#like yeah i can totes treat this at home

[guinevereslancelot]

i'm literally so dumb

[yaksha-lover]

As Lovers Go

Malleus Draconia x Reader

Summary: It may not be as grand as royalty is used to, but you do your best to plan a special night for Malleus on his birthday.

something short i scrambled together for my best boy, happy birthday malleus 🫶🫶

“Admittedly, it took some help from Trey to convince Riddle, but I like to think I did most of the work,” you say, leading Malleus by hand into the garden. “Okay, you can open your eyes.”

He blinks a couple times, but adjusts quickly to the nighttime lighting, surveying the scene. You’re in the Heartslabyul gardens, surrounded by red rose bushes on all sides. You’ve stopped in a small, clear area of grass where you’ve prepared for the night, a checkered blue picnic blanket laid out.

“Surprise! I know it’s not exactly a party, but hopefully my company will be enough to satisfy you…”

“When you’ve had over a hundred birthdays, parties begin to become monotonous. I much prefer your quiet company, tonight.”

You smile at Malleus. Even when the night’s about him, he always finds a way to make you feel special. “I hope you like the spot I chose. I know it must be hard being away from Briar Valley and your grandmother during the school year, so I thought I’d try to bring a little bit of home to you with the roses.”

“Thank you, truly.” Malleus turns to gaze around the garden, suddenly catching your hand in his own, running his thumb over your knuckles. “I do hope I’ll have a chance to show you my garden at home. I promise, nothing compares to the sight. Except for you, perhaps.”

“You’re too much, sometimes,” you giggle.

“If I am, do you not believe it is you who inspires such feelings in me?” Malleus teases.

The two of you take a seat on the blanket, talking and staring up at the stars as the night continues. The moonlight shines down on Malleus, making his dark hair shimmer and his skin glow. He’s never looked so beautiful.

“So, are you ready to open your gift now?”

He gives you a look. “I believe I mentioned no present was necessary. I only wanted your company.”

“I know, I know, but I wanted to do something.”

“You’re far too gentle with me. I suppose I’ll have to indulge you then.”

You grin and pull a gift bag out of your tote, handing it over to him. He settles it in front of him, pulling purple tissue paper out of the bag until his gift is revealed.

Malleus pulls out a white knit hat. He shifts to turn it around in his hands, smoothing over the fabric until his fingers run into a hole, popping out the other side.

“Oh yeah, it has holes. Y’know, for your horns.”

He stares at you in wide-eyed silence for a few moments. You break eye contact when it finally begins to feel a bit awkward.

“I know it’s not much, sorry.” You look down at your feet. “It’s just, Crowley only gives Grim and I enough for groceries and essentials. And Lilia only told me your birthday was coming up a couple weeks ago, so I begged Azul to let me pick up some shifts at the lounge, and long story short, I really only earned enough to buy some yarn. It’s super nice though, I promise! I made sure to pick yarn that-”

You’re cut off when you’re suddenly pulled firmly into a strong chest, arms squeezing you tightly.

“I will treasure it as I have treasured nothing else. Thank you.”

You smile, despite the fact that you can’t breathe well in his intense grip. You pat on his arms gently so Malleus will loosen up a bit.

“I’m glad you like it.” When he pulls away, you turn toward the cooler you’d set out with all the treats you’d prepared for him. “Now, what would you like to try first? I got Trey’s help with preparing the frozen desserts, since I thought you might like to have a variety. Oh, maybe cake first? You haven’t made a wish yet and the clock is ticking!”

“If it pleases you, then I will try the cake.”

“Great, it’s ice cream cake.”

You take it out of the box, laying it in front of Malleus and removing the container’s lid.

“May I inquire as to why a piece is missing?”

“Well…you said you hate entire cakes, so I took out a piece. Now it’s not an entire cake. Hopefully you’re in the mood to share a bit more with me tonight? I find even the sweetest things are best enjoyed with company,” you wink at him.

“Are you sure you won’t become too spoiled with all these indulgences I allow you?” He picks up a fork and takes a bit of cake, but he doesn’t taste it as you expect.

“No, but feel free to keep trying,” you mumble through the mouthful of cake Malleus feeds you. “Wait, I have candles. You have to make your birthday wish before we have anymore.”

You set three candles in the centre of the cake. It would be ridiculous to have a hundred, as much as you wish to be accurate to his age. You light them with a lighter, insisting on singing ‘happy birthday’ to Malleus before finally allowing him to make his wish.

“Blowing out fire with my breath instead of creating it with my breath. How amusing, you’ll have to teach me even more of these human customs.”

“What did you wish for?”

