#like if there's one thing he'll drop good money on it's shoes

[willowser]

willow!!! am dropping by with some flowers and fruits to brighten up the season!!! 🌷🍓 wishing you lots of love this holiday time!! 💗i hope you feel warm and recharged, however way you’re spending it 🥺

on the topic of the holidays!! i am curious!! (feel free not to answer if you’re uncomfy!!) what is your go-to outfit?? do you prefer to dress up?? or stay comfy and relaxed?? what would katsuki opt to wear??? 🥺

hello sel my lil sunshine 🥺✨️ tysm for the holiday treats !!! i've had a very nice lil vacay and it has been very restful !! i hope that your holiday was just as lovely as you 😌

lemme think !! tbh i am quite boring in the fashion department LOL quite plain !!! and—i'm answering this with the holiday in mind if that's okay !!—if we were going out to a family event, i would probably wear something comfy but appropriate !! i don't care what kind of event i'm wearing a cozy sweater 😌✨️

also katsuki omg ! i have a pinterest board where i post the kind of style i think he would have so i am GLAD to talk about this question 😌 i think he's a lil picky so i don't have much but when i come across the right thing, it's going in there !! 😌 i think he is almost always wearing something comfy LOL if he can get away with it, he's wearing loose fitting pants and a jacket of some kind 😒 and the annoying thing is that he can pull off anything 😒 i think he would try to step it up a lil if we were going to an party or family's house, but he's not wearing anything tight LOL

tysm for asking sel !! 🥺 i love when you send in questions like this 😌 it gives me more to put in my self ship tag LMAOO smooching you 🩷

[shotmrmiller]

single dad simon not knowing how to be a dad. not his thing. doesn't get it. hand him a gun and he can take it apart and put it back together in his sleep. but a diaper? formula? baby food??? knows next to nothing.

so you see him, miserable old man with sunken dark eyes, hunched shoulders and a screaming baby at his doorstep with groceries in his hand and decide to help. (besides, you're also suffering with a lack of proper sleep)

he's not a good dad but he's a protective one. he's at your throat in an instant, baby in arm almost behind his back, ready to sink his teeth into your jugular. you squeak out that you're a part time babysitter. you can help. you've got the most experience with babies her age.

you keep your eyes on him, tired eyes now sharp as flint. it's scary how quickly he'd moved. footsteps barely a whisper. his breath chills your skin.

threatens you with your life if so much as a hair on her head is hurt. he must be really tired if he's willing to accept help being this defensive.

you take the chunky babe and bounce her as he opens the door to his flat. you don't dislike kids but you're not their biggest fan either. babysitting is just a means to an end. easy money that goes toward your tuition.

simon, you come to learn, doesn't care. he thinks you're the missing parent. he doesn't ask you if you can help watch over the child. simply knocks on your door and hands her to you with the diaper bag. mutters that he'll be back and with food.

he helps himself to your couch when you tell him that the baby is asleep. takes off his shoes and is snoring in seconds. simon also doesn't help the rumors going around the building. "a terrible parent, you are. how could you abandon your baby and husband? he's been struggling for months!"

simon leaves you sputtering when he tells them to stop talking about his missus like that or he'll kill them in their sleep. burp the baby, pet, or she'll keep us up all night.

at least he pays well :/

(if you go out for a friends night, which he will drop you off so stop talking about uber, he's telling you to go say goodbye to our baby who happens to be asleep in her crib and if you're wearing a short little number he's gonna watch you bend over to kiss her fat little cheek before he takes you to the bathroom to eat it from the back and is sending you to his car with trembling legs and a slap to your arse. don't look so tasty next time idk)

[bluiex]

I got to pirates smp an hour late and then had to dip before the stream ended nonetheless I was watching Scar's POV and now I'm having Scarian thoughts.

Mostly spoiler free all I really share is a mention of Scar's faction.

-@scitties-enjoyer

---

Scar drops the anchor on his boat. It's not much now, but one day he'll have something grand, he's sure of it. He hops down onto the rocky shore and picks his way inland.

In hindsight, maybe a single knife was not the right weapon, but Scar doesn't have anything better. Yet.

Scroll, scroll.. where was- Ah

Scar spends more than a moment reading the piece of paper... 'return to the mainland with the head of the isle's monster for 300 gold'

Yep, that's a good deal. Hopefully.

Unless it's something really vicious in which case, Scar is absolutely being ripped off here. Goddamn inflation.

Again, all he has is a knife.

This is... fine, probably.

Scar can hear Jellie meowing from his ship "I'll be back before you know it!" He reassures his cat.

It takes hours. He scours the island at least twice, with no success.

Then he spots a cave he didn't notice before, stepping in to an animal den of some kind where... a bird creature is goring the wolves.

Yeah this is ... fine actually. Mhm, definitely fine. Definitely not terrifying.

It's even more fine when the creature looks up at the sound of Scar's presence, dark eyes locking with his before it scrambles back in fear, wings braced around itself as if that can possibly protect it from him.

Scar makes a reckless decision, carefully putting his knife down behind himself. He's not completely stupid, if the bird-thing makes a lunge for his knife, he's dead.

Scar had been expecting an animal, not something that had the intelligence of a human. And Scar knows what it feels like to be hunted - or, knew once - so in a moment of uncharacteristic gentleness he's opening his heart to this so-called monster.

"Do you understand me?" Scar asks, softly.

The creature flinches at the sound of his voice. So it's that bad...

"I was sent to bring back your head. But neither of us want that."

The thing curls tighter around itself.

"My name is Scar. If we play our cards right we can get the reward money without you getting hurt."

The bird hisses. Which is progress, in Scar's eyes.

"I know how you feel, I do. If you come with me- if you come aboard my ship, you'll be safer." Scar feels a little faint, thinking of how mercilessly some of the other pirates would no doubt have already slaughtered this bird in Scar's shoes. "You could be my bird! Every pirate needs a bird!"

---

It's three days back to the kestrels' tavern base of operations. Or, it should be. It ends up taking Scar around a week, because Grian - the bird creature has a name! - doesn't quite have his sea legs yet so they have to stop at this island and that island and then Grian has to hide from other pirates

.Grian had gotten washed up after they left the cave, and it turns out that he's completely adorable under all that blood and viscera. Scar thinks it's very unfair that he can't just spend hours watching Grian, and instead has to steer his little ship.

Grian spends his time on the boat playing with Jellie, and honestly it warms Scar's heart.

It's one such stop where Grian finally accepts more than the bare minimum of physical contact necessary from Scar. It's particularly cold that night, sleeping under the stars, and Grian huddles up to Scar for warmth, burying his face in Scar's hair.

After that, it's like a switch has been flicked in Grian's brain. He's constantly latched onto Scar's arm, or perched on top of his hats, or his shoulder, asking questions.

---

Insert continued falling in love here I've run out of traction. Anyway the quest loophole Scar had *worked* so they do get the reward money

OOOOH BROOO THIS IS SO CUTE. PIRATE SCAR TAKING A CONTRACT TO KILL A CREATURE

And it being birb Grian- AAAAH this is so good Scitties. I love it so VERY MUCH

It takes awhile for Grian to come out of his shell fully and start speaking to Scar- he's started with the physical touch and protectiveness because Scar's his flock now

[crow2222]

this is a yap about parry i made like a few days ago

parry………….

at the rumble when darry first saw paul come up, in the book- "Something flickered behind Darry's eyes and then they were ice again." This could just be a sign of recognition but i feel like it was more like a shock- seeing him again after years and in the MUSICIAL (i didnt see it sadly but) Paul asks him if he still has the shirt paul gave him, and that he looked good in it . As much as someone will say "oh friends just say that to each other" I'll never listen because these are men from the SIXTIES and def did not compliment each other that often!!!

They have history and i will forever imagine it as exs- and maybe toxic because of their dynamics/ upbringings. Darry always having to work for what he has- and paul, who probably never lifted a finger for much. Darry would've put in so much effort for paul, afriad paul would realise he's better than darry. He'd be ashamed of his neighbourhood, his brothers and friends (who are more greaser-like than him, because they dont buddy around socs like he does).

Obviously paul must've liked him too, i doubt he'd be crazy enough to mess around with boys like that during this time, seeing how it could've gotten either of them killed. I feel like paul wouldn't put in nearly as much effort in their relationship, doing the same things he'd do with a girl- maybe even less with internalised homophobia- which means darry would be treated like shit, paul jus grew up being able to toss away anything at any time and that would dangle above darry's head when he'd think about paul's girls that he'd dropped without a second though…

They were both on the football team……. and if they were together, those team showers would be awkward for them, seeing how they'd find it hard to rip their eyes from each other's bodies. But they'd also feel so proud of each other after the other does a good play, and maybe run off to be able to congradulate each other without peering eyes?

They'd still have girlfriends. if they didn't, it'd be weird- seeing how they're both part of the football team and good looking. Darry would probably keep one and keep enough effort to make it seem like love while paul would go from girl to girl without a care- it'd be easier for him too, seeing how he has money.

Darry truly loved Paul, and Paul just loved Darry. University is probably what broke them off; Paul was excited to go to the same university as Darry until he breaks the news that he can't afford it. Paul maybe sneakily tries to tell him he can help- but darry refuses, wanting to work for it himself (he'd feel guilty taking it, he always had to work for what he wants.) Paul is annoyed and snaps- takes it as darry seeing himself as better than paul- slaving away on roofs for some stupid education with his run down home and dirty family. Darry can't take it, and calls him the spoiled bitch he might be and breaks it off,

they end horribly, and even if darry got the last word- paul still feels smug about being in uni at the rumble. Darry's more worn out and tired- yet more worked out than ever when he notices him. Paul takes him on, sneaking a punch when darry looks away because he knows how good darry is at fighting- sneaking is probably the only way he could've gotten a first punch in- solidifying his position above darry (even if he runs away later, no one remembers the rumble and socs will always be on top..)

they will never end off on a good note, and if they were to meet in the future again, paul would always see himself as better than darry (Darry refuses help and will always be working for everything until he dies- of course I'm better, just see how scuffed his shoes are compared to mine.)- and vice versa (paul never earned his money, somehow feels better than everyone else because of it.- he'll never know true work like i do, I'm better.)

[adviceformefromme]

Hi! Really enjoy your blog, sometimes your motivational posts is the first thing I see on my dash in the morning when I do a quick scroll. Helps me start the day with the right mindset :)

Now I want to ask for a piece of your advice. On multiple occasions in my life I had men I was with tell me things like: I have such good time with you, let me know if I can do something for you, what do you want, how can I help you etc. In those situations I knew that those were not the kind of men I could ask to pay my rent or take me to Paris, you know? I knew they didn't have the resources. So I would always be very grateful and try to think of something nice I could ask for, in moderation. But I realize that I always had that panicy period of "what do I even ask for? how do I answer these questions in a way that's classy but also take what they want to give me?"

So my question is, what would you do/say? How do I prepare myself for this kind of situations?

Thank you :)

Hey sweetie, thank you for the kind comments!

Regarding the provider men, I would say you can always test his generosity with asking for something small at first then building up. Casually dropping in things you love, asking his opinion on a new pair of shoes, handbag, spa days etc.

