#lemon-n-honey

[crackedpumpkin]

|| 𝟣𝟪 ||

Pairing: Hiro Hamada x Reader Warnings: Mentions of alcohol. Aged up characters. Notes: Look, I just thought this was cute, okay? Sickeningly sweet, even. Anyway, I'm gonna go watch Youtube now. There's still much more to come for all the characters I write for goddamnit. Hope you enjoy this!

— — — — — — — — — — 

"𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙴𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗."

— — — — — — — — — — 

Hiro knew that he was deeply, utterly, and irreversibly in love with you when he was 18.

Maybe even before that, if he was being perfectly honest with himself. Why he never made the first move was obvious. Who'd risk their friendship all for what he dubbed as a 'silly crush'? 

No, no, no. He'd rather keep you as a friend. Friends are reliable and safe. Take Gogo and the gang for example. They were there during his darkest times. 

But you. You were different. You never once gave up on him. Like when you barreled up the stairs to his attic room during his grieving period for Tadashi's death, forcing him to drink that disgusting nutritious smoothie you'd made. All because you cared for him. Even back when he entered that portal to save Alistair’s daughter, to when he started his first semester in SFIT. You were there through it all.

Maybe that's when it started.

All he knows though, is that he only came to the realisation that he was madly in love with you during his 18th birthday last week.

"Happy birthday Hiro! Finally the big one-eight, huh?" Hiro chuckles with a wince when Fred all but jumps onto his back with a loud cheer. 

He offers his friend a drink. "Thanks."

"Oh, if Tadashi were here, he'd be so proud of you," Honey Lemon gushes, handing him his gift. He takes it, grateful to see all his friends for the party Cass decided to throw. With it being last minute and all he hadn’t expected most of them to show. Now all that’s left is for the last guest to arrive.

"Thanks Honey Lemon. The rest are upstairs right now." He informs them, knowing full well that Gogo was probably already pouring a glass of beer in the kitchen and chatting with Cass.

"Hey Honey Lemon," He gently grabs the girl's arm, stopping her from following an over-excited Fred. "Have you seen her...?" 

"She just messaged me saying that she's on the way, Hiro." She assures him with an all-knowing smile. He huffs a small sigh of relief, glad that you're still coming even after your small fight with him the day before. 

"You should really just confess to her already."

"There's nothing to confess," He laughs nervously, running a hand through his hair. 

"Could've fooled me." He turns to see Gogo, Wasabi, and Fred standing at the doorway to the stairs that lead up to the living area. Gogo takes another large sip of beer from her cup, her deadpan remark from earlier causing a flood of warmth to reach Hiro's ears.

"I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Dude," Wasabi shakes his head, "You've been in love with her ever since you were like, what, 14? Don't deny it. We all see the way you look at her." 

"I look at her like I look at Fred!" He denies vehemently.

"You look at Fred like he's stupid." Honey Lemon pops a lozenge into her mouth.

"Exactly." Hiro smirks, crossing his arms. A knock on the door makes him turn, his lips curling into a wide smile when he sees you standing outside. 

He opens the door, ready to greet you with a hug when he spots the man next to you. His smile immediately fades, confusion replacing his earlier happiness. You turn and say a quick goodbye to him, waving him off before stepping into the cafe and giving Hiro a quick hug. 

The scent of your shampoo overwhelms his senses, but he’s still oddly guarded against this new guy that was watching the entire exchange happen. He doesn’t know what overcomes him, wrapping his arms around you with some sort of possessive squeeze, eyes narrowing into a subtle glare. The guy who accompanied you studies him with a raised brow, letting out a huff before leaving. 

“Hiro?” He finally releases you from his hold after you tap his arms. 

“Hey,” He greets you simply, letting out a breathy chuckle at the sight of your flushed cheeks from the cold night. Your hands are in his, and he hopes that they get warm so you don’t fall sick. Being physically fit and having a strong immune system are not the same thing, and you’re the embodiment of that.

“Happy birthday,” You remove your hands from his, handing him a small packaged gift. He takes it from you, pressing his lips together to keep himself from smiling wider than he already is. He takes a deep breath to calm himself, distracting himself by snatching the beanie off your head.

You narrow your eyes into a playful glare before sighing. “Thanks, here’s my coat and bag too.” You hand him both items, dumping them in his outstretched arms with a smirk.

He watches you walk off to enthusiastically greet everyone. They all welcome you with big hugs and warm smiles, Gogo offering you a sip of her beer. You decline it politely and she shrugs, downing the rest.

He follows everyone upstairs, heading to his bedroom where he sets down your gift on his table with the rest. He arranges the coat to rest on his chair, placing the bag in the seat before he spots something inside. In your hurry to make it on time, you forgot to zip it up properly before handing it to him. 

He gently pulls the white strip of paper, suppressing a laugh when he realises what it is. A strip of photos that you two had taken in a photobooth together is in his hands. He still remembers that day when you dragged him out of the house to “touch some grass” as you’d so eloquently put it. 

You had dragged him to a mall, where you both watched Frozen 2 together. He had to buy the tickets as usual, but he didn’t really mind if that meant you would enjoy the movie. You bought the snacks, munching away on the popcorn even though it was intended to be shared by the both of you. 

He didn’t really mind that either. 

So when you both exited the cinema to see a photobooth, you gasped excitedly and grabbed his wrist, tugging him along. He groaned when you placed a reindeer headband on his head but didn’t take it off. After all, how could he deny your request when your eyes sparkled, filled to the brim with happiness? You then raved about how cheap it was, only paying a total of 7 bucks for 2 photo strips.

He took one, and so did you.

His is on a corkboard above his desk, a thumbtack pinning it above all the rest of the group photos taken together. There was another photo where the both of you had hot chocolate moustaches during Christmas, caught off guard by the sudden flash from Fred’s camera.

Huh. Maybe he is in love with you after all. 

He puts the strip of photos back in your bag, zipping it up tightly so it wouldn’t fall out before heading back down to the kitchen where he spots you sitting down next to the windowsill. He makes his way over, grabbing two cups. One filled with cola, and one filled with cider.

"So, this is new," Hiro hums, handing you the cup filled with cola. You take it from him gratefully, starting to sip away. “Never saw him around before.”

"Yeah," you laugh, sparing him no detail of how you first got together with Max. He had been your lab partner and over time you just got closer until he asked you out last week. You had hesitantly accepted, unsure why an unknown tugging in your chest makes you feel uncomfortable doing so. But you simply brushed it aside, because why not?

"He seems...nice." 

"He is," You reply lightheartedly, a warm smile on your lips  "How about you though?" you nudge his side with a laugh. "When're you gonna find a girlfriend, huh?" 

He chuckles. "What makes you think I don't have one?" 

"Please," You scoff, eyeing him with a sarcastic look. "You'd be bragging non-stop if you did." 

"Yeah, you're right," He admits. "Here, I'll get you a refill." He swipes the now empty cup from your hand, striding off to the kitchen counter. You watch him leave with a soft smile, leaning on your elbow. He greets Gogo and Honey Lemon with a nudge to their sides, the both of them welcoming him into the conversation. He falls into it so easily, talking gaily with a twinkle in his eyes.

You study the way he bends down to listen, and his messy hair falling into his eyes as he laughs. You forget how quickly he'd grown up. His growth spurt had hit him like a truck, and puberty had just made his voice a little deeper though it still had the same mischievous undertones as he did when he was 14. 

You forgot exactly how grown up he'd become. Have you always seen him as his 14 year old self?

"You could always just confess."

The sudden voice startles you out of your thoughts, letting out a yelp at Fred's appearance. Hiro looks up, his attention drawn to you after hearing your surprised yelp. You shake your head to signal that you're fine, his wide eyes softening in response before he resumes his conversation with Gogo.

