#like there was banter going on between most of the class and jokes that I simply. didn't find funny?

[bookwyrminspiration]

is the fandom topics irl like an actual for real class you're taking this semester? like college discussion class? bc if so that honestly sounds a bit like potential Hell

when I said "(serious)" i meant (serious). i'm actually taking a college class this semester on fandoms. obviously I don't know exactly what it'll entail, but it seems like it's gonna be about the phenomena of fandoms and fandom spaces, originality, and capitalism's influence.

and it could potentially be hell because i think. there is some unconscious purity culture going on here, but the professor doesn't seem to share it, which is a positive. and it's not extreme, at least not yet, but it's like *side eye*.

but it was only day one and I have faith in my ability to deal with other people having opinions I don't like sometimes, so we'll see :)

[sunderwight]

Modern AU where Shen Yuan accidentally sugar-daddies everyone.

So for the purposes of this, Shen Yuan's family is basically $10 Bananas levels of cluelessly rich. Shen Yuan has almost never had to look at the prices of anything he wants. He and his siblings all get an allowance from the family's main account, which increases when they reach adulthood, and in the interest of fairness his parents made it all the same size. So Shen Yuan gets the same amount of money for his daily living expenses as his older brothers with their penthouse apartments and vacation homes and private jets, at least from the family account (since he doesn't work, he doesn't actually make as much as them in total because they earn more on top of their allowances).

And the thing is, Shen Yuan genuinely just lives a lot more humbly. He likes people but what would he do with a vacation house? Anything really nice would probably require him to fly to get out there, and he gets sick as hell on planes. Living in the central city is also not great for him, because the air pollution is so bad. Having a whole house to himself would also be ridiculous. So he has a reasonable apartment, in a reasonable area, and he splurges every so often on purchases that make him happy and take-out food that he likes, and of course he pays a cleaning service to come in twice a week. Most people assume he's comfortably middle class and has some tech job he does from home, but he's been getting a lot more than he's been spending in his monthly allowances for years now, and the figures are big.

Enter into this environment author Airplane and his trash novels. Novels, multiple, because in this AU there's no PIDW, and instead after some alternate PIDW prototype got popular in the harem genre, Airplane decided to churn out a series of copy-paste shorter stories rather than recycling the same subplots in one massively long epic.

Shen Yuan of course discovers Airplane's writing and becomes as obsessed with it as ever, except this time he notices that if there are delays between new stories, they seem to clear up faster whenever he throws some cash at the problem. And also that the drops in Airplane's writing quality coincide with times when Shen Yuan was having health issues and not keeping up with his VIP purchases. So, he works out that Airplane's probably doing the writing for the money, and that when Peerless Cucumber isn't paying the most for it, Airplane starts listening to the other buffoons in the comment section more to try and entice them to pay his bills instead.

Peerless Cucumber leaves a comment on one of Airplane's latest stories that kicks off the two of them actually chatting, and Shen Yuan eventually gets to the point of offering to fund all Airplane's writing, in exchange for Airplane not doing his crap sellout stuff to appeal to other readers anymore. Airplane thinks he's joking or maybe mocking him. Shen Yuan asks how much it would cost. Airplane fires off a ridiculous number. Shen Yuan doesn't even blink and wires him the first payment. Then he gets annoyed because Airplane leaves him on read for a while, but that's because Airplane is staring at his account balance in shock.

Of course, it's Airplane who starts referring to Peerless Cucumber as his sugar daddy. Shen Yuan is just like "based on your sex scenes I don't think anyone would pay you for that" and Airplane's all "but you WOULD pay for my sex scenes ^_~" and Shen Yuan's like "technically I am actually paying you not to write that shit" and so on. Usual banter. The quality of Airplane's writing improves dramatically, a lot of his readership drops off but he does get new readers and gradually builds up an even bigger fanbase than before, and so on, it all goes pretty well. He eventually writes a few things that take off to the point of getting physical publications and international translations. Technically Airplane no longer needs Shen Yuan to pay all of his bills by that point but he's not going to tell Shen Yuan that! The contract's still good as long as he keeps writing!

Then one of Airplane's online acquaintances runs into some financial trouble and asks for help.

Liu Mingyan used to beta read for Airplane back when he wrote fanfiction (she was like thirteen, Airplane was unaware because internet and hey free beta), and it seems her family has hit a rough patch. She wants tips on how to go pro, but Airplane explains that it was extremely difficult and he mostly lucked out by finding a single wealthy backer. Mingyan wonders if the same guy would be interested in her writing, Airplane sadly thinks not because Mingyan exclusively writes kinky danmei erotica and Peerless Cucumber seems pretty firmly in the closet still and also generally prefers plotty and world-building heavy stuff.

But like, Airplane has definitely gotten a vibe off of Cucumber-bro, and Mingyan's gorgeous older brother does video streams of himself doing cool martial arts and swordsmanship stuff. So he asks her permission and when she gives it, he recommends Liu Qingge's videos to Shen Yuan, being sure to mention that the guy in question can't really afford to keep up with his hobbies and oh what a shame it would be if he had to stop making art like that.

Haha, Airplane, you're not subtle.

Even so, Shen Yuan watches the videos and immediately agrees that Liu Qingge is beauty in motion, and that it would be criminal to deprive the world of more videos of his sword. Swordsmanship! That is the, the art of, martial arts! Definitely. He clicks the donate button, reasoning out that he'll just send a donation about the size of his usual monthly payments to Airplane and call it his good deed for the day.

Liu Qingge is very confused by this new follower from nowhere who suddenly dumped a little over a month's rent into his account. One thing leads to another, with Mingyan and Airplane conspiring to try and get Shen Yuan as a permanent patron, and then Liu Qingge being let in on it. Except that Airplane keeps referring to Shen Yuan as his sugar daddy, and well... it's not like Liu Qingge doesn't ever get 'those' kinds of comments on his videos. At first he's embarrassed, then offended, then mortified that his own younger sister is apparently setting him up to make premium private videos for what he assumes is some old pervert who is going to want him to do untoward things.

However, their options are pretty bleak at the moment, and Liu Qingge worries that if he doesn't do this then Mingyan might. She even mentions something to the effect of having planned to offer herself, and only didn't because she wasn't this "sugar daddy" guy's type!

Teeth clenched, Liu Qingge asks Airplane stiltedly for advice on how to... appeal, to this wealthy benefactor.

In the end though it's not nearly as bad as Liu Qingge feared. He winds up doing more videos in costumes and cosplay, which ought to have been an untenable expense, but Peerless Cucumber always ends up covering the cost of whatever he invests in plus extra. Sometimes he sends Liu Qingge stuff with a request to wear it, but so far it's just been like, badass warrior-themed or historical costumes. Nothing overtly pervy. He does some LARPing, he makes enough to start doing horseback archery again, convinces some of his good-looking peers from various clubs to spar with him, and ultimately the most risque videos he ends up doing are the ones where he demonstrates how to put on certain kinds of gear. He still locks those ones behind paid subscribers only, mostly because he feels like he's doing something illicit now, even if he used to show more skin on his older videos any time he took his shirt off.

Peerless Cucumber doesn't leave creepy comments, either. In fact he seems genuinely nice and supportive, it's hard not to like him, and so even once his situation levels out Liu Qingge decides there's not really much need to stop making videos for him. (He maybe even gets a little giddy thrill over... well, sometimes he finds it all a bit... just when he thinks about Peerless Cucumber watching him demonstrate his physical prowess and finding that alone worth... ANYWAY--)

So that goes on for a while, before Yue Qi enters the scene.

Yue Qi is the childhood friend of one of Shen Yuan's older brothers (Shen bros!) and Shen Jiu owes him a big favor for something that he won't talk about. At least he won't talk to Shen Yuan about it. But Yue Qi is also not the type to ask for help, and Shen Jiu is very bad at offering it, so when Shen Jiu gets word that Yue Qi is having some difficulties making ends meet, he tells Shen Yuan to act as the middle man. Go offer Qi-ge money, he knows you're nice he'll just accept it, and then Shen Jiu will pay the actual bill.

Well it turns out that Yue Qi doesn't just accept it, of course he sees right through it, and gently but firmly tells Shen Yuan that he's not interested in burdening Shen Jiu further than he already has. Etc, etc, stoic stiff upper lips and no proper communication all around. Shen Yuan panics because it's not working and he's also genuinely worried about Yue Qi by now, so he tries to figure out how to make it compelling and basically blurts that, well, see, the thing is that sometimes he pays men to entertain him. You know. To like. Do things, for him. So. He could also pay Yue Qi? To do something for him?

Yue Qi gets the wrong idea entirely, and at first is like, oh, no, A'Yuan, you shouldn't be paying people for that! These things should just happen organically! But Shen Yuan is very adamant that he believes in compensating people for what they do for him, it's not like he can't afford to, and it gets awkward but Yue Qi is like well he does have health problems. It's perhaps difficult for him to meet people. So then he starts worrying about Shen Yuan and all these strange men he's apparently paying for "entertainment". Does his brother know about this?

No of course Shen Jiu doesn't know! He'd hate it, and Shen Yuan doesn't want to hear about how he's doing everything wrong with his life again!

Then Shen Yuan mentions that his prior house cleaning service up and quit on him (they didn't), and if Yue Qi would like to earn fair compensation he could just come over sometimes to help instead, and Shen Yuan would pay him just to tidy up and hang out for a few hours! Which Yue Qi thinks is a fantastic idea, actually, even if Shen Yuan is only doing this because of his brother, this will give Yue Qi a chance to keep an eye on him and his so-called entertainers. Even if he sort of... ends up also being one?

Shen Yuan keeps everything above board, though his apartment always seems perfectly clean and he overpays way too much (Shen Jiu is still footing this bill after all), and Yue Qi starts to think maybe he actually is being paid for intimacy. Of a sort that they're maybe still working up to? Shen Yuan usually has a very thin face after all. He's kind of got two minds about this prospect. On the one hand, he's got his situationship with Shen Jiu, so dating his brother would be absurd. But on the other hand, it's not actually dating, and he does like Shen Yuan, and maybe if they can be good company for each other then Yue Qi won't feel so depressed and Shen Yuan won't need to hire strange men so often.

Meanwhile it's come to Shen Yuan's attention, perhaps through an offhand comment he read online somewhere, that people who are struggling financially often also struggle to "treat themselves". Because even when they have enough money to be comfortable there's often the looming specter of deprivation, and etc, so he figures he should start buying some of his dependents more treats and things. Since they might not buy them for themselves? And also he's enjoying doing this but shhh no he isn't, it's a huge hassle, he's only doing it out of basic moral decency, etc.

So like, Airplane starts getting little things that he'd put on some public wish lists, clearly sent by Peerless Cucumber. And he tells Mingyan to make a list for Liu Qingge too, and sure enough, Liu Qingge (bewildered, slightly flustered) tries to figure out what he's supposed to do with an album from a band he likes and some high-end leather polish. Ultimately settles on playing the music and wearing his nicest leather in his next video. Yue Qi starts arriving at Shen Yuan's place to be plied with his favorite coffees and to have scented candles awkwardly foisted onto him (Shen Yuan does not know what Yue Qi likes in gifts) (he buys these presents himself they're not out of Shen Jiu's pocket).

So finally Shen Yuan's parents start to notice that he's been spending a lot more than usual, and start to worry that he's either been taken in by a scam artist or is secretly dating a gold digger or has developed a drug addiction or something. But asking things directly like normal people is basically illegal in the Shen family, so they decide to hire a private investigator.

Enter Luo Binghe, a young man of humble background who is struggling to make ends meet after the untimely death of his adoptive mother, and is using his P.I. job and his online cooking videos to help pay his way through school (scholarship student). Usually his cases are more like, cyberstalking someone to find out if they're cheating on their spouse, or helping someone planning a lawsuit accumulate evidence on their corrupt employer, or other things like that. When he gets the Shen Yuan case, the idea that the Shen family's son is paying for "company" is well within his list of probable answers.

Though this one is a little... peculiar?

Mostly because Binghe can't find evidence of Shen Yuan actually getting what he would, presumably, be paying for. At first Luo Binghe just goes through the online paper trails, using the info that the Shen parents give him to figure out that Shen Yuan is paying Airplane and Swordmaster Liu (*cough*) what seem to be exorbitant prices just for trashy fiction and cosplay videos. He assumes this is a cover, that someone's actually delivering drugs or going over for "private meetings" or at least actually sending dirty videos as well, but even when he pays for Liu Qingge's VIP access it's just tutorials and such. Neither of these guys are even on any of the sites that are more lenient towards hosting explicit content. Luo Binghe's aware that kinks aren't always obviously sexual, but people don't usually pay through the nose for the kind of content they can easily find for free all over the place, either.

He digs a little more but keeps coming up empty on evidence to clarify which of the many vices the Shen family's son is actually indulging in. Which is a problem because that's the information they're paying him to find out. Plus his curiosity kind of piques as he reads Shen Yuan's seemingly quite invested comments on Airplane's writing and Liu Qingge's videos, looking to see if there's any kind of clandestine code or pattern. But near as he can tell, whatever else Shen Yuan might be getting out of these arrangements, he does genuinely like the stories and videos too? Well. Sometimes. Sometimes he's actually scathingly vitriolic towards Airplane's writing.

Luo Binghe decides that surveilling Shen Yuan himself is probably the way to go. That gets more complicated in court cases, but since the Shen parents just wants to know what's going on and aren't planning on prosecuting their son for anything, it doesn't matter as much if Luo Binghe gets information in sneaky or underhanded ways.

So, Binghe uses the account he created to access Liu Qingge's videos to chat with Shen Yuan a few times, and then recommends his own cooking channel. Shen Yuan doesn't seem too interested in cooking, so Luo Binghe makes sure to include a video that has an image of himself in his recommendation, and then films a few new videos of himself cooking with his shirtsleeves rolled up to three quarters and a few more buttons than usual unbuttoned, adopting a more flirty persona than he typically does for his shows. He takes his cues from some of Liu Qingge's more popular videos for how to be enticing bait.

It takes a few videos, but eventually Shen Yuan comments. Luo Binghe latches onto the chance to start talking to him, playing up a persona of a vulnerable young man with little means who is trying hard to make it through school, etc, and sure enough Shen Yuan seems interested. Well, most predatory people like vulnerable targets, don't they?

However... Shen Yuan just sends him a chunk of money.

Luo Binghe is confused.

Isn't he supposed to ask for something or create some kind of expectation of repayment first? But, maybe this is his approach to handling new targets. Maybe he's just trying to lull Binghe into a false sense of complacency, before he starts indicating what he wants from all of this. Luo Binghe makes sure to move the money Shen Yuan sends him into a separate account, so that if the Shen parents get angry about it then he can return it as a gesture of good faith.

But Shen Yuan just keeps sending supportive comments and donations. Eventually he leaves a comment that alludes to how badly he'd like to taste Binghe's cooking, and Binghe is like finally, but when he implies that they could perhaps meet in person and Luo Binghe could thank him for his support by making him something, Shen Yuan backs off.

Things eventually progress to the point where Luo Binghe, who is a totally normal person treating this like a totally normal job still thank you very much, is basically camping out in the bushes in front of Shen Yuan's apartment building. At some point he conscripts the aid of his weird cousin (finding his birth family was how he got into this business initially), and then almost immediately regrets it because Shen Yuan helps get Zhuzhi Lang a job doing landscaping for his building.

Why would he want Zhuzhi Lang close but not Binghe? Binghe is much handsomer! He'd make an excellent target for seduction! >:(

Anyway eventually Yue Qi catches Luo Binghe lurking around like a creeper and is like, finally, I have caught one of these suspicious men, whilst Binghe is like oh so he does have a lover, well this guy sucks and is clearly not good enough for him, and they both try and chase one another off and Shen Yuan comes home to a heated passive-aggressive-politeness war being waged in front of his apartment. Eventually he realizes the misunderstanding and calls everyone together (zoom conference? in-person meet-up?) to clarify that he is not paying any of them for "special favors", that was just Airplane being deranged about his sense of humor, and then he has no idea what to do when the prevailing response seems to be disappointment.

[astrxq]

Since your request are open and you want to experiment with jace🫣, I was wondering if you could write modern!jace from best friends to lovers, something fluffy and cute<3

Flickers of Friendship

modern!jacaerys velaryon x fem!reader

words: 4.8k

notes: feedback is appreciated!! warnings: making out, aged-up characters.

The gentle hum of the refrigerator filled the kitchen as you stood there, staring blankly at its contents. It was nearly midnight, and the soft glow from inside illuminated your face in the otherwise dark room. You weren't really hungry; it was more of a habitual late-night wandering that brought you here.

"If you stare any harder, you might just melt the ice cream," a familiar voice teased from behind you.

You didn't need to turn around to know it was Jace. His presence was as familiar to you as your own shadow, a constant in your life for as long as you could remember. You could picture the amused smirk on his face without even looking.

"I'm contemplating the mysteries of the universe," you replied dryly, finally closing the fridge door and turning to face him.

Jace was leaning against the doorframe, his dark hair slightly tousled from running his fingers through it – a habit he'd had since you were kids. He wore an old t-shirt and sweatpants, his usual nighttime attire. Even in the dim light filtering in from the living room, you could see the glint of humor in his eyes.

"Ah, yes. The great philosophical question: to snack or not to snack," he quipped, pushing off the doorframe and sauntering into the kitchen. "That is the question."

You rolled your eyes, but couldn't suppress the smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. This was how it always was with Jace – easy banter, comfortable silences, and an inexplicable ability to make you smile even when you were determined not to.

"What are you doing up?" you asked, hopping up to sit on the counter. Your legs dangled, not quite touching the floor.

Jace shrugged, mirroring your position on the opposite counter. "Couldn't sleep."

"Your Spidey senses tingling again?" you joked.

He grinned, tapping his temple. "They're never wrong when it comes to you."

There was a brief pause, a comfortable silence settling between you. It was moments like these that you cherished most – just existing in the same space, no need for words or explanations. You'd known each other for so long that silence was never awkward; it was a shared language of its own.

"So," Jace said after a while, his voice softer now. "What's really keeping you up?"

You sighed, knowing he'd see right through any attempt to deflect. "Just thinking about that group project due next week. I'm worried we won't finish in time."

Jace nodded understandingly. "The one for Professor Harrison's class?" When you confirmed with a nod, he continued, "Want me to take a look at it tomorrow? Two heads are better than one, especially when one of those heads is as brilliant as mine."

You snorted, reaching out to swat his arm playfully. "Your humility never ceases to amaze me."

"M’just stating facts," he defended, catching your hand before you could pull it back. His thumb absently traced circles on your palm, a gesture so natural and familiar that neither of you seemed to notice. "Seriously though, I'd be happy to help if you need it."

The sincerity in his voice made your chest tighten with affection. This was Jace – always ready to lend a hand, always there when you needed him. You squeezed his hand gratefully. "Thanks, Jace. I might take you up on that."

He smiled, a softer version of his usual grin. "Anytime. That's what I'm here for."

You sat there for a moment, hands still linked, before Jace suddenly hopped off the counter. "Come on," he said, tugging you gently off your perch. "If we're going to be up, we might as well do something fun."

"Jace, it's past midnight," you protested weakly, even as you allowed him to lead you to the living room.

"Exactly," he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Perfect time for a movie marathon. You pick the first one, I'll make the popcorn."

Before you could argue further, he was already back in the kitchen, the sound of popcorn kernels hitting the bottom of a pot following soon after. You shook your head fondly, knowing resistance was futile. This was classic Jace – spontaneous, thoughtful, and always knowing exactly how to distract you from your worries.

You settled onto the couch, pulling the soft throw blanket over your legs as you scrolled through your shared streaming queue. By the time Jace returned with a large bowl of popcorn, you had picked out an old favorite – a cheesy comedy you'd watched together countless times.

"Excellent choice," Jace approved, setting the bowl on the coffee table before plopping down next to you. Without hesitation, he lifted the edge of the blanket and scooted closer, his warmth seeping into your side.

As the opening credits rolled, you felt the tension from earlier slowly melting away. Jace's arm found its way around your shoulders, a casual gesture that felt as natural as breathing. You leaned into him, your head finding that perfect spot between his shoulder and chest.

"Thanks for this," you murmured, your eyes fixed on the screen but your attention on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

Jace's response was to pull you a little closer, his fingers absently playing with a strand of your hair. "Always," he said simply.

And as you sat there, wrapped in the cocoon of warmth and familiarity that was Jace, you couldn't help but think that maybe sleepless nights weren't so bad after all. Not when they led to moments like these – quiet, unassuming, yet somehow more intimate than any grand gesture could ever be.

The movie played on, but neither of you were really watching anymore. You were too caught up in the comfort of each other's presence, in the unspoken understanding that had defined your friendship for years. And if there was a flutter in your chest when Jace's lips brushed against your forehead in a fleeting, almost unconscious gesture – well, that was something to contemplate another time.