Personally, I have totally moved away from this as I am currently on a dating break. I also found that seeking men to spoil me actually attracted the worst of the worst. Maybe one day i will share my Dubai experience. BUT what i will say, is before i knew of hypergamy and following SheraSeven I naturally attracted providers. My energy spoke before I did. I didn't need to tell a man to take me to the spa, because he already booked it for us for the day, I didn't need to tell him I loved shopping because he knew this about me and took me shopping. My intentions were pure. I always knew I loved to be spoiled but I never went out seeking. Some women are more tactical, and some women naturally embody being spoiled energy. So my advice is let your energy speak, be natural, ask for what you feel confident and learn to trust yourself and what you are worthy of receiving. There is no shame in wanting to be spoilt by a man, i remember telling my first boyfriend at uni how badly i wanted a Gucci handbag for my birthday, it was literally all i wanted and he took out a credit card to buy it for me. I didn't beg him ,but he wanted to make me happy. So, with that my final point being, if a man wants to spoil you there is no stopping him. If he's broke, he'll take out credit. If he's rich, £800 Jimmy Choo's will be pocket change to him. A man who wants to provide is that way inclined regardless of how much money he has, so always good to observe his generosity in the early stages. I hope this helps xoxx

[mermaidsirennikita]

sorry if this is an uncomfortable ask

but do you have any good dubcon recs?

Not uncomfortable! If done well I'm actually a fan of it.

Historical:

Scandal's Bride by Stephanie Laurens. A MAJOR new favorite of mine. The heroine is this "Lady of the Vale" which means she gets visions from her goddess. The goddess sends her a vision of a man who she says will father the heroine's children, the hero shows immediately after, and our heroine is dismayed because though she wants an heir, she also wants to be a single pringle. Her solution is to drug the hero so that he thinks he's dreaming during their encounter and leaves without realizing what happened. It's... really good. He does realize what's up after the first encounter, but pretends he doesn't lol. He's actually semi-delighted by how crazy she is, and to be fair he does sorta do a reverse uno because the next two encounters, she thinks he won't remember? But he's FULLY in it.

Once More, My Darling Rogue by Lorraine Heath. The hero and heroine have a combative relationship; she's super bitchy to him, especially because he was born lower class (and then adopted by a duke and duchess, see Lorraine's Surrender to the Devil for his childhood origin story). It's a retelling of Overboard! so she falls into a canal or something, he finishes her out, he realizes she has total amnesia, and he tells her she's his housekeeper... thinking he'll stop soon. He doesn't. When they do finally get to it, I'd definitely call it dubcon because she has no idea what their actual past history is. (And she is pretty upset, understandably, when she finds out.)

The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath. I mean, this is another "deception" situation. Edward pretends to be his dead twin because Gorilla Twins and comes back to Julia thinking he's not going to touch her... But she touches him thinking he's her husband... And he.... returns that. Because it's his code! He can't NOT reciprocate!

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught. Hero is English, heroine is Scottish, he kidnaps her and they actually have an initial little romance, before things separate them and make them total enemies. Their first encounter is totally coercive, and sorta vengeance based--I think he's basically keeping her from seeing her sick friend or sister (who isn't actually that sick) unless she submits

The Courtesan Duchess by Joanna Shupe. The heroine and heroine married 6-7 years before, he had no desire to marry her and left for the Continent to party and sleep around without consummating it. Now she needs heir for legal/money reasons. He doesn't have a strong memory of her, so she trains as a courtesan and totally changes her appearance, seducing him so that he sleeps with and gets her pregnant. It does work. And she does come home to him, after he finds out, sitting in the dark, smoking a cheroot, and going "THE OTHER SHOE JUST DROPPED".

I think Elizabeth Lowell's medieval trilogy has this in every book, tbh.

Untamed: The hero is just generally really pushy and dominating, and it's an arranged marriage situation where he's kind of The Worst but also The Best.

Forbidden: Another situation where like, everyone is enjoying themselves, but it's not exactly kosher on the consent friend. And I would say that one of the later encounters, where he's super mad at her, is explicitly dubious. He's basically like "I don't want to touch you" so she begins touching (among other things) him while he tries to keep from reacting (and fails).

Enchanted: This one is a bit more uncomfy because the heroine actually is recovering from a legit noncon assault from another man, though the hero (her arranged husband) doesn't know this and just thinks she's frigid. He doesn't really push her on that front from what I remember, but like... she gets sick, and there's this sort of like, dreamy sleep situation where there's a magical blanket (?) involved, and I think they BOTH think it's a dream deal, but they've actually been sort of drugged.

His at Night by Sherry Thomas. The hero and heroine totally hate each other when they marry (she tried to compromise his brother into marrying her, ended up compromising him, so he thinks she's the worst; he's a spy pretending to be stupid, so she's like "God I'm stuck with him???") and I remember the initial consummation being very "grin and bare it" dubious.

It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas. BUT OF COURSE. Lillian gets super drunk, and though she does experience her first time with Westcliff, she thinks it's a dream until she wakes up and he's like "was it as good for you as it was for me?" (He knows it was.) Lisa edited this out of more recent versions, including the ebook versions, so you would have to pick up an earlier physical copy of the book. Personally, I love it. I love the scene. I get why other people don't, and they can read the other version (though I think the editing is incredibly clumsy).

PNR:

The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole. This is a novella, the first IAD book. The setup is that Kresley's vampires don't have a heartbeat (and therefore no blood flow) until they meet their Bride (gender neutral, and I'm not joking--she's done a m/m vampire book, and the term Bride seems to end up being implicitly applied to the other hero, which I find kinda cool). This means they... It's not that they don't have a response, but it can't physically.... be achieved. And once it happens, the must... complete it... and he can only do it through the heroine's touch. So the heroine is the hero's Bride, she purposefully likes to tease vamps and kill them. She fails to kill him because Attraction, but she does leave him wanting for FIVE YEARS. He finds her at that point, and grabs this chain she keeps around her waist, which nobody else has been able to remove, and when you hold the chain you can command her to do anything and she mUST comply.

He has fun with that.

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole. This is borderline total noncon, but there's some "her body wanted it" stuff to sorta cancel that out. The hero recognizes the heroine as his mate, is essentially really mad that she's a vampire because vamps have tortured him in eternal flame for 150 years (you get it) and within the first chapters he takes her into the shower and makes her... relieve him... in exchange for a phone call to her family. I mean, he does reciprocate! There's also some light sleep stuff.

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole. Sabine kidnaps Rydstrom because she's his fated mate and her brother wants her to have Rydstrom's heir as a part of the Evil Plot. Rydstrom does need to consent to the actual act because he needs to recite some vows and marry Sabine first so that the kid is legitimate. And he won't, lol. So she chains him up and torments him in an attempt to make it happen. (Fwiw, Rydstrom also chains Sabine up and does the same thing later as "parity" so it goes both ways.)

Lothaire by Kresley Cole. Lothaire and Ellie have a lot of encounters that aren't, but there is at least one where she's does the "no until it's yes" thing, and he for sure just charges on.

Contemporary:

Bass-Ackwards by Eris Adderly. I'm a little ambivalent on this (not because of the dubcon) but it's very popular and I overall found it fun. Basically, it kicks off with the heroine asking for some time off and her boss saying "yes, in exchange for X favor" (more than a favor tbh) and she agrees lol. Goes from there.

Act Your Age by Eve Dangerfield. The reason why I'd classify this as dubcon is because the heroine thinks she's doing stuff with another person, but it's actually her manager. However, he does not intentionally take advantage. He thinks she understands what's happening, but it's very dark (like visually, the lights are off), there are extenuating circumstances, etc. From there, once they realize what's happening, there is no more.

Edit: HOW COULD I FORGET???

Mafia Madman by Mila Finelli. Enzo and Gia's first few encounters happen when she's literally chained to his bed and cannot actually like... consent. She does eventually but not until after he's gotten the party started, as it were. She does love every minute of it! And of course, there's the scene where he chases her down through the boat until they're in his office and... she is very "OH NO!!!!" about it outwardly.... and less so inwardly.

Fantasy:

The Winter King by C.L. Wilson. The hero and heroine are actually both pretty much unable to consent. It's an arranged marriage, and unbeknownst to either of them, her dad drugged their drinks to make them... very excited. So it's dubious on both sides.

[maria-rayro]

cat!hector part 2

As time went on. He came to terms with it. He began to go back to the city - but now he had no money to buy himself anything at the cafe, so he spent all the full moons in the library, to diversify his leisure time somehow. When he walked the streets as a cat to entertain himself, he tried to watch out for people, hid a lot, didn't trust anyone.

That hasn't changed a decade later. Now he's in his thirties, and he's sitting wistfully in his cat form late at night on a bench in a deserted park when it suddenly begins to rain. It keeps getting heavier, and Hector runs away from the bench, trying to find some shelter. It is late fall, it is cold outside, but no one will let him warm up inside; he runs among the rushing people, who miraculously do not trample him, and he suddenly feels terrible helpless. He runs off the sidewalk and almost gets hit by a car when he is suddenly grabbed by someone's hands and lifted up, and after a couple of moments Munday suddenly feels warmer, and he realizes that someone has hidden him under his jacket, holding the wet cat against his T-shirt. Out of confusion, he even meows, but then presses himself harder into the stranger, uncontrollably digging his claws into him, as if afraid he'll let him go.

The stranger smelled good. He's warm. And he's carrying him somewhere. Hector is scared, he realizes that he needs to hiss and scratch and run away, because this is a man, no matter how kind he seems, he can hurt him in the cruelest way at any moment… But he can't. He is so tired. He hopes he will be allowed to eat and wait for the rain to pass before he is kicked back outside.

The noise of the rain suddenly dims, and Hector realizes that they have entered a building of some kind. He curiously pokes his muzzle out from under his jacket and looks around, sniffing. It turns out to be an ordinary entryway, and the stranger walks with him up the stairs to the third floor, stopping by the door and trying to find the keys. Munday turns his attention to his face for now and looks at him curiously. The young man has blond hair and glasses all covered in rain drops, how can he even see anything like that? Well, judging by the fact that he only gets the key in the keyhole the third time, perhaps he sees badly enough. He's also wearing a cap and a scarf, and Hector can't see much else yet. Besides, they're already finally entering the apartment.

The stranger closes the door behind them and sighs in relief. Then he looks down at him and smiles. "You poor thing, you're all frozen, aren't you? Just like me," he says. "That's all right, we'll warm up and eat now. I hope you're not afraid of the water? Ah, silly question… I have some flea shampoo left over from last time, I need to wash you… yes, yes, you are not my first. Actually, I had to give the last cat away… my friend fell in love with it at first sight, I couldn't help giving it to her," he says, taking off his shoes and cap carefully and walking into the bathroom. "But I'll keep you, I guess. If you don't mind," he smiles charmingly, and then gently takes him in his arms, forcing him to unhook himself from his T-shirt. Then the young man puts him in the bathtub. "There you go. And you're calm! That's cool, because last time I ended up with bloody scratches all over my hands," he smiles, gently turning on the shower. Hector looks at it incredulously, but decides not to run away. Besides, the water is very warm, and he's missed it, to be honest. The calm pressure of the shower doesn't hurt him, and the stranger's words are relaxing, though he continues to be wary of being washed with strange shampoo. He didn't have fleas! Silly man. "What a good man you are! I absolutely love it. And your eyes are so smart… I've never seen a cat with brown eyes before, by the way. You're very handsome… I'm sure I'll be convinced of that even more when you're dry," he smiles, trying to rinse the shampoo off him as gently as possible. "My name is Charlie, by the way. Charlie Lonnit. And, as you can tell, I'm very chatty. And probably lonely, since my companion is a stray cat rescued from the street. Well, don't give me that judgmental look, okay? I'm helping you, aren't I?" Charles smiles as he turns off the water and immediately wraps Hector in a towel to dry him off.

Munday tries to be careful, but he is very curious about everything. He hasn't been in a normal human apartment in a long time. And this young man… for some reason he seems harmless. He's so pretty and bright and warm. All his instincts tell Hector that he won't do him any harm. So after letting Charlie dry his fur, he obediently begins to wait for the young man to get everything he needs from the refrigerator and give him food.