"That was ages ago," you hissed in embarrassment, turning to face the window. Fred plops into the seat opposite you with a raised brow. "It's not like I still had that fat crush on him when I was a teenager."

“You’re right,” Fred agrees, taking a nonchalant sip from his cup before continuing. “It’s only gotten worse.”

"It has not," you deny hotly, feeling the flush work its way up your neck and into your cheeks, burning at the insinuation. 

"Mmhm," Fred nods slowly. "Sure it hasn't. Don't think I forgot all about your little rants."

Crap. You wish you could delete the memory of your pining for Hiro from his memory. Sure, it'd been a couple times when Fred had been your listening ear. Or Wasabi. Or Honey Lemon. Or Gogo. 

Everyone knows.

The realisation makes you cringe, sliding deeper into your seat and covering your face with your hands. You desperately wish the ground would just swallow you whole.

"With that reaction, I highly doubt it ever faded," Fred chuckles at the dismayed state you're in. 

"Is something wrong?" You tense at the familiar voice, peeking through your fingers to see the bemused smile on Hiro's lips as he stands between you both with two red plastic cups in his hand. 

"Nope, nothing's wrong amigo. Just a little girl talk," Fred winks, patting your shoulder as he stands up to leave. 

Hiro laughs. "Right." He watches Fred walk away before sitting down opposite you. You sit back up straight, hands away from your face and gripping the cup he hands to you a little too forcefully. Hiro's eyes study you, trying to put together the puzzle pieces. You recognise the look in his eyes - it's similar to when he's trying to find the source of a problem in his invention. 

"I'm not a robot. Or Baymax," You remind, taking a sip of cold cola. The cool beverage trickles down your throat as you swallow, and you press the cup against your cheeks, hoping to cool them down faster.

"That's a very smart observation." 

"Shut up," you retort playfully. 

"So, how long have you guys been together?" Hiro asks, the words foreign on his tongue. He never pictured you with anyone else but him before, and seeing Max was a bit of a shock to his pleasant night. It kinda dimmed it a little too. 

"Not really together," you say, "We’re kinda still in the talking stage. He asked me out to the movies." You don't really know what prompted you to deny your relationship, even though technically you guys aren’t really together yet since it’d only been your second date so far with him before Hiro’s birthday party.

"Oh?" Hiro's interest is piqued. He leans forward. "Which movie?" 

"The Nun," You shudder. 

"Seriously?" Hiro dissolves into laughter, shaking his head and wiping the tears from his eyes at your disgruntled state. "But you hate horror movies!"

"Yeah," you sigh, taking another sip. "But he was really apologetic about it and the tickets were already bought, so..." 

"Right. You went with him so you wouldn't waste the money." Hiro guesses, and he must've hit the nail on the head from the way your lips purse when he's right about something. 

"Maybe." 

"Aww, it's okay," he coos playfully, reaching over and ruffling your hair with his hand. You swat it away, trying to fix the hair you'd put so much effort into before coming (though you'll never tell him that). "We'll watch Elemental next weekend so you can cry it out. Again." He offers.

"It's not my fault I cry easily at stuff! Besides, Ember's entire journey struck a chord in my heart, okay?" You defend yourself, crossing your arms.

"Sure. If anything, I'd say you're more of a Wade." 

"You mean gentle, kind, and caring? Thanks," You reply swiftly, batting your eyelashes at him with a smirk. "You're kinda a Clod yourself." 

"Says you, at least he has confidence." Hiro argues back. "And Wade's a crybaby."

"He is not," You gasp, laying your hand over your heart in mock offence. "he's just very in touch with his emotions."

Hiro's deadpan stare makes the corners of your mouth twitch, trying to suppress the smile that threatens to take over. Judging from the twinkle in his eye, he's doing the same. 

"Whatever," You scoff, finally allowing the genuine smile to blossom. God, how you’ve missed this stupid boy. 

Hiro watches you with sincere interest, not allowing his gaze to wander away from you even once as a grin plays on his lips. God, how he’s missed this annoying girl. 

"They're sickening." Gogo whispers, 3 cans of beer already emptied around her as she sips on her fourth. "They both need to woman up already."

"Don't worry," Wasabi chuckles, watching you both continue to talk intently with huge smiles on your faces. "I have a feeling that they just need a little more time."

— — — — — 

The cafe bell chimes, signalling yet another customer’s presence.

Hiro slides his phone back into his pocket. Oh well, guess he'd check his assignments later. Upon looking up however, he's grateful that he didn't opt out of helping Cass with the cafe today.

He clears his throat. "What can I get you today?"

"One iced latte please."

"And would you like that with, or without the server? That's me." He adds hurriedly in a whisper. 

"With, you dumbass." You laugh. He's fully enraptured by the sound, eyes watching the amused smile on your lips, and the way your eyes crease when you laugh.

"I'll be right with you then." He sets off to make the latte hurriedly, already planning on using his break time to spend it with you instead. 

"So, how's the boyfriend?" He asks politely, sliding into the seat opposite yours with your drink. Something sharp twists itself deeper into his chest, making him shift uncomfortably. He forces a courteous smile, trying to act as if it doesn’t bother him even now.

"Oh, him?" You muse, fingernail tapping against the plastic cup. "We broke up."

"Oh?" Whatever sharp object that was twisting deep into his heart starts to ease away bit by bit, allowing him to breathe just a little easier. He forces down the pleased smile that almost starts to form from your reply, letting sympathy take its place. "What happened?" 

"I don't know, I just..." You sigh, eyes trained on the droplets of water that had formed due to condensation on the side of the plastic cup.

It's silent for a while. You distract yourself by stirring the drink so that the milk and espresso blend together, forming a light, milky brown in the cup. You take a small sip, trying to ignore the way his all-knowing stare bores holes into your head as if he’s already read your mind. Knowing him though, he probably didn’t. Probably. You can never tell what invention he might be testing on you.

Hiro merely waits patiently, knowing that all you needed was a little time before you'd cave and tell him everything.

"We just weren't that compatible," You admit.

"Really? I would never have guessed from the way he brought you to watch The Nun for your first date," Hiro says sarcastically, wincing when your glare is now directed at

him. "Sorry." He apologises with his hands raised in surrender.

He places them back down, noticing how your lips part as if you're about to say something, but instead hesitate. "What's wrong?" He asks gently.

"He also said...He knew that he isn't my priority. He said that he knows....someone else is." You say slowly, cheeks awash with a burnt pink as it works its way up your neck and into your cheeks and ears. You can't bring yourself to look at him, the words you just admitted out loud already a confession in itself.

Hold on. 

Hold on.

Hiro's mind is reeling at the words you've just uttered. His eyes are focused on your flushed cheeks (it’s not his fault you look so pretty) as his mind is completely blown to tiny, incomprehensible pieces in his head.

"Uh...I...uh...well…" 

"This was a mistake," You mumble, taking the cup and standing up, ready to leave. You're slightly amused at the sounds coming out of Hiro's mouth, but maybe now's not the time. Especially after a (somewhat) fresh breakup. "Thanks for the coffee," You start to make your way to the exit, a hand on the glass door before it's covered by another larger one. 

"Wait."

You turn, your breath hitching when you're met with a rather broad chest covered in a thin red shirt underneath the denim apron Cass always makes all her staff wear. Your eyes slowly trail up his flushed neck to see Hiro staring down at you with wide eyes, stuttered breaths barely leaving his lips.

He didn't know what to say. God, he has no idea what to say. Why is he saying nothing? Stupid, useless brain.

But even though he couldn't form a comprehensive sentence of simple words strung together, even though for once in his life, he knows what he wants, all he knows is that he can't let you leave the cafe. Not now.

His body moves faster than his brain, jolting out of his seat and racing toward you. His hand reaches out, gently covering yours before you can push past the glass door of the cafe. 