The first rays of sunlight filtering through the living room blinds roused you from sleep. For a moment, you were disoriented, unsure why you weren't in your bed. Then you felt the steady rise and fall of Jace's chest beneath your cheek, and the events of last night came rushing back.

You must have fallen asleep during the movie. Jace's arm was still draped around you, his hand resting lightly on your waist. The TV screen had long since gone dark, and the bowl of popcorn sat untouched on the coffee table.

You lay there for a moment, not wanting to disturb the peaceful quiet of the morning or the warmth of Jace's embrace. It wasn't the first time you'd fallen asleep together like this, but something felt different this time. There was a flutter in your stomach that you couldn't quite explain.

Carefully, you tilted your head to look at Jace's sleeping face. His features were relaxed, lips slightly parted, dark lashes fanned against his cheeks. A lock of hair had fallen across his forehead, and you had to resist the urge to brush it away.

As if sensing your gaze, Jace's eyes fluttered open. He blinked a few times, confused, before his eyes found yours. A slow, sleepy smile spread across his face.

"Morning, sunshine," he murmured, his voice husky from sleep.

You felt your cheeks warm at the endearment, even though you knew it was just Jace being Jace. "Morning," you replied softly. "Sorry I fell asleep on you."

Jace's arm tightened around you briefly in a gentle squeeze. "No complaints here. You make an excellent blanket."

You laughed quietly, finally pushing yourself up to a sitting position. Jace followed suit, stretching his arms above his head with a groan. His t-shirt rode up slightly, revealing a sliver of skin above his sweatpants. You quickly averted your eyes, suddenly feeling flustered.

"What time is it?" Jace asked, running a hand through his messy hair.

You glanced at the clock on the wall. "Just past seven."

Jace groaned again, flopping back onto the couch dramatically. "It should be illegal to be awake this early on a Saturday."

"Says the guy who dragged me into a midnight movie marathon," you retorted, poking his side.

He squirmed away from your finger, laughing. "Hey, that was for your own good. Can't have my best friend stressing herself into an early grave."

The fondness in his voice made your heart skip a beat. You stood up quickly, needing to put some distance between you and the confusing feelings swirling in your chest.

"I'm going to make some coffee. Want some?" you asked, already heading towards the kitchen.

"Is that even a question?" Jace called after you. You could hear him getting up from the couch, his footsteps following you into the kitchen.

As you busied yourself with the coffee maker, Jace leaned against the counter beside you, watching your movements with a soft expression you couldn't quite decipher.

"So, any big plans for today?" he asked, reaching past you to grab two mugs from the cabinet. His arm brushed against yours, sending a small shiver down your spine.

You shook your head, both in response to his question and to clear your muddled thoughts. "Not really. I should probably work on that project some more."

Jace nodded, setting the mugs down next to the coffee maker. "Want some company? I meant what I said last night about helping out."

You turned to face him, touched by his offer. "You don't have to do that, Jace. It's your day off too."

He shrugged, a lopsided smile on his face. "What else am I going to do? Besides, I like spending time with you. Even if it involves boring schoolwork."

There was something in his eyes, a warmth that made your breath catch in your throat. For a moment, you just stared at each other, the air between you charged with an energy you couldn't name. The gurgle of the coffee maker broke the spell. You turned back to pour the coffee, grateful for the distraction.

"Okay," you said, handing him a steaming mug. "But fair warning: it might involve a lot of complaining on my part."

Jace's fingers brushed yours as he took the mug, lingering a second longer than necessary. "Bring it on. I happen to be an excellent complaint receptor."

You laughed, "Well, aren't you just the perfect friend? Sacrificing your Saturday for little old me."

"What can I say?" Jace grinned, taking a sip of his coffee. "I live to serve."

"My hero," you deadpanned, but your smile gave you away.

As you both stood there, sipping your coffee and trading playful jabs, you couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over you. This was familiar territory – the easy conversation, the shared laughter, the comfortable silences. But there was also something new simmering beneath the surface, a current of awareness that hadn't been there before.

You found yourself noticing things you'd never paid attention to before – the way Jace's eyes crinkled when he laughed, the dimple that appeared in his left cheek when he smiled, the gentle timbre of his voice when he spoke softly.

It was confusing and exhilarating all at once, and you weren't sure what to make of it. But as Jace launched into a detailed plan for tackling your project, his enthusiasm infectious, you decided to push those thoughts aside for now.

You had a whole day ahead of you, just you and Jace. Whatever these new feelings were, they could wait. For now, you were content to bask in the warmth of his presence and the promise of his company.

The morning sun climbed higher in the sky as you and Jace settled into your shared workspace – the small dining table tucked into the corner of your apartment. Books and papers were strewn across its surface, your laptop open to a half-finished document. Jace sat beside you, close enough that your elbows occasionally brushed as you worked.

"Okay, so walk me through what you've got so far," Jace said, leaning in to look at your screen. His proximity sent a small thrill through you, one that you tried to ignore as you began explaining your project.

As you talked, Jace listened intently, his brow furrowed in concentration. It was a look you'd seen countless times before, but today it made your heart skip a beat. You found yourself stumbling over your words, distracted by the way his hair fell across his forehead, the sharp line of his jaw, the warmth of his arm against yours.

"...and that's where I'm stuck," you finished, realizing you'd been rambling. "I just can't figure out how to tie it all together."

Jace nodded thoughtfully, then turned to face you. His knee bumped yours under the table, and neither of you moved to break the contact. "I think I see the problem," he said, his voice low and close. "You're trying to connect too many ideas at once. What if we approach it from a different angle?"

He reached for your laptop, his hand brushing yours as he took control of the touchpad. You inhaled sharply at the contact, a jolt of electricity running through you. If Jace noticed your reaction, he didn't show it, instead focusing on rearranging the sections of your document.

As he worked, explaining his thought process, you found yourself watching him more than the screen. The way his lips moved as he spoke, the little crease between his eyebrows when he concentrated, the gentle timbre of his voice – it was all suddenly, intensely fascinating.

"What do you think?" Jace asked, turning to you with an expectant smile. You blinked, realizing you hadn't heard a word he'd said.

"Uh, could you repeat that?" you asked, feeling heat rise to your cheeks. "I think I zoned out for a second."

Jace's smile turned teasing. "Am I boring you already? And here I thought I was being brilliantly insightful."

You laughed, shoving his shoulder playfully. "You? Brilliant? Never."

"You wound me," Jace clutched his chest dramatically. "After all my hard work and dedication."

"Your ego will survive," you retorted, but there was no bite to your words. Just fondness, warm and familiar.

Jace's expression softened, his eyes meeting yours. For a moment, neither of you spoke, caught in a gaze that felt charged with unspoken words. Your heart raced, and you found yourself leaning in slightly, drawn by some invisible force.

The sudden blare of Jace's phone alarm shattered the moment. You both jumped, the spell broken.

"Shit," Jace muttered, fumbling for his phone. "I forgot I promised to call my mom this morning."

You nodded, trying to ignore the pang of disappointment in your chest. "Go ahead," you said, gesturing to his room. "I'll keep working on this."

Jace hesitated, looking torn. "You sure? I can reschedule..."

"Don't be silly," you insisted, mustering a smile. "Go talk to your mom. I'll be fine."

He nodded, getting up from the table. But before he left, he paused, his hand resting on your shoulder. "Thanks," he said softly, giving you a gentle squeeze. The warmth of his touch lingered even after he'd disappeared into his room.

You stared at your laptop screen, trying to focus on the work in front of you. But your mind kept wandering back to the moment before the interruption. What had that been? The way Jace had looked at you, the way your body had gravitated towards his... it felt different from your usual interactions, charged with a tension you couldn't quite name.

Shaking your head, you forced yourself to concentrate on the project. It was probably nothing, you told yourself. Just your imagination running wild after a night of little sleep and too much closeness.

But as you worked, you couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between you and Jace. Whether it was a momentary blip or the start of something more, only time would tell.

An hour passed before Jace emerged from his room, looking slightly harried. "Sorry about that," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Mom got chatty."

You smiled, understanding all too well. "No worries. How is she?"

"Good," Jace replied, dropping back into the chair beside you. "She says hi, by the way. Asked when you're coming to visit again."

A warm feeling spread through your chest at the mention. Jace's family had always treated you like one of their own, ever since you were kids. "Tell her soon," you said. "I miss her cooking."

Jace laughed. "I'll let her know. She'll be thrilled – you know she loves feeding people."

As Jace settled back into work mode, you found yourself stealing glances at him. The easy familiarity between you was still there, but now it was tinged with something else. An awareness that hadn't been there before, a hyper-consciousness of every move, every touch.

You worked side by side for the next few hours, the project slowly taking shape under your combined efforts. Jace's insights proved invaluable, his unique perspective helping you overcome the roadblocks you'd been struggling with.

As the afternoon wore on, you found yourself relaxing into the rhythm of your collaboration. The earlier tension faded, replaced by the comfortable synchronicity you'd always shared. Yet, there was a new undercurrent to your interactions – a lingering touch here, a prolonged gaze there, moments of silence that felt heavy with unspoken words.

By the time the sun began to dip towards the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, you'd made significant progress on the project.

"I think that's enough for today," Jace said, stretching his arms above his head. His shirt rode up slightly, revealing a strip of skin that you found yourself staring at before quickly averting your eyes.

"Yeah," you agreed, saving the document and closing your laptop. "Thanks for your help, Jace. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Jace's expression softened, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "Anytime," he said softly. "That's what I'm here for."

There was something in his voice, a tenderness that made your breath catch. You looked up, meeting his gaze, and for a moment, the world seemed to narrow down to just the two of you.

The moment stretched, full of possibility. You found yourself leaning in slightly, drawn by some invisible force. Jace mirrored your movement, his eyes flickering briefly to your lips before meeting your gaze again.

Your heart raced, a mix of excitement and nervousness coursing through you. Was this really happening? Were you and Jace about to...?

The sharp ring of the doorbell made you both jump, the moment shattering like glass. You jerked back, nearly toppling your chair in your haste.

"I'll get it," Jace said quickly, already on his feet and heading for the door. You watched him go, your heart still pounding, mind reeling from what had almost happened.

As Jace's voice mingled with that of your neighbor, asking to borrow some sugar, you took a deep breath, trying to calm your racing thoughts. What had that been? Were you imagining things, or had Jace been about to kiss you?

And more importantly, why did a part of you wish the doorbell hadn't rung?

The days stretched into weeks, each one a delicate dance of unspoken words and lingering glances. Your relationship with Jace remained as close as ever, yet there was an undercurrent of something new, something neither of you dared to name.

One lazy Sunday afternoon, you found yourself sprawled on the living room floor, textbooks and notes scattered around you. Jace was nearby, lounging on the couch with his laptop, occasionally mumbling to himself as he worked on an assignment.

"Hey," you called out, not looking up from your notes. "What's another word for 'fundamental'?"

"Hmm," Jace mused. You could hear the smile in his voice as he replied, "Crucial?”

With a nod, you turned back to your essay, you forced yourself to pretend not to have caught Jace looking at you with an expression you couldn't quite decipher. It was soft, almost wistful, and it made your heart do a funny little flip in your chest. But before you could analyze it further, he had already returned his attention to his laptop, leaving you to wonder if you'd imagined it.

The moment passed, as so many similar moments had over the past few weeks. Yet each one left a lingering warmth, like the afterglow of a sunset, building slowly into something you weren't quite ready to name.

Days turned into nights, filled with shared meals, late-night study sessions, and the comfortable silences that only come with true familiarity. You found yourself noticing little things about Jace that you'd never paid attention to before – the way he always made sure to make extra coffee for you in the morning, how he'd absently hum while doing the dishes, the gentle way he'd touch your shoulder when passing by.

One evening, as you both prepared dinner in the small kitchen, you reached for a spice jar at the same moment Jace did. Your hands brushed, and you felt that now-familiar jolt of electricity. You both froze for a moment, eyes meeting over the cluttered countertop.

"Sorry," Jace murmured, his voice low. "You go ahead."

You nodded, unable to form words, and grabbed the jar. As you turned back to the stove, you could feel Jace's gaze on you, heavy with unspoken thoughts. You almost forgot what you needed the jar for, too caught up in the moment.

These moments became more frequent, each one a tiny spark adding to a slowly building fire. A lingering touch while passing the salt at dinner. A shared laugh over an inside joke that left you both breathless. The way Jace's eyes would soften when he looked at you, thinking you wouldn't notice.

You found yourself seeking out these moments, craving the warmth they brought. Yet neither of you took that final step, both hesitant to disturb the delicate balance of your friendship.

As midterms approached, the atmosphere in your apartment grew tenser, filled with the stress of impending exams. You spent long hours hunched over textbooks, your mind a whirl of facts and figures. Jace was equally busy, but he always seemed to sense when you needed a break.

One night, as you sat at the dining table, staring blankly at your notes, Jace appeared beside you. Without a word, he gently closed your textbook and tugged you to your feet.

"Come on," he said softly. "You need a break."

Too tired to argue, you let him lead you to the living room. He sat you down on the couch, disappeared into the kitchen, and returned moments later with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate.

As you sipped the sweet drink, Jace put on a movie. He settled beside you on the couch, close enough that you could feel the warmth of his body. It all felt too familiar, making you remember the last time you fell asleep together.

Halfway through the movie, you felt your eyelids growing heavy. Without thinking, you leaned into Jace, your head finding that perfect spot between his shoulder and chest. His arm came around you, holding you close, and you felt him press a soft kiss to the top of your head.

The movie's credits rolled, but neither of you moved. Your eyes were closed, Jace's steady heartbeat a soothing rhythm beneath your ear. His fingers traced lazy patterns on your arm, sending shivers down your spine.

"We should probably get some sleep," Jace murmured, his voice a low rumble in his chest.

You nodded but made no effort to move. "Probably," you agreed softly.

Another moment passed in comfortable silence. Then, slowly, you lifted your head to look at him. Jace's eyes met yours, dark and intense in the dim light of the TV screen. Something in his gaze made your breath catch in your throat.

"Jace," you whispered, barely audible.

His hand came up to cup your cheek, thumb brushing lightly across your skin. "Yeah?" he breathed, leaning in slightly.

Your heart raced as you tilted your face towards his, drawn by an invisible force. Time seemed to slow as the distance between you narrowed, until finally, finally, his lips met yours.

The first touch was soft, tentative, a gentle press of lips that sent sparks coursing through your body. For a moment, you both hesitated, teetering on the edge of this new territory. Then, as if a dam had broken, the kiss deepened.

Jace's hand slid into your hair, cradling the back of your head as he pulled you closer. Your fingers gripped his shirt, anchoring yourself as the world seemed to spin around you. His lips moved against yours with growing urgency, years of unspoken feelings pouring out in a rush of passion.

You gasped softly as Jace's tongue traced the seam of your lips, seeking entrance. Without hesitation, you granted it, meeting his tongue with your own. The taste of him – a hint of chocolate and something uniquely Jace – made you dizzy with want.

The kiss was everything you'd never let yourself imagine and more. It was the comfort of years of friendship mixed with the thrill of new discovery. Jace kissed like he did everything else – with full dedication and a hint of playfulness. His teeth grazed your bottom lip, drawing a small sound from you that he swallowed eagerly. 

Your hands roamed, one sliding up to tangle in his hair, the other tracing the strong line of his jaw. Jace's free hand found your waist, fingers slipping under the hem of your shirt to caress the skin beneath. His touch left trails of fire in its wake, igniting every nerve ending.

When you finally broke apart, both gasping for air, Jace rested his forehead against yours. His eyes, when they fluttered open, were dark with desire, but there was also a softness there that made your heart ache.

"Hey," he breathed, a smile tugging at his lips.

You couldn't help but laugh softly, feeling giddy and overwhelmed. "Hi," you agreed. 

Jace's thumb stroked your cheek as he gazed at you with wonder. "I've wanted to do that for so long," he admitted.

Your heart soared at his words. "Me too," you confessed. "I just... I was afraid of ruining what we had."

"Nothing could ruin us," Jace said with conviction. He leaned in, pressing a soft, sweet kiss to your lips.

This time when your lips met, it was slower, deeper. A promise and an exploration. Jace took his time, mapping every contour of your mouth with his tongue, drawing soft sighs and quiet moans from you. Your fingers trailed down his neck, feeling his pulse race beneath your touch.

When you finally parted, you were both breathless and flushed. Jace's hair was mussed from your fingers, his lips swollen from your kisses. You imagined you looked much the same.

"Jace," you whispered again, more firmly this time, seeking his eyes. He looked at you with such tenderness that it nearly took your breath away. "What happens now?"

His expression softened further, a small, reassuring smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Jace's smile widened, and he pressed another kiss to your forehead before pulling back slightly, giving you space but not letting go. "We should really get some sleep," he repeated, though his tone held a note of reluctance.

You nodded, feeling the fatigue of the long day catch up with you again. "Yeah, sleep sounds good."

With a soft chuckle, Jace helped you to your feet. You both moved slowly, almost reluctantly, as if savoring every moment of this new closeness. He led you to your bedroom, his hand warm and steady in yours.

As you stood together at the threshold of your bedroom, Jace's hand still gently holding yours, there was a moment of hesitation. The unspoken question lingered in the air – should he stay or go to his own room?

Breaking the silence, Jace gave your hand a reassuring squeeze and leaned in, placing a tender kiss on your forehead. 

"I'll let you get some rest," he murmured softly, his voice filled with warmth and affection. "Goodnight."

You felt a pang of longing at the thought of him leaving, but you knew that tonight was just the beginning of something new and beautiful between you. With a small smile, you replied, "Goodnight, Jace."

He lingered for a moment, his gaze searching yours as if to reassure himself of your mutual understanding. Then, reluctantly, he released your hand and turned to leave. As he walked down the hallway towards his own room, you couldn't help but watch him go, heart fluttering with giddiness.

[wooattackrr]

Opposites Attract

MDNI

word count: 1,704

a/n: as I was writing this I realised most of my fics are school plot

——————————————————————

You had always been the studious one, the kind of student who could ace exams without breaking a sweat. Mingyu, on the other hand, was the quintessential class clown—loud, unpredictable, and always the center of attention. His antics had made him a legend in your high school, but you never expected the two of you would ever spend time together outside of class.

However, that all changed when the teacher announced mandatory tutoring sessions for struggling students. To your surprise, the person assigned to your group was none other than Mingyu himself. You were apprehensive about it at first; after all, you knew how he could be. Would he be serious about his studies, or just use the time as another opportunity for jokes and laughter?

The first few sessions were exactly what you expected. Mingyu would arrive with a quick grin and a barrage of puns that could make anyone groan. You would roll your eyes and get back to work, trying to make the most of your time with him. But slowly, as the days passed, you began to appreciate his humor more. Beneath the façade of the class clown, you discovered a more thoughtful side to Mingyu. He wanted to improve, and with your help, he actually started to.

Your meetings eventually shifted from awkward and frustrating to enjoyable and filled with banter. You would laugh at his silly jokes and tease him about his notorious reputation, while he would engage attentively with the material, even occasionally asking for clarification on topics he found difficult. It was surprising how he could change from a playful joker to a focused student in the span of just a few minutes.

One Wednesday afternoon, as winter settled in and the sun began to set early, you both found yourselves deep into a particularly challenging math problem in the quiet confines of the local library. You were seated at a large, wooden table illuminated by the soft glow of a desk lamp, surrounded by bookshelves stacked high with novels and textbooks.

"Okay, explain this part again," Mingyu said, resting his head on one hand, his expression half-focused, half-exasperated. Your fingers traced the numbers on the paper as you explained the concept of quadratic equations.

“Imagine it like a jump,” you said, enthusiastically drawing an exaggerated parabola in the air with your free hand. “When you throw a ball, it goes up, then comes down. The highest point is the maximum value, and the whole trajectory is shaped like a curve, just like this.”

Mingyu mimicked your hand movements, a smirk dancing on his lips. “So you’re saying if I throw a ball really hard, I’ll pass this math test?”

You laughed. “If only it were that simple.”

The hours flew by, marked only by the ticking clock on the wall and the occasional rustle of paper. You had both lost track of time. It wasn't until the library announced its closing for the night that you realized how late it had gotten.

"Oh no, we're locked in!" Mingyu exclaimed, looking around furtively as you both realized the entrance doors were indeed shut tight. "What are we going to do? We’ll be trapped here forever!"

“Calm down,” you said, trying to mask your unease with a shrug. “We’ll just wait for someone to come back and let us out.”

“Yeah, right,” Mingyu said, plopping down in a chair dramatically. “I’d probably just start doing my stand-up routine to keep myself entertained until then.”

The playful banter continued as you both settled into the unexpected situation, and soon, you found yourselves in a comfortable silence surrounded by the stories that lined the walls of the library. But in that quiet moment, Mingyu turned to you, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

“Since it’s just us here, do you want to hear a secret?” he asked, leaning closer with intrigue. There was a moment of tension, a thin line drawn between the humor and seriousness you both shared.