Lonnit takes a small plate out of the cabinet and puts some fish in it, dropping the plate on the windowsill, on which Hector immediately jumps. Charlie laughs, but decides to let him eat straight from there, and in the meantime pours some water into another plate. Then he finally goes to change out of his soaked clothes and take a quick shower. While he's gone, Munday finishes his portion and drinks water, and then he stretches and goes to look around the apartment. It turns out to be small but cozy, and Charles has quite a bit of seemingly unnecessary junk. There are also a lot of books and comics, various magazines, newspapers. In the living room, which is combined with the kitchen, on one of the walls, Hector notices a strange map with a bunch of different notes and photographs connected to each other with red threads. He is carefully studying it all, curiously swinging his tail, when suddenly he hears cheerful laughter and immediately turns first his ears and then his muzzle in the right direction. Charles is standing nearby, already changed into his pajamas and slippers. He shakes his head with a smile as he walks over to him and takes him in his arms. Hector snorts, but decides not to scratch him for such willfulness just yet. "You're just like a detective, so focused," Charlie laughs, turning with him so that Hector can get a closer look at everything, which is exactly what the cat does. On one of the white sheets of paper he sees a sketch of some criminal, and next to it on a pink post-it note are some addresses, two of which have already been crossed out. "Well, you really are a detective. Maybe I should call you Holmes. Like it, huh?" Charles smiles, and Hector looks up into his face again. "Oh, absolutely! You'll be Holmes. So handsome… and those intelligent eyes… eh…" he shakes his head. "I won't give you to anyone. No matter how much they ask," he suddenly leans over and kisses his forehead, and Hector blinks a couple of times, feeling a strange longing arise in his heart. He remembers his mother.

She had the same eyes as this Charles…

Charlie cradles him to his chest and strokes him a couple of times as he walks with him into the kitchen. "What a good boy, ate it all! Now I'll eat a bit too and we'll go to bed. And tomorrow we'll go to the vet to check on your health, maybe you need some shots… don't worry, I won't castrate you" he grins at him, putting him on the window sill. Well thank you. "You're a pretty good and calm kitty, I think," he says, opening the fridge and starting to put food for himself now.

He doesn't stop chattering even as he eats, and Hector, who is unused to this, watches him curiously. After dinner, Charles goes to the bedroom and calls Munday after him, and he follows him with a careful, quiet step. Charlie climbs under the covers, leaving the lamp next to the bed on, and takes out a book. The cat jumps on his bed and lies down next to him, looking at him with wide eyes, and Charlie, laughing, decides to read it aloud to him. It turns out to be a book about serial killers, and Hector listens intently, not missing a word, until, after about twenty minutes, tiredness takes over and the gentle voice of the young man with the British accent puts him to sleep, and he curls up and falls asleep, warm and cozy, full and clean, and not alone, for the first time in a very long time.

[izzy-b-hands]

I was thinking abt the occasionally fun but mostly frustrating tradition(in the states at least idk for sure if anywhere else does this?)of valentine's day boxes made for school.

That led me here. steddyhands and the dilemma of the valentines day box assignment for louis and alma, special feature on izzy and his rising blood pressure (sorry izzy bby akdnfjgn), which I'll be real i talk more abt in my tags on this since this probably isn't gonna be written out any further, so yeah. More plot talky izzy stuff in my tags.

Noting this in my tags too, but a moment to specify that ed and stede aren't trying to have like. a shitty parenting moment in this, they're just human and excited abt the situation and sorta fuck up a bit.

---

"The point is that they make the box themselves," Izzy says, for what feels like the hundredth time. "The only grade they get is 'did they do it or not'. Their teachers bolded that part of the email, remember? Said to mind getting too competitive about it?"

"Now I think Frenchie would happily take on the commission," Stede continues, thumbs tapping at his phone keyboard. "He'll reply quickly; he always does for me."

"It's a cardboard box," Izzy says. "To hold paper and cardboard valentines and cheap candy. That's it!"

"Money will help, but the overall design needs to be good," Ed says to Stede, as if Izzy and the kids aren't still standing there. "Money can buy resources, but it can't buy pretty, no matter how nice those resources might be."

"Oh that's good! Applies to other things too, I like it!"

"We bought them new shoes last week," Izzy sighs. Why does he keep trying? He couldn't say. "They each have a box already. We just need to help them decorate the boxes. That's it. That is all the teacher means with this project. I even asked Mary and Doug how they read it, and they agreed with me!"

"Ooh Frenchie has mock ups!" Stede cheers softly. "I knew he'd come through."

"It's okay," Alma pats Izzy's hand. "You tried really hard to make them understand. They're just excited."

"Can we go to the art stuff store now?" Louis whines, tugging at Izzy's other hand. "They won't even notice if we leave!"

"We should leave a note at least," Izzy says.

"Dad does love well written notes and random acts of abandonment," Alma sighs. "You dictate and I'll write. I want to practice my cursive."

"Really?"

"Dad can't read my cursive well yet."

"That makes more sense," Izzy says. "Louis, what are you-"

He watches as Louis tugs Stede's wallet from the countertop, and bolts outside, prize held up over his head with both hands.

"He won't notice," Alma reassures him. "You shouldn't have to pay for our stuff for this anyway."

"You've done this before."

"We'd be stupid if we hadn't," Alma tears a page from her notebook. "Here, I wrote it myself. I'm gonna get Louis in the car."

She's out the door after Louis, hands clapping to get his attention just like Mary did with them both.

"Either of you want to help me address that?" Izzy asks Ed and Stede, who he realises have indeed not stopped talking to each other the entire time. "She's a bit young to be acting like that, yeah?"

They're in their own world. Normally, he wouldn't care, but he's Guardian Five out of many and it feels like Parent/Guardians 1-4 could and should have already noticed it ahead of him.

"Fine," Izzy drops Alma's note by Stede's hand, deciding not to read it. That she actually went through with writing it is kindness enough. "I'm going to let her rack up a ridiculous bill on one of your seven credit cards, and they'll make those stupid fucking valentine boxes so fucking ornate..."

His anger fizzes out mid-sentence. Stede isn't listening. Ed isn't listening. Alma keeps honking the horn in the car and how did she get the fucking keys?!

"You know what? Fast food and ice cream for dinner too," Izzy adds. "On your dime. We'll bring you something back."

He turns his attention to Alma and the frank abuse of the car's horn. "Alma! The neighbours already don't like us, let's not make it worse! Not unless you've got something worse than this planned for later-"

--

The door thunks shut.

"Oh," Stede looks over to it. "Didn't Izzy just say something?"

"No idea," Ed replies, looking through design ideas on his phone. "Why?"

"They were just here," Stede continues. "Him and the kids. Right?"

"Maybe they went out for an after school snack," Ed shrugs. "To get inspired for this big art box project thing."

"Is that what this is? What was this for again?"

"Dunno for sure, but look at this," Ed turns the phone to show Stede the screen. "For Louis?"

Stede lets his concerns drop again. Izzy will mention if they're missing any key details about the kids' projects and what needs to be done. "I think he'd love it! Save that."

The house is getting dark around them, and he wonders if Izzy and the kids will be home for dinner.

[seacottons]

—ateez as boyfriends [ domestic au ]

notes: swearing. suggestive dialogue. fluff. i blame a certain someone for this, not gonna say who. @kireiwoo

— hongjoong

very caring and attentive towards you

so much so, that even his friends have complained how it isn't fair he doesn't scold you like the way he does to them

he enjoys many activities with you, such as

helping him dye his hair an ungodly color every other month

he'll insist you try experimenting with your own tresses

but you only have the courage to dye the very ends of your strands

"i don't think i can pull off that color as well as you do," you'd say.

"that's a load of bull. you'll suit every hair color."

you'll just roll your eyes playfully at his biased behavior.

other activities include getting tiny matching tattoos together.

the tiny flower and butterfly on your wrists was most likely your favorite due to its simplicity in design and the meaning behind it as well.

spontaneous dates are his favorite.

behind closed doors, he loves to constantly shower you with pecks and smooches.

often gets teased by his friends from how whipped he is for you.

randomly books vacations for you two to relax and unwind every so often.

although he enjoys it, he is a big, tired baby when it comes to traveling

always wanting to lean his head against your shoulder

or cuddling you close for warmth due to the airport's air conditioners blasting frigid air.

has written many songs about you

and when he's finally ready, he'll not only ask you to listen to them, but to also spend the rest of your life with him and share his last name as well.

— seonghwa

constant pet names

"darling."

"the sun to my stars."

"the moon to my sun."

"love of my life."

you like to call him mars, mostly.

but he revels when you call him 'twinkle eyes' for some reason.

has a habit of pulling you into his lap.

you'll subconsciously play with the strands of his hair as he does so, him being too distracted bickering with his friends to realize sometimes.

will always give you pleading looks whenever wooyoung or san tease him.

sometimes, you walk in to find wooyoung settling onto your boyfriend's back while he greedily devours the bowl of popcorn entirely by himself.

or other times when both wooyoung and san constrict his limbs with their arms whenever you're near.

"y/n can't save you now, so cut the whining."

you'll only sigh and shake your head in amusement.

"what are you guys doing to my poor boyfriend?"

"he changed the movie we were watching without our permission!"

"because i have no damn clue what's going on, and harry potter is too confusing!"

coffee dates.

loves to sleep with you tucked against his chest.

always has an arm draped around your frame.

butterfly kisses on your neck.

soft touches against the small of your back and waist.

his favorite pastime with you would be stargazing.

"baby, look. it's me, mars-io," he'd say whilst pointing up to the large, bright star in the night sky.

when it's too cloudy outside, or when the weather isn't forgiving, he'll turn on the indoor star projector he bought so the two of you can stargaze in the comfort of your own bed.

— yunho

is the epitome of romantic.

is constantly smothering you in love and affection.

always has heart eyes and admiration in his eyes at whatever small task you do or say.

rant about an ancient dynasty?

heart eyes.

bombard him with useless information about a certain abandoned island.

heart eyes.

gush about the new cute bakery that recently opened up?

heart eyes.

if you had a money jar for every time he says 'i love you', you'd have enough money to buy a plane ticket or two.

always willing to drop everything to help you with whatever it is you need.

will wake up in the middle of the night when you text him to ask if he's awake or not.

willingly stays up to keep you company.

but sometimes, when he's too tired, he'll knock out accidentally and profusely apologize to you in the morning.

very supportive of your life choices.

hates seeing you cry because it makes him want to bawl his eyes out as well.

his hugs are bone-crushing.

but he is a gentle giant nonetheless.

likes to attempt to bake pastries with you.

half of the time, the goods either turn out undercooked or burnt.

"they have love in them, that's all that matters."

will always insist that you can rant to him about anything and everything.

you've never felt so valued in your life before meeting him.

is the most understanding human being you've ever gotten the pleasure of knowing.

"i wish we were vampires," he says one day.

you give him an amused look, lips outstretched into a smile, "why, silly?"

"so we can spend an eternity together."

— yeosang

his heart flutters when you notice the smallest things he does.

it makes him feel appreciated and acknowledged.

like when he changes up his hairstyle or earrings.

or when he wears a new sweater.

a big, big softie when it comes to you.

can and will want to spend all day in your arms on his days off.

quick witted and has a knack for noticing the tiniest detail.

very shy and awkward at first.

but when he gets more comfortable as time passes on, you won't be safe from his snarky little comments anymore.

will constantly bring up the thing you said or did months ago to prove a point.

"oh, you like this flavor? three months ago you told me it tasted like vomit."

"remember that time you woke up in a rush to get to work thinking you were late, only for me to drag you back inside because it was three in the fucking morning?"

you stop mid-chew and peer up from your plate of rice.

"your point, yeosang?"

"oh, nothing this time. i just wanted to tease you."

is the type to have a mid-life crisis when you can't decide on a restaurant.

"but i don't want to eat at the chicken place again," you'll whine.

