#lets all be chill and slow with things we love ❤️

[fellow-travelers-fic-recs]

How do I love thee, let me count the weeks... Final Round-Up

Fellow Travelers Valentine's Celebration: Masterpost

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Works below can be found in this Ao3 Collection 💗

❤️ very pretty weeds by @beyondxmeasure | Cyantific [T, 2K] Hawk has really put Tim through the emotional wringer this weekend, and he seems far too nice to deserve any of it. Rafael tries his best to give his new friend a warm send-off and a few words of wisdom.

Or, the walk to the ferry from Rafael's POV.

🧡 Under Stars Chilled By The Winter by @bluebellsinburbank | ConsumingLove (Bluebellstar) [G,1K] Hawk has been away in Rome for a week. He comes home to Tim.

Part 7 of Bravery | Part 5 of FT Valentine's Month

💛 you're the home beneath the ruin by @startagainbuttercup | startagainbuttercup [T, 1K] Episode 2, Inside Hawk's head.

He thinks about Tim, about the joy he felt when he woke up next to him just ten minutes ago, and another memory comes to him, a memory of him smiling so adorably Hawk couldn't stop peppering him with kisses until Tim laughed, ticklish, and wrapped his arms around him tightly, preventing him from moving, not that Hawk wanted to move. He fell asleep in Skippy's arms, feeling safe and content.

Part 3 of FT Valentine's Month: how do I love thee, let me count the weeks…

💚 in the still of the night by @thewindyoubargainedfor | thewindyoubargainedfor [E, 2K] Tim stayed up, waiting for Hawk to call. Hawk made it worth his while.

💙 gold-skinned, eager baby by @lispenard-street | lispenardstreet [E, 10K] Tim sets out for Fire Island with a single goal: to dig Hawk out of his pit of self-destruction.

As it turns out, Hawk is after something else entirely.

A 1979 fix-it… of sorts.

💜 In your eyes, this is a place worth remembering. by @in-our-special-place |  Cupping_Cakes [M, 630] Hawk stumbled into the room, his eyes blurry and his steps unsteady, but his gaze was fixed on Tim, as if he were the only thing that mattered. A wave of emotions washed over Tim, flickering between anger, hurt, and a longing desire to hold Hawk close one more time.

💗 Where figures from the past stand tall And mocking voices ring above. by @in-our-special-place | Cupping_Cakes [M, 472] They held each other's gaze, their love speaking volumes more than any words ever could.

🤎 To Wrap Your Love Around Me by @beyondxmeasure | Cyantific [T, 5K] Waking up in Tim’s apartment, Hawk discovers Skippy's old robe, the same one from years ago, and the memories all come flooding back.

Tim doesn’t have much time left, will Hawk be brave enough to stay?

🖤 Beguiled Again by @bluebellsinburbank | ConsumingLove (Bluebellstar) [G, 1K] Tim comes home late, finding Hawk asleep and wearing his shirt.

Part 6 of Bravery | Part 3 of FT Valentine's Month

💝 I'll be there beside you, to dry your weeping eyes. by @in-our-special-place | Cupping_Cakes [M, 869] Frankie, the man he had loved and grown with through time. The man who had been by his side through all of life's ups and downs. The man who had never given up on him, no matter how lost or broken he felt.

❤️ I'll Forever Love You by Anonymous [G, 602] Marcus slow dances with his love.

🧡 The Night Before The Road Trip by @vespersong | vespersong [T, 2K] So...we all know Hawk planned the trip to Rehoboth beach. Which means he probably packed a bag. But what about Tim? Was he stuck in that same shirt all weekend? Well, let's just say Hawk was prepared.

💛 please tell me now by @thewindyoubargainedfor | thewindyoubargainedfor [G, 1K] When Marcus arrives in San Francisco, he knows the first thing he needs to do.

💚 We'll find the perfect place to go where we can run and hide. by @in-our-special-place | Cupping_Cakes [M, 706] 'I never told you this, but that was the best day of my life. I never felt so free and happy, like I could do anything with you by my side.'

💙 you should be in my space (you should be in my life) by @startagainbuttercup | startagainbuttercup [E, 3K] What if Tim let Hawk touch him during their mutual masturbation session?

Part 2 of FT Valentine's Month: how do I love thee, let me count the weeks...

💜 All Tied Up With Nowhere To Go by @jesterlesbian | captainquint [E, 2K] “Are they too tight?” Hawk asked, tugging on Tim’s wrists.

Tim’s wrists were, at that moment, bound to the headboard of Hawkins Fuller’s bed by some carefully knotted neckties. Tim was struck by the thought of Hawk wearing one of these ties to work on a later day, becoming distracted in his office thinking of what they had done with them on this night. His mouth twitched up at the corner.

“Hey, are you listening to me?” Hawk placed a hand under his chin and tilted Tim’s face towards Hawk’s own. “This is important, I don’t want to hurt you.”

Tim rolled his wrists and wiggled his fingers to show they were fine. “I’m not made of glass, Hawk, you don’t have to treat me like I’ll break.”

Or, Hawk teases a tied-up Tim

Part 2 of FT Valentine's Day 2024

🖤 No Expectations by @justviwriting | justviwriting [M, 3K] When Hawk wants to leave Tim in 1957, his plans are disrupted when Tim wakes up before he could walk out the door.

Part 5 of My Fellow Travelers Fanfics

💘 the gold of the dusk and the dawn by @redmyeyes | redmyeyes [M, 3K] Valentine’s Day, 1954

Part 4 of Fellow Travelers

🤎 Me too by @alorchik | alorchik [T, 1K] Hawk feels he can afford it now, here, with Tim.

❤️ Where No One Else Can See  by@bluebellsinburbank | ConsumingLove (Bluebellstar) [G, 2K] Marcus once said Hawk was a damn good liar. And the first step in being the best damned liar that ever set foot in Washington was the necessity of being able to lie to yourself.

Hawk had been lying to himself for so long - about so many things - even he didn't think he would know his own truth if it was laid bare before him.

Until soft brown eyes and a kiss that tasted like milk and eternity.

Until Skippy.

Or, How Tim's touch made Hawk realise a certain fact.

Part 2 of FT Valentine's Month

🧡 The World is Not Kind to Good People♦️ by @lovebunnie | space_kid [T, 727] Tim felt Hawk’s eyes on him whenever they were in the same room, not unlike the unrelenting gaze of God; all powerful, all knowing, something Tim ached for.

💛 Stars fading but I linger on, dear  by @cinnamoncountess | CinnamonCountess [E, 5K] Tulips, roses, lavenders, daisies and orchids —

Tim closes his eyes for fleeting seconds as he passes the bayside and takes in the wide-ranging scent wafting over from the flower sales on each side of the road, drawing into his nostrils where it mixes with the salty sea odor from afar. It is that day of the year again that always squeezes on his heart like a fallen wall of bricks, burying him underneath.

💚 Everywhere I look, you're all I see.  by @in-our-special-place | Cupping_Cakes [M, 950] In that moment, all the pain, the hurt, and the years of separation melted away. It was just the two of them, lost in their own little world. And for Tim, it was all he ever wanted.

💙 Anywhere You Wander, Anywhere You Go  by Anonymous [G, 1K] As he was now, the man he was now - Tim could not deny the longing in his heart. The need to close the distance between them again, to take his heart back into his arms.

Or, another cabin husbands dancing together fic.

💜 cheek to cheek  by vexinganthony💠 [T, 2K] An extremely fluffy one shot about Tim singing at hawk’s behest.

Part 1 of valentine’s month prompts

💗 Unforgettable  by @justviwriting | justviwriting [T, 1K] Hawk and Tim dance together for the first time.

Part 4 of My Fellow Travelers Fanfics

❤️ One Desire  by @lovebunnie | space_kid [T, 1K] Tim instinctively stepped towards Hawk before stopping, "Hawk, I don’t-"

"You said music doesn’t sound the same," Hawk cut in. "I figured… it doesn’t have to sound the same. Let’s make it sound better."

Part 1 of Fellow Travelers Valentine’s Day 202

🧡 Hold Me In Your Arms  by @bluebellsinburbank | ConsumingLove (Bluebellstar) [G, 1K] Tim entices Hawk to dance with him, and then sing for him.

Part 3 of Bravery | Part 1 of FT Valentine's Month

💛 You're the one I want to go through time with. by @in-our-special-place | Cupping_Cakes [E, 773] 'Don't you need me, Skippy?' Hawk said softly.

'I have you,' Tim replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

💚 with your kiss my life begins  by @startagainbuttercup | startagainbuttercup [G, 785] 4 times Tim and Hawk dance.

Part 1 of FT Valentine's Month: how do I love thee, let me count the weeks…

💙 The Way We Danced Till Three by @jesterlesbian | captainquint [M, 2K] “There we go,” Hawk said, as he found the jazz station he often liked to tune into. Billie Holiday crooned through the static, singing They Can’t Take That Away From Me. Hawk tilted the bottle toward Tim in offering, who took it and tossed back a large swig before coughing and spluttering on the sharp taste of the alcohol.

“I don’t know how you do that,” Tim said, shuddering and sticking out his tongue.

Hawk laughed and took the bottle back, placing it on the desk near the radio. “Lots of practice.”

“Dance with me, Skippy?”

Or, Valentine's Day, 1954

Part 1 of FT Valentine's Day 2024

Thanks to all the creators for your wonderful efforts, and to the readers for taking the time to enjoy and share these fics!

Thank you to @fellow-travelers-events for hosting this event. 

Ao3 Collection 💗

[once-upon-an-imagine]

for the shy!reader prompt could you do argyle x shy!reader in a friends to lovers type thing where he smokes w her for the first time?

btw i luv ur writing<3

ahhh thank you so much, love! 🥰🥰 and thanks for requesting Argyle he's one of my faves! ❤️❤️ Warnings: getting high with Argyle Disclaimer: I don’t own Stranger Things😊 gif isn't mine 😁

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Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

"Hmm" you chuckled, coughing a little as you let the smoke out.

"Slow down, sunshine" Argyle laughed taking the blunt from you. "'S your first time, remember?" he said, taking a hit. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like I'm floating in a cloud" you said, giggling and making Argyle smile at how adorable you looked. "Also, I'm really hungry" you told him, as you grabbed a slice of pizza. "Oh my God! This is the best pizza I've ever had!" you smiled, looking at him. "How do you do this?"

"That's just because you're high, amor. Everything tastes better" he told you.

"Nuh-uh. You are by far the best cook that's ever lived" you said, still munching another bite of the most delicious pizza you had ever tried.

"You're too sweet, love" he smiled. "You know, I don't think I've ever heard you talk this much. I'm gonna have to get you to smoke with me more often so you'll talk to me" he laughed.

"W-what do you mean?" you asked, feeling a little self-conscious. "I always talk to you" you said, confused.

"No, I know. But you've been a lot quieter since we met Jonathan, do you not like him?" he asked, curiously.

"N-no, of course, I like Jonathan" you insisted. "But you know I'm not like you. I don't feel comfortable right away with everyone" you said looking away. Argyle instantly picked up on your mood change.

"Hey" he said softly, lifting your head a little. "You know that's not a bad thing, right?" he said, frowning his eyebrows.

"It's just... I'm sometimes a little bit jealous of you" you admitted.

"Really? You're jealous of me?"

"Well, it's just that you can always easily make friends or make someone feel comfortable around you" you explained.

