#like we already knew everything there was about his past
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nebulousmoon3990 · 2 days ago
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GHOSTS OF THE PAST (Batfam x neglected hero reader)
𓂃› CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
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Warning: spelling mistakes (English is not my first language) and the reader has black hair and blue eyes (sorry), fem reader! I accept criticism, everything is fiction!
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The lights in New York shone in the middle of the winter night, the snow, fluffy and white, fell slowly due to the cold wind that adorned the city. The moon shone with a subtle glow, illuminating the buildings and streets, on these same streets people were still walking in large numbers, different from normal, the end of the year night made everyone run to buy gifts and prepare for the celebration.
Amidst the vastness of buildings, a solitary figure was hanging from the building. Sitting on her knees, she watched the movement on the avenues.
You had the mask over your face, the penetrating cold on your body made you shiver sometimes, not that you cared about the cold.
But even if you didn't care about the cold or if it caused you discomfort, you knew the limits that the human body could withstand (although you are technically not 'human'), so you had the decency to wear a jacket and raise the hood.
Watching the city and lost in your thoughts, you barely noticed the wind beside you change, but of course your danger sensor never fails, so you knew when he was next to you.
"I thought you'd already left." You heard Conner sigh in defeat, almost laughing at your reaction, almost.
"Nah, I thought I'd keep my favorite spider friend company." He floated next to you, leaning proudly towards you. Before, the constant presence of supers irritated you, but you learned to get used to them, even liking them sometimes.
"Well, you're wasting your time, I'll finish patrol early today." You peeled your hands off the wall, making you stand leaning over the building. Conner's eyes widened, flying closer to you. "W-wait, seriously?!"
Oh, bad choice.
"What, so you actually have a life outside of heroin work?" You rolled your eyes as you walked down the building. You weren't lying, although you would rather finish your patrol, you needed to go to a store. Alex is preparing a night of sweets and homemade food for Christmas, she asked you to pick up some ingredients for her.
"Who would have thought, and here I thought the little spider lived alone and lonely" Conner drastically put his hand on his chest and made a cheap show of you, trying to tease you.
"Ha ha, very funny little super, but since I live alone and lonely, I'll leave now." You launched the web over another building and swung upwards, stopping on a rooftop. You were about to run again when Conner's voice reached you. "Wait, spider!"
You turned to find Conner in front of you, he seemed to want to say something, but gave up. He rubbed his neck, looking away. "I was hoping to convince you to go home but it looks like I'll have to settle for this…"
You turned to him, confused, the snow falling between the two of you. "Settle for what–" Your eyes widened as Conner handed you a gift box, it was wrapped in cupcakes.
You looked at Conner, who was smiling shyly at you. "Merry Christmas Spider-Woman."
Oh
Oh.
You took the gift hesitantly, your red face (thank God) hidden under the mask, you took the box, contouring its folds, when you gathered the courage to speak again. "Thank you Conner, I really appreciate it."
Conner's smile grew bigger than it could, the bright gold smile that lit up any darkness. "No problem, next Christmas I'll convince you to spend it with us."
"Maybe, who knows?"
Conner was surprised again, but this time you didn't let him speak. You activated your camouflage, jumping away from the place, heading home.
But as you jumped between the buildings, a smile appeared on your face.
You were happy, we won't lie.
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MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE 💞
@daiyanomochi - @amber-content - @wizzerreblogs - @foggyv-oid - @kore-of-the-underworld - @theunknowntravel3r - @space1crow - @shortnsweetsposts - @popursocks - @sugasweettea - @salfishers - @itachisank - @jsprien213 - @infirebaby - @yhin-gg -@h-ib @bunbunboysworld - @h-ib - @sheep-from-rad - @tatsuri-zomushiki - @the-holy-pigeon - @geminis93 - @horror-lover-69 - @mybones537 - @eyeless-kun - @timotheechalametswifeys - @justabreadslice - @nymphzy0 - @1-800-g00ber - @pix-stuff - @jsprien213
Bye 𖹭
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heavyhitterheaux · 2 days ago
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Good Intentions
See Me Through You Fic
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Synopsis: An argument between you and your twin ultimately leads to an argument between you and your fiancé who calls you out about your actions and tells you how being overprotective isn't a good thing
Pairing: Fiancé!Joe Burrow x Fiancée!Reader
Series Masterlist
Requested by: by boo @hoodharlow 💕
Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere
AN: This takes place during Ja'Marr's rookie season. You are still at LSU and taking summer classes
The last thing your twin ever wanted to do was hurt your feelings, but all in all he had had enough and had reached his limit when it came to you being overprotective.
At this point, it was honestly suffocating.
It had been this way since the two of you were born and although Ja'Marr was grateful to be able to get along with his sibling since he knew not everyone did, something had to give. Yes, the two of you would talk to each other multiple times a day, but it seemed as if his phone had been ringing nonstop since he landed in Cincinnati.
As soon as he was going to text you and tell you that he wanted to talk about the situation, his phone was ringing indicating that it was you….
Again.
Taking a deep breath, Ja'Marr answered.
“Yes, Pebbles?”
“Bam Bam! Are you okay? How's everything going? I miss you. Did you eat breakfast already and take your vitamins?”
“I'm fine. I was fine when you called me two hours ago too…. at six in the morning. I miss you too. And yes to both of those questions.”
“It's just so weird not having you here and I hate it. I'm so proud of you, though. I always knew you would make it to the NFL because I saw your potential and how good you were. What do you have planned for today?” You asked as you were currently at the nail salon trying to decide on the color that you wanted.
You would be reunited with both your brother and fiancé in three weeks and you had been counting down until the last minute.
“Same plan that I had two hours ago. Just trying to get settled. Go explore the city a little bit.”
“Okay, well I guess I'll let you do that. I like how you're still getting an early start.” You told him as it was still barely eight in the morning.
“Wait, Pebbles can we talk?”
“We'll talk later when I call you back. I'm at the nail salon. Give me like an hour or two. They're ready for me. Love you!”
“Love you too.” Ja'Marr quietly said before the two of you hung up and he quickly looked up at Joe who was sitting across from him and half asleep himself since you had requested once again for him to head over to Ja'Marr's to check on him.
“You have got to tell her because this is insane. I feel like I've seen you more in the past week than I did my whole two years at LSU.” Joe told him as he shook his head.
“I just… I don't want to make her feel bad because I know she means well.” 
“But this cannot keep happening. I'm surprised she hasn't told me to make you move in with me so I can keep an eye on you. That's probably going to happen by the end of the day.”
“I'll talk to her once she calls me back later.” Ja'Marr replied, but if he was being honest he was actually dreading this conversation.
“You mean in five minutes?” Joe asked and Ja'Marr couldn't help but to laugh.
“I should time it and see how long it takes for her to actually do it.”
“Well in the meantime, I'm going back to sleep. But I know I won't be able to sleep for long before she's calling me back too.” Joe said as he got up and grabbed his keys making his way towards the door.
“I just hope she doesn't take it the wrong way.”
“I think everything will die down once she's actually here in person.”
When you had finally gotten out of the nail salon after admiring them and taking multiple pictures and had got settled in your car, you called Joe to see what he was up to and to also check on your brother. It was hard not being able to be with your brother as well as your fiancé since you had gotten accustomed to having both of them. 
You were taking a few summer classes which delayed you spending time with him in Cincinnati. Luckily, you only had a few weeks left until you would be able to.
“Hi baby! My nails are pink! I took a picture and sent it to you.” You proudly told Joe as he had you on speaker and was looking at the picture as you were telling him.
“I love them. Can't wait to feel them scratching down my back.”
“I… behave yourself!”
“I am behaving! I can't help that I miss my girl.”
“Aww, I miss you too. I just wanted to take this class so it will lessen my load come next semester. Anyway, babe, can you go and check on Ja'Marr?” You sweetly asked and Joe couldn't help but to roll his eyes and was thankful that it wasn't a facetime call. He knew that it was only a matter of time.
“Baby, I was literally just over there three hours ago. I'm not going over there again.” Joe told you as he was trying to make himself a smoothie and started to get ingredients out of the fridge.
“But I have to know if he's okay!”
“Y/N, are you going to let him be an adult or…?”
“He's my baby brother! And you told me that you would look out for him once he got to Cincy. And since when is he an adult?! He is still three in my eyes!”
“Princess, I am looking out for him, but you are being extremely overprotective and Ja'Marr is scared to say anything because he doesn't want to hurt your feelings. How long are you going to try and hold his hand for? And he became an adult the minute that he turned eighteen.”
“If he had a problem with me calling him so much, he would tell me. He tells me everything.” You said and Joe scoffed.
“Uh? What was that sound for? See, you're the youngest so you probably don't understand! I have been looking out for him since forever! I have so many responsibilities on my shoulders being the oldest.”
“Older by three minutes. And you need to calm down and let him be. You are in the wrong here, but won't admit it. Nothing wrong with checking on him, but babe this is borderline obsessive.” Joe explained to you as he was now cutting up the fruit he wanted to put in his smoothie.
“Joey, what the hell!? He's the only sibling I have.”
“I'm your fiancé and I'm always going to be honest with you. I don't care if it's something you don't want to hear or agree with.” 
“There is literally nothing wrong with what I'm doing.” 
Joe couldn't help but to roll his eyes once more. 
“Okay, baby. Since you don't think it's bothering him, hang up and call him. Then call me back and tell me what he says.”
“Fine, you’ll see.” You said as you shrugged even though Joe couldn't see you.
Once you hung up with him, you called your twin and he didn't even give you a proper greeting before he started to go off on you.
“Y/N, what could you possibly ask me about now?”
“Whoa, what's the attitude for? And I thought you wanted to talk to me? You always want to talk to me.”  You asked as you were caught off guard.
“Don't you have class, or practice, or SOMETHING that you can occupy your time with instead of calling me every five minutes?”
“I… Ja'Marr I just want to make sure you’re okay. You're my baby brother and my twin. Only one I have.”
“Yes, I know and you will NOT let me fucking breathe. Like got damn. I've only been here a damn week and all of my calls are basically from you every two minutes. Yes, Joe is checking on me and making sure I'm good. But I don't need a babysitter. He's also getting annoyed because you tell him to come and check on me ten times a day!” Ja'Marr told you unable to hold back any longer. 
“But… you turned your location off. I need to know where you are. You never turn it off. What's up with that?”
“NO YOU DON'T. I'm good, that's all you need to know. All you have been doing ever since I got drafted was be extremely overprotective! Mom and dad aren't even this bad.” He told you as he was being completely honest.
It was quiet for a few seconds before you decided to say anything, obviously hurt by his reaction.
“If I'm bothering you, I'll stop. I just miss you is all. But I can see that I'm causing more harm than good. So I'll hang up now.” You said with tears threatening to fall from your eyes. 
“Wait, Pebbles, I just…” Now Ja'Marr was regretting his approach because he now knew for a fact that he had hurt your feelings which he was trying to avoid doing.
“Bye, have a good rest of your day.” 
You didn't give him a chance to finish as you quickly hung up and wiped away the tears that did end up falling. Figuring that you were also probably bothering your fiancé just as Ja'Marr mentioned, you decided to send him a text instead of calling him again.
You- I'll stop asking for you to check on him
Joey- Baby, I don't mind checking on him. Just tone it down a little bit. I promise you that he's okay. If he wasn’t, you would be the first person I told.
You- No, I'm not asking anymore at all. If he wants to talk to me, he will and I'll leave it at that. I guess I'm bothering you too so I'll let you be. Talk to you whenever.
Joey- Princess, stop being ridiculous. You aren't bothering me.
You- Ja'Marr said otherwise so goodnight
“Shit.” Joe muttered underneath his breath before typing a response back to you.
Joey- It is literally 11 in the morning and you're being petty
You- I can tell time, goodnight like I said
For the rest of the day, your phone had been blown up by Joe but you weren't budging. Ja’Marr had been eerily quiet, but you definitely weren't about to say anything to him.
He wanted space so that was what he was going to get. 
If he felt like you were being extremely overprotective and also bothering Joe with your antics, you were simply going to keep your distance.
About a week had passed and Ja'Marr honestly felt weird.
He hadn't talked to his big sister and since it was out of the ordinary, when certain things happened he didn't have anyone he would immediately run and tell about it.
That person had been you.
He had been leaving you messages here and there with no response from you.
Joe wasn't any better and you would be sending him one word answers to his text messages while declining his facetime calls despite him wanting to call a truce.
He came to the conclusion that you were obviously still hurt by the argument that had taken place, but he needed to fix this before you came to see him in two weeks.
Well, if you still wanted to see him, that is. 
Because as of right now he wasn't so sure. 
It was now around six in the evening when you and Erin had just gotten back from going shopping and you had begun to put away your clothes in your closet when you heard Erin's phone ring as she was sitting on your bed.
“Oh no.” She breathed out and you looked at her in confusion.
“What?”
“Your baby daddy is calling me.” She told you and you quickly rolled your eyes.
One thing about Joe is if he knew you were mad at him, nine times out of ten he's calling Erin to check on you because he knows that you'll keep ignoring him.
“I'm not talking to him right now.”
“Wait, didn’t you tell him goodnight at 11 in the morning the other day?” She asked while laughing.
“Yes, and I meant it.”
“Let’s see what he wants.” Erin replied as you quickly shook your head no before exclaiming it.
“NO!”
“Too late. Hi Joey!” Erin said as she waved at him with you quickly rolling your eyes.
Great, it was a facetime call too.
“Hey Erin, where's Y/N?”
“In front of me and I told her to call you so that the two of you could make up but she's being stubborn.” She told him and you promptly rolled your eyes.
“Can you pass her the phone?” He politely asked and she quickly nodded. 
“Sure.”
It took a minute for you to take the phone from her, but once you did, you didn't greet your fiancé but simply stared at him.
“Baby….”
“What? What do you want?”
“Lose the attitude. And I’m just checking on you, have you talked to your twin at all?”
“Nope, and I don't plan on it. He asked me if I had something to occupy my time with instead of bothering him and here we are. And I thought I told you goodnight already?”
“Princess, he wants to talk to you and apologize but you wouldn't know that since apparently you've been ignoring him. And you told me that damn near a week ago. We communicate with each other in this relationship and this needs to end tonight.”
“Okay, can I get back to watching my shows now?” You asked as you had now moved from your room to the living room and turned on Netflix with Erin behind you.
“No, talk to him first and then we need to talk.”
“Well I don't know how that's going to happen because I'm not calling him.” 
“There's no need to, he's right here.” Joe told you and quickly passed the phone to Ja'Marr.
“Wait, what?”
“Pebbles….”
“Wow, the minute I say I'm going to stop calling you, look who decides to come crawling back?” You told him and Ja'Marr quickly rolled his eyes.
“You need to shut your petty ass up so I can apologize.”
“I will jump through this phone and tackle you. Fuck a D-line.” You shot back and he let out a deep sigh.
“Like I was saying because I am ignoring that last statement. I never meant to hurt your feelings and it did come out kind of harsh.”
“Kind of? That's putting it lightly.” You muttered as you were deciding which show you wanted to catch up on.
“Y/N!”
“I'm just telling it like it is.”
“Anyway, I'm sorry but we have got to come to a compromise because we can't keep doing this.”
You sighed before answering him, but quickly nodded in agreement.
“I'm sorry too, but the only way I'm forgiving you is if you door dash me some food.”
“Already done. Honey old bay wings, all flats. Should be there in the next ten minutes.”
“Oh, you are definitely trying to get back on my good side. But on a serious note, I promise to give you more space and I never want you to feel like I'm suffocating you. I just… it's kinda lonely here now. I do have Erin and Alisha but…. I have literally never been away from you.” You confessed as Ja'Marr nodded.
“I know and it's going to take some time for us to adjust. But we'll get there. We good now?”
“Yes, we're good.”
“Now stop being a petty ass fiancée to my best friend.” Ja'Marr said as he eyed you and handed Joe back the phone.
“Babe?”
“Yes, princess?”
“I'm sorry and you know I love you. And yes I need to work on my communication when it comes to you and stop shutting you out.” You told him while you got up off the couch to grab a drink from the fridge.
“I don't know how many times that I have to remind you that I'm not him. I care about how you feel and am always willing to meet you halfway. I asked you to marry me for a reason. I love you too.” 
“Sometimes I swear I don't deserve you.” You whispered and Joe simply shook his head.
“We deserve each other and we're going to continue to make our relationship stronger because once I slip that ring on your finger next summer, that's it. You're mine forever and whatever problems may arise, we simply have to figure it out together. We're a team, okay?”
“Okay.” You quietly said as you smiled at him.
"See you in two weeks, princess?” Joe asked with excitement dripping from his voice.
“Two weeks and not a day more.”
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zepskies · 1 day ago
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Yeessss we love a refill. 😂
(LOLL girl no worries. You strike me as a fun drunk. Plus, the other night I had one strong glass of wine and that somehow did me in for the night. I guess that's what I get for trying a "Super Tuscan" red. 😂😂)
Aww you're amazing. Thank you so much, my friend!! 🥹 And best believe, I saw you released two parts of a new Russell story and they're already bookmarked in my TBR. 💖💖
Now, on to the rest of your lovely comments on the ESC finale!
Loved that little moment of jealousy there. How do you like tasting your own medicine, Russ? 😂
Right?! Lmao all that Reenie teasing coming to bite him in the ass.
I absolutely loved their pizza and movie date at home. And they already shared so much with each other 🥹 The fact he felt secure enough to open up to her after this short amount of time says a lot, considering Dory hasn't even told her the story yet. I love them 😭🤍
Aw I'm so glad you loved it! I felt like they needed something low-key that allowed them to reconnect and be there for each other after all the chaos. I debated if having Russ open up like this was too soon, but since she was so honest with him about her past trauma, I thought he would feel that kindred spirit connection, enough to be honest himself.
I haven't forgotten about the "oh, my brother thought I killed our dad" part of the story though. 😂😂 When I eventually write another story for this series, I want to incorporate that reveal somehow when we finally dive into Ashton Shaw in the show. (Maybe I'll read ahead in the books. 👀)
Honestly, in this day and age, it's always best to wait for renewed consent (even though I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have minded in the least lol). Loved that he recognized that and hesitated!
Right? ��� Exactly what I was thinking in having him hesitate, even though you're right, she would NOT have minded. 😂 I still thought that little moment of her pulling him down to join her was needed. 💜
Poor girl 😂💕 The morning after is always a tad awkward – especially if everything is still in the balance of will they/won't they and nothing *sexual* has happened yet 😅
LOL exactly. It's a bit of an odd situation all around, even though they've already shared some romantic moments. 😅💜
Absolutely adored this exchange! ❤️ Oooof, and that smut may have been my undoing for tonight! Holy hell!!! 😮‍💨🔥🌶️
Ahaha I had to research bullet sizes and everything. 😏❤️‍🔥
Honestly I'm really flattered you enjoyed the steamy parts, because I feel like smut writing is my weakest link, though I do my best. 😅😂 You write it so well, so that's an extra special compliment coming from you!
Again, she's so cute 😆🤍 I do hope they work something out. I don't think Russell would've necessarily taken the "big" step, knowing her feelings on this, if he hadn't planned to try and make it work somehow ❤️
Lolll she's trying her best to be slick! 😂 Yeah, I think Russell already knew his connection with her was different, and worth pursuing, he just wasn't sure about the reality of how it was going to work until this moment. 💜
Perfect ending, friend 🥹💚 (You know I love a bit of drama and angst in an ending lol) I loved this series so goddamn much! It fit so well with every character and gave so much that the show didn't (like that awesome family reunion of the three Shaws). Can't wait to get into the one-shots over the holidays 😍
Aww thank you! I wanted to be realistic with his lifestyle potentially posing a problem, but at the same time, both of them being willing to figure it out and try to make this work. 💕
I so appreciate you for saying that ESC felt authentic within the Tracker world, because that's something I always try to do, but it was challenging with this new show/world and how much we still don't know about the Shaw family. (But I HAD to include that reunion. 🥹)
I so hope you enjoy the little bonus one-shots whenever you get to them!!
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Merry Christmas, my friend!!! I hope you and your family are having so much fun. ❤️❤️
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Every Second Counts - Part 5
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Pairing: Russell Shaw x F. Reader
Summary: One date with your best friend’s brother leaves you wanting more, even though his questionable job and vagabond lifestyle make you want to guard your heart. When your brother falls into trouble, however, Russell is the one you trust to help you find him. 
AN: I thought about breaking up this chapter into two parts, but for some reason it didn’t feel right. I hope you enjoy the finale! I think this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for…
Word Count: 7K
Tags/Warnings: 18+ only! Fluff, angst and hurt/comfort, ‘90s movie reference, mutual pining and tension, and a strong dose of smut.
💜 Series Masterlist
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Part 5: “Damn Worth It”
You borrowed Russell’s cell to call Dory from the hospital. You let her know that Charlie was stable and resting, and that Russell was bringing you home.
You should’ve known that when you two got there, you wouldn’t have the kind of privacy you craved. Colter and Dory were waiting in his car, parked in your driveway. They met you in front of your house, where Dory pulled you into a big, swaying hug. She cried, you cried, and her brothers hung back to watch the warm scene.
Dory pulled back to get a better look at you. She hesitated to touch the bandage above your brow.
“God. Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m…I’m fine,” you sniffed, wiping at your face. “Come on, let’s go inside.”
Dory actually had your keys. After she handed them to you, you took in a steadying breath, and you unlocked your front door without incident this time. You invited everyone in.
Even though you told her not to, Dory began straightening up a bit for you. She had Russell take out the trash while she washed the dishes.
Meanwhile, you pulled Colter aside in the living room. You led him to sit with you on the couch.
“Can I at least give you $1,000?” you asked. It was all you had left in your savings, but the man had literally saved your brother's life, and yours as well. “I know it’s not much, compared to what your jobs usually get you—”
“Please,” Colter said. He touched your arm. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you and Charlie are safe.”
You teared up all over again, but you gave him a smile and held his hand with both of yours.
“Thank you,” you said.
Russell happened to spot the cozy little scene from the doorway. He couldn’t help staring, and trying not to frown.
When Colter caught sight of his brother loitering (and that look on his face), Colter tried to hide most of his smile. He let go of your hand, patted your shoulder and stood. You followed him to the kitchen, where he went to check on Dory. Russell filtered in behind you both.
“Hey, wanna grab some lunch?” Colter asked his sister.
She gave him a raised brow. “Wow, my brother actually wants to hang out with me instead of rushing off to the next job?”
He gave her an amused look. “I’ve got some time.”
Dory was happy to hear that, but her expression dimmed when she turned to you.
“Would you want to go? Or do you need to rest?” she asked.
“Oh, I need to get cleaned up, and then sleep for about ten years,” you said. “But you go, D. Have fun.”
She frowned. “I don’t want to leave you here by yourself.”
“Well, she won’t be,” Russell chimed in. “I’m gonna hang out here for a bit, clean up and take little power nap myself.”
At that, Dory slowly smiled, both amused and suspicious. Her gaze slid back to you.
“Are you sure?” she asked. You read the double meaning laced in her tone.
“Yeah, definitely,” you said with a smile, and the beginnings of a warm blush. “You guys go ahead.”
There was a knowing gleam to her own smile, but Dory shrugged and gave you one last hug. She and Colter said their goodbyes to their older brother before they headed out. It left you alone in the house with Russell for the first time since this all began.
“Um, you can use the guest bathroom if you want to shower,” you told him. “Towels are under the sink, and feel free to borrow any of Charlie’s clothes if you need.”
“It’s okay, I’ve got a bag in the car with some stuff,” Russell said, tossing a thumb over his shoulder. “I take one wherever I go.”
“Smart,” you nodded. “Very prepared.”
A strange silence stretched between you two, until you couldn’t take it anymore.
“I’m just…gonna go clean up,” you said. “We can order some food after?”
“Yeah, sounds good,” he said. He was amused as he watched you scurry off, after giving him another smile over your shoulder.
Though he’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel a small trill of nerves himself. It brought him a little bounce in his step as he headed out to his car to grab his stuff.
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By the time you were done showering and drying your hair, Russell had ordered a pizza (and a side of fries). You padded out into the living room in an old college shirt and pajama shorts. He tried not to linger his gaze on your smooth, bare legs. 
“Sorry, forgot to ask if you’d want something else to eat,” he said. 
“Pizza is perfect,” you said. At this point, after almost a full day without food, you’d eat sliced bread out of the bag. You gave him a teasing look. “I’d ask you if you wanted a beer, but I’m afraid it’s not up to your standard.”