He tilts his head. “Am I mistaken in believing humans have customs that suggest it’s bad luck to ask?”

“No, but I’m nosy, so tell me anyway.” You tug gently on his sleeve.

“I only wished for things to continue as they are.”

“That’s all? You don’t want anything new?”

“What do I have to wish for? Everything I’ve always wanted, the thing I used to wish for each year - is already in front of me.”

The two of you talk until the sun comes up, upon which Malleus carries your snoring form home to Ramshackle, a smile lingering on his face from the previous night.

[onelittlespiral]

Tf where someone's huge musky cock keeps turning others into massive muscle bros on accident?

FML: Cursed

Up front, I’ll say this one’s a bit different. Let me know if you all like it. -❤️

Everything was too bright. My head was pounding. Memories were fading in and out from last night. Fuck, how much did I have to drink last night? I stumbled out of bed, trying to forced myself towards the bathroom to take a piss. I had made a New Year’s resolution to quit the bottle. Yeah, so much for that. I managed a quick piss and splashed some cold water on my face. That helped a bit. At this point all I wanted to do was bury my head back in my pillow. Slowly, I shuffled back towards my bed:

“Yeah? You coming back for more of this?”

A man. A man was in my bed. A hunk of a man was flexing in my bed. My mouth hung open for a moment as my brain chugged to life. I couldn’t quite believe it.

“…God damn it! Uggh, what did I let happen?”

“What, not in the mood? I can be quite,” he started a little pec dance, “persuasive.”

I was not in a mood to be amused by his flirting. “No, no it’s not you-or at least it is you now but-” I stammered, “Look. It’s complicated. Get up, please, I need you out of here. If you take some time to… cool off… it should pass.” I paused a moment, “I’m sorry.”

Quickly, I started pulling together what clothes I could find that would fit his new stature and tossed them at him. Even facing away from him I could tell he was a little taken aback. I’m sure in his current brain he couldn’t quite believe he was being rejected. But I knew it was better for everyone that he leave now. I scooped up his old clothing and threw it all into a tote. It wasn’t his fault he was here in this situation, getting kicked out of a stranger’s house early in the morning. Maybe that’s why I scribbled down my contact info and slipped it into the bag. He would have questions later, he deserved some answers. By now he had managed to put on the cut off tank and the shorts I had thrown him. The shorts were a size too small and left nothing to the imagination, but it would have to work. I doubted his canvas shoes would fit over those behemoths. He would have to go barefoot. After a few awkward pleasantries where he asked me if we should lift together some time and I politely declined, he finally got the message and slipped out the door. I locked it behind him and slumped to the floor. I still had a headache.

It was going to be a long day. At this point I was awake, so I just decided to hit the shower. The steam helped clear my mind so I could try to piece the night together. It had been two years now and it was still happening. I wish I knew how to stop it. But looking back, I’m not sure what else I could have done. Every time it happened though, every time I saw his face, I just replayed that day again in my mind:

We were sitting at our favorite cafe when I broke the news.

“What do you mean? You’re breaking up with me?” my ex boyfriend was stunned. Truly, I don’t think this had ever happened to him before.

“Please don’t act surprised. We both knew this was coming. We aren’t good for each other.”

“Baby, we aren’t good for each other,” he cooed, leaning over and cupping my jaw, “We’re great together. You can’t pretend to deny it. I can feel that cock twitch, hear every moan when you’re inside me. Come on, let’s go home and I’ll bring you to your knees.”

“No. This isn’t about us in bed. This is everything outside of it. I don’t like how you talk to me, how you treat me, how you touch me,” I said, slapping his hand from my face, “and how you treat everyone in the world as your plaything. I just can’t put up with it anymore.”

That finally set him off, “Oh, you have no idea what I can do.” He snapped his fingers.

I watched as a man in a suit next to us dropped his book. He began to convulse, and I watched in horror. He reverted from his fifties to his late twenties in a moment, smoothing his wrinkles as his hair turned from silver to brown. His skin tightened around his swelling body, as his muscles easily ripped through his shirt and pants. A deep moan escaped his mouth as his clothes reformed themselves into a tank top and gym shorts. As a snap-back hat formed and tightened around his head, I grimaced, knowing that his mind was being assaulted with a new identity. I knew the look on his face well as drool flowed from his open mouth. Then, all at once it stopped. He just picked up his book and kept reading. No one else even seemed to notice what had taken place.

It was a thinly veiled threat and we both knew it. “See? This is the shit I’m talking about. What happens to him now? He had nothing to do with this, you just can’t contain yourself.”