"You and Jonathan are literally my only friends" he chuckled.

"No, I know, but everyone at school likes you. You just... get along with everyone and you are really easy-going and you make everyone laugh and you're super chill all the time" you insisted.

"That's the weed" he laughed. "C'mon, sunshine, people like you too" he told you.

"Not really, I'm just kind of a package deal with you. But if I'm not with you, I don't think people even notice me" you informed him.

"Is that really what you think?"

"I don't mind it" you shrugged. "I can barely talk to anyone as it is. I don't know why. I just don't feel comfortable around many people-"

"You're comfortable with me" he said.

"You're different" you said as if it was obvious.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"Why am I different?"

"I don't know" you said, feeling your cheeks burn all of the sudden. You had said too much. "I just... know that I can be myself around you and you won't think of me differently for it or I can say my stupid jokes and you will laugh at them, or... I can go on and on about something that I like and even if you have zero interest in it you will still pay attention to me and... you always make me laugh and try to get me out of my comfort zone but in a good way. You still respect my boundaries and know even before I do if I'm not comfortable and you do whatever you can to make sure I am okay again" you explained a bit quickly.

"Is that really what you think of me?" he asked, smiling and feeling his heart beat a little faster.

"Yeah" you smiled brightly at him. "You're like... a human bowl of tomato soup" you giggled, as he frowned. "You're warm and soothing" you explained.

"Weed makes you really hungry, huh?" he laughed.

"But it's true!"

"Do you even like tomato soup?" he rolled his eyes.

"I love tomato soup, you know that" you smiled.

"So if I'm tomato soup... what does that make you?"

"Grilled cheese" you chuckled.

"Why?"

"Because grilled cheese goes with tomato soup and because you love grilled cheese" you smiled.

You knew it was definitely the weed that was making you basically confess to your best friend that you were perfect for each other in this food analogy you chose, but by the way he was smiling at you, you honestly didn't care.

"You are literally the cutest person I've seen when high" he told you.

"Really?" you asked and he nodded.

"You're always the cutest person" he admitted.

"I am?"

"You are to me" he said as you felt him place his hand on top of yours.

"See? How do you do that?" you smiled, looking down at your hands.

"Do what?"

"You always know the perfect thing to say, and I'm pretty sure you're the only one who knows how to make me smile" you told him.

"I don't know. It's easier with you. I just like when you smile" he said, cupping your cheek and bringing your face up.

"I like when you smile too" you said, in almost a whisper as you felt him pulling you closer.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah" you said, before he gently pressed his lips against yours. You felt him pull you closer, wrapping his arms around your waist and you threw yours around his neck.

"I kinda like being the only one that knows how to make you smile" he said, once the two of you pull apart.

"You know how else you can make me smile?"

"By getting making you tomato soup and a grilled cheese?"

"Seriously! Is like you can read my mind!"

The End

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A/N: I hope you liked it :D

[alpineshift]

Hi! Prompts! Yay!

I really loved the miscommunication April prompt fic so I wonder if you could please use that world for prompt 23. I thought I lost you. ? Except it’s just Nico being over dramatic when he can’t find Jack on the magic school campus (he’s just in the library basement trying to find a rare book for his latest research paper).

(More thoughts: I love the idea Nico being the softy cute dramatic one & Jack is just like why my guy? I know I look good but no one wants a pretty face that has opinions (only want that pretty mouth for other things). So he’s kinda suspicious and that’s also why the flowers were such an insult!!!! Because Jack took it as ‘I don’t want you for your thoughts, just be pretty & dumb for me’ and that’s happened so many times before that he’s had Enough. And has started to respect himself more (no dick is worth being undervalued like that) so courting Nico is a Big Deal. And sometimes he hides out in the library buried under his books & research. But nico thinks he’s lost! And searches all the other libraries and greenhouses before finding him. And Jack has to reassure him that no I do like spending time with you I’m not hiding from u but this is new because I haven’t been courted / dated someone before that o want to make it work with and it’s a lot to process. And Nico reassures him like baby I love that u study pls let me proof read ur drafts (j’s sentences are too long because he writes like he thinks so there’s no breaks which is also how I write oops) and rant to me about the archaic views you read about today.

(then they fuck about it) and they all lived happily ever after

lol this is probably longer than ur bullet stories would be but here ya go 🎁

anon I think you may have already written the prompt yourself LOOL (ilu ❤️). for context, this is the OG miscommunication prompt fill!

23. “I thought I’d lost you.”

After their absolutely ridiculous first meeting (and first misunderstanding!) Nico, understandably, takes it slow with courting Jack.

Slow, because he thinks it's unwise to go all in for a fresh relationship anyway, unintentional offences notwithstanding, but also slow because Nico's paranoid he's going to make another awful faux pas and gift Jack flowers that accidentally says his ass is flat or something. He's spending an absurd of time researching American courting culture and losing sleep over it.

"Just bring him out to dinner and go for a walk to see the sunset," Timo tells him, exasperated. "You're trying to date a guy, not an alien from outer space."

Look, Nico just wants to do a good job, okay? And hopefully charm himself into Jack's good graces while he's at it. Except, it's getting weirdly difficult to find Jack, to bring him food or gifts or ask him out on a date. The Bern Campus isn't actually that big; where on earth can Jack be? He wanders across the grounds, trying and failing not to look like a sad puppy as he searches for the other witch. What did he do wrong? Was it too late to beg for forgiveness?

And suddenly--there's a frenzy of people rushing down to the lake. "One of the Americans fell in!"

Nico nearly pulls a muscle rushing over, only to stop short when he sees one of Jack's colleagues crawling out of the water (he remembers them; he was one of the few snickering the night Nico insulted Jack with the flowers), furiously embarrassed after getting caught goofing off in a restricted area on the docks. And suddenly, there's someone standing next to him, a snort, and a familiar voice. "Man, way to live up to the asshole stereotypes, just what we needed."

It's Jack, in broad daylight, kind of under-dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt, chilling next to him. Nico gapes at him before Jack glances over, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Uh, Nico? You ok--?" And Nico just pulls him into a hug and blurts out, "I thought I'd lost you."

He'd be mortified at his own admission if he didn't hear Jack's breathing hitch by his ear, and feel Jack's arms immediately rest along the spot between his shoulder blades, hugging Nico back. "Lost me? But I'm right here?"

So Nico had been half-right; Jack isn't avoiding him, but he did lose track of time working in the basement of the library. Jack also doesn't hate him, but he does have a bit of a hard time believing Nico has no ulterior motives when it came to quote unquote 'buttering him up'

"People are assholes, Hischier, and I'm not saying you are but, look, there's just been a few jerks lately with all their assumptions that's put me off dating for little while, alright? They think they can send me cupid-charm cards or pay for dinner once and I take my pants off for them."

"Then I'll court you until you say you're ready to date, if you ever want that at all. We go at your pace, we pause when you think I'm being too much, and if you realize you don't like me at all--well, we'll call it off." (It hurts to say it, but more than anything, Nico just wants to reassure Jack). "I can respect that, I promise."

He needn't have worried, honestly. Because there's a slow, flustered smile creeping up on Jack's face, and his cheeks are rosy with the most endearing blush. "Well, hang on. I didn't say anything about calling anything off. Fuck, let's get outta here--last thing I want is an audience when we talk about our feelings. And the basement's actually not half bad."

send me a jacknico prompt!

[shininglikeyoursmile]

Making Amends💫💫💫

Pairing: Lloyd Hansen x female reader

Word count: around 800

Summary : Lloyd thinks you need more love but not from him.❤

Warning: Soft Lloyd, 😌self care , pampering🥺. Fluff!!!!!🥰😊😇 . As always no minors. 18+ only.

A/n: WHY HE'S FICTIONAL! AND I BET HE'LL DO THIS LIKKKE 1000000%

Look at me making him Soft 😌😌😌😌😊😊😇😇😚😚😚😚🤭🤭🤭(from his heart )

There is no actual description of reader. No use of y/n.

All mistakes are my own. No beta read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

As always my beloved, comments, feedback and reblog are SO MUCH APPRECIATED!!!!! please leave some feedback!!!!!🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

Lots of love! ❤️

"C'mon do it , Pumpkin" Llyod urges . You stay silent and don't reply right away . The chilly air makes you want to snuggle more into him.

10 minutes before :💫💫💫

He can come up with the most odd ideas and you don't complain. So , when he suggested you both spend some time on the rooftop you nodded at the suggestion. "Ah , but no clothes allowed, " he interrupted with a grin . You narrowed your eyes, a sign for him to proceed. "We will take the new blanket we ordered, " he said. You considered his request for a second, the blanket was expensive which meant you won't be cold besides he will be there to keep you warm. "But why no clothes?" You questioned as you walked closer to him. He pulled you closer by your waist and placed a soft kiss on your forehead. Sliding his large hand down your spine he smiled lightly ,"I need to feel you , skin to skin contact". His voice was soft, and you knew by the drop that he'd something in mind . "Okay " you whispered and the way his lips formed in a grin , that confirmed your doubt.

Back to present :💫💫💫

Now here you are , resting your head on his shoulder, your back to his and his hand covering yours on your stomach. He was leaning against the wall and had set up a mattress. He leans down and places a soft kiss on the hollow of your neck , the slow trail along it making you sigh with contentment. "Please," he requests and rests his chin on your shoulder. "Lloyd, " you mirror his tone. "I know you can do it " he urges again and takes your hand and settles it on your left breast, just above your heart .

"Do I really have to do it now?"you ask again and tilt your neck to look into his eyes. There's a hidden request in your gaze. You are a little hesitant to follow his words but Lloyd knows it too . He doesn't even blink and you know he's not gonna let this slide . He needs you to do it , of course if you are ready for it . But he'd seen no sign of you being not ready . You just need a little support and he's here for you , always. He once joked that even your own shadow can leave you in the dark but he will always be there for you. You don't doubt it .

His body heat is enough to keep you warm and the blanket is just a bonus. You hum and cup his face with your hand. You pull him down and crash your lips on his , gaining a soft moan in return from him . He cups your left breast with his hand , your own sandwiched between his big palm and your skin. He lazily strokes your tongue with his own and when you both are panting he gives a gentle nip to your bottom lip. He pecks your lips again.

"If you don't wanna do what I asked, it's okay Pumpkin but if you wish to follow I can wait up all night" he states. You know he will do as you say. "The later" you mumble and he hums in response. "Take as much time as you need" he replied with a little bop on your nose. You stare at the pitch black sky adorned with stars , the half moon providing a beautiful view. The air is cool although you can't feel the chill as your own personal heater is just enveloping you. You follow the slow drag of your breathing. In . Out. In. Out. In.

"I do. I forgive myself . I forgive me . For everything that transpired. I won't hold anything bad against me . I will not blame myself for the things which weren't in my control. And things which were in my control but didn't work out the way I wanted to, I forgive me." You release your breath. And just like that everything that's on your mind is whipped in the cold night.

Lloyd wanted you to do this , for you to forgive yourself. He knew you thought words which made you feel unworthy of love and happiness and it pained him to see you like that . So he did what he needed to , he asked you to forgive you. It never occurred to you that sometimes even you were hard on yourself but when he uttered those words, forgive yourself, it was like a switch flipped on .