"it's been thirty minutes, and you still haven't decided what you want!"

"you're rushing me!"

"y/n! just pick!"

loves to cuddle with you, especially in the colder months.

wraps a blanket around your frame and tugs you in closer against his chest.

pretends not to understand your jokes just to spite and tease you.

loves when you cling onto him.

his favorite pastime with you would be just walking around together at night and trying out different types of street food.

or even visiting any of the local beaches for a relaxing walk together.

— san

persistently keen about whenever you feel upset or down.

he reads you better than any open book.

sometimes, it scares you, but you appreciate how he's always so eagle-eyed about your behavior.

loves to hug your head.

you allow wooyoung to crash some of your dates with san sometimes.

other times, san will whine and tell him to go find his own date.

"if y/n accepted you as a boyfriend, then you should've disclosed that i'm part of the deal as well. buy one get one free."

"as what exactly?"

"the hot, clingy best friend."

will take numerous duck-faced selfies of himself because you think they're cute.

often times, he'll ask you to mirror his expression, only for him to press his lips against yours a second before his phone snaps the picture.

likes when you kiss his dimple.

"y/n! it looks like a crater from the amount of times you've kissed it."

he likes to tease you.

a lot.

touchy.

very touchy.

always has an arm around you.

rests his chin against your shoulders.

playfully smacks your rear when you're sassy with him.

or leans in to hold your jaw whilst whispering teasing words into your ear that has you becoming docile and bothered in mere seconds.

has you wrapped around his finger as much as you have him wrapped around your own.

likes to have weekly picnics with you at the park and admires all the dogs running about.

"i should bring byeol next week. maybe she'll like to play fetch too."

"i don't think that's a good idea.."

you often find him fast asleep holding onto a plushie for dear life whenever you're away.

you'll pull it away from his arms, causing him to stir awake groggily.

he'll stare in confusion as you throw the plushie aside, before pulling you in tighter as you wriggle into his arms.

"you're softer than shiber," he'll mumble sleepily against the crown of your head.

— mingi

mingi is sometimes self-conscious around the public eye and others, but when it comes to you, those layers of fear and insecurity get stripped away instantly.

doesn't mind being vulnerable with you.

he craves affection, adores it even, but is insecure about not being able to return it well enough for his liking.

likes when you give him attention.

easily gets jealous when someone else grabs your interest.

reassuring him 24/7.

"yes, mingi. you're the love of my life."

kissing his pouting lips for good measure.

the smallest of gestures has him a blushing mess.

even holding hands in public.

when he's not being a sentimental sap, he'll like teasing you lovingly.

"wow, you have this many photos of me in your phone?"

you'll scrutinize him in confusion.

"are you that obsessed with me, y/n?"

"mingi! you told me to take half of those photos of you!"

"oh, right. i forgot."

a silence weighs down onto the two of you.

"but would you have taken them if i never asked you to?"

constantly laughs about the things you say, although you don't think you're that funny.

always seeks your approval subconsciously.

will always shield you from the rain, playfully yelling at the droplets sometimes.

"you can't make y/n wet! only i can!"

"mingi! we are in public!"

wanted to go strawberry picking because he saw a celebrity try it out on instagram live.

accidentally steps on many berries though.

"it's okay, they'll just make another plant. i did them a favor."

brags about you like no tomorrow.

even for the tiniest, minuscule thing.

"oh, i've already tried the brand of ice cream. y/n always buys that for me."

"i don't need to pay all this money for a measly slice of cake. y/n's cakes are much better."

"no, wooyoung. i'm not jealous of your new shoes." he'll lightly pinch the boy's side, "y/n and i have already bought ourselves matching pairs."

"you two are so fucking cheesy, it hurts."

when he's not bragging about you, he's boasting about himself.

but if that's what helps him raise his confidence levels up, you'll gladly sit down hours on end listening to how he has more 'swag' and 'charisma' than all of his older friends combined.

— wooyoung

teases you like his life depends on it.

says you can't get enough of him, when in reality it's the other way around.

but you let him believe whatever he wants.

but deep down he just really gets satisfied with himself if he raises your mood and makes you smile.

especially when you're not having a great day.

uses way too many emojis when texting you.

"wooyoung, why am i saved as as 'clingy bug' on your contacts?"

he'll squawk indignantly and laugh awkwardly for a second.

"who told you this lie!?"

"seonghwa?"

always wants to show off your love in front of his friends.

"no, i don't want my early birthday gift now. wait until the others show up, and do it front of them."

"but why?"

"so everyone can see how much you love me. can you also cry for good measure?"

"absolutely not."

he enjoys the dates you have in his apartment the most.

the ones where he cooks for you and asks for your help, only for him to pester you about over-seasoning or undersalting something.

"okay, fine! we'll just order take out if it tastes that bad," you pout, flinging a small piece of onion on his face.

his head instantly snaps back to eye you judgingly, fist gripping the poor spatula.

"over my dead body."

"so, y/n. how does my plating look?"

"it's beautiful, wooyoung. you've outdone y-"

"what else is beautiful?" he demands, face leaning over the table to give you a knowing grin.

you shove a piece of meat and rice into his mouth, shrugging nonchalantly.

"me."

he deflates at your answer, spluttering pieces of rice onto your face.

"jung wooyoung, you slob!"

— jongho

is the type of boyfriend to stop you in the middle of the road to tie your shoe for you.

very charming and goofy in his own way.

takes pride in himself and his abilities to cater to your every whim and need.

even when you don't ask for his help.

aggressively opens jars for you when you struggle to pry them open.

"no one messes with my y/n."

"you're fussing at a jar of pickled radish, baby."

the type to cling close to you in public in fear of any of the bicyclists or pedestrians bumping into you and harming you in any way.

sometimes acts like you're made of glass.

while it's endearing occasionally, it is a bit suffocating at other times.

doesn't believe you when you say you're tough and don't need protection.

very selfless and willing to help you with anything you need.

never one to shy away from social gatherings with his friends, always pulling you along with him despite you being shy and clingy most of the night.

also a big tease.

when you help him hold down his legs for sit ups, he asks for a smooch.

pulls away from you when you try to kiss him.

and will laugh at your pouting face as he urges you to try once more.

"stop moving, i just want to kiss you!"

after numerous tries, he finally allows you ( you truly think you over-powered him though ) to kiss his cheeks or lips.

he then proceeds to squawk loudly in retaliation and playful disgust.

although he loves teasing you, when the game is flipped the other way, he'll be a shy mess of embarrassment.

"i don't mumble your name in my sleep."

"you always do, silly."

tucked underneath his macho exterior, you know he's prone to criticism and takes it to heart much more than he likes to show and admit.

so, whenever you get the chance, you always fulfill his need to be appreciated, loved, and taken care of.

is utterly and extremely protective of you.

"who just whistled at you?" he grumbles, "i'll break their jaw like an apple, you know i will."

[ttuesday]

Hi! 🥺

I know you have lots of request lately, and its ok if you take a while or if you cant do it.

You can do a one shot of ArthurxFem! Reader, where the reader is from a REALLY high society, and Dutch gets Arthur a job where he can be her bodyguard to earn some money, but they fall in love, obviously Arthur wont think that he is good enough for her, even more after what Mary did to him, but she chooses him over her family and over the money and scapes with the gang to be with Arthur 🥺❤️

(I Know this has lots of Molly O'Shea vibes but everybody Knows that Arthur is not like Dutch)

ok I did not intend for this fic to be this long but here it is lol

“You’re all I need”

Word Count: ~2,180

~no smut~

You sighed as more people came through the gates and into the garden. The party had only started half an hour ago and you already despised being there. You swirled the remaining champagne in your glass before downing it.

You knew you had to socialise with them eventually but for now you decided to stay on the balcony, watching as people let out loud, fake laughs and secretly judged each other.

Behind you, someone cleared their throat. Sighing, you glanced over your shoulder to see your father standing by the door.

"What on earth are you doing up here? You should be down there," he hurried forward and gestured to the people below "entertaining our guests and being a good hostess". You scoffed but before you could snap back a sarcastic response, you noticed a man by the door.

"Ah, Mr Morgan, please come meet my daughter" your father placed his hand on your shoulder so you would properly face the stranger "my dear, this is Arthur Morgan. He'll be watching over you tonight to assure your safety".

"I'll be fine," you shrugged his hand away from your shoulder "I've told you before, I don't need a bodyguard".

"Yes but if anything was to happen to you that would be very bad for business" your father muttered, tired of having this conversation with you yet again. Putting a forced smile on his face, your father wished Mr Morgan good luck and hastily left.  

Arthur wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He knew that if anyone tried to cause any trouble with you that he had to roughen them up but until then, he wasn't sure how to act. He knew this place was going to be fancy so Arthur felt grateful that Dutch talked him into buying a new suit and taking a bath beforehand.

You could tell Mr Morgan wasn't used to this sort of thing. He had a suit, freshly trimmed hair, polished shoes and an awkward expression on his face which revealed this wasn’t an environment he was comfortable in.

A silence settled over you both as you continued to watch the guests mingle. "I like your dress" Arthur broke the silence.

"I don't," you huffed "it's too tight, I feel like I can barely breath". Arthur's eyes went wide as he feared he had messed up your first impression of him "Oh... sorry about that".

Tearing your eyes away from the party, you looked him up and down. "You don't look you belong here, Mr Morgan" you smirked, finding how out of place he was somewhat endearing. "Is it that obvious?" he smiled, walking up next to you and leaning against the balcony railings.

"You gonna go down there?" as soon as Arthur saw the party, he understood your reluctance to go down. Letting you a long sigh, you replied "Be warned, there's a high possibility I'll die if I go down there".

Arthur's face dropped, suddenly on high alert. "Wh-What?" his brow creased at the warning.

You nodded "Uh huh, if I have one conversation with these people, there's a very high chance I'll die of boredom". Arthur breathed a sigh of relief, chuckling slightly at the revelation. You couldn't help it as a smile spread across your face too.

You stayed with Arthur on the balcony for a little while longer before hesitantly heading downstairs. It surprised you how Arthur was able to make the night more tolerable. He stayed around you at all times and whenever he could sense someone was starting to bore you to death, Arthur would interrupt and make up an excuse for you to leave the conversation.

The night moved along faster than you thought as you greeted each guest, slowly making your way further down the garden. Eventually you found yourself at the very end of the garden, sitting on the dry grass and gazing at a part of the river

"Hopefully the guests should stay up by the house," you said to Arthur as he sat down next to you "the servants didn't put lanterns down this part of the garden so I doubt we'll be disturbed".

Although it was the end of Summer, there was a slight chill in the air. "Here," Arthur took off his suit jacket and placed it around your shoulders. "Why thank you, you’re quite the gentleman" you tried to conceal the blush on your face as you held on to the jacket.

Arthur clenched his jaw for a few seconds, debating something in his head before slowly saying "Well, I wouldn’t say I’m a gentleman".

“And why is that?” You questioned, expecting some quick witted reply. Arthur looked away from you, not able to hold your eye contact. “Let’s just say I ain’t a good man” he replied vaguely.

“What do you mean?” You pressed for a proper answer.

“I… I’m a bad man, Miss” he frowned “I ain’t like any of you folk”. Arthur was right. He wasn’t like anyone you had ever met before. Arthur wasn’t fake or selfish. He was genuine, caring and although you had only spent a mere few hours with him, he made you feel special.

Shimmying closer to him, you gently rested your hand on top of his. Arthur met your gaze, surprised by your action. “I know your not like anyone else here,” you breathed, your face close to his “you may think you’re a bad man but you have a kind heart, and that’s a rare thing to come by these days”.