“Well, that’s okay. I happen to have brought a sample for you, just like I promised,” he said, with that grin of his you’d come to expect.
He retrieved a case of homebrew from his car, but you had to add some ice cubes into a tall glass before you joined him back on the couch. You poured the contents of a bottle into the glass.
“Sorry, I know this is sacrilege, but I can’t drink warm beer,” you said.
“I can’t fault you, though I didn’t really peg you for a pizza and beer kind of girl,” he said. He tipped a swig of beer into his mouth, right from a lukewarm bottle. He was a purist.
You quirked a brow at him and took another bite of your pizza slice. 
“Why not?” you asked, after swallowing a mouthful of pepperoni and mushroom.
Russell shrugged. “Never mind. Forget I said anything.”
“No, no. I want to hear this,” you said. “What, because I teach college students?”
Russell looked over at you and leaned on his elbow, resting above his knee. 
“You’re a college professor with a handful of degrees,” he said. “I’ve got a GED and a give ‘em hell outlook on life.”
You shook your head at that. 
“We’re different. That’s not a bad thing,” you said. “And like my brother, you’ve fought for this country. You’ve saved lives, including mine. I’d say that’s pretty damn special.”
His head tilted at that. He didn’t want to remind you that, just like you saw today, he’d taken lives too. Perhaps just as many as he’d saved. You could debate the quality of those lives, but in the grand scheme of things, he knew what he was. A trained killer.
He rolled his shoulders, feeling a familiar weight.
You didn’t like the pensive look on his face, so you aimed to distract him.
“Want to watch a movie?” you suggested.
Russell inclined his head. “Sure. What you got?”
That was how the two of you ended up finishing the box of pizza and a case of beer while laughing at Tommy Boy, of all things—one of the best '90s buddy road trip comedies of all time. Apparently Russell had never seen it before, but you enjoyed watching him experience it for the first time. He had a deep, infectious laugh that made you laugh just by proximity. 
Later in the movie, the reluctant, unlikely duo of Tommy and Richard hit a deer, and tried to transport it in the car. Russell both laughed and cringed when the animal woke up and thoroughly wrecked the car from the inside. You noticed his reaction and nudged him in the arm. 
Russell held in a grunt of pain when you unintentionally hit his injured shoulder, bandaged underneath his gray henley. 
“What if that was the Chevelle,” you teased. 
He cast you a playfully chiding look. “Woman, don’t even joke.”
You laughed and squeezed his forearm in a friendly gesture. But he thought there was more than just friendliness when you shot him that little smile. He decided to take a chance. 
“Come ‘ere,” he said. He slid a hand around your waist and guided you closer until you came to lay against his side. You allowed yourself to rest against him, splaying your hand flat against the firm wall of his chest. Your heart tripped up faster, but you also relaxed more fully for the first time since you got home. You let out a long breath, and you used the remote to lower the volume on the movie a little.
“Do you think Charlie will be able to get past this?” you asked quietly. “Think he’ll be okay?”
Russell hummed as he thought back to his conversation with your brother in the hospital. Charlie was still young, but he seemed to realize what he’d done, and what he needed to change. He wouldn’t have volunteered himself for rehab if he hadn’t.
Russell brushed your arm with his thumb. “Well, I think he knows what he needs to do. If he’s anything like you, then he’ll be all right.”
Your mouth tugged upward, though you considered his words with a sigh.
“He hasn’t had it easy,” you said. “He was barely eighteen when our parents died. Suddenly he had to be an adult. In fact, he almost didn’t finish high school. Had to take care of the funeral, had to get a job, had to take care of me…and I didn’t always make it easy on him.”
Russell’s lips curved in light of your faint smile. Then, your expression dimmed.
“He pulled me out of the car,” you admitted. Russell looked down at you.
“You all were there?” he asked. 
“My dad was driving. We’d just gone out to dinner as a family,” you said.
You hesitated as the scenes once again filtered through your mind. Some things were hazy. Others, you could see with perfect clarity. You remembered how your parents argued about the best way to get home while the pouring rain beat down overhead, half-drowning out their voices.
You remembered what the flash of a red stoplight looked like through the car window, with streams of water coming down, and a dead leaf stuck to the glass.
You remembered the sound of horns blaring in your ears, the crunch of metal on metal. Your mother’s scream. The feeling of being suspended, and then ricocheted painfully through time and space.
Then the smell of exhaust, and the metallic tang of blood.
“We were heading through a terrible storm,” you said, after letting out a long breath through your nose. “By the end of the night, it was just me and Charlie in the hospital.”
He’d broken his arm, but thanks to him, the only thing you really walked away with were a few cuts and bruises, and the memories of that day. They were like old scars, painful and tender at the touch.
Russell shook his head, his brows knitting together. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah,” you breathed. “And I’m sorry too. I know you understand what it’s like to lose a parent.”
The movie played on as that new weight settled between you. Russell fell into his own thoughts as he continued to rub your arm in comfort. His own past wasn’t like yours, but he did understand some of your pain.
“How much did Dory tell you about how we grew up?” he asked.
You shifted a bit, so you could see his face too.
“I know your dad took you all to a cabin in some sort of compound in the woods, when you all were still pretty young.”
“He taught us to live off the land. Drilled us, really,” Russell explained, noting your raised brows. “Yeah, he was…well, a paranoid bastard, to be frank. We still don’t know all of why, and what drove him to move us out there.”
“Dory said he was…eccentric,” you said. Russell snorted.
“He was a piece of fucking work,” he said. “Half the time I hated him, if I’m honest.”
That part was hard to admit, even if it was true. Your hand soothed across his chest, more comforting as you listened. Russell’s lips quirked. He liked that about you, that you were willing to listen without judging him, or his family. Maybe that was another reason Dory seemed to love you so much.
“But one night, it was like he snapped,” he said.
For a moment, he was lost in the memory. His father’s anger, and the damn crazy look in his eyes. 
“What happened?” you asked quietly.
Russell glanced at you again. “I don’t think you wanna hear this right now.”
You shook your head. “No, I do.”
He hesitated, but that earnest look in your eyes got him. Still, he surprised himself when he actually told you. He explained it the best he could, the way he saw it in his mind’s eye.
Their mom had been missing, hadn’t come home yet. Then his dad had torn around the house like a man possessed, until he told them it was time to leave for their own safety. Dory had been scared, especially when he grabbed her, yelled at her.
That was the one thing Russell couldn’t tolerate. So he snapped, yanking the older man back and shoving him away. It was one of the first times Russell had ever defied his father.
Ashton Shaw left them then, heading out into the night and the rain. Maybe he’d realized what he was doing to his own kids, his own family.
Colter wanted to follow after him, but Russell stopped him. Being the eldest, he took on the responsibility, even if he’d been reluctant. We’re better off without him…
He was barely sixteen at the time, but Russell knew he’d seen his father arguing with someone—a man he’d seen before, talking with his mother. And then…
“I watched him die that night,” Russell said.
Your hand clenched in his shirt, reminding him that you were still in his arms, still listening. He remembered that scene, looking over the cliff to find his father’s broken body down below. 
“He fell, and I couldn’t stop it,” he said. “And to this day, I still don’t know what all that was about.”
He’d been reluctant to tell even Colter that it still haunted him sometimes; that night, and the not knowing.
You pulled yourself up further so you could meet Russell’s gaze.
“I’m so sorry,” you said.
The movie had long faded into the background, but at least it gave some white noise for the next heavy beat that passed between you two. His eyes eventually fell away from yours.
“It’s old history,” Russell said at last.
“It’s not just history,” you denied softly. “It’s your life.”
He didn’t know what to say to that, so he just hummed in agreement. He encouraged you to relax against him again, with a warm hand on your back. You settled and released another contented sigh. Even though Russell’s story weighed on your heart, you did feel closer to him. It made you feel like you understood Dory better too, and even Colter.
Russell rubbed your arm. “You doin’ okay? You’ve had a long day.”
“Day and night,” you agreed. Your eyes closed against your will. “But, yeah…I think I’m okay now.”
At that, he smiled. He laid a kiss on your forehead.
“Good,” he said.
A few minutes later, Russell heard your soft, deeper breaths in sleep. He chanced grabbing a throw blanket laid over the back of the couch. He managed to toss it over your body, but he made sure it covered you. You shifted in your sleep and curled up more comfortably against him. 
Russell smiled down on you fondly. He’d learned a hell of a lot more about you in just the past couple of days, but ever since he met you, he’d been picking up on the important things. The things that made you the woman you were.
And he wanted more, he realized. He wanted more time with you.
That turned out to be the last real thought he had before his eyes closed on him too. 
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Russell didn’t wake again until the credits on the movie were rolling near the end. You were still knocked out. So he carried you, blanket and all, over to your bedroom.
He smelled the remnants of your floral shampoo and body wash in the air, likely coming from the bathroom. It was an intoxicating mix, one that had infiltrated his nose ever since you came out of the shower today. 
It was only 6:00 p.m., but it might as well have been midnight. He laid you down toward the middle of the bed. There was still space on the other side. Very tempting.
She did offer, he thought, remembering what you’d said at the hospital. And yet, he hesitated.
Before he could make a decision, you made it for him. Your hand reached out to hook in his shirt. 
Russell looked down at your sleepy smile. 
“Get over here,” you said, tugging him downward. He chuckled and wrapped his hand around yours. He allowed you to guide him over, and he somehow managed to roll onto the other side of the bed without crushing you. 
“Reflexes like a cat, I tell ya,” he quipped.
You giggled softly. He took off his first layer of defense (his pants), leaving him in his henley and boxer briefs. He settled into bed behind you and slipped an arm around your waist. He fit in snug against your back.
“Mmm,” he sighed. His lips pressed behind your ear, smiling there. “Feels nice.” 
“Mhmm,” you agreed.
He couldn’t see your smile, but you held his arm in place. For the first time in a while, you weren’t alone.
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In the early morning, you woke up to warmth and closeness. The man in your bed snored lightly, mouth parted in sleep while he faced you. You smiled.
How could a man who felt dangerous, in more ways than one, also make you feel safe? It was a wonder. Though when an idea hit you, you carefully slid out of bed.
Russell eventually roused in his own time. He blinked awake, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He stretched out his limbs in your very comfortable bed. This sure beat rusty motel springs.
He realized that he was alone in the room, but he heard you puttering around the house. He allowed himself to doze some more.
A few minutes later, you returned to greet him with a couple of mugs, drawing him back into the waking world with the rich smell of coffee.
“Aww yeah, that’s the stuff,” he said. He groaned as he slowly sat up.
You laughed and sat beside him on the edge of the bed. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” he said. His voice was deeper and rougher with sleep, washing down your spine pleasantly.
He accepted the mug you offered him. He took a sip and hummed in pleasure at its bold flavor. It wasn’t as sweet as he usually liked it, but it was exactly what he needed right now.
“I just did a little sugar and creamer. That okay?” you asked. 
“It’s good,” he nodded. And you looked good, he noticed, with your bed-tousled hair and an open robe over your tank top and little shorts.  
“Do you want to meet Dory and Colter for breakfast?” you asked. “Dory texted me this morning.”
Russell’s brows shot up. 
“Colt stuck around?” he asked.
“Yeah, Dory asked him to stay at her place last night,” you said. Russell hummed in response. 
A bit of an awkward lull fell between you. You’d felt bolder yesterday in the hospital, but now, you weren’t entirely sure what you were doing with a man who just slept somewhat-but-not-altogether platonically in your bed.
“Um, I’ll just…get ready then,” you said, pointing to the bathroom. “You…take your time.”
He cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah.”
He peeled back the covers and climbed out of your bed, away from the sheets that smelled like you. 
You watched him go when he headed across the hall back to Charlie’s room. You sighed and beat your hand against your own forehead in frustration. What the hell am I doing?
You’d literally invited him into your bed last night, but he hadn’t done anything more than hold you while you slept. It was incredibly kind, and it said a lot about him, despite his rough-around-the-edges exterior. You were just a little disappointed that he’d been a perfect gentleman about it all. 
You rolled your eyes at yourself. What did that say about you?
You shook your head and resolved to freshen up. There was still a cut that the ER nurse covered with a butterfly bandage above your brow. You cleaned it up and applied a new bandage. Then you put on some makeup to cover the ugly bruise on your cheek and the dark circles that lingered under your eyes.
God, look at me. You actually wouldn’t blame Russell for not being into you enough to make a move. 
A bit disheartened, you changed out of your pajamas to slip on a nice, but comfortable dress over your bra and underwear. Afterward, you paused to stare at yourself in the mirror for a moment. What exactly do you want here?
“Hey, uh—” Russell’s voice startled you, making you flinch. Maybe you were still jumpy.
He raised an apologetic hand. “Sorry. Just thought I’d ask if you want some toast or something. I don’t think my stomach can wait ‘til we meet up with Dory.”
You smiled faintly. “Sure, go ahead. Whatever’s there, you’re welcome to.”
Russell paused, tilting his head. There was something off with you. He saw it, and felt it. 
“Hey, you okay?” he asked. 
“Yeah,” you said, glancing away. 
Russell’s spidey senses began to tingle. He approached you and laid a hand on the counter, inches from yours. 
“You sure?” he said. He took in your hesitant face, then the pretty dress you had on. The color matched your eyes. Soulful eyes.
He smiled when you let him see them again.
“Can you see the bruises? I think I covered them up well enough,” you said. You turned to look at yourself in the mirror again, touching your jaw carefully. 
Russell’s hand raised to find your cheek, earning your attention with wider eyes. His thumb swept across your skin as you started to blush.
“You’re beautiful,” he said with a smile. “Don’t you worry about that.”
Your face warmed further, despite your smile. 
“Yeah, the makeup helps,” you quipped. 
“I didn’t say anything about makeup,” he replied. Though he grinned and made a show of looking closer at your face. “Although, have your lashes always been that damn long?”
You laughed, but he didn’t let go of you. Instead, his hand drifted down to your neck, cradling your jaw. His thumb brushed over your lower lip this time, smudging your lipstick a little. Your eyes met his, but they’d already lowered, to the path of his hand. You were tempted to nip at his thumb, or better yet, suck it into your mouth.
Perhaps he read the thought crossing your face. Because when those darkened eyes flicked up to yours, he finally bowed his head to kiss you.
You took in a deep breath, and you melted into his mouth with a moan of wanting. A craving from the depths of your heart, finally being fulfilled.
You didn’t let yourself think anymore. You gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. He cupped the back of your head, tangling his fingers into your hair as he deepened the kiss. His tongue invaded your mouth, and you let him in. You met his every kiss with the same fervor, claiming him right back, demanding just as much.
Your hands slid up his chest and helped him shrug off the green jacket first, then his shirt (Led Zeppelin this time). He hooked an arm around your waist and brought you flush against him, so he could turn you around and walk you back to the bed. 
You clung to his bare shoulders and savored the feeling of his warm, calloused hands burning up your thighs and ass, bunching the skirt of your dress. You helped him get it over your head and toss it onto the floor along with his clothes. 
As he held you by the waist, his gaze dipped for a moment to take you in, from bare thighs and hips and lacy panties, all the way up to your breasts cupped in your bra. Through panting breaths, you smiled and blushed at the heated depths of his green eyes. You felt like your heart was beating in and out of rhythm.  
But you managed to get a hold of your nerves long enough to drag your hands down his chest, down to his belt. You unclipped it for him and took your time in sliding the entire belt out of its loops. Then you let the brown leather fall to the floor. 
Russell raised a brow at you, smiling. Taking your challenge for what it was, he unbuttoned his jeans himself and aimed to step out of them, but he had some trouble when one of the pant legs got caught around his ankle and sock-covered foot.
“Shit,” he muttered as he stumbled a little. “Hold on.”
Unable to help a small giggle, you grabbed his left arm to help steady him. He hissed in pain, but he cleared his throat to cover it. You gasped as you realized what you’d done. You noticed then that he had a bandage tightly wrapped above his elbow, right below one of his tattoos.
“What’s this?” you asked in concern. You held his arm with both hands. “Did you get shot? Did you get this looked at when we were at the hospital?”
Russell staved off your questions with a gentle hand on your shoulder.
“It’s okay. This is old, just still healing up,” he said. 
You frowned up at him. “You got stabbed, shot, what? When did this happen? I thought you worked in private security.”
“A couple months ago. I got, uh, grazed. Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Sometimes the job gets a bit dicey.”
He could tell though, that you weren’t going to let it go easily. 
“Let me see,” you said, trying to peek under the bandage. Russell laughed and gathered you into his arms to stop your attempts. Your concern warmed him, but it wasn’t necessary. 
“I’m fine, sweetheart. I promise. Can we focus on the fun part, here?” he said.
Your brows furrowed. You opened your mouth to reply, but Russell saw the testiness in your eyes. He dipped down to kiss you, swallowing whatever snippy remark you were about to make.
You weren’t the only one giving into a craving here. Russell’s was bone-deep, molten in his blood, and getting to see you, to feel your soft body under his hands was already so much better than he’d imagined. His hold tightened on your waist, his fingers pressing into your skin.
A shudder ran up your spine at his touch. You circled your arms around his neck and let him continue ravishing you, then laying you down onto the bed. 
While you were careful about avoiding the bandage, your hand did drift down his arm, and further still, to palm at the straining bulge pressing against you. And Jesus Christ, did it feel generous. He grunted at your touch and paused with his lips against your jaw. 
“Well hey there, cowboy,” you said, adopting a more sensuous tone. “I had a feeling you’d be packing. What’s that, a .45, or a 38 Special?”
Russell’s eyes blinked wide. Then he erupted with deep laughter that made his shoulders shake. Aside from throwing a punch, your brother must’ve taught you something about guns too. 
“Well thank you, kindly,” Russell said, putting on a bit of a southern drawl, just to tease you. “But you’re about to find out, naughty girl.”
You giggled as he began to kiss your neck, languid and sloppy. He blazed a wet trail down the column of your throat and between your breasts. His beard rasping against your skin made you shudder a little, but it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, you quite liked that a lot.
He slipped a hand underneath you to unclip the black lace. You arched into him so he had easier access. 
He slid the bra from your body and tossed it somewhere behind him. Just as he’d imagined, you had beautiful tits. His lips explored each of them in turn, squeezing supple flesh and rolling your sensitive, hardened nipples with his tongue and fingers. 
It was a prequel, you thought, for what talents that mouth might have further down. You had to moan just at the idea, your fingers clenching in his hair, but also at the sensations he was drawing from your body wherever he touched. The man clearly knew what he was doing.
He traveled lower still and laid slow, occasionally nipping kisses across your stomach, hips and thighs. His fingers hooked around your panties and lowered them down your legs. You felt his warm breath panting against your thigh. You glanced down at him and tensed in anticipation. 
“Still good?” he checked, squeezing your hip. You smiled and reached for his hand. Russell gave it to you, brushing his thumb over the back of your hand in affection. 
“I think I’m about to be,” you said cheekily.
He smirked. His other hand smoothed up the inside of your thigh and slipped past your folds, finding wetness that already coated his digits.
“Goddamn. You’re soaked,” he said, just a hint teasing. “Bet if I put my mouth on you, you’d fuckin’ drown me.”
Again, he stopped whatever smart quip you were about to levy at him next when his fingers found your clit. You let out a gasping moan instead.
He decided that he already loved that sound. He endeavored to pull it from you, again and again when he began working you open with his fingers and pumping them inside you. He enjoyed seeing you writhe and arch against his hand. Your hands squeezed his arms, his shoulders, trying to anchor yourself.  
His thumb circled and strummed your clit in a rhythm only he could hear in his head, until you couldn’t help biting your nails into his shoulders when you came. You shuddered your release as your core throbbed with warmth and slick around his fingers. 
“Fuck, that’s my girl,” he said. His voice rasped deep with arousal. “Wouldn’t even mind if you did drown me.” 
You huffed in response, unable to form speech just now.
Next time, Russell thought. He slipped his fingers out of you and licked them clean, making your eyes widen. He smirked and stroked your thigh as you came down, a shuddering mess.
After taking a second to regain your breath, you pulled him down for a kiss, both grateful and fueled by a passion you couldn’t put into words. What you felt for this man was instinctual, from the moment you saw him. And yet, it was also so much more. It was raw, and real, and maybe even beautiful.
The thought spurred you on as your hands moved with purpose down his body. Your nails caught at the waistband of his boxer briefs as you tried to roll them down. You got it halfway down his thighs, enough to let his hardened length spring free. You bit your lip at the mere sight of him. Goddamn.
Your hand slid around his cock, near its weeping head. You used the beads of wetness there to work your way smoothly down to its base. Russell’s body tensed above you, just before he groaned low in pleasure.    
You pushed at his chest to have him let you up. 
“Your turn, baby,” you said. It would be one hell of a challenge to get your mouth down that beautiful 44 Magnum, but you were more than willing to try.
To your surprise, Russell shook his head and guided you back down.
“Let’s pin that one for next time too. Wanna be inside you already,” he said.
You blinked, but then you nodded in breathless agreement. He kissed you deeply, devouring you with his teeth grazing your bottom lip. His tongue soon slipped out to soothe it.   
“Condom?” he panted, between kisses. 
“Oh, yeah. Um…bathroom, bottom drawer,” you whispered, though you weren’t sure why you were whispering. 
“Okay, two seconds,” he said.
He left you in the bed, quite literally hot and bothered, and very naked. You crossed your arms over your breasts on reflex while you tried to recover. Your core was still tingling, and your heart was beating fast, though you couldn’t stamp out the smile forming on your face. 
You heard the sound of foil unwrapping and clothed rustling. When he came back to the bedroom, you finally got a full picture of what you were in for. You unconsciously licked your lips as your gaze dipped down his body, and the indeed impressive package at full mast, and full display. 
A grin curved his lips when he caught you staring. He climbed back onto the bed with just a bit of struggle with all the blankets coiled about. He pushed a heavy blanket out of his way, accidentally shoving it to the floor.
“Back to business,” he said.
“Oh, yeah,” you agreed, and you welcomed him back, sliding your hands up his arms and shoulders. You hooked your thigh around his hip as he found his way back between your legs. Holding his bearded face in your hands, you pulled him in for another kiss that reignited you both. 
He sunk his hand into your hair and treated you to another slow, deep kiss. Until your thigh tightening around his hip urged him to satisfy what you both had been wanting and waiting for.
He grabbed your thighs and angled you higher. Then he lined himself up at your entrance. Looking into your eyes, your breaths mingling together, he sheathed himself a little at a time. A keening moan fell from your lips.
He started with shallow thrusts, giving you time to adjust. But that in itself was a torturous tease. It made the coil in your lower belly start to tighten again. Pleasure began to thrum inside you, ever slowly. Your head tipped back into the pillows with a gasp.  
“God, Russell, please,” you uttered. You squeezed his arms on reflex, your heels digging into his ass. 
“I know, baby. Gonna fucking wreck you, I promise,” he said with a grin. 
You huffed in amusement. That was a hefty promise.
Though a moan tore from your throat when he finally bottomed out, stretching your inner walls. He groaned along with you. His lips fastened to your neck as he gave you deeper thrusts.
“You feel so good,” you said raggedly in his ear, raking your fingers through his hair. You felt every damn inch of him.
“You too, baby. So damn good,” he gritted out. “Tell me what you want.”
He raised your thigh a bit higher, his fingers pressing into flesh.
“Ugh, fuck,” you gasped, as he hit a particularly delicious angle. “Whatever you want to give me.”
“You sure about that?” Russell asked, panting against your neck. Your nails dragged down his back between the muscles in his shoulders, hard enough to earn a halting groan from him.
You nodded emphatically. “Yes!”
His lips hinted at a smile. “Okay, hold on."
Before you could even respond, he pulled out of you all the way, just so he could guide you over onto your stomach. He pulled you up onto your hands and knees. As he ran a hand down the gentle slope of your back and around the curve of your ass, you breathed harder in anticipation.
“So damn beautiful,” he muttered.
You glanced at him over your shoulder. You unconsciously bit your lip as your heart couldn’t help but swell at his words. Russell met you with a look that betrayed his desire, making your lower belly tremble as well.
He parted your cheeks and slotted himself between your thighs from behind. You once again felt the head of his cock nudging at your entrance, and then pushing back in with one deep plunge. Both of you let out moans of relief at the feeling.  