Your thoughts were like a storm but after saying the words out loud there was silence, except Lloyd's breathing on your skin when he pulled you closer ,"Good girl " he whispered with a gentle kiss on your forehead. "I am so proud of you, Pumpkin" he whispered against your ear and just like that you fell more in love with this man.

***

THANK YOU FOR READING!!! PLEASE LEAVE SOME FEEDBACK ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[bluenightcomedies]

uuuugh i keep procrastinating cuz i wanna make new refs n' arts n' all for us all but art slow so fuggit placeholder pinned abt the system better pinned with comm details, other accs, etc later :3 will reopen for commissions once arty verifies me! as a whole we're legally deaf and disabled! we can all draw but have diff styles/preferences :3 body is 30 (eugh i don't like admitting that) so am adult BUT we don't wanna be involved in nsfw art so pls respect that⭐ We can't get a formal diagnosis due to various real life issues, so we're not going to claim any particular diagnosis, but we can't exactly ignore the symptoms and stay masked forever. We're going to stay out of syscourse as much as possible, of course. 🌙 each alter has an assigned emoji so ppl can tell us apart easier if needed, use em as our tags too (when we remember) note- using they/them for any of us fine too!⭐

(doesn't include alters that rarely or never front) ⭐star emoji = Blue! she/her pls~ guess i'm the honorary host cuz i front most. uhhh... nothing rly too fancy i can say abt myself, i'm p affectionate and love y2k art and hanging out, i try to be as nice as i can >w< my art's usually sketchbooky, with thin lines and soft colors/shading!

💠this blue gem/flower emoji is Azure! she/her, she's kinda new to the system. looks n' acts a lot like me but uh... more childish i guess? very silly, very 'cringe culture is dead'. loves to rp, say silly things, n' cling to people. hyperfixates on Dot Hack (RIP) her art looks like mspaint x3 🌙 (Writing for myself since I'm available.) The name's Lune, hence moon emoji, and I use she/her pronouns as well. Formerly "Starry" but people kept confusing me with Blue due to her star symbolism. Used to be the designated mask, I'm glad I don't have to do that anymore... Sometimes I re-mask out of habit so if something sounds like me but wasn't marked as an alter, it probably is me. I have a flat tone and chronic paranoid anxiety so uh... Let me know if I come across as rude, I usually don't mean to. I enjoy doing research and organizing information, so I'm often the one to fact-check things or find guides and how-to's for the system. My art's very bold and colorful, and friends describe it as 'angular'. Clashes with my personality, huh? 🗝️key emoji = Sylverwynd! he uses he/him! he's super laid back and chill, i've never seen him upset or anything, but he's rly long-winded talks... kinda poet-y? he loves reading and talking abt lore and myths so he'll pop in if ur talking abt something he likes or if he has trivia 2 share! fave genres r horror n' fantasy he's still experimenting w/ style but likes drawing rly soft

❌cross emoji= Laceburner! it/its or they/them pronouns! tbh i'm not used to it/its pronouns but Lace wanted em; it's very uh... emotionally empty i guess? aroace, agender, can't socialize or empathize v well. it usually fronts when the rest of us are tired or in pain cuz it just ignores all that. likes 2000's scenemo aesthetics though which is surprising but ye idk how to describe its style, but it's trying to mimic emo art n' likes bright colored lines with dark bg/colors 🗡️the dagger is Kal! he/him pronouns, he gets angry and stressed abt things really easy but he gets too hostile abt it so he tries to not front too much; need to find him a way to de-stress n' chill out... when he's not mad at smth he's a good sympathetic listener imo, still swears and talks all rough tho hasn't drawn much yet but does rly harsh lines and fast/messy sketches when he does (and gets riled up by mistakes =w=;)

❤️heart is Weiss! genderfluid, goes by any pronouns, usually uses whatever they like at the time x3 has a hard time fronting but tries to. flirty, loves dumb jokes, overly confident... (we worry they'd get us in trouble sometimes cuz the shit they want to say) loves demon and monster-related stuff! still experimental style but uses bold colors and thick rough lines a lot, may get suggestive (forbidden from outright nsfw, don't ask >:c) btw ur always welcome to direct asks @ someone specific >w< we just might take a while to respond

[myfavouritelunatic]

The Blacksmith

Sorry for the delay in getting this one edited and uploaded! Back at work this week and my schedule is packed! Thank you for your patience! ❤️

This next chapter is another one I’m super proud of, I really hope you enjoy it!

Pairing: Halbrand/Sauron x Female Reader

Word Count: 4k (my longest yet ahhhh!)

Warnings: SMUT! NSFW 18+

Links to Chapter One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, and Twenty-One!

Chapter Twenty-Two

And so the days went on, and your heart began to heal. Nothing would erase the horrors you had wrought, but you were convinced now that the inevitable outcome, your defeat of the darkness, would set all things right. You let yourself enjoy the time you shared with Halbrand, not anxious to rush your journey, though not forgetting that haste must be made. Every moment with him was a blessing. Whether it was just the feel of his body as you held on to him on the saddle, or his laughter in the air as he teased you playfully between bites of food, or even the unequalled, unbridled sequences of rapture you gave each other almost every night before slumber. This is what happiness felt like.

Unfortunately, now the more east you rode, the closer the land of shadow grew. Soon in the distance, you could see the blackness that had enveloped the Southlands. It looked a realm of death, a dark place that the forces within you both begged you to consecrate, and the closer you drew to it, the more the evil parts of you stirred, growing restless of your resistance.

"How much longer do you think, Halbrand?" you spoke, raising your voice to be heard over the wind and the sound of the horse's hooves rapidly striking the ground. "Once we turn south... two... perhaps three days at most. It could be longer if our ride gives out.  He's not meant to carry two for this long, nor this fast." he answered you over his shoulder. "Are we certain there is not a shortcut we could take? To make the journey brief for our boy here, and to divert away from..." your voice trailed off as your eyes darted to the malevolent clouds above the horizon, and Halbrand slowed the steed down to a halt. "Speaking of our boy, let's give him a rest shall we?"

You nodded and hopped off the horse, Halbrand swiftly joining you on the ground. He wandered away from you, facing towards the land he inadvertently ruined, lacking subtlety in avoiding answering your question. Taking in the view before your eyes, you studied Halbrand as he stood on this hill you had come to rest on, his black cloak, his hair, billowing in the breeze. The scenery in the foreground was filled with rich green grass covered in small patches of wild flowers here and there. Trees scattered across the landscape, with mountains framing your vision to the right and of course, in the distance ahead.

  A distance that held within it a jarring contrast to the lands before it. Flashes of lightning, bright as the stars, burst through the thick plumes of cloud that were more like smoke, like a poisonous gas consuming all it touched. Everything was darker than you remembered last time you looked upon it, and the shadow was spreading quickly. Suddenly your eyes were pulled to a single location. Orodruin. You could just make out the bursts of lava and fire that erupted from its peak.

A chill ravaged your senses, and your mind took you back to the nightmares Sauron had seeded within you. You remembered the first of them, where you had stood side by side with your love, in a location not too dissimilar to where you were presently. That same black cloak, it moved in reality exactly as it did in your dream. Absorbing all light and reflecting nothing back but the evil trapped within. What thoughts were passing through Halbrand's mind as he stared at the land he had sought to make his own, first as Sauron and then as king of the Southlands? Was the tragedy of what had transpired too much for him to bear? Or was his darkness roaring in his chest in a maniacal applause? The most eager it had been to steal victory over its enemy and claim Halbrand's body and spirit at long last.

Halbrand turned his head slightly, gazing at you with one eye over his shoulder, an eye that was consumed by fire. You gasped and he turned to face you, both his eyes aflame. He slowly raised his arm, gesturing for you to come near. You did not move, only watching as he morphed into the monster you both dreaded he would become. Sauron. The shadow raced towards you both, stretching out above you and beyond, stealing all light and warmth. Adorned now in charcoal armour, complete with crown and a vicious sceptre, the dark lord carved an imposing sight, his black cape frayed yet still flowing ominously. It was then you noticed a thing of colour on the hand that reached for you, a band of gold. A ring. He smiled with wicked delight, speaking your name with no trace of Halbrand's voice left to be found.

You couldn't resist. Slowly moving towards him, your body filled with desire, arousal, excitement. You wanted this. As you made to take his hand,  you noticed the ring on his finger was illuminated with words you could not read. Upon contact, your hand began to burn, and with a flash of white light, all was revealed to have been in your mind. For you looked over at Halbrand, struggling to catch your breath, and he had not moved an inch. Still staring mournfully towards the black land that wished to claim you.

He turned his head, mimicking his movements in the vision that had just plagued you. Yet thankfully, his eyes were not of fire this time. You walked carefully to him, struggling to convince yourself that what your mind had just conjured had been unreal. Detesting the darkness within you for tricking you so, you decidedly took Halbrand's hand in your own without hesitation, to show you had not been spooked by what you had just seen, refusing to give it the satisfaction that it craved.

  "Are you alright, my love?" you asked him, forcing your own troubles to the background. He spoke without looking at you. "So much... darkness. I thought... I thought I would be satisfied when this day came. I remember when Morgoth and I first spoke of this plan... that even in defeat, we would be victorious. We would still have a claim to this Middle-earth, and no power would be able to stop us." You felt his grip on you tighten, and you grabbed his other hand, pulling him to you so he faced the shadow no longer. "It's amusing what the passing of time does to one's purpose." Halbrand finished his thought with a small smile, yet you could still see the anguish in his eyes. It wasn't going away. For either of you.

"I... I still crave it. Power. I see this land before me and yes I am horrified by what it has become... though... I cannot help but imagine... what I could make of it... what I could... create." His eyes were alight with the possibilities you knew he was imagining, and you saw him begin to drift away from himself. "Halbrand!" you cried, taking his face in your hands in an attempt to ground him. "Let it lie, do not give in to it. Do not give it what it wants." "You don't understand... you cannot conceive just how long I have waited for this!" he yelled, pulling your hands off of him. "It's right there! My kingdom! My... throne." "No, Halbrand! No!" you cried out in desperation. "Your kingdom awaits you still, your people await you! We will reach them soon and you will forget about this dark place. It is not your destiny, remember? Remember our love, remember the people we slaughtered, remember our quest for redemption, remember Galadriel..."

  The exasperation began to quell within him, his face losing the mania it was beginning to succumb to. "Galadriel..." The elf's name was thick with sorrow as it escaped his lips. Her name had seemed to trigger the goodness in him to come forth, a key that locked away his darkness. "I pray she will see what we become, what we will do for this world." "She will, my love, she has to. Galadriel told me that she bid you to be free of your past. She only wants goodness for you." "That was before she found out the truth. It will take much more convincing than I think either of us capable of. We have to find a way." "Then let us linger here no more. Our sanctuary, our chance... it is almost upon us."

Halbrand took you in his arms, pressing his lips lovingly against your own. The kiss was brief but beautiful, the two of you holding each other atop this hill, the wind running through your hair, your clothes. Resting your head against his uninjured shoulder, you both stared at the shadow one last time, letting it galvanise you like never before. Like the war that raged within, this darkness was visible and uncompromising. Battering against the light, seeking to infect it. The land of shadow existed now to remind you of your cause, of what you must do, must overcome.

  Halbrand placed a lingering kiss upon your head. "Thank you," he said, uttering your name. "No need. I'm just relieved I was able to pull you back this time." "As am I." He ended his sentence with another brief contact of your lips, before taking your hand and leading you back to where your boy awaited for the journey to continue.