"Wait." He can barely comprehend himself speaking, his mind blank once your eyes meet his. His lips part and close, still trying to muster up the courage. To do what, exactly? He doesn't know.

He's an engineer, a programmer, and a superhero. He can do anything! He saved the city of San Fransokyo once or twice already, so why is this so hard?

Why is it so difficult to just ask?

He sees the hope in your eyes diminish, and that's when he knows he's hesitated for too long. You look back down, tucking your hair behind your ear. "I'll see you soon, Hiro." You say quietly, turning back around. 

"This Sunday." The words fall past his lips before he realises what he's saying.

"What?" He's got your attention. It's now or never.

"This Sunday," He repeats, a little more confidently this time. "Elementals. And dinner." 

"...In the cafe?" A slight gleam of amusement is back in your eyes, a small smile playing on your lips.

"No," He shakes his head with a breathy laugh, "Outside. At a restaurant. You and me."

"Like a date?" 

He lifts his head, grinning widely at the genuine smile you finally allow onto your face. 

"Like a date."

[imagines--galore]

||Light 'em Up|| Prologue

Summary: She saved Hiro from bullies and then punched Tadashi when she thought he was one too. She calls herself Hiro's caretaker, and became Tadashi's best friend. Now she attends the same Institute as Tadashi as a robotics student. She's Sakura dubbed Cherry Blossom by Fred. She's Hiro's partner in crime, when it comes to annoying his brother and Tadashi's best friend. Pairing: Tadashi Hamada x Sakura Kamiya(OC) Rating || Genres || Warnings: T. Romance. Angst. Hurt/Comfort. Adventure A/N: I've written this for the longest time and figured it was time to start uploading this here! So enjoy!

"So was that everyone on your little Nerd Team?"

Hiro asked cheekily as he stood beside his brother, helmet in hand. They had just stepped out of the Institute, after meeting everyone, and were about to head home. His older brother grinned and nodded, putting his own helmet on.

"Yup!" He started the Moped as he counted his friends on his fingers one by one.

"Gogo. Fred. Honey. Wasabi. And..." His eyes widened with disbelief with a hint of fear, as he paled and breathed out.

"Oh crap!"

Hiro's smile widened all the more when his brother was almost immediately cut off by a loud shout from the top of the stairs.

"Tadashi Hamada!"

Both brothers turned to look at the stairs where a figure was walking towards them, their steps quick and determined. Tadashi seemed to shrink where he sat on his mopped, while his younger brother, with his helmet still on, waved excitedly.

"Hiya Sakura!"

Immediately a bright smile was directed towards him.

"Hello Hiro!"

The younger boy was then swept into a giant bear hug by the girl. She lifted him off his feet, the both of them laughing before she deposited him back on the ground looking at him, her eyes shining.

"Oh its so good to see you! Its been almost three days since I last saw you. I was worried when I got Tadashi's text about the Bot Fight. Why did you even go there anyway? No wait! What were you thinking?! For being a smart kid that was pretty dangerous and stupid Hiro."

As she spoke she started to turn his head around, eyeing him from head to toe.

"You're not hurt are you? If it were up to me I would glue that helmet to your head."

She laughed rapping her knuckles smartly against the object. Worry and concern was written all over the older girl's face as she inspected him for any kind of bruises or even a scratch.

"Seriously are you okay though?"

Her voice was soft, violet eyes laced with concern as she looked at Hiro in the eye.

"I'm okay, Sakura!"

Hiro said pushing her hands away gently, with a grin. He knew how the older girl could get with him. She was always checking up on him and making sure he was eating properly and sleeping well. Whenever he was about to try out one of his new inventions she would make sure to be just around the table, that was put up to protect them if need be, with a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher. He didn't mind though. He loved the attention and Sakura loved to take care of him. Smiling lightly Sakura stood up straight, ruffling his hair, making it messier than ever.

"I know you're okay, Squirt!"

Hiro protested laughingly batting away her hands.

"H-hey Sa-kura."

A small voice called out. The girl turned, her long pony tail swishing around her head with the movement, to look at the older Hamada brother, her face completely devoid of any emotion. Beside her the younger Hamada brother grinned slyly as he stood behind the black haired girl, partly hidden. His eyes relayed a single message to the victim.

"You are so dead, bro!"

[wenwensart]

Fun little exercise

Redesigning strawberry shortcake characters

(Huckleberry pie, orange blossom, plum pudding, strawberry shortcake, raspberry tart, t’ n honey)

(Blueberry muffin, lemon meringue)

[n-hospital]

1 like and i drown him in this delicious tea

[kingkuru]

No pants in Coach Breaker's class!

Commission from Alt_Cor!

[taichi-x-koushiro]

{D I G I M O N} Adventure (Series)/tri. ~ Inspired + K O U S H I R O Izumi x T A I C H I Yagami {KouTai} / {TaiKou} / {Taishiro[u]}

"Do you ever want to see {each other} on your day{s} off?" {For any reason?}

"Do you ever want to hear {their voice} {think about them} before you go to bed?"

"Have you ever thought that you don't want 'something' to keep them away from you?" {Do you expect them to come back?}

"...It's ENOUGH."

-H o n e y L e m o n S o d a (Series) {Original Dialogue by Mayu Murata} Modified slightly by me; x Adventure (Series)

Gifs by @izzyizumi / koushirouizumi {Do Not Re-post} {Do Not Copy} {Do Not Remove Caption} {Do Not Re-produce My Work Under Any Circumstances Without My Permission Whatsoever!}

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[frie-ice]

This crossover collage is a Christmas gift to twisting-echo, as I love her work, and I'm also thankful for the likes from twisting-echo. I hope you like it, Twisting-Echo. I know it is two days late, but I you had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year with your friends and family.

A side note for everyone else, I had meant to make this collage before Christmas and post it up on the day, but I ran out of time. I would have liked to have made other Christmas gifts for the other DeviantART users I'm fund of, but before today I hadn't been on my computer since the 10th of November. Real life out in the way with helping my family and then getting ill the week before Christmas. Those who would have also liked to have gotten a Christmas gift collage or meme might have to wait for next year; as long as history doesn't repeat itself like it did this year. My tablet is more of an "staying up to date online" tool than a collage making one.

[dewitty1]

Lemon Colour, Honey Glow

trishjames @thusspoketrish

Chapters: 7/7 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter Characters: Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Zacharias Smith, Original Characters Additional Tags: Post-War, Some Content Left Untagged Because of Spoilers!, pub nights, Beer Gardens, Nightclub, Cigarettes, Spliffs, alcohol consumption, Very Brief Discussion on Alcoholism, Strong Friendships, The Silver Trio - Freeform, Humor, Paris - Freeform, Diagon Alley, Falling In Love, Fluff, Romance, Lovesickness, Enemies to Lovers, Pining, Desire, Cuddling, Notting Hill, Portobello Road Market, Magically Powerful Harry Potter, Secrets, Secret Relationship, Possessive Harry Potter, Harry Reads Pablo Neruda, Love Poems, Original Character - Freeform, POV Draco Malfoy, Unreliable Narrator, Sad Draco Malfoy, Mental Health Issues, Anxiety Disorder, Intrusive Thoughts, Insecurity, Vulnerability, Forgiveness, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, flangst, Bullying, Fist Fights, Canon-Typical Violence, Violence, Blood, None of the violence/bullying is between H/D, Miscommunication, Trust Issues, Dramatic Romance, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, First Time, Very Enthusiastic Consensual Sex, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary:

Over a series of unfortunate pub nights at the Leaky Cauldron, Draco Malfoy falls in love. A story about finding strength and forgiveness in unlikely places.