“A secret? From you?” you teased. “I’m not sure I trust you to keep it.”

Mingyu feigned offense. “I promise! No jokes. Just… honest.”

“Alright, then,” you said, your interest piqued. “Let’s hear it.”

“I think you’re really smart,” he said, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. “And I mean, smart-smart. Like, you get all the answers and I can barely figure out which number comes next.”

You blinked, taken aback by the honesty in that statement. “That’s sweet of you to say, but it’s just studying.”

"But you study because you care," he replied, sincerity etched on his face. “You don’t just do it to get grades… you want to help others, too.”

His gaze was steady, and for a moment, the classroom antics and the laughter faded away. It was just the two of you—Mingyu and you caught in an unexpected act of vulnerability. You felt a warmth rise within you, something you hadn’t anticipated.

“Mingyu…” you began, unsure of where this conversation was leading. But before you could finish your thought, he shifted closer, the distance between you shrinking until it felt electric.

“Mingyu!” you exclaimed, half in surprise, half in protest, yet your heart raced with an excitement you couldn’t quite analyze.

“I’ve been thinking…” he murmured, inching even closer, his face a mere breath away from yours. “Maybe I’ve been hiding behind jokes and laughter… but I really like spending time with you.”

Your breath caught in your throat as his honesty washed over you. It was unexpected but refreshing. In that moment, the world around you melted away until it was just the two of you, the quiet library filled with unspoken possibilities.

And then he leaned in.

The kiss was tentative at first, a gentle exploration filled with the hope and curiosity that had been building up over your shared laughter and late-night study sessions. As his lips brushed against yours, the world seemed to stand still. It felt like the climax of a romantic movie—two unlikely characters drawn together by the most unexpected circumstances, finding a connection they never knew was possible.

When you finally pulled away, both of you breathless, you knew that this moment would redefine everything. Mingyu’s expression shifted from the playful, buoyant energy that was so familiar to him to an earnest vulnerability that left you speechless.

With newfound determination, you guided his hand back to where you had left off. As his fingers traced the sensitive folds of your skin, you couldn't help but moan in delight. He teased and pleasured you until your body was quivering with anticipation.

Just as you were about to reach your peak, Mingyu gently turned you around and lowered you onto one of the library tables. The bookshelves loomed over you, their silent pages bearing witness to your stolen passion. Mingyu entered you slowly and deliberately, his every thrust setting off fireworks within your body.

You cried out in ecstasy as he filled you completely. Your nails dug into his back as he pounded into you, his hips moving in a rhythmic dance that sent shockwaves through both of you. You wrapped your legs around his waist, pulling him closer until you could feel every inch of his hardness within you.

The climax hit you both like a tidal wave. You screamed out in pleasure as Mingyu's seed erupted deep inside of you, mingling with your own sweet fluids. He collapsed on top of you, exhausted but still buzzing with the afterglow of your shared passion.

As you lay there entwined in each other's arms, you realized that your hidden love for Mingyu had blossomed into something more profound. It was a love that transcended the confines of the library and the boundaries of your wildest dreams.

With the first glimmer of dawn, Mingyu helped you to your feet and kissed you softly. 'I never would have imagined this,' he whispered, his voice filled with wonder. 'But I'm so glad it happened.'

You smiled up at him, your heart filled with a joy that you had never known. 'Me too, Mingyu,' you replied. 'Me too.'


——————————————————————

fromis comeback !

[izzywantscheesecake]

leo valdez x female reader!! dating headcanons *blows kiss*

Dating Leo Valdez Headcanons!

Pairing: Leo Valdez x Fem!Reader Fandom: Camp Half-Blood Chronicles/Heroes of Olympus Quick Synopsis: Just some paragraphs headcanons on how you and Leo would meet/what dating him would be like. Tags: Use of Y/N, Fluff, no specific physical description of the reader (other than the fact they're female coded), Comfort

HOW YOU TWO WOULD MEET I imagine Leo to be someone who looks for a person he's able to have a lot of common ground with in a relationship. Of course, he's able to crack jokes (even the not so funny ones) around practically everyone, but there's a difference between small banter and just full on being able to vibe with someone. I think he'd be very attracted to someone interested in the arts, or someone who likes to make their own things as a mean of self expression in general. We all know how Leo is in terms of self confidence - he'd like a person who is unapologetically them, proud of their art and self expression and someone who has enough emotional awareness to give him reassurance in a relationship when they can sense he needs it. You guys would probably first meet at some type of event or workshop, or if you're a camper, probably at the dining pavilion when he sees you and has to do a double take because "who is that cool girl I've never seen before?" he'd muster enough confidence to come up and tell you a corny joke, stumbling on his words, which makes you laugh.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

You looked up from your feet, now practically face to face with this guy you'd never seen before. His clothes were wrecked with dirt and debris, so were his gloves.

He was standing awkwardly, and his hands, clearly shaking, were clenched into tight fists.

"Sure?"

"So um, riddle me this. Why can't you hear a pterodactyl going to the bathroom?"

"Because pterodactyls went extinct 65 million years ago?"

His eyes widened, and a red tint began to become more visible around his face as he scratched his head, messing up his already tangled locks of hair.

"Oh.. That wasn't what I was going to say," He chuckled.

You smiled, suddenly feeling a warm aura coming from this boy.

"Well, what were you going to say?"

"Because, uh.. The P is.. Damn, whatever. My name's Leo. What's yours?"

ACTUAL RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS He was awkward at the start of the relationship, not really knowing what to say or what exactly "being a boyfriend" entails, but once he starts getting comfortable and more confident around you, that's where the fun begins (yes this is a star wars reference) Expect every Spanish nickname to be pulled out of the book. "Mi amor," "Hermosa," "Bonita," "Mi vida," "Corazón," if it exists in the Spanish language, he's most definitely said it. And he won't skip out on variations of your preferred name, or even silly sounding nicknames in public, like: "pookie" and "sugarplum" or some other stupidness. For dates, I believe he'd very much vary between educational and immersive dates and just straight up goofing off. It honestly depends on the season. Late Fall/Winter is for going to museums, workshops, possibly a joint coding class or hanging together in one of your rooms, and Spring/Summer is for exploring the town and having those cute little boardwalk + beach + ferris wheel dates. (I also imagine him to be somewhat clumsy and he WOULD drop ice cream all over the pavement.) As the son of Hephaestus, he is most definitely a human radiator. Definitely had a lot of fever scares just because of his temperature alone. But don't worry, he's fine. And the heat is an extra bonus if you're cuddling. Speaking of cuddling and physical proximity, Leo's love languages are gift-giving and physical touch. It doesn't matter if you guys have been apart for 2 minutes or 2 days, if he hasn't seen you in a little bit, he will greet you with one of those spin around hugs or a kiss on the hand. And for gift giving, he enjoys giving and receiving gifts. He likes to either make you little trinkets, or make/buy your favorite foods. He is a firm believer of giving his lady princess treatment, even on a dollar store budget. Though he wouldn't consider himself much of a photographer, I think he probably enjoys taking lots of pictures of you, both with and without him. It's to savor the moment, and also because he wishes he could've taken more pictures with his mother when she was still alive. He has a photo album of just you, him, and the adventures you two go on. You're not a stranger to pranking by him, by the way. If anything, he probably pranks you the most, out of love. You'll chase him down for a few hours, and he gets a thrill out of it knowing you won't stay mad at him forever. In conclusion, dating Leo can be rocky, calming, and give you a whirlwind of emotions, similar to how being on a floating trireme would feel.

A/N: I'm going to be real I never really paid much attention to Leo in the books, so I'm hoping this is accurate?? my bad if it isnt gang 🙏🏽🙏🏽

[lupinsversion]

𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 - 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐞. 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐌𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐

• summary: with james’ turmoil, he finds himself finally making a decision between lily and his best friend.

• a/n: i wasn’t going to originally write a part two to any of the small imagines i write, but this one felt right… so enjoy!

• contains: james potter x fem reader, a bit of james x lily, angst, decision making, turmoil, a bit of fluff, sexual themes

• word count: 4.8k

masterlist || requests || part one

The following weeks felt like torture to James. He couldn’t help but feel like had lost a part of himself that day. Days turned into weeks, and he felt like he was going crazy with the decision he made, or rather didn’t make. He still felt torn between Lily and her, and felt like he was being tortured by his own emotions.

He couldn’t shake off the gnawing feeling of guilt and confusion that had taken hold of him since the day he couldn’t make the decision. Day by day, it felt like he was sinking deeper into his own uncertainty, feeling like there was no way out of the mental torture he was putting himself through.

Lily seemed to notice the distance James was putting between them, and he couldn’t see it in her eyes that she was aware of the internal struggle he was facing. She tried to be patient and understanding, but it was hard for her too, not knowing if he was still interested or not.

James wanted to love Lily, he wanted to be with her and forget about everything else, but his mind always wandered back to her. He couldn’t shake off the memory of her love confession, the way she was willing to set aside her own feelings for his happiness.

Whenever James saw Lily and interacted with her, it made him feel guilty, as if he were betraying his best friend. Every little thing that Lily did, every smile, every laugh, and every little innocent joke, felt like a painful reminder of what could have been, but wasn’t.

He found himself watching her from afar during lunches, classes, and quidditch practices, feeling like he was missing a vital part of his life that he couldn’t have back. James couldn’t deny the connection he had with her, it felt like she got him on an unconscious level, and Lily couldn’t match that connection.

Lily did nothing wrong, she was sweet, beautiful, kind, understanding, and intelligent, but Lily didn’t understand him on the same level that she did. Lily didn’t know his deepest thoughts and secrets like she did. Lily didn’t know what he was thinking with just a look or a glance in the way she could. Lily wasn’t her.

James found himself longing for her presence, her voice, her laugh. He missed the late night conversations, the playful banter, and the way she always seemed to know what he was thinking. He yearned for her friendship, her support, her understanding, and most of all, her love.

He couldn’t deny it any longer, the fact that he was still so deeply in love with her. He loved her laugh, he loved her smile, he loved the way she rolled her eyes at his jokes, he loved her kindness, and most of all, he loved how she always knew exactly what he needed. She wasn’t Lily.

He found himself constantly replaying memories of her in his mind, remembering the little things that made him adore her. He would replay the sound of her laughter over and over again, trying to cling onto something tangible that only reminded him of her.

He found himself reminiscing on the countless of times she had been there for him, through good times and bad. She had seen him at his best and his worst, and despite everything, she was always there. She remained by his side, offering support and friendship, even when he didn’t deserve any of it.

That’s when James finally realized what he had to do. He couldn’t keep going down this path of uncertainty and confusion. He couldn’t keep hurting both Lily and her with his indecision. He needed to make a decision, a final decision.

James steeled himself, knowing that it was time to face the music. He had to end things with Lily, even though he cared for her deeply. He had to let her go.

He knew that this wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. He had to find the right words to express his feelings, to explain why his heart wasn’t fully in it even more. He felt like he was not only betraying Lily but also himself, but he knew deep down, he couldn’t keep living in a lie.

He took a deep breath and walked over to where Lily was sitting, her ginger hair cascading down her shoulders in waves, her kind green eyes flickering through the pages of one of her textbooks.

He sat down beside her, mustering up the courage to speak. “Can we talk?” He asked softly, his eyes filled with sadness and remorse.

Lily looked up from her book, surprising filling her beautiful eyes at the sight of James. She could sense the tension in the air, the heavy weight of something important to be said.

She closed the book and set it aside, focusing her attention solely on him. “Yeah, of course. What’s up?” Lily replied, his voice gentle but curious, awaiting for what James had in store for her.

“Listen, Lily.” He started, his voice a mix of tenderness and sorrow. “I need to talk to you about something.” He hesitated for a moment, gathering his thoughts and trying to find the right words to convey his feelings. He wanted to be as compassionate and gentle as possible, but it was hard to push away the guilt building in his chest.

Lily nodded and shifted in her seat, sensing the seriousness of the conversation. Her green eyes fixated on him, a sense of trepidation in her gaze.

“I have to be honest with you…” He continued, his voice a gentle but firm whisper that carried an undercurrent of emotions. He took a shaky breath, preparing himself for the words that would change everything. “This isn’t working for me.”

Lily’s eyes widened in shock and confusion. Her heart skipped a beat, the weight of those words piercing her soul. “What do you mean?” She asked, her voice soft and vulnerable, desperately hoping for a different answer.

James could feel his chest tighten with the force of his impending reply. He knew his words would hurt her, hurt the girl who he had once loved, but he knew he couldn’t lie to her any longer. He swallowed hard, his throat feeling as if it were stuffed with cotton. “I mean… I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be with you.”

Lily’s heart sunk as James spoke those words. Her green eyes swam with a mixture of disbelief and hurt, her chest tightening with the pain of rejection. “I don’t understand.” She whispered, her voice tinged with tears. “Is it something I did? Something I didn’t do?”

He felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He wanted to scream no, but he knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t let her blame herself. “No, no. Lily, you didn’t do anything. You’re amazing, and you deserve someone who can give you everything. I just… I can’t be that person for you.”

Her heart felt like it was being squeezed, the weight of James’ words pressing heavily on her. She couldn’t help but feel the sting of rejection, even thought she knew it wasn’t entirely her fault. “So this is it?” She asked. “You’re ending things with me?”

He swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling the weight of Lily’s words as they sliced through him like a blade. He nodded, his eyes filled with a mix of guilt and sadness, his heart feeling like it was being torn apart. “Yeah…” He replied softly, his tone filled with bitter sweetness that tugged on his own heartstrings.

Lily’s green eyes were damp with tears that she couldn’t hold back. Words seemed to fail her as she tried to absorb the magnitude of the situation. The thought of losing James, of losing their future together, felt like a punch to the gut. “Why?” She managed to whisper, her voice shaky and vulnerable.

He took a deep breath. “It’s not because of you, Lily. It’s me. There’s been something… someone else on my mind for quite some time. I can’t fake how I truly feel… I can’t stay with you when my heart is somewhere else.”

Her heart shattered into a thousand pieces as he spoke the words she had feared the most — someone else. Her heart felt like it was splintered inside her chest as a hint of betrayal, confusion, and disbelief filled her. She couldn’t comprehend how after everything, after all of their moments, memories and laughter, he could love someone else. “Who?” She asked, her voice no more than a shattered whisper.

He swallowed hard, his eyes shifting away from her tearful gaze. It was harder than he could have imagined, seeing the pain in Lily’s eyes, the confusion and heartbreak that he had caused. He couldn’t bring himself to say her name, his best friend’s name, knowing that it would only add salt to the wound. He sighed, his heart heavy with guilt and remorse. “It doesn’t matter who it is.” He muttered quietly, his voice tinged with sadness.

Her heart sank even deeper into the shadows of sorrow. It doesn’t matter who it is. Those words ran through her mind like a broken record, each replay feeling like a painful jab to her soul. It mattered. It mattered a lot. This faceless person had stolen James’ heart, and Lily couldn’t help but wonder who could cause such a turmoil in him.

He felt the weight of her heartbreak, bearing down on him. He could see the pain and the confusion in her eyes, the way her voice was shattered. He knew that his decision had shattered whatever future they could’ve had together, and it tore at his heart. He couldn’t stay there any longer, couldn’t bear the weight of causing her pain. With a heavy heart, he slowly turned and walked away, leaving her alone with her heartbreak and the echos of his words.

James needed time. Time to collect his thoughts, time to accept his decision, time to come to terms with the reality of it all. Days slipped into weeks, and every second felt like it was slowly suffocating him. The longing for her grew with each passing day, a constant ache in his chest that wouldn’t be pacified. He kept telling himself that he needed time, but as time went by, he realized that he couldn’t stay away from her much longer.

The longing for her became a constant hum in his mind that he couldn't ignore. Every moment seemed to remind him of her - the sound of her laughter, the scent of her favorite shampoo, the way her eyes sparkled in the light. The silence felt like a loud, unbearable scream, amplified by the distance between them.

James tried to fill his days with other things - hanging out with the Marauders, focusing on his classes, and playing quidditch. Yet, in the quiet moments, when everything else seemed to fade away, she was always there, a constant presence he couldn't shake from his thoughts.

He couldn't ignore the longing any longer. The thought of her consumed him. He felt like he was going crazy, torn between wanting to keep his distance and needing to be close. The longing became too much to bear, and one evening, he gathered all his courage and went to find her.

His heart pounded as he stood outside her door. He took a deep breath and raised his hand, gently knocking on the door. He hoped she was inside, a mix of nerves and anticipation coursing through him as he waited for the sound of footsteps, of her.

And eventually they came, slow but not far, and soon enough, the door opened to reveal her. Her hair was loose and slightly messy, a sign that she had been previously lying down. At the sight of James, her heartbeat picked up despite her protests. There was an awkward moment of silence that hung between them as they just stared at each other before she eventually shifted over, allowing him inside.

His heart skipped a beat as she opened the door, and the sight of her took his breath away. She looked soft and cozy, her hair slightly messy, and he couldn't help but feel a flood of emotions wash over him as she let him in. He swallowed hard, his eyes locking onto hers, filling with an array of emotions - fondness, longing, guilt, and regret. The awkwardness was thick between them, and he hesitantly stepped inside her room, taking in the familiar surroundings.

The room was dimly lit, candlelight casting a gentle glow over everything. It was cozy and intimate, a contrast to the cold and empty corridor outside. The soft glow from the fireplace painted everything a soft orange, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that felt like a hug.

The door closed softly behind him, her fingers lingering on the doorknob as she tried to observe the situation she found herself in.

He took a moment to observe the room, the warm fire and soft lighting creating an intimate atmosphere. He felt the weight of her presence, the silence hanging heavily between them. The sound of the door clicking shut made him turn to her, and his eyes met hers again, filled with a mixture of emotions. He saw the way her fingers lingered on the doorknob, a subtle sign of nerves or uncertainty.

He cleared his throat, shifting his weight as he tried to find his words. "Can we... sit?" He finally asked, his voice soft and gentle.

“Yeah…” She whispered before moving over to sit with her back against the headboard of her bed as she sat on the fluffy mattress. “Sit where you please.”

James nodded and sat down at the edge of the bed, being mindful of the distance he kept between them. He kept his eyes fixed on her, his mind still reeling with everything he wanted to say, everything he wanted to do. The space between them felt heavy with tension, and he couldn't bear the silence any longer.

He took a deep breath, his chest tight as he swallowed his nerves. "I've missed you," he finally managed to say, his voice quiet and filled with sincerity.

“James…” She said softly, hugging a pillow to her torso. “We still hang out. We’re still friends, and you’re with Lily now.”

He swallowed hard, guilt filling his chest. "I know we're still friends, but it's not the same. You know it's not the same. And... about Lily." James ran a hand through his hair, struggling to find the words to say, his mind racing with a tangle of emotions.

Her brows furrowed as she let her eyes roam over his face, trying to read his expression.

His eyes met hers, filled with a complex whirlwind of emotions - guilt, uncertainty, longing, and affection. He shifted on the bed, feeling the weight of all the unspoken words that had been building up between them.

He was silent for a moment longer, his mind racing with thoughts and feelings that threatened to spill out. James swallowed, his throat feeling tight, and then finally said, "I'm not with Lily anymore."

“What?” She said a bit too quickly, her own expression one of confusion. “You two were happy, everyone saw that.”

He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. He felt the weight of her confusion and he understood, but couldn't find the right words to explain the true nature of his relationship with Lily. "It was all a façade, Y/N. I couldn't love her the way she deserved. I couldn't lie to myself, and her, anymore."

“A façade?” She repeated slowly.

He nodded, his eyes filled with a mix of guilt and honesty. “I was pretending to be happy, pretending to love her, but my heart wasn't in it. I couldn't continue pretending, not when it felt wrong…” He paused, his eyes locking onto hers, filled with a mix of conflicting emotions. “Because… my heart belongs elsewhere.”

He felt his chest tighten with emotions, hoping and praying that you would understand. "I couldn't deny it anymore, Y/N. I tried, Merlin I tried with everything I had in me, but I couldn't. My heart wasn't in it, because I wasn't in love with Lily, my heart belongs to someone else.”

“No… no.” She started to shake her head, believing that this was just another reoccurring dream that she has had for the past few nights.

He felt his heart break as she shook her head, not believing his words. He knew that he had put her through so much confusion, and he didn't blame her for not believing him, but he needed her to understand. He reached out and gently took her hand in his, his voice filled with an unwavering resolve.

“What took you so long!?” She exasperated, pushing the pillow off of her lap as she sat up. “I told you that I was in love with you weeks ago… weeks ago James Potter!” She threw her throw pillow at him.

He sighed, feeling the sting of her truth and frustration. He didn't blame her for being mad at him. James felt the pillow hit him on the chest, and he stared down at it quietly, letting it sink in. He knew she was right, and he knew he had taken too long, but all he could think of was how much he wanted to run his fingers through her beautiful (h/c) locks, to wipe the frustration from her brow, to hold her and feel her in his arms.