You rode on down the hill, the former Southlands disappearing temporarily from your view, only the edges of its clouds now visible. After a few more miles of galloping, you had finally reached the point where you would turn south for Pelargir, turn away from the clutches of evil. Looking out at the mountains before you and how they stood like the fangs of a beast, anxiety began to brew, unstoppable in your mind. You feared that there was still a chance Halbrand would ride on, continuing towards treachery. The relief you felt however when he turned your steed southward was unquantifiable. You let him know with a loving squeeze of his arm and a kiss to the back of his neck. A smile spread wide upon your face. Your struggle was far from over, but the direction in which you were headed now gave you such strength to continue on. The shadow was at your back, where it should be.

Another sunset began to burn the sky, you had lost count now of how many days it had been since you left Eregion. With your arrival at the city drawing nearer, the urgency for it had never been greater. At last, there was hope on your horizon. As the sun gave way to the rising of the moon, Halbrand brought your horse to a stop, and you dismounted, him fastening it to a tree nearby. You searched the sack attached to the saddle for your food, the distance between its opening and you touching the potatoes now the furthest it had been. Clasping your hand around the final one, you pulled it out. "We better make this one count." you stated. "What of the bread?" Halbrand inquired, as he collected sticks and twigs to make a fire. "I'm afraid it's almost gone as well." you sighed, hoping there would be no more than two days left on your journey, as you doubted you would be able to make it last much longer. The food had already been stretched out as far as it could, thanks to your love not needing it as much as yourself. You grabbed the remnants of the loaf, and the metal plate, walking over to Halbrand who had been quick to get the fire going. Placing the plate over the fire, you handed him the bread, and sat down between his legs, resting your back against him. He wrapped an arm around you and placed a tender kiss on your temple as you removed your dagger from its sheath to peel the potato. Then he held up the bread to your lips, and you took a bite.

  "This bread has really grown on me," Halbrand spoke, his mouth full. "I think the flavour improves with age." You rolled your eyes. "You cannot be serious." "Oh yeah, are you joking? Why this is the finest of its kind I've ever had. The course texture, the hardness of the crust, the dry taste that lingers longer than it should. It's a delicacy, and we should be grateful for it." It was with these words that you stopped peeling and moved to face him directly, a quizzical expression etched on your face. "You know, I'm unsure if you mean what you say or you're just having me on?" "Perhaps both." Halbrand stared at you blankly, and you glared at him as he took another bite. He snickered at you, the light from the fire dancing in his eyes, and he playfully kissed you on the cheek. You couldn't help but smile slightly at him before turning back to the potato, the centrepiece of your forthcoming feast.

  It wasn't long before you were both downing crunchy morsels of the fried vegetable, and you ate slowly, savouring every little bit.  "I shall miss those potatoes." you hummed, swallowing the final piece, your hunger satisfied for now. "There will be more, my love, soon." said Halbrand, giving your arm a comforting rub. Dusting your hands of the remaining crumbs, you moved yourself so your head lay against his chest, your fingertips running over the fabric that covered his stomach. Your love tightened his embrace of you, and you heard a content sigh escape his mouth. Listening to the beating of his heart, a constant drum, keeping the time of his existence, you closed your eyes. Then out of nowhere, Halbrand began to sing, a slow and melancholic refrain with a beautiful crescendo towards the end:

"The fire, o the fire, burns so blindingly leading me astray across the sea a pure force used for evil and bending things to my will dangerous the flames, they feed nowhere to run, no warnings to heed for the light it will consume thee shackled, it will not free me the shadow it fades, but not away retreating, yet there at break of day unforgiven, haunting this land, no destiny to see yet all has changed now you belong to me And now the fire, o the fire, that burns so blindingly is our love immortal, burning for eternity."

His words were poetry, telling his story almost as if it were a myth, a tale of old. You had not heard Halbrand sing before, and now it was all you wished to hear forevermore. For his voice was divine, lovely and tragic at the same time. There was not a sound like it, nor would any other music surpass it. And you not only heard it, but felt it, experienced it vibrating through his chest as you laid against him. You smiled warmly as you listened, tears glistening in your eyes. Once he had completed his ballad, you lifted yourself up so your faces were barely inches apart.

"Where did that come from?" you asked, stunned. "You." One word was all he needed to say as he beamed at you, his face glowing in the flickering light of the fire beside you both. You crashed your lips into his without another thought, his hand quickly at the back of your head, tangling itself in your hair as he returned your kiss passionately. Your nails grazed his neck as you clasped him, and he moaned a little into your mouth. Stradling him now, you let your kisses trail along his jawline, to his ear, then down to his neck. The feel of your lips and tongue there on his skin caused him to moan louder. After a few moments of this, he grabbed you by your hair and pulled you back up to face him, desiring his tongue in your mouth once again. It wasn't long before your hands were grasping at his clothes, pulling them off and tossing them aside.

The torc stayed on of course. It always stayed on.

Halbrand undid the clasps of your dress, taking a little longer than usual. "Oh just rip it off, my love." your arousal speaking for you, all logic abandoned. "I did pack others." "And ruin this... spectacular dress... I think not..." he retorted at you between gasps. With the clasps now freed, he swiftly pulled the garment from your body, immediately lodging his face between your breasts, running his nails down your naked back, causing you to throw your head back and gasp. You knew his hardened length was but a short gap from your growing wetness, but you didn't want to get there, not just yet. Halbrand was all over your breasts, groping, licking, and biting, your nipples were so hard they began to ache deliciously. His movements caused you to buck against him unwillingly, and he chuckled as your pussy lightly touched the tip of him.

"Someone is eager..." he remarked, staring up at you, his voice bathed in lust, his hot breath tickling your skin. "For you... always." You punctuated your words by pushing him down onto the grass that lay under you both. Wanting to show him just how eager you were, you rapidly adjusted your body, and took his erection into your mouth. Halbrand cried out at the sudden sensation, your name entering the wind. An arm of yours stretched up across his chest, massaging his skin, and dragging your fingernails across his torso. He felt so good inside your mouth, your tongue wrapped around him, your teeth grazing him. Your hand met every movement you made, and you began to taste his arousal. "Wait... stop... I don't... I don't want to... not yet..." Halbrand gasped, his breathing strained.

You obliged him, crawling your way up his body, kissing as you did so. Once you reached his head, he hurriedly grabbed hold of you and kissed you hungrily. Speaking between the touching of your lips, he made a request. "I want you... over me... so I can devour you... whilst you seek your ecstasy..." "Yes... my king..." And so you continued to crawl over him, until your womanhood hovered above his mouth, just like it had nights before. You looked down as he smirked up at you from between your thighs, and watched as his tongue darted out, instantly striking your clit. "Mmmm..." you sighed with delight, not taking your eyes off him as he devoured you exactly as he promised. It wasn't long before your hips were bucking once more, riding his tongue, his mouth, whilst his hands gripped you tightly, keeping you in place in case your body became overwhelmed and tried to escape.

The feeling was completely consuming, every movement of his tongue, his lips caused a different pleasurable reaction within you. You did not have to tell him to do one thing over another, because it was all unbelievably glorious. Your thrusts into him soon quickened, and you could feel the ecstasy you sought approaching fast. "Halbrand! I'm... I'm going to..." "Come for me, my love." His words vibrated through you and triggered your release. "Yes... that's it." he encouraged, sucking on your clit. A scream rang out from you, spreading across the land as far as sound can carry. Your orgasm lasted such that time itself felt suspended, and your body trembled violently. Rolling your body off of him, you fell onto your back, the ecstasy still washing over you. Looking over at Halbrand, you watched as he licked his lips then used his hand to wipe his face, grinning, no doubt satisfied with the pleasure he bestowed upon you. He then turned over to face you, propping himself up with one hand, teasingly stroking his erection with the other. You bit your bottom lip at the sight of him.

"Who needs food when I can feast on you...?" he spoke, his voice low and raspy. You laughed in response, still catching your breath. You moved a hand to his face, which he kissed before taking your thumb into his mouth, the sucking tormenting you. Sighing sensually at his touch, you rose up to replace said thumb with your tongue. Exchanging more kisses of hunger, you lured him to sit upright, deciding your body was more than ready to have him inside of you. A lascivious smile spread upon your face, as you placed your hands on his shoulders and knelt down onto his hardness, letting it slowly enter you. The moans that escaped you both were loud, the penetration simply exquisite.

Halbrand's hands clutched your back as you began to move yourself up and down, savouring the thickness of him as it grazed deep in your wetness. Placing your hands around his neck, you leaned in to kiss him once more, your tongues colliding in a frenzy before your lips even touched. It was then your motions on him increased, and your moaning suddenly jumped an octave as your already sensitive clit grinded against him with every thrust. Halbrand stared deeply into your eyes, his face taken by the building of ecstasy within him. You held his gaze the entire time, not desiring to look anywhere else, nor to close your eyes in surrender to the pleasure. You were drowning in each other, breathing heavy and fast, soaked in sweat.

  "I love you... so much..." whispered Halbrand, barely able to get the words out. You kissed him lovingly, your movements slowing, and replied, "And I... love you..." before crashing your mouth into his once more. It was then that Halbrand took control. Still holding onto you, remaining inside of you, he changed swiftly from sitting to resting on his shins. You wrapped your legs and arms around him, clinging to his body desperately as he thrusted deeply into you, his strength on display.

Your hips met with his again and again and again, his speed was relentless. Foreheads touching, open mouths hovering over each other, you both dug your fingernails into each others backs, no doubt drawing blood. It was this small burst of pain that pushed you both off the edge. Your cries collided as you howled into each other, the euphoria almost too much to bear, you wondered if you might expire completely. His tongue darted out searching for yours, which you took into your mouth, sucking on it feverishly. As you both began to descend from the incredible high you just reached, your kissing became more loving as the lust faded from you. There were long and slow touchings of lips upon lips, with one of Halbrand's hands holding your head. Time really had stopped, and you wished this moment would last forever.

  Eventually though, you felt the fire beside you begin to wane, and the chill of night started to creep in, forming goosebumps on your skin. "I think sleep is calling us, my love." Halbrand admitted, placing small kisses on your lips and cheeks, before laying you down on the grass, removing himself from within you. He wandered over to your bag, grabbing a blanket, then quickly put out what remained of the flames, taking his place beside you, his body and the warm material ensuring those goosebumps would fast fade away. "I don't wish to sleep... even though we must. I haven't dreamt since before I learned the truth of you." you confessed as you nestled into each other.

"Maybe you don’t need to dream any longer. I'm right in front of you." His words were romantic but a little too saccharine. You chuckled, "You think quite highly of yourself, don't you?" "Well I am a king after all... it shouldn't be beyond me to act the part... just a little." He placed a kiss on your forehead, giving your body a squeeze. "Oh your people are going to love you." you teased, a hint of sarcasm in your voice. "I hope so." The last words he uttered filled with honest uncertainty. Perhaps it would be best to keep that infernal vision upon the hill to yourself, for what good would it do to reveal it? Unless of course, he has already glimpsed it. You attempted to search his eyes for the answer, but before you could find it your body succumbed to its much needed rest.