Excerpt:

It’s been so hard trying to control his constant worrying and unrelenting intrusive thoughts since moving back to Britain. All the rage and humiliation he has to face keeps his anxiety feeling like the weight of an extra body attached to his back at all times, it’s why Draco would rather stroll a Muggle market than visit Diagon Alley alone. But Draco wants this. He wants Potter, as crazy and as exhilarating as it sounds. Maybe having Potter in secret would ease some of the pressure that would come with dating him. Draco could work on his fears in private instead of out in the open, where the public will try to shame him and break them apart before they’ve even begun to explore what this could be between them.

“Draco?” Potter’s voice is soft, gently drawing Draco’s attention from the terrible tumble of thoughts in his head. “Are you okay?”

“Okay,” Draco says, looking back up at Potter.

Potter grins. “Yeah?”

“Yes. I’ll date you,” Draco says, the words sounding strange to his ears, but a good strange, he thinks.

“Brilliant!” Potter says, his eyes dancing. “Just a moment, my vision-corrector charm is fading.” He lets go of Draco’s hand and heads down the hallway.

Draco sits back on the sofa, crossing his legs and looking around for his flat white. It dawns on him that he left it in the middle of the road when he helped Potter up. Well, this has been an interesting morning. Lost a coffee, gained a boyfriend.

Potter. His boyfriend.

The flutters go rampant. Draco touches his stomach, for once a smile creeps across his face at the sensation.

Potter comes back into the room, a forest green jumper with a gold H on the front and his round glasses on. When Potter sits back down, Draco turns his body to face him.

“May I kiss you, Potter?” Draco asks, feeling bold.

Potter sits up straighter. “Yeah! Yes, of course,” he says eagerly, scooting closer to Draco on the sofa. “If you call me Harry,” he adds.

Draco smirks, and reaches out to gently trace the edge of the longest bit of Potter’s—Harry’s—lightning scar across his cheek, his index finger dragging across his light stubble before he slides it over his bottom lip. “Okay, Harry,” Draco whispers. Harry’s breath hitches, his eyes darkening. And that’s it for Draco, that’s all the convincing he needs to know that Harry will never be Potter to him again.

Draco leans in at the same time as Harry, who moves too quickly, his glasses bumping against Draco’s nose.

“Ow,” Harry says, reeling back and adjusting his glasses.

“Sorry!” Draco says, his hands coming up.

Harry laughs. “It was my fault. The perils of being legally blind. Let’s try this again, yeah?”

“Okay,” Draco says, nodding and moving close. Harry’s warm palm cups Draco’s chin, tilting his head slightly before leaning in, much slower this time, and presses his lips against Draco’s.

Draco’s eyes fall shut, a painfully sweet eruption of flutters dancing in his belly as Harry reaches out to curl his fingers around Draco’s hand as they kiss. When they pull away for air, Harry’s breath is warm and sweet against Draco’s face, and Draco leans in again, feeling bolder as he opens his mouth under Harry’s and slides the tip of his tongue across Harry’s bottom lip, asking for permission. Harry responds, his mouth sliding open and his tongue curiously licking into Draco’s mouth, his lips twitching up into a smile as their tongues caress.

Draco has never tasted anything so sweet.

꒰˘̩̩̩⌣˘̩̩̩๑꒱♡

[askwhatsforlunch]

Ginger Shandy

If you fancy something as soothing but a tad more refreshing than my Calm Herbal Tea, then try this cooling Ginger Shandy! It it a non-too-alcoholic tipple with a little spice! Cheers!

Ingredients (serves 1):

3 ice cubes

45 millilitres/1 1/2 ounce (3 tablespoons) good Whisky (like The Glen Grant’s Arboralis)

15 millilitres/1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) Honey Syrup

1/2 ripe, juicy lemon

250 millilitres/1 cup ginger-flavoured craft beer (like the excellent Hatherwood’s The Ginger Grizzly N°6), well-chilled*

Place ice cubes in serving glass. Add Whisky and Honey Syrup. Give a gentle stir to combine.

Cut 3 thin slices in the lemon halve and add them to the glass. Top with chilled ginger-flavoured craft beer.

*If you can’t find a ginger-flavoured beer, muddle a piece of fresh ginger (about half a thumb) in a cocktail shaker and strain into a the glass with the Whisky and Honey Syrup. It is better, I find, than using ginger beer as it won’t water down your drink.

Enjoy your Ginger Shandy immediately.

[crackedpumpkin]

|| ʙᴀᴅ ɴᴇᴡꜱ || ᴘᴀʀᴛ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ ||

[ 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 ] | [ 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 ] | [ 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ]

a/n: @uwukiity :))) i did it. also i changed the gif guys ! isnt it cute ??? hope u all enjoy this lolololol

“Awww, is our little barista feeling all better now?”

“Shut up before you have to make your own coffee, Hamada,” You snort, handing him his usual order. Hiro inhales deeply, taking a small sip of the piping hot latte you’d just made at his request.

His nose wrinkles, looking up as he swirls the liquid in his mouth. His lips purse, trying to place the flavour. “Is that cinnamon?”

“Yeap,” You answer, popping the ‘p’ as you clean the milk frother. “Is it good?”

“It’s enh,” He shrugs, propping his elbows up on the counter as he leans against it and watches you clean.

“And?” You prompt, awaiting a more elaborately put review.

“It’s decent.”

You plop the cloth down, stopping to stand right in front of him across the counter. “And?” 

“And what?”

It’s clear that he’s just messing with you now, judging from the little quirk in the corner of his lips as he suppresses his smirk. Taking a deep breath to calm yourself, you reevaluate your options. You’d have asked Tadashi to taste-test your coffees and experiments, but he’s constantly at SFIT. Cass was more than ready to try them, but she was already constantly busy running the cafe that you didn’t want to pile on more to her plate.

As such, that only left you with Hiro. 

“Is it too sweet? Too sour? Does it mask any bitterness or draw it out?”

He takes another long, drawn-out sip, smacking his lips together obnoxiously. “Kinda sweet, but I guess it’s okay. It could do with some more cinnamon to help bring out the fruitiness of the beans more.”

You grin, leaning back. “Thank you, my beloved guinea pig.”

“Anytime, psycho.” He says simply before continuing to sip away at his first coffee of the day. He’d been coming down more often lately, but it was usually in the afternoons. So, mornings like these were rare. 

“What’s got you up so early, anyway?” You ask, taking out the dishes and placing them where you’d be able to grab them conveniently when a customer ordered any of the pastries in the display case. 

He shrugs. “Wanted to get an early start to the day.” 

“Cool,” You toss a damp cloth at him, watching him scramble to catch it without letting it fall into his cup, “help me wipe down the tables.”

“You know, I’m technically your boss too.” He informs you but still does it anyway.

“Tell me that when you give me my paycheck,” You snort, opening the fridge to check on the cans of whipped cream and mentally counting them for the stock take. Once you've confirmed that all your things are there, you begin to make yourself a coffee. 

“Just you wait,” He comes back to the counter with his cloth and the spray bottle filled with cleaning liquid, placing them both away. “I’ll tattle to Cass.”

“Snitch. You can try, though I doubt she’ll do anything about it. She loves me too much,” You reply over the hiss of the milk frother. Kneeling down to grab a canister of whipped cream from the fridge, you shake it and start placing some on top of your hot coffee. You can feel his eyes on you, looking back up with a raised brow. 

“What?”

“Are you seriously putting whipped cream on your cappuccino?” He says in disbelief.

“Yeah,” You hum, taking a swing and letting a contented sigh slip past your lips.

“But it’s already like, 70 percent milk.”

“And gummy bears are like, 100% pure sugar. So, you’re just eating spoonfuls of sugar. What’s your point?” He’s stumped for an answer, knitted brows and pursed lips trying to find a retort. 

“I don’t like you,” He sighs in defeat, frowning as he takes a final sip from his cup and hands it to you expectantly. “More.”

You don’t take it, crossing your arms with raised brows as you wait patiently. He rolls his eyes. “Please?”