Pretty soon, he was pounding into you deeper and faster than before. Oh, fuck yes…
You clawed at the headboard, trying to find something to keep you stable. Russell’s arm slid around you for a solid support. You held onto him right back with one hand while he continued to drive into you, earning each and every sound coming out of your mouth. He’d finally angled you just right, so he could hit that special spot inside you with every thrust. Your pussy clenched on him in response, making him grunt in pleasure. 
“Fuck, you’re close. I can fuckin’ feel it,” he said, panting. He laid a biting kiss where your neck met your shoulder. You cried out in both pain and pleasure, your inner walls once again squeezing on him. 
“Yeah,” you nodded, breathless. “This time, you’re gonna come with me.”
You reached back and tangled your fingers into his hair. He held you to his chest and squeezed your breast a bit roughly. You uttered a wanton sound. You dragged his hand down your body to part your folds. You used his fingers to press against your clit. 
He picked up your hint, and then took control, massaging you with his fingers. There you began to tremble from the inside out. Warmth emanated from your core and spread outward, down to your toes as you came even harder on his cock. 
Russell wasn’t far behind. His voice joined yours as his body locked up, and he spilled hot into the condom. You almost wished he’d come freely inside you, so you could really feel him. Regardless, your body was boneless when he lowered you down onto the bed afterward.
“Holy shit,” you breathed.
He chuckled and kissed your shoulder, before he fully pulled out. Panting for breath though you both were, you managed to twist onto your side and reach a hand for his cheek. Your fingers slipped higher from there, cupping the back of his neck. Your thumb swept tenderly across his cheek, and you guided him down for a proper kiss.
Russell obliged you, his lips meeting yours plush and wet. He brushed strands of your sweaty hair away from your forehead with affection.
Somehow, that last kiss was softer than all the rest.
One thing was for sure though. There was no way you two were making it to breakfast. 
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“I kind of feel bad now,” you later confessed. 
You and Russell were taking a few minutes just to recover under the messy sheets. He held you while sitting up against your headboard. He almost craved a smoke. You’d given him a damn workout. 
He smirked at the thought. Admittedly, his mind was more on focused on the scenes replaying in his head than on what you were saying. 
“Dory doesn’t get to see you guys that often,” you continued, “and who knows how long Colter will seriously wait for us to get out of bed.”
Russell’s attention drifted back to you at that.
“Come on, it’s not like they know why we’re running late,” he said. You gave him a knowing look. 
“Are you kidding? They were already suspicious when you brought me home yesterday,” you replied with a laugh. 
Russell grinned and rubbed your arm. He knew you were probably right, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. 
“Yeah, well. That was damn worth it,” he said.
You smiled. You rolled your head over on his shoulder, so you could see his face, but you became contemplative as uncertainty crept in. You let in a breath to gather your courage, and you decided to take a chance. 
“You know, drug dealers aside, Laramie isn’t such a bad place to live,” you pointed out. “We’ve got a movie theater, a couple good outlet malls, a new Tex-Mex restaurant that just opened down the street. I’m gonna have to find a new bar though.”
Russell smiled at you. He knew what you were suggesting.
He sighed as his amusement faded. 
“Look, even if I stay…” he hesitated.
He looked into your eyes and saw the vulnerability there. You were being honest with him, putting your heart into his hands. The least he could do was be honest. He covered your hand where it rested on his chest.
“If I’m on a job, I could be gone weeks at a time. I won’t be able to tell you where I am or what I’m doing. That’s gonna be hard on you,” he said. 
He knew his friend Doug made it work with his wife, but their relationship wasn’t without friction because of the job he and Russell shared.
“I can handle it,” you said firmly. 
“You just had a little freak out over a scratch earlier,” Russell pointed out, with a gesturing hand at his bandaged arm. 
“Okay, that’s different,” you said.
You wouldn’t say it now, but there were things that still concerned you about his job. You had a strong feeling that "private security" wasn’t all it entailed. However, after what he’d done for you, after what he’d done for Charlie, you knew that Russell Shaw was a good man.
There was something good here, and you didn’t want to lose it this time. You shifted in his arms, so you could face him.
“Look, we can sit down and figure all that out,” you said. “But do you want to at least try? Or…am I reading this wrong?”
Russell stared back at you ruefully. He raised a hand to touch your cheek, grazing your soft skin with his fingers. 
“No, you’re not,” he said. 
In fact, what he felt already ran deeper with you than he’d like to admit. He let out a long breath through his nose. 
“Okay,” he said at last. “If we’re gonna do this, let’s do it right, I guess. I’ll book a motel here in town for now. If things go well, I can…I don’t know, find an apartment.”
Your answering smile broke him down further, even as it warmed him inside. You turned over to circle your arms around his neck, and as an added bonus, pressing your bare breasts against his chest. You kissed his cheek with a happy hum. He laughed at your enthusiasm. He also accepted your sweet path of kisses that led to his lips. 
He groaned when it became not so sweet, with your tongue slipping hotly against his. His hold on your hips tightened.
“Uh oh. Baby, we can’t do this now,” he chuckled, even though your hand was already wandering down his body and under the sheets. You both were supposed to be getting ready to meet his brother and sister for lunch. 
“Five minutes,” you said against his lips. All the while, you were pushing him back onto the bed. You began to kiss down his chest, and lower still.   
Russell snorted. Right. 
But he wasn’t about to argue with you. He had a gut feeling…one that made him almost certain.
He’d found where he wanted to be. 
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AN: Well, then! I hope you enjoyed the "happy ending." 😘 I always get a bit sad at the end of a series, but thank you to everyone who's followed the ride on Every Second Counts. Let me know what you thought of how it all shook out here at the end between her and Russell! 💜
Read the Sequel:
Want more ESC? Read the next one-shot, Lost Time (18+):
Summary: When Russell takes longer than usual on a job out of town, you realize how hard it is to live half a life with him.
▶️ Keep Reading: Lost Time
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Series Masterlist
Ko-Fi Me ☕
Russell Shaw Masterlist
Main Masterlist
Russell S. Tag List:
@kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms @foxyjwls007
@wincastifer @ades106 @iamsapphine @simpforbuckyb @roseblue373
@brianochka @branj19 @hazel-eye-coffee-shop-girl-blog @globetrotter28 @charmed-asylum
@waywardxwords @deanwinchestersgirl87 @this-is-me19 @rachiem4-blog @sweettimelady
@leigh70 @clinicallydepresso @xiphoidbones @skoveu @nyotamalfoy
@kmc1989 @jackles010378 @emily-winchester @waynes-multiverse @jessjad
@my-stories-vault @deans-spinster-witch @syrma-sensei @stellasfictionalworld @ultimatecin73
@jesllianaquilesrolonsworld @pieandmonsters @lhymer1995 @taehyungxjungkookistaekook @lovelystoriesaj
@nicksalchemy1 @spnwoman @onlyangel-444 @sexyvixen7 @illicithallways
@wolkenprinzessin007 @alwaystiredandconfused @carpenterswife @cheynovak @grilledcheeseandtomato
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moosesarecute · 2 days ago
Text
December 24th
December Masterlist
Masterlist
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You woke up bright and early. Azriel and the boys were going for their annual snowball fight, and you were going too, because Az refused to be that far away from you.
Mor, Feyre and you waited in the cabin in the meantime. Walking in, you expected to see the interior of the usual cabin where you had spent many drunk evenings. However, it was quite a lot different than what it used to look like.
Even though Feyre’s paintings weren’t bad, far from it, it still made you feel uncomfortable. It made you realize all that you had missed.
“Feyre had a few days at the cabin when she first learned about the mating bond,” Mor explained to you. It was nice to know that she knew your feelings without you needing to explain. “It’s a change, but we’ve learned to love it.”
Feyre looked slightly embarrassed as Mor spoke.
Your gaze landed on Azriel’s eyes. They looked almost right. The color and shape was perfect, but she was missing the special shine in his eyes. His eyes always widened a little when he became excited or thought something was funny. And that’s when they shined the brightest.
“Earth to Y/N,” Mor said and her voice pulled you out of daydreaming about your mate.
The three of you had quite a nice time. And you finished Rhys’ present of a repaired suit jacket.
That meant you were finished with presents and finally, you could relax.
The time went by fast and suddenly you were covered in the usual feeling of shadows looking all over your body for injures. They could relived go back to Az and tell him that you were fine.
And not long after, the boys came inside.
His slightly confident walk told you everything you needed to know.
“Hello, my champion,” you said as a greeting. He tried his best to be polite, but he smiled brightly at you.
“Hello,” he answered and pulled you inn to a quick kiss. “I missed you.”
You smiled up at him.
“You’re cute,” you said. “And I missed you too.”
“Can’t wait to cling onto you for at least two months,” he said.
“I don’t mind that.”
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“Where are we going?”
Azriel had taken you on your usual daily flight. You weren’t allowed to fly, but he carried you. As the flight was coming to an end, he flew down to a small building. You had walked past it before, but you didn’t know what was inside.
“I wanted to see if Jonathan was working. I want you to meet him.”
Jonathan had somehow managed to get Azriel’s letter to Nick and then Nick gave them to you. The letters, together with the magical Winterberry Juice, had helped you get your memory back. You would be forever grateful and you realized you really wanted Azriel to meet Nick.
Azriel walked a few steps in front of you, but his fingers were intertwined with yours. You knew he would be overprotective for quite a while, but right now you didn’t mind much.
He walked up to the front door. A note hung on the door:
After a while working in Velaris, I’ve decided to travel back home to the Winter Court. I’m going to lead the family business full time now as demand have increased.
It wasn’t signed. However, on the ground, just left of the door lay a red rose on top of a small doll dress. It was one of the dresses you had made for Nick’s dolls.
“I made this,” you told Azriel as you picked up both the rose and the dress. “I made it for Nick!”
Azriel only studied the rose you held in your hand.
“Jonathan told me that Saint Nickolas, or Nick, would leave a rose on his mate’s grave every Winter Solstice.”
“Maybe we should leave one on his grave today? It is after all our Winter Solstice today.”
You walked hand in hand to the cemetery. Azriel sent out his shadows and soon after, all of them swirled around the same grave. It was a beautiful grave placed just under a tree. It had many flowers and other plants that decorated it.
Azriel carefully laid down the rose beside a second rose that already laid on the grave.
Both of you stood in silence for a while and just watched the grave in each other’s company. Your thoughts wandered over to how grateful you were to be beside your mate. You tightened your grip around his hand and he wrapped his wing around you.
“I’m happy I have you,” you told him.
He kissed the top of your head and held you just a little tighter.
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Everything was going well.
The dinner was amazing. You made dessert and gingerbread cookies.
“Auntie Y/N,” Nyx said as he crawled up on your lap.
“Hello, Nyxie. Have you opened your presents?”
You had dressed an old teddy bear in the doll-dress you made. He had clung to it the entire evening. And you had carried him as often as he wanted. You already loved being an aunt.
Everyone had opened the presents from you and even though you had rushed through making them, everyone still was happy with their gifts.
“I’m looking forward to our personal seamstress being in action again,” Cassian said as he opened his present. “No one fixes things like you do!”
As all your gifts had been opened, you realized that you had forgotten someone. Someone really important.
Azriel.
Who did you forget to get a gift for you mate?
You couldn’t help the dread that filled you body.
“I’m just going to the toilet,” you told your family and rushed out of the living room. You were going to Azriel’s room. That’s where most of your own thing was as well.
You looked and looked and looked, but you found no present worthy of your mate.
You felt quite stupid.
“What’s going on?” Azriel’s voice was suddenly heard behind you. However, you knew that he probably already knew what you were stressing about.
“I don’t have anything for you,” you told him. Your wings sunk as you spoke.
Azriel just smiled at your words and closed the distance between the two of you.
“Y/N, my dearest, I’ve gotten you back after years of thinking you were lost forever. It’s the only present I need this or any other year.”
He then kissed you and brought you back to the living room.
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Azriel looked at you as you said good night to Nyx. He knew you would be the best aunt and he had been right.
He looked at the smile that brightened up your entire face and he could help but smile himself. His shadows were nuzzled deep into your hair. He was almost certain that they were what held your hair up.
“Happy, brother?” Rhys asked him. He knew that both Rhys and Cass stood behind him and that they probably were teasing him over his behavior.
He only nodded without taking his gaze away from you.
You had just given Nyx back to Feyre and was speaking with both of them.
You sat back down beside him. He couldn’t help but to study your soft eyes.
“What?” You asked him.
“Nothing,” he answered quickly.
You definitely didn’t believe him, but you dropped the topic anyway.
For the past three Winter Solstice’s Azriel had been blackout drunk at this time of the evening. This year, he couldn’t imagine doing the same.
He wanted to take inn every single detail of you and the celebrations you loved so dearly.
Everything was finally as it should.
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Thank you all for reading! And Merry Christmas 🎄
Taglist: @prettylittlewrites @hailqueenconquer @onebadassunicorn @mich0731 @tele86 @mellowmusings @anarchiii @anainkandpaper @donnadiddadog @atomictyphoonkitten @annablack @graciepies @salvatoresister1 @nastylicious @plants-w0rld @stqrgirlies-blog @scoliobean @kbear8863
Dividers by @issysh3ll
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sinnabarmoth · 3 days ago
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Tribute for the Dragon (7/18)
Pairing: Dragon|Sylus x Fem|Reader
Summary: You and Sylus exchange stories.
Content Warnings: Mention of past suicide attempt.
Length: 2k
Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (8) (9)
Read on AO3
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In the morning you went about making breakfast and found Sylus waiting there for you. You felt a bit ridiculous thinking back to last night and how Sylus had to carry you back to the room like you were a child. He seemed to do that a lot, carry you around. Always made you feel light as a feather too. No grunting or huffing, he just swept you up like you were an empty sack of flour.
“Morning,” he said.
“Good morning.” you came in and started cooking some breakfast. “Sorry to make you carry me back to the room last night. I really tried staying up till you got back.”
“And why was it you were so insistent on waiting till I got back?”
“Because I wanted to talk to you.”
“I gathered as much.”
You rolled your eyes. “I just wanted to apologize for going through your stuff and figure out where we stood. I know I crossed a boundary and poked my nose into something very personal to you.”
“If we’re making apologies then I have to apologize too.” he said. “I scared you yesterday. I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t--”
“I could smell it. There’s no use denying it.”
You squared your shoulders and turned to look at him. “I wasn’t scared of you. I was more frightened about having been caught. Surprised really. Not scared.”
“If you say so.”
“If I was really scared of you wouldn’t I be stinking up the place right now?” you divided up the food onto two plates and set one in front of him. “Although, I will admit it unsettled me seeing you angry like that.”
“It shouldn’t be a surprise that dragons have tempers.”
“But I’ve yet to see it before yesterday. You’re usually very level headed actually.”
“I never had reason to lose my temper before. I regret that you had to see that.”
You waved it off. “I think maybe we should think of it as getting to know more about each other. You promised that we’d do that today. Get to know one another.”
“I did say that.” he pushed the meat around on his plate. “Alright, ask whatever you wish.”
And just like that, it was as if the previous day had never happened. You fell back into easy conversation. The best conversation you had ever had with him in fact. Over the next several days you kept having great conversations.
You learned a lot about him in that time, much more in depth than what you had learned already. A lot of your questions had to revolve around dragons and their culture. It was fascinating to hear everything he knew and it gave you a better understanding about who you were living with. Some of the things he explained to you included him taking you into the hoard room and explaining why he was attracted to certain treasures and not others.
Apparently while dragons all had a taste for treasure, their hoards were actually rather diverse. Most liked gold but there were some dragons that dealt only in gems. There are sea dragons who sometimes only collect pearls for their hoards. Sylus was one of the dragons that was attracted to gold but primarily he was attracted to gold coins in particular. He couldn’t explain why but the shape and plentifulness of it attracted him. Hoards could get cluttered with many large objects that get caught up in the mix and buried, by coins are small and can scatter. There is something in all the sameness he had said. That didn’t mean he didn’t like gems or the occasional other treasures but coins were his favorite.
He told you about dragon traditions, celebrations, species hierarchies, family dynamics, and special rites. You had never thought of dragons having traditions or parties before but it was nice to hear.
You liked especially when he told you about how hoarding worked in adolescent dragons, hatchlings is what he called them.
“Hoarding is a kind of instinct for dragons.” Sylus explained. “When you’re a child you don’t have the means to plunder castles and whatnot stealing treasure but you still want to collect something. So they’ll run around and collect little things like pinecones, feathers, bottles, that kind of thing.”
“Did you collect anything when you were a child?” you asked.
“Nuts.”
“Nuts?”
“Acorns. Walnuts. Chestnuts. Whatever I could get my hands on.”
You snorted. “Are you a dragon or a squirrel?”
“Har har, yes, I didn’t get enough of those comments when I was little.” his tail poked you in the side. “If you were a dragon as a kid what do you think you would have collected?”
“Me? Buttons.”
“Buttons?”
“Why not?”
“Certainly a new one. But it fits for you.”
In turn you told him about your own life. You told him about your childhood growing up with just your father in the village and how you had worked in his glass shop with him. You had pulled out the pendant your father had made for you before you left and showed it to him to see the kind of wonderful work he was capable of.
“It’s beautiful.” he held the charm up to the light. “What sort of flower is this?”
“It’s a moonflower, specifically a blood moonflower. They’re a rare breed of moonflower that grows in shades of red. Strangely enough they’re also the only ones that aren’t toxic.” you took the charm back, holding it close to your chest. “My favorite story growing up was actually about the myth of the blood moon flower.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know that one.”
“Want me to tell you?”
“Sure. Tell me a story.”
“There once was a little girl that lived in a small village. One day the village was attacked by foreign invaders and everything and everyone was lost, except for her. During the chaos of the attack she had ran as fast as her feet could carry her and went up into the mountains seeking protection.”
“Wait, this sounds familiar. A girl whose village is under attack so she flees to the mountains searching for help. Where have I heard this before?” Sylus tapped his chin.
You rolled your eyes. “May I continue?”
“Go ahead.”
“Anyway, the girl makes it to the mountain and starts to climb it. She climbs and climbs and climbs till her shoes have worn through and she has made it to the top. There she finds a huge empty nest with a patch of brilliant white moonflowers growing all around it. Inside the nest were dozens of huge feathers. The girl, being cold, decided to rest there and use the feathers as a blanket.
“The next morning she awoke to find the giant bird whose nest she was resting in had returned. She feared that this would be her end but the bird saw the blanket of feathers surrounding the girl and mistook her for a baby bird.
“For years the girl lived with the bird, eating the food the giant mama bird had brought and resting warmly under her feathered body during the long windy nights. All was well until one evening under the light of the full moon the mama bird had decided that it was time for the girl to leave the nest. The girl naturally did not know what to do since she was not an actual bird. She was liable to fall and die if she leapt from the nest.
“But the mama bird kept on pushing and pushing, edging the girl out of the nest. Without any other options the girl took the feathers of her blanket in hand and held them tight. The sharp ends of the quills dug into her palms and blood seeped from her hands. The blood that fell from her hands landed on the white moonflowers around the nest and when they did it created magic. The girl stared out at the starry sky and wished with all her might, and she jumped. The moment she leapt her wish came true and the girl was turned into a bird and she flew off into the world.”
You looked back at Sylus, “And that’s why blood moonflowers are red.”
“That is a fascinating story. I do not think such magic is actually possible but it makes a nice tale.”
“Whether it was actually possible or not wasn’t what I liked about it. I don’t know why but I found it comforting. It made me believe that even in a world where I’m backed into a corner there’s another way out, another way to do things. I don’t have to plummet, I might fly.”
“It’s a lovely message my little bird. I’m afraid the tales dragons tell do not have such heartfelt meanings.”
“What kind of stories do dragons tell?”
“You want to hear one?”
“Yes.” you scooted closer. “Please?”
“Fine. Fine.” Sylus sighed. “I have a story for you.”
You smiled at him expectantly. Sylus cleared his throat and stared off into the distance. “This story does not begin with a dragon. It actually starts with a human.” he said.
“A long time ago there was a human woman who had longed for a child. She went to every healer she could find but no matter what they tried, she remained barren. So, one day, she decided to seek out magic. Not just any magic, dragon magic. Said to be the most powerful of all.
“The woman had come into their land hoping to steal some of their magic for herself so she could have her child. The dragons asked her what she was doing in their land and when she told them she came to humbly ask for their assistance, they saw through her deceit. She had not just wanted a child, she wanted a strong one. She longed to give birth to a warrior that would bring fame and glory to her family’s name. That is why she truly came to the dragons.
“The dragons decided to punish the woman with exactly what she wanted. The elder of the dragon tribe plucked a scale from their body and gave it to the woman. They told her to eat the scale and that the magic within would make her fertile. And so the woman ate the scale and returned home. Soon after she became pregnant.
“Because she had eaten the scale though her pregnancy was no normal human birth. Instead of birthing a human child she had birthed a giant egg. She realized then that she had been cursed by the dragons and tried to destroy it, but the egg was too strong. Not with a hundred hammers could it be broken. So she abandoned the egg in the forest.
“The egg was found by some passing dragons and taken back to their land. When it hatched though, what emerged was neither human nor dragon, but some monstrosity stuck in a crossroads between the two.” Sylus’s face twisted, loathing you had not seen before etched into the crease of his brow.
You wanted to reach out to him but you were scared he’d stop if you tried to comfort him.
“The dragons could not abandon this thing because it was of their kin, but they did not embrace it either.” Sylus said, his hands balling into fists, “The hatchling grew, neither a part of either world. So they decided to cut off their horns and their tail and go to live with the humans.
“For a while life with the humans was good, until his horns and tail started to grow back. He was driven out again. From town to town he went, cutting off his horns and tail over and over. When scales started to grow along his arms he scraped them off too. What no one knew was that every time he cut off his horns and tail the appendages were sinking into the earth, causing the land to fallow. Soon word had spread of a silver haired boy that would bring famine to your land if allowed to remain. Village after village he was driven out.”
Sylus had gone quiet again. The rage had swelled but smoldered into ashes before it could erupt. When he spoke again, he sounded weak and tired. “One day,” he muttered, “He came to a great cliff. Feeling he had nowhere in this world, he jumped. He fell and he fell…then, a pain exploded from his back. A pair of large webbed wings caught the air and he soared across the sky. Why it happened then he could not say but he thought perhaps it meant something. Perhaps there was a land yet that would accept him.”
For a long time neither of you said anything. Sylus was stone faced but the way his tail twitched from side to side let you know how he was really feeling. “This is a story that dragons tell their children?” you asked, quietly.
“It is.”
“Is it true?”
“What do you think?”
You lapsed back into silence. You looked him up and down, your eyes lingering on his horns. You brushed a hand through his hair. “Did it hurt?”
“What?” he looked at you out of the corner of his eye.
“Your horns. Maybe that’s why they’re so sensitive.”
He looked back out into the distance. “Maybe.”
You could not imagine what his childhood was like if that was what he had lived through. It was the most he had ever confided in you. You wanted to say something. Encourage him. Assure him. Tell him in no uncertain terms that he was not a monstrosity. You wanted to let him know that it broke your heart to hear what he had tried to do. You could not imagine being in so much pain and being so alone for so many years.
Words would not come. So instead, you pulled yourself into his lap and hugged him tight. His arms closed around you, holding you close to him. His tail even had curled around you, pushing you as close to him as you could get.
You didn’t know how long you stayed like that but it did not feel at all long enough. One hug could not put all his broken pieces together. But maybe the fact that you embraced him at all let him know that he was not alone in this world. Not anymore.
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silencesscreams · 21 hours ago
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hiii, idk if ur still active but I love ur writing and I was wondering if u could maybe do a james smut with a Christmas theme! tyyy💓
Merry Christmas, I miss you
james potter x f!reader
summary: you and James have been broken up since Halloween. Until he calls you on Christmas Day after finding out that you both were spending the evening alone. (muggle+modern day au)
warnings: use of y/n, reader is shorter than James, swearing, smut (MDNI!), afab reader, nipple sucking, oral/fingering (f receiving), praise!!!, penetration, multiple orgasms(2), slight dom!james, reader has hair long enough to be stroked, kind of make-up sex tbh, unprotected + use of the pill, creampie, not proofread at all 😭
a/n: thank you so so much for requesting! I immediately thought of this song, hope you like it <3
You hated spending Christmas alone.
When your family was getting plane tickets two months ago, you said you’d spend Christmas with James, who also cancelled his plans with his family, just for him to break up with you two weeks later.
There was no one you could spend the end of year holidays with, all of your friends were with their families or together.
James absolutely hated the silence in his apartment.