Tagging: @starlady66 @denzit @chimeracuddles @restless-tides @coraleethroughthelookingglass @hikarielizabethbloom @anemarie @mordorgp @michon-ne @vaguelyvibin 

[partially-controlled-chaos]

So I was asked by the wonderful @beardedladyqueen to do a writer ask game! Thank you so much for the ask! This was super fun and enjoyable to do! ❤️ Update: I’ve fixed the blog media sharing because I didn’t realize it was turned off.

❤️ Favorite line:

“Tavriel came upon a clearing in the dark forest. The moon shining overhead and the sound of a nearby waterfall filling the space almost entranced her. She stepped softly into the grass, feeling the first taste of dew chill her toes as she walked. Her pace had slowed as she took in the sights around her. The grass, the trees, the babbling water nearby, and finally, the heavens above.”

Okay technically it’s not one line, but it’s still my favorite. It’s a line from Chapter 1 of Simply Transactional, an Astarion x named Tav two chapter story. It’s the first story I wrote for Baldur’s Gate 3 and the first piece of fan fiction I’ve written in about a decade. This was the first little snippet I wrote and decided to go through will a full story. It’s not super powerful or impactful, but it’s special to me because it’s the single line that brought me back into writing fiction. Also about my first Tav that I’m still emotionally connected to and this poor girl just needs some fresh air and a peaceful night.

💥Change one canon event:

I really, really wish there was an interaction between Ketheric Thorm and Isobel. (to be fair I’ve never let Isobel be taken at Last Light so idk if there is an interaction or not, but either way I’ve never seen it.) Ketheric Thorm is one of my favorite villains in recent gaming history because his story is so beautifully tragic (not the mention the whole avatar of Myrkul thing makes me so happy because I love anything remotely spooky) and I would have loved to have seen something between Ketheric and Isobel. His entire reason for turning to Shar and eventually the Absolute/Myrkul/The Chosen is essentially because of her death.

And I’m aware that he knows she’s been resurrected, but he went to such great lengths to bring her back and was ultimately driven to utter despair that a confrontation or something between them would have been nice. And while I understand the reasoning of Isobel not wanting to see her father and not want to give that piece of information away to literally anyone until after his death, I just want more angst.

And just more Ketheric content in general. J.K. Simmons did such a good job with the role and I would have loved so much more content with him.

Bonus event: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, let me give Barcus Wroot a lil platonic forehead kiss and/or a hug after we kill Wulbren Bongle. He needs it.

✍️ Ideal writing setup:

Ideally I’d use a desktop on a desk with a chair. I currently use my laptop or the notes app on my phone when I’m out in the world, and they work but realistically I’d do much better if I could sit up and write. I have to work on stories after I get off work and if I get on the couch or in bed to start writing, I’ll get two sentences in and the next thing I know I’m taking a nap. And of course that just makes writing take longer because I certainly don’t want to write right after a nap.

🚀 Outline or write as you go:

So I used to do outlines way back in the day, but now I don’t. I probably should because my current writing method is a little chaotic at best. 😬 I always know what I want the story to do and where it goes before I start writing, but I don’t write it in order. I tend to write whatever is rotting my brain first, so usually I end up jumping around and doing the story in chunks. A lot of the time I’ll also write out a bunch of the dialogue and then go back in and add the details/fluff/scene setting. I will also put like general ideas in all caps so I don’t forget the order of things. (Caps so I don’t accidentally leave that in and I’ll see it.)

[kuroosdumbslut]

Can you write something that you want? Maybe something from Naruto ? Thank you ❤️

// Thank you so much for the request! I’ve been feeling a bit down lately, so I made a little hurt/comfort thing for this! I hope you enjoy it regardless :)  tw: mental health talk, smoking, hurt/comfort//

It wasn’t like you smoked regularly. If anything, it was a crutch for stressful days and traumatic events. That being said, today was an absolute bitch of a day to deal with. You and Shikamaru had previously made plans to just hang out for the evening with Ino and Choji, but as you sat outside on the deck, you realized you’d been out here for much longer than you expected to be. You still couldn’t bring yourself to care, though. Thoughts of exams and other…more personal problems still bounced around your head, and with a resigned sigh, you pulled another cigarette out of the pack and lit it, holding your suddenly heavy head with your free hand. The rain was pelting the metal roof about you, luckily not touching your cigarette, and reflected your general mood at the moment.

At that moment, the door slid open and Shikamaru silently sat beside you, pulling out a cigarette of his own. “Shit. I left my lighter inside…could I borrow yours?” Silently, you passed him your lighter and offered it to him, which he used before passing it back. For a few moments, it was silent. Just you and Shikamaru silently puffing at your cigarettes. Of course, you knew it would be broken soon enough. “So, what’s got you chain smoking out here instead of chilling inside?” You shrugged and looked around lazily, half trying to avoid his gaze and half to busy your mind a bit. “I guess it’s just…I feel out of place sometimes, y’know? Like…Like I know I have to and maybe should be here, but other times… I wonder what the fuck I’m doing here and if I’m actually helpful or not.”

Shikamaru looked at you in confusion. “Well, I can tell you for certain that you are absolutely helpful. And, if it means anything, you aren’t as bothersome as some of the other people around. Don’t get me wrong, love my team and all but holy shit it gets exhausting sometimes.” You chuckled a bit and leaned back on your free hand. “Well, thank you. I guess it’s just been a bit rough upstairs.” Shikamaru hummed, taking another drag of his cigarette. “I think we all get that sometimes. You have plenty of reason to, though, I know. Don’t think I didn’t notice how you had disappeared for nearly three weeks only to appear again with much paler skin and eye bags. No offence, of course.” You laughed and nodded along, taking a slow puff. “Alright, you got me there. Did you ever realize what had happened that time?” Shikamaru shook his head, looking at you and offering you an encouraging grin. “Not really. I had theories, but I didn’t want to assume anything.” You nodded and sighed a bit. “Well, to tell the truth, that was…I was in the hospital under observation for those three weeks. I was, uh… I couldn’t be fully alone, and I knew that, so I checked myself in for a bit.” Shikamaru’s grin fell a bit and he scooted closer.

“I was worried it would be something along those lines, but I’m glad you at least realized it before…you know.” You nodded and gave in to him proximity, leaning against him and resting your head on his shoulder. “I didn’t want to worry anyone, so I just disappeared to make it easier for myself.” Shikamaru finished off his cigarette and put it out in the nearby ashtray, you doing the same a few moments later and settling back against him. “Thanks for hearing me out.” Shikamaru hummed and turned his head to press a gentle, lingering kiss into your hair. “I’m always here for you, you know? No matter what.” You smiled and closed your eyes. In that moment, your mind slowed down and let you breathe. The world felt much more calm and manageable, and for that moment, you were content.

[magma-queen]

I must have more family sweetness! Your OC is so adorable, and I’d love to see another fic of the adorable family ^_^

Oh??? 🥺🥺🥺🥺 Thank you 😭😭 I’d be more than happy to provide you with family sweetness!

TW: Mentions of death and violence (very short, but I wanted to put a warning just in case) <3

A little angst with a very fluffy ending ❤️💙💚

“D-DAADDYYYYY!!! P-PAAAAAPA!!!!”

Maxie gasped as his body raised up from the bed, he looked around him and realized that Sierra was calling for him and Archie.

He checked the clock. “4am? Sierra?”

“P-PAPA!!! D-DADDY!!!!” Sierra screamed again, even louder than the first time. This alerts Maxie, he knows that when she has nightmares, she usually comes up to his and Archie’s bedroom by herself and sleeps with them instead.

But this? Her scream sent him flying back to the bed, trying to shake his husband awake.

“Archie.. Archie! Wake up..! Please!” He got mad when Archie flipped himself around in his sleep. “Our daughter is screaming for us, damn it! Wake up!”

*snore*

It was no use, Archie was out like a light. He was an extremely heavy sleeper. Maxie rolled his eyes and ran to throw his shirt and glasses on. He practically flew down the stairs almost tripping himself and opened Sierra’s bedroom door.

“Sierra? Honey, it’s daddy. What’s the matt- OOF!”

Sierra jumped up and tackled him into a hug. He was lucky he caught her, because he fell backwards to the ground. She whimpered and sobbed as he held her in his arms.

“Sierra.. hey… I’m right here, starlight.. shhh…”He tries to calm her down, but she clung to his chest like a koala bear. Her tears flooded her puffy eyes.

“Daddy!! *sob* dahahahaddyyy!! I-I- s-saw it!” She cried. “Th-that man! He… he hurt you, daddy!”

“Whoa whoa, slow down…”

He carries her back to her bed and sits down with her. She still clings to him, terrified.

“Honey.. did you have a nightmare?”

She slowly nodded.

“Can you tell me what happened..?”

She went up to sit on his lap, never letting her grip on him go. She seemed absolutely scared to death.

“A man hurt you in my dream, daddy…” She started, wiping her eyes. “He took this shiny thing and pointed it at you, then I heard a bang! Th-then… you fell to the ground! I-I-“

Maxie stopped her for a moment, attempting to calm her down. “Take a deep breath, Sierra. Everything is alright now.. breathe..”

She did as her dad said and took a long, deep breath. Then her snubbing ceased. She then continued.

“I-I- ran over to you and tried to wake you up! B-but… you wouldn’t wake up..”

Maxie was extremely concerned now. What in the world did she dream about?Chills ran down his spine. He shuddered at the thought.

He hugged her close. “My little starlight… it’s okay.. it was a bad dream, none of that really happened, and I’m just fine. I’m not hurt.”

“D-Daddy!” The tears came back, and she wouldn’t let go. She snuggled into his chest, never letting her grip on him go. She was terrified.

“Shhh.. shh.. daddy’s here.. daddy’s got you.. Everything is going to be okay, my sweet emerald.” He kisses the top of her forehead while she continued to sob. “I’m here.. I’m here..”

“D-Daddy… please don’t leave..” She whimpered out, holding onto his shirt. “I don’t want you to go…”

“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. I promise. Daddy’s right here. Shhh..” He rocked her back and forth, easing her and helping her calm herself. “Do you want to sleep upstairs with me and papa?”

*sniffle* “Uh huh…”

“Alright, come on.. Up we go.” Maxie held her and stood up from the bed, he began carrying her upstairs.

“I-I-Is papa okay??” She asked.

“Yes, honey.. your papa is just fine. He’s just sleeping.” He grew more concerned when she hugged his neck, very tight, as if she was trying to protect herself from a monster. “My poor baby… it’s okay, now.. your papa and I will stay here with you. Ok?”

*sniff* “Okay, daddy. Y-you promise?”

“I promise, Sierra. We won’t leave your side. We’ll be right here with you all night.”

He sat her in between where he and Archie sleep. As soon as she laid down she clung onto her papa next, who was still asleep.

He groaned and laughed in his sleep while Sierra hung onto him. “M-Max, quit it… heheh.. y-yer tickling me..”

He rolled his eyes. “That’s not me, Archie. That’s our scared little princess.”

“H-huh?” He finally opened his eyes and saw his little scamp latching onto him. “Oh, Sierra!” He noticed all of her tears and whimpering. “What’s the matter, sweetheart? Why’s me little guppy crying?”

“P-Papa-!” She sobbed, hugging him more.

“Hey… shhh… it’s okay. Papa’s here, honey..”

*whimper*

“I tried to wake you up, Archie. But I couldn’t. She’s had a bad nightmare, and she’s terrified to be without us. So she can sleep with us tonight.”

Archie looks at her and hugs her back. “Me poor little scamp.. daddy and I aren’t gonna go anywhere. We’ll be here to protect ye.”