Grinning, you grab his cup and pour freshly brewed black coffee inside it. Five sugars and one creamer, that’s how he likes it. “You should really consider why you don’t have a social life.” 

“I have friends,” He says defensively, “And says you.”

“Where?” You ignore the second part of his sentence, placing his cup back down on the counter.

“...I dunno- look, I haven’t spoken to them in a while.” He says tightly, his lips pressed together in a thin line as he stares at his coffee. 

“Mine are pretty chill,” You hum, making the decision to change the topic. “I think you’d like Noah, though.” The thought of the two together makes you chuckle. Noah, whose carefree and easygoing nature with Hiro who’s incredibly reckless and irresponsible. 

“Who’s that?” Hiro asks curiously, intrigued by the mention of a new name. 

“He’s the other barista I worked with at my old job. He’s great and helped me a lot when I first came here,” You say with a fond smile, the both of you moving to sit down at an empty table. 

“Oh?” 

“Shut it, he’s like 19 with a girlfriend. I’m still surprised he even managed to ask her out.” You snort, sitting down opposite him and holding the coffee, letting the heat spread through the ceramic and warm your hands.

“I could have a girlfriend,” Hiro muses, looking offended at the way you choke visibly on your drink.

“You?” You splutter incredulously, coughing violently as the coffee makes its way down the wrong pipe and burning your insides in the process. You glance up through teary eyes, seeing him smile at your current state as he enjoys watching you suffer. Once the violent coughs end, you clear your throat, pretending that nothing happened.

“Aren’t you gonna get back to your work?” You question, glancing at the clock and realising it’s almost time to open the cafe. “Shoo,” You add, dismissing him with a quick wave. He shrugs, hopping off the seat and heading to the basin. You follow suit, wanting to quickly wash your cups so that you can give the table a quick wipe and unlock the door. 

You stare at his outstretched hand, looking back up at him curiously. He rolls his eyes, already having pushed up the sleeves of his hoodie to wash his cup. “Your mug, silly.”

You hand it to him with a bright grin, calling out a quick thanks as you leave to do your tasks. The sign on the door is the only thing left, and you take a moment to breathe, staring at the word ‘Open’ before you turn it so it faces the front. 

“What are we waiting for?” You flinch, surprised by Hiro’s sudden appearance. His sleeves are back down to his wrists, his hands shoved into his pockets as he waits for a response. 

“Nothing.” You clear your throat, quickly flipping the sign over and unlocking the door. You turn back around, about to ask him another question when you spot the back of his blue hoodie heading back up the stairs. Oh well. Looks like whatever put him in such a good mood this morning finally wore off.

The phone rings in the middle of your shift, vibrating strongly in the pocket of your apron as you hold the milk frother in place, narrowly avoiding a cloud of hot steam as you adjust your stance. You place it on the counter, checking the notifications to see a message from your brother.

Hiro catches you giggling when he rounds the corner of the counter, placing an empty cup in front of you. You put your phone away hastily, grabbing his cup and pouring some black coffee from the jug Cass kept aside for Hiro. He eyes the phone in your apron pocket suspiciously, taking the cup back from you and taking a sip. “What’s so funny?”

“Huh?” You’re momentarily confused, but you realise what he’s referring to upon following his gaze to your apron pocket. “It’s nothing, just a stupid picture Luke sent me.” The reminder makes you chuckle again, a bright grin on your lips.

“Hm.” He doesn’t say anything, taking another long sip and smacking his lips together, proceeding to chug the rest down. “What’d he send you?” He asks casually, eyeing the coffee stains on the inner rim of his mug. 

“I told you, a stupid picture.” You roll your eyes in amusement, leaning on the counter as you watch Hiro clear his throat, spotting the tips of his ears slowly flushing a soft pink. What a nerd.

“I wanna see it.” He waits expectantly, and you oblige his request, regardless of how sudden it is. You open your conversation with him, clicking on the picture and turning the phone around so he can see it. He leans in, not noticing that his hoodie strings are nearly in his own empty mug. You react, grabbing the string and moving it aside. 

Hiro blinks. “What is this?” 

“Told you it’s stupid.” You laugh at the picture of a forklift holding a tiny plastic fork, turning off your phone again after indulging his curiosity. 

“Who’s Luke, anyway? Your boyfriend? Can’t be. You’re too old.” He snorts in amusement, smiling smugly when your smile drops, eyes narrowing into a glare. 

“We’re the same age.”

He shrugs. “Yeah, but you’re an old soul at heart, so, doesn’t count.” You roll your eyes. You’re not getting anywhere with this idiot. “Another coffee?”

“You have a serious problem,” You mutter, filling his cup with pure milk. “Here, for the growing boy.” 

“I will have you know I’m almost 5 '5,” He says defensively. “It’s just taking a little time to set in.” You knew better. Tadashi had revealed in casual conversation that Hiro’s only 5’0. Oh well, it’s too early to crush the boy’s dreams.

“Yeah, maybe when you’re 25.” Your muffled chuckles attract the attention of Cass, who looks over with a curious smile from the cafe table a short distance away. Hiro scoffs, taking his cup and chugging down all of it defiantly, slamming it back down. 

“Wash it and bring it back to me afterwards.” He amends his sentence when you raise a disbelieving brow, using a fingertip to push it aside. “I mean, please wash it and put it aside, I’ll come back later to collect it.”

“That’s more like it.” You wink, taking the cup and setting it down in the basin to wash with the rest of the other dishes. 

“Still technically your boss!” He calls out as he leaves. You ignore it, starting on the rest of the dishes. 

You continue stacking the plates, putting them away in their respective places when you hear something being set on the countertop. 

“Hey sweetie, are you feeling better?” 

You smile at Cass, standing back up. “I’m fine, don’t worry. It’s gonna take more than that to knock me off my feet.” To prove your point, you flex your arm cheekily. “Built like an al-dente noodle, as my mom once said.”

A delightful laugh bubbles from her lips, your (actual) boss thoroughly amused. “If you say so. Just in case though, maybe you should rest up tomorrow.” 

“I’ll be fine!” Cass tuts, effectively cutting you off with a purse of her lips. “Boooo,” You complain jokingly. “But isn’t there anything else I can do?” 

She pauses, a hand on her chin as she thinks of a task to assign you. She smiles slowly, a slight chill running down your back. You didn’t like that smile. Not one bit. “On second thought, maybe I will take that day off…”

Cass hums mischievously. “Actually, the cafe isn’t that busy today, so I can handle it. Instead, I need you to drag Hiro out for some exercise. He’s been cooped up in his room or the garage. It’s like he doesn’t even know what sunlight is!”

A chime sounds through the cafe, drawing your attention to another customer who’s just left. It’s currently the late afternoon, and there were just a few customers in their respective seats. All the dishes are washed and kept, and Hiro’s mug sits cosily in the corner beside the cash register. 

If there’s anything you’ve learnt from working in cafes, it’s that times like these signal maximum boredom. You look at Cass who’s waiting patiently for an answer, grinning slyly. “All I have to do is get him out to exercise, right?”

She nods. 

That’s all you have to do, but she didn’t say how. 

“I’m in.”

— — — — — 

“C’mon Einstein, let’s go touch some grass!” You exclaim, happily slamming open the door to Hiro and Tadashi’s shared bedroom. The curtains are drawn shut on Hiro’s side of the room, a small desk lamp lighting the piles of discarded blueprints on the floor. The boy himself is sitting cross-legged on his chair, a single headlamp on his forehead as he frowns at the notepad he’s sketching on. 

“That’s you, Hiro,” Tadashi calls out as he puts on his cap.

“Where’re you heading off to?” You ask, noting how his side of the room drastically contrasted with Hiro’s. Sunlight spills past the window, dimming whatever items it can reach with a soft glow. The bed is neatly made, not a single speck of dust on any piece of furniture.