Sirius and Remus were spending the holiday together at cabin they found online and Peter had gone home to his family.
James hated having brought this upon himself.
Were you with somebody else out there? Were you meeting their family? Were they in your apartment?
It was killing him.
What he hated most of all was breaking up with you during a stupid fight which he didn’t even remember the reason why it happened. He just remembers being drunk and stupid.
So he called Sirius, because that was what he usually did when things went to shit, and also because Sirius was close to you and he would probably know what James had been asking himself for the past hour.
The phone rang about six times until he finally picked up.
“What do you want?”
“What do you think y/n is doing right now?” He heard Sirius groan.
“Why do you care about what she’s doing?” James didn’t answer. “She’s alone at her place, don’t call her.”
“You think I should call her?” He decided to ignore any advice that went against whatever he wanted.
“God, he’s so fucking confusing.” he heard Remus say.
“Moony, do you think I should call her?”
“James, you’re going to do whatever you want, aren’t you?”
“Always, but that’s not the point.”
“Do what your heart says and leave us alone pleeeeaseee!” Sirius said and hung up.
James dialed your number on his phone, he memorized it so there was no real meaning to why he deleted it a while ago.
When you read the name on your phone’s screen once it started vibrating you thought you’d faint.
You wished that he had butt dialed you, or that maybe he called the wrong person. You knew you were wrong.
“James?” You said as you picked up and paused the TV in front of you.
“y/n. Hi, merry Christmas.” He sat up straight on the couch. “What are you doing?”
You couldn’t believe him.
“What?” You asked, even though you heard him clearly the first time.
“What are you doing tonight?”
So he was booty calling you on Christmas, was that it?
“I’m currently watching every single sitcom Christmas episode I can think of. You?”
“I’ve been staring at the ceiling for the past three hours. Are you by yourself?”
“Yes.” You replied, almost whispering. You couldn’t understand him.
“Me too. Can I come pick you up? We could maybe watch every single sitcom Christmas episode together. I have some food here.” He was already getting up and putting on his shoes outside of the apartment.
“Sure.”
You sighed after hanging up, what could go wrong? You’d go, you’d eat his food, you wouldn’t hook up with him and you’d be home by midnight. It was fine. Everything was under control.
Until you got into his car.
Until you felt his smell, the three in one shampoo that had the sweetest smell a three in one shampoo could ever have.
“Hey, you look great.” He said, looking at you as you put on the seatbelt.
“Thanks, you too.”
“Did you change your hair?” James asked, starting to drive.
“Kind of, yes.” You looked out the window and then back at him. “You look the same.”
He let out a small laugh. “I do.”
It was usually a 10 minute drive from your apartment to his, in which you awkwardly played with the hem of your skirt and made small talk.
“I have some frozen pizza at home, we could make popcorn too if you like, I bought one of those air popping machine things a few weeks ago. Actually, Sirius got that.” He said as he parked the car on the empty street in front of the apartment complex.
“I’d like that.”
Maybe you believed everything was still in control until you entered his apartment, the floor was cold and you left your shoes at the door. He locked it behind you.
“You remember the place don’t you?” You nodded. “There’s a few blankets and a sweater on the couch and you can turn on the TV if you want to. I’ll take the pizza out of the freezer and get the popcorn machine ready.”
You decided on starting with The Office’s season two Christmas episode, then you watch the other eight. Or you’d move to New Girl, then maybe Brooklyn 99, possibly Seinfeld.
“Bad news!” You heard James say from the kitchen. “Theres no corn to pop” he said, coming out and looking at you sitting on the couch.
“It’s alright, how about we watch this one and then I can help you out with the pizza?” You moved to the right side of the couch, inviting him to sit on your left.
You did realize you had no control over anything once he sat and instinctively wrapped his left arm around your shoulder. That might’ve also been when he realized he had no control.
“What are we watching?” He asked as you covered your legs with the blanket on the couch, he pulled some of it to himself and shared with you, your knees touching under it.
“I thought we could start by the office, we obviously won’t watch all of them, so we can move to New Girl afterwards, then maybe we could do Brooklyn 99 or Seinfeld because I know you like those two.” You looked at him and he hummed.
“That’s a good plan.” You smiled at him and started the episode.
When Micheal started talking about the Yankee Swap, James took his left arm from off your shoulder and put it under the covers to scratch his calf. You missed the feeling of him over your shoulders, until he rested his hand on your upper knee.
You felt your entire body go hot until the end of the episode, when he took the blanket from off you both and supported himself on your thigh to get up from the couch, ‘accidentally’ giving it a light squeeze. You thought you were about to go insane and paused the TV, maybe it really was a Christmas booty call.
“I only have pepperoni, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t.”
“Can you put it in the oven? I’ll get us something to drink.”
“Sure.” He brushed his hand against your waist as he moved behind you to open the fridge.
“There’s Diet Coke, wine and orange juice.” He looked back at you.
“Wine.” You answered, watching him take the bottle out along with a can of Coke.
“Aren’t you going to drink with me?” You grabbed two glasses from the cupboard and moved next to him.
“I have to drive you home.” He smiled at you.
“Maybe you shouldn’t.” You smiled back at him.
“I can’t let you walk or uber home.” He put your hair behind your ear.
“I could crash here, if there’s space for me.” You almost whispered, looking at him doe eyed.
“There’s always space for you in my bed.” He stated, his voice low as he poured wine into both of the glasses.
He watched you take a sip and realized you were holding back a laugh.
“What is it?” He smiled.
“This sucks.” You giggled softly. He took a sip from his glass and made a face.
“Oh my god,” he laughed “you have to blame Remus though, I don’t think I bought wine more than once in my entire life.” You smiled, remembering the bottle he brought to your house on your third date. He moved closer to you, resting his hands on your waist.
“I’m sorry about the wine.” He whispered and you felt his breathing against your face, you hummed and looked up at him, moving your hands to the back of his neck, gently stroking his hair.
“Fuck.” He whispered, looking into your eyes. He slowly leaned in, you could feel your heartbeat as he got closer to you. You felt his lips brush against yours and then his phone’s alarm went off, scaring the both of you.
“The damn pizza” he muttered, turning off the oven but not taking the food out. You leaned against the counter and looked at James, who put his hands on your waist again, asking you “Where were we?”, making you laugh for the first time in a while.
You threw your hands over his neck as he hugged you so tightly that you thought maybe you both could merge into one.
“I missed you.” You whispered into his ear.
“Yeah?” He teased you and you hummed. “I missed you so much, love.” He started kissing your neck, holding you tightly by your lower waist.
“I’m so sorry. For everything.” He pulled away, looking into your eyes. “Let me make it up to you, please.” You nodded.
He brought his lips to yours and kissed you quickly.
“Use your words.” He muttered against your mouth and your breath hitched.
“Yes, please.” You replied and he brought his lips back against yours, this time you parted your mouth and he let his tongue slip into it. His lips moved hungrily against yours, the hands on your waist quickly moving to cup your ass firmly. Before you knew it, you were moving against him, glad you’d chosen to wear a skirt as breathy moans slipped from your lips against his.
All of a sudden James pulled his lips away from yours,
“Go to my room, I’ll be there in a second.” He said, pointing to the corridor.
You left the door open and sat on his bed, waiting for him. Everything was the same, except for the photograph of the both of you he had framed and left on his desk, which was now nowhere to be seen. He came into the room with something behind his back.
“I got this for you in November, in case we saw each other today. I know it’s not much but it reminded me of you.” He handed you a black corduroy box, which had a gold necklace with a small heart pendant.
“Oh James, this is so pretty.” You looked at him smiling and closing the box and putting it on his nightstand “I’ll put it on later, thank you so much.”
“Let me make everything up to you, I truly am sorry.” He said, taking off his glasses and sitting in front of you on the bed. You put your hands behind his neck and pulled him in, kissing him gently as he moved closer to you, his knee between your legs.
You laid down and his mouth started to make its way to your neck, giving it soft kisses then gently biting and sucking, making sure to leave a few marks. Meanwhile, his hands trailed their way to your breasts, going under your already loose bra and playing with your nipples. He quickly helped you take off your shirt, also removing his own.
James quickly kissed your mouth and started to trail small kisses from it to your right nipple, which he brought to his mouth and sucked on, nipping at it with his front teeth every once in a while, meanwhile his left hand stimulated your other nipple.
Your hands moved to his hair, stroking it and tugging on it every once in a while, leading to groans that would send vibrations to your breasts.
Suddenly, he pressed his knee against your damp underwear as you desperately tried to get more friction from it, until he held down your hips.
“Let me help you, baby.” he hummed against your chest. “I’m going to take care of you, don’t worry.”
He helped you take off your skirt as you raised your hips, tossing it next to the bed and kissing your tummy, making his way down to your underwear, lowering it and kissing the skin right above your slit, almost where you needed him the most. He started to kiss your inner thighs, going up to your clothed core, pressing another kiss right on top of your covered clit, making you moan as he took off your panties, carefully placing them on top of your skirt on the floor.
“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered, his breath fanning against your pussy.
He started slowly at first, licking from your entrance to your clit, sucking it in the most careful way he could. Until you couldn’t hold back your moaning and you remembered how James Potter gave head like a starved man.
He held your thighs open as he sucked on your sensitive bud and fucked two fingers into you, making your back arch and causing you release the most incoherent sentences from your mouth, a mix of swearing, the word god and his name, but really, in that moment, the later two were probably the same to you.
Your hands tugged onto his hair as you reached your high, he looked up at you and kept stimulating your clit with his thumb, inserting a third finger into your hole.
“Cum for me, honey.” He said, sensing you were close to your high and going back to sucking your bud.
Your eyes rolled back in pleasure as you moaned out his name, squeezing his head in between your thighs as he carried you through your orgasm.
Once you were finished, James moved up to kiss you. His mouth moving hungrily against yours.
“I want you.” you said as you pulled away, looking into his eyes.
“You already have me, sweetheart.” He smiled, getting up to get something to clean you up with. You pulled him back by the wrist.
“No, I want you in me. Please. ‘Need more.” You said lowly, giving him a quick peck.
“You sure?” You knew he wanted it too, he just wanted to make you feel good and forget about himself for the rest of the night.
“Yes, please James.” You replied, pulling him by the wrist again once he went to reach for a condom in the nightstand drawer. “I want to feel you. I’m on the pill, please.”
He smiled, taking off his sweatpants and going on top of you, his knees pressed against the mattress next to your thighs as he kissed you, tilting your head to deepen it.
He started kissing your neck, giving soft pecks on the marks he had left behind earlier, while taking his length out of his underwear and lining himself up against your entrance, teasing you with his tip as you practically begged him to get inside of you.
“Patience, baby.” He muttered, slowly starting to thrust into your needy hole whilst pulling your right leg up and bending it, almost making your leg shin touch your thigh as he tried to go as deep as possible.
You couldn’t help but moan out his name once he started thrusting and kept hitting the most perfect spot he could whilst stimulating your bean with his thumb. You clenched around his cock as he started to thrust rapidly into you.
“That’s it baby, you’re doing so good.” He’d whisper in between grunts in your ear while you scratched his back in pleasure. “So- mhm so good for me, baby.” He said, his mouth clashing against yours, his tongue entering your mouth as you opened it. You clenched your pussy around him and you both can’t help but moan into each other’s mouths, his thrusts getting faster and his grunts and moans only louder, showing you how close he also is.
You felt your second orgasm building up as he pinched your clit and you squealed onto his tongue, your teeth clashing, causing him to pull away and smile against your mouth, his teeth against your lips.
“Are you close, princess?” He whispered and you replied with a nod, your nose against his cheek. He thrusted quickly and made circular motions on your clit at the same pace. “Hm, cum for me baby, cum on my cock.” He commanded as you reached your second high, pulling him in by the back of his neck to kiss you again. The kiss was sloppy as he shot his load into you and you clenched around him, his thrusts faltering.
He collapsed right next to you, grabbing his glasses on the bedside table to look at you properly.
“You’re so beautiful.” He praised you, smiling as he stroked your hair. “Thank you for picking up. Thank you for being here. For everything.” He whispered.
“Thank you for calling.” You smiled.
“The pizza’s probably cold.” He muttered, looking at his bedroom door.
“I don’t care.” You gave him a peck. “Merry Christmas, James.”
“Merry Christmas, love.”
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cherryblooom · 3 days ago
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Enchanted — OP81 [introduction]
Summary: After being forced of moving mid-year of school, the least thing you expected was getting a crush in a cute boy who loves karting and actually being corresponded. I mean, you have always wanted to have a romance like the books but forgot all the struggles and challenges that comes with it.
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Pairing: Teen!Oscar Piastri x Teen!Reader
navigation series masterlist
Warnings: period shaming, bullying, reader has some questionable thoughts and self-contempt, animal abuse (no details). mostly narration.
Author note: This is my very first work ever, please be nice and reblog if you liked it!
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Everything felt very surreal. You can feel your eyes stinging, fighting not to let out those tears that you had been holding in since before you left the house.
There wasn't much traffic, but you weren't sure if that was a good thing or if you just wanted to delay the impossible. You knew it was necessary but couldn't help feeling guilty for your parents for having to move across the country and leave everything they knew behind. Your father had lived his entire life working and building his company from scratch and thanks to endless nights, you and your mother were just beginning to see the fruits of his hard work, of course, before all the shitshow happened. Your parents had done everything they could to make you understand that their anger was not your fault and not directed towards you, it was actually the opposite, but you couldn't help feeling resentful and like a freaking failure.
You played with the apps on your phone in a failed attempt to distract yourself but couldn't help to grimace when you opened the Instagram app and saw your now private profile. You followed some famous people but you only had 10 followers as all the others were deleted by your mother.
''I'm sorry for making you move and leave everything behind. Dad, the company...''
''Honey, no. Stop it!'' your father replied after lowering the volume of the radio while your mother, who was in the passenger seat next to him, turned around with a look of concern. ''We already talked about it, you're not guilty of what happened and we're not angry at you. We should have protected you and been there for you but we realized it too late but I promise you that we are going to leave all this in the past and although you don't want to believe it now, we love you and we always will.'' She was right, you couldn't believe her. Your mind was going down a somewhat dark path and you were sure that if your mother had even the slightest idea of what was going on in your head, she wouldn't hesitate to send you to a psychologist. ''Plus, you will love the new house! It has a beautiful patio and a pool where you can practice in case you want to join the swimming team at your new school.’’ She told you slightly excited, trying to pass on the feeling to you but you didn't have the heart to tell her that it wouldn't be possible, so you just nodded and looked out the window again.
You could feel your mother's gaze on you, perhaps waiting for an answer or even a smile but you didn't have the energy to do it or even fake it.
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You had become what they call a ''bookworm''. Despite having access to technology and internet, you had developed a great love and appreciation for physical books and the smell of a new book excited you more than what is perhaps ''normal'' but thanks to the fact that apparently not many people shared the sentiment, the library was empty most of the time (at least the one located in the junior wing of the school, you didn't know about the one in the senior wing, but you have heard that it has like three floors and a private cafeteria).
You were reading one of your favorite books again and even though you practically knew the story by heart, you couldn’t stop laughing and feeling your heart flutter at the thought of how it would feel to be loved like that. Would you ever be able to find someone who would love and admire you just for being you? Just for existing? You had a love/hate thing for romance books. You read about how the characters were loved, cared for, how they could let go and turn their brains off to just…be. Exist. You knew you had just turned 14 and that according to your parents and the logical part of your brain, you have a whole life waiting ahead of you, but you can’t imagine that someone could love you like that. You couldn’t even make friends, how the hell are you going out to dates? No idea, but you didn’t want to think about it and fall down that rabbit hole. You turned the page, excited as you were only about 10 pages away from your favorite part but decided to leave it for later to read in the comfort of your room.
The alarm distracted you from your book and with it, you knew that you only had 10 minutes left of lunch (you weren't a big fan of the cafeteria, lots of people and noise so the library was always a good choice) and that you had to go to the biology lab, not forgetting to stop by your locker to look for the essay that you have to hand in today. When you reached for your backpack, you felt a strange tug in your stomach that you didn't know how to describe, you had never felt anything like it before, so you were quite confused, but you ignored it since you knew you didn't have much time left.
Then you saw him. A boy your age was entering the library but you turned around facing away from him, so he was unable see you. You barely saw him for a few seconds but boy, was he cute. Is this what you always read about? You didn't even know the boy's name, but you noticed his short brown hair, his rosy cheeks and how tall he was. Was this your first crush? It’s dumb! You watched him for a few seconds but apparently that was enough to make you fantasize what it would be like to talk to him or what his name would be, if he was nice or a jerk like the rest of the boys in your class (which would be a bummer). All of the other girls in your class have no problem talking to boys or making friends in general but here you are, covering your face with your hair so the cute boy you saw for two seconds doesn’t notice your presence.
You walked out of the library with your coat hanging on your backpack, it wasn’t cold so you didn’t need it at the moment. You had 5 minutes before Biology started so you headed to your locker and you always walked close to the walls, that way you drew as little attention as possible. Apparently, old habits die hard. Up until now, you had done a pretty good job of being a regular girl and not drawing attention to yourself. The girls in your class dangerously reminded you of the girl responsible for you having to move and change schools mid-year and the boys in your class are jerks, is the best way you can describe them. There was no way you wanted to run into any of them. You wake up, go to school, go home, do your homework and then go to bed. Same routine, every day. You watched on social media as your other classmates went out, had fun, went to the mall, bought makeup and clothes, posted photos and videos in groups, laughing, and as much as you wished you didn't care, you felt envious. Why can't you be like that? Why do you have to be the little weirdo who always goes unnoticed, and no one pays attention to?
You had to take one more turn to get to your locker when you heard giggles behind you. You turned your head slightly and saw two boys who were a grade above pointing at you and laughing; your chest started to hurt and you felt like there wasn't enough air to breathe. Anxiety, you felt anxious. You ran to your locker as the laughter intensified behind you and you just knew that you were the reason for it. Suddenly, you felt that same tug at the bottom of your belly.
''Oh no, no, no, please don't...'' you whispered almost on the verge of tears. You felt something hit your head and then fall to the ground. You wanted to die when you looked down and saw a sanitary pad that someone had thrown at your head which made the laughter louder.
''Oh no, the weirdo is bleeding out! I hope she has another skirt because yikes.''
''Hey! You're staining the floor, how fucking disgusting!''
''If I was the janitor, I'd make her clean it up. How disgusting.''
''Hey, honestly, how did you not notice? Didn't you feel your vagina wet or smelly or shit? Fuck, I have to get my book, but my locker is next to hers, imagine if it smells. That will be so gross!''
''In case you prefer to put things inside rather than a pad, weirdo'' Someone had thrown two tampons at your head, one of which had gotten tangled in your curls. At this point, you were already sobbing, not being able to hold back the tears and humiliated, all the while you were still turning your back on everyone with the locker open, with fear and shame eating you away.
Suddenly, you felt someone's presence which brought you out of the little dazed status.
''Honey, come on, I'm going to take you to the infirmary. Come on, you're okay, let's go.'' You could tell by the softness of the voice that it was a woman. She was the school's duty nurse. Apparently, someone was kind enough to call her while the others were scoffing. You let yourself be guide towards the infirmary and could distantly hear the nurse demanding them to stop laughing. At this point, you didn't care anymore, you just wanted to get to your bed and cry, that's all.
5 Months Later
You were in the south courtyard of the school, the farthest of all, with your third sketchbook finishing what would be your second attempt at drawing your mother. It would soon be her birthday and although you had already bought her a gift at the mall, you wanted to give her something that only you could do. Besides, she was the number 1 fan of your drawings and she bragged to her friends that her daughter was a great artist. Sometimes it embarrassed you but at the same time you felt good knowing that you had someone on your side, supporting you. With each stroke, you felt your confidence increase and, you had even opened an Instagram’s account for your drawings, and you felt good knowing that there were people who recognized your talent and encouraged you to continue learning, even if they were strangers. Maybe you were not totally alone.
You felt stuck. You couldn’t draw the hands, and with each attempt you only felt like you were screwing up more. Before you got more frustrated, you decided to take a break and continue in the comfort of your bed after eating. When you were about to start packing your things, your notebook fell open right on the last page that always made you blush. The boy from the library, who you now know also plays on the school soccer team (not that you’re stalking him at all) was looking back at you in an unfinished drawing in your sketchbook. You had only seen him passing by the halls and you couldn’t admit out loud that you unconsciously tried to match your schedule with his, like when he had his sports class. Oscar, that was his name, and you knew it thanks to the fact that he was apparently the star in the games and his name was always shouted by the people in the audience. Apart from seeing him in sports class, you didn't get the chance to see him much since he was in a grade above yours.
It was Tuesday, 3:40 PM according to the alarm you had set. School had ended 10 minutes ago but the alarm reminded you that in 5 minutes the soccer practice, Oscar's soccer practice, would start. Pathetic? Yes, but it wasn't a crime to want to appreciate your crush from afar, right?
Before you could leave the courtyard, you saw out of the corner of your eye a cardboard box which was dirty and you swore that it moved for a second. It looked like trash, but it couldn't be since the school has a zero-tolerance policy regarding that and you can literally end up suspended for throwing trash outside the trash bin. They were really strict about that. You approached it with some caution and jumped a little in shock when you saw that it did move and that it wasn't part of your imagination. Your heart stopped when you heard a small sound...a kitten? You approached more confidently, and your heart skipped a beat when you saw that the box didn't have any holes in it and was in fact sealed with many pieces of tape.
In a hurry, you threw your backpack on the floor and took out your scissors to cut the tape. You could feel the adrenaline and fear of what you might find inside if it turned out to be exactly what you thought but still, you carefully but firmly cut the tape. If they turned out to be kittens, you were going to start crying. You took a deep breath and opened it, feeling your eyes water. There were 4 kittens that looked like they couldn't be more than a few weeks old. One was completely white; another was almost completely black but with a few white spots while the last two were a combination of orange and white. One of the orange kittens, unlike its siblings, wasn't meowing and was just lying there barely breathing. You felt your heart break. They looked cold and hungry, so tiny and defenseless. You have always been a cat person, kittens being your weak point. Quickly, you grabbed your backpack, hooking it on your shoulders so you could carry the box without dropping it and you couldn’t run but did your best to walk fast. When you got to the school gate, you called your mom to come pick you up telling her about the box you found and that you wanted to take them to the vet. Your mom knew there was no way you were going to leave them abandoned after finding them so after 10 minutes you were already on your way to the vet with four beautiful kittens with you.
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Your Instagram account dedicated to your drawings has gained 1,000 followers, which was a great achievement for you, but you decided to take that opportunity to post that you had 3 kittens up for adoption. It destroyed you knowing that you couldn't keep the 4 kittens, but your parents had already let you keep Cotton (cliche because the kitten was completely white, you knew it, but you didn't care).
You were appalled while looking at your notifications. Oscar. Yes, that Oscar was messaging you and after checking a little more you realized that he had been following you for a while and you hadn't even noticed. You could feel your cheeks turning red, but you took a breath and remembered that he was only doing that because he wanted to adopt a kitten, you were of zero importance.
my_cherryblossom
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Liked by Oscar_piastri and 57 others
A few weeks ago I found a box sealed with tape that contained 4 kittens inside. It's obvious that the intention of whoever put them there was for them not to survive but I found them just in time. Sadly, I can only keep one, which is why I am giving up the other 3 for adoption! They are so cute and playful.
If you're interested, write me.
P.S. These kittens are my life so if you give me weird vibes, I won't give you one lol
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Radio Check: As mentioned above, this is just the first part of what I hope will be a series telling Oscar x Reade's story. If you'd like to be tagged, let me know! Please Reblog and like!
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anniebeckcalla · 2 days ago
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:fit for a princess: [na jaemin x reader]
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non-idol au. wc: 2.0k cw: fluff , pet names (lots) bad language, slightly suggestive. ✿﹒
calla's note: this was meant to be a 200 word drabble, but it never rains it pours :( it took me an embarrassing 4 hours to finish this. anyway I hope you like this (I have @mejaemin pooks in mind as I write this because she wanted something with nails)
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You took a deep breath to control your anger as you stood in the high street. Despite your gorgeous appearance in your fur coat, hoop earrings, vintage tracksuit, and golddigga trainers, everything was going WRONG for you today.
What was the reason for your distress?
Been dumped? (No. You didn't even have a boyfriend, anyway.)
Been fired? (Ha. You weren't sure if your manager knew you existed.)