“P-P-promise?”

He smiled at her. “We both promise. We’re not gonna let anything happen to us, pumpkin.”

She held onto his hand and held his pinky finger. “P-Pinky promise?”

“Aww, scamp..” He nodded. “Pinky promise. We’ll stay here with ye.”

She hugged him. He smiled and pet her head, but looks at his husband concerned.

“Babe, what did she dream about?”

Maxie slipped himself back into bed. “N-Not now. I don’t want to bring it back up and upset her again..”

“Yer sounding like it scared ye too, love.”

“It d-did.. this sounded more like a night terror, and now the poor thing is traumatized. She’ll probably sleep up here for the next few nights.”

Archie held his daughter close, and thought of a way to cheer her up. “Hey, Sierra? Daddy and I aren’t going to let anything scary near ye.. ok? Ye know why?”

“W-why?”

“Because…” He smiled deviously, fingers wiggling. “I’m scarier than anything else around here! I’m the tickle monster!” He playfully growled.

“Eee!!” Sierra squealed and hopped into Maxie’s arms, giggling already. “Daddy! Save me!”

He chuckled at her. “I can’t, sweetheart.”

She looked up at him in mild confusion. “W-why not?”

He wrapped his arms around her and started tickling her sides. “Because.. I’m also the tickle monster!” He playfully growled.

“AHAHAHA!! EEHEHEEHEEHEHEE!!!DAHAHADDY!! NOHAHAHA!!” Sierra squealed in laughter, she was cornered since her dad’s fingers attacked both her sides.

She laughed even harder when he blew a raspberry on her stomach.

“PFFFFFFFFT-“

“DAHAHADDEEHEEHEHEE!!! NOHOHOHO THAT TIHIHIHIHIHIHICKLES!! AHEEEHEHEE!”

“Isn’t that the point, sweetheart? *inhale* PFFFFFFT!!”

*HIC* AHAHAHAHA!! ST-STAHAHAP IHIHIT!!! DAHAHAHAHADDY!!! *HIC*”

Maxie stops and smirks at Archie. “Come on, ‘tickle monster.’ Come get her. She’s all yours.”

“Let me at her!” Archie growls playfully. “Papa bear’s gonna get that tummy!”

“Noooooo!!! Heheheheheehehee!!”

Archie growls once more and tickles her stomach. “Now he’s gotcha..! C’mere, ye wiggly Wurmple!”

“Heheheheheeheheehehee!!!”

Maxie went back to tickling her sides. “She’s going to get the hiccups, Archie.” He chuckled.

“*HIC* Hahahaha- *HIC* PAHAHAPA!!! DAHAHAHADDY!!!!! STAHAHAHAP!!” Tears of mirth dotted her little green eyes.

“I told you.”

“But the tickle monsters wanna hear ye laugh after bein’ so scared, emerald!” Archie teased. “Tickle tickle tickle! Our little bundle of giggles!”

“We just want to see your precious smile and make you feel better. We don’t want you to be scared.” Maxie smiled. “Tickle tickle tickle!”

“HAHAHAHA!! *HIC* AHAHAHAHEEHEHEE!! NAHAHAHOHO- *HIC* AHAHEEHEEHEEE!! *snort* DAHAHAHADDY!! *snort* PAHAHAHAPA!!” She squealed.

“Awwww!” Archie cooed. “She snorts when she gets tickled, just like her daddy!”

Maxie smacked him. “Shut up. I do not snort.”

Archie smirks and sneaks one of his wiggling hands up his side, earning him a snort right off the bat. He eyes Maxie deviously, who covered his mouth. Archie gets another smack upside his head.

“Ye don’t snort, huh? Ye liar.”

*blush* Sh-shut up.”

“Dawwww~”

They both stopped tickling Sierra, and watched her collapse back on the bed, curled in a ball and giggling still. Maxie picked her up and kissed her forehead.

“Heehee!”

“Our sweet little girl, we won’t let anyone hurt you. We’ll always be here to protect you.”

“That’s right, Princess!” Archie added. “And if they try, we’ll beat em’ up!”

Maxie glared at him. “Archie…”

“Whaaaat? We will! No one will harm our baby!”

Sierra giggles. “I love you, daddy. I love you, papa.”

They both smiled, got in between her, and squished her in a big family hug.

“We love you too, Sierra.” They both said, turning out the lights and getting in the blankets. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

*yawn* “Okay.. night night…”

[stormxpadme]

AO3 has been kicking me out for around 10mins bcs of pages loading too slow on wifi and data both so it wont let me post a comment on ch 7 (i think) SO HERE IT IS i will not go to sleep till i send it to you PUBLICALLY ! (gonna also paste it into ao3 tmrw but i need to send it now and then pass out for at least 3 more hrs xD):

REMYYYYYY AAAA i literally firgot everything i was gonna say when i figured out its gambjt j'fucking adoreeeee 🥰🥰🥰

one bad mutant for eric one food mutant fir charles. theyre just playing chess at this point. assholes. also with the like killing and mystiques comment abt another talk between erik and charles i had a thiught there... hmmmm.... i wish i rmbrd what kt was. OH YEAH. it hink i said this a while ago somewhere that its like. Its a draw, and impasse, and until either one of them crossed any of the arbitrary lines they drew in the sand nothing will change

Also scott is a dumbass and katja is so extremely like. Idealistic. I love that for her bcs she still has enthusiasm amd has that righteous anger that comes off as either annoying or hopeful to someone whos been fighting a war for so long such as scott. And i love that part of the convo where scott is like we cant save the whole world. It made me think of schindlers list and that quite - the man who saves a life has saved a world entire. Which is ironic given that its eriks goons doing this, which AGAIN brings me to erkis hypocrisy this time and like. Him and charles are just two sides of a same coin arent they?

The encounter with that girl yesterday had left him more confused than he had experienced in years. - side eyeing you for this 👀🤨😤😹❤️

With this weapon, we can turn all of New York into mutants in a few days and all of humanity in six months - oh i rmbrd now! (I cooy some quites to clipboard not to forget to comment on them xd) - what i wanted to say here is that i have all the love and none of the respect for cartoonish villain plans ised to attract the attention of your ex boyfriend xD "imma turn the whole new york into SHARKS and i'll be the SHARK MASTER" like dude chill ffs just text him its okay its cool xD.

❤️

It sent, actually! But yeah, everything's lagging there right now including my answers to you and I'm getting unnerved bc AO3 GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER. So I will answer here :D And then I will send you to bed BECAUSE REASONS.

And hey, there's a definite advantage to posting here: You can include visuals :D.

I needed my red eyed Cajun baby in there :D. I mean obviously, since the team is what it's like in the 90s cartoon plus one additional weather-witch, but also because Remy is too fucking cute (and Taylor Kitsch was too fucking hot playing him).

Yeep, exactly. Charles and Erik love each other far too much still for their own good. This whole thing would long have been over with everyone dead if they didn't hold their respective people back. With how it's going, there's just more and more collateral damage on the way, and those two still will just fuck it out and cry on each other's shoulder in the end, and they deserve all the shade thrown at them for it.

Uuugh now I get emotional about Schindler's list again, never managed to rewatch that, it broke me so much the first time already. I think it's really the hardest part about this job? Getting to terms that you can't be everywhere at once and that making as much of a difference as you can is what counts and not saving everyone because that simply won't work. And my girl is still at the beginning of learning that sigh. It's really chilling seeing Erik walk around killing off random people in this franchise just because they're normal people bc like. This is what happens when someone's been on the receiving end of this and then gets the power to turn the tables on the fascist assholes. The moral dilemma of the whole thing ugh.

Oh god, I'm so sorry for this storyline already LOL. Poor Ororo really needs better taste in men …

thanks, now I can never take that plan seriously again LOOOL. I mean, when Erik finally gets up to get this plan up and started, Charles will indeed be there in person, so I guess in the end the plan worked? :D

[dhampiravidi]

"Don't close your eyes, baby. Look at me." (Pogue to Jayn ❤️ He likes eye contact ❤️)

"So, I take it ya like what ya see?" Remy LeBeau was hardly an inch away, and his hand still held hers. There was a slight chill, which made her realize that she was just in her oversized tee and panties. "Oh...damn, chere...you dress like dis f'me?" He kissed her and her head spun. It didn't take long before she was on the bed, hot Cajun superhero on top of her. They made out like they were in a movie. She was tugging on his hair and his hands were doing everything right...

"Mm, oh please, please, mmph--gods I'm--" Right as she started to feel fucking great between her legs, ready for him to blow her mind, the room and his face faded away. Jayn mentally screamed in the name of the injustice being committed. HOW DARE the universe--

She didn't even bother to open her eyes. The soft sound of the AC coming on was enough. Oh gee, real life.

"Hm?"

There was something firm and warm and nice on her legs: hands. Raising an eyebrow, Jayn (her vision still blurry from sleep) lifted up the sheet to find Pogue rubbing soft circles into her inner thighs and smirking up at her.

"Wondered when you'd wake up. I know we talked about that somnophilia thing, but...I could wait." Fuck yeah. Her perfect boyfriend had stayed up late watching movies with her, and the last thing on their list had been the X-Men cartoon from when they were kids (bless reruns). Apparently, he'd stayed the night, and apparently, she'd fancasted him as Gambit. Rogue was a lucky butt. "You plannin' on goin' back to sleep?" Pogue asked before he licked her through her damp panties. She whimpered.

"N-no..." He let her move so she could take off her underwear, then moved her back into place before she could rub her legs together. Pogue knew that having him there was her favorite position--his unbelievably strong hands held her open no matter how much she squirmed, and she loved the sexy look he got in his eyes during the whole thing. Oh yeah, and he was great with his mouth. Some wanted "neat" or some shit. She was perfectly fine with "messy and generous".

He swept his tongue up and down, back and forth, nice and slow, teasing her until she was fully awake and begging for him to fuck her. Then he slid two of his fingers inside her, twisting and curling. The whole time, she was gasping, desperately trying to thrust against something that'd give her some kind of release.

"Did he fuck you like this?" There it was, those eyes, that look--like he wanted to eat her alive. A chill ran down her spine, but it was an excited one. He was gonna wreck her. "Did he?"

"No, y-you didn't--"

"Hm?" His hand hovered over right where she wanted him. Where she so desperately wanted him.

"Mm?"

"Tell me what he did. Tell me how good he made you feel."

"We kissed..."

"That's all?" If he kept teasing and rubbing her like that, she was going to go insane in the next few minutes.

"It was you, okay?--y-you were Gambit, you saved me from this vampire clown who was very high maintenance, and then we flew to a hotel room and--"

"Es-tu aussi sucré que tes yeux?"

"Excuse me--what?!"

Pogue smirked, gently squeezing her inner thighs.

"Took French in school. Reid's idea." Of course. Reid probably thought learning French would get him a girlfriend--if not at Spenser, then in Europe. Jayn knew that Caleb had already been to England to meet his dad's relatives.

"So...? What was that?"

"More or less: 'Do you taste as good as you look?'"

"Pogue!" She might've hit him with a pillow if she hadn't been so busy trying to hide her embarrassed face in her hands. They both told dirty jokes, but he was a lot more creative than she was. He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her stomach.

"So you don't want me to taste you, mon fille [my lady]?"

"Fucking--fine," Jayn mumbled.

