarabelle and headed back outside to relax in her garden, sitting on a white wooden bench and leaning her head back. She began to read the book with a blush on her cheeks, and feeling the warm breeze brushing against her soft fur.

“There you are.”

Her eyes widened, she instantly recognized the voice as Phantom Blot’s. Lily followed it, turning her head around to see him standing behind her in his full black sheet ghost costume.

He picked her up, making her drop her book and brought her to his car, which he'd hidden behind some trees.

Once they were both in there, Lily gave him a worried expression, “How did you find out where I live?”

“Mickey's friends live in the same neighbourhood as him, so I figured the same applied to you,” He answered plainly.

Lily moved her head to the front, she felt anxious at being kidnapped again, but also felt relief that he likely wouldn't hurt her. Unlike everyone else she'd ever known, Phantom Blot was very open about how awful he was. She didn't need to worry about him being secretly two faced, and any evil actions he took weren't surprising. He could've been worse last time he kidnapped her, but had chosen to be kind instead, that had to mean something coming from a man that had attempted murder before.

Phantom Blot drove her to that same shady part of Mouseton she'd been in last time. Instead of his brick hideout though, he brought her to another one. This was an abandoned building, it looked as if it may have been once home to an apartment complex. Now, it was run down, with chunks of the walls missing, wallpaper and paint peeling off and furniture being broken. A layer of dust filled the air, making her cough.

Lily was brought into a more cared for room. Here, the walls were complete, the paint and wallpaper were perfect and the furniture was in pristine shape. There were a couple of couches and bookshelves, and she noted a desk covered with paperwork.

He took his mask off, and Lily couldn’t help but blush at the sight of his face. Blot noticed and smirked.

“I'm not risking bringing you back to the same place, I don't want that mouse finding you again,” His face changed to a look of annoyance from the mere mention of Mickey.

“He's my friend, and so are the others. In fact, I was on a shopping trip with them today, that's where I got these,” She gestured to the outfit she was wearing, there was also a ting of annoyance in her voice.

His eyes briefly glanced down to her exposed cleavage before bringing his focus to her face, “Them? They're just a bunch of annoyances who get in my way and ruin my plans.”

“Don't talk about them like that! They're my friends and I care about them!” Lily hadn't felt so bold in a while, she'd been having trouble being confident and assertive again, but his words brought out that side of her. It had been hiding away at the back of her mind, and it felt satisfying to bring it to the forefront.

“Oh darling, I'm taking a liking to you even more. I admire you for being so brave to stand up to me of all people,” He smirked.

She faltered, going back to being shy, “I..I'm not sure how to feel about you.”

“That's alright, one day you'll like me too.”

Lily blushed from his words and looked away.

Phantom Blot decided that if he was truly going to pursue her, he needed to determine if she would be a good mother for Phantom Brat. The most important things to know if she would be okay with being a mother, if she wouldn't judge him for being a single father and if she liked kids. He wanted to avoid the whole mess with Brat’s biological mother from happening again.

“I must tell you, I have a young daughter. Her name is Phantom Brat.”

Her eyes widened, “You do?”

“Yes, she's a puppy so she's very energetic and playful. She loves things like princesses and fairy tales, all that typical little girl stuff and..she loves to play fight, I've had to teach her when to bite and when not to,” He chuckled.

Lily could sense the love he had for his daughter, and it warmed her heart. She was glad to see good in him, “She sounds adorable.”

Relief washed over him hearing her words, but he wasn't finished, “Phantom Brat has asked me for a mother. I've always given her everything she wants, and I want to give her this too.”

She looked concerned, “What happened to her birth mother?”

He scoffed, “That woman was just a random fling, a one night stand. I was surprised to find her one day at my mansion, to discover I'd gotten her pregnant, and she was angrily ranting about having a villain’s child. She told me all she saw when she looked at Brat was me, and so couldn't care for her anymore. She dumped her on me when Brat was just a baby, and I haven't seen her since.”

“I'm..sorry..”

“It's fine..Phantom Brat is clearly better off not having her as her mother..”

“I can't fathom anyone being so cruel to their own child..abandoning her when she was only a baby. I've thought about being a mother before and I couldn't live with myself if I did something like that,” She responded somberly.

Phantom Blot was glad to hear that. He already felt her kind, gentle personality would make her a good mother. And her words only helped give him the confidence he was looking for that she could be the mother his daughter needed, “I appreciate it, Phantom Brat deserves someone like you around over her biological mother.”

Lily was touched hearing that, “Thank you..”

“By the way, I saw you were reading a book when I found you. I have books I keep in this hideout, if you're interested in browsing them with me,” He offered.

“Oh that would be..wonderful..” She was embarrassed at the mention of her reading when he found her, but still appreciated him taking notice of her interests and wanting to indulge her.

Phantom Blot led Lily over to a spot in the hideout that had a few bookshelves filled with books, “What do you like to read?”

“I love genres like adventure, sci-fi and fantasy. Books can take you to another world, away from your problems, at least for a little while..” She replied.

“I get it,” He sensed a sadness in her tone and remembered she'd mentioned being hurt by someone, it made him worry and wonder what she's been through, “What were you reading when I saw you?”

Her face went beet red, “I..um..it's..uh…”

Blot smirked, with that reaction, it had been obvious what she had been reading, “It's fine, you don't have to say it.”

Lily breathed a sigh of relief, making him laugh and causing her to look embarrassed.