Arthur’s eyes flicked to your lips, the both of you thinking the same thing yet both hesitant to make the first move. “You deserve better than me” he whispered, his hot breath hitting your face. Giving his hand a small squeeze, you replied “You’re exactly what I need”.

That was enough encouragement for Arthur. Taking the risk, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to yours.

You kissed him back without hesitation. It started out soft as Arthur tested the water with the kiss. Your hand moved away from his and made its way into his hair. Arthur held onto your waist as the kisses became more needy. What was once shy kisses quickly transformed into a lazy make out session.

Soon, you pulled away so you could catch your breath. Arthur rested his forehead against yours, a light shade of red becoming more noticeable on his cheeks. You giggled slightly, feeling adrenaline rush through your blood.

“So, Mr Morgan, what makes you such a bad man?” You asked, tempted to give him another kiss.

Arthur didn’t want to lie to you but he was scared you’d push him away once you learned what kind of man he truly was. “You sure you want to know?” He questioned.

Giving him another kiss, you nodded “I’m sure”.

You kept things innocent, not going further than a few stolen kisses here and there as Arthur told you about his life. He wrapped his arms around you as you leaned into his warmth, listening as he told you about the gang and exciting robberies.

In a way, it was like he was living the life you always wanted. He travelled, didn’t have to live with the confines a city has and he was a part of a family that accepted him and cared for him.

You stayed out there until the party eventually ended and drunken guests stumbled out of the property. You and Arthur strolled up the garden and towards the house as servants cleaned up any messes left by the guests .

"Ah there you are," your father greeted you both as he picked up another glass of champagne "I was wondering where you were".

“I hope you had a good night, my dear” he said before turning to Arthur “Mr Morgan, your payment is on the desk in the parlour. I’m sure I can get it yourself and show yourself out, hm?”.

Giving you one last lingering look, Arthur brought your hand up to his mouth and kissed it. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your night, Miss” he said earnestly before reluctantly walking off.

Your father watched Arthur intently as he left “He looks like a country bumpkin, nevertheless if he was able to keep you safe then I suppose he did a good job”.

You nodded and smiled to yourself “Mr Morgan did do a good job, in fact I think he should be hired as my bodyguard for any other up and coming events”.

———

Weeks passed and with every social function and party, you asked your father to hire Arthur as your bodyguard. He didn't care nor did he question why you always insisted on hiring Arthur.

As time went on, each party didn't seem like an actual party. Unfortunately you still had to socialize with the high class dirtbags of Saint Denis but you and Arthur always snuck away at some point in the night to a secluded area.

Each time he touched you, kissed you and confided in you, you fell deeper and deeper in love with him. Until finally, you made the decision.

Arthur was taken aback at first. It didn't feel right for you to leave your life behind for him. He asked you constantly if you were sure and that a life on the run isn't as fun or exciting as it sounds. Arthur made sure you knew what you were getting yourself into, that you wouldn't have anymore fancy dresses or servants to run your errands for you.

Every time he started to panic and list off everything that could go wrong, you put your hand on his cheek and simply said "Arthur, you're all I need". Together, you planned all the small details of your escape to a new life.

———

You were anxious the entire day, eagerly awaiting nightfall. A week prior, you bought a bag specially for your getaway. You had packed all your belongings into the small bag and kept it tucked underneath your bed. Nerves built in your gut but soon the day finally drew to a close and those nerves evolved into excitement.

There was only one lantern lit in your bedroom as you quickly changed into clothing more fit for a life on the road and grabbed your bag. As quietly as possible, you crept along the corridor, down the marble stairs and to the foyer.

Arthur told you he would meet you there, knocking once on the backdoor to let you know he had arrived. You paced back and forth as you waited for the knock. A few rooms away and by the servants quarters, the sounds of laughter could be heard. You mumbled to yourself under your breath, begging for Arthur to arrive before a servant sees you.

As if on queue, you heard a soft knock from the other side of the door. You rushed over, swiftly unlocking the door and yanking it open. "Arthur!" you exclaimed, flinging your arms around him and pulling the man into a hug. "I was scared you got cold feet or changed your mind" your grip on him tightened as Arthur shushed you.

"It's alright," he whispered "John couldn't work the damn boat but we're here now". You had heard of so much about the other gang members. After hearing Arthur's stories, you knew it was going to be surreal to actually meet them yourself. "Where is he?" you asked.

"He preferred to stay in the boat, keep watch for anyone else" Arthur responded, taking your bag and slinging it over his shoulders. He took a step forward but hesitated. "Are you sure about this?" he asked for the hundredth time "There's still time for you to go back".

You shook your head "No, I've made my decision and I want to be with you". Leaning down to give you a quick kiss, Arthur took your hand in his and began to lead you down the garden. It reminded you of the first time you met him, how you both snuck away from the party and sat by the very river you were now using to escape.

When you got to the river edge, Arthur scanned the water for John. "Look, there, he's rowing towards us now" Arthur pointed to the silhouette in the darkness that looked like it was struggling to use both oars.

Arthur looked at you and without speaking, you could tell he wasn't sure if you were going to regret this. Before he could question if this is really what you want, you leaned up and captured his lips in a passionate kiss. Arthur melted into the kiss, his hand pressing the small of your back and encouraging you to come closer to him.

You momentarily deepened the kissed before pulling away, there was plenty of time later to celebrate your escape. Speaking against his lips, you repeated what you always told Arthur when doubted if he was good enough for you, "You're all I need".

[xpeachesncream]

perfectly wrong | one

summary: there were rules that had to be followed: no one could know about you two, there was no ‘getting to know each other,’ and there was absolutely no emotional attachment allowed. if this could be done, there should be no complications. but somehow, the rules always get bended.

pairing: reader x fuckboy!kth

genre: college au | fluff, angst, smut

words: 2301

chapter warnings: cussing, mature language, very slight angst, some hints of jealousy, alcohol consumption

notes: pls remember that this is set a few months after you and tae have been going at it, so it will seem like things are happening a bit fast. i’m not trying to prolong this series. also most importantly, i tend to usually write shorter chapters > shorter, but more chapters published. enjoy!

> series masterlist <

Jungkook decided he was going to see if he could jump over your couch and land perfectly in a seated position.

"Wait, wait, wait. Absolute silence everybody." He says as he's stretched over, trying to estimate the timing and height of his jump. He had always been super athletic and competitive since you two were small, so there was really no changing his mind on this. He always had to prove something, even if that meant creating his own competition of jumping over the couch.

"It's just me and you." You watched him from the kitchen, making sure the pizza in the oven was baking properly.

"I have an audience, okay? Don't be rude, Y/N." He says as he points over to the fake audience clapping and laughing during a 'Friends' episode.

"Whatever, as long as you don't go breaking my shit, Jeon Jungkook." He was 22, but his mentality was 8. That was for damn sure.

"Siiiiiiilence." He says at a whisper, his eyes shut as he puts a finger to his mouth. He lets out a huff and a puff before he gets the courage to throw himself over the couch and land a perfect landing. "And once again, he sticks the landing!" He stands up with his hands up in the air.

"You're annoying." You laughed, getting paper plates ready for the pizza that was about to be done because you were in no mood to do any dishes tonight.

"Thank you! I'll be here again tomorrow, same time." He calls out to his fake audience.

"No the hell you're not."

"Ouch, nevermind. Someone apparently doesn't want me here." You laugh at how dramatic he is. At this point, you just let him be because that was something you always loved about your bestfriend. He embraced the kid in him and always brought good times. You had similarities, but you also had some major differences. You liked being in your comfort zone & you were labeled the innocent nerd amongst your friends. You just like to consider yourself simple, though. A 'take it day by day' kind of person. Kookie was fun, adventurous and childish at times. He was also shy, but loud at the same time? An introverted extrovert, you could say.

But you loved each other nonetheless, that's why you've clicked so well since you were young. You taught each other things & grew together.

"Here, fool." You placed the pizza in front of him with the paper plates.

"Set it up, I'll grab us the drinks. You want anything in particular?"

"That bottle of Stella Rosa, please." JK knew you loved that Stella Rosa, so he happily grabs the bottle and two wine glasses. He plops back next to you on the couch, pouring your glasses and grabbing a heaping serving of 4 slices of pizza.

You both decided you want a good laugh, so you throw on Kevin Hart's newest installment: Zero Fucks Given. It isn't long before you both are rolling on the floor, almost gasping for air at how much you're laughing at Kevin Hart's stand up. The pizza is gone, the wine is gone, and you're still feeling pretty tipsy. The whole thing sounds nice, until your head starts to wonder what Taehyung is doing and if he'll text you to come over tonight. You know he probably already has plans with another chick though, and that hits you.

Curse this fucking alcohol.

Let's get this straight - the only time you 'talk' is when he's trying to fuck.

And yes bitch, you let him do this to you. You're out that door before you can even fully slip your shoes on. Dick is just that good. It's something about Taehyung that makes you addicted. The way he gives you a stupid ass smirk when he opens his door, the way he touches your skin and gently lays his shit on you until you both become really invested in the moment. So invested that shit hits the roof. It gets messy. It gets rough. It becomes unspeakable.

You aren't friends. No one knows about you two, or that you even know the other exists. You don't know shit about each other. The only thing you know is that he's fucking other girls. He has a whole roster, you'd imagine - a starting five, at least.

He doesn't care about you, and for the most part, you don't either. At least, that's what you like to portray because it's been some months now since this whole thing started and you can't help but feel some kind of emotional tie to him. You're leaving your house between 12-2am in the morning and sleeping in his bed until 6-7am. It's a routine; a routine you've become used to. You skip out on some late night kick-its with your friends cause you anticipate a text to come through from him.

But, he doesn't care. You aren't the only female slipping into those sheets, and boy does it fucking make it hard to swallow. Reality hits hard when you think about it and you feel this huge pit in your stomach. You try to be different, you try to stand out one way or another. But it doesn't work that way. You knew what this entailed going into it, so it makes zero sense as to why you're hurting and getting jealous from time to time.

You know it still doesn't matter to him.

He's only fucking you over cause you let him. You know damn well you're not gonna change and let this go, though. You love thrill of it too much. It's the most thrill your life has had. You're not perfect and you're only human. You make mistakes, but this one definitely puts the cherry on top. Because not only do you refuse to learn, but you let it repeat itself over and over again.

"Aishhhh, my stomach hurts from laughing too much." Jungkook laid his head back and patted his belly. "But that was good though. I needed that."

"Yeah it was. Thanks for coming by to watch that with me, Kook." He tilts his head over to look at you and smiles.

"Sure thing." He checks his phone and sits up. "Yoongi is blowing up the group chat." You check your phone to see multiple unread messages from none other than Min Yoongi himself.

[yoongi] 10:37pm: aye

[yoongi] 10:45pm: all of a sudden, everyone is ghost in this group chat?! you all had a lot to say not too long ago.

[yoongi] 10:52pm: even though you guys are fake as fuck, does anyone wanna come with me to the bars tonight? meet at my place so we can head out.

You and Jungkook laughed at how butthurt Yoongi was in the groupchat. Yoongi definitely was the most serious and blunt one in your group, but he still liked to party and have a good time. It was just how he was. Hoseok was always full of energy and probably the most extroverted one out of all 4 of you. He was never shy. You and Jungkook met Yoongi and Hoseok your first year in college and became inseparable ever since. You all just click with your different attributes.

[jungkook] 10:53pm: lmaoooooooo

[yoongi] 10:53pm: fuck you dude lol

[jungkook] 10:54pm: i'll come through in a sec, i'm at y/n's right now. not sure if she's gonna come though?

[y/n] 10:55pm: i'll pass, i'm tired and wined out.

[hoseok] 10:55pm: ahahahah yoongi shut up, blowing up my phone for no reason. i'm passing on tonight too. im tired from working that overtime *cries*

[yoongi] 10:56pm: you both are boring. i'm especially offended at how i didn't get an invite to your little powwow, y/n. and now you don't wanna hang out?