He really didn't need to be told twice. He treated her like she was melting ice cream, and he wasn't missing a drop. Pogue just took his time, too, not going any faster no matter how much she whined or squirmed. "Pogue, pl-lease--"

"God, you look so good like this..." He sucked hard on her clit, and she might've screamed loud enough to wake up Caleb in the next room if she hadn't covered her mouth in time. "Oh, babygirl, I wanna hear you," Pogue said, words dripping with faux disappointment.

"I can't--"

"You can't? Is Caleb the one you want to fuck you?"

"No..."

"Then c'mon, Jay. And don't close your eyes, baby. Look at me." He was grinning before he even saw her dark irises. She was almost as hungry for it as she was.

[robertasgym]

No More Excuses 30-Minute Full Body Workout for Lasting Weight Loss

Need a full-body workout but can't find the motivation? Check this 30-minute session that you will surely love! It's all about getting stronger, sweating it out, and working towards that lasting weight loss.

This routine's got a little bit of everything, we got strength, cardio and toning. You'll be doing moves like Lateral Arm Circles, Slow Burpees, Side Lunge Windmills, and Fire Hydrants to target your entire body. Always remember to breathe and grab some water between workouts. It’s easy to skip, but trust me, it’ll make a difference. And to help you cool down, I added a baby pose at the end of the workout to cool down your body. Honestly, it's the perfect way to end things, you'll feel like you really earned that moment of chill.

Don’t stress too much about not getting it perfect at first! Just stay consistent with your routine and your body will eventually get used to it. It’s about showing up and doing your best. So let’s get moving and sweat it out! Good luck and have fun!❤️💪

**Don’t forget to share your experience and progress in the comment section. If you want to be notified when I upload a new video, make sure to subscribe to our channel. I upload new videos everyday from Monday to Saturday!

[forever-rogue]

for the fluffy winter request, how about ice skating with steve💕💕❤️

AN | No, but please this is such a soft and sweet idea 🥺

Warnings | Mild Language

Pairing | Steve x Fem!Reader

Word Count | 1.8k

Masterlist | Steve, Main

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You couldn’t help but smile at the handsome man across the table from you. The corners of his mouth were ticked up into a small smile, his cheeks a fresh pink from the wind chill, and his ochre eyes were glittering. It was easy to fall in love with him over and over again; and you did, bit by bit and day by day. He wasn’t just any man; he was Steve Harrington. He was your boyfriend and the love of your life. 

“What’re you looking at, pretty girl?” he asked softly, nudging your foot under the table. Your face warmed under his tender gaze and you couldn’t help but smile at him, reaching across the table and putting your hand on top of his. You were having dinner at a quaint little restaurant, peaceful in the cold winter evening, “hmm?”

“Just admiring you,” you leaned forward and gave him a sweet little smile, “I love you, you know?”

“I know,” his cheeks flushed a darker shade of pink, “I love you, angel.”

“How could I not know?” you squeezed his hand gently, “you show it with everything you do and say.”

“Flatterer,” he couldn’t help but positively beam as he looked down at his plate. Before you could say anything else, he looked back at you with excitement, “I have an idea!”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“Well, there is that holiday market on the town square and that little ice skating rink,” he grinned happily as you nodded, “I thought maybe we could go and check it out and maybe go ice skating. Whaddya say?”

“Really?” your eyes lit up as you almost squealed with delight. He nodded and you couldn’t stop yourself from leaning across the table and pressing a kiss to his lips, “I’d love to, Steve. This is going to be so much fun!”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You were walking, gloved hand in gloved hand with Steve, taking in all the sights and sounds from the bazaar. You took in all the sights, sounds, and smells, your heart growing even more full and warm than it before. This was everything you could have ever dreamed of.

You explored a few little stalls, making mental notes of the things that Steve liked and things you thought your friends would like in order to come back and buy them when you were alone. The whole place was magical, glittering snow falling softly and slowly, making everything look like a winter wonderland. 

At one of the stalls, you’d found a small shop that sold desserts and sweets, and you both got a hot chocolate to make the evening just that much better. You’d always made fun of those cheesy holiday and romance films, but that evening had you feeling like you lived in one. And you wouldn’t have changed a thing. 

You were gently swinging your clasped hands as you approached the skating rink. Steve looked both excited and terrified as he studied the various people on the ice; kids, adults, couples, and everything in between. You gently tugged on his hand and he turned his attention back to you. 

“Are you alright, Stevie?” your voice was soft as you looked into his warm ochre eyes, “we don’t have to do this if you don’t want.”

“I want to,” he insisted, not wanting you to get the wrong idea, “I just haven’t gone since I was a kid, so I don’t know how good I’ll be.”

“It’ll be okay,” you leaned up and kissed his cheek, “we’ll take it slow. And if you want to stop, we can stop. Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he nodded as you played with the ends of his thick, soft scarf, “let’s do it.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

By the time you’d gotten your skates on, Steve was still struggling so you’d helped him lace his skates up and then hoisted him to his feet. You were grinning the whole time as you took his hand and slowly led him onto the ice. The rink was illuminated with twinkling lights, and surrounded by different themed Christmas trees along the sides. Christmas music was playing softly, muted by the excited voices from all the skaters. 

“Ready?” you asked and he nodded, eagerly taking your outstretched hand as you stepped onto the ice. You took a second to get yourself oriented, feeling Steve struggling and tugging on your arm slightly. You held his hand in a tight embrace before slowly pushing off and starting to skate around. You made sure to stick to the side, so he could easily grab the railing if he felt the need to, “don’t worry, my love, I won’t let you fall.”

“If I do, I’m afraid I’m going to be taking you down with me,” his expression was sheepish; you knew he was trying to be as careful as possible and didn’t want anything to happen to you on purpose or accidentally, “I’ll be careful.”

“I know you will,” you said softly, “just hold my hand and relax. The rest will come naturally.”

“That’s easy for you to say!” he pouted lightly, his pretty plush lips looking more kissable than they had any right to, “you’ve got grace and elegance…I’m like…”

“A ninja,” you teased softly, reminding him of the claim he had often made, “stealthy like a ninja, which means you’ll be great at this!”

“Mhmm,” he bit his lip as he wobbled slightly but caught himself, “I’ll keep reminding myself of that.”

“And if you won’t, then I will!” you started to skate a little faster, going at a pace that was comfortable for both of you, laughing softly. 

Turns out, while Steve might not have been as lithe and graceful as you, he was a decent skater after all. Once he found his rhythm, it was easy for him to skate along with you. The two of you were laughing and having a great time, and a part of you wished you had a camera with you to be able to capture this moment forever. Instead, you dropped his hand and skated in front of him. He looked at you in confusion, but you silently answered his question, by holding up your hands and making them into a camera snap. You pretended to snap a picture which just made him giggle happily.

“What’re you doing?” His voice was so soft and gentle that it made your knees weak, “silly girl.”

“Taking a mental snapshot,” you explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “wanting to capture this moment forever.”

He mimicked your gesture and you pretended to pose as he made the clicking sound of the camera, “there! One for my collection too.”

You leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, eyes wide and in awe of him, “you’re the best, Steve Harrington.”

“Shh,” he put a gentle finger to your lips and shook his head, “that would be you. Now come on, I’m starting to get the hang of this!”

He took your hand back and lace his wool covered fingers through yours as best as he could and took the lead. 

And it was all fun and games…until your skate caught on some invisible nick in the ice and you started to lose your balance. Your natural instinct was to hang onto water you could in order to steady yourself. That just so happened to be Steve’s arm. 

You fell to the ice, taking him down with you, managing to land on top of him in a small heap. Upon a quick inspection you saw that neither of you were hurt, and you couldn’t help but laugh - Steve had been so worried about taking you down, when it ended up being him instead.

Steve grinned at you, on his back on the ice, his hands settled on your waist to make sure you wouldn’t slide off. There were times like this when you still couldn’t believe how beautiful he was. He must have been thinking something along the same lines because he looked up at you with a soft expression on his face before he opened his pretty mouth to speak, “I’m gonna marry you one day, you know?”

“Steve,” your entire face warmed up and you couldn’t help but try to hide your face in your hands. But he refused to let you do so, wrapping long, elegant fingers around your wrists and pulling your hands away.

“I mean it, angel,” he insisted and you knew that he was speaking nothing but the truth. You worried your bottom lip between your teeth but nodded. The idea that Steve Harrington wanted to make you his wife sent a whole different feeling down your spin, “just want and see.”

“I can’t wait,” you whispered softly, blinking back the tears that had already started to well up, “I wanna marry you too.”

“Fuck,” he groaned happily, “I’d marry you right this moment if I could - but I’m going to do this right. The ring, the proposal, all of it.”

“Stevie, I would be happy with nothing at all,” you insisted softly, “I don’t need anything fancy or expensive. I just want you, that’s everything I need.”

“Still-”

“Are you guys gonna move or what?” you looked up to find a young girl, clearly annoyed, moving to skate around you. Somehow in the ensuing conversation that had occurred, you’d both completely forgotten that you were still on the ice, in the middle of the rink. 

“Sorry,” you gave her a pathetic little smile as you tried to get back to your feet, looking more like a baby deer trying to walk for the first time more than anything else. Once you made it to your feet, you held out your hands to help him to his feet. Once he was up, he slid towards you, but instead of knocking you back over, he wrapped his arms tightly around you. You pulled back and looked up at him, “hi.”

“Hi,” he whispered just loud enough for you to hear, “you’re really pretty.”

“So are you,” you brushed a few stray locks of hair out of his face, “not to complain but it’s starting to get really cold. Maybe we could go home and start a fire and get all comfy and warm?”

“Sounds perfect,” he agreed, putting a hand on the side of your face, “one more thing first.”

And then he kissed you. Softly, sweetly, and with every ounce of love that he possessed in his body.

“You are everything to me, Steve Harrington.”

[somebluenovember]

What a lovely story, thank you @almostdefinitelydying ❤️

My train story from Ukraine is from a long time ago. I was an elementary school age kid and me and my dad were supposed to fly to Lviv, but there were no seats left, so we ended up flying to Kyiv (the only time I’ve been, and I remember too little) and taking a slow night train to Lviv that would stop at every station. 

My dad, a passionate smoker to this day, skipped off at every station for a cigarette break and I went with him to chat to the old ladies who were selling home made food stuff to passengers, pies and such. 

And then at one station, the train starts to rattle back and forth a bit. I’m all “let’s get on, it’s leaving”. My dad, ever the chill one, goes “naah, it’s just moving a bit there’s still time, we have time (=“I haven’t finished my cigarette”)”, and then the train starts to really pointedly move. We ran like hell and got on board just in time, assisted by the train conductor who was tsk-ing at for being irresponsible. All of our things, even our passports, were in our compartment, so not making it would have been...interesting.

And this is a story of why I to this day panic over missing trains (and planes and buses).  I will be back when Ukraine has won, and is again ready for tourists. Until then: I am fine with my country giving all the support, military or humanitarian, that Ukrainians ask for. This is my war, too, even if I am privileged to be at a distance.

One day, after Ukraine has won and they are again ready to welcome tourists, I will take my entire family along and go and travel across the country *just by train*, and it will be to a great deal because of inspiration from this guy and his team.

To keep the trains of Ukraine going (and for the major part, on time! and open entire new lines! even international ones; whilst also organising safe train rides for heads of other countries visiting Kyiv, and evacuation trains from the areas under bombing, etc) while the country is under attack, defending itself in an actual war, is a feat of breathtaking organisational skills, drive and a sense of purpose.  One day. 