“You’re an arse, y’know that?” She grumbled as she shuffled closer.

He couldn’t help the small, soft chuckle that escaped from his lips as she shuffled closer, his eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and amusement. "Well aware.” He replied softly, his gaze never leaving her face. He felt his heart swell with a mix of emotions - guilt, longing, adoration, and deep-seated affection that had always belonged to her.

She cupped his cheeks a bit more than gently. “Oh, I just want to shake you right now.”

He felt her hands cup his cheeks, and his heart skipped a beat. He felt the gentle but firm squeeze of her hands, and he couldn't help but feel like she was grounding him, grounding him from all the emotional turmoil he had felt during the past few weeks. He allowed his eyes to flicker between hers, feeling the gentle but firm squeeze on his face, and he felt a small, playful grin tug at the corners of his lips, "I probably deserve it."

He raised his hand and brought it up to rest over one of hers on his cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin against his rough but gentle calluses, which he had developed from years of quidditch. He felt the way her strong fingers brushed on his jaw, holding him firmly, and he felt his throat tighten with all the words he wanted to say but couldn't seem to find the right ones.

“You… are a complete pain in my behind.” She spoke quietly, her eyes darting over his face, darting to his lips before back up to his eyes.

He felt like he couldn't breathe when her eyes darted to his lips and back up to meet his eyes. He felt his heart leap into his throat, and he swallowed hard, his throat feeling tight. He heard her words and felt the sting of truth, and it made his heart ache, but he was also filled with an overwhelming sense of fondness, because even though he might be a pain in the ass, she was still here, and she still cared about him.

"I'm an idiot, I know," He murmured softy, a small, guilty smile on his face. He felt the way she was still holding on to his face, holding him in place, and he couldn't imagine himself anywhere else. The butterflies in his stomach were fluttering wildly, and he couldn't help but feel grateful for her presence, for her patience. He leaned his cheek further into her gentle hands, as if soaking in their warmth.

“Such an idiot.” She confirmed in a whisper as her nose gently rubbed against his, her hands never wavering on his face.

He felt her nose brushing against his, and he was suddenly very aware of how close she was. He felt the way his breath hitched in his chest, and his eyes glanced down at her lips. His eyes flicked back up to hers, and he breathed out a soft sigh, his heart hammering in his chest.

He felt her warm breath mingling with his, and his mind was racing, the butterflies in his stomach doing somersaults. He swallowed hard, his eyes flicking between hers, feeling the tension between them, and he knew that one word from her, one small sign, was all that was needed to shatter every remaining piece of his restraint.

“I won’t do anything you don’t want to… I won’t force it.” She whispered.

He felt his heart skip a beat. She was always so considerate, always so respectful, always so understanding. He felt a swell of affection and guilt mingle, knowing that she truly had every right to be angry and not respectful at all, but there she was. Being the best person alive, and he couldn't help but adore her even more because of that.

He swallowed hard, his eyes filled with emotion. "You're too good to me, you know.” He muttered with a guilty smile. "I don't deserve you."

“It’s funny how life works… I can’t seem to pull myself away.”

He felt his heart flutter at her words, the butterflies in his stomach threatening to explode. He felt his chest tighten with a mix of emotions, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of vulnerability, of needing a reassurance from her. "That makes two of us.” He muttered, his eyes flicking towards her lips again.

He felt his hands move of their own accord, itching to pull her closer, to close the distance that seemed like an ocean, an ocean that felt more endless and deeper with each passing second. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions, a mix of longing and guilt, and the butterflies in his stomach were threatening to explode, like fireworks on a July night.

He felt the overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms, to feel the warmth of her body against his, to breathe in her scent, to feel the soft, warm skin of her cheek against his, to wrap his arms around her and hold her like he used to, like he was home. But he didn't, instead he waited, his eyes watching and waiting, hoping for even a hint of a sign, for her to give him a sign, to give him permission.

Her eyes flickered to his own lips and the way they sat slightly parted. “I want to kiss you.”

He felt his heart skip a beat at her words. That was all he needed, all he wanted to hear. He felt his heart thunder in his chest, his eyes flicking between hers, feeling like he could finally give in to the longing he had been feeling for weeks, no, months. "I want to kiss you too.” He admitted softly, his eyes lingering on her lips as he leaned in slightly, a breath away from her.

That’s all it took for her to kiss him passionately…

He felt his heart race as he gently laid her down on her back on the bed, never letting his lips leave hers for a second. He felt her fingers weave through his messy hair, and he let out a gentle, appreciative hum, his hazel eyes fixed on hers as he leaned back a bit, breaking the kiss just to breathe in the sight of her beautiful, flushed face.

His eyes flicked down to her lips again, his chest rising and falling with the quickened pace of his breaths. He gently reached out, running his thumb over her lower lip, feeling the softness of her skin, feeling the longing and need that he had buried for weeks starting to bubble to the surface.

He felt the way she sucked in a sharp breath at the caress of his thumb on her lip, the softness of his touch matching the softness of her lips. He felt the heat rising in his cheeks, his mind a whirlpool of thoughts and desires, but the thing that remained the most present was how he didn't want to stop.

Their clothes scattered across the floor of the dormitory as their skin connected in the most intimate way.

He felt the way her body pressed against his, the way his skin tingled where they met, the way his heart raced as her hands roamed his body. He buried his face in her shoulder, inhaling the faint scent of her perfume, the faint scent of her shampoo, the scent that was all her.

Moans, whimpers, pleads, grunts, and groans filled the air around them as he pounded into her relentlessly.

He felt the way her voice filled his ears, filling him with affection, need, longing, and an undeniable urge to make her feel good. He felt her fingers raking into his shoulders, her hips lifting towards his, her legs wrapping around his waist, and his mind was a constant whirlwind of her.

He felt the way his heart thundered in his chest, his breaths coming out in quick gasps, and he was pretty sure it wasn't from the physical strain. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, feeling a mixture of emotions swirling within him, all centering around her, his eyes closing as he just focused on feeling her beneath him, feeling her body, her presence, her warmth, the heat, the connection, and the undeniable attraction.

He felt a sense of desperation building within him, and his hips seemed to have a mind of their own as they rocked against hers, seeking for the closeness, the contact, the intimacy. He could feel his self control slipping bit by bit, and he pressed a gentle, open-mouthed kiss on the soft and warm skin of her neck.

He felt the way his mouth moved against her neck, leaving behind a trail of kisses and gentle nibbles. He could taste the heat of her skin, the saltiness of her sweat, and the soft sigh that escaped her lips as he moved his lips across her neck, over her collarbones and down to her torso, tracing a path of affection with his lips.

His mind seemed to be filled with the taste of her, the smell of her, the sound of her moans, the feeling of her skin on his lips, and the weight of her underneath him, all creating a delicious, heady cocktail of sensations. He felt his heart pounding in his chest with each kiss, like beating the world's fastest drum to the rhythm of her sighs and moans.

“James!” She cried out as she clenched around him without mercy, her head falling back against the plush pillow.

He felt his heart skip another beat at the sound of his name leaving her lips, her sharp, ragged breath filling his ears, and the way her body tensed around him, pulling him deeper, making him lose his mind, and his self-control. His hands gripped her waist, his hips moving against hers with a relentless force and rhythm, a fire filling everything within him.

He felt the heat building between them, the way her legs tightened around his waist, the way her back arched against the bed, and the way her breathing became ragged and desperate as his movements became more intense, more frantic, driven by pure instinct and need.

His eyes were shut tightly, his entire mind focused on her, her sensations, the way her moans filled his ears, the way she held on to him, the way her body fit perfectly against his, everything blending in a dizzying, maddening mixture of need and yearning and longing and affection and care and tenderness and warmth.

He filled her as her chest rose and fell at a violent rate, her watering half hooded eyes falling upon his gorgeous face before he collapsed down over her overheated body.

He felt a surge of affection and relief wash over him as he collapsed onto her, his breathing ragged and heavy. For a moment, he just laid there, his mind still spinning and his heart still racing, feeling her body beneath him, feeling her breath against his skin, feeling the way her fingers caressed the back of his head and neck. He felt utterly and completely home.

© lupinsversion 2024

[misdeliria]

SATORU GOJO

Blue Springs related

Days spent in the classroom were often quiet, aside from Satoru's occasional dramatic outburst. Sitting on the very end along the windows, you developed a habit of leaning against your hand, giving you the perfect angle to watch Satoru's theatrics throughout the lecture.

It only made you laugh harder when Yaga Sensei seemed to feed into Satoru's dynamic, or even better when either of your other classmates flamed him.

But the best part about slow days inside the classroom was when Satoru would pry for your attention with the glow behind his shades and his charming, toothy grin. It never failed to get you smiling in return.

The muted bell tolls signifying the end of the school day interrupts Yaga Sensei in the middle of his sentence, forcing him to clear his throat and train of thought.

"You're all dismissed for the weekend," he concludes the lecture. "I'll be seeing you all."

Yaga Sensei doesn't stay behind to wait for you to clear out, but you don't expect him to. What follows is the debrief with your classmates and any plans to hang out after leaving the school.

Satoru, on cue, pulls out the buttons of his collar and reveals his t-shirt beneath with an obnoxious sigh.

"Man, what a drag," he groans. "That took absolutely forever. I swear, I was falling asleep from the beginning."

He rises from his chair while Shoko skips past you to the windows. She's already fiddling with a cigarette between her lips before opening the airway and pulling out a lighter.

"You should spend less time complaining and more time retaining the information, Satoru," Suguru lightly chastises, packing his little books away and leaning back in his seat.

"He could've at least given us a little time to spar outside," Satoru murmurs defensively, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning against the wall beside your desk, between the sectioned windows.

"You sound like a kid," you poke fun at him, lifting a brow and leaning over your desk. "You need playtime outside?"

"I'm a growing boy with developing skills," Satoru huffs, glaring at you with no heat. "I can't be expected to get sequestered indoors behind a desk all day."

"Oh, whatever," Shoko pipes up from her corner, a teasing smile gracing her lips. "You spend all your time inside with your girlfriend when she gets sick, so quit the bullshit."

The label makes your skin crawl, and you shoot an awkward look in Satoru's direction.

"No, we're not-"

"That's completely different," Satoru cuts you off indignantly. "I'm not stuck behind a desk in that situation. I can use all my skills to the best of my abilities." He ends his statement with a wide grin, tilting his shades to give you a complete view of his cheeky wink.

"You're an idiot," you mumble, turning your head away in embarrassment. "You have no idea what you're saying."

You were the most recent addition to the class–to this group. You opted to fall silent in the presence of their regular familiar banter, but lately, you were getting pulled along into the fun.

"You guys don't have any plans today, right? Let's go grab some snacks."

"Only if you're paying."

-

The soft knocks against the wood sound too loud, cutting through the dead of night. You cringe uncomfortably, bouncing on your toes in anticipation.

The door pulls open to reveal Satoru with a messy bedhead and his baggy pajamas. He’s not wearing his shades, so his eyes are practically glowing in the dim lighting.

“Hey,” you whisper, rocking onto your heels, suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to bail on your efforts. “I had another nightmare.”

A wide, sleepy smile stretches across Satoru's face as he leans against the door frame like a putz.

"What do you want me to do about it," he replies with a playful tune.

"If you're going to be mean, I'll see if Suguru is awake." You're quick to pivot on one foot to make way for Suguru's room, but Satoru is faster. He gently grabs your arm and tugs you into his room before you're too far away.

"I was joking," he murmurs, pulling you into his chest and snuggling as close as he can to you like the touch-starved brat he is. "Was it a bad one?"

Your nightmare. It was darker than your average nightmare, with your classmates lying dead around you and your hands covered in their blood, and the sight gave you such a shock that you woke up in a sweating mess with your heart nearly giving out from hypertension.

"I just needed to see you, I guess," you mumble against his warm collarbone. Your arms wrap around his back, tentative fingers tracing over the ridges of his muscles and bones to get a better footing in reality. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Satoru laughs loudly at that, leading you to his bed and nudging you to get comfortable under the sheets.

"Why wouldn't I be okay, hm?" Satoru's efforts to slip under the covers beside you went smoothly as his hands returned to you under the sheets. The side of his face was flush against his only pillow while your head rested and received warmth from his arm.

"I'm nervous Kiyohime will get bloodthirsty again," you whisper, shuddering gently in Satoru's hold. "I'm worried you'll all become victim to it, and I won't have any power to stop her."

Pressing your watery eyes against Satoru's arm, you can feel the arm hanging over your side get tighter around you.

"Don't be ridiculous," he tells you, chuckling softly, and Satoru overwhelms all your senses, slowing your heart rate and planting a seed of drowsiness in you, along with a prompt. "Suguru and I won't ever let that happen."

-

1 year later

"What the hell," you hissed, kicking off from the wall you were perched on, impatiently waiting. "I'm starving."

Haibara calls your name with a bright smile, watching you saunter to stand beside Kento, jutting your hip out and resting your hand against it.

"I bet they're on their way," he assures you, ever the optimist. "Probably got a little stuck on the assignment."

"Or, they broke something," Kento says bluntly, glancing up at you.

"I'm not playing this game with you again, Nanami," you snarl, stubbornly snapping your head in the opposite direction.

"It's a friendly wager," Kento tries to brush off, speaking your name softly to weaken your defenses. And it was working.

"This stays between us," you glare at Haibara, who shriveled under your gaze. He was responsible for the last time Satoru caught on to your bets with Kento, Suguru, and Shoko–Haibara is too respectful to throw money in.

"My lips are sealed," Kento practically purrs, grinning at you cynically.

"If anything went wrong," you hesitate, nervously glancing around your surroundings in search of a mop of white. "Then, it was likely Satoru's fault." You place your bet in one breath before following it with a relieved sigh. Your nerves are suddenly switched out with excitement, once again eager to meet up with your classmates.

Kento nods before returning to the newspaper he grabbed during their walk into the city.

"Yo!" Shoko's voice calling out over the crowd makes your heart leap in your throat. She's leading the two boys behind her through the masses of non-sorcerers, Satoru is the furthest away, but his arm is in the air to catch your attention.

"How was the assignment?" You ask innocently, side-eyeing Kento, who is looking up from his paper. "You all look like you're in good spirits."

Suguru and Shoko sent you an identical expression that reflected a tired parent, and Satoru wore a forced grin. Hah, gotcha Kento.

"It went great," Satoru grit, throwing a heavy arm over your shoulders once he's close enough. "It was a little too scary for Utahime, but nothing I couldn't handle."

"Is that so?" You question him, smirking at avoidance. Looking at Suguru, he winks at you, curtly nodding before extending a hand out for you to take.

Suguru yanks you out from under Satoru and spins you so he's leaning over your shoulders but still holding your hand. He guides you towards some food stands with Shoko on the other side of him, chatting with Haibara and Kento.

"Satoru?" You look back to see him dragging his feet behind. His expression immediately lights up when you call his name, and he makes quick work of replacing Suguru.

"What's up, sweetheart," he plays off cooly, dragging his hand through his white locks.

"I was just wondering if you were paying," you ask, biting your lip to stifle your laugh, watching Suguru drop his head into his hand with laughter.

Satoru's face falls, turning sour and pulling away, but not far enough that he stops touching you.

"You just after my wallet now?" He leans close with an accusatory glare, and you're sane enough to press your hand against his chest to keep him at a sufferable distance.

"I'm hungry," you pout and raise your shoulders, knitting your brows together as you look up at him.

"You're spoiled, is what you are," he hums in amusement, pulling out his wallet. "On me, guys."

The rest of the group sends you a collective thumbs up behind Satoru's back, all grinning like naughty children.

-

Your joint assignment with Kento and Haibara went worse than anyone was expecting. Haibara was dead.

And to make the situation worse, Kiyohime took possession of you the moment he hit the ground–nearly destroying everything around her.

As badly as he wanted to appear in your room, Satoru was restricted to knocking on your door once you came home. You didn't come out earlier when Kento came to tell you he was going with Suguru to pay their respects to the body.

"Hey, sweetheart?" He calls softly through the door. His heart feels torn to shreds, laced with guilt and phantom feelings from Riko's murder. "Can I come in?"

He's met with silence, making the weight on his chest unbearable.

"Please," he chokes, biting his tongue. "Need to see you're okay."

There's a quiet, "Okay, Satoru," and he's instantly standing in the middle of your room.

Your room's in chaos–your desk is sitting sideways on the opposite side of the room from its original spot, and the floor is littered with everything.

You're lying in bed, the sheets cocooning you, facing the wall.

Satoru can see your body shaking and hear your quiet whimpers now that nothing separates you.

"Oh, baby," he murmurs solemnly, dipping his knee into the edge of the mattress. His hand reaches for you and squeezes your arm gently.

You throw yourself at him before he can do anything. His anxiety spikes in fear, but relief swims through him when you bury your face into his stomach and sob a little louder without your sheets muffling you. Satoru praises himself for turning off his infinity when he comes to see you.

"It was awful, Satoru," you croak, and he can feel your tears bleeding through his shirt. "I almost killed him too. I just wanted to save them. I couldn't save him."

Satoru placed a hand on your head and entwined his fingers through your hair, holding you against him.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, throat closing up when your sobs don't let up. "I'm so, so sorry."

a/n: like, comment, reblog my sweet bitch tiddies lmk what you think ❦

[transformers-synergize]

Just spent the last hour browsing your blog instead of paying attention in class, love all your designs, seriously neat. Especially a fan of how buglike some of the features are, I love when robot/bugs or bug/robots mix designs with how amour naturally works. Art make brain go brrrr.

If you have a moment, would you mind telling me about the Lambo Twins in your continuity?

aw happy ya like my stuff!!!!

sure, i can talk about the twins.

The lambo twins are well spark twins. spark twins are rare a occurrence when a newly forming spark splits into two. bots whos spark fourm in this way often have a vary deep conection with each other. sideswipe and sunstreak while not being able to read echother minds, often knows what the other will do before they do it, and can always tell what the other is feeling.

their blades can switch to a hand/servo, but the fingers are a lot longer than their other normal hand/servo because ya... it turns into a sword.

Sunstreaker is egotistical, he knows he is the best and makes sure everyone knows it too. He has the skills, the looks, and the combat prowess to back it up as well. Sunstreaker only really cares about himself and Sideswipe, considering pretty much every bots below him or not worth his time. often making sly comments, belittling or cracking jokes about bots who he deems lesser. his friends are either sideswipes friends who can tolerate him or bots who think he's cool, which is often for factors outside his personality. He's always down for a good fight being ruthless in combat while still somehow managing to get as little dirt or energon on himself as possible, sometimes being nearly spotless after a battle aside from the energon coating his blade. Sunny likes to keep himself in good condition, making sure his paint is perfect and his polish shines, it really helps accentuate how he's the best. Sunny is not a huge fan of earth or the fleshy little monkeys that run it, he just wants to go home to Cybertron.

sideswipe is the friendlier of the two brothers he's outgoing and usually pretty chill. Sideswipes is always looking for a fight. He loves the thrill of combat. He often will treat serious situations more like a game than the high danger situations he often places in. When a fight is not available, he is often sparring with his fellow autobots or trying risky stunts. He's very impulsive, often doing the first thing that comes to mind because he thought it might be fun never considering the consequences. He's kinda like a jock who treats war like a sport. His merciless approach to combat can often put him at odds with the more peaceful-minded autobots, putting some tension between him and some bots who he otherwise gets along with. He often tense and banter with other autobots, sometimes making jokes at their expense, but unlike sunny he usually knows when to stop or when he's gone too far. A sideswipe doesn't mind earth and sees it as a cool new adventure, though he is still a little homesick for cybertron.

They are a terrifying force in combat, ruthless fighting perfectly in sync with each other and usually 2 steps ahead of whoever they are put up against. when Working together they are able to take down cons over 5 times their size with ease. although not being the biggest or the strongest autobots, they are probably some of the most terrifying and efficient in combat. 

In short their both of the autobots' greatest combat assets and greatest headache.

[showtoonzfan]

HELLUVA BOSS: S2E4 REVIEW

Ganna be honest, this episode wasn’t AS bad as I thought it would be, like I’m lowkey shocked. It’s certainly not the worst out of what we’ve seen, and it didn’t piss be off to high heaven, especially since the runtime is short and Blitz and Stolas are away from one another here, but….it still wasn’t….good, so let’s get into it.

So everyone already knows this episode was….so fast paced. Andrealphus doesn’t even get a proper introduction, and like I said before, in the span of one fucking minute, we have Stolas and Stella petty banter, Andrealphus, and Striker coming back to kidnap him. For starters, Yayy….glad to see Stolas and Stella acting like petty middle schoolers towards eachother. I was right when I said that the writers can’t figure out what they want their dynamic to be. Like….this is supposed to be the same couple that’s in an abusive serious situation, and it kinda doesn’t make me take them seriously if they’re just swearing at each other and bickering Viv. Also, glad to know the writers are outright saying “cheating is okay”- simply because Stella never liked him, so again….way to take the flaws Stolas had in season 1 and completely erase them and excuse them, just because you want Stolas to be in the right. It’s so distracting how fucking retconned they are, they might as well just have said “Stolas did nothing wrong” in Loo Loo Land if these were the writer’s true colors all along, but since Viv wrote this episode, I’m not surprised.