[hoseok] 10:57pm: she mentioned she was going to watch kevin hart's thing yesterday and offered us to swing by if we wanted to though....... selective hearing, maybe?

[y/n] 10:58pm: ^ okayyyyy and that's on period! thank you hobi <3

[hoseok] 10:59pm: anything for the baby

[yoongi] 10:59pm: lmao you're a brat, y/n. whatever, i'm still hurt by you both! kook, hurry on over so we can drink

"Fuck I regret this, I'm gonna die." Jungkook laughed as he stood up and stretched. He quickly helped you clean up before he figured it was time to go or else Yoongi would have a fit.

"I feel like it has to do with that one girl he's been talking to on and off."

"Perhaps." Jungkook shrugged before putting on his shoes. "We shall see." he sighs before giving you a tight hug. "You sure you don't wanna come out?"

"Nope."

"You don't even have plans tonight."

"Yes I do."

"Doing what?"

"Laying in bed." Jungkook snorted as you shook your head and shrugged. What else did he think you were trying to do? He should know you by now, at the very least.

"Alright, I'm not even going to argue. I'm off."

"Be safe, have fun, text me if you both need anything, okay?" He nods as he shuts the door, leaving you to your lonesome. You swirled the teeny tiny drop of wine leftover in your glass around before picking up your phone.

No new texts. Well, let's be specific: no new texts from taehyung.

You did forget to respond to your oldest cousin though, when he was just trying to check up on you.

[seokjin] 8:35pm: pssst y/n

[seokjin] 8:35pm: psssssssssst

[seokjin] 8:35pm: oyyyyyyyyyy

He was damn near 30 years old and hated talking on the phone so much that he decides to blow up your phone this way. But, he was the cousin you loved dearly and you had a very tight, sibling-like relationship with him. He was like the older brother you've always wanted. He watched you grow, protected you, kept you safe, supported you and cheered you on - especially when your family talked so much shit about how you and him weren't gonna get anywhere with your goals. You know, the fucking stupid ol' saying of 'chasing your passion isn't going to bring you money & wealth.' Your family was all about the titles and money, but Jin was passionate about cooking and wanted to open his own cafe. You, on the other hand, wanted to pursue your art. Jin was the biggest role model for you because he was the first to defy your family's wants and wishes. He was the black sheep of the family with a huge 'I don't give a fuck' mentality and he taught you that along the way.

Don't ever be afraid to do what you're passionate about. Fuck 'em.

[y/n] 11:13pm: hi sorry, jungkook was over and we were watching kevin hart's new thing on netflix over some wine and pizza.

[seokjin] 11:15pm: that sounds fun! sorry, i just wanted to check on you but i see you're doing okay lol

[y/n] 11:16pm: i am. :) i'll hang out with you tomorrow

[seokjin] 11:16pm: how sweet, my freeloading baby cousin is coming by

[y/n] 11:17pm: hahahah shut up! although you're not wrong, i am going to steal some food. but most importantly, i do want to hang out and see my bestest oppa <3

[seokjin] 11:18pm: awww y/n, you're so full of shit <3

[seokjin] 11:18pm: go to bed

[y/n] 11:19pm: haha love you tooooo

And so, that's what you did. You got yourself all ready for bed, believing you wouldn't be leaving your house tonight. You pampered yourself, put on a face mask and got yourself all lathered up in lotion just to lay down. You're in Jungkook's shirt that he left behind (and never looked for, so technically it's yours now) when the guys had stayed the night and some Vicky Secret panties.

You're scrolling through your Instagram feed, seeing Jungkook's newly posted story with him and Yoongi already at the bars, acting a damn fool. You laughed at the video he took of Yoongi trying to dance in a tight, awkward space on the crowded dance floor even though he was never the best at dancing. It lowkey made you wish you went out with them so you wouldn't be stuck here thinking about your feelings and how lonely these hours get.

And then you see Jimin's story from an hour ago. He knew you were friends with Yoongi, and although Yoongi wasn't fond of their group too much, he was still an avid party-goer and mingled with people there. You've only spoken to Jimin once because you had to work with him in the same group on a class assignment. You tried to keep it that way though because he was Taehyung's bestfriend. They went everywhere together, did everything together. He, too, was very popular among the ladies and across campus. I guess it was just their thing.

You assume they were at a party cause Jimin quickly flashes the camera at Taehyung, who's in front of him getting a lapdance from some chick. Jimin quickly turns the camera back to his face as he's laughing uncontrollably then abruptly cuts it off.

Great.

She's forsure going home with him tonight.

You set your phone down on the night stand and put on a show on your laptop to help you fall asleep.

Just as you're about to get some shut eye, your phone vibrates. You let it slip at first because you thought it could be one of the guys playing around, but it vibrates again, signaling another text coming through. You pick up your phone just to make sure Yoongi and Jungkook aren't in any trouble and need you to bail their asses out.

[taehyung] 12:17am: hey

[taehyung] 12:20am: come over.

You scoff at how he assumes you're still up and that you'd be coming over. You hated that. He knew he just had your ass.

undefined

track two: hit different - sza & ty dolla $ign

[eirikaanemo]

That last drabble was very sweet :) So I'm sorry in advance if my request is a bit angsty. How would Venti deal with a person who's had their heart broken by a careless bard before? They love Venti, but his free and playful nature makes them wonder if he'll abandon the relationship when he gets what he wants from them.

Oh my goodness I love this so much! Thank you so much anon for this awesome request! And it's okay that it's a bit angsty. As long as I can write a happy ending, it's all good. I hope you enjoy this, even if I did modify the prompt a bit.

Pinkie Promise

Venti x GN!Reader

1k Words

Warnings: Description of a bad break up and its effects

Notes: I'm sorry if your name is Taylor. I'm sure you're a wonderful person and not a jerk like the person in this story.

You have been happily with Venti for several months. But every once in a while you think back to Taylor. The careless bard you dated before. Venti is very different from them. He plays a lyre instead of a flute. He pretends to be boastful instead of pretending to be humble. He is sincere instead of two-faced. He is everything Taylor was not.

Your relationship with Taylor started out almost sickly sweet and stiflingly caring. As time went on they spent less and less time with you and spent more and more time playing at bars. At first they made excuses. “Well, I do need to make money, honey bunches.” They would say. “It is my job, darling.”

Eventually they stopped making excuses. In fact, they stopped talking to you altogether. It got worse and worse every day. Then, one day, you found out from a friend that they had started dating someone else without having actually broken up with you.

Full of righteous fury, you confronted them about his actions and neglect. All they had to say for themselves was, “I got bored of you. You weren’t worth my time anymore. So I moved on to someone else.”

They could not have hurt you more if they had actually stabbed you. Their words rang in your head as you numbly left the bar they were in. Later you found that their new partner had broken up with them and that bar had banned them for life, as if that somehow made up for what they had done.

You left town as soon as possible and moved to Mondstadt with hope for a better life. Even then it took you a long time to feel ready for a relationship again. Now you are with Venti, and he’s better than Taylor ever was. He makes time for you instead of making excuses. He talks to you when something is wrong instead of avoiding you. He stops other people cold instead of flirting with them.

But on bad days you have to admit that you are just waiting for the other shoe to drop. You’ve been together with Venti for longer than you even knew Taylor. And now you’re simply waiting for the other shoe to drop. You’re waiting for him to get bored of you and leave you too.

For all of his sincerity, Venti’s free and playful manner is as terrifying as it is endearing to you. How long will it be before he decides that you’re not worth it? How long will it be before he hurts you and leaves you too? How long will this spot of sunshine in your life last?

With these worries crossing your mind more and more, you start subconsciously drifting away from Venti. And unlike Taylor, he notices something is wrong immediately. He takes initiative and resolves to confront you about it, in private and with the intention to understand instead of accuse.

It all starts with a knock at your door. You open it to see Venti on your doorstep and nearly shut the door on him with shock. “Hey, are you okay?” He asks you, concerned. “You have been pretty distant recently. And I’m pretty sure you’ve been avoiding me too. Did something happen? Did I do something wrong?”

After hearing his words you freeze, color draining from your face. Distance, avoiding, making excuses, those were all things that Taylor did that you hated. And now you’re doing that to Venti. You’re acting just like Taylor.

You wordlessly open the door wider to let him in and the two of you take seats on the couch. He gives you some space, which you’re incredibly grateful for and feel horrible about all at the same time. After a moment of quiet you take one of his hands in yours a take a deep breath to steady yourself.

“I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you, Venti,” you apologize. “This isn’t your fault at all and I’m sorry I made you feel that way. There’s a story I want to tell you, something that happened to me before I met you. I think my behavior will make more sense after I tell you it. Are you willing to listen?”

He nods. “Of course,” he replies. “I’m willing to do anything that will help with this.” His other hand reaches to cover the back of one of your hands that’s holding his.

Explaining Taylor and what happened takes longer than you had expected and you feel wrung out and so very tired by the time you finish explaining. “When you confronted me at the door, I realized I was acting just like Taylor,” you admitted. “And I’m so sorry, I never meant to do that to you.”

There’s a moment of silence as Venti takes some time to mentally digest what you had just told him. Then he slowly and carefully drew you in for a soft hug, giving you time to move away if you wanted. You wrap your arms around him in return and he gives you a soft squeeze in response.

“Thank you for telling me and helping me understand,” he murmurs in your ear. “I can’t promise to be perfect because I will admit that I do have some commitment issues myself. But I can promise you that I will try. I have learned over the years that some relationships are worth holding onto, despite what troubles may come. And this is one of those relationships.

“You mean a lot to me and I hope I mean a lot to you too. I can’t go back and change what Taylor did, but please know that I would never, ever drop communication with you like that. If something about us comes up, I’ll talk to you about it. Any concerns or troubles or anything, I’ll bring them to you first and we’ll talk it out. Do you think you could do that too?”

You nod, a smile slipping onto your face. “Yeah, I can do that. Pinkie promise?” You say, letting go of his hand and holding up your pinkie.

He grins and entwines one of his pinkies with yours. “Pinkie promise.”

Tag list: @clouds-rambles

[intosnarkness]

#1 thing I miss about LiveJournal: having a writing filter to torture with my stories as I wrote them.

So have a preview of this auction fic that I think I finally found a way into.

Summer, 2006

Clint is deep in the engine of a 1967 Oldsmobile Toronado when the bell above the door of the shop rings.

Normally Clint doesn't talk to customers - Mr. Fury knows better than to let him do that - but it's half past four on a Friday on a crack-sweatly hot summer day, and he's the only one around. Everyone else took their good sense and found some air conditioning when the heat started to set in around 11 am.

"One sec!" he calls out to the customer, who he can't see. If they've managed to find their way into Shield Tuning, then it's either an existing customer who knows that this place comes with a wait and an attitude, or someone who is looking for that exact service experience.

Clint takes his time making sure the spark plug he was replacing is seated - he'll have to check the gap in a second -  and stands up, wiping his hands on a ratty towel he keeps in his toolbox, and then on his navy coveralls, as if that will get the oil from between his fingers.

"Hi, how can I help you?" he says, putting on his best customer service voices as he rounds the corner into the little front office.

And then he can't breathe.

Because that's not a customer. That's a short, lovely, red-headed goddess and Clint has been in love with her for at least ten years, and she has no right to be in his shop, or in his city, or in his line of sight.

"Clint?" she asks, her voice high in a way that says she is equally as surprised, exactly as taken aback as he is.

She looks utterly incongruous with the gray tiles of the waiting room, looks too clean and beautiful to be in this place. He steps up behind the counter, sliding the plexiglass window open with a grace that he hopes doesn't look like he's trying too hard.