Slagged off by a friend on social media? (Not a chance. You didn't have enough friends or a scandalous enough life to be slagged off.)
No, everything was going to pot because your normal nail artist had cancelled on you and gone on holiday to the Maldives with her glamorous new boyfriend. She'd just told you over the phone this morning when she was already lounging on the beach, leaving you in this grey sludge of a country with untidy chipped nails. You were absolutely fuming. You didn't like change. You trusted your nail artist and didn't want to go to anyone else to get yourself sorted out.
One thing that you hated more than change, though, were scruffy nails. You realised that you were going to have to give up your resolve of sticking to one nail artist in order to have your nails done all nice and clean. The fact that you had no other option didn't make it any easier to accept, and now you were close to throwing a tantrum as you stood outside the rival nail shop, barely able to accept your fate.
A lady with rollers in her hair and fluffy slippers opened the door, a scowl on her face. “Well, are you coming in or not?” she snapped. You glared at her in a silent response. The lady crossed her arms. “So you're going to be like this, are you?” she laughed. “Listen, young lady. Either you fuck off our doorstep, or shift your ass inside. We can't have you scaring potential customers from coming in.” You weren't about to allow yourself to be spoken to like that. Wordlessly, you barged past her into the shop.
The shop, though you were too proud to admit it to yourself, was very lush and tidy. The floor and chandeliers sparkled, there was a member of staff at each workstation, and krnb played from a radio in the corner. “We have a spitfire on our hands here,” roller lady called out to the staff and customers. “Who wants to have her?” You glared on as all the staff laughed and shook their heads timidly. “Is this some sort of auction, then?” you snapped. Everyone only laughed louder. You were ready to leave right then and there.
“I'll have her.” A man at the corner workstation raised his hand. He had a loose black vest that showed off his tanned chest and muscles, and jet hair that curled at his neck. You felt your heart jump with excitement, but to save face, you did your best to act nonchalantly. “My normal nail artist is a girl,” you replied. The man laughed. “I can see why she abandoned you. Come here.” You cringed inwardly at his response, and decided to humble yourself a little. Defeated, you went over and lowered yourself in the chair.
“Thank bloody goodness for that!” roller lady muttered.
“I suppose we'd get along better if we started off with names, don't you think?” the man said. You stared hard at the table. “Y/n,” you muttered. The man nodded. Nice name. I'm Jaemin. You'll be telling everyone that Jaemin did your nails, that's how good I am.” You rolled your eyes, forgetting your promise to be coy. “Oh, very good. We'll have to see about that.” Jaemin chuckled, making your ears flame (you were so embarrassed for that.).
“You're funny, y/n. I like a girl who argues back. Now. Show me what you want today.” Your hands trembled as you scrolled through your photo gallery. You had no idea why you were reacting to this random man's charms like this. You could just feel it in your bones that this Jaemin man acted like this towards every girl, and felt like a simpleton for rising to the bait.
“This is what I want,” you said, holding up an image of pink acrylic nails with bows, lace, and gems Jaemin only glanced at it once, and raised his eyebrows. “Quite the princess, then?” he remarked. You shrugged, feeling like an absolute fool. “I guess it could be seen that way.” Jaemin laughed again. You noticed that he laughed quite a lot. You weren't sure if you liked it.
Jaemin angled the light on your hands. “Are you ready?” he asked. You gulped. “Are you sure you know what you're doing?” you said. “My nail artist, she's a girl, and she says that girls do nails best…” You trailed away when you saw a frown appear on Jaemin's face. “Good thing that your nail artist isn't here, then,” he snapped. Tears stung your eyes at the sudden tone, and you bit your lip. Jaemin noticed. “Don't dish out what you can’t eat,” he said quietly. “Now, are you ready or not?” “I guess,” you replied.
Jaemin opened a tin of moisturiser and spread a liberal amount on your hands, tugging at your fingers with an intensity that disconcerted you. When you looked up, he gazed into your eyes. “Bet your nail artist doesn't do this for you, does she?” he said. You were still recovering from your tears, so you stared down at your lap. Jaemin interlaced your hands with his, stretching your fingers so far you were sure they would pop. Part of you desperately wanted to complain to show how bold you were, but if you had to be honest, you were somehow enjoying it. You kept your eyes trained down.
“Does that feel good?” Jaemin rubbed your thumb in a circular motion with his own. The pace made your tummy erupt with butterflies. Damn, you hated this person for what magic he was working on you. “It's alright, like,” you mumbled. “Ah, ah. Look up at me when you're talking,” Jaemin replied. “I have no way of knowing if you're okay otherwise.” You looked up timidly, and your gaze fell on the plane of his chest that the vest did a rubbish job of covering. Immediately, you looked down again. Jaemin laughed once again. “Aww, you're shy now. I don't know if I liked it more when you were being bold. Maybe I like both.” He kneaded your palm gently.
You summoned enough courage to look at Jaemin's bent figure. Your breath caught in your throat as your heart beat faster. Damn, he was so pretty with his brows set in concentration, focused entirely on your hands. And he smelt so good. His cologne had hints of peach and caramel that curled around your nostrils pleasantly. You were catching feelings for him.
At last, Jaemin's hand massage was finished. He started to work on your nails. You felt a little disappointed that the massage was over. It must have shown on your face, because Jaemin smirked. “Sad that it's over, princess? If you liked it, you can have another one when you come back next time.” The word princess made you feel embarrassed and charmed at the same time. You bit back a smile. “We'll see,” you replied stiffly.
“So, what's she like, this nail artist of yours?” Jaemin smoothed a light pink acrylic gel over your extensions. “She's nice,” you said. You were delighted to notice that Jaemin had got the exact shade of pink right. He glanced up at you. “Why did she call it quits with you, then?" You bit back a snarl. “I said*, she didn't quit on me. She went on holiday with her new boyfriend.” Jaemin grinned. “Ahh, a boyfriend. How cute.” He reached under his desk and pulled out a small box covered In rhinestones. When he opened it, you saw that it was full of the little bits of lace and bows and gems that your demonstration image had.
You gasped. “But that's-”
Jaemin shrugged. “It was me who designed those nails that you showed me, of course. Only one other person has ever had them, and that's my sister. I don't usually repeat designs, but for the princess, I will.” You couldn't hide your smile then, and your cheeks flushed with shyness. “Thanks,” you said. Jaemin chuckled. “Aww. It's okay, girl. Look how cute you become when you're being nice.” You were so set off by his remarks that you smiled even more, not caring anymore if this was just a marketing ploy.
Carefully, Jaemin adorned your nails with the decorations. When he was done, he put your hands under a small UV light. “So tell me, princess,” he said, “if your nail artist has a boyfriend, do you have one to match with her?” You stared at the blue light, pretending you hadn't heard him. “Come on, y/n. Look at me when you're talking,” Jaemin chortled. You finally looked up at him. “No, I don't,” you sighed. You almost thought that you caught a sparkle in Jaemin's eyes, but then it was gone. “Oh,” he said. “Talking to anyone?” You laughed. “I'd be lucky if a man looked my direction, let alone involve himself in a talking stage with me,”
“I don't agree,” Jaemin replied. “Look at you. You clean up nice, you smell great, and you're very pretty.” You rolled your eyes. “Just like you say to everyone who sits in this chair.” Jaemin's face hardened again. “That's not true,” he countered. “Ask anyone here. I just say it as it is.” He called out to roller lady who was sweeping up non-existent dirt from the floor. “Don't I always say the truth, Auntie?” Roller lady nodded. “The truth and nothing else, our Jaemin. I don't know how you haven't chased out our customers with your harsh words.” “You see?” Jaemin said, taking your freshly done hands in his. You looked down at his work. It was absolutely breathtaking. The patterns and swirls were all in the right place, the lace and bows arranged delicately. Somehow, it was even better than the image you had provided.
“Thanks for this,” you said. “They're beautiful.” There was a brief silence. “Um, how much do I have to pay for this?” You tried to pull your hands out of his grasp, but he held on firmly. “It’s on me,” he said. You tried to protest, but Jaemin held his hand up. “Forget it. Just promise me one thing.” “What?” you stuttered, your heart beating two paces faster. “Promise that you'll come back,” Jaemin's eyes were pleading. It was stupid of you, but you were willing to do anything as long as he looked at you like that. “I promise I'll come back.” you breathed.
Jaemin smiled. “I trust your word.” He let go of your hands. (You made a mental note to not wash them for as long as you could.) Taking a nearby scrap of paper, he hastily scrawled on it with a black biro. “In case your nail artist is busy again, take this,” he said, handing you the slip. On it was a mobile number. Was it… “It's my number, of course,” Jaemin shrugged, a shy smile on his face.
You wished that you could control the grin on your face as your heart leapt with joy. “Thank you so much, Jaemin. For everything.” Jaemin took your hands in his again. “It's alright, princess,” he said softly. You felt as if you'd been in love with him forever. “HEY! Jaemin! Enough flirting with that girl!” shouted roller lady. “I have customers waiting to be served, and here you are lowering yourself for miss high and mighty!” The other staff tittered in agreement. Jaemin rolled his eyes. “Alright, sorry Auntie.” He made a phone gesture with his hand, much to roller lady's dismay. “Call me, okay?”
When you were outside in the street, you immediately added Jaemin's number to your phone, your hands shivering with excitement. You decided to save the contact as ‘Jaemin 🎀’. (because, you explained to yourself, of the design of the nails) After some consideration, you scrolled down to your previous nail artist's number and swiped it to the archive folder.
You wouldn't be needing her again.
and that, kids, is how I met your mother
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[masterlist]
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vonlycaonwife · 3 days ago
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Hi
Could you write about living with everyone's favorite wolf guy (Von Lycaon x f!Reader)? I feel like waking up next to him or completing household work together would be so sweet/cute >\\\\< Please and thank you!
Here's to hoping you will pull him soon!!!! Don't give up <3
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You understand me, I JUST WANT TO HAVE THOSE SWEET MOMENTS WITH HIM. I stuck with the waking up together idea because god the want to be in his arms is IMMENSE. Also I combined this with another who wanted a wife reader!
Edit after writing: This ended up so much shorter than what I wanted, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t figure out how to keep it going without it feeling too fillery
Warnings: none I think? Possible suggestiveness but the implications are super subtle imo
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Waking up in the morning was one of your favorite times of the day. Even when the sun began to almost turn your sight red as it hit your face, or when you felt the small prickles of a cramp from sleeping in a somewhat awkward position. Yes, even with these, seeing the sleeping face of the thiren before you is what always made it worth it. 
You smiled as you felt his tail wrapped around your legs, surrounding you in fluffy warmth. A habit your husband had picked up since you first began to sleep in the same bed as him all those many years ago. The small puffs of his breath could be felt on the very top of your head, adding more to the constant realization you’ll always have of just how much bigger he is compared to you. But that never made you scared of him, in fact the wolf thiren was very adamant on making sure you only felt safe around him. 
You could see his ear twitch, alert to any noises that would require him to wake up. It was another habit your husband had picked up, from a time before you as far as you were aware. He wasn’t secretive about his past to you, though you never pushed him to tell you everything, something you knew he appreciated.
 You could feel your smile widened as you attempted to quietly sneak out of the male’s arms, gently pushing his arms off of you. Though you knew it was futile once his hold only tightened around you, a soft grumble escaping from the wolf. Alerting you he was already awake, like he typically was.
“Love, you know we both have work.” You softly chided, suppressing any laughs as he only tiredly grumbled again in response. As uncharacteristic many would say, Lycaon wasn’t actually much of a morning person. But because of the job he has, it sadly forced him to adopt an early morning routine. Though you couldn’t say much, since your own job had you suffer the same thing.
He let out a tired growl like noise, nuzzling his nose into your hair. You almost wanted to coo at him over how cute he was being, but you refrained from doing so to keep him from grumbling even more. Your hands began to skillfully brush through his fur, stroking near his ears in a gentle fashion. As you did so you could feel his hold relax, making you smile as your coaxing for him to move starts working. The light pat pat from his tail hitting your legs softly could be slightly heard under his increasing grumbling. But you knew you won when he slowly detached from you, though he still gave your cheek a nuzzle before he fully sat up.
The sight in front of you was something you saw every morning, but you couldn’t help but be in awe every time you saw the early morning light hit the thiren just right. The way his fur was both messy yet still gave a sense of pristine cleanliness even with some tufts being misplaced. Or the way even with the thicker fur, since it was beginning to become cold in the city, you could still see the powerful muscles move as he stretched and moved around the room. Which signaled you to start getting up, stretching out your own sore muscles and brushing your messed up hair into an easier to manage lump.
When you finally walked over to the bathroom to do your morning routine, your husband had already finished dressing into his uniform and brushed out his fur. The faint sounds of him working in the kitchen could be heard as you walked out your room dressed as well, smiling to see the typical quick yet nutritious breakfast the wolf thiren was always insistent on making for you even when you insistent on cooking for you both. GIving him a quick kiss on his cheek in gratitude, you quickly ate your food and sipped on your freshly brewed coffee. As the man insisted on using the very expensive espresso machine he had gotten to satisfy your caffeine needs, though he never used it for himself as he preferred tea.
After a few moments of packing essentials and basking in the quiet moments before it was time for the both of you to leave, you followed Lycaon to the door of your home. Just before he could leave, you wrapped your arms around him and squeezed onto his waist tightly, earning an affectionate chuckle in response as he reciprocated the hug.
“I’ll be home at the usual time, Love.” He spoke, closing his eyes in content as you cupped his face. Even if it forced him to almost bend down halfway to let you do so, he always loved to let you hold his face like it was your world.
“Okay, be safe.”
“I always will.” At those words you pull him closer, pressing your lips gently against his for what you wished could be for hours. But it was only for a few moments. Once he pulls away you hug him once more and watch him gently close the door and lock it behind him. After a few moments you let out a sigh, choosing to ignore the dull feeling in your chest over how easy you missed your partner. Taking ina breath, you decided to head to your office and set to work.
Even though you worked from home most of the time, you always insisted on waking up and getting ready along with him. Because you could never forgive yourself if you missed those gentle and sweet moments with him, seeing him in a light that he only let you see. As the image of the male’s grumpy face surfaces into your mind, you smile.
Yeah, mornings were your favorite time of day.
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idkyetxoxo · 5 hours ago
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Aemond Targaryen - Stay With Me
Summary - Aemond Targaryen meets a woman who challenges his emotional detachment. As their unexpected connection deepens, they must navigate love's risks amidst the ruthless games of court, discovering that vulnerability may be their greatest strength.
Pairing - Aemond Targaryen x Lannister reader
Warnings - None
Word count - 2035
Masterlist for Aemond • House of the Dragon General Masterlist
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Think I like you best when you're just with me and no one else.
Aemond had never believed in love—not the kind that could consume a person, leaving them weak and vulnerable, making them forget their duties or worse, compromise their power. 
His life had been shaped by the rigid expectations of his family, by the cold steel of his Targaryen legacy. To him, emotions were a weakness, and love, the ultimate folly.
Marriage, to him, was nothing more than a transaction. A means to secure alliances, to gain favour or military strength for his family. 
It was an essential duty, a necessity that ensured the survival and advancement of the Targaryen name. It was not something that stirred the heart or made one yearn for something more. 
For him, love had no place in the grand scheme of things.
But then, everything changed the moment I entered his life.
I was the younger sister of Tyland and Jason Lannister, born into a family that thrived on ambition, a family that knew how to play the game of politics better than most. 
My brothers were shrewd, clever, always scheming. They were a reflection of the Lannister legacy—hungry for power, willing to step over anyone who stood in their way. 
I was expected to be just like them, to understand the intricacies of court politics, to know my place in the delicate dance of power and influence.
And yet, I was different. From the very beginning, I had been different. 
I wasn't a pawn to be moved at will, and I certainly wasn't someone to be used as a mere tool in some political game. I wasn't a pawn at all. Aemond had noticed that too, and it unsettled him.
Our first meeting had been formal, nothing more than an introduction at one of the many grand feasts held within the Red Keep. I curtsied as was expected, he bowed in return. A polite, businesslike exchange, no more, no less. 
But something in his gaze lingered, just a moment too long. 
It wasn't curiosity or casual interest—it was something deeper, something that caught my attention and held it far longer than it should have.
I felt it. That strange, unspoken recognition. It was as if, in that brief moment, we had already known each other for years, even though we hadn't shared more than a few words. 
His eye—his singular violet eye—seemed to see through me, past the facade I wore, past the walls I'd carefully built around myself. 
And though I had been raised to mask my true thoughts, I knew instinctively that Aemond saw through my defences as easily as if they were made of paper.
At first, Aemond fought it, as if trying to convince himself that I was just another piece in the game—a piece to be moved, to be discarded when no longer needed. 
He told himself it was nothing. I was just another Lannister. Another political pawn, another tool to be used for a greater purpose. 
But even then, beneath his cold, calculated exterior, I could feel the tension between us, like the taut string of a bow waiting to snap.
There were moments when I would catch him staring from across the room, his eye— sharp and searching—locked on me. 
When he thought no one was watching, his gaze would linger, as if he were trying to understand something about me, something that unsettled him. 
And despite his best efforts to remain indifferent, I could sense that he was drawn to me. 
I could see it in the way his hand would hesitate before picking up a drink, in the way his voice would falter when we spoke. He was trying, desperately trying, to remain detached, but there was something inside him he couldn't control.
The shift between us had been subtle at first. A brief conversation here, an exchange of glances there. 
Small moments that seemed insignificant but carried far more weight than either of us cared to admit. Even our silence spoke volumes.
We had learned to navigate the complexities of court together—me, with my mask of indifference, and Aemond, with his icy control. 
But what neither of us had expected was that the more we spoke, the more we learned about one another, the more the lines between political strategy and personal feeling blurred.
I had always been careful with my emotions. My entire life had been spent hiding behind a veil of composure, learning how to protect myself in a world that was always watching, always calculating. 
But with Aemond, it was different. 
There was no pretension, no need for the masks we wore in public. He saw me for who I really was, and strangely, I saw him as well. 
I saw past the cold prince, past the hardened Targaryen exterior, to the man who was just as lost as I was in the web of duty and expectations.
One evening, after a particularly tiresome banquet, we found ourselves alone in the garden. 
The night air was cool, a relief after the stifling heat of the feast hall. The laughter and chatter of the court felt distant now, a low hum from behind the walls of the Red Keep. 
The stars above us were bright, casting a soft, silvery glow across the garden, illuminating the trees and the flowers in a way that made everything feel almost unreal, as if time had slowed just for us.
Aemond stood by the stone fountain, his back to me, silent. He had always been a man of few words, preferring to keep his thoughts hidden behind layers of distance. 
But tonight, there was something about him that was different. 
He was still, contemplative as if wrestling with something he couldn't quite express. I stepped closer, my steps muffled by the grass beneath my feet, and broke the silence.
"These feasts always feel like a battlefield," I remarked my voice light, attempting to break through the tension that had built between us.
"They are," Aemond replied, his voice low and measured. "A battle of words instead of swords. Sometimes I think I'd prefer the latter."
I smiled at his words, the corners of my lips lifting slightly. "You never seem out of place, though. It's as if the games of court don't affect you."
Aemond turned to look at me then, his single violet eye sharp, but there was something there that hadn't been there before—something soft, something human. 
A vulnerability that I hadn't seen before. "They don't," he admitted quietly. "Not until recently."
I felt my heart tighten, a rush of emotions I couldn't quite name flooding through me. There was a pause, a moment where neither of us spoke. 
The air between us was heavy, filled with unspoken words. I looked down at my hands, unsure of what to say, but before I could think of a response, Aemond closed the distance between us.
"Do you know why I watch you?" he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
My breath caught in my throat. I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. "I thought you watched everyone."
He shook his head, the corner of his mouth lifting in a small, almost imperceptible smile. 
It was not the smile of a prince, but of a man who was, for the first time in his life, revealing something real, something unguarded. 
"No," he murmured. "Not like I watch you."
His words hung in the air between us, heavier than any sword. I could feel the weight of them, the meaning behind them. 
And I realized, with a start, that he had been drawn to me in a way he hadn't been able to deny, even though he had tried.
There was a part of him that was vulnerable, and he was allowing me to see it.
"I've tried to ignore it," Aemond continued, his voice growing deeper, more intense. "Tried to tell myself it was nothing, that you were just another Lannister, just another tool in this endless game of power. But you're not. You're nothing like them."
I turned to face him fully, my pulse quickening. "And what am I, then?" I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper, as if speaking too loudly would shatter the fragile connection between us.
Aemond's gaze softened, the icy walls around him crumbling bit by bit. He took a step closer, closing the distance between us until we were standing inches apart. 
The air between us seemed to thrum with electricity, charged with something neither of us could deny anymore.
"You're..." he started, his voice trembling ever so slightly. "Everything I didn't know I wanted. Everything I didn't think I could have."
His words struck me like a blow, knocking the breath out of me. 
Aemond Targaryen—the cold, calculating prince who had spent his life building walls around his heart—was standing in front of me, revealing the truth that had been hiding beneath the surface all along.
"I don't know how this happened," I said quietly, my voice unsteady as I stared into his eye. "But it feels... like it's always been this way like we were meant to find each other."
Aemond's gaze deepened, the intensity of it making me feel exposed, yet safe, in a way I had never felt before. 
"I've never felt this way before," he confessed, his hand twitching at his side, as though he wanted to reach for me but was unsure if he should. "I don't know if it's right, but I can't stop it."
I took a small, cautious step toward him, my heart pounding. "And if it's not right?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Aemond met my gaze, his lips parting slightly as if weighing his words carefully. "Then I'll make it right."
His words sent a shiver through me, and in that moment, the world outside the garden seemed to vanish, leaving only the two of us standing there, bound by something we had no words for—something neither of us could deny.
Something we were both afraid to lose.
I stared at him, searching his face for a hint of doubt, but there was none. There was only certainty, a quiet but undeniable truth that I hadn't expected to find.
"I think I like you best when you're just with me," Aemond murmured, his voice so soft, so intimate, as though he were sharing a secret he had never told anyone. "And no one else."
His words wrapped around me like a blanket, comforting yet heavy with meaning. It was strange, how simple they sounded, and yet how much weight they carried. 
In a world where we were both surrounded by people with ulterior motives, where every word was calculated and every action carried meaning, this—what we had—felt real. 
It felt pure, and for the first time, I allowed myself to believe in it. It was only the beginning.
"Aemond," I whispered, his name escaping my lips without thought, without pretence. It was a simple acknowledgement, but it held everything—my uncertainty, my longing, my desire to stay.
"Stay with me," Aemond said, his hand reaching out to find mine, his fingers threading through mine with a tenderness that was almost foreign to him. "I don't ever want you to leave."
The vulnerability in his voice, in his touch, was something I had never expected from him. 
Aemond had always been so controlled, so composed. But here, in the moonlit garden, he was just Aemond—a man who was afraid of being alone, a man who was afraid of losing me.
I stepped closer, feeling the warmth of him, the steady beat of his heart beneath his armour of stoicism. 
"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered, my voice trembling with the weight of the moment. "Not unless you send me away."
He held my gaze, his grip tightening ever so slightly, as though he feared I might disappear. "I won't," he said, his voice firm and resolute. "Not ever."
And in that moment, I knew it was true. 
Whatever happened next, whatever the world tried to throw at us, we had this—this fragile, beautiful connection that neither of us had expected but both of us needed. 
Aemond Targaryen, the cold, calculating prince, had fallen—just as I had. 
And there was no turning back.
Stay with me, I don't want you to leave.
A/n - Cigarettes After Sex >>
Aemond tag list - @darylandbethfanforever9 @lessdepressy @veesuguru
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maudie-duan · 2 days ago
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Summary: What happens when the man you've loved since childhood decides he's ready to settle down, but it turns out you are no longer his forever. How would you cope with the sudden engagement? For Blair, it's a hard pill to swallow, knowing that the beautiful girl smiling in all his pictures will get her forever. I guess it's a blue Christmas this year.
A/N: I have to make a confession: I hate Christmas music, but the first time I heard Sabrina Carpenter's 'Cindy Lou Who' I knew this was my kind of Christmas song. I love a sad song, and this song feeds my "angsty soul," So please give it a listen before you read. This whole story is my interpretation of the song. Hope you like it. Happy Holidays enjoy!!!!
Requests: Here
Word Count: 6K
Warning: Mentions of Sex, Strong Angst and Laungue, Family Dynamics, Mentions of Pregnancy, Heartbreak.