“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” He assured her, “I love having someone around that shares my same interests. I'm more of a nonfiction person, but I'm sure you'll still find something of interest in my collection.”

She felt better from his words and smiled, “We both love art, perhaps you have books on say…art history?”

He nodded, “Take a look.”

Lily browsed through the options and indeed found an art history book. Taking it, he led her to a seat where she started to read.

He was glad to see all they had in common, she truly did feel like a kindred spirit, perhaps his only real equal in the world. It made him even more interested in her.

Phantom Blot sat next to her, just kicking back and relaxing. His head began to lean on hers, which she noticed and became shy, “Blot?”

“Mm..what is it darling?”

“Your head..”

“You want me to move it? Alright..”

He positioned his head back up but noticed Lily was still blushing, “Do you like having me so close?”

“I…uh..”

“I like being around you, you know.”

“I…I like being around you too..”

He took great satisfaction in that answer, “Can you stand up? I want to know something.”

Lily put the book she was reading down and stood up, with him following her.

“I want to know where I can touch you,” He told her.

“You..do?”

“Yes, ever since I found that you don't like to be touched on the cheek, I've been wanting to know where you're okay with being touched.”

Lily blushed, he cared enough to ask where he could touch her, which she appreciated, “It's..just my cheek... Everywhere else is fine.”

“That's good to know,” His fingers began to caress her delicate curves. Lily softly gasped from his touch and enjoyed his gentleness. He leaned his head against hers, and her blush deepened at him being so close. Her tail started to wag.

“Thank you..for caring..” Lily didn't know what else to say, it was hard to think straight with him like this.

“I like you, you know that,” He smiled with half-lidded eyes.

“It's just nice to be reminded..” She replied shyly.

A smirk appeared on his face, “I could tell what kind of book you were reading when I found you too, no need to be shy about that, it’s normal.”

Lily was embarrassed at him bringing it up again, but at least he wasn't being judgy, “Um..thank you..”

He chuckled, “Do you have any idea how adorable you are?”

He was going to be the death of her wasn't he? She didn't respond, just staying shy, amusing him further.

Lily decided to change the subject, “When I was at the mall, Minnie and Ortensia offered to play matchmaker for me…so I agreed.”

Phantom Blot frowned hearing that, “Matchmaker? Why do you need that?”

“I want to be..loved for who I am. My..my ex-boyfriend didn't..I want things to be different next time.”

He wondered if her ex was the one who hurt her, but he couldn't be sure yet, “Come on now, you don't need a matchmaker for that, you've got me.”

Blot inched her head up towards him by her chin, making her look flustered, “But you..you're a villain..you've hurt people, including my friends..I couldn't possibly..”

“Oh darling, you are just making me more determined to win you over, you know that?”

“I..”

He chuckled, “And a woman like you? You'll have no trouble getting a man interested in you. But your match would never be able to measure up to me, not in looks, intelligence, talent, anything.”

Lily could sense his jealousy, she wasn't stupid. And she wasn't having it, “I'm still going to see my match when it happens. I don't want to waste this opportunity.”

“Hmph,” He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

“Come on, don't be like that, we can read together, if that'll cheer you up.”

He perked up and his tail started to wag, eager to spend more time with her, “That sounds good.”

—--------

After some time, Lily noticed she received a text from Mickey and checked it.

Where are you? Nobody's heard from you since the shopping trip.

She got a worried look on her face and turned over to Blot, “Mickey wants to know where I am.”

“Well don't tell him.”

“Why?”

“Because he'll do another heroic rescue, and I want you here, with me.”

Knowing that her friends wanted to play matchmaker made him feel more insistent than last time about having her with him, he didn't want her on a date with some goody two shoes. He wanted her with him, by his side.

Lily blushed, again he was persistent on having her stay with him, “I have to tell him where I am, I can't just leave him and my other friends behind.”

Phantom Blot let out a groan, “Fine then.”

“If it's any consolation..I did enjoy our time together,” She gently assured him.

He smiled at that, “Even after the mouse rescues you, rest assured, I will see you again.”

Lily wasn't surprised, but now, the idea didn't unnerve her anymore. After being kidnapped by him twice, it seemed like he just took the kidnappings as an excuse to spend time with her, “I..well..I'm looking forward to it.”

After letting him know where she was, Mickey quickly arrived. Phantom Blot had stayed with her as she waited, as the outskirts of Mouseton were dangerous and he didn't want her getting hurt. But as soon as Mickey arrived, Phantom Blot put his mask back on and left, escaping out of a window into a nearby building and soon disappearing.

Mickey knew he could try and make chase, but decided to focus on bringing Lily back home. He brought over to his car and on the drive, he glanced at her, “I'm sorry that Phantom Blot has decided to target you.”

“It's alright, he doesn't hurt me or anything like that,” She assured him.

“Still, he's the Phantom Blot. I've told you how dangerous he can be,” Mickey gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Lily put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, making him loosen his grip, “Thanks..it's just..be careful..okay?”

“I will.”

She returned home, and began to dwell on Phantom Blot’s obvious affections for her. Having the most feared, dangerous villain around interested in her was surprising. At the same time, she felt..safe..if Cody ever made his way back into her life, at least she had the Phantom Blot there to protect her.

But she had another thing to think about: Minnie and Ortensia playing matchmaker for her. Lily smiled, hoping she was going to be matched up with a good guy.

#lily x phantom blot #lily #my writing

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