“Oh relax, he’s fine. I didn’t dumb him like I do to you. No one will ever remember anything different. Though I imagine whatever new hires at his firm will be confused why the new boss is a jacked gym bro while everyone else in the office is pushing 40 and wearing suits.” He chuckled at his own joke.

“I can’t! I can’t do this anymore. I don’t ever want to see you again.” I gathered my things to make my exit.

He came round the table, in a far less joking mood, “You’ll regret that,” he grabbed at my groin and cupped my package, “from now on, whenever that gets going, I have a feeling you will be seeing a lot of me” I felt a stirring in my sack. Something had�� shifted?

“What did you do?” my shouting had finally drawn the attention of onlookers.

“Good luck, baby. You ever want that resolved, you’ll have to find me.” With that, he turned heel and left.

Now, two years later, he was right. I had seen far too much of him. The water had gone cold. I turned the faucets off and stepped out to dry myself off.

The first time had been a shock. I had given myself time to heal from the relationship, but about two months in I decided to head to a bar. Immediately something was off when I entered. I saw a few old flings, and a friend or two who were surprised to see me there. But it was like when I entered the whole place shifted towards me. Men were buying me drinks and fawning for my attention. The bartender even slipped a few comments in. They all looked smitten with me, trying to get just a little closer. By the end of the night I had some twink sitting in my lap. I decided it was time to blow off some steam. I took him to my place, where he immediately began tearing off my clothes inside the door. I managed to get him back to my bedroom before he had my boxers off. Immediately he buried his nose into my bush. Admittedly I hadn’t been keeping shaved since the breakup, and I guess that was doing it for him. He went to town on my cock. I wasn’t prepared for him to take it in one thrust, but he wasn’t waiting. All I could do was grab his hair and hold on as he worked my cock like a pro. I felt his hair curl beneath my fingers as I held on for the ride, moaning as he pushed all my buttons. He knew just when to pull back to keep me edging, his thick fingers holding on as he devoured my cock. Finally I knew I needed to fuck him. I pulled him off of my cock, but as he stood up and his dazed expression met mine I screamed.

“Fuck baby, where have you been all of my life?” he said.

He was the spitting image of my ex. The hair, the muscle, even that stupid nickname. In shock I pushed him away as he gave me a look of confusion.

“What are you doing here? I told you I never wanted to see you again.”

He looked back at me confused, “What are you talking about? We just met like a few hours ago. You invited me over. Sorry.”

Something about the statement rang true. I only realized later it was because he apologized. My ex would never. “Did he put you up to this? What’s your name?”

“Hey, I’m not sure who you’re talking about, okay? I’m Justin. I was just looking for a good time.”

“Have you seen yourself? You don’t look like the twink I met at the bar.” I retorted

He looked in the mirror, and his face seemed to puzzle for a sec. I knew that look. He was trying to reconcile memories he had. Fake memories. Then he smirked, “Yeah, pretty hot right? I’ve been working out, getting that more twunk look going.”

So he was clueless then. It was weird seeing someone look so much like him, and have a mix of his mannerisms and others. He had certainly made sure his cockiness was implemented. The asshole.

“Look, I’m not sure tonight is going to work out. I need you out of here. Now.” That was a little mean, it wasn’t his fault. But he had to go. I gave him some of my ex’s clothes he had left lying around and pushed him out the door without saying goodnight. It was only next week when I went to the bar that I saw him again. He had seemingly gone back to normal, besides a very distinctive mustache and stubble he was growing now. It didn’t fit his thin, hairless body and it made me chuckle…

*BZZZZZT*

My phone was getting a call from an unknown number. I guess it was time to answer some questions:

-Hey, I found this number in my bag. This the guy from last night?

*Sigh*

-Yeah, it’s me. Are you, uh, feeling better? More… yourself?

-So I’m not crazy! What was that? What happened?

-I am so so so sorry. It’s a long story. Let’s just say my ex is… a looot.

-Well hey, who’s isn’t?

I chuckled

-You’re taking this surprisingly well. Most guys don’t want to look at me after all this.

-So this has happened before?

-Yes. But I promise I didn’t mean to. I must have gotten too drunk last night, and I know that’s not a good excuse. But I’m not sure what to do about it and at this point I’d starting to think I never will

-Woah, woah. Calm down. Would you want someone to come over? To talk to?

I paused.

-No, I think I’ll be fine.

-Please, I want to. I want answers and it seems like you need someone.

-I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Plus, I don’t think I can see you like that.

-I promise. I don’t think I have anything the same.

-Promise?

-Here, look

He did look back to normal. And he was quite cute. I can see why drunk me decided to pick him…

-Still, I’m not sure…

-Nope, it’s decided. I know the address, I’ll be there later tonight around 6. *click*

What had just happened? I think, against all odds, I just got roped into a second date.