I don’t think sneaking my ex-boyfriend out of my parent’s house is the best look for anyone on Christmas morning, but technically, it’s still Christmas Eve if you haven’t gone to sleep yet, right?—To be fair, he was the one knocking on my window, stumbling his way to my bed. Casually, bringing up the past, circling back to things I thought I had already unpacked with my best friend after I scrolled his girlfriend’s social media, backtracking five years, to be honest, she had me broader line obsessed.
He made his way to my bed and in between my legs, touching place and sharing space in the best way we knew how, and that’s the funny thing about having history with someone—sometimes it makes it harder to say no when it’s knowingly what you want the second they step foot into a place that once served as a sanctuary to you both—a garden where words weaved trust, that turned into secrets, carving out a space of our very own; a world that we created and while he wasn’t my first kiss he was everything else.
I’ve lost track of how many times our words of forever were passed between our mouths, tangled in shared breaths of “I swear until the day I die, I’m yours.” When you’re young, you believe it because it’s all you have—and we took that with us when we thought we were ready for the world—two foolish kids on an endeavor to forge these grown-up dreams of a grand gesture without a second thought, only relying on the word “love,” like love could weather any storm.
The hardest lesson we learned was that love isn’t always enough. Sometimes, you can love someone with all your being and forget that they’re not a possession—but a person. Was that our mistake? I don’t know, but we wanted to be our own people at some point and find ourselves outside of only identifying as “we.” 
Let me tell you, that’s a hard pill to swallow, and from time to time, I still find myself choking on it, especially when it is obvious we still click—we didn’t need sex to know that we still worked, fit together like a puzzle that had been forgotten, and dusted off, only to find that you still had every single piece. Still, when Harry tried to kiss me goodbye, I pulled away.
“Hey—what is it…tell me?” he asks
“Nothing…it’s just late. You know how my mom is about Christmas morning.” I lie because the reality of his leaving is starting to sink in. I’m not ready for him to leave, but we both knew that there would be an ending to this.
He laughs, attempting to shrug his jacket on, and I glimpse the joy of the familiar memory dance across his features, “Yeah, she can be kind of crazy, right?”
“Yeah—but not any crazier than your mom,” I laugh. 
“Hey now—actually…you know they kind of feed off each others crazy…” He says, fighting to find the sleeve of his jacket, and when I reach to help, something falls from his pocket, a loud thud clashing against the hardwood floor. I look down, thinking he knocked something off my shelf, but then I see it.
We both stare at the ground, a small box lying in the space between us, “You shouldn’t have…” I declare, bending down—Looking back now, I don’t know what I was thinking—You know this tends to happen when you rely on your wit to get you out of awkward situations. I thought it would be cute and clever. I would open the box, and it wouldn’t be exactly what I knew it was—a ring, but not just any ring—the ring.
“Hey—hey—hey…give me that,” He jokes, trying to turn it into a game, but I’m in too deep to give it up. I can only focus on getting a peek at the ring, which is now a broken promise, and right this second, I’m desperate enough to open this box—basque in the feeling of the “what if” this was mine.
I turn away, shoving his hand out of the way, compulsively straining to get a look at this ring, immediately getting aggressive when he tries to reach over my shoulder. “Stop Harry—” I urge.
“Come on, Blair—this isn’t funny…” He says, unamused, but he’s too late, and as I shove my elbow into his ribs, the box is flipping open, the glint of the diamond catching the light of the moon shining through the window. He stops then because what’s the use, right? Here it is—the ring—perfect, everything I would have wanted. It’s almost like a slap in the face, like he looked back on one of the many pictures I sent over the years, thinking one day this would be me. 
The ring is stunningly beautiful. There is so little light yet it’s drawn to every facet; immaculate, precise cuts creating the perfect sparkle. There is nothing humble about it, but nothing seems to be humble about him anymore, including his life choices—and here I am, holding my breath, afraid to move, listening to his flustered exhale when I slam the box closed, a loud clap shut. 
Without a word, I nudge him away from me, “Blair, listen—I was going to tell you…”
“When—? Before or after we had sex, Harry…Is that what this was?” I yell.
He panics and cups a hand over my mouth. It’s not hard, but it annoys the hell out of me, and I wrench his arm away, forcing him toward the window, “Don’t you fucking do that—you don’t get to do that—”
“I’m sorry—but seriously, Blair, let’s not wake your family,”
I let out a dry laugh, “Oh—trust me, they would understand—” I seeth.
“Oh, for fucks sake, Blair, that’s not fair—I don’t know what this was…I just really wanted to see you—” he says, raking a hand through his hair, a deep crease forming between his brows, and he licks his lips, running a hand down his face as he turns away.
“What do you want me to do? This is the way it’s supposed to work out. You know my family …I don’t really have a say. You know that—”
“Please—Harry—you’re almost 30 years old. You don’t think you have any say in your life?”
He turns around, a condescending laugh filling the space, “You of all people should understand…”
“Well—I thought I did…but I don’t think I do anymore. It just doesn’t make sense…none of this seems to make sense anymore. I don’t understand how we could be perfectly fine one day, and as soon as your dad put you on the path to be a partner at his firm—which we both knew would happen—” I start.
He shakes his head, pinching his lower lip between his thumb and index finger, contemplating my words, “Help me make it; make sense. When we knew all along what the path was going to be. Were did “WE” get lost because I did nothing but support you, and then you went away on that trip with your family—”
“And you’re on about this again…” he interrupts, words cutting like knives because this was the theme of some of our biggest arguments.
I’m shaking my head this time, confusion inching through my brain, straining to grasp for details I thought I packed away. “Now that’s not fair…” I force, my throat burning with the effort of biting back tears. 
“Listen—this is my fault—” he says, reaching for the box, “I shouldn’t have come. I knew this would be a bad idea, but I just—”
I grasp onto the box, wanting to catch his eyes. I want to see the regret, “Tell me, does it hurt you, hurting me…I could have waited for your mom’s Facebook post…I know she’s over the moon with her…just fucking smitten that’s she’s everything and more—”
“I should go,” he says, his eyes darting to the window before he slides the box into his pocket. He opens the window, and the cold breeze flits into the dark room, reminding me of how little I have on. My eyes float to the bed, already mourning us like a fading memory—disappointment crawling up my spine, the sick twist of regret already tearing at my emotions as tears fill my eyes.
“Yeah, this was a bad idea…” I tell him, choking on the words, and I can feel my body starting to tremble. I want him gone, forever, to leave and be with his girlfriend, who will get him in the daylight. Who will kiss the mouth of the man I love for the rest of her life—and I’m sick—sick with the thought of them—and damn—This was easier when there was distance when I could pretend he didn’t exist.
“I’m sorry, bee—” He whispers, a slight trimmer in his voice as he reaches out to me, and let him because if this is all that is left. I want that last kiss. I want a kiss from the lips that were once mine, but when he pulls me in, I reach for his face, and he interjects, grasping my hands in his, denying me my one last wish.
“Harry…” I whisper, hot tears burning my eyes, “It’s just you and me right now…” I plead because he has that look of goodbye in his eyes; the reality setting in, like me standing here in his old tee-shirt, is too real for him—The cold draft of the air brings the world in with it. Yes, I feel it too, but his hands are so warm, his face is so sweet and kind, and I know what he’s about to do.
“Bee—” He tries, swallowing hard, like the words are stuck in his throat, tears drawing in his eyes, and he rubs his lips together, shaking his head as his eyes dart to our hands, and I grip his hands harder because he’s going to leave—he’s going to leave, and I’m never going to get his back; This man—the love of my life. There’s never a time he hasn’t had me, and he’s going to leave, he’s going to move on, and he will still have me because I could never let him go.
And when the tears spill over and fall down his cheeks, my body aches with a longing that’s so deep in my bone it hurts—my love for him hurts so fucking bad that I don’t think I’ll ever not love him or not want to be with him. He’s standing here breaking my heart all over again, and I still love him. I still want him always and forever like he fucking promised me because he did promise, and now she gets him; she gets to have my always and forever.
Now he’s pulling away, and I won’t let him go; I can’t let him go. “Bee…please…” he begs softly.
“I love you,” I cry out, “I love you so much, H—” and he pulls me into his body, letting me sob into his chest, my hot breath seeping into his body, and I breathe him in, trying to memorize our scent, but it there like muscle memory something I could never forget.
“You know I love you, Bee…” he breathes, pressing a warm kiss to the top of my head, “You know I will always love you, but you know that we can never do this again…”
His words slice through my pain, filling me with rage, and he’s right. We can’t do this ever again; he doesn’t get to have me like this and go back to her—and I’m so fucking mad at myself for falling into his trap because I’ve been so good. I can’t even remember the last time I talked to him. He knew what would happen when he knocked on my window, and I was so stupid to let him—yet here he is still wielding his power. 
“You have to go,” I tell him, trying to force myself from his arms, and Harry’s grip tightens.
“I’m sorry, Bee—”
“No—this was wrong—this was all wrong, and you shouldn’t have done this…we shouldn’t have done this—”
I push him toward the window, angry adrenaline a trimmer in my fingertips when I bring a shaky hand up to tuck my hair behind my ear, “You did this to us…” I tell him.
“I’m—” he starts, and I know he’s just going to try and apologize, but that will never be enough, not when I know what happens next—and what? Did he use me? Did he feel sad and come looking for my sympathy?
“Leave—” I spit.
“Bee…come on—”
“Leave!” I say louder, loud enough to send an echo through the room. He stiffens, his panic reaching his face, and I cross my arms over my chest.
“Fine—” he hisses, his hair falling into his face as he bends his body halfway through the window. Harry doesn’t even look back; he doesn’t even give me a tiny morsel of hope, and I don’t know what I was expecting. Then Harry is out the window, and I slam it shut, swiping the curtains closed.
“Merry fucking Christmas, you Asshole…” I breathe, falling onto the bed to cry. 
Here’s the thing about Christmas in my house: we wake up and celebrate, and nothing else is allowed. It’s the one time of the year when my mom is allowed to live in the delusion that everything is merry and bright. There’s no space to be sad. She’s up with the rising sun, her hair perfectly manicured, her make-up set for pictures, wrapped in a festive robe she just “rolled out of bed” in, and then she’s on to two more outfit changes. 
So this morning, when I woke, ready to welcome her joyful cheer, I was surprised to see none. I found her standing at the sink, my dad leaning against the counter like I had just interrupted a fight, maybe some disagreement they didn’t want me part of. My first thought was that they knew. They saw Harry leaving, or maybe my voice had carried, and they heard me arguing with him.
It was like being a teenager all over again as I walked toward the coffee maker to pour myself a cup. Without fail, the clink of the dish against the stone countertop ricochets through the thick silence in the room, making me jumpy; the slurp of the pour is interrupted when my mom speaks. “All I’m going to say is let’s get through this day. I don’t want to talk about it. We can call all touch base once everyone is gone—Bee, will you stay longer this time or not?” 
I’m in the midst of taking a sip, and the hot liquid hits my top lip, burning me as my eyes move from my dad to my mom in question, confused by whatever this is that I walked in on, “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay longer…I have a project—”
“Can you—?” she asks flatly like you better say “yes.” 
I look to my dad, who raises his brows, eyes widening, and he blows out a breath, his lip puffing as he brings his coffee to his mouth, “Fine.” I answer because it doesn’t seem like there’s any other option.
And that was it—She switched up her mood as quickly as the conversation ended. I stood there sipping my coffee, mentally preparing, and that’s how we carried on, pushing it under the rug.
It started with presents, each gift given its proper praise, mom all smiles, dad snapping pictures, my sister nudging my shoulder as a constant reminder to keep up the show, and it was perfect—it was— but every time the camera flashed. I could feel myself drifting to the thought of all the pictures that would greet me when I opened my phone—How her red lips and long dark hair would steal my breath, her beauty outshining us all. 
She became the jealous quake in my bones at the thought of Harry down on one knee, entrancing my thoughts, repeatedly threatening to pull me out of the moment—and now my mom is shouting from across the room, bidding for my attention, as I try and swallow the persistent lump burning a hole in my throat, making every word a battle of will to say the most straight-forward sentence—and it wasn’t fair; It wasn’t fair that I got to sit with it all day—a reel of memories cascading through my mind, always the slightest reminder to remind me of the past.
The smallest gestures, a deep-seeded pain strangling my insides; all my dad had to do was glance down at his watch. The watch Harry gave him when he turned forty or every time my mom tucked her behind her ear, I caught sight of the diamond earrings he got her and his mom, making them both laugh the last Christmas we all shared because that was our thing—it almost doesn’t seem real that our moms used to be best friends, nowadays it feels like a lifetime since they even shared one word, my mom growing bitter the day Harry broke my heart.
A sudden breakup can wreck anyone, and inherently, our families became the collateral damage, causing a complicated ripple through our families, a rigid divide that none of us knew how to address, let alone manage any semblance of a relationship; maybe that was our fault. I couldn’t be his friend. It hurt too much to try and mask my feelings, to manipulate them into something they weren’t, like right now—how I’m torturing myself, scrolling through social media, almost hoping I’ll see the pictures I know his mom will post. Perhaps it will be what I need; to rip the bandaid off, the right push I need to fucking move on because I don’t know how much longer I can live in the misery of what was and wasn’t.
Dissasoiating—the word of the day—a single word that could describe my whole day because somehow it’s dinner, and I’m sitting around the table trying to piece together the lapse in time I’ve lost. All it takes is one look at my mom to straighten up and be present. I don’t even know what they’re talking about, nor do I care, but when my cousin Jenny asks me to pass the potatoes, and the light captures the glint of her new engagement ring, my stomach drops, the hideous ache of jealousy climbing up my spine, and I’m sick again, my stomach turning at the thought, that maybe he’s already done it, maybe he’s asked her and she’s wearing his ring on her finger, and they’re sitting around the table; and every time she takes a bite it reflects the light from the chandler, everyone smiling because what a happy time, what a perfect day; what a bright fucking future they have.
This time, I can’t control it; it’s all too much, and I’m scraping the chair back, politely excusing myself, then bounding to the upstairs bathroom, yanking my phone from my pocket—and without a passing thought, I’m doing it—I’m calling Harry—by the first ring, I’m in panic mode, pacing back and forth, willing myself to end the call, trying to keep the phone from sliding down my sweaty palm.
I’m all adrenaline as I force the phone against my ear, the ring getting louder, and each time it rings, a gnarled knot of guilt builds in the depth of my belly. I keep looking to the toilet on the verge of falling to my knees and heaving anything that made its way to my stomach—then Harry forwards the fucking call to voicemail, and tears are spilling over my lids, my whole body hot, like maybe I’ll combust right here, explode with the fury of heat rising in my body.
I’m surprising myself when I press his name again, bringing the phone back to my ear, and I hold my breath, waiting for the first ring. It rings and then rings again, and by the third ring, I think I might get through—and it’s all a joke because yeah fucking right—By the fifth ring, I’m second-guessing myself again, shame eating away at my flesh, and then he’s forwarding the call again—my shame flying out the window.
Okay, yes, maybe this is the part where I tell you I should be embarrassed—but fuck it, I’m calling again, losing myself a little more each time he forwards my call. By the 8th call, I’m tormenting myself, a pitiful excuse of a human on the ground so caught up in my own grief that I don’t even hear my sister knocking on the door. The knock sounds, making my heart leap in my chest, the fear of being caught ripping through like an earth quack, and I’m up, catching sight of my reflection in the mirror, not even recognizing the person looking back at me. 
I haven’t felt this desperate since we broke up, like an anxious tick buzzing under my skin. The humiliation of it all is a time bomb, counting down the seconds until it ignites inside me—and I’m there. I ignore the steady stream of knocks and crouch down like the monster I’ve become because I can’t look at myself and do what I know I’m about to do—it’s my one last stance, and I shoot Harry a text:
“Your a fucking coward!” I send and then realize I used the wrong fucking “your,” and my pride won’t let me go out like this. I send a quick “you’re” to fix my mistake and watch the screen, knowing he is now more aware of his than before. When the line changes from “delivered” to “read,” I watch the tiny dots collect in the corner of the screen, awaiting his reply—they appear and disappear several times until it finally stops altogether, and he leaves me on read.
Just as I’m about to send “fuck you!” my sister opens the door, pushing the bobby pin she used to pick the lock back into her hair, and closes the door behind her. “Dude, whatever is going on right now—you need to get it together—it’s one fucking day, okay…that’s all mom asks for, and she’s down there growing impatient. So seriously…if you’re up here freaking out about another dude you met on a dating app—like this isn’t the time—”
“I had sex with Harry—” I confess right then and there because I know this will be the only thing that will make her understand.
“No—” she says, pulling a handful of toilet paper from the roll, “We’re not doing this right now…” She wipes the tears from my face and forces me out of the bathroom and into my room.
“You have two minutes to get your shit together. I need Mom to be in a good mood today…listen, I have big shit going on too, but you don’t see me up here crying—” and she’s right. I saw her pregnancy test in our shared bathroom trash. She must have been panicked when she half-assed her wrapping job on her test. I know I taught her better than that, but this was what I needed to pull myself back up.
I came down the stairs with a smile. Everyone in the sitting room was having coffee and dessert; this was the last stretch. This is all we had left, and then I can check my phone that my sister made me leave upstairs—and so I would drone on keeping up with conversations, tossing out witty remakes, bringing laughter and joy to everyone around, and when my mom sent me a genuine smile, I felt myself smiling back, enjoying the company of my family; and when dad slipped me the “good” eggnog I realized that there’s nothing better at taking the edge off then alcohol.
Four eggnogs in on an empty stomach, and I was working the room, exaggerating about my life and all the projects I’ve taken on at work, dodging questions about my dating life, and when my grandma brought up Harry four times, dammit, I didn’t even flinch, I just kept the conversation moving, filter out the emotions coursing through me like a breeze on a sunny day, right before a summer storm sets in. I even kept it cute and classy when cousin Jen took her engagement ring on a tour around the room, gutting me like a fish when she said, “I never thought I would get married before you…you know…like you and Harry were like “it” you know—” and I’m smiling again, getting a nod of approval from mom when she hears me congratulate Jen again, admiring her beautiful ring.
By eggnog five, I’m switching to “what he’s having,” I shout to my dad as I watched him pour, maybe whisky over the rocks, a shallow pour, but it packed a punch. I knew it was time to dial it back when I found myself leaning over Jenny, who was flipping between her social platforms, landing on Facebook, where I know for a fact Harry’s mom would be posting, taking care to tag everyone in each photo—which brings me back to the time when dear ole’ cousin Jenny started following Harry. It was Christmas break, we had just turned fifteen, and I could tell she had a crush on him. She spent all Christmas break following us around, cornering him anytime she could get him alone; I had to share my bed with her that Christmas, and I remember how miserable I was without the gift of Harry crawling through my window on Christmas Eve.
It’s wild to think of how feeble my grasp on time was when we were young, how a couple of weeks could feel like an eternity; it’s been less than a day since I saw him last. How am I supposed to go a lifetime of never hearing his voice again, to look into those green eyes that have seen me through so many changes, not to feel those hands that have cradled me like a child, held me like a lover, squeezing and pulling me into shapes that fit him; arms that carried and lifted me to heights that I could never have reached on my own—and maybe I speaking figuratively because no one has carried me at my worst or lifted me at my best until I was the best version of myself, but isn’t funny how the people that bring out our best know exactly how to rally the worst parts of us.
Mom taps her dessert spoon to her glass, grabbing everyone’s attention. It’s time for her big send-off speech. My eyes dart to my sister leaning against the fireplace, rolling her eyes, “I just want to start by saying I’m so thrilled that you’ve all chosen to spend this joyous holiday with us…you all know this is my absolute favorite holiday and every year I look forward to spending it with each and every one of you—” she tells us raising her glass, and everyone knows what’s coming next and as she starts her final lines— the same lines she uses every year—my sister sends me a wink mouthing the lines in unison with our mother.
“There’s no time like Christmas to let you know how appreciated you are. I feel honored to call you family…” and her hook, line, and sinker is, “May the light of Christmas warm your hearts this holiday season and remember love is the true spirit of Christmas—” 
My throat burns as she finishes, “And always know how much I love you and always will…so before I start getting too emotional, I better cut myself off—” she laughs, wiping a tear from her eye, and as much as I hate how crazy she gets about Christmas, she really is amazing at being so selfless; to give everyone such a beautiful day, and I’m so grateful for her and my family, and then the doorbell rings taken everyone by surprise. We all freeze, eyes moving around the room because we’re all here, and no one is expecting anyone.
“Fred—” my mom calls to my dad. “Are we expecting anyone else?” 
My dad’s reaction is slow, but he launches himself from the chair and excuses himself. When he comes back, he looks bewildered, half-tipsy as he shrugs his shoulder to tell us no one was there—and that was that. No one blinked an eye—yet my first thought was Harry, and I felt myself slipping because the whole day had passed; certainly, theirs was over by now, and the thought had me breaking my own heart, picturing her in his old bed, the whole family tucked away in their rooms, still riding out the high of such a magically joyful day.
And she’ll kiss his lip and say, “I love you.” He’ll lay her down in the bed I gave myself to him in, and he’ll make love to her like he loved me last night, and there is no end; there’s no end to the torture of it all because how can one person fuse themselves to every fiber of my being—and more importantly how could I still allow it?
As the last guest passed our threshold, Mom, being the gracious host she was, sent them off with candies and cookies, and I stood there wishing I was more like her, like my sister, who could always pretend, who knew how to wear “the smile” like a badge of honor. I wondered why this all had to be so hard. Why is love all or nothing? Why can’t we flip a switch and “poof,” it’s gone?
I watched my mom close the door, my siblings dispersing, and my dad already making his way back to his chair, but my mom just stood there. She let out a heavy sigh, her once perfect posture decompressing as she held on to the doorknob, “Oh Bee—” she said, eventually turning around to face me, and suddenly it looked like the weight of the day had finally caught up to her beautiful features, now tired—a mournful pinch between her brows, pursuing her lip while her eyes roamed my face. I’m trying my hardest to keep it together because there is something about that look a mom can give, that “I can fix everything with a hug” look.
“Do you need anything…I didn’t sleep very well last night. I was thinking of calling it early. if that’s okay?” I ask
“Oh honey, don’t worry about it…it’s been a long day for everyone,” she states, unbuttoning the first two buttons of her silk blouse, that mourful look still lacing her features.
“Let’s just deal with the clean up tomorrow…sound good, baby?” she tells me, slinging an arm around my shoulder, “I know today was hard for you…Thank you for being such a good sport. I’m so proud of the way you handled yourself. You did a beautiful job, sweetie.”  Her words catch me off guard, and I turn to face her, my throat burning at the thought that she knows everything.
I swallow hard, opening my mouth to let out the words building up, but I can only manage a small whimper. “Listen, honey,” Mom starts, and I’m already a puddle in her arms, wanting my mommy to make it all better.
“I’m not going to lie and say it gets better, but one day, it’s not going to hurt as bad as it hurts right now, and eventually, when you find someone new—” 
I gasped out a sob then, her words hitting every sore spot on my body, “Shhh—Shh—I know baby, I know—but listen,” She said, cradling my face in her hands, “I know that this isn’t what you want to hear—”
“But one day you will find someone new, and they’ll be just enough to get you over that last slump of pain, and maybe if you’re lucky enough…which I know you are…Harry will become a pleasant memory of the past, baby, because both of you were so lucky to have what you had. Not everyone will get to say they had a love like the two of you shared, and that is so so special, honey, so special—”
The tears are rolling down my cheeks faster than my mom can swipe them away, and it’s taking every ounce of strength I have to keep myself upright, “I love him so much—” I push past the sob, shuttering through me.
“I know, honey, I know—one of the hardest lessons we can learn is to let the people we love go, let them go so they can be free, and if it’s meant to be, they’ll come back—”
“I can’t, Mom, I can’t do it,” I cry, trying to bury my face into her shoulder, but she has a firm grip on it. Blair Marie, you are so strong, honey, and we are all here for you. You can do this, okay?” she says, nodding her head up and down.
“Okay?” She asks again, and I nod in agreement, “Listen—between you and me, we’re going to have our hands full anyway, right? Don’t think I don’t know about your sister—she’s next.”
I’m stunned into silence. “Yeah, I know. That’s how I felt at first. Honey, I love you. I am here for you. Now go get some rest…” she says, pushing me toward the stairs.
“Oh—and hopefully, we aren’t expecting any unexpected guests this evening….”