"Hi, Natasha," Clint says, letting his eyes meet hers over the counter, his fingers grazing the colorful folders the receptionist uses to organize work orders. He has to glance away from her face after a second, and he reaches down and fiddles with the key of a 1980s Mustang that someone dropped off this morning as if it was more interesting than the woman in the room with him. "What brings you in today?"

"I have a flat tire," Natasha says, which should be an explanation for what she's doing at a garage, but Clint can't seem to metabolize how it explains anything. All he can think is that she drowns out the world, her existence is loud and oppressive and her white tennis shoes are far, far too clean to be standing in this dingy room.

"You have a flat tire," Clint repeats. "And you came here?"

Natasha shrugs, a movement of grace that tells of her time dancing, her days as a ballerina when they were in middle school. The movement ripples out of her like a wave. "I was down the road a bit, this place was close. I didn't know you-- I mean, no one told me you worked here or anything. This isn't a ruse."

It had better not be a ruse, Clint thinks, but he doesn't say it. No need to act like she's unwelcome. She's allowed to spend her money just like any other customer. Because that's all she is. A customer. 

"Okay," he says, swallowing around the lump of emotion that's heavy in his chest and turning to open the door that separates the neat front desk booth from the waiting area. "Let's go take a look."

[lostbetweenvampiresandmusic]

Sorry to be a bother, but do you mind writing about Paul or Dwayne with a s/o or mate that is completely goth/rocker? If not totally okay! Up to you! Your writing is -le chef kiss- and I hope you have a wonderful day/night/ whatever! 🖤

Aaah thank you! I hope you have a great evening/morning/day as well!💜

----------------------

Paul

The first thing he'll notice about you is the overall vibe you give off, you know? Probably kind of laid back but more than ready to fight, pretty chill but possibly dangerous when provoked? Basically, your vibe reminded him of his own, but then in a human version of course.

Paul is actually kind of nervous when he first goes down to talk to you? He's not the shy kind of nervous though, but the 'crap I talk to much don't mind what I just said I am a normal person I swear ' kind if nervous. That being said, the first meeting goes quite smooth actually.

I mean, Paul is one of the first people in Santa Carla who've approached you without immediately judging you or whatever. He compliments your look, especially if your hair is wilder than his - it's a thing he'd admire - and just genuinely wants to know you. Music, hobbies, a possible job? He'd like to know.

Once you become close friends he'll often just dump some of his own clothes at your place, with the intend of letting you keep it. His style may not be to similar to yours, but you definitely make it work - and owning some more leather never hurt, right?

Obviously you will at one point find out what he is. I am fully convinced that if you point out that someone has a item of clothing, shoes or jewellery that you'd think to be awesome that he'd get it for you. He means well, but it's your choice if you still want the items after you'd seen the corpses they were taken from.

Anyways, at one point he realises that you're not just his best human friend - Marko decided that that would be a fitting name, since he was the best vampire friend Paul had - but that he loves you in a whole new way. He slowly comes to terms with you being his mate, and soon the times you meet up become more romantic?

It's small things. Like how he waits for you with your favourite drink, or orders food from your favourite place for the two of you. How he shows up at your place when he's sensed you had a rough day with some movies, some drinks and all the snacks you'd wished for. How he actually starts spending money on clothes or jewelery if he sees something you might like. He just wants to show you he cares and that he loves you.

Not long after the two of you become a couple, and things are really good. No fights at all, just playful banter and teasing each other, giving each other small things and just the two of you supporting each other?💜

Dwayne

Dwayne is probably the most focused on details of the boys. He sees things they don't, he notices the little things. That's how he noticed when he first saw you that the safety pin you'd been wearing in your ear had some paint on it. That the chains you wore around your wrist were handmaid and brand new. That you used some thrifted pieces to make your look more you. He'd give you an approving smile, not wanting to go to you just yet. He didn't know why but something made that he was drawn to you.

You notice him staring. It's kind of hard not to, honestly. So, you walk up to him and asks him if he likes what he sees. He's a bit taken back, before answering with a grin that he likes your style. An awkward thanks and an even more awkward silence is what follows.

That is until the next night, when the two of you literally bump into each other. You'd been holding some food and you spilled it because of the collision. Dwayne offered to take you for some food, to replace that what you'd dropped - and to get to know you better

You talk, and soon the both of you realise that the other is actually just really fucking awesome and sweet? So when you ask Dwayne if he wants to go in some of the rides he's more than willing to say yes.

After a couple of weeks of the two of you being friends and growing closer, you accidentally find out what he is when you take a late night stroll down the beach. You can handle a lot, especially on the blood and gore area, but this made you stop and freeze. It was quite disturbing, seeing the one you'd consider a very close friend murder others so easily and freely.

Dwayne notices you, and he panics, scaring you of in the proces. You run of, going home - realising that your friend was a vampire, and that it was very well possible that you'd be next.

Dwayne feels guilty about how things went down, and decides that the best way to make it up to you is - at least in the beginning - with a handmade earring, similar to the ones the boys wore, fitting in with your style. You had to know he would never hurt you and that you were one of them. He hoped this earing proved that, just for a little bit.

He gives it to you, dropping by at your place. The two of you talk for a while, and you slowly come to realise that he can't help it, and that if he'd been able to tell her everything would have gone a lot smoother. You invite him in - which surprises him for a bit - and the two of you talk the whole night, eventually ending the evening with a passionate kiss.

Things are a bit awkward after that, the two of you trying to figure out how to act around each other, but eventually you become a couple - and all awkwardness is gone. Dwayne is just really great and supportive, helping you find new items for your look, letting you practice your makeup skills on him if you want to, helping you make new things. He's just really protective and supportive, knowing you are fully his.

Omg afterthought he would sneak you into so many concerts - just saying!

[trumanlilac]

/ / 9 - i s - t h e r e - s o m e b o d y - w h o - c a n - w a t c h - y o u / /

Looking down at her brother after what had just happened to him, was probably the hardest thing Ellie ever had to do. She couldn't take the rush of emotions, of guilt and sorrow. Her stomach ached as the doctor's voice continued to ring through her ears. She wanted him to shut up, she wanted him to leave. She wanted even her parents to leave, just so she could sit with Alex alone and apologize...whether he was unconscious or not.

"He has a minor concussion and a broken arm, but he will be fine." He concluded.

"Thank you so much." Mrs. Moore nodded, taking a seat in the chair next to the hospital bed.

"Ellie, did you know your brother had been drinking?" Mr. Moore asked, comforting her mother with his arm around her shoulders.

Ellie shrugged slowly, afraid to answer.

"Ellie, did you or did you not?" He asked.

"We were at the same party. I could tell he'd probably been drinking a little...but I-"

"You knew? And you let him drive?" Mrs. Moore looked up at her in disbelief. It was as if she wanted to kill her with those eyes.

Ellie took a seat also, in a chair across from her parents facing the bed. It felt as though she had dropped the weight of their questions right where she sat.

"Ellie, what use are you? What in the world have you done in all these years to prove to us that we've raised you right? Do you care about any of us, our feelings, our safety, anything?!" Mrs. Moore got onto her feet, livid.

"Mum, so you're blaming me that my older brother got behind the wheel while drunk?"

"I'm not blaming you, I'm telling you that you know better. Now we have to pay for all the damages and this family has no money all because of you!" She cried, "everything is gone because we decided to send you to university and you don't even show us that you deserve that!" The tears streamed endlessly down her face.

Ellie looked at Alex, clearly realizing now in the worst situation, that he had been their favorite. She walked out of the room, without another word. The hallway was cold and quiet, and had the typical smell of a hospital. She looked at every door around, wondering just how many people would be dying tonight, and thinking how it could have been Alex.

Just as she felt, was just as her parents believed. She didn't have a right to see Alex, she had already ruined enough for all of them. Matty stood up from his chair in the waiting room, looking at her.

"How is he?"

"He's not the best, he has a minor concussion and broken arm...but he'll be alright...or so we were told..." She said.

Matty nodded, a bit relieved yet still feeling the same.

"Hey...is it alright if I come over? Just a few hours until my parents can calm down, they're mad at me...just like I told you, its my fault. They can't afford the damages, I should have been there for him..." She said hesitantly, digging her hands into her pockets.

"Ellie, I don't think we should really...be around each other." He shook his head, "especially now."

Her eyes trailed down at her shoes, in need of distraction as she noticed things she hadn't noticed before to occupy her mind... such as the dirt against her boots, and that one lace was coming undone.

"Can't you call Andrew?" He suggested, feeling overwhelmed by all of the weight and responsibility he felt he had because of her. He never meant for anything to escalate. For both of their own good, it was probably best it didn't.

Ellie pushed past him, walking through the automatic doors. He followed close behind, "what is wrong with you? You already told me so many times about having a boyfriend, now I tell you to go to him then you get upset with me?"

She turned around, sighing, "Matty, I'm confused, okay. I don't know what to do. I just feel like shit, to be honest I just don't want to be alone tonight. I feel alone with Andrew, I don't feel his company...my parents hate me, so does Holly...Alex is in there hurt, and all I can do is sit through it all by myself." She said, "so...please, don't make me feel any worse. It's not the time."

"I'm sorry." He said, "I really do feel for you but feeling alone with Andrew has nothing to do with me. That's not my fault."

"I know." Ellie said, looking out into the night of still cars in parking.

The aching silence crept between them, and they were right back where they left off. Matty hated how much he cared, he hated how much he had fell for her already to allow himself to lose his ground.

"You can come..." he said.

-----------------------------

Despair filled the room, right where they sat in one another's silence. Ellie stared at the wall at the opposite end, thinking only of Alex. Matty sat up, looking at her.

"This probably will sound like nothing, compared to Alex almost dying tonight." He said, Ellie looked at him. "But I know how you feel, to feel like its your fault...I mean."

"What do you mean?" Ellie asked, she could feel her hair out of place, too depressed to fix it. Just with realization, Matty's hand reached out, running his fingers through it.

"Well you know I've got a little brother." He shrugged to brush off the rush of guilt which often took over just at the thought of his next words, "sometimes I don't spend as much time with him as I should...or call as much as I should..." he began, "nothing happened to him. I just...I don't know...I feel like its my responsibility to do that, and watch him...after all its me who's supposed to love him."

Ellie looked at him, seeing how hard it was for him to talk about...as Matty was more of a private person around her. She never could really tell how he felt. She never really knew if he felt anything in his personal life...that was just how much he didn't show he...only through music could anyone know.

"I see..." she nodded.

"I told him the last time I saw him, that we should ring my dad more...I dunno if he has...but I still haven't." He admitted, running his hands through his hair. Ellie realized he did so when something was wrong. She reached out and hugged him, he hugged her back the same, feeling a bit silly.

"I'm fine, don't worry." He said, "I just...thought I'd tell you, to let you know I get it. What it feels like to feel at fault in your family."

Ellie pulled away from him, taking a deep breath, "when is the last time you've talked to him?" She asked.

"About a month ago." He said, pulling a small baggie from his pocket, "excuse me, for this."

She looked at the packed bag of white. Realizing what it was her jaw dropped slightly, and eyes widened. "Matty..." she shook her head, "you do that?"

Coke.

"I don't do it," he said, "I just...have it...so I'm gonna use it. Especially now."

Ellie's heart raced in her chest, "what does it do?" She always suspected that Alex probably did it...never quite considering his friends.

"It makes me feel good." He grabbed a card from his back pocket and poured the contents of the bag on the coffee table. Ellie watched, tempted to ask to join, but knowing inside it was wrong. She had never done anything so extreme, she didn't know how she'd act, or if she'd live or survive...quite frankly she didn't want to live anymore, and she desperately longed to lose the feelings which pinned her down.

She watched him chop through it with the card, then lining it up.