They hyped Andrealphus up but he gets like….two scenes and doesn’t do much like…lmao. In The Circus, again…they try to make it clear that divorce in the Goetia family is uwu serious, and Stella mentions Andrealphus, implying that he would be upset, or is a threat. When we actually meet him tho, he isn’t even….upset about the divorce? Why did Stella mention him then? What was the point of foreshadowing him and having Stolas say he doesn’t care what he thinks if Andrealphus was just going to be all like “oh you’re getting divorced? Okay, give us money then”- like it’s so fucking underwhelming but we’ll get back to him and Stella later. Also we see that Stolas has a scheduled meeting with Ozzie, implying that he may be trying to get that crystal after all. But…can this show just fucking….stop teasing us with future shit and just do it already? I’m so tired of the show dangling plot threads to come later in our face but they either NEVER come or the execution is underwhelming.

Blitz continues to be the most annoying and unfunny character in the entire show. His jokes and dialogue are a fucking pain to sit through and the scene where he’s trying to announce his appointment and fights with the lady in the waiting room drags and is unneeded. In fact, this whole side plot was unneeded. Viv doesn’t know how to fucking balance this show, she wants episodes to be serious and story driven but have a slice of life filler side plot at the same time and guess what? It doesn’t work or blend well. The constant cut aways are distracting from the main plot and you could have used this premise for a different episode. Loona doesn’t even have any dialogue, you could have at least improved the relationship between her and Blitz or had a moment of her being thankful that he was here and comforting her, appreciating him more….ya know….character development……..something that would have made this side plot actually useful since this is supposed to be a fucking “character driven” show about the relationships between the characters, but no. This side plot existed to pat out the run time and give Blitz and Loona something to do so they’re not just sitting there. As usual Loona does nothing, is useless and only there for the furry porn. The shot of her butt with the needle was 100% on purpose, I can tell.

(Also we’re on season 2 and only now finally get to see an upfront interaction of Imps being treated as the lower class, but it doesn’t do anything. This show tells us instead of showing us, they constantly remind you that imps are at the bottom but Blitz still literally has a good job that pays well and aside from the wrath imps providing food too feed hell, there’s no exploration of how imps having it lower than any other demon species. If anything it seems like Imps and the rest of the Hellborn species are all on the same ranking because Viv can’t storytell.) Also what is with the bleeping? I really don’t get it, it’s not funny and it’s distracting, making scenes awkward.

Predicted it, but Moxxie and Millie were…unneeded in this episode and were only included to fight Striker. These two really are useless when they’re not the focus and you can tell Viv has no idea what to do with them when they’re not. Also…..Viv…..Viv……is Moxxie strong, or not? Make up your fucking mind. In this episode he’s able to get the upper hand against a bigger imp, make him bleed and tie him to the car without an issue, and yet he’s been characterized as weak and not the muscle of the group. Is he strong or not? YAYY MORE CHARACTER INCONSISTENCIES! And glad to know Millie did nothing….as usual. Besides fight.

So Stolas has officially become Angel Dust, and Moxxie is slowly turning into Blitz so that’s great. It’s amazing how there’s barley a difference between the Stolas and Angel tho, he’s just Angel Dust. And Chaz. And Blitz. And every other fucking gay male character Viv writes. The constant cursing, the quick sassy witty banter, the sex jokes of him being tied up, you can tell Viv wrote this with those “harder” jokes between Moxxie and Stolas like…wow, it’s amazing how her gay characters have recycled personalities, aka the Sassy gay twink. Anyway, to me, Stolas before was horny and rabid don’t get me wrong, but something about the way he is in this episode just irks me more. I get that he hates Stella and Striker, but now he just seems like a petty sassy royal bird who acts like a child 24/7…..and it’s unfunny…..and annoying. All these characters are written like fucking children I can’t.

Apparently Striker has a reputation, is wanted around Hell and is well known for being an assassin now??? I thought he was just some Imp who was hired to kill someone? Lmao yet another retcon because if this was the case before, you’d think IMP would have heard of him in Harvest Moon. What’s also retconned is Striker saying he was asked to give Stolas the “full royal treatment”, to torture him I guess but….no? He was hired to shoot Stolas with an angelic gun. Why didn’t he just fucking shoot him. Speaking of that, where is the fucking angelic gun? The IMP gang had it last, and now they don’t have it. Also I already pointed this out but…Stolas can’t recognize Striker despite meeting him in episode 5 upfront. Let’s actually talk about Striker tho. He wasn’t perfect but he certainly was the best part of the episode. I actually applaud Bosco for his voice acting, and the scene with him snapping at the band to leave him alone was the only joke that made me laugh. I didn’t care about Striker that much before but this episode honestly made me did now, ignoring the fact that he’s characterized as egotistical. Problem is tho, like the rest of the antagonists, Stikers kinda just a tool. So he….may or may not be dead, I legit have no idea. If he is dead however….boy oh boy, that would piss me off, because IF he IS dead……then way to go guys, you killed off the only interesting and cool character. 🫠

I expected it, but it’s amazing how everything beforehand regarding him was for nothing if he does turn out dead. The tension he had between him and Moxxie? Would be gone. The fact that he appeared in Blitz’s hallucination, being someone who was similar to Blitz but they used their skills differently yet were the same regarding being mistreated by the upper class? Would be gone. Striker wanting to rebel against the higher class? Gone. Blitz doesn’t even get to interact with him before he dies, for a character that clearly had an impact on him. I was going to applaud this episode for actually being consistent and keeping Striker the same person who despises the upper class for what they do to the lower class, they even imply that he had someone he cares about taken away, but it’s all fucking gone if they KILLED HIM OFF. It all would go nowhere in the end and it pisses me off now because you HAD an interesting character, a villain who contrasted the main character, who had a point and could be humanized, and who rightfully calls out Stolas and his people being the scum of the earth, and now he might be dead because once again, Vivzie is an impatient writer who pushes the story forward too fast before we can even get to know these important characters, and also doesn’t want Stolas to be in a position where he’s in the wrong. Bro was literally eating at a rich place where imps serve you, treats his butler like a stress toy, talks down to Blitz and other imps…he’s not innocent Viv.

(It’s also obvious but this episode suffers from pacing issues, the constant cut aways, and scenes moving by so fast we can’t digest any of it. The FIGHT scene tho? Good god that was a mess, it’s literally faster than Millie’s fight scene from last episode, and the annoying songs playing as we kept cutting to Blitz at the appointment REALLY doesn’t help. I really feel like this studio can’t handle fight scenes….at all, or knows how they work. The video literally gets fucking blurry at one point like what the FUCK LMAO…..either hire someone who knows how to animate action scenes or don’t do action scenes at all.)

I knew Stella was still going to be one note, so I wasn’t surprised, but honestly what did piss me off is how stupid they make her. She was inconsistent before but now she’s just an idiot, because apparently she needed to be TOLD that once Stolas dies, everything goes to Octavia. Like are you kidding me? She’s so dumb that she needed to be told that?? She doesn’t even respond when Andre mentions Via, lmao her whole character really is “me hate Stolas and me want him dead” and nothing else. I’ll give the episode this, even though we barley got to see Andre, he wasn’t insufferable like I thought he would be, in fact, he’s more tolerable than Stella and Stolas combined since he’s the one who’s annoyed at their bickering and calls Stella out for being dumb, but that’s not a writing flex. Andre clearly seems to be the smart mastermind leading Stella now, I have no idea wether if they’ll later make her sympathetic and paint Andre out to be the baddie leading her, or not, it would be bad writing either way tho. Speaking of that….the way Andre treats Stella is off, and I don’t mean in the way that he could be evil. Like other critic blogs have been saying, he calls her attractive, a minx, and a vixen, all words you….wouldn’t really call your sister. It’s really gross and I’m starting to think the information we’ve been given of these two secretly screwing might be true. Like…if we’re doing straight up incest, I’m ganna hurl.

Andre also is all like “if we keep him alive, we’ll have more opportunities, let’s wait till we can get the upper hand”- and I’m…..what? You HAD the upper hand, that’s number one, and number two, this dialogue is VERY vague and makes me feel like Viv had no idea what exactly Andre’s end goal is here, so she used this dialogue as an excuse to figure it out later since she doesn’t plan shit ahead. Because what is Andre’s end goal? It’s confusing. Stella wants him dead, but then they’re talking about money and possessions. Andre seems to want to help Stella have Stolas’s estate, but she just wanted him dead because she hates him. Now you’re telling me she wants his estate too? YAY MORE RETCONS AND CONFUSING PLOT HOLES. Guess we’ll have to wait for Viv to figure out their motivations later lol.

Yada yada another retcon, Blitz cares for Uwu Stolas and is a dumbass for acting like he never knew Stolas could get hurt despite having a fucking angelic weapon on him and learning royals could be in danger in the last season, moving on-

So we’re finally at the end, the most important scene, the text scene. For starters, just like the other critic blogs have been saying……Ozzie’s finally……FINALLY gets brought up again and acknowledged, and it’s over a fucking blink and you’ll miss it half- assed text message. Like….WOW Viv, way to scrape the bottom of the barrel and confront this in the most underwhelming way possible. Would have been actually impactful and better if we saw this go down on fucking screen and have Blitz and Stolas address this in person, but nah let’s just have it happen off screen because storytelling and Viv? They don’t know each other!

But putting that aside, I want to talk about two important problems I had with this scene, because nobody is talking about how these messages make no goddamn sense. So if you actually read the messages between Blitz and Stolas, I hate how Stolas is characterized here, and I don’t mean how he’s suddenly acting like he always cared about Blitz because that’s been a problem since Ozzie’s, I’m talking about how oblivious and emotionally clingy he is. Like…seriously these text messages are a fucking mess. He suddenly acts clueless to how Blitz feels, wondering if he was upset or not, as if Blitz didn’t fucking tell him exactly why afterwards. Fuck you mean by “you just took off?”- I’m sorry Viv, did you forget the scene where Blitz drove Stolas home that night and called him out on his bullshit, saying all he did was treat him like a plaything? Because yeah, Ozzie’s may have finally been fucking mentioned in this show, but now it’s retconned AGAIN because apparently Stolas is a dumbass and can’t remember why Blitz was mad at him in the first place when he had spelled it out loud and clear. Stolas’s text messages make it out to be like they left the restaurant after Ozzie’s taunting and the scene with them at Stolas’s house never happened. Then Stolas is saying shit like “okay well phew glad you’re not upset then Ozzie is a kidder lol I didn’t mind the jabs he makes at me”- I…..WHAT??? What the fuck is going on? Why is Stolas written differently here? Why is the events of Ozzie’s written differently now? Stolas was literally embarrassed by Ozzie calling him out and hid in his menu, much to Blitz’s dismay. They then leave, Stolas can obviously tell Blitz is upset, and when he tries to reach to him gently, Blitz shuts him out, causing Stolas to cry alone. This episode is apparently now acting like their quarrel never happened because the dialogue is written as if they’re referring to Ozzie’s torment, not Blitz calling him out. This legit pisses me off because the show is once again telling us what we saw didn’t happen and rewriting it to fool us. Making Stolas out to be some vulnerable softie who cares about Blitz’s well being too—

And finally, Viv does what she does best by wanting to make you ship Blitz and Stolas together SO badly, but accidentally contradict herself by showing even MORE proof on why these two aren’t good for each other. Putting all the retconning aside, in this case it’s that…surprise surprise, Blitz is constantly miserable and unhappy around Stolas, or whenever they interact. And it’s not even that Blitz can’t communicate, or sucks at emotions, he just doesn’t fucking LIKE Stolas, and I don’t understand how many times the show is going pin that nail on the head until something actually happens, because this scene would have been more impactful if we weren’t already HERE before. Remember The Circus Viv? Stolas going through his Instagram and noticing Blitz was miserable all the time, and reflecting on how their relationship was a figment of his imagination? This scene is the same, it’s just done through text messages now. Why are we doing this again. And I don’t get what Viv’s end goal is here. Is she trying to make Stolas realize that Blitz never gave a shit about him (because we’re on season two and this bird brain can’t take a hint) or is she trying to make Stolas go “I thought he didn’t care but omg he texted me “get well soon” he DOES love me!” Yeah…probably the last option. This ship sucks. If anything…..why can’t Blitz and Stolas just be fucking friends? You wanna say they care about each other? Fine. But romantically, it just doesn’t work. They aren’t good for each other, and function better as friends, but GOD forbid, we can’t have that because they do the dirty in bed SO IT CAN’T BE PLATONIC, it must be romantic! I was literally right, this ship gets worse and worse every passing episode and Viv wants you to ship it so hard despite the fact that she STILL hasn’t given me ONE good reason why they should be a couple. End of story.

So that pretty much it. This episode was nowhere near has bad as the previous three, it’s the most tolerable, but still heavily flawed in the writing department. The dialogue still lacks nuance and sounds like an edgy 12 year old wrote it, the world is still empty, pacing was off, the animation was off too at times, the constant sex jokes during serious scenes are distracting and take away from what’s going on, the side plot didn’t need to happen, there’s also SCENES that didn’t need to happen, there are multiple retcons and empty plot holes/threads, and Viv once again can’t write a complex serious gay couple. She just doesn’t have the writing chops for it, especially since she keeps rewriting aspects and flip flopping between who is the worse lover and who isn’t. I’ll talk more about this episode later, you know how I rant a lot lol. Tomorrow I’ll be finally answering inbox questions too! If you managed to read my endless rant essay, I thank you! See you soon!

[alwaysonthemend]

Ménage a Quatre

Author’s Note: Requested by @ignite-my-fire , this fic was an absolute delight to write. It’s way longer than I had initially planned so sorry for the delay. I think this is the fic that’s officially making me go to hell but I’d say it’s fucking worth it because damn was this fun to write. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Sorry for any typos/mistakes! Please note, there is no slash in this fic, as this is not Alabama. (I can make that joke because I was born there)

Summary: You’ve known the Kiszkas for practically their entire lives. Your friendship with them is a little unique given that you’ve slept with all three of them over the years, but you never made it official with any of them. You figure it’s just a matter of time before they find out the truth and  you know that once they do, you’ll probably never hear from any of them ever again. They're just about to finish up the last leg of tour and you discover that it’s actually quite the opposite. 

Content Warnings: Fem!reader, forgive me father for I have sinned. Foursome. Cussing, dirty talk, name calling, oral sex (male and female receiving), fingering, hand jobs, unprotected sex. Overall just very dirty. Needless to say, 18+ MINORS DNI (plz) 

Word Count: 5056

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

These situations were rarely ever simple. And yours is extra complicated given that you’d been friends with the Kiszka brothers for most of their lives. You’d met them all the way back in middle school when you’d shared a class with Sam. He had invited you over to his house to hang out and, as the years passed, you became good friends with Jake and Josh as well. You had been with them for all of it – from their first few band practices in the garage to Greta Van Fleet becoming famous. And somehow, they still considered you family, despite their newfound rockstar status. 

It started, you suppose, with Sammy. Since you two are the same age, he’d always been the one that you considered yourself closest to. And sure, you couldn’t deny that you found him attractive, especially as he grew into the man he is now. And he’d always been the one that you figured you might have a shot with. He’d been your first kiss in the 8th grade, and he’d been the one to take your virginity after a drunken homecoming party your senior year. And though it had been incredible, and the two of you slept with each other a few more times that summer, you had never made it official. 

Things changed though when you were a sophomore in college and Josh had come alone to visit you. The thing about Josh is that he always comes across as a little flirty, and you had never paid it any mind. But during that particular visit, the banter back and forth between the two of you had been at an all time high. Little touches of his would linger, and you would often catch him staring at you as you passed. Inevitably, you fell into bed with him – just as you had with Sam years before. It was incredible. Josh is a giving lover (just as you always assumed he’d be) and your time together that night haunted your dreams for months after he left. You’d always had a little crush on Sam, but suddenly you found yourself looking at Josh in a brand new light. You felt terribly guilty and chalked it up to the Kiszka charm and did your best to push the both of them from your mind. 

And then came your graduation party. Josh, Jake, and Sam – along with all of your other friends and family were present. The night was full of excitement and catching up and plenty of alcohol to go around. You would blame that alcohol for a long time for what happened. Sleeping with the third Kiszka brother was, you insisted to yourself, merely a result of drinking way too much. Jake was nothing like Josh or Sam. He was dominant, commanding. And you loved every minute of it. His fingers were fucking magical, calloused and talented, and he had brought you to the edge so many times you had lost count. And as you laid there that night, head resting on his shoulder as he slept, you realized that you were completely, irrevocably, and utterly fucked. 

Sleeping with your childhood best friend was one thing, but fucking both of his older brothers was a whole other problem. The guilt ate away at you, consuming your thoughts and souring any moment you shared with them. And the worst part of it was, you couldn’t really make yourself regret any of it. All three of them had given you nights that you would never forget, and any other man you tried to sleep with paled in comparison. You couldn’t even pleasure yourself without your mind drifting to those nights – imagining the way Sam thrust into powerfully, or the way Josh ate you out like a man starved, or the way Jake had stared into your eyes has he edged you for what felt like the millionth time. You’d had a taste of the talented Kiszka brothers, and you were hungry for me – no matter how wrong it was. 

The years passed and, despite your best efforts, you slept with them all a handle of times each. And each and every time the guilt chipped away at you, eating away at your thoughts constantly. You never said a word to any of them about the whole situation, and as the years passed it got harder and harder to think of a way to bring it up to them. Eventually, you just accepted that one day they’d all find out and your friendship with the Kiszkas would be ruined forever and that there was nothing you could really do about it. The best you could do was enjoy each encounter as much as you could and be thankful while it lasted. 

But things would soon change for all four of you. The release of the Battle at Garden’s Gate and the beginning of the Dreams in Gold Tour changed your world completely. The first leg had been brutal as you hardly got to see the boys at all. On one of the few instances in which they were all at home, taking a break, Sam had approached you with an offer you couldn’t refuse. 

“Y/n,” He’d said one day whilst the two of you were sitting at the table eating a light lunch, “how would you feel about coming with us for this last leg of the tour?” 

Your eyes had grown comically large and you stared at him. 

“I mean, ya! I’d love to but… why?” You wrung your hands together, nervous. “I mean, I FaceTime you guys all the time. It’s not like we never get to talk when you’re on tour.”

“I know.” Sam had said, eyes staring at you intently. “But the truth is… I miss the way we used to be.” He glanced down, suddenly bashful. “I miss the nights we used to have together and I thought that maybe, if you were on tour with us, we could do it again.” 

The panic that washed over you had been unlike anything you’d ever felt before. The back of your neck grew hot as the guilt that you thought you had escaped reared its ugly head ten fold. The fear must have shown on your face because Sam was quick to backtrack. 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to! I… I just thought I’d ask.” 

“It’s not that, Sammy. I want to. Of course I want to. It’s just…” You trailed off, desperately trying to come up with a reason other than the terrible truth. You couldn’t think of anything. 

“Sam, there’s no way for me to tell you this without sounding like the worst fucking person on the planet, and I hope we can still be at least sort of friends after I tell you… but I understand if you decide against ever talking to me ever again because-” 

“Y/n.” Sam silenced your rambling. “I know. We all know.” 

You stared, unbelieving. 

“Know what?” It couldn’t be true. 

“Do you really think three brothers aren’t going to brag to each other about sleeping with the hottest fucking girl we know?” He laughed and took a sip of his drink. “Granted, we didn’t immediately know we all were talking about the same one but… once we did, none of us really cared.” 

Your jaw fell open as you stared at him. Your brain was barely processing the words he was saying. They had known? All these years? And not one of them had thought to mention it to you… 

“And… you’re all, you know… okay with it?” You asked in a shaky voice. 

“Duh. I’m not the only one who wants you on tour with us. Josh and Jake both wholeheartedly want you there with us, too.” He watched your face morph from emotion to emotion – from panic, fear, confusion, and finally doubt. “I promise y/n. We’re all cool with it. I wouldn’t have asked you to come along with us if we all hadn’t talked about it first. So,” He spread his arms wide and grinned at you, “What'll it be, y/n?” 

And that’s how you found yourself traveling the world with Greta Van Fleet, spending your nights partying with them and sleeping with them whenever they pleased. It was weird at first, having sex with each of them whilst knowing that they all knew, but eventually the oddness faded. Sam, Jake, and Josh were the handsomest fuckers to ever walk the planet, and you were lucky enough to be able to have all three of them. And to be honest, you were having the time of your fucking life. 