God damn it.

[fishhawish]

Can request some genshin men(your choice)with a s/o who can't cry. Like even when they are sad and wants to cry they can't. If you don't write for multiple characters you can choose anyone you want to. Thanks.

Yeah totes! Hope you enjoy🤍

Sorry for late response btw I got caught up in ROTC

.

Genshin men x reader who can't cry

Angst / comfort

Warnings: none

Gender neutral reader

★

(spun on a wheel contains: Nuevillete, Lyney, Kaeya, Tighnari, Xiao and Thoma)

‧̍̊·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧̍̊ ♡ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ♡ ‧̍̊·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊

!!not proof read!!

Scenario: Reader had a bad day but can't let out the pent up frustration.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚Nuevillette

He cries for You.

Although it may not look like it, Nuviluette is truly an emotional man. Especially when his significant other is upset. You both lay on the bed, You curled up against him while he holds you tightly in attempt to comfort you. You want to cry but tears won't spill, leaving you in absolutely agony. Your lover can't help but get emotional at the sight, his eyes watery as he cuddles you. He apologizes but he still can't help it. All he wishes of is for You to be happy again. He's really trying his best. He ordered snacks and little gifts in attempt to cheer you up. When the maid delivers them he is the one to answer. Presenting you with the little gift he tried his best to make you happy, smiling at you and speaking in his gentle tone "My dear, I have gotten You a gift. "Please allow me to treat You during this unfortunate time."

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚Lyney

He understands You.

Lyney, who grew up in the House of Hearth. Also experienced the inability to cry. Growing up under 'Father' really caused tension for Him as a child. As of currently You now sit with your Magician lover, in his lap on the sofa of his home. Tears waiting to spill but they don't. He sighs and rubs your back gently in little circles. "Ma chérie, please take your time." His loving voice rang in your ears. He looks over to grab the blanket to the side of him and wraps it over both of your bodies. "We have all the time in the world, do not fear " He whispers. Laying back and taking you with him to lay on top of him. He kisses the top of your head and soothes you to sleep with a lullaby that his 'Father' taught him.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚Kaeya

He drops everything for You.

Kaeya who noticed that You haven't visited him all day, began to worry. He needed to make sure. He speed walked to your home just to check on You, who also didn't answer the door. Kaeya unlocking the door with the key under the door mat entered the cozy home to see a depressing state. Him dashing towards you to, embracing you instantly. He begged you to tell him what happened, but after he himself calmed down he decided to give you some time. He loves you dearly more than anything. Kaeya gently kisses your temple before picking you up and relocating you back to your bedroom. When You mentioned to him that you want to cry but you can't, he says back a almost silent "me too".

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚Tighnari

He who tried his best.

Tighnari seems to over prioritize work, often not even noticing his own needs. And even if he says breaks are good sometimes, how often does he truly do so? Tighnari isn't as good with comforting, but he knows enough to try to help due to him taking care of Collei. So now here You are, sitting in Tighnari's lap at his desk. Face tucked into his shoulder hiding from the world as his tail wraps around you along with his arm, his other arm finding it's way to intertwine both of your hands together. His thumb rubs against the back of your hand, comforting you. He looks at you, pain filling his heart. He doesn't know what to say, he's afraid that he'll say the wrong thing. Especially without you being able to cry at the moment. But after a while he gathers courage and whispers "It's okay I'm here now."

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚Xiao

He fights just for You.

Xiao's daily life consist of fighting the demons that intend to harm liyue. However when he hears your sweet voice call his name, the demons he fends off fate was sealed you opened your mouth. It takes him mere seconds to finish and teleport to You, and seconds to see your gloomy expression. This leaves Xiao in a panic because he doesn't know what to do. Xiao doesn't know much about humans, but he tries his best for you. He gently reaches out to touch your hand, embracing your hand with his. "Are you okay? What's wrong?" He says, worry sinking in his stomach. You suddenly embrace him, trying your best to let your emotions out but its not working. Although Xiao is stiff, he still complies with your action. Gently wrapping his arms around you as well. "I'll always protect You until the end." He says.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚Thoma

He takes the best care of You.

Thoma, who is amazing with caring for others. He loves you more than anything, you're practically his sunshine. So when You walked up to him and ask him for comfort, he's immediately there for you. By the time you asked he's already prepared everything. He takes your hand in his and helps you drink the tea he prepared for you. "Let me spoil you until you feel better, is that alright?" He says worried, you just nod. When you mentioned you want to cry but can't, he feels horrible. He hugs you, pampering your face in little kissing, giving you encouraging words. He always knows how to make you feel even slightly better. He smiles at You. "Here, I'll make your favorite foods tonight. It's all about you sweetheart."