(I’m also easy pickings for this, I absolutely adore trains)

[btwxsixesandsevens]

I loved that we were kind of hinted at it in the 5 +1 Sarah/Bucky renaissance AU but do you think we could see more about how sam introduced them and the beginning of their courtship?? Love your writing btw!! ❤️

And finally, found the words for this one.

Thank you so much for the ask!

You're not the only person who asked for this one. Let's see if I nailed it...

The Renaissance Songbooks, Epilogue

Setting: Time passes, even in fantasy historical fiction. Here we see Lord Buchanan and Lady Sarah later in life, as full of the spark of their love as they ever were. Listen in as they tell their grand-daughter how they met...

Words: 1.5k

Tags: SarahBucky, Fantasy AU, Fleur De Louve Month, Fleur De Louve

***

“Do you remember, Mama, how you and Papa met?”

“Of course I do, baby girl, I was there,” Lady Sarah responded from her seat by the fire, feet up. It was warm enough there that she could do her mending; when it gets chill, her fingers didn’t hold the stitches as fine as she liked. “Are you stirring?” she asked, not looking up.

“She’s stirring,” Buchanan said from his place at the stove next to their granddaughter, Cassia. “I’m watching.”

“Good,” Sarah said. “If you take your eyes off it for a second,”

“It’ll burn,” Cassia and Buchanan replied in unison. All three chuckled comfortably.

“Was it romantic?” Cassia asked. “Did he sweep you off your feet?”

“I didn’t even really want to meet him,” Sarah said, flickering her gaze over her husband’s back. “My brother insisted.”

“She really didn’t,” Buchanan agreed. “You should have seen the look on her face, like she was angry at God Almighty.”

“Really?” Cassia was genuinely surprised. Her grandparents were the picture of domestic bliss in her mind. They’d been married forever, were rarely apart.

“Add more flour, Cassie, slowly,” Buchanan counseled, dipping his chin towards the canister. “Yeah, really.”

“I’d already been married once, baby girl, I didn’t particularly want another man in my life.”

“Then, how’d it? How’d it happen?”

Buchanan, satisfied that Cassia was stirring and adding properly, spared a glance over his shoulder at his wife with a slow smile. Well over 150 years old, he’d finally started to age, the muscles of his cheeks dropping, crow’s feet grown, a splash of silver across his temples and over the curl of his hair. But his eyes were as sharp as ever, twinkling like diamonds in the bottom of a clear pond when he looked at her. Sarah, his Kitten. Lady Sarah had slowed down. Standing at the stove to make the soup with Cassia was now beyond her stamina. They’d all become comfortable taking her advice and direction from her corner of any room.

“You tell it, James. Your memory is better,” she said, returning his slow smile.

Buchanan took a deep breath. It had been a while since he told the story.

“So, your great-uncle Samuel suggested we meet…”

***

“So that’s her,” Samuel said. He and Buchanan were standing on a city roof, looking down over the dock. They were looking at his sister Sarah, sheltered from the sun in front of the family fish market.

“Your sister’s beautiful, Samuel,” Buchanan commented. He wasn’t surprised, but he was moved.

“Yeah, she is. She’s also smarter than you. And if you mess her around, she’ll cut you. She knows a fish knife as well as any sailor.”

Buchanan chuckled, “if you’re trying to discourage me, it isn’t working.” He took a deep breath. “When can I meet her?”

“She’s agreed to have you in for dinner tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, Samuel, I don’t have time to get a hair cut by tomorrow, let alone find a proper gift.”

“You’d better get to it.”

It was a close thing. Mostly because Buchanan spent an hour in his closet deciding if he should wear his arm or not. He opted to wear it, best to be honest about what kind of mess this beautiful Sarah might be getting in to if she accepted his proposal. Yes, he’d already determined to propose. He trusted Samuel’s advice. Moreover, the loneliness was crushing him. He was going to suggest a platonic arrangement. Something they could both benefit from. To keep quiet company would be better than another lifetime or two alone.

That’s all he was looking for, pleasant company, that’s what he had on his mind when he showed up at her door with his best doublet on, flowers and a book in his arm. Samuel opened the door.

“Well, you cleaned up alright!” Samuel commented. “Guess you were able to get that haircut?”

“Had to pay him double to come to the house, but yeah,” Buchanan stepped in the door, smoothed his one hand over the blue velvet. “I look alright? You sure?”

Samuel looked him up and down with an appraising glance. “You’ll do. You got your speech ready?”

Buchanan nodded. Platonic arrangement of convenience, that was his line.

“Now, forget the speech. My two aunts and three uncles are here, so there won’t be time. Just go up there and meet her. That’s all you have to do. We’ll figure out the rest tomorrow.”

“No plan?” Buchanan was bothered by how upset he sounded. He didn’t like that, going into the unknown without a plan.

“Nope. Let’s go.” Samuel pushed Buchanan up the stairs, into the family melee.

***

“That’s why I was scowling, beloved, because the house was full and then Samuel dragged you into it,” Sarah said.

Buchanan noticed that Sarah’s mug of tea had stopped steaming. He immediately went into the habitual motions of making more and refreshing her cup. He stopped wearing his prosthetic years ago. At some point, it caused him more pain that convenience. Basic things took him a little time, but there was no hurry.

“Pfft, it wasn’t because you were against the whole idea?”

“I was also against the whole idea, but you were the most handsome fella to come up those stairs in many many years. Honest.” Sarah winked at him. Cassia saw it and had to laugh. “I’m telling you baby girl, your papa makes heads turn now, back then…” Sarah clicked her tongue on her teeth. “He was charming and kind and talked to your daddy and uncle like that mattered. The whole time, he kept his eyes on me.”

“So it was love at first sight!”

“I wouldn’t call it love, baby girl.” Sarah winked at her now, a mischevious grin on her face.

“You’re rushing to the end, Kitten. That’s why I tell the story,” Buchanan chided tenderly, refilled her mug.

“You’re right, you’re right. Continue.” Sarah took the new hot mug, offered her husband a kiss in exchange.

***

Halfway through dessert, Buchanan noticed that Sarah wasn’t in the dining room, or the kitchen or…he followed a dim light out onto the veranda. It afforded a view of the bay, a fleet of ships pulling out into the night.

“Hello Sarah,” he said, almost wanting to introduce himself again. She looked up from her hands, eyes bright as if kissed by tears, the moon above and behind her flooding the whole space with a clean white light.

“Lord Buchanan, did you bring this, as a gift?” Sarah raised a book in her hands, holding a page open with her finger.

“Yes, I didn’t get a chance to give it to you properly…”

“It is…” she looked down at the pages, “I started reading and I barely want to put it down. Each page is better than the previous.”

Buchanan nodded, approached carefully, as if he meant to tame her. “It is a writer on the continent, who lost his first wife and is writing to his second. They exchange letters, telling each other…everything. Before they even meet.”

“That is why some of it is in Italian. The parts of I understand is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read. Thank you.” She met his gaze. The scowl from before was utterly gone, replace with an appraising eye, but not disapproving.

“You are welcome. I thought…” he cleared his throat, dropped his gaze. God, he was staring at her wasn’t he.

Sarah let a long moment pass.

“You thought it appropriate, because I lost my first husband…”

“And I my first life, yes. So, perhaps we could both have a second one.”

“Read to me,” she said on a spur, offering him the book. “Samuel tells me you read and speak all as many tongues as there are people. Read me the Italian.”

He took the book gingerly, licking his lips and stepping to the railing to tilt the pages into the light.

In the deep purr of his words, Sarah lost track of time and distance. She didn’t understand the words, but the way he rolled and moved them, she heard something familiar there. Samuel had been right, of course, they had much in common -- separately but mutually they knew loss. Perhaps together they could know what it was to find. In that shared moment, she felt the tight ache of her own lonliness squeeze tight, then release as Buchanan’s hidden words admitted to his own ache, standing in the moonlight on her veranda. By the time he’d turned the page, everything else was a foregone conclusion.

***

Cassia sighed.

“So not first sight…” Buchanan said.

“First reading,” Sarah said. Sarah looked up at Buchanan with their personal shared smile.

“Do you still have the book, Mama?”

“Sure do.” She would have him read it to her that night, now that she’d been reminded of it. Would kiss him under the covers and see what happened after that.

“Papa, did you ever suggest the…platonic arrangement…?” Cassia laughed.

“I never got around to it. By the end of the night, that wasn’t a lie I could tell myself.”

“Good thing too, I’d have laughed in his face.” She sipped her tea. “That roux done?”

“Yes, Mama.”

“Give her the next step, James, don’t let it sit too long.”

[fratboykate]

—Hey! I’m not OG tag team anon, I’m kind of a newbie in the writing thing. This is a bit of the beginning of a HC about the first time Kate and Yelena felt baby Nat kick.

And well, yeah, they are in Spain because of the Social Media Manager of D+—

The warm Sun kissed her skin in a pleasant way, she struggled to keep her eyelids open as the faint sound of the waves crashing against the sand lulled her to sleep.

She’d had a dream about this exact moment, once upon a time….maybe with a little more of action than relaxation.

Give her time though, because this was very much real. And best part of it all? She had all the time in the world.

God. She loved vacations.

She had been waiting for this. Chilling….not needing to be staring at her computer screen for a whole day as she tried to manage a company….

That’s exactly why she booked a plane ticket to Marbella the first chance she got. And here she was, slowly falling sleep in a Spanish beach, with all her worries and responsibilities far, far away where she wanted them.

A little nap can hurt, she thought as she slowly closed her eyes and gave in to the slumber.

And, suddenly, she felt a weight settling against her, warm hands traveling along her skin, lips tracing their way up from her jaw to her own. Kate hummed pleasantly.

The company she had in this trip wasn’t all that bad, either.

She opened one eye lazily and stared into deep hazel eyes, smiling softly when one of Yelena’s hands rested securely against the barely noticeable bump of her stomach.

“Someone looks cozy” the blonde’s lips were so close to her ear now that the whisper tickled her skin lightly.

“Hmmm, maybe a bit” she turned her head to nuzzle her nose against Yelena’s softly. The kiss that followed was slow, tender, as leisured as everything in this vacation. Once they pulled away, she let out a sigh. “I’m so tired, I feel I could sleep through the whole day”

She bit back a chuckle when she saw her girlfriend’s lips tug into a frown, the hand that wasn’t resting against her stomach cupping her cheek softly.

“We can always go back to our hotel room so you can rest a little, it’s been a long trip and I don’t want to—”

She laughed without being able to help herself. She reached a hand towards the Russian’s furrowed brow, tapping against it playfully until her brows finally relaxed.

“I’m fine Mama Bear” she replied. “You worry too much”

Yelena scoffed.

“I worry just enough, thank you very much”

YOU SENT THEM TO SPAINNNNNNNNN 🥺🥺🥺 Social media manager doing their job and real life influencing. Look at them!

Precious. I am like six whiskeys in so no condition to write at the moment but THAT WAS SO ADORABLE. Great job!!! Yu should definitely keep at it. Always happy to read more!!!

I love that I'm now just getting my own private batch of story bits lol. I'll for sure add "first time they feel the baby kick" to the endless list of one-shot prompts and it will be absolutely inspired by this ❤️