“I gotta go back to the lab.” He answers cheerfully, ruffling your hair with a grin. “Have fun, kids!” He calls out behind him as he leaves. Hiro stirs at the sound of his brother’s voice, turning around. His gaze lands on you, and he arches an unimpressed brow. 

“Is Einstein the worst you could come up with?” 

“What dentist died and made you their heir?” You counter. He pauses for a beat, mulling over your words. He gives you an acknowledging nod, swivelling his seat back around to focus on his work. You take a tentative step forward, avoiding the scattered cans of Red Bull and stray packets of gummy bears that litter the floor. 

“Forget about Einstein, I think he lived somewhere better than this pigsty,” You mutter under your breath, freezing when Hiro clears his throat. 

“I heard that.” 

“No, you didn’t.”

He shrugs, turning his attention back to his notepad. Upon closer inspection, you notice the corkboard perched against the wall, various tools spread across it. A stack of rewired motherboards and circuits remains unfinished beside it. Below his desk is a mini fridge that once you open, reveals a tooth-rotting amount of gummy bears, along with chewing gum and more energy drinks. 

He has everything he needs to stay alive and functioning in his room. With a side of a potential heart attack, of course. This realisation makes you scan his desk, hopefully looking for a way to drag him outside. Something catches your eye and you lean closer, staring at a bot with a yellow smiley face. 

You lift it up, inspecting every inch of it with intrigue. “Tell me this is your first-grade project without telling me this is your first-grade project.”

“Believe it or not, my project was a volcano.” He says, briefly glancing at the bot in your hands before continuing to write out formulas anywhere with empty space on his paper. “A solar-powered volcano. Had miniature animals and everything.”

“Huh. Did you get first place?” You ask, feigning disinterest, though you were very much invested in this never-before-heard childhood backstory of his.

“Yeah.” Somehow, the memory is enough to break him out of his trance. He grins. “The volcano worked a little too well. I still remember the looks on everyone’s faces when it caught on fire.”

“Y’know what, that actually increased my respect for you by a margin.” You say, unable to hide your impressed smile. “Then when did you make this one?”

He chuckles, finally setting down his notepad and taking it from your hands with a fond smile. “Like, two years ago? Megabot won me loads of bot fights.” You hum in thought, a seed of an idea growing in your mind and further watered by mischievousness.

“Guess I should take him for a spin then.”

“Wha-?”

Hiro doesn’t get a moment to react when you snatch the bot out of his hands and run out the door with a maniacal laugh. You can hear him chasing after you, footsteps thudding down the stairs. You put on your shoes with record speed, racing out the door. 

“What’re you-” 

“Gotcha.” You grin widely, taking a step forward to hand Megabot back to a panting Hiro. He takes it from you with flushed cheeks, trying to catch his breath after being forced to do unexpected exercise. “We’re going for a walk.”

“I can’t, I gotta get back to-”

You grab the hood of his hoodie, effectively stopping him from heading back inside his house. “And how long have you been stuck?” You ask, prompting an annoyed huff from him. He crosses his arms sulkily, Megabot dangling from his grip.

“If I’m doing this, I want ice cream.”

— — — — —

People tend to think that taking a walk is simple enough. After all, it’s just moving your legs one step at a time. The cool breeze, the warm sunlight, and even the bustle of the city are more than enough to stimulate their senses. Everyone’s happy and cheerful, socialising and being comfortable with themselves.

Clearly, these people have never had the pleasure of dragging Hiro Hamada outside.

“My ice cream is mine.” Hiro scoffs, swatting away your outstretched hand. You frown, drawing it back. “You wouldn’t have to deal with this if you just let me do my work, y’know.”

“I do know, thank you very much,” You sigh, scowling when he suddenly turns to look back and you withdraw your hand once more at the missed opportunity to get some of his ice cream. “I’m already regretting it.”

“Hey, you’re the one that decided to go all saviour on me.” He shrugs, using his spoon to scoop a large amount of ice cream from his cup, pointing it at you accusingly. “Can’t blame me for wanting a treat.”

“Wow. You’re really gonna use my hard-earned money on yourself.” You drawl monotonously.

He pauses with the spoon in his mouth, pondering in deep thought. “Yes.”

“You suck.”

He merely smiles, raising a brow at your finished gelato. “I thought you were lactose intolerant.”

“I eat what I want,” You reply defensively, watching him scoff down the rest of his ice cream in one go. He winces soon after, holding the sides of his head with eyes squeezed shut. “Brain freeze?”

He confirms it with a nod, and you wait patiently for it to be over. Once it is, he stands back up to throw away his cup and yours, waiting for you at the exit. The door jingles shut behind you, the bustling city greeting your ears once more.

You’re tugged to the side from a sudden grip on your arm, looking up with a scowl before realising that Hiro just saved you from being knocked flat on the sidewalk by a skateboarder. “Thanks,” You say gratefully, jogging to catch up with him. He simply shrugs, dismissing his good deed as nothing more than a passing action.

You force him to follow you to the park, taking a stroll around and waving to the little animals that either bark, meow, or caw back at you. Luckily, he hadn’t complained as much after the gelato. Otherwise, you’d be at each other’s necks by now.

“So, how’s your project coming along?”

It seems to be one of the few consistent questions you ask him these days, and for good reason too. Having the pressure of an older brother and his friends all in the same nerd school isn’t something most can shoulder on their own. You eye the way his shoulders sag when he exhales, sudden tiredness in his eyes. Yet, there’s a spark of determination, and stubbornness that refuses to let anything get in the way of his goal.

“It’s going good,” He hums, pulling out his phone and showing you a picture of various mathematical equations and nonsensical handwriting on what appears to be his tablet hooked up to his monitor. “Pretty sick, right? I’ve got all the backend stuff down, and I just need to keep testing and prototyping now for the neurotransmitter.”

“Right,” You say encouragingly, though the hesitance in your voice gives away how clueless you are about all this. Sure, you’ve done your fair share of research on your own, but it’s only surface-level. Who knows what’s going on in that head of his. 

He raises a brow, pocketing his phone. “What about you?”

“I’m working on this article about this new policy my school got put in place,” you grimace, “it’s mainly about how the administrators want the campus to be more ‘green’ and environmentally friendly.” 

“Huh.” He brushes off a leaf that lands on his shoulder, watching it slowly fall to the ground. “You don’t seem too excited about that.” He remarks offhandedly, observing your every movement.

“That’s because the actions they’re taking are ridiculous.” You explain with a roll of your eyes. “They’ve implemented bathroom break limitations, printers aren’t allowed to be used unless a teacher gives explicit consent…Sometimes a girl’s just gotta pee, y’know?”

“Well, what do the other students have to say about it?” 

You huff out a frustrated sigh. “No one’s happy about it, obviously.”

“Then use that,” He states simply, “you’re a journalist, aren’t you? The voices of the people have to be heard. Get their opinions on the changes, and with a voice that loud? The faculty won’t be able to just brush it aside.”

Your steps slow to a halt, pursing your lips in thought as you consider the idea he’s just presented to you as simply as saying the sky is blue. He’s right, of course, but why didn’t you think of that before? 

The student council will never let it pass. But it couldn’t hurt to try….right?

The phone in your pocket vibrates with a new notification. You groan, reading the text that Leo, your fellow aspiring journalist in the same club just sent you. Hiro looks at you curiously, having heard your sigh as you hang your head. “Speak of the devil. I gotta go.” 

“Gone so soon?”

“Don’t tell me you’ll miss me, Hamada,” You joke, grinning at the way he sticks out his tongue in playful disgust. “That article I told you about? The deadline just moved up to tomorrow.”

He snorts, chuckling in pure amusement as you begin to walk faster. “Good luck!” He calls out to your retreating back. 