As time passed, the whole situation began to feel a little less strange. Granted, your situation was anything but normal – but you found yourself and the Kiszkas enjoying life far more than you had been before. There was never any weirdness or animosity between you all – much to your relief. Even if one of them walked in on you with another, there were never any hard feelings. Usually just a smirk and an apology, often accompanied by a laugh as they exited the room. The life became normal – despite being so atypical, and time flew by. Before you all knew it, the tour was drawing to a close. 

It was the night of the last show. The boys had absolutely killed it out on stage (just like they always did) but there had been something particularly special about their performance this time. Sam had looked downright ethereal out on stage, effortlessly playing the best he had all tour. Josh’s vocals had been heavenly, and the raw emotion that he was feeling at the end of the tour had been evident – making his singing even more powerful than usual. And Jake’s last Weight of Dreams solo had been mesmerizing, his mannerisms becoming practically feral by the end as he basically fucked his guitar on stage. By the end, you excused yourself to your hotel room, completely wound up after the show. You needed some relief, and you didn’t care which of them it was. At this point, you just needed whoever showed up at your door first. They all had their own spare key, so you were sure it was a race of who could get here first.

It was Jake that made it first. You heard the door unlock and he strode across the room quickly, wrapping his arms around you and pressing a hot kiss to your neck. He was still sweaty and warm against you, and you could easily feel his cock through his stage pants. You turned in his grasp to face him, pressing your lips to his in a needy kiss. 

“You looked incredible out there tonight, Jakey.” You said between kisses. He chuckled as he detached himself from you to close the door behind himself. 

“Thank you, y/n. Got myself a little worked up.” He turned back around and gave you a pointed grin. 

“Oh?” You asked, walking slowly over to the bed. “Something I can help with?” 

Jake let out a growl deep in his chest as he wasted no time in stripping his stage clothes, tossing them to the floor in a heap. He walked confidently over to you, threading his fingers through your hair and pulling your head back to expose your throat. 

“You know exactly what I need, sweet girl.” He released you. “Strip.” He ordered, and you quickly complied, almost falling over in your haste to rid yourself of your own clothes. 

Once free of your clothes, you crawled onto the bed and leaned back, hair splayed out like a halo around your head. You let your legs fall apart, giving Jake a clear view of your glistening folds. 

“Well then,” You said, eyes hooded and heart racing, “come and take it.” 

Jake wasted no time before jumping onto the bed, the springs creaking as his weight settled. He dove between your thighs, licking a stripe up your pussy. You threw your head back and moaned loudly, uncaring if anyone heard you. Jake began to eat you out like he was a starving man given his first meal, and he quickly had you spewing curses and moans loudly. So loud, in fact, that neither of you heard the door to the room open and close. 

“God damn, she is a fucking sight to behold.” Your eyes snapped open at the sound of Josh’s voice. Jake detached himself from your dripping cunt, turning to give his twin a smirk. 

“Don’t stop on my account, brother.” Josh said grinning, eyes still trained on your pussy. “Do you mind if I join in on the fun? It is the last show and all…”

They both were looking at you now, and neither of their gazes were demanding. Truly, it was your choice, and you knew that you could say ‘no’ without either of them becoming upset. You thought for a moment, weighing the idea in your mind. Though you’d been sharing them the whole time, none of you had ever crossed the line of sharing at the same time. But you’d be a big fat liar if you said you hadn’t imagined it before – secret, dirty dreams in which you got to have all three of them at once. And well, two out of three ain’t bad. 

“I’d love for you to join.” You said, voice still a little shaky from Jake’s earlier attention. 

“You sure?” Jake asked, placing a warm palm on your thigh. “It’s okay if you say no.”

“No hard feelings at all, love. Promise.” Josh added, giving you a sweet smile. 

“I’m sure. Promise.” You echo Josh’s words and both of their smiles grow. 

“Perfect.” Josh said, already beginning to step out of his jumpsuit. He lets it pool around his feet before stepping out of it and you can’t help but moan at the sight of him. Jake brings his mouth back down on your throbbing cunt, and you clench your eyes shut and groan loudly. You feel the bed dip next to you as Josh climbs in, leaning down to press wet kisses to your tits. 

“Sammy’s gonna be so jealous that he’s missing out.” You sigh, fighting to keep your voice from cracking. 

“Mmm. Probably.” Josh agrees, before swirling his tongue around one of your hard nipples. You moan loudly as Jake suckles on your clit for a moment before sitting up. His face is wet with your juices and he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“Do you want me to text him?” Jake asks quietly, and Josh sits up as well. “Only if you’re comfortable, of course.” Jake hastily adds. “Two is one thing. All three might be the death of you.” He grins and Josh scoffs at him. 

“There were probably a million better ways you could have phrased that.” You laugh at Josh’s comment and Jake gives you both a joking scowl. 

“Yeah, probably.”  You pause again, gathering your racing thoughts. This whole night is becoming a wet dream come true. “Text him, Jake.”

He nods and rises from the bed to extract his phone from the pile of clothes on the floor by the door. He taps his fingers quickly across the screen. 

“He was waiting just down in the lobby bar.” He says, clicking his phone off and lying it back on top of his clothes. “He was gonna wait for his turn.” He chuckles as he returns to the bed. 

It doesn’t take long for the door to open again, and Sam enters the room. His hair is framing his pretty face beautifully and you lick your lips at the sight of him. 

“Hey, Sammy.” You whisper, eyes dark and chest flushed with excitement. He’s only wearing his stage pants and you can see his cock straining beneath them.

“Hey, y/n.” He says, walking over to the side of the bed. 

The three brothers look to each other, eyes dancing back and forth amongst themselves, almost as if they’re carrying a conversation with each other. Knowing them and their close bonds, they probably are.  

“Well,” Josh finally says, voice horse and gruff, “a menage a quatre it is, then.” He grins and Sam and Jake do the same, before all of their eyes turn to you. You gulp. You feel like prey, being stalked through the woods by a pack of wild animals. And in a sense, you are. This whole experience with them has been eye opening, as you’ve learned more about yourself and what you like than ever before. Sam, Josh, and Jake have given you a freedom that you’ve never had before, and one that you probably won’t have again. 

‘Tonight, pretty girl,” Sammy whispers, “you’re ours.” He says, tracing a finger along the curve of your jaw. 

“All ours, my dear.” Josh murmurs as he leans down, ghosting his lips over your skin and leaving a trail of goosebumps. 

Jake roughly grips the meat of one of your ass cheeks and squeezes, calloused fingers digging into your flesh. 

“And you’re gonna fucking take it however we want it.” He says, eyes dark and sparkling. 

You swallow thickly and nod your head wordlessly, senses already overwhelmed and every nerve in your body on fire. Sam slides his pants down and off him, allowing his hard cock to spring free. He climbs onto the bed and settles onto his knees by your feet. You turn your head to watch him, entranced by the grace of his movements. In your peripheral you see Josh’s curly head descend upon your skin, leaving wet, hot kisses on your neck. He nips and bites as he goes, drawing breathy little moans from you. 

“So pretty like this, baby girl.” He says as he licks into your mouth, tongue plunging into you to explore. He swallows your moan as Sam takes over from Jake earlier, lapping between your folds and circling your clit with the tip of his tongue. 

“Oh, fuck.” You whine, tossing your head back as Josh brings his mouth back to your tits while one hand tweaks your other nipple. He wraps his free hand around his cock and begins to fuck into his own hand. 

“Such pretty noises.” He moans around your breast. 

“Such pretty lips, too.” Jake says, sinking to his knees above your head, looking down on you as his hair falls around his face. “Bet they’d look so nice wrapped around my cock.” 

“She’s a little slut for sucking cock, Jake.” Sam says, rising briefly from your cunt and your pussy clenches at the loss of stimulation.

Jake grips your jaw with his hand and forces it open before sliding his hard length into your waiting mouth. You relax your tongue and swallow him down deep as you can go and hollow your cheeks. He fucks into your mouth and you can only watch as his eyes fall closed and he throws his head back in pleasure. 

Without warning, Sam plunges two fingers into you, stroking your walls with a ‘come here’ motion. You moan and almost choke around Jake’s cock, but you push through it and your eyes water with the effort. Your every sense is overwhelmed as Josh nips and bites at your tits. Jake’s moans and grunts as he fucks into your mouth are fucking pornographic and Sam’s fingers are quickly guiding you onto the edge. 

You reach your right hand out blindly, finding Josh’s hand where he’s stroking himself. You swat it away, relying only on your peripheral to see. You begin to pump his cock for him instead and he lets out a loud groan. 

“See that, Jake?” He says through clenched teeth. “Letting you fuck into her mouth and jacking me off at the same time… Such a talented little whore.” 

You moan at his words and the vibration makes Jake moan as well. He pulls his cock from you and a string of saliva falls from your lips. 

“Mmm.” He nods, brushing your sweaty hair from your forehead. “Such a good girl.” Jake observes you with dark eyes as you practically writhe on the bed. He can tell that you’re about to cum all over Sam’s fingers and yet you’re still giving Josh the handjob of his life. 

“Cum for me, y/n.” Sam demands, pumping his fingers in and out of you at a brutal pace. “Cum on my fingers.” And that’s all it takes for the coil in your belly to snap. Your hand drops from Josh’s dick as your mouth drops open and you let out a wail as you ride through the pleasure. 

“Fucking gorgeous.” Josh whispers, watching you fall apart. When you finally come down, you're met with all the Kiszkas looking at you like you’re the only girl in the whole world. And to them, you are. You’re struck again by the craziness of the situation you’ve found yourself in, surrounded by the three most attractive men you’ve ever met, all willing to share in your pleasure. 

“Get on your hands and knees.” Sam commands, snapping you back into the moment. 

You scramble up from your lying down position and do as you're told, sinking to your hands and knees in the middle of the bed. It creaks loudly as you let your weight settle, making sure to stick your ass up in the air to give them a show. 

“Always so fucking eager to please…” Jake mutters approvingly, giving your ass an appreciative squeeze before sliding underneath you on his back. In this position, his hard cock rests at attention between your breasts and his mouth is right beneath your dripping pussy. You rest your forearms on either side of his hips and lick his cock, swirling your tongue around the head. He hooks his arms around your thighs and pulls you down so that you're sitting on his face. He plunges his tongue into you, moving in and out slowly. 

Josh rises from his place by your side and scoots over so that he’s directly behind you. Sitting up on his knees, he fucks into his own hand lazily as he admires the sight of your ass up in the air. 

“You ready for my cock, baby?” He asks and you nod. 

He slides into you in one long thrust, moaning loudly as he bottoms out. 

“Shit!” You cry, the feeling of his cock stretching you coupled with Jake’s tongue is fucking overwhelming.

“Jesus, look at you.” Sam says, coming to rest at Jake’s feet. 

“Lemme suck you off, Sammy.” You moan, looking up at him with hooded eyes. 

“You guys hear that?” Sam says, chuckling darkly. “She wants to suck my cock.” 

“Fuck, y/n,” Josh says, thrusting in and out of you. “You’re a fucking sight to behold. Jesus.”

“Since you asked so nicely.” Sam sits up and you open your mouth and wrap your lips around him. You hollow your cheeks and bob your head as much as you can. The pleasure washing over you is so intense you can hardly focus and drool is falling from the corners of your lips, but you keep going. 

Jake suckles on your clit and you yelp around Sam’s cock, and Josh squeezes your ass cheeks as he pistons his hips in and out of you. Beneath you, Jake begins sliding his cock between your breasts, – never once letting up with his tongue, but still in desperate need for his own release. The sounds you’re making are making him feel fucking feral. 

Sam moans as you suck him off, and he tangles his fingers in your hair as he begins to fuck into your mouth in earnest. His cock hits the back of your throat and he groans loudly. You’re wound so tight you can hardly fucking stand it and your second orgasm is quickly overtaking you. You pull off Sam’s cock for a moment, wailing loudly. 

“I’m gonna fucking cum. Oh fuck.” The moan that falls from your mouth as you cum for the second time is high pitched and needy, and you’d probably be embarrassed if you weren’t so drunk on pleasure. Your mouth falls open in a perfect ‘o,’ and Sam takes the opportunity to thrust his cock back between your lips again. Your pussy clenches around Josh’s cock, pulling a loud moan from him and Jake laps at your release. You can feel his dick twitch between your breasts and he moans as he tastes you. 

“Fuck, y/n. You’re so fucking tight.” Josh says through clenched teeth, and his chest is flushed as he continues to fuck into you. Jake plunges his tongue back between your folds, mercilessly swirling your clit and you whine loudly, dancing on the edge between pain and pleasure. You’re so overstimulated and tears leak from your eyes, but none of them let up. You moan around Sam’s cock and he groans loudly. 

“You’re such a good whore for us, y/n. So fucking good.” You whine deep in your throat and clench your eyes shut. Between Josh’s cock and Jake’s tongue – not to mention the sounds that Sam is making, you feel like you could fucking explode. 

“So good.” Josh pants. “And all ours.” 

“Fuck I’m gonna cum!” Sam throws his head back and that’s all the warning you get before his release spills down your throat. You greedily swallow it all down and milk him for all he’s got. He pulls his cock from you with a pop and falls back against the headboard. 

The sound of his release sends you spiraling into a third orgasm, this one quick and sharp and without warning. You wail loudly as it crashes over you, and you clench hard around Josh. 

“Jesus, mama. Shit! So fucking tight. Gonna fucking cum. So fucking close.” His thrusts are sloppy and erratic, and it isn’t long before he reaches his own release, painting your walls with thick ropes of cum. The sound that falls from his lips is sinful, and your eyes roll back as Jake continues to eat you out. Jake is desperately rutting his dick up between your tits and you can tell he’s on the edge, but he’s not going to let himself fall off that crest without making you cum one more time. You need it so badly and your whole body feels like it’s on fucking fire. 

“Come on, y/n.” Sam encourages, voice silky smooth. “One more.”

“You can do it, pretty girl. Come on. Let us see you fall apart one more time.” Josh says between shaky breaths, pulling his soft cock from your pussy. 

You’re spewing profanities and whines and you're wailing their names as the coil in your belly somehow begins to tighten again. You have no idea what you’re saying and your vision is beginning to go black around the edges. With one last swirl of his tongue around your clit, Jake has you falling apart for the fourth time. Your eyes roll back in your head and you scream as you cum. You’re a babbling mess and the sight and sound of you makes Jake finally come apart himself. Ropes upon ropes of his cum paint your chest as he ruts his cock against your smooth skin and he moans your name loudly. 

“Fuck, y/n!” He cries as he finally comes down from his high. He slides out from under you and you collapse onto the bed, completely and utterly spent. 

Josh rises from the bed and hooks one arm beneath your knees and the other around your waist. He lifts you gently and Sam pulls the covers down to the foot of the bed. Josh lays you gingerly onto your back and wipes your hair from your face. You crack your eyes open at him. 

“Hey, mama.” He says with a sweet smile. “You okay?” 

You just hum and close your eyes again. Jake rises to grab a washcloth from the bathroom. He runs it under the warm water of the sink and brings it back over to the bed while Sam goes to grab you a glass of water. Jake cleans you up carefully, wiping the evidence of the night's activities from your skin. Josh helps you sit up and Sammy brings the glass to your lips and you take large, greedy gulps of it. When you’re finished, he places it on the nightstand. 

“You did so good for us, baby.” Jake says, voice almost a whisper. 

“So fucking good.” Josh murmurs as well, reaching down to grab his jumpsuit off the floor. He steps back into it and pulls it up, not bothering to zip it all the way. Jake does the same, pulling his pants on and grabbing his jacket and phone. 

“Get some rest.” He says. 

“Think I’m gonna sleep for a week.” You say tiredly, and the three of them laugh. “You were right, Jakey. All three of you was definitely the death of me.” 

“A valiant and noble death, m’lady.” Josh says with a dramatic bow. You giggle at his perpetual goofiness. 

“You guys have a good night.” Sam says, crawling into the bed and pulling the covers over you both. “I’ll take good care of her.” 

“You better.” Jake says and points a finger at him. “She needs some good rest.” 

“You kids be good.” Josh says, following Jake to the door to the hotel room. “I’ll have breakfast delivered to her in the morning.”

“What about me?” Sam said and you laughed at the indignation in his voice. 

“You’re a big kid, Sammy boy.” Josh laughs and Jake rolls his eyes at the both of them. “I’m sure you’ll manage.” 

The twins both give you soft, matching smiles before turning to open the door. 

“Thank you.” You tell them. 

Jake gives you a cheeky grin and a salute. 

“Any time.” And with that, he disappears out the door. 

“The pleasure was all mine, good lady.” Josh bowed once more and followed Jake, softly closing the door behind him. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Sam says, extending his arm to turn off the light before settling back down. 

“You kidding me?” You ask, lying your head down and practically sinking into the bed. “That was a wet dream come true.”

Tags:

@blojaysimpson

[kimbappykidding]

Imagine having an extremely flirty relationship with Joshua but neither of you knowing exactly what it is

You were a family friend of The8's studying in Korea. As you didn't know anyone The8 had helped you out a lot and his members had pretty much adopted you. They always invited you out to dinner and any social event to make you feel at home. You got to know his members well and very quickly something began to develop between you and Joshua. You were both foreigners adapting to the Korean lifestyle and were pretty honest about your attraction to one another. You'd flirt and check each out and now it was a running joke the members all openly teased you about and Joshua was pretty proud and unashamed of it. Today you were meeting The8 for dinner after class and he told you to come and wait at a place where they had a fansign. He said it'd be easier and better for you to wait backstage than outside in the cold. You showed up at the fansign and went backstage, the staff recognised you and let you through immediately. You were shown to a table just off-stage where you could do some work on your laptop. You could see the members on stage but were hidden from the fans...however one member spotted you immediately.

"Jealous?" a voice asked appearing beside you and you knew who it was instantly. You smirked "nope, why should I be?". Joshua shrugged "i just thought it might be hard seeing all these girls flirt with me". "If that's what's been happening? It looked more like fans appreciating you". Joshua smiled "yes but a lot of them find me attractive so they flirt with me". "Just imagine that" you said pretending to be shocked and Joshua rolled his eyes "I know you find me attractive too y/n" and he rushed back on stage. You shook your head at his words, used to this playful banter and carried on with the essay you were writing They were on the last part of the fansign now and the members all changed seats. Joshua ended up nearest to the stage exit where you were sat. He noticed this and kept smirking, trying to catch your eye whenever there was a break to distract you from your work. When you did look up he asked you for water but when you went to toss it he shook his head and rushed over to you. Then he saw you had a Starbucks and smiled "can I have some?". You smirked "no! It's mine". Joshua began to whine "aww come on I'll take you for one after this". "I'm going for food with The8 after this". "Ditch him for me" Joshua smiled and you smiled back "no but if you ask nicely you can have a sip of my drink". "Pretty please with sugar on top y/n?" he asked batting his eyelashes at you. You handed it to him and he smiled "you really are the kindest, smartest, prettiest, most humble..." he started when the staff called they needed him on stage. You took your drink back from him and he gasped. "What? You don't have time anymore so mine" and smiled. Joshua put his hand over his heart shaking his head at you before rushing back outside. After the fansign Joshua came over to you swaggering a little. "So The8 says I can come with you for dinner" Joshua said with a huge smirk on his face and you shook your head "you mean you forced him into letting you come?". Joshua shook his head "not at all! He loves me and so do you". You rolled your eyes but before you could speak Scoups called "Joshua stop flirting and come here!". That did make you blush to know all the members were waiting for him but Joshua just smiled "I'll be back" and with a wink he rushed away. Jeonghan and Wonwoo also tagged along to the meal and neither you nor The8 minded. You were having a nice time, sat next to Joshua of course which always seemed to happen whenever the two of you went anywhere with the group. You were pretty much lost in your own world, flirting a lot when Joshua went to the bathroom and Jeonghan had a burning question. "So when are you and Joshua going to actually get together?" he said "I'm just asking because frankly I'm sick of him going on about you and I'm hoping if you date him he'll settle down". You smirked "I'll consider it if you tell me what he says about me". Jeonghan nodded "okay well he really likes your hair and your eyes. He always says you look like some cool vampire or something and he nearly died when he saw you in leggings". The8 snorted and hit Jeonghan who just smiled "what? It's true". Joshua appeared "what’s true?". "That you nearly died seeing y/n in tight clothes" Wonwoo replied blankly. Joshua paused before nodding "that is true". You laughed at his honesty and he shrugged "I think it's no secret I think y/n's attractive. Is this news to you y/n?". "Well no " you nodded and Joshua nodded "see" and smiled. "Do you want me to continue?" Jeonghan asked and you shook your head "we can continue it in private but I'm afraid I have to leave now"."Awww what? But you can't go!" Joshua cried and you smirked "I've got work!". Joshua groaned "fine but I'll walk you" and he grabbed his jacket. "We're not paying for you" Jeonghan said and Joshua passed them his wallet before standing up beside you "let's go". "So what were you and Jeonghan discussing?" Joshua asked falling in step with you. You shrugged "you of course". Joshua smiled "you're making me blush! What about me?". "He was telling me all the things you say about me when I’m not around". Joshua smirked "oh yeah? What did he tell you". "He only told me you like my hair, eyes and think i'm a vampire". Joshua shook his head "wow he didn't even scratch the surface!". "Care to continue then?" you asked and Joshua nodded. "I talk about you a lot, mainly saying y/n looks so cute or y/n looks really pretty or y/n looks really good...you know all the important stuff. I also disappear to talk to you a lot and they said my famous last words on a night out are, be right back just going to say hi to y/n". You chuckled "you're a terrible friend". "Then date me and I can start being a better one" Joshua replied. You rolled your eyes "so it's my fault you're a bad friend?". He shrugged "all I'm saying is my attention is on you so much I can't focus on them. The only solution is a date ASAP". "Or you can get better at multi-tasking" you replied "I'm here, see you around Joshua" and you disappeared into your building leaving Joshua outside watching you go. The two of you had always had a playful relationship and so you never took Joshua seriously when he said you should date him or asked you out. You figured it was just another joke but it wasn't. Joshua was deadly serious but he wasn't sure how to convince you of that. He'd been trying for a while now to get you to realise that but it wasn't working. 