I shake my head, “I—” 
“Yeah, slamming your window at the crack of dawn is a dead give away—”
Somehow, she manages to get a smile out of me, and I roll my eyes, ready to make my way up the stairs, “Hey, Mom, thank you for making today so beautiful…it really was beautiful.” I tell her.
“Oh—! And Mom, thank you for those kind words. I love you.” she smiles, placing a hand over her heart, and we share a look of knowing—and without a doubt, that woman managed to lift my spirits—again. She’s too good at that; she is father fucking Christmas.
And while my heart still felt heavy, I felt like I could get through this night. I would march into my room, head straight for my phone, and turn it off; there would be no doomsday scrolling. I would take a shower, hell maybe even take a hot bath to rid myself of this day—Maybe I would even start packing away everything in my childhood room that reminded me of him, set myself up for the next year, and seriously, it was amazing how quickly the motivation surged up my chest; almost bursting at the seams with the very thought of it.
So by the time I turned my knob, I was ready, so fucking ready—But as the door clicked open, a cold chill grazed over my wrist. All I saw was my curtains billowing back and forth with the breeze flowing in and out of my window, and I rushed over to shut the damn window because I didn’t remember opening it, but maybe my sister opened it while I was fixing my make up earlier and that’s when I hear it:
“Bee—” 
I slam the window shut, panic rushing through me, every limb of my body shaking with it as I turn toward the sound. And there he is, the love of my life, sitting on the edge of my bed, hunched over with his face buried in his hands, and when he looks up. I can tell he’s been crying, and he pulls a small box from his pocket and places it on the nightstand, right next to the very same box that held his future, and all he says is, “I couldn’t do it—”
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littlemisssatanist · 3 days ago
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the jackal x fem reader
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~ i am a whore for eddie redmayne so you should thank his face for being so gorgeous
~ this is 2k words of poorly written and unedited smut. if you see typos,,, no you didnt.
~ i need his face in my chest thats like the only reason i wrote this
~ ty for everyones lovely comments on the last part!
~ look at my art of my beautiful husband who is too old for me
~ BEFORE I FORGET. i have a longfic idea for this sorta universe,,, a mr and mrs smith type of situation crossover w sherlock bbc as a case fic. what do we think
part one | part two
You lead him back to a hotel room. Your hotel room, though not for much longer. The people who had hired you paid for everything, and once they heard you had betrayed them, they would eventually be able to track you down. The faster you left, the better.
The Jackal kept you in his sight the entire time, staring into the back of your head as if he was trying to cut a hole right through it.
It’s not like I would have hurt him anyways, you thought mulishly, poking your tongue into your cheek, troubled. Your mind had already been made up before you had even stepped into the room.
You could never hurt him.
As you walked into the room, he stalked past you and started examining everything, keeping an eye on you all the same.
“It’s clean,” you offered, but he only shot you a side glance, not bothering to acknowledge you had said anything. You worked hard to keep yourself from letting the hurt show on your face.
Instead, you ask: “Married?” 
Trying to lighten the mood, you couldn’t help but notice the ring on his finger. By the way his face tightened, you knew it was the wrong thing to say.
“Divorced,” he muttered. “You?” he added, as an afterthought.
“No,” you shook your head. You had thought about it once, a long time ago, but it never worked out. You simply could not stop thinking about him.
The Jackal sat down next to you on the bed, done with his search. He was close, closer than you would imagine comfortable. This close, you could see every freckle and mark on his face.
You are definitely not complaining.
“Her loss,” you whispered. At his questioning glance, you clarified: “Your wife.”
The tips of his fingers brushed over yours and you shivered.
He huffed out a laugh, shaking his head. “No, it was my fault. She deserved better than me.”
His eyes flickered shut as he leaned in closer. You could feel his breath on your face.
“Probably,” you agreed, tilting your head away to admire the earlier hickey you had left. He blinked a couple of times, confused by the sudden distance you had put between them. Then you pressed your hand into the purple mark, and he hissed and pulled away. 
He went to lean against the headboard and you followed him, climbing into his lap. His hands immediately found your waist even as he tried to push you away.
Instead, you only pressed his hips against his, hands caging him in on either side of the headboard.
“Come on, J,” you crooned. “Don’t you miss this?”
“You tried to kill me!” He snapped. “Forgive me if I’m not so forthcoming.”
You frowned. “You were literally all up in my business not even five seconds ago. Besides, if I wanted you dead, then I wouldn’t have announced my presence,” you cupped his cheek as gently as possible. You couldn’t stop looking at his freckles. “I was never going to kill you.”
He paused, eyes threatening to flutter shut at your touch. Then he pushed you away again, seemingly remembering why he was mad at you. “Then why did you take the job in the first place?”
You resisted, pressing your forehead against his. “I was trying to protect you,” you said mockingly slowly, as if trying to make him understand something very simple. His cheeks reddened with humiliation and anger. “I knew that taking the job would give you some time. And the only reason I threatened you was because I thought you wouldn’t want to see me anymore.”
The end of your words turned into a soft whine, and you nosed his face into his. Your thumb pressed past his lips and into his mouth, gagging him. His tongue immediately met your thumb, swirling around it on instinct. You moaned, kissing the edges of his mouth.
“Get off,” he managed to mumble through his make-shift gag, saliva dripping past his chin.
“Alexander,” you murmured. “Look at me.”
His name, his real name, snapped him out of the lustful haze your actions had put him into. It had been so long, how had you even remembered that? He should have never told you.
He pushed you away and you finally relented, letting him throw you back onto the mattress and climb on top of you.
“Fuck you,” he said, before swooping down and capturing your lips with his.
The kiss was hot and searing, and you could feel his large hands feeling up your body.
“That’s the idea, J,” you mumbled into his mouth, running your own hands up his back and tugging on his shirt. You needed him naked. Now.
He pulled away, biting your bottom lip as he went, tugging his shirt above his head. You watched from beneath him, admiring the ways his abs flexed before he dropped his hands and caged you in between them.
“You look nice,” you breathed, your hands creeping up his chest. “Ah… I remember this. But the background was different. Ah-!”
J buried his face into the crook of your neck, biting down harshly onto the soft skin there. At the same time, his hand slipped down your pants and underneath your panties, finding the growing wetness between the apex of your thighs.
“It… it was something like,” you sighed as he slipped two fingers inside, “a desert scene? R-remember that, J? Fuck!”
He curled the fingers inside you, his free hand making a large bruise the way it pressed into your waist so tightly. He kissed up your neck and jaw and eventually found your mouth, muffling the words that couldn’t help but spill out.
He remembered it too. The Al-Qaeda operation, the wedding party, the car bomb. You had been a junior sniper working with his team, and he could not help but notice the way your quiet gaze kept falling on him. You met him in his room that night, slipping past the door silently. You weren’t so quiet then, and you weren’t so quiet now.
When he killed the rest of his team, he let you live.
Maybe it was a mistake to do that. But the way the moans kept falling from your mouth, he wasn’t in any position to regret his decision. His thumb pushed at your clit, circling it faster as your voice grew to a higher pitch, as moans and gasps filled the air quicker. He swallowed your sounds as they came out, not letting you get in any air.
The hand holding your waist came to rest at your neck. It was so thin, so easy to just wrap his fingers around it and choke the life out of you. He began to apply pressure, just the tiniest bit, but the way your breath hitched, he knew that you knew the power he had right now.
Your chest heaved up and down against his. Dimly he realized that he had neglected to take off your blouse and bra.
He pulled away slightly, continuing his circular movements on your clit. A thin strand of saliva connected your mouths, and he broke it with a soft flick of his tongue. The hand on your neck tightened, and you released a strangled groan. 
You were vulnerable. Completely at his mercy.
But you found that you didn’t mind. You wanted it. A relationship with him, one in which you could trust that he wouldn’t hurt you, the same way you could never bring yourself to hurt him. 
The pressure on your neck furthered, and your hands instinctively went to his wrist, gripping it tightly. He stared into your eyes. You could feel the wave of pleasure in your stomach growing, legs twitching subconsciously, tightening around the hand in between your thighs.
“P-please…” you managed to choke out, arching your back and rolling your eyes as the pleasure passed the precipice and washed over, stringing your body taut before allowing it to collapse into what felt like a melting puddle.
His hand left your neck, brushing over the dark bruise he had left behind. Something in him felt vindicated, glad to have caused you pain. He kissed the deepest part of the bruise, smiling against your skin as you inhaled sharply at the touch. 
You bring your hands to brush through his hair, gripping it tightly to pull him away from your neck, half heartedly throwing him away. He rolled off, groaning, painfully hard.
“Give me a moment,” you gasped, trying to catch your breath. Wow. “Fuck.”
“Good?” He asked.
You nodded, before realizing he probably couldn’t see it. You let your hand find his instead, squeezing it. He sighed.
“I need to go take a cold shower,” He said, moving to get up.
By some miraculous show of strength, you managed to sit up before him and pressed your hand against his abdomen, shoving him back down.
“No. We’re not done yet.”
He stared at you as you swung your leg over his lap, hovering above him. His face was still flushed red, making his dark freckles stand out against his skin. His eyes flicked from between your face to where his erection made a tent in his pants.
“Ok,” he muttered. “Take off your shirt.”
You obeyed immediately, fingers thumbing to undo the buttons on your blouse. The Jackal watched you hungrily, hands coming back to hold onto your waist. They were burning hot against your now bare skin, moving up your spine to unclip your bra and let your breasts free.
He cupped them; the heat making you gasp as you worked to take off your pants. You managed to get them to hang at your knees, finally sitting down on his lap and pressing against his clothed cock.
“Fuck,” he groaned, hips pressing upwards.
You circled your hips, mouth falling open at the stimulation to your clit. It was still overly sensitive from his fingers earlier, and the roughness of his jeans did nothing to help soothe it.
“I need your cock in me,” you moaned. “Please.”
The Jackal let out a strangled sound at your words, managing to sit up and push down his pants. His cock sprang free, nudging against your soaking wet panties. You grinded against him, wrapping your arms around his neck, feeling his back muscles.
He pulled at the band of your panties, allowing them to snap back against your skin. One of your hands finds itself back in his hair, pushing his face into your chest. You can feel him grinning, a low laugh rumbling from his throat.
Finally, finally, he lined up his cock with your pussy and pushed inside. Your mouth fell open in a small ‘o’ at the feeling of complete fullness. He was burning you up from the inside.
He pressed kisses to your bare skin, face still buried in your chest as he kept his hips moving against yours. Pleasure began to build up in you once more, and you knew by the soft grunts and moans that fell out of the Jackal's mouth, he was close too. 
“Inside,” you whimpered, clutching onto him so tightly you wouldn't be surprised if he wouldn't ever be able to separate from you. “P-please.”
You raised your hips, his cock slipping out completely, before slamming back down. Your lips met, more clashing teeth than a kiss. His tongue consumed the inside of your mouth, stealing away your breath as you came once more.
Still riding the high, you had enough sense to realize he had also come, just seconds after you, cum filling you and dripping out slightly. 
You swayed slightly, and the both of you fell to the side, his cock still inside you.
Your chest fell up and down. The Jackal shifted closer towards you, placing his head back in the valley of your breasts. Your hand immediately comes to his hair to keep them there.
The two of you lay like that for a while, before you groaned.
“We need to go,” you muttered.
The Jackal mumbled something you couldn't hear. You begin to get up, but he doesn't move, the heavy weight forcing you to flop back down. 
“J,” you patted his back.
“... give me five minutes.”
You sighed. “Yeah, ok.”
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part one | part two
tags: (for those who commented they wanted a second part (if you didnt want to be tagged,,, uh lmk) @affective-disorder @simp-ly-writes @freya260
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karuuhnia · 3 hours ago
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TF2 Chapter 7 - Karuuhnia's analysis
Christmas came early for the TF2 fandom this year, didn't it? (Well, it really came 7 years LATE if we're completely honest lol)
It was an emotional rollercoaster and had a happy, wholesome ending and conclusion for both the mercs and for us. Several mysteries from the past comics were resolved.
And you know me: I love to overthink and overanalyze every bit of lore and story that I can get my fingers on lmao
So here's my essay:
A) Solved mysteries:
1. What the Administrator was planning
It turns out: There WAS no evil plan of world domination or whatever. Just pure hatred for a man who ruined her life - apparently. It's been so long she doesn't even remember the reason. But the thought of revenge was enough to fuel her every life choice.
And to think, it all could have ended in the 1850s already - if it weren't for smart-ass Gray Mann and his narcissistic tendencies to brag about his knowledge and plans. (How he himself figured this out is never explained.)
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He was the one who introduced the Administrator to Australium in the first place, around 1850ish. If he hadn't told her that it could bring people back from the dead and prolong life, the senseless Gravel War would have ended with Blutarch's and Redmond's natural deaths.
Well, on the other hand we must be glad that the conflict didn't go on even longer.
Since Dell stated that none of his family members ever went into the room where Zepheniah was kept, the Administrator must have build all of that herself, right? That would certainly explain why it looks so crude and consumes so much Australium. I mean, look at this construction and then compare it to the one Dell built:
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The Mark 5 machine gave her ~6 months of life for just a tiny flask of Australium. Imagine what would have happened if one of the Conaghers had improved Zeph's machine as well! She could have kept the zombiefied corpse in a living nightmare for many centuries more instead of burning through tons and tons of Australium so quickly. Good thing it didn't come to that.
2. Who helped the Administrator
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Well, we didn't get a clear answer, but I think it's safe to conclude now that it was the Administrator's elite merc teams A-E that obtained all the Australium during the 6 months Miss Pauling and the TF2 team went off the grid. Which only further proves that the Administrator did not really care for Pauling at all and only came to her and her "team of rejects" as a last resort, after everything else had failed.
It's really heartbreaking how much Pauling admired her and wanted to be her trusted second-in-command while the Admin apparently never even invited her to the secret HQ. Nobody there even KNEW of Team Fortress after all. It was such a relief to see Pauling let go in the end and choose a free life instead.
3. Scout's second chance
Well, not really a mystery here, but I really like how Scout had an epiphany that there were other girls out there that would like him as he was and moved on from Miss Pauling. There was no heartbreak, no animosity, no rejection. They are still friends and support each other! I love it!
And then Scout even saved all of humanity by having sex with several women so that God wouldn't have to destroy the world! What a great, selfless guy he is!
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I really love Spy and Scout after the time skip. No more bickering, no more annoyance, no more mean comments, just kindness. Spy is also so sweet to his grandchildren! ADSGFSDAF
I hope they all remain in contact and on good terms. Because let's not forget: Scout's health isn't good and he even has a confirmed death date. Which is only 8 years into the future of 1979.
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All of his orphaned children would still be minors at that point. When it comes to that I hope Spy and Scout's Ma can take care of their grandchildren.
4. What Charles Darling and Maggie were planning
Darling stated he wanted to obtain Australium in order to make his rare animals immortal and in return he would get Saxton's company back.
The way Maggie always reacted to Saxton led me to believe she knew Darling was planning something ELSE and she felt bad for not telling Saxton and having to betray him in the end:
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But turns out, I probably just misinterpreted Maggie's facial expressions. She looked so sad because she loved going on adventures with Saxton again and just hated the thought that he'd go back to Mann Co. afterwards.
I'm very happy that in the end Saxton let go of the company and spent the rest of his days punching wild animals with his true love! (Althought he might have started a war again, now between Reddy and Bidwell lol)
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B) Unsolved and new mysteries
However, as much as I loved the last chapter, I feel there are still a lot of things that were never cleared up or adequately explained.
So after re-reading every single comic and update page these are some other things I still find inconclusive:
1. Olivia Mann's mother
Not really that important to be fair, but still: Is she really the biological daughter of the 150 old mummy Gray Mann? If so, who is the poor woman who… mated with him and where is she now?
Or was Olivia adopted, abducted or grown in a lab? Well, at least she gets to live a happy and free life now and is provided for by the dad who stepped up. Good on you, Saxton!
2. Darling's knowledge
Back to Darling real quick: Why DID Maggie start working for her nemesis?
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HOW did Charles Darling learn about Australium's properties and the Administrator's history?
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There is also the fact that the Mann triplets' mother was a Darling!
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These things were never brought up again! Whyyyyyyyy?????
3. What was all the set-up with the TFC mercs about?
The TFC mercs made several ominous remarks that made us believe there was more to them:
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Both Virgil and Greg were trying to say something interesting, but then got cut off before the revelation. And especially TFC Heavy talked about dying as if it was an immediate danger to all of them. Sure, they were old, but they were still going strong, being able to kill all of the Admin's elite teams after all.
4. Fred's destiny (and identity?)
In Chapter 6 Spy disguised as Fred, trying to trick Virgil. After being found out, the two had this conversation:
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Spy managed to impersonate Fred really well apparently. That means he must have studied Fred's personality, mannerisms and way of speaking before he went to Virgil. That also means he must have spent quite a while talking to and studying Fred. Did he and Sniper capture and interrogate him? But more importantly: What happened afterwards? Tbh, they probably just killed him off-screen after learning what they needed.
Because I no longer believe that Fred was Dell's father, as much as that sucks. It would have made for a great plot point and possible conflict within the team.
But Fred obviously had no idea about anything related to Australium or the immortality machines.
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Since later on in Chapter 7 Dell says that neither his grandfather, his father nor he himself ever set foot in that basement, we can conclude that they all knew that the Administrator was hiding something nefarious down there. Which also means they WORKED for her and thus must have also worked on her immortality machine. So it makes no sense that Fred would not know anything about that if he really were Dell's father.
That still leaves us with the question: Why was young Fred in the photo with child Dell? Or WAS this guy even Fred?
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I mean, a lot can happen in 40ish years between those two pictures:
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But my new headcanon now is: These two are not the same person. TFC Medic had to replaced by our beloved Dr. Herbert Ludwig (still not over that name btw lmao), so who says the original TFC Engie wasn't replaced too at one point? TFC Heavy was very obviously worried about his friends dying one after the other.
Virgil said he knew Fred since before the war. So maybe after Dell's father died/left the team, Virgil told TFC Heavy about his old comrade Fred who also happened to be an Engineer. And only then Fred became part of TFC.
But as I said, that's just my headcanon. In reality it's probably just an inconsistency over the many years of convoluted lore. lol
5. Soldier's cave, covered in Australium
In A Cold Day in Hell Soldier and Zhanna have the following conversation:
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First it's a stink-barn, then he claims to be homeless. But in Chapter 7 Heavy suddenly says that Soldier lives in a cave.
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And it turns out there is tons of Australium in that cave! Now of course I wonder: When did Soldier move into that cave and where is it located? We were always told that Australium only exists in Australia. But I highly doubt this American patriot owns a cave in Australia. Also, how is it possible that the Admin and the elite mercs never managed to find this cave? Did they just not bother to look in America because all known Australium is in Australia?
So in return, does that mean that Australium is NOT exclusive to Australia after all? If so, there could still be hidden caches of the stuff anywhere on Earth. At least the Admin and Gray Mann are no longer around to collect it and Miss Pauling does not look for it anymore either. The only one who still has an interest in it is Charles Darling. Him again...
6. Soldier with the photo of the Mann family
Quick reminder: This is the only version of the family photo we'd seen up until this point:
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But when Soldier and Merasmus are held by the mafia and the wizard asks him why he needed so much money, Soldier pulls out an intact, unteared photograph of the Mann family!!!
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His thumb conveniently covers up the still unknown person standing in the middle. How did Soldier obtain this photo? How does he even know who everyone is, considering he's, well, Soldier?
Could he have any relations to the unknown person in the middle? And why DOES he need so much money (granted, it was only like 20 $ in the end, but still lol)?
Am I just overthinking this? Has anyone an explanation??? Is he and if yes, HOW is Soldier connected to the frigging Mann family??????
*cough* Anyway. This concludes my analysis of the TF2 lore. For now. If I come up with more things or if Valve ever decides to continue the story (That was a joke, haha, fat chance), I will come back to this. In the meantime, thank you for reading this and please feel free to share your own ideas and opinions! I'd love to read all of it! ❤️
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thebramblewood · 2 days ago
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I was tagged by @retrotrait, @simvanie, @moonwoodhollow, @aheathen-conceivably annnnnnd @salemssimblr to post my top 24 screenshots from 2024, but I jumped the gun on posting a retrospective earlier this month.
I still wanted to do something, though, so I'm going to take some inspiration from @elderwisp and talk about my favorite story scenes of the year specifically - since there's nothing I love more than yapping and reminiscing.
Before I start rambling, I'll tag @living-undead, @esotericas-sims, @fallstaticexit, @simsdaughters, @biffybobs, @whyeverr, @kissalopa and @earthmoonz! I'm sure some of you have already done this (and no pressure if you don't want to), but I'd love to see you reflect on your year in whatever way suits you!
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Good food and hard truths with Grace Anansi (one, two). I think this is quietly one of my favorite moments in the story so far because it revealed so much about Caleb's past that until this point had only been hinted at. It also gave him a friend and confidante, which he sorely needed. This was an extremely lengthy and exposition-heavy conversation, so it was challenging but rewarding to write, edit (endlessly), and execute in a compelling way. Plus, its final moments had to lead seamlessly into...
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Party like a spellcaster (one, two). I think this was the first flashback in the story, so it was a pretty big deal! It was also the point where my ambitions started making scene preparation increasingly complicated. I spent a hell of a long time converting broomsticks and potions into pose accessories, but I was so pleased with how the vision came together, and it taught me a lot of skills that have become indispensable as my ideas grow more elaborate. Overall, it was a welcome moment of levity and joy for Caleb, even as we know tragedy looms in the future.
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Lilith does a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad thing. Turns out once I started doing flashback scenes, I couldn't stop. You guys have no idea how it felt to sit on this particularly nasty secret for months. I wanted it to be a shocking reveal that fully established Lilith's villain status, but I also knew I would have to get her back into Helena's - and our - good graces eventually. It's been interesting to write a character like her who you love and hate at once. Ultimately, I want all of us to be on the same rollercoaster ride as Helena, equal parts repulsed and fascinated. This was especially wild to bring to life because it felt pretty surreal to be adding a whole new layer to this idea that originated years ago in my legacy!
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Helena Zhao can't come to the phone right now. I was very proud of this scene because it was the first one where I made all the poses myself. It was also a major turning point in Helena and Julia's relationship, where their sisterly bond is deeply tested. I may have cried a little while writing and shooting it. I really enjoyed the brief moments we got to spend in Julia's perspective, and I hope to bring her back if the story calls for it. Although she was in extreme shock at what her sister had done, I imagine she'd eventually come around to having a bit more compassion for her situation. She'd probably be open to reconciling someday, presuming Helena ever sets foot in Copperdale again.
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Reunited and it feels so... good? (one, two). I didn't even realize I posted Helena and Lilith's reunion on April Fool's! Everyone was waiting with bated breath to see if they would ever cross paths again... and who are we kidding? Of course they would! I had a very good time writing this conversation and giving Helena a chance to finally get everything off her chest - though, of course, she couldn't help but be worn down by Lilith's manipulative charm in the end. And then Caleb got his comeuppance for keeping the truth of what happened a secret for so long, reminding us once again just how scary Lilith can be.
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Plasma Pals! As dark as this story is, I enjoy weaving in moments of comedy and lightness when I can, so it was really fun to portray Caleb and Helena's evolving friendship through the lens of a cheesy sitcom. I wasn't sure it would hit with anyone other than me because the funniest things I write are usually accidental. It's hard to be funny on purpose! But it ended up being possibly my most popular story post ever, so obviously I did something right.
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Lilith teaches Helena the true art of supernatural seduction. I wanted this section of the story to be all about the two very different approaches Lilith and Caleb take to teaching Helena. This was one of my most technically challenging scenes. I shot the entire attack sequence twice because I was underwhelmed the first time. But in the end I'm glad I took the time to do that because it contains some of my favorite screenshots ever and really conveys Helena's internal struggle. But will she be able to resist when it inevitably happens again?
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The night where it all began, part one. I love this entire series of flashbacks, but I'm particularly fond of the opening because we finally get a glimpse into what Caleb and Lilith's relationship was like as humans. It turns out they liked each other! And only bickered in a light-hearted way! And conspired and giggled together! This was another scene where I made all the poses. It was exhausting, but these flashbacks to the Vatores' vampire origins were so important for me to get right. I'd been thinking about them for a long time, so I wanted them to be as perfect as possible.