"Can I...?" She asked nervously. He looked at her in confusion, he'd never expected her to ask. More so he expected a lecture if anything else.

"Ellie, no...trust me you don't-"

"If you're doing it then why not me? You're gonna be high alone. And what, I'm just gonna sit with you?"

She made sense.

He formed another line for her, without a single word. Feeling just as nervous. "You probably wont sleep tonight, just a heads up." He said.

"It's fine." She looked at him and got down on her knees in front of the table. "You go first, I want to watch you."

He nodded, leaning down and hovering over the table, snorting up the line. Ellie soon followed, doing exactly the same. Almost immediately her heart began to race, she came out of her jacket as soon as she'd finished, holding her nose and looking at Matty. He raised his eyebrows, waiting to see her reaction.

She suddenly felt better, almost as best as she ever had. Her confidence was high, and she could look at Matty and say anything she wanted to. She got back up, rubbing her nose and sitting down beside him, taking the euphoria in.

"You alright?" He asked, smirking at her confused face.

She nodded, sitting back and looking at him.

"You sure?" He asked again, not even waiting a split second for her answer, "you said you guys can't afford the damages...this is gonna sound crazy but I just thought of something." He said.

"Whats that?" She asked.

He waited a moment, pondering on it a bit longer, "this is gonna sound really crazy...but..."

"Just tell me." She urged.

"I think I know how we can get some money. A lot of it."

"How?"

"We can rob a shop."

"What?"

"I know it sounds crazy but you need it, desperately. Prove to your parents that you have your ways of support when in need and that you're not a fuck up."

"What if we get caught?"

"We won't."

"What if we do?"

"Our lives are already shit how much worse could it get?" Matty shrugged, "and imagine if we don't, how much money we'll have. There's so much we could do..."

"I think you're just too high." She stood up, pacing the room and wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead. Somehow already feeling like they had robbed a shop.

"You're a lot higher than me, trust me."

She couldn't believe she'd actually took it into consideration, she turned back to him and sat on his lap, "maybe I am, since I actually find this idea clever and I just really wanna make love to you right now for thinking of it."

He smirked, "you can't tell anyone..."

She nodded, "why would I?"

"We have to plan carefully." He said.

"We'll have to find somewhere to go if we're suspected." She imagined the entire thing.

"Which we will be." He warned her.

"Where would we go?"

"Out...way out...out of the city." He shook his head, unable to bear the small strike of fear within.

She nodded, they both came close, their lips crashing into one another's. Even with the fight to stay away, they just ended up right back in the same place, unable to break away from one another.

[echo-three-one]

Chapter 30

The last chapter for the second arc.

THE ROAD SO FAR

The Man with the Rubber Duck Tie

John Price

Victory Cruise Ship, Port of Dover, UK

"Hey. You!" A patrol guard called making Price, Ghost and Alexandra stop on their tracks. They were already on the narrow and unimaginably squeaky clean hallways of the bottom of the cruise ship.

Price immediately pointed his stun gun, toward the two, nodding as they slowly raised their hands in surrender. His eyes were telling them to follow along and it was great that the two were actually getting his message.

"I caught em Sir, they were trying to sneak into the party." Price reported, his knees bent and stun gun ready to shoot.

"They don't look like party goers. Perhaps spies?" The officer asked Price, slowly approaching the trio, Price looked up at Ghost's fingers twitching. Two. Price knew what it meant. There are two tangos, which meant one was behind him and in one swift move, they could help them escape the situation they're in.

Price quickly tossed his stun gun and did a swift duck as he lifted the officer beside him and slammed it on the ground, Ghost caught the gun and fired it straight at the enemy behind him, sending him into an electric shock. The two fell down unconscious in just five seconds and the three ran up to the main hall.

"Roach? Soap? Alex? Does anyone copy?" Price asked, sounding a bit angry. The ship was already moving and he hoped Gary already had Gold Bar for extraction.

"It's only me now, Price. They got Roach, they're on their way to the east hall, I assume it's to the captain's quarters." Soap panting, his shoes squeaking on the shiny floor.

Alex tried to reply but as the ship moved farther from the dock, the signal was breaking and all they could hear was crackling static.

"Gold bar is still at the VIP Lounge but we don't know who he is. Shadow Company's plan is to prevent anyone from going out of the hall while they find Gold Bar." Soap added shedding light on the actual plan. Price now set their course to the main hall.

Price wasn't great at the Ship's layout, this wasn't in the blueprints. They only wanted to check on the cargo, but they ran, looking cautiously on every corner, hoping to see a staircase that led upward.

Ryder and Ghost were behind him, covering his Six and checking corners as he focused on looking for a way up, on the last turn he finally found what he was looking for.

He climbed straight up to the main hall confidently. He still has his Shadow Company gear and while he's not compromised he could take advantage of it.

"I'm assigned to this staircase, Mate. Go find your own spot." he muttered angrily, almost wanting to push the guard away. It actually worked as the former guard stepped back cautiously and walked away without a fight. Guess he saw it as an opportunity to rest. As soon as the British captain took over the spot, he immediately signaled Ghost and Ryder to move up and blend with the crowd.

"I actually got it." Soap whispered.

"I met a redhead with Roach's rubber ducky tie. He said they swapped ties. Since Roach was caught, that means…" he added.

"Rubber Ducky man is our Gold Bar." Price stated, never in his life would he have realized that that sentence would make sense, but it did.

"Exactly." Soap affirmed. Price now knew who to look for. The man with the Rubber Ducky Tie.

Price signaled Ghost and Ryder to look for Gold Bar. The strobe lights were flashing and it was making him dizzy, he actually had to sit this one out. The younger ones might be able to spot him.

The ship was increasing its speed as soon as it reached the fifteen minute mark. This meant trouble for the team as the faster they went, the farther they were from the dock. It'd be hard to protect a hostage for three hours without an exit.

Price stared at the flashing dance floor, it looked like he was blinking too fast and people inside were teleporting or flashing in and out of the place.

Party goers were being surrounded by the guards, they were being restricted from getting away from the main hall, as some were trying to enjoy the view of the deck.

Five minutes in and Alexandra Ryder emerged from the crowd, dragging along a very drunk man. As soon as he was close enough to vision and away from the strobing lights, Price confirmed the tie. This was their primary target.

"Let's get this one to safety and rescue Roach." Price muttered as Ghost immediately followed behind Alexandra, stepping down to the lower part of the ship where the rooms are.

Gary "Roach" Sanderson

Victory Cruise Ship - Captain's Quarters

Roach found himself sitting on a chair, bound and unable to move. A potato sack covered his head, restricting his vision. He doesn't know where he is. But he does recall the last moments before he got there.

He was bouncing to the beat, trying to blend in with the party. He was by the door, cautiously spying on the three musketeers or huge guards as they looked for Gold Bar. Soap's instructions were clear. They're going to get someone they were tracking before the ship leaves.

Roach found it suspicious that they weren't moving an inch, so his guard went up and eyes locked on the richest people near the door.

Two girls, and one guy. Judging from intel, he knew that it was the guy. He was Gold Bar. Bouncing casually, he squeezed his way to his target and tried to talk to him, but as soon as he tried to save him, electric current coursed through his body, sending him to a shock as he dropped unconscious to the ground. His last thoughts were why and was he compromised?

"Gold Eagle. We have Gold Bar." Gary squirmed and tried to break free. He could hear a taser crackle as he attempted to escape.

"Great. I'll start contacting his father. I'm sure he's willing to donate a wealthy sum of money for his son's safety." Gary squirmed once more, this time it was strong enough to tilt the chair, but he was immediately pulled back.

"Let me identify the hostage. Take a picture of him." Shepherd said. If he was here, the team could easily end this man, right here and right now.

Gary's eyes squinted as soon as they pulled the potato sack, the harsh light blinded his eyes and it took moments for him to actually recover.

"This isn't our Gold Bar! He's blonde! It's supposed to be redhead!" He angrily yelled at the speakers. He wasn't here. And Gary had a hunch that Derek was their gold bar.

"But sir, we followed the tracker." One grunt complained.

"What tracker?!"

"I placed one on the target's tie. The event had strobe lights and he was difficult to spot."

Gary realized the chain of events that led to him here. Derek just wanted the rubber ducky tie to get attention and the moment they swapped, all eyes were on him. That's why they didn't move before the countdown.

"Wait a minute. Isn't this… a former 141?" Shepherd mused.

"Sanderson. What are you doing here?" the former general asked. Gary didn't want to answer.

"Partying." he spat. But Shepherd knew it's a lie.

"First you stole Samantha, my bargaining chip and now you're messing up with my gold bar?!"

"Shadow Company. Activate Intruder Protocol!"

he ordered.

Intruder Protocol. Gary had no idea what it meant but as soon as he said it, their shoulder patches started glowing blue.

"Detain everyone without a patch. Take them all as hostages." he ordered.

"As for you, you will walk the plank." Shepherd's angry stare was the last thing Gary saw before the television turned off. Guards started tying him tight and pushed him to the deck. Gary always loved watching Peter Pan as a kid, and it was a shame that his life is in danger the same way as in the movie.

Gary could take these three men pushing him to the deck, provided he wasn't tied up and he had weapons. Any act of violence towards them is an act of foolishness. And he only considers himself a fool for love.

He obediently followed the three musketeers on the way to the dock. Intruder Protocol was in effect as the party stopped and everyone without the glowing beacon was inspected and placed inside the heavily guarded rooms.

He hoped that the rest of his team were successful in securing and extracting Derek out of this mess. But then again, these rich party goers are already sufficient enough to fund the whole nuke project. A win-win for the Shadow Company. If only there was a way to stop them from mugging these people. A grand diversion.

Gary was already near the edge of the ship, the raging dark sea was calling out to him. Despite the life and death situation, all he could worry about is Shepherd's failed plan that still turned out successful. It was frustrating.

One step. The stun baton was turned off but it was being used to push him more. He wanted to buy more time. But it looked like it was the end of the line for him.

Simon "Ghost" Riley

Victory Cruise Ship - Hull Area, UK

"Shepherd's a wise man. If he can't get what he wants, he'll find another way even if it is risky." Price's words stuck on his head as he ran to the hull. Shepherd's a madman and if a good guy gone bad is capable of doing this, then Nero's far worse.

Clutching the c4 charges, he stealthily maneuvered the hull. Without a beacon glowing on his shoulders, he was a threat to everyone, at least that's what he noticed.

Titanic. They're going to blow up the hull, slowly sinking the ship. He doesn't have to worry about help as Price told him it's already on the way. Whatever that meant, Ghost had no choice but to follow.

The charges were set and he was on his way out, climbing the metal stairs without making a sound.

"Price, charges are set." he muttered to Alexandra, and she relayed it to the Captain.

"He said detonate it now." Ghost carefully paced as far as he could and clicked the remote detonator. A huge explosion followed making the ship tremble a little as alarms started to ring.

Ghost attempted to regroup with Price, but the way to their room was already crowded with the Shadow Company, so he instead ran up to the deck and circled around.

As soon as he got up, he noticed three tall men circling someone and pushing him off the ship. He couldn't mistake it, it was Roach.

He dashed toward the three as he saw Soap dash from the other side. They both pulled the of the tall guards and punched them unconscious but there was still one remaining. And that one grunt happened to push Roach off the ledge.

Ghost tried extending his hand but with Roach's hands tied up tight, all he could do was scream as he fell down to the ocean. Soap knocked the third person out and they were now clear. Ghost wanted to jump and save Roach, but without a rescue boat, it was useless. He remembered that help was on the way and hoped they would rescue him. Roach has to survive. Roach will survive.

"Needing assistance here. They're after us!" Price muttered over comms. Ghost slowly stood up and turned back. He was never going to forgive Shepherd for what he did.

END OF PART 2

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