All night Joshua thought about how he could make you see he was serious and he thought of nothing else. Luckily he was due to meet you after work the next day. You were going to see a movie and he told you to come to their building and wait in their dressing room area. Sure enough when he'd finished recording he came to find you sitting there. His heart leapt when he saw you and after singing lyrics about being in love all day he decided enough was enough. You smiled when Joshua walked in and jumped up "hey, you ready to go?". Joshua nodded but didn't say anything. "The film doesn't start for an hour so I thought we could grab something to eat first" you said but still Joshua didn't reply. "Joshua?" you asked confused "are you okay". He bit his lip and turned to you "look can i ask you something?". You nodded "shoot". "What are we doing?" he asked and you paused "well what do you mean?". "We've been flirting for months and I've asked you out tons of times but you just brush it off. Do you like me or am I just annoying you and you're too polite to tell me to leave you alone? If you want me to stop I will I just want to know". You gaped "I...you never annoy me and I don't want you to stop". Joshua paused "you don't". You shook your head "no...I really don't. I was just never sure if you were serious or not" you admitted. Joshua smiled in relief his confidence coming back. "Great...so you want me too?" he asked moving closer so he was stood right in front of you. "I wouldn't say that" you said smirking up at him and Joshua grinned "then why are looking like me that?". "Like what" you asked your smirk faltering and he smiled. "All hungry and dark. Plus the way you said you didn't want me to stop was so instant and your voice deepened as did the look in your eyes...eugh I want you so much y/n" he groaned and you blinked up at him. You could see the truth in those words by how Joshua was staring at you and hearing him say that made you feel tingly. Joshua was clearly waiting for a signal for you and you finally gave it to him. "Then do something about it like you should've done this whole time". Joshua's eyebrow twitched but that was all the surprise he showed before kissing you. He pressed you up against the wall rapidly and you wrapped your arms around his neck. Joshua was more aggressive and rash than you expected but it just made it better. You were quickly lost in your own world of each other and it had been a long time coming. Joshua could feel himself starting to get more and more excited and he pulled away before things got too far. Joshua leaned back and looked at you "was that enough of something or would you like to come back to my place?". You blushed at what you'd gotten yourself into but nodded "I'm not totally convinced". Joshua grinned and took your hand "just wait till I'm done with you" and tugged you to the door. You made it back to the Seventeen dorm rapidly and Joshua led you to his room. On the way some members spotted you and Scoups grinned "finally hooking up?" he called joking but Joshua nodded. "Yeah so wear headphones, we're gonna be a while" and Scoup's jaw dropped "wait really?". Joshua shot him a look before wrapping an arm around you and taking you upstairs. Scoups turned to The8 who smiled "I have no words except it's about damn time". 

It was about time indeed.

[allinthemagicshop]

Am I A Stray

SKZ maknae line x gn!reader

Comfort? Humor? Fluff?

wc: ~ 1500

Honestly this is violently cringey to me but it was a funny little college AU (loosely) on how I imagine the group dynamic when they bring someone else into their circle

No warnings except I remember writing this very late at night and barely coherent so enjoy that

I do not own the rights to Stray Kids or any of their personalities/actions, this is a pure work of fiction and just for fun

Learning everything about someone is a journey. Typically a journey two people take part in together, but a one-sided journey isn’t impossible. This is where you found yourself, in this lonely journey, pining for someone, or someones, who didn’t even know you existed. It didn’t lessen the joy you felt each time a new piece of information was filed into your folder for them. It did, however, cause an ache to form each time you let yourself think about it too long. 

Felix and his friend group seemed untouchable. Meaning they were insanely talented and attractive, but that wasn’t even the biggest obstacle. They were so close, never seeing one without at least another from the group. You began to learn the dynamic of each friendship so thoroughly that you felt insane, maybe obsessed. Felix and Jeongin were the typical gamer buddies, always talking about what rank they had gotten to in their last conquest of whatever game they had decided on the previous week. Jeongin and Seungmin held the brotherly relationship you wished you had with your siblings, constantly looking out for each other but never ceasing to pester the other if feelings were too overwhelming. Seungmin believed Felix hung the stars on his face and in his eyes and wouldn’t let another tell him any different, even if that meant he had to playfully bully Felix into understanding. Han held a soft spot for all three of his younger friends, nearly becoming an umbrella over them to protect them from any weather that would dampen their happiness. 

The closeness only continued to extend to the older ones in the friend group, but the protectiveness they radiated over the younger four made it seem daunting to approach any of them. They were kind to everyone, so it almost didn’t make sense why you felt so far removed from being able to even utter a word to them. Maybe you had convinced yourself that there just was no room for another dynamic in all their friendships. Still, you loved cataloging everything you could about them. It was almost like a minor degree to the major you were studying for, but undoubtedly the one you studied for the most.

Resigned to a life on the outside, you kept your fondness for the men tucked away into a corner only you had access to. Keen on just observing them and feeling the love they radiated for each other being enough for you, you stayed away. Sharing classes with the four youngest would be the closest you would get. Sitting at a table behind them in the lecture hall allows you to key in on some of their banter and jokes. Never one to be bold enough to test the boundary between classmates and friendship. The quiet one, always observing and always in awe of the possibility of a friendship that loving being possible. You had your own friends, but none held such a tight closeness to you that you fooled yourself into thinking it would last beyond the walls of the institution you called home for the last three years. After next year’s graduation, you would drift apart, while knowing those eight men would never feel such pull away from each other. You won’t lie to yourself, you envied it. 

Walking into class, you immediately noticed the loud laughter filling the lecture hall. Nothing new. Smiling to yourself, you go to make your way to your seat behind the loud group. You set your backpack down next to you and pulled out your notes to review before class started. You became so focused on your reading that you didn’t hear the shuffling in front of you as the laughter subsided. 

“Guys, guys. I know I’m right here. Anyone would agree that vanilla ice cream is the absolute standard for best base flavor. I’ll even prove it! Hey, y/n. I have an important question,” turning around in his seat, Felix addressed you. He waited for a second before realizing that you must not have heard him. “Y/n? This is a dire problem that needs a solution.” Still no response. He chuckles lowly as the others burst into laughter. Felix puts his hand on top of the notes you’d been reading, causing your head to shoot up to meet his eyes. Raising an eyebrow, but not giving you time to adjust to the intrusion, he asked again “Ice cream. Vanilla is the best base flavor, yes?” 

You blinked at him. Once. Twice. “Is this a test? Chocolate is overpowering as base, vanilla adds support. It doesn’t try to outshine the other flavors like chocolate does.” The words tumbled out in your shocked state.

“EXACTLY! HA! I told you guys that I was right! Oh, Y/n, you’re a lifesaver,” Felix exclaims while turning back to the others. They all just laughed harder, you sitting in complete confusion at what just happened. Were those actually the first words you’d spoken to any of them? Did it have to sound that pathetic? They knew your name? Are you dreaming? You continued to stare at the men in front of you.

“Hey, Y/n. Listen, I respect your opinion but you didn’t have to give Lix a bigger ego on this topic,” Han giggles out. Your eyes widen even more in confusion. 

“What is happening right now? Hi?” Your thoughts escaped before you remembered how to function as a competent human being. Immediately the four boys were rolling with laughter, somehow louder than before. 

“Y/n this is why we need you to be present more often. You’re hilarious!” Seungmin laughs out. You raise an eyebrow at him. This is a dream, there’s no other explanation.

“Seungmin, we have literally never spoken before. Are you guys alright? Did someone drug your breakfast? I am so confused right now.” 

Another round of impossibly loud laughter. “We’ve been trying to get you to warm up to us for months, Y/n. You remind us so much of Hannie, all quiet and seemingly off put by others. We knew you’d fit in with us, but you have to promise not to always side with Felix. Chan already does that,” Jeongin smiles at you, dimples showing. “If I’m honest, we had no idea how to approach you without scaring you off. But we also hated seeing you so alone when you seemed so sweet.”

His mini ramble ends and you continue to stare. This isn’t happening. Were you the one drugged this morning? “I didn’t even know that you knew my name,” a blush taking over your entire form, shoulders slumping in. 

Han smiled at you gently, the laughter still in his eyes but fading to softness. Softness somehow aimed at you. “Chan is a big stickler on finding the stray kids who need a home. No one deserves to be alone or stuck in shallow friendships. Everyone deserves to belong to something. This might seem out of the blue but it’s been a long time coming.” The other three nod their heads in agreement. 

“Wait. So you want to be friends? Is that what’s happening? I don’t want to intrude,” you mutter, getting quieter with each word. Seungmin stares at you for a little bit before opening his mouth and shutting it again.

“Do you… do you not want to be friends with us?” Seungmin eventually lets out, his eyebrows drawing together. Your eyes widen and you shake your head quickly, maybe too quickly but they don’t seem to care as their shoulders all slump in relief.

“No! No, that’s not what I meant. I just didn’t think anyone really noticed me. Wait, Han. Did you just call me a stray?” At that they all burst out laughing again, this time at Han as he covered his face, a blush tinting his ears impossibly red. 

“Ohmygodno. I didn’t, well I did, but like I didn’t mean it like that I just meant like you seemed alone a lot but you seem so kind and always help others who ask and you never complain about others but you never meet anyone after class and we don’t like seeing people look so lonely wait not that you’re lonely but maybe just that you don’t have friends well you probably have friends it’s just that ohmygod I need to shut up,” Han crumpled on himself more after his ramble, only making the others laugh even harder. Your heart clenched as you joined in on the laughter, all their eyes brightening and Han looking at you between his fingers still covering his face. 

“Okay okay, I get it. So Chan seems to have a knack for picking people who don’t feel like they belong with others, is that it? The outcasts or the quiet ones. Huh. That means you were all strays at some point then.”

Felix just stands up and claps his hand onto your shoulder. “And now you have an invitation to stay. If you want it. If you’re content to keep to yourself, don’t let us ruin that. But we would like it if we could build a friendship with you,” he finished with a smile, your own growing as your heart swelled.

[thecoffeelovingfreak]

come & talk to me

Pairing: Rook Hunt x gn!Reader

Writing Genre: oneshot

Genres: romance, rom-com

Words: 1.2k

Warnings: arrows getting within 5 centimeters of reader

Notes: This idea came to me about two weeks ago, and I wrote it within the same night gfjfjfk. I hope you enjoy this Valentine's fic -- it's titled after one of my favorite songs! <3