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How Caleb was transformed, one and two. Again with the flashbacks! I think part of the reason I like them so much is because, as much work as they are, they always offer a change of scenery that refreshes my creativity. This particular scene was one I was obsessing over for months, so I had cultivated a very specific vision of how it would play out and didn't want to compromise. I'm glad I had the foresight to start learning posing far enough in advance that I felt ready to take it on. If I had to choose, this is my single favorite scene of the year. Everything came together exactly how I wanted, and it gives me chills every time I revisit it.
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A very vampiric dinner date, part two. This entire sequence took so much work to complete from beginning to end! But it was the first big outing beyond Forgotten Hollow in a while, and I wanted it to be special. I enjoyed being able to put a bunch of pre-mades into compromising positions with your guys' vampires. As much of a pain as it is to pose multiple Sims, the end results are always worth it. And then, of course, the sequence resolves in Helena and Lilith having a genuine moment of intimacy for the first time since Helena was turned, which had us all squealing.
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Helena is horny and confused. Can you believe this is the only Ulrike appearance of the year? 😭 I'm really glad I managed to sneak one in. Even though they broke up before she was turned, Ulrike is the ultimate reminder of Helena's human life, of everything she left behind and of what could have been. Other than her family, Ulrike is who Helena misses most when she thinks about the past. This scene was pulled together quickly based on me finding the pose pack. I wasn't entirely sure if it would even work as part of the main narrative. But I feel like the spontaneity made it feel extra special, even if it is a smaller moment.
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Forgotten Hollow 101. If anything, the theme of this year has been taking an increasingly long amount of time to finish every post. This is in part because I got busier in the second half of the year but also because I can't stop thinking up crazy complicated ideas. This one took me a month more or less. Even though each vampire only had one picture, it required a lot of effort to get them all in game, find poses, set up locations, etc.! But it was so important to me to do justice to your guys' vampires, so I was happy to take the time, even in the couple of moments where I began to feel burned out. I hope to keep showing off your lovely creations next year!
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snowblossomreads · 2 days ago
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Day 24 - Christmas Party
Pairing(s)/Character(s): David Friedman x Fem!Detective Reader
Summary: In where David and [Y/n] ditch the annual work Christmas party for a party of their own.
Tag(s)/Warning(s): Smut (roleplaying, women on top, p in v, dirty talk)
A/N: OH MY GOD IT'S OVER 😭😭😭😭. How has Rickmas come to an end so soon??? I have sooo many stories to catch up on as I literally spent almost every free moment writing. But it has been so worth it! I'm so proud that I've written for every prompt this year because hoooo boi was it looking shakey at times. Thank you everyone who has been reading and a big thank you of course to @deepperplexity for hosting this 🎊!!! Now without further a do lets close this out with a little bit of smut huh?
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"So, what you’re tellin' me Dave, is that you were home all Thursday night. Mindin' your business and reading when the incident took place. Is that correct?"
"Yeah, been sayin' that for the past 20 minutes, but it seems like you ain't been listenin' detective."
"Oh no my hearin' and listenin' is just fine, I just wanted to make sure that was your story. It is your story isn't it?"
He rolled his eyes at the question being posed once again, before crossing his arms against his chest and leveling a glare at the woman who had been interrogating him.
"I said already, I ain't go nowhere and I ain't see no one. I went to work and straight back home after. Do you have anything else or can I go?" 
A smirk crossed her lips and a little 'hmm' passed through them as she walked towards him. Her hips swaying with each step, and her fingers gliding on the edge of the cold metal table in the room as she approached the seated man. When she finally stood to the side of him, she leaned down, giving him a very ample view of her breasts that were close to falling out of the festive red bra she wore underneath her dress.
"Well if that's the case," she purred, bringing his attention back to her face. "Tell me why we got that handsome mug of yours all over the security camera at the bar at the same time as that little mishap."
"Bullshit."
"Bullshit indeed. Cause everything you done told me already has been bullshit. So." Straightening herself up, and depriving the man of the nice view he had before, she leaned on the table, that 'caught you' smile still plastered on her features as she questioned him. "Now either you come clean and tell me what you were really doing that day, or I can have you locked up and the keys thrown away. Your choice." She winked at him before hopping up on the table to sit on the edge of it as she waited for his answer. 
One she already knew.
"Naw neither, I want my lawyer before I say anything else."
"Neither wasn't an option though."
"And I don't care," he stated with a clear look of annoyance etched on his face as he looked at the woman. "I know how this whole thing works, and I'm supposed to get a lawyer so until then I ain't tellin' ya nothin'."
Oh, that was not going to do.         
"Fine then. How about we ignore what you said before and you just tell me what you were doing there?" She suggested, garnering a suspicious yet intrigued look from the older man who seemed to give the idea thought. "We got you on camera, and that's some mighty hard evidence to beat but, I be willing to let you go if you tell me what you were doing there. Clear you of all this mess."
"What else would I be doing at a bar detective? Do you always ask questions like this? No wonder why the department can't solve nothin' these days."
[Y/n] smirked. Almost laughed really at how grumpy he was becoming but she pressed on, knowing that it be much more entertaining if she stirred him up a little bit more.
"I know, I know but you know them cameras caught some stuff. I just wanna know that's all. Hear it from the horse's mouth and all that. Now if you tell me the truth here, I'll ignore everything you said earlier."
He glared at her for a moment but knowing he was in the hot seat he gritted his teeth and nodded before he answered the question.
"Fine, I was meeting someone."
"Who."
"Someone."
"Oh come on now, that's not part of the deal. Who were you meeting, a friend, colleague…?"
"A friend."
"A friend, or a friend friend." 
He raised an eyebrow at that question before putting on a frown.
"Now why the hell does that matter?" 
"Come on tell me. You stay at the bar with 'em, or did ya'll go somewhere else afterward?
"I-."
"And don't forget," she interrupted, a sly little grin on her lips. "We got the tapes so you be better of tellin' the truth." 
"Yeah, yeah you done said that already," he groused before letting out a sigh. "We left around 10 that night. I only know because the news came on the TV and we decided to call it quits."
[Y/n] nodded satisfied with the answer, before continuing to question him.
"I see, I see, and this friend of yours, was it a man or a woman?"
"Woman."
"She pretty?"
"Fucking gorgeous."
Heat rose in [Y/n]'s cheeks at the speed of his response, and she was speechless for a second as David smirked at her, knowing he had thrown her off her game. 
"Dave you're going off script," [Y/n] complained yet there was no real anger directed toward him as she frowned. Or at least tried to. Still feeling the effects of the sudden off script answer.
"I know, just tryin' to help you get to the climax of things," he answered cheekily before she blew a raspberry at him.
"Ain't time for all that yet," he teased, causing [Y/n] to playfully stick her tongue out at him. "But I sure wouldn't mind if we hurried up to that part. Don't want nobody seein' we done gone missin' from the party and come looking for us."
He had a point.
"Well, then how 'bout we skip the boring part and move on to the action?"
"I won't say no to that."
Giving him a curt nod, she took a deep breath, shook her head, and got back into character.
"So what ya'll do after leaving the bar?" [Y/n] asked. "You take her home with you or something? Gentleman like you seem like you'd make sure she get to where she's going safely."
"Yeah, I took her home."
"Oh," [Y/n] hummed curiously as she scooted closer. "Mind me askin' whose home you took her to?"
"I do, but I'll still tell you. Took her to hers of course."
"So you are a gentleman, how nice," she responded as she finally made it to the edge closest to him as she kicked her legs up and down.
"Mostly."
"I bet you weren't one when you got inside were you?" 
"Well, she told me she didn't want me to be. So, I say I still was when I listened to her and fucked her like she wanted," he concurred with an air of confidence that made the room much to warm for her current state of dress. 
[Y/n] worried her bottom lip momentarily at the memory of him practically tossing her on the sofa and fucking her over it. The thought caused heat to bloom in her belly, and it made its way in between her legs, where she had to force herself not to squeeze her thighs together for some pressure. Yeah, he sure did fuck her like no gentleman could. Just the thought made her want to call this whole thing quits just so they could get to the good bit but no, no, they were almost there. Just a bit more.
"You lookin' a bit sick detective," David pointed out as [Y/n] zoned back in, clearing her throat and crossing one leg over the other to put some pressure on her lower half. "Need a doctor or somethin'?"
"You really are a gentleman," she responded with a smile," that's nice of you but no. I don't think a doctor can fix this ache I got."
"Now if I didn't know no better, it sounds like you're coming on to me detective," David pointed out, his brows lifting in faux surprise as he watched [Y/n] give him a fleeting smirk. "That don't seem too proper to me detective. Askin' if I took a woman home and fucked her. You sure this just for your little story you gonna tell your boss?"
"Of course it is! Cause if you said you fucked her as hard as you did, which I believe, then you wouldn't have no energy to go and commit any of them crimes they tryin' to pin you for wouldn't you?" [Y/n] asked as she began to trail her hand up her thigh, her hand catching the edge of her dress as she pulled it up inch by inch.
"Mhmm, that's right," he answered, swallowing harshly as his eyes began to wander down to the exposed flesh on her upper thigh. Her fingers drawing little circles on her skin as she smiled innocently at him, even if the look in her eyes was anything but.
"But you know, all I got is your word. And well. Words are words. And actions." She scooted all the way onto the table and turned her body so that she was facing him directly. Her legs spread apart for him and her clothed cunt almost at eye level for him as she used her elbows to support her.  A smirk graced her lips and she was met with a hungry look from David who looked ready to devour her.
"Are actions."
All it took was a wink from her, before David was launching forward and practically dragging her towards him by her calves. 
Once he was close, he leaned down and a squeak of delight left [Y/n]'s lips as he began to pepper hot kisses all the way up her exposed thighs and up towards her cunt that was already fluttering with excitement. Each kiss he planted, was accompanied by a soft groan from his lips as he pushed the skirt of her dress up towards her belly so he could have more access to her.
Inch by inch he moved closer to where she wanted him the most, and when his warm breath brushed over her opening that already throbbed with need, she let out a shaky sigh.
"Mmm fuck yeah Dave, show me how good you fucked your little friend," [Y/n] purred darkly, her eyes heavily lidded as she stared at him with the most smoldering look she could. "Maybe I'll let you go and tell my boss you ain't got nothin' to do with the case."
He smirked at her. "That a deal detective?"
"God as my witness."
No sooner had she said that, he made quick work of her panties that she was more than happy to shed as he ripped them off her with a powerful yank that had her moaning. Those thin things weren't even comfortable, and she was glad to have them off and have it replaced by,
"Fuuucckk!" She let out a broken cry as she felt his warm tongue begin to explore her opening that was already slick with her need for him.
He took his time lapping along the edges of her folds, sucking the soft warm flesh in between his lips, and savoring the tangy flavor of the woman beneath him who quivered and whined her pleasure. Her hips rocked towards him with each swipe of his tongue, and when he made his way to the little swollen bead that was peeking out between her damp folds, he just had to have a taste of it. 
Taking his fingers and using them to pull her dampness apart so that he could see all of her, David smirked at the soft noise she let out before he let out a groan at the heady scent that filled his nostrils. 
Leaning forward, he did a test lick, flicking his tongue over the swollen bead, and the response was a sweet little gasp from the woman above him. Her hips twitched and her stomach clenched as she wiggled forward in hopes that he would do what he just did again. And being the gentleman he was, he did, this time flatting his tongue against her as he began to aggressively lap at the sensitive nub that caused a hot pleasure to bloom in her. 
"Oh, oh, oh yes right there," [Y/n] gasped as her hand flew to grab his hair as he began devouring her soaking cunt like it was the last meal he was going to have. His tongue circled her swollen bead carefully yet with speed and pressure that had her keening and whimpering his name under her breath as he alternated between licking and sucking. 
The harsher he sucked, the louder the noise she would make, and the harder she would tug at his hair in an attempt to pull him closer to her. Each lick had her thighs falling open even wider as she gave him all the access he needed to devour her.
Once he was satisfied with how swollen her clit was, he moved down, his tongue trailing from the sensitive bundle of nerves, down to her opening that clenched at nothing. Prodding her wetness with his tongue, he moaned, savoring her before he placed his mouth around her and began to suck and kiss at her opening. 
"Oh my god!" She shouted in surprise at having her cunt be suddenly engulfed by his hot mouth as he ate her out.
Her head fell back towards the table as she rolled her hips towards him, her eyes fluttering close as she tried to keep herself semi-upright. His tongue explored her insides as his nose bumped against her clit while he sucked and licked her enthusiastically. Her noises and movement under him were affecting him so much, that he began to grind his hips against the table, his cock beginning to strain at his slacks as he tasted all [Y/n] had to offer him. 
The familiar bubble of heat increased in her stomach as he swirled his tongue inside of her, drinking each drop of her wetness that she gave, while she panted his name out. Her stomach clenched with each stroke of his tongue, and when he added his fingers into the mix, she knew she would fall of that cliff faster than she wanted. And she only wanted to do that once she had his cock inside of her. 
"N-no wait," she panted out as she tried to push Dave away. But it seemed as if he wasn't having any of that, as he pushed forward diving deeper into her and making her cry out. "Please oh my god, oh Dave please," she begged, her limbs flailing a bit at the pleasure of him stroking her and pushing at the sensitive part right at the top of her entrance. "P-please wanna come on your cock," she babbled as she tried to stop him, yet her body had other ideas as it didn't want to be away from him for any amount of time.
Her words though seemed to get him to stop, albeit slowly, as his fingers began to slow their stretching of her, and that devilish tongue of his took one last taste before he pulled away completely. 
David was a sight to see when he looked at her, and her breath hitched at the sight of his lust-filled eyes that were paired with his chin, mouth, and the rest of the bottom half of his face glistening with her juices. 
God damn was he a sexy son of a bitch.
"You wanna come on my cock detective?" He asked as he straightened himself, a dark twinkle in his eyes as he continued to play the suspect even if [Y/n] was done and just wanted to fuck.
But no, she was the one who asked for this, and she was going to play it out.
Nodding her head, [Y/n] used the little strength she had left to push herself up so that she was sitting upright. Her thighs spread for a second longer to allow him to see her glistening cunt before she closed them and was scooting forward towards him. 
The cold metal did nothing to soothe the heat of her skin as she inched closer and closer to him. Each movement made him go back until he was sitting in his chair, and she was standing in front of him.
"Yeah I do, still gotta make sure you're as good as a fuck as you say you are," she purred as she watched him loosen his belt, and undo his pants while she tried to keep from drooling the moment his cock sprang out. 
It bobbed heavily against his belly once free of its confines, the shaft curved ever so slightly, but just enough that it rubbed all the right places inside of her. 
"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow at her words as she began to straddle him, one of her legs strewn over one of his. Her hips hovering over his cock as she grinned at him.
"But don't worry, with the way you used your tongue," she leaned forward, her lips brushing against his cheek before she whispered into his ear, causing him to shiver. "I just know you're 'bout to fuck me just as good." 
With that, her hand went in between their bodies and he let out a moan as she took him in her hand. The flesh was warm, hard, velvety and oh so fucking big. It had her almost coming then at the thought of him inside her as she positioned the tip of it at her entrance before she sunk down on him.
"Fuuuck!" He hissed, his hands flying down to her waist as she slid all the way down his shaft. Her hot cunt enveloping him as their hips met each other's as she seated herself completely on him.
Streams of whimpers left [Y/n] lips as her insides clenched and rippled around him. Doing its best to acclimate to the large intrusion that was spreading her wide open and causing her to leak juices all over his lap. Thank god he had taken his pants off, or he would not be able to go back to work with how wet she was making him. 
She didn't wait much longer to start to move, as she was eager to feel the drag of his cock in her, so she began to bounce wildly on his lap without warning. It caused him to let out a loud shout that turned into the sexiest moan that ever graced her ears.
Her hands flew to grip his shoulder as she rode him with fervor, her lips parted open as she moaned loudly from the way his tip was already hitting deep in her. She wasn't going to last long, but now that she had him in her, she didn't care, as long as she got to come around him she was happy.
"Fuck, so fuckin' big, fuck," she moaned biting her bottom lip as she rotated her hips furiously against him before starting her bouncing again. The slick sounds of her fucking herself on his cock echoing in the room with each movement.
"Yeah, you like that detective?" He growled, as he met her with his own thrusts each time she would slide down him causing her to moan as he hit that spot that had her legs shaking. "Shit! Like ridin' some criminal's cock somewhere folks can just walk in and see huh?"
"Uh-huh! Yes, oh my god yes!" 
She nodded enthusiastically, her brain having a hard time forming words as she impaled herself on him over and over. Her focus only on how good she felt as she leaned her head back while she took all of him.
"Fuck, a detective who's also a little slut. Who would have thought?"
His voice a low rumble as she bounced happily on him, not paying attention to how he let her waist go, and how he snuck a hand in between their bodies until,
"AHHH!" 
A loud squeal filled the room as his fingers pressed her clit, rubbing strong circles around the bead that had her choking for a moment.  Her legs seized and her cunt clamped down on him causing him to moan with her as well. 
Faster and faster he rubbed, and her bouncing became erratic until it switched into her grounding her hips against his harshly wanting to feel his entire length in her heat. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and her lips were parted, yet nothing came out of it as she felt herself climb higher and higher. Her stomach clenched harder, and her cunt bared down on him as she rolled her hips and he kept touching her.
"Oh my god, oh my god," her whispers became higher and higher, as he went faster and harder until.
"DA-!" Her shout was cut short as he leaned forward quickly, one hand pushing her closer to him, while the other rubbed her clit furiously as her limbs spasmed uncontrollably beneath him. Her juices gushed out as he pressed his lips against hers drinking her shout and making her swallow his as he felt his own orgasm building.
When he felt her body calm just a little, he pulled away from the kiss rocking his hips gently. Testing the waters of her, and when she pulled away to look at him and nod, he began to thrust shallowly into her body that was soaking and open for him, and it didn't take but a few more strokes before he painted her insides. Their juices mixing with each others as they both moaned, her insides spasming once again at the feeling of his hot seed spurting into her. 
Brushing her lips against his cheeks, [Y/n] let out a soft groan at the feel of his stubble before kissing him and burying her face against his neck.
Dave chuckled at her, his hand stroking her lower back as they came down from their highs. For a few moments, they sat in bliss, ignoring how it would be not great if they were caught like this by their coworkers. 
Hopefully though, they were all still occupied at the annual precinct Christmas party that the two had decided to skip again this year for a party of their own. 
It had definitely been way more entertaining to say the least. 
"So, am I cleared of all wrongdoing, detective?" David asked, turning his head a little to whisper into [Y/n]'s ear. 
Lifting up a little so that she could look at him, a sleepy but mischievous look was on her lips.
"Cleared of all of it, and then some."
A/N: And that's that! 😉😉😉😉 Thank you for reading and I hope to see you all in the new year with more Alan fics! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year , Happy Holidays haha! See ya!
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women-in-ssports · 2 days ago
Text
FOREVER AND A DAY
Ch 2 TRYOUTS
Day 1
Okay ladies come line up Coach yelled
Paige POV
Paige was the first one to the line, anxiously awaiting the start of tryouts. There were a lot more girls than she thought, all fighting for a spot on just two teams. As she was looking around at all the girls she spotted, her. From some eavesdropping earlier she’s 90% sure her name is Azzi. But she’s 100% sure she’s going to be her new best friend.
AZZI POV
The first day of tryouts were skill based nothing crazy. A lot of dribbling, passing, ending with shots. The coaches said after tomorrow’s 3v3 they were going to post the round of cuts, to start separating the teams. Never cocky but Azzi didn’t think she had anything to worry about, a few of the older girls even complemented her shooting earlier. Basketball she knew, it was teammates she was nervous about. After the disaster of summer league, she didn’t want this team to end up like that one had.
Azzi wait up! Caroline yelled from across the court. Do you want to hangout for a little we were going to go to sonic across the street! Oo that’s tempting… Azzi replied. Not waiting for another word Caroline wrapped her arm around Azzi and motioned for Nika, Aubrey, Ice and the blonde Azzi saw earlier to follow.
Without missing a beat, Caroline leaned close to Azzi and said she’s a transfer sophomore from out of state, her name is Paige Madison, Libra, apparently she’s dating someone from her last school, and she seems really nice. A small snort escaped Azzi and she turned to her friend shaking her head.. Your unbelievably creepy Care. Whatever!! Like yall don’t appreciate all the information I get yall! Caroline replied nonchalantly
When they got to Sonic Azzi made her way over to the blonde! With a small wave she introduced herself.
Hi! I’m Azzi I’m a freshman!
Paige!! Nice to meet you, I’m a sophomore but only been here a week.
Oh I heard. Azzi let it slip before she covered her mouth
You heard? Huh? What you checking up on me Azzi?
Caroline just likes to talk! I also heard you’re a Libra, if you were going to hide that fact from me.
Wow can’t even keep my zodiac sign a secret. What kind of place did I transfer into?
Hopefully a good one! Azzi laughs out at the blonde.
What else do you already know about me? So I can tell you new interesting stuff?
Oh, well we got the Libra thing out of the way, you’re name is Paige Madison, you transferred in from out of state, you have a bf from your last school and apparently you’re really nice. But I’ll have to judge that nice fact as I get to know you!
Paige bursted out laughing, she couldn’t help herself. Anyone else this bold would turn her away, but something about Azzi was comforting.
Well I am nice! Thank you very much Azzi. And you got pretty much everything except I am not dating someone from my last school anymore. We broke up. (Also it was a girl but she’s not going to tell her new teammates that fact about her on their first hangout)
Oh shoot sorry! Azzi said
No need to be sorry, new beginnings are good.
I know what you mean. Azzi replied a little to knowing that caught Paige wondering if there was a story there.
Just then Nika’s hand split them, handing Paige her Shirley temple and Azzi her flavored water.
The rest of the evening little to Azzis knowledge Paige spent stealing any glance she could at the curly haired brunette. While Azzi on the other hand found herself drawn to the blonde but not knowing why.
Day 2
Paige! Azzi called wide open on the perimeter. But before she could even finish her name the ball was in her hands one second and swishing through the net the next. They played like they were one unit and everyone noticed.
Okay girls! Grab some water! Coach yelled as the buzzer went off signally the end of the scrimmage.
That was amazing! Paige yelled bouncing over the Azzi! We are going to be one dynamic due the next three years Ms. Fudd!
Yeah! Yeah, yeah. Let’s just wait to see if we make it past Day two of tryouts! Azzi replied sipping her water.
Oh no need we are making it! Paige said through her smile as she wrapped her arm around Azzi shoulder and wiped her sweat down her cheek.
Before Azzi had a chance to react, Coach was calling everyone in. Azzi shot a quick mean mug to Paige’s already waiting grin.
Alright ladies! That was one of the best Day 2 of tryouts we have had in a while. Please check the lists as you leave the gym! If your name is not on it please come back next year and keep working hard. Also note if your name is on the Varsity or Junior Varsity list for tomorrow to start seeing how our teams are going to be laid out.
Caroline scooped her arm though Azzi at the same time Nika did the same to Paige. Them four with Ice and Aubrey made their way to the JV list which they all expected to be on due to them being underclassmen. Everyone’s name was there except for Paige and Azzi. Their friends all turned to look at them.
Aubrey broke the silence first, there has to be a mistake. There is no way yall aren’t on this list! Yall did amazing out…
Nika a little less nice interrupted with a “WHAT THE FUCK! These coaches are crazy idk about them but you all deserve to be on this list with us! And I’ll go tell them!” Just as Nika went to turn she caught a glimpse of the Varsity List. No fucking way.. she whispered turning back to Azzi and Paige. Yall made Varsity…
Azzi POV
Arm in arm with Caroline she scanned the list. Her name wasn’t on it. How can this be, she did everything perfect. She played her heart out today. Her eyes scanned the paper again and again, never landing on her name. She heard Kk and Nika start talking but couldn’t bring herself to listen to what they were saying. All she could think was how was she going to tell her parents.
But before she could contemplate it anymore she felt something, no not something, someone hard hit her followed by her back hitting the floor and 3 more people jumping on her.
Paige POV
My name isn’t here. She turned as KK started talking, taking in bits of what she was saying but not fully registering anything other than her name wasn’t on the list. But then her eyes shot to Nika as she suddenly grew quiet in her screaming. Searching Nikas face she followed her gaze to the Varsity list and right below Azzis name was hers. Wait Paige’s eyes shot back to the list, below Azzis name. Azzi. She turned to face Azzi who obviously was lost in her own world and had not caught up with what was going on.
Paige’s body moved faster than her mind and within seconds she knocked Azzi to the floor and their friends had followed suit!
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