You wave a dismissive hand without looking back.

— — — — —

@urfavarab @dee-zbignuts @frogindisguise @mangodamochiii @stars4won @whoisgami @nayleannn @millerworld @bodieohbo @1intrusivethoughts1 @randobeetlehouse @riritvt @louvredea

[imagines--galore]

||Light 'em Up|| Chapter Three

Summary: She saved Hiro from bullies and then punched Tadashi when she thought he was one too. She calls herself Hiro’s caretaker, and became Tadashi’s best friend. Now she attends the same Institute as Tadashi as a robotics student. She’s Sakura dubbed Cherry Blossom by Fred. She’s Hiro’s partner in crime, when it comes to annoying his brother and Tadashi’s best friend. Pairing: Tadashi Hamada x Sakura Kamiya(OC) Rating || Genres || Warnings: T. Romance. Angst. Hurt/Comfort. Adventure Previously -  Prologue, Chapter One, Chapter Two

He should've known this day was too good to be true.

James Brown had woken up that morning knowing it was going to be a good day. The sun was shining and the air didn't have the cutting edge that the October wind usually had. His favorite person in the whole world was cuddled like the little angel she was on the pull out bed in the Living Room and there was left-over pizza for breakfast too. His day at work had gone great as well. After sending his little angel to school he had walked to his workplace where his morning class was standing, the whole studio decorated with streamers and balloons, celebrating the small victory he had gotten a few days ago in a dance competition.

Then in the afternoon, around three, when his first class had left and his next one arrived, he had received five more applications from enthusiastic parents, who were keen on letting their children learn how to dance.

Then his Real Estate Agent arrived telling him that she had been able to get the vacant studio he had his eye on and he had almost had to refrain himself from jumping right then and there. Although that caution was tossed out of the window as soon as his little angel, who took his evening classes, came over and asked what was happening. He had tossed her in the air, shouting the good news at the top of his voice. His little angel had laughed with him, hugging him back, just as happy as he was at the news. She knew how long her Godfather had wanted that Studio and now he was getting it. He was so happy that he had taught his students a few of the complicated Break Dance Moves that he only taught to the more Advanced students.

Elated and with a smile still on his face he had said goodbye to all his pupils, including his little angel who had said she was going to go get something as a surprise for him. He had been locking up his Studio when a letter arrived for him. As soon as he heard the phrase

"There is a letter for you."

He had stopped short with what he had been doing. He never got any letters. No one sent letters anymore. They preferred using their cell-phones or e-mails. Never letters. Thanking the elderly postman, he stood near his desk, his blonde hair falling over his grey eyes, fingers gripping the letter which had the return address of the one place he knew very well. Turning over the envelope, the twenty-four year old had taken a deep breath before opening it and unfolding the piece of paper inside.

His eyes scanned over the first line of the letter and instantly he felt his world come crashing down around him.

He had stood there motionless for a second before he slid down on the ground, his legs trembling, his hand gripping the letter tightly to him as his eyes filled with tears. Wiping at them angrily he held the letter up, reading the line again, a painful clench surrounding his heart. With every word he read it felt as if a hand was clamping around his heart.

Making it harder for him to breath.

Tears were slipping down his cheeks as he finished the letter. Memories swam in front of his eyes, as he tried to regain his composure. Voices and laughter rang in his ears as his mind thought of the more happier times. The air around him felt heavy and suddenly he felt like the spacious studio was closing in on him.

Scrambling to his feet and grabbing his jacket the man had rushed out of the Studio, not even stopping to say goodbye to the night guard. He ran and ran until he stood in front of the one place that had once brought him happiness. The same Studio he had just had the luck to get. It was situated in a more busy part of the city. The people around him rushed to their tasks, not even sparing a second glance at the young man standing in front of the abandoned Studio. James had looked at the building for almost an hour before he had been snapped out of his own misery by the thought of someone. His little angel! Images of a sweet little black haired eleven year old, with the eyes of an angel, began to play through his mind. He almost collapsed right then and there from the grief that coursed throughout his body.

How could he forget her?!

How was he ever going to break the news to her? She didn't deserve this.

She was just a child!

No child deserved this.

The thoughts still plaguing his mind he started walking past the building, aimlessly, until he halted in front of a rather busy building. Looking up he glanced at the logo. Lucky Cat Cafe. Maybe a cup of coffee, really strong coffee, would help him. He had to pull himself together. Not only for his own sane state of mind but for his little angel as well. He would've turned to something more...stronger but he was never going down that road again. He had almost lost his life because of it but then someone had made him realize that he was stronger, more braver and he had quit. And anyway this time, the thought of his little angel helped him a lot.

Now he sat in the little booth in the farthest corner of the cafe, nursing a now cold cup of coffee as he stared off listlessly into space. After a few sips in the beginning he had abandoned his coffee, when it had done nothing for him, beside make his brain go into overdrive, thinking over every last little thing, picturing all kinds of worst case scenarios. He dropped his head in his hands, his fingers gripping his hair as he pursed his lower lip to stop himself from crying out in frustration.

What if he failed?

What if he lost her?

He would never be able to live with himself if that ever happened.

He would rath-

"Are you alright?"

The voice seemed to make everything stop for him.

His thoughts stopped.

His breathing stopped.

Even the world stopped.

And later he would wander if his heart hadn't stopped as well and then started again.

He looked up to see a pair of soft brown eyes looking at him with concern. He opened his mouth to say he was alright. He opened his mouth to lie and say that everything was fine when it was not. He opened his mouth to tell the kind woman to go.

Instead he heard himself saying.

"How do you tell an eleven year old girl that her parents are dead?"

The woman stared at him, with an incredulous and surprised expression on her face, while he quickly averted his grey eyes from hers, suddenly finding it too hard to look at them. He cleared his throat, quickly standing up and reaching inside his jacket pocket to take out the money he owed for the coffee put it on the table and go. But he suddenly stopped when the same voice came again.

"Gently!"

His eyes snapped up to look at the woman. She was smiling sadly at him, but it was the look in her eyes that stopped him. It was the same look he had seen in his eyes when he stood in front of the window of the Studio. This woman had suffered just as he had. Maybe she was in the same situation as him. Maybe she was going through the situation at the moment. His racing thoughts were suddenly cut off when he seemed to catch onto the fact that the woman had said something.

"Sorry?"

The woman's small smile never wavered as she looked up at him from her rather short stature. (She barely came up to his chin)

"You break it to her as gently and as kindly as you can." The woman paused for a second than continued. "And you tell her that you will be there for her no matter what." Her voice had a break in it but even then she spoke the words with as much of a brave face as she could.

There was silence as both the adults just looked at each other. There was a connection that seemed to pull them together. It was that same feeling that somehow pushed people together because that time was the one time a person would need someone else who had suffered just as much as they had. Someone who would understand their pain and what they were going through.

He had lost his best friends. If he were to go with the look in her eyes he could assume that she had lost someone close to her as well.

He opened his mouth to say something but the tinkling of a small bell made him look up and the woman to turn away from him. Seeing the three people walking in had him frown in confusion. His eyes widened seeing the state the three children were in. But it was the state of one of them that had him call out:

"Sakura?"

In front of him the woman called out, the same time he did.

"Tadashi? Hiro?"

                                              ————————–

The little apartment on top of the cafe could be defined in a single word. Cozy. Okay maybe even snug. The stairs lead to the living area of the apartment which had a joint kitchen attached to it. While Cass, as James had gathered from the younger boys calling her Aunt Cass, had taken the black haired girl, shivering and wet to change her clothes James had taken over the duty of looking over at the two boys, Tadashi and Hiro, to see how injured they were.

After glancing at Tadashi's jaw and telling him to just put some ice on it, he had turned to Hiro. Setting the younger boy, on top of the kitchen counter, James frowned, his lips pursed un concentration as he examined the little boy's arm and torso. After awhile he nodded once and stepped back to look at the anxious older brother, looking at him. He smiled.