Read it on ao3!

~~~

The fourteenth of February – Sweetheart's Day – as it’s known here in Twisted Wonderland. A day in honor of the goddess of love and beauty, where romance was around every corner and admirers prospered.

It seems I have one of my own, you thought, noticing the dazzling and voluminous bouquet sitting on the island of Ramshackle’s kitchen. A lovely little purple box was placed next to it, adorned in golden trim and a red bow. Peering through the window of the box, you saw an assortment of sweets. A few chocolate-covered strawberries still appearing fresh, heart-shaped macarons in various shades complementing the box, and finally petit fours decorated in the signature colors of your dorm. Upon closer inspection of the bouquet, you observed the selected flowers: traditional red roses, gardenias, jonquils, blue violets, and moss rosebuds. A note was nestled between your collection of nature’s beauties, and it read:

Your eyes shine like ever radiant starlight,

Will you choose to be mine tonight?

- ↣

A smile blossomed on your lips as you huffed, feeling as though you were the lead in a cheesy romance movie. Taking the box with you and keeping it away from Grim’s tired and hungry grabby hands, you left to attend your first period.

—

“Whatcha got there, Y/n?” Ace asked, jogging up next to you in one of the exterior hallways.

“A box of treats from an admirer.” you replied matter-of-factly.

He chuckled before speaking, “Any clue who it is?”

“Not yet. The note was only signed with an a–”

Your sentence was cut off as an arrow whizzed by only about 4 centimetres in front of your face.

“Arrow.” you finished, handing your box to Ace.

You approached the section of mortar where the arrow was lodged. Attached to its sharp end was a letter and another moss rosebud wrapped in purple striped twine. Recalling your flowers and note, you had no doubt as to who had sent their affection flying your way. Tugging the arrow out of the wall, you carefully removed the note. Lifting the flower off of the paper, you wordlessly gave it to the redhead next to you before opening the light brown letter.

Witnessing your joy is truly a treasure,

I hope my gift brought you pleasure.

Please do me the honor of accompanying me,

In the majestic forest beneath the trees.

Eight o’clock tonight,

Follow the lights.

- ↣

Excitement bubbled in you at the prospect of meeting your admirer, but it was slightly dispelled by Ace’s pessimism.

“How do you know they’re not going to murder you?”

—

Sitting down at the table of your merry little band of first years for lunch, you were immediately bombarded by statements.

“An arrow at your head?! It definitely sounds like they want to kill you.”

“Thank you, Deuce, very supportive.” you retorted.

“Letting treats and letters win you over so quickly?! Ha, what a silly little human!”

With a glare at the group, silence reigned. At least until Jack spoke up, “Do you know who it is?”

“I don’t.” you replied.

“What if it’s Henley?” Ace joked.

Your entire table groaned at the mention of the most cumbersome member of your class.

“What if it’s Rook?” Deuce queried.

Epel gagged at the idea, but you simply sat with it for a minute.

What if it was Rook?... No, definitely not. While you had been bantering more and more often, even borderline flirting really, there was no way. He had taken it upon himself to teach you archery, and walk you back to your dorm everyday after classes, and bring you dinner on nights where you were too occupied by your studies, and help you branch out in fashion, exploration, and… oh Great Sevens, it was Rook.

Noticing your sudden introspection, the first years slowly went quiet. As you fought to keep your cheeks from widening, Epel’s face looked aghast as he shouted “No!”

—

When the clock struck seven forty-five that night, you finished dusting off your outfit and left Ramshackle. As the poem said, lights outlined your path across the campus and through the forest. The little balls of light dissipated after you passed, most likely due to their magic origins. The woods near campus were truly beautiful – pines, oaks, ash, cedar, and even apple trees – created a lovely backdrop. As you got closer to the river, more lights appeared. The soft bubbling in unison with crickets enveloped you in nature’s music as your steps soon met various flowers that coexisted with the vast expanse of trees. A smile and ironic chuckle occurred on your lips as you realized they were the exact flowers from your bouquet.

“Thank you for joining me, ange.”

Your head turned to face the blond emerging from behind the large weeping willow bordering the river.

“Of course. It’s only fair that I come admire you as well.”

He winked before voicing, “You didn’t come see me out of duty.”

You chuckled lightly before replying, “No, I did not. I came to confess my affections for you… but I feel as though you already knew.”

He smirked and took your right hand, “What kind of hunter would I be if I didn’t?”

You followed him as he guided you to a small rowboat. He held your hand to provide support as you stepped in and sat down before sliding in across from you and grabbing the oars. He set a light pace as you traveled north, observing the various changes in your surroundings. While the silence was loving, you couldn’t help but ask a question drifting through your mind.

“I noticed you gave me moss rosebuds twice. Do they have a special meaning I am unaware of?”

“Indeed they do.” He began, focusing on you yet still rowing, “They represent confessions of love. Blue violets mean I will always be there, jonquils communicate a desire for affection returned, gardenias stand for secret love, and red roses are for your one and only love.”

With each addition to the list you felt giddy, and by the end like swooning.

Rook laughed at your visible reaction – something you decided was now one of your favorite sounds.

In two more rows, you arrived near the windmill. Beneath it was a perfect little picnic, set up with more magic lights and ravishing food. A large box also laid wrapped similarly to the one for your treats – minus the window. With your hands once again intertwined, you slowly approached the romantic setting.

When you sat down, Rook smiled brightly before handing you your gift box and saying, “Happy Sweetheart’s Day, ange.”

You eagerly unwrapped the Pomefiore-colored box and gasped at what was inside.

A breath-taking bow sat in red silk, it’s dark cherry wood a perfectly contrasting match. Patterns of nature were carved into the wood, and no matter how small the line or crevice they all appeared to have been sanded. Such a tenacious task done with so much care and tenderness brought forth strong emotions, and you found yourself thanking the hunter with a kiss. He seemed momentarily caught off guard before melting at your long awaited touch.

“I love it, Rook.”

“And I love you, Y/n.”

[dannyreviews]

Frasier (1993 and 2023)

The 1990s was probably the last great era for the American Sitcom and the majority of television viewers would probably pick "Seinfeld" as their favorite. As much as I love "Seinfeld" and its brand of famous gags, one liners and character quips, "Frasier" is in a class of its own above. For 11 seasons, Frasier maintained its Moliere/Alan Ayckbourn wit and farce without missing a beat. Nearly 20 years after the perfectly written series finale, "Frasier" has been rebooted and things have changed, some for the better and the rest for the worst. Here is the rundown about what made the original series a classic and the reboot (so far) a shadow of its former self.

TV Spinoffs are usually a hit or miss affair. The hits like "Laverne and Shirley" and "The Jeffersons" managed to remove themselves from their origin and create their own brand of humor. Others like "After MASH" and "Phyllis" were tedious affairs that forgot their roots and sailed into the sunset of mediocrity. And then you have "Frasier" which took the spinoff to brand new heights. Having already been an established supporting character in another massively successful series "Cheers", Frasier Crane was engrained in the collective consciousness of the prime time audience, so that was one notch in watching the pilot of the original "Frasier". The first thing was to reinvent Frasier as a radio psychiatrist which becomes the foundation for jokes about the human mind. But then you add supporting characters that are so multi-dimensional that they have to compete with the title character for the most laughs. That came in the form of David Hyde Pierce as Frasier's equally pompous psychiatrist brother Niles and John Mahoney as their blue collar, retired, disabled policeman father Martin. Watching the difference between tasting wine and singing Gilbert and Sullivan operettas to drinking beer and watching the ballgame on TV and you have a dynamic that is another foundation of excellent writing. At the same time, there's Peri Gilpin as Frasier's producer Roz who beds every man (single or married) in town and Jane Leeves as Daphne, Martin's in-house nurse and Niles' crush. When you have several running gags all synchronized in 11 amazing seasons that never jumped the shark, the possibilities are endless. Even recurring jokes like the rivalry between the Crane brothers, the elusive identity of Niles' wife Maris, or the random actions of Martin's dog Eddie, were add ons to an already colorful mosaic of wit and wisdom. Like the Sistine Chapel, or Bach's Goldberg Variations, Frasier is several fine tuned sequences that make up a Leviathan of a presentation. What can possibly go wrong?

The reboot of "Frasier" in hindsight should never have happened because in the series finale, the viewer wanted Frasier to have a happy ending and fine true love with his last girlfriend Charlotte. That hope goes out the window and instead what we get is another chapter in our titular character's hapless life when he becomes a lecturer in Psychiatry at Harvard. In the original pilot, we got to know each character's strengths and flaws in only 22 minutes. With the reboot, it takes 2 episodes just to establish each character's back story. Now that Martin is dead and Niles & Daphne are MIA, the majority of the new characters are generic, paint by numbers creations. Frasier's son Frederick (Jack Cutmore-Scott) is blue collar like his grandfather and the deja vu dynamic is not played up for laughs. You have a storyline written in about Frederick's roommate Eve (Jess Salguero) that gets too convoluted and ends up like a subplot in a cheesy soap opera. Most unforgivably, there's Niles and Daphne's son David (Anders Keith) who is supposed to be an amalgam of his parents, but instead of having headstrong principles and acerbic banter, he's just obnoxiously atrocious. This isn't the offspring of a fascinating couple, it's a clone of Screech from "Saved By The Bell". The only thing that somewhat works and has any relevance to the original series is Frasier's scenes with his new colleagues at Harvard which includes his old college friend Alan (Nicholas Lyndhurst) and department head Olivia (Toks Olagundoye). Alan is the new Niles in how he and Frasier exchange intellectual topics and if you can close your eyes, you'd think it was the Crane Brothers. Olivia is tolerable only when she's in the same room as Alan. Otherwise, her scenes with Frasier border on cringeworthy, which goes against the original formula of all the characters mingling with indefinite punchlines. Finally, Kelsey Grammer is at the helm of a rocky boat trying to steer it through choppy waves. He hasn't lost any of his charm but he can only do so much with what's written in the script.

Only three episodes of the reboot have aired as of now (10/22/2023), and the show has a lot to live up to its source material. Roz and Frasier's ex wife Lilith are supposed to make appearances in future episodes. What will they bring to the table and will it rival the classic episodes? I'm not holding my breath, but do hope that the show improves itself.

Original: 10/10

Reboot: 6/10

[questforgalas]

In Brothers I Trust

Summary: On their way back to Coruscant after the events of Umbara, Anakin and Rex find comfort in sharing old memories and promises of brotherhood

Notes: This started as an idea to tell about Anakin and Rex's first meeting and then it just spiraled from there whoopsie. For some reason I love making Season 7 of TCW and the march on the temple even more painful for myself, so the last bit with Anakin's pledge and the promise of the 501st staying together is meant to directly foreshadow the events of ROTS. Thanks for reading!!! Comments and feedback greatly appreciated!!!!

Warnings/Tags: Angst comfort, post-Umbara Arc

Word count: 3.6K

Tay's Masterlist

On AO3

“Figured I’d find you here,” Anakin announced himself walking through the door into the meditation chamber.

Some might find it strange that meditation chambers were standard on most Venators. When thinking of a war class cruiser, meditation is usually on the bottom of the list when going through the necessary functions in order to win a war, but when Jedi are involved, the activity tends to make its way to the top. Hence, meditation chambers on every Venator.

What certainly wouldn’t surprise anyone is that Anakin Skywalker’s is the least used in the GAR. The haze of grey on its ledges is less to do with a design choice by the general and more to do with a dust layer that is rarely disturbed. That said, the chamber doesn’t go neglected. They may not be Jedi, but some troopers have found a retreat within the beige and wooden walls.

That’s where Rex found himself now, relishing in the rare experience that was complete silence. He didn’t meditate. That wasn’t a tool taught on Kamino, but Rex so rarely experienced complete silence that he found himself seeking out the solitary chamber after missions that, well, stayed with him a little longer. If he was honest with himself, it was more because he didn’t have the energy to face his brothers, knowing they’d look to him for comfort that he wasn’t sure he could offer. So, solitary-beige-completely-silent-Jedi-meditation chamber became his refuge. Or so it was, until Anakin Skywalker walked in.

Rex didn’t recover from his leaned position against the chamber wall immediately. They weren’t on duty, and, silently, Rex was annoyed that his hiding place was being disturbed. With half-hearted hope, he kept his eyes closed for a few beats longer wishing Anakin would get the hint. When the tell-tale “whoosh” of the door didn’t sound again, Rex internally sighed while opening his eyes and taking in his general next to him. Two years serving under Skywalker, and Rex is still impressed when the Jedi appears next to him almost like he came out of the walls. The silence a jedi could move with was unnerving, and at least now Rex was familiar enough with it that he didn’t react when his general or commander appeared by his side. To his annoyance, he knows Ahsoka owns some memories from early on of him throwing a datapad or two in the air out of surprise thanks to her.

“Sir,” he greeted Anakin. “What can I do for ya?”

“We’re not on duty Rex. You can drop the formality,” Anakin responded. He mimicked Rex’s relaxed position, putting his lower back against the wall, crossing his legs at the ankle. Folding his arms in front of him, he relaxed his shoulders and dipped his head towards Rex, amused twinkle in his eye.

“I feel too much like Kenobi when I call you Anakin,” chuckled Rex.

“Is that because it’s usually with a hint of exasperation?” Anakin lightly jabbed.

“Me? Exasperated sir? Never. Especially with your plans,” Rex joked back. He appreciated having a relationship with his general that allowed the banter. The battles that the 501st were often sent on required unconditional trust between Anakin and Rex in order to bring as many of his brothers back alive as possible, and the brotherhood that seamlessly formed between the two of them was effortless. Although, Rex remembers a time when a Jedi like Anakin was the least probable match he’d pick for himself.

As a cadet, he’d hear stories of the Jedi from his trainers, but the powerful warriors with the ability to manipulate the energy around them remained a figment of imagination until he was 10 years old. There was a ripple of energy throughout Kamino when word got out that a Jedi finally arrived to inspect the clone army. Rex remembers making his way to grab something to eat after running through his third simulation that day. His exhaustion was so heavy he was sure that any trooper looking at him would see it pulsing off of him in waves. Trudging through the hallways, making it to the mess hall door, he almost missed the hushed whispers coming from a group of young cadets.

“He showed up an hour ago. Been with Lama Su this whole time. I saw him!”

“You didn’t see him! He wasn’t anywhere near the strategy center.”

“Did too! Gave a quick look up when my eyes started crossin’. Caught him in the hallway. Looked like a drowned womprat, not a Jedi.”

“You’ve never even seen a womprat!”

The group made its way out of Rex’s earshot, but not before he caught that mythical word. Jedi. His exhaustion disappeared as if he’d been injected with a bacta shot. Quickly, he scanned the room to find a batch mate or familiar brother, but he was able to catch site of a table full of troopers huddled close together, whispering animatedly. Rex made sure to walk by the table on his way to the conveyor hoping to catch the hushed conversation, and sure enough, the words “Jedi” and “visit” were caught again and again. So, they were finally here.

“Good,” thought Rex. “Hopefully that means no more simulations soon.”

Apparently, Fate and Rex had a different definition of soon because while he was thinking in the upcoming months, Fate was thinking one rotation. The next day he was on a Venator making his way to Geonosis with his blood buzzing for a fight, and the desert planet didn’t disappoint. By the end of the battle, Rex’s white armor could barely be seen under the rusty red dust, and his count was close to 60, but exhaustion hadn’t settled in his bones yet so he joined some brothers chatting animatedly by the barracks’ entrance.

“Rex! Heck of a first battle, huh? Saw you taking a few of those bugs down, good job brother. Maybe they’ll even give you your own company soon!” Tat exclaimed. A gentle punch to his shoulder greeted Rex as he joined the group. He rolled his eyes at Tat’s antics hoping to play off the excitement the idea of leading his own company gave him. 

“Not too bad yourself Tat. Saw you up there with one of the Jedi. Mace Windu, right? Easy to spot him with his purple laser sword,” Rex said.

“Lightsaber. They’re called lightsabers,” another trooper, Proto, corrected. “The Jedi are very particular about their weapons.”

“Yeah, well I heard two of them tracked down and engaged Count Dooku. Dooku made it out, and one of the Jedi lost his hand,” Tat relayed to the group. “Pretty gutsy if you ask me. I heard these sith aren’t anything to trifle with. Only one Jedi alive has beaten one in 1000 years – one of the ones that went after Dooku.”

A skilled enough warrior to take on not one but two sith? Rex liked the sound of that. The troopers were yet to be assigned their Jedi generals, but Rex hoped he was lucky enough to be assigned to a Jedi with that level of combat and tactical skill.

“What about the one who lost his hand?” Rex asked. “Did he make it?”

“He’s fine. Reports say he rushed in alone. Tried to take on Dooku himself. Just a padawan too, which I think is like a cadet. So, not exactly the smartest move,” Tat answered.

Impulsive, young, inexperienced. Rex ticked off all the reasons in his mind he’d want any Jedi but that one. Or, so he thought.

Back in the meditation chamber on the Resolute, Rex chuckled to himself thinking about the last joke Fate had up her sleeve for him. Newly knighted Anakin Skywalker was appointed general to the 501st legion shortly after Geonosis. There was a rumor he was told as his mechanical hand was being attached, but Rex knew better than to listen to barrack gossip. Besides, at the same time, he was being fitted for his pauldron indicating his new status as captain of the 501st. He had more important matters to pay attention to.

“Do you remember when we first met, sir?” Rex broke the silence that had settled over them. An amused laugh escaped Anakin.

“Do I ever,” Anakin answered. “Sometimes I still think our files got mixed up somehow. That you were supposed to be with Aayla Secura instead of Anakin Skywalker. Or really, anyone else.” Anakin moved to the cushioned bench to his left as he spoke. Once settled in, he looked up at Rex. “Why do you ask?” he inquired.

“Just sifting through some memories. I heard about you before I met you, which now doesn’t seem all that surprising. More like the authentic Skywalker experience,” Rex supplied. “It was after Geonosis. The first battle. I was back onboard the Venator when some brothers were swapping battle reports. That’s when I heard about the Jedi padawan who tried to take on Dooku alone. Lost a hand for it.”

“I was about to be knighted,” Anakin grumbled under his breath. A deep laugh made its way out of Rex. Of course the small detail of still being a padawan is what Anakin would hold onto. As unpredictable as Anakin’s battle strategies could be, he was the most predictable person Rex knew.

“I’m sure your hand shares the sentiment,” Rex joked.

“If you ask me, it’s an improvement. If I hadn’t rushed Dooku, I’d never have this amazing advantage. All worked out in the end,” Anakin said.

Chuckling, Rex continued his walk down memory lane, “Well, as I stood and listened to the tale of the two Jedi who took on Dooku, I thought to myself ‘Maker please, whatever you decide for me, just don’t let it be the padawan’. The more I heard about your, er, strategy decisions, the more bacta I needed for my growing headache.”

Now it was Anakin’s turn to laugh, “I’m insulted Rex. I’d think my creative thinking would be a plus for winning over commanding officers.”

Unable to hold in their laughter after Anakin’s comment, Rex made his way to sit on the ground, staying relaxed against the wall. One arm propped on a bent knee and one leg stretched out, Rex felt himself starting to relax for the first time since leaving Umbaran space.

“I’m trying to picture you pitching one of your battle plans to Wolffe,” Rex mused.

“Even I have my limits, Rex. I tried to crack a joke to Wolffe once. I’m pretty sure if his eye had a laser, I would’ve had an unplanned haircut,” Anakin said.

“He’s not so bad, once you’re on his good side. Which usually takes a couple years,” Rex admitted. Another comfortable silence settled between them, but after a few moments, Anakin spoke up.

“I remember when I was assigned the 501st. It felt like my padawan braid was cut, and in the same breath I was being told I’m leading a battalion. I didn’t know what that meant – I had to go to the archives right after to look up what a battalion even was. What I did know is that I was now in charge of 1000s of lives. That in a heartbeat, I was responsible for keeping men I hadn’t even met yet alive.” Anakin was leaning on his knees, absentmindedly rubbing his chin with his left hand. It was a move Rex was familiar with, telling him when his general was deep in thought. “It was the most afraid I’ve felt since the day Qui-Gon Jinn took me from Tatooine. I know, not very jedi of me. But the idea of failing my troopers, knowing that if my decisions went wrong it didn’t just mean a bad day for them, nearly crippled me. Then I heard about my commanding officer,” Anakin said. “’Top of his class, he’s the youngest commanding officer. He’s one of the best strategists in the army, and his playbook has yet to be beat. Even by the commanders and the ARCs. He’s impressive Anakin, I think you’ll be in good hands,’ Obi-Wan told me. I’m sure he could sense my anxiety, so of course he took it upon himself to help me. Looking back, I think he was more reassuring himself that someone else was going to be around to have me in check since we were going to be separated,” Anakin finished his thought with a chuckle.

Rex was never one to bask in compliments. He was a soldier, a commanding officer. It was his job to develop top strategies, train his men, and execute plans flawlessly, or as close to flawlessly as they could. His job was to win battles, so he never saw the point in being patted on the back for doing his job. His brothers were soldiers expected to follow orders, so he found every opportunity he could to highlight their achievements and express his pride in their hard work. But himself? He was just doing his job. So, to sit still and not cringe as Anakin spoke took most of his self-control.

Rex’s internal nightmare was gratefully cut short though, “Want to know what I thought once Obi-Wan was done rambling?”

“That you were the luckiest Jedi alive?” Rex went along.

“That I’d rather be stuck in a nest of gundarks than be stuck with such a stuffy, by-the-book commanding officer,” Anakin answered with a smirk. “I thought my nightmare was confirmed when I met you at the GAR base the first time. I was convinced you were a statue – you didn’t move a muscle. If you hadn’t jolted to a salute at the last second, I was going to poke you to make sure you were real.”

A deep laugh escaped Rex. When Anakin met his eyes, he joined in.

“In my defense, sir, I was operating off of 10 years of being told about the stoic, rule abiding Jedi. Who was I to make a bad impression by not following protocol?” Rex joked at himself.

“Rex, a stiff salute is one thing. The next seven minutes of protocol formalities and strategy briefing is another,” quipped Anakin.

“It was not seven minutes.”

“Oh Rex. It was seven minutes. Believe me, I counted every agonizing one.”

That earned Anakin an eye roll. “If I remember correctly, sir, you weren’t bored by me by the end of our meeting.”

“No Rex, I certainly wasn’t. Before you could drone into minute eight of your rambling,” Rex was jostled by a gentle shove to his shoulder, “I deftly turned the topic of conversation to our next battle, Christophsis. There I was, relaying my first ever battle strategy to my captain, and when I was finished, I admittedly was a little smug with myself. I mean, it was a sure win. I stood there waiting for you to respond, but you just…kept standing there. I thought you became a statue again. After what felt like forever, you finally responded,” Anakin said with a smile taking over his face.

“’Well sir, I understand better how you lost your hand if that’s what you consider a plan.’” Rex finished for him. “Honestly sir, listening to your strategy was my 7 minutes of protocol hell. I couldn’t decide if I was having a harder time understanding your strategy or understanding how someone could actually come up with that plan.”

“Yeah well, I hope my stunned silence gave you enough amusement for a couple rotations. Granted, the relief I felt that you weren’t some stuffy, clone replica of Master Windu gave me my first glimmer of hope since Geonosis. I knew you were exactly who I’d want by my side. I haven’t been wrong since,” Anakin murmured to himself.

Rex could feel Anakin’s stare so he turned to meet his general’s eyes which he noticed had taken on a melancholy softness. He knew what was coming next, and in a feeble attempt at holding the inevitable at bay, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall trying to block out the reality around him. As usual, Fate and he were not on the same page.

“Rex, I’m sorry. If I hadn’t left, if I had listened to my instincts instead of listening to Krell, I would’ve been there with you. We would’ve executed our plans and you boys wouldn’t have had to go through that hell,” Anakin’s voice infiltrated Rex’s dark solitude.

“With all due respect sir, it doesn’t matter now. You’d be the first to tell me not to dwell on it. That it won’t help the men,” he answered.

“Is that why you’re hiding in the meditation chamber instead of being in the mess hall right now?”

Rex and Anakin’s comradery was special, but Rex really hated it in these instances when he really needed Anakin to not know him as well as he knew himself.

“It’s not hiding. It’s quiet reflection. I figured you being a Jedi and all would understand,” Rex deflected. Anakin’s gaze didn’t falter, and Rex let out a long sigh he’d been holding since the general walked in. Stubborn as usual, Anakin wasn’t going to let this drop. “The casualties are one thing, sir. Sadly, we’ve seen worse, and we were engineered to handle the loss of our brothers. Not to say it’s easy, we mourn them all in our way, but it was a reality we were trained 10 years for. But we also heard about our Jedi commanding officers for 10 years. The peacekeepers of the galaxy who valued life above all else. As long as we had a Jedi with us, we could do anything. The Jedi would protect us.”

While he spoke, Anakin finally broke his stare and let his head hang taking in Rex’s words. This wasn’t news to him – Anakin and Rex had spoken before about how the clones revered the Jedi after a decade of stories – but it didn’t make it any easier to hear just how deep Krell’s betrayal cut the troopers.

“I can’t promise anything, Rex. I don’t want to offer false oaths to patch up deeper wounds. But as long as I can help it, I’ll never leave you and the boys to battle on your own. The 501st is strongest together, and that includes me. No one is taking me away from you guys again,” Anakin swore. The intensity with which Anakin looked at Rex held every ounce of fear and sadness the general had been harboring since he heard the news, and Rex felt his words wrap around him as if they were tattooed on his soul. It was one of the many reasons the 501st would follow Skywalker straight into Castle Serenno if ever needed without question – they knew their general was as loyal to them as they were to each other, and loyalty means everything to the clones.

“We’re honored to serve with you, sir. All those years of hearing about the Jedi, and none of those stories live up to the real thing. You, Kenobi, General Koon, all of you. You surpass legends,” Rex declared. Some moments passed and eventually, Anakin’s expression softened, his signature smug smirk taking its usual place.

“So, should I expect some nose art tributes in the near future?” he joked.

“Oh, did Fives not show you his designs featuring General Kenobi?” Rex quipped back.

Anakin mocked insult at the insinuation, “You’d give tribute to Obi-Wan before me, your beloved general? You wound me Rex, after all the times I’ve gotten you lot out of trouble.”

“Quit turning a blind eye to Fives and Ahsoka’s pranks, and I might consider letting Appo draw something up for you,” Rex responded.

“Ok fair. You deserve that much,” Anakin conceded. He gave a quick crack of his neck before continuing, “You feeling up for leaving this isolation nightmare?”

“Really not a fan of meditation huh?”

“Obi-Wan tried. Pretty sure he’d live in meditation if he could. Just was never my thing. Reminds me too much of the time alone I’d spend in the shop I worked in as a kid. Surround me with my friends, and my soul will heal just the same.”

“I’ll lock you in a room with Dogma and Fives and see if you feel the same way after.”

With a soft chuckle, Anakin stood with a stretch to his stiff limbs. “Alright, enough torture threats. It’s time to be a general and a captain. When I passed by the mess earlier, Fives was trying his best to keep things light, but he could certainly use some back up.”

Accepting that his retreat of solitude was at an end, Rex made his way to his feet preparing for the uphill battle that will be the return to Coruscant. “If I know my men, sir, they don’t need a captain and a general right now. They need a brother and a friend,” Rex spoke softly, and when Anakin didn’t answer or move right away, he looked up to see the Jedi staring pensively at the floor.

“What about two brothers?” Anakin asked quietly, his head cocked to the side in thought.

“They’d like that very much, sir,” Rex answered without hesitation. With his bucket tucked under his arm, Rex started for the door, and Anakin fell in beside him with the ease of a dance they’d performed 1000 times before. Umbara was going to leave its scars, and the ones they couldn’t see will take the longest to fade, if they ever did. But like Anakin said, as long as the 501st sticks together, everything will be fine.  

[thyhonesteheorte]

growing pains in friendships~

personal rant about friends, friendships, romantic attraction, being sapphic, aromanticism, etc...

have't even thought of it before but god it's so easy with her!! haven't laughed as hard as i did today for a long long time. we just got so comfortable with each other so quick so easily. we clicked you know! third day of school she asked if she could sit next to me (it was one of the only available spaces in the class). soon discovered she liked the same books and has the same opinions and the same introverted awkward nature as me. but we're different too. she's an older sister, i'm an only child. she likes her books neat and unblemished, i really don't gaf. she lets me borrow her books and obviously i'm careful asf with them cuz they're not mine duh! we banter and tease each other and give each other hope & help in academics. we sympathize with our different parental dynamics and joke about the similarities to hide the anxiety and i think she'd be okay if she knew i was queer. tbh i think i just fall a little in love with every single person i become friends with or at least have a nice conversation with. it's mostly the girls tbh. no actually the rush of love always comes for the girls and the people who just aren't boys. not being a misandrist (just never been a girl who's been friends with boy, except that single one i can only compare to and draw my conclusions from), idk if it's shared sisterhood or plain awe but it's always fucking confusing that's what. one sided homo-erotica you could say? or maybe it's just amatonormativity combining with my media-induced obsession with romance? there's always this thing in the back of my mind that i might just be aromantic (not demi as how i currently label it, maybe gray?). oops i spiraled, i meant to just talk about this one particular friend from my school. it's not a real romantic crush or anything but once i get it in my mind i can't seem to let it go easily, it's already happened with a few people recently. how do you even differentiate between romantic & platonic attraction?? aren't the most beautiful "romances" between best friends actually (reminds me of how i should call my best friend. actually we don't really call each other that, we're each other's closest friends tho.. i think so? we don't go to the same school or study together or talk everyday, not anymore, but i really think so.. i mean she said it herself on the phone the day before my birthday). growing pains, particularly in relationships - new & old - are really fucking complex & confusing aren't they? isn't the height of intimacy in laughter and honest shared conversations? or is that just my youth & naivety speaking? i act like i know it all but i know absolutely nothing. i act so mature except i'm just another barely sixteen year old who wants to be unique and wants to feel the soul-shattering love that everyone else does. idk.. i love them all. i love you just a little a. i definitely love you n. and i think i'm falling in love with you too r. i just don't know what the fuck to label it as, feels like you've all got it figured out and i just can't tell the difference between it all.