"Don't worry! Its just a few bruises. Nothings broken." He said, his voice reassuring. He watched as the older boy's shoulders sagged with relief. He must've been really worried about him. A pang hit his heart when he thought of another person who had acted just like that with him, just a few years ago. Shaking his head mentally to clear it he brought his train of thoughts back just in time to hear the boy reply.

"Thank you!" Tadashi smiled at him. James grinned back.

"Don't mention it kid." He said, before turning back to the younger boy sitting in front of him.

"Now Hiro, I know that I'm not your guardian or anything, heck I don't even know you, but that was a very brave thing to do. But be a bit careful next time ok?"

The young boy looked up at him, from underneath his hair, his head low. James could tell that the little boy was wary around him and he could relate. As grown up as he was, he himself wasn't very comfortable with strangers.

"Please try not to get hurt next time, sweetie!"

All three heads turned to look at the woman entering the small living room. As soon as she had seen both her boys, and the state they were in, she had started to fuss over them like a mother hen. Brushing their hair back, smothering their faces with kisses, hugging them tightly, gasping at the bruises Hiro supported and muttering something about not being a good and responsible guardian and slacking off from her duties, before she had taken a deep breath, calming herself, then told both the boys to get upstairs.

Her attention had then snapped towards the black haired girl, standing next to her nephews, dripping wet in her clothes, teeth chattering slightly. The brown haired woman had said something about dry clothes and simply pointed towards the staircase.

Sakura's eyes had snapped towards the man standing behind her and the older woman had told James to follow her upstairs as well. She had immediately told Hiro to take off his shirt, so she could check his bruises while leading Sakura away to the bathroom. James had volunteered to check up on the boys and the brown haired woman smiled had him, her soft brown eyes shining with relief. Now Cass Hamada smiled again before coming to stand next to her nephew and brushing his untidy hair back from his face. The young boy nodded once.

"Ok, Aunt Cass!"

The woman smiled once, pressing a small kiss to his head before turning to look at her older nephew. Her smile turned into a grin.

"So, Tadashi, Sakura punched you because she thought you were a bully too?"

James was proud of Sakura. He knew it was wrong, the boy had gotten hurt for nothing, but he was proud of the fact that Sakura could throw a punch like that. Meanwhile a sheepish nod from Tadashi was the only response the female Hamada got. James grinned while the woman laughed lightly under her breath.

"Well that takes the classic 'Pulling the pigtails thing' to a whole new level." James said chuckling lightly under his breath. Cass turned to look at him, a chastising look on her face, although she was still smiling. Behind her the door to, what he could only assume was her room, opened and all heads turned to look at the girl stepping out of it, dressed in a jean and hoodie that was slightly too big on her. Her hair was freshly dried, out of her pony tail, but her hat was on top of her head. Glancing up to see everyone looking at her, the girl smiled sheepishly. James raised an eyebrow, as he stepped forward, his arms folded across his chest.

"So you fell in the pond, huh?"

A nod.

James sighed tiredly. "How did that even happen?"

A shrug.

"Did you trip over your own feet again?"

A rather slow and hesitant shrug before it was cut off by Tadashi speaking up, as he came to stand next to Hiro., who was sitting on the counter, waving his legs back and forth in the air.

"She tripped over her own feet!"

Sakura turned to glare at the boy, while he just looked at her, with a shrug and a small smile of his own. Aunt Cass sighed before picking up the black bag and handing it to the girl.

"You should probably be more careful next time, sweetie."

Sakura moved to nod at the woman, but a sneeze cut her off. Cass frowned.

"You should probably go home and have something to warm you up." She advised, helping her put on her bag and then straightening it for her. The girl nodded again.

"I will! Thank you, Miss Hamada!" She said before walking over to Hiro and grinning at him.

"Try and be more careful next time squirt!" She said reaching up to ruffle his hair playfully, making the boy giggle, as he tried swatting her hands away from him. Turning to his older brother, Sakura's expression turned to one of guilt, as her fingers started to fiddle with the strap of the bag on her shoulder.

"Sorry about that!" She apologized, nodding towards his jaw. Tadashi gave a small smile, as he shook his head.

"Its alright. It was an accident." He paused for a second to clear his throat before giving the girl a small smile.

"Thank you for helping Hiro."

Sakura's face split into a joyous grin at the words.

"No problem."

James smiled at the little scene before calling out.

"Come on, Sakura. Lets go!" The girl ran over to his side, instantly gripping his much larger hand in her smaller one. Turning to look at the boy's aunt she smiled, shyly.

"Thank you for the clothes Miss Hamada. I'll return them as soon as I can." She promised. The brown haired woman, gave a small wave.

"Its alright honey! Take all the time you need. Oh wait!"

The woman quickly walked forward, into the small kitchen to pick up a small brown paper bag and handing it to Sakura.

"Now don't say no." She chastised as soon as she saw the older man open his mouth to say something. "This is just a little something as a thank you for helping Hiro!" She smiled, before leaning forward to plant a small kiss on the girls forehead. Her cheeks slightly red, the girl shyly accepted the bag as James smiled at the woman.

"Thank you!" Sakura said, her voice soft and low as she ducked behind James. He smiled down at the suddenly shy girl, she always got like that when it came to adults. He looked up to see the brown haired woman look at him. He was a bit taken aback when his grey eyes met with sad yet understanding brown eyes. Her eyes flickered towards the girl next to him and her lips pulled in a soft yet sad smile.

Suddenly as if it were coming back to him, his heart made a painful clench at the thought of the letter, stuffed safely inside his jacket pocket. But now, somehow, he had the courage to tell his Angel. Feeling Sakura tug at his hand, leading him down the stairs of the small apartment on top of the cafe he quickly mouthed a thank you.

As she watched him be pulled away with surprisingly a lot of force from a girl so little, Cass Hamada could do nothing except wish him luck.

Five minutes out of the cafe, found James carrying Sakura on his shoulders, not because she was tired but because she wanted to. As James walked down the street his heart clenched again, as he listened to his Angel chatter happily, telling him all the minor details of her little adventure. He could feel the smile on her face as she spoke.

He just hoped the news wouldn't take it away…

[moss-flesh]

u guys should really be using honey in ur lemonade

[eyplaylist]

DOUBLE-PLAY-LIST #1

Double the music discovery. Hope this helps you Expand Your Playlist!

DOUBLE-PLAY(LIST) #1(MARCH 2024)Spotify – Instagram – Facebook – Twitter – Threads12 Songs – 38min 25secGenres: Rock, Indie Rock, Alt Rock, Modern Rock / Alternative DOUBLE THE NEW MUSIC!Taking a page from Radio’s “Rock Block” or “Block Party” playlists, we created our own “block” playlist with the new “Double-Play(list)” playlist showcasing songs from up-and-coming bands that we have featured…

[kingkuru]

Mr. Stern: Christmas Spanking Spirit

Blackmailed into volunteering at a special charity event in which Red Wood is allowing donors to pay for blistering the bottoms of (mostly) willing volunteers, Yin's backside must endure a long night of very eager costumers who are all too willing to share in the Christmas spirit of giving.

Art by @harchibudytgorichi

This is the 100th Mr. Stern chapter guys! And the longest one yet!

[maskyartist]

I am a heathen is that to make the tea I boil it on the stove but to drink it I put ice cubes in it and its usually been refrigerated.

EY FELLOW SOUTHERNER WHO LIKES A GOOD OL ICED TEA I SEE YOU!!

[amatopunkish]

i was so productive today! but at what cost?

i have spent 12 hours sitting relatively still and i have SO MUCH energy now and if i have to spend anymore time sitting still without any output for this energy i am going to claw my scalp off