.

.

.

Finished!

Requests open as usual<3

[bahrtofane]

helloo can we have dialogue 9, trope 20 with tchouameni pleasee🫂

- "Stay, please?" - two idiots pinning and not realizing the other is just as in love

word count - 700+

watch it - sleepy eepy silly lovers

I luv him sm yall 

You get a call at 3 in the morning. At first you think it's an alarm so you slap your phone a few times before fumbling around for your charger, sticking your face in your pillow and drifting away. 

Then you get another call, and this time you clock that it's not an alarm but your dearest friend who's decided blowing up your phone is much better than letting you get any rest. It's Friday and you'll give him a pass. (Aurélien gets any and every pass in your book but he doesn't need to know all that).

You answer, of course you do. Voice hoarse as you sit up, slouching against your pillow while you rub the sleep out of your eyes.

“Mind if you open the door.” he mumbles after a rushed greeting. 

You squint,”what?”

“Your door, can you come and open it.” he repeats again. Slower. 

“Where are you?” you yawn.

“Outside, I got you things from Germany and they're really perishable and supposed to be refrigerated and I won't be able to so I thought I'd stop by. Sorry it's so late.” he breathes into his phone.

“No it's okay,” you stumble out of your bed and feed for your slippers in the dark, padding around your apartment phone wedged between your shoulder and your ear. 

He stays on the line, even if he's a few feet away. Not hanging up til he’s greeted by a very puffy eyed you in your pjs still fighting sleep. 

He thinks you're beautiful like this. Warm and soft, exactly how you make him feel. In full honesty he could have kept the assortment of treats with him. His hotel probably has a mini fridge. But he wanted to see you. He knows both of you will get busy again. He'd rather not waste any chances. So here he is, standing in your door frame, sleek black carry-on suitcase in hand and a bag just for you in the other.

You use him inside, flicking on a light and taking his baggage. He tries to fight you but you only whine, wheeling it away from him and up against the wall.

“Tea?” you croak.

He giggles, “no it's okay,” he hands you the tote,” this is for you, i should get going.”

“No wait,” you rub your eyes, “it's late. Stay please?”

His resolve soon crumbles as you take him by the hand, leading him further into your home. To you its second nature. Not a second thought as you dig in your closet for a spare pair of slipper. 

“I have pjs for you somewhere, “ you mumble. 

“No no,” he waves his hands,”its okay i have my own.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

You hum, padding along to get your room in order.

When you come back you see him in his pjs trying to settled on your couch and you frown, “no no you're sleeping in a proper bed get up.”

“It's your house.”

“And?”

“No i'll take the couch you have one bed i can-”

You shut him up with a tug to his sleeve, dragging him to your room. You turn your lamp on and slide in, motioning for him to follow. Friends share beds right? You would have offered if it wasn't him, and he wouldn't have accepted if it wasn't you. 

Maybe it's due to it being so late, to the jet lag, to you just being woken up. Or maybe it's because he feels so safe with you, so at home. And you feel so comfortable, and it feels so right when he slides in next to you, curling his hand around his face and resting his head against your pillow.

You've dreamt about this a million times. But you're too drowsy to be able to truly take it in. 

It's okay, the way Aurélien stares at you wide eyed admiring you makes up for it. He feels too excited to sleep but forces his eyes shut, turning the other way, and taking a deep breath to calm down.

You don't know this now but come morning you'll be pressed up against each other legs tangled and far too embarrassed to bring anything up. You hope he comes by again, maybe at a more reasonable hour next time so you can properly remember it. 

[k-evans-reads]

In Living Color

Chapter 5 - Part Two

Summary: When Natalie Marton, lead character designer for Buzz Lightyear, meets the voice of Buzz, Chris Evans, the sparks are undeniable. But when their work pushes them away from each other, both physically and emotionally, will the sheer differences between their worlds be enough to force them apart?

Pairing: Chris Evans x Pixar Animator OFC Natalie Marton

Word Count: 5,932

By: @k-evans-writes and @ourfinest-hour

We do NOT give permission for our works to be reuploaded, translated, or reposted on any other site. Our work is our own.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY. MINORS DNI. SMUT.

Previous | Main Masterlist | In Living Color Masterlist

May 2021

Chris opened the door to his house just as Nat stepped through the gate, closing it behind her with a smile. “Hey, I was starting to wonder if you’d ditched me,” he called with a smirk, leaning his hip against the wooden door frame as she followed the pathway to his front porch. 

She rolled her eyes as she climbed the short concrete steps to the house, stepping past him with a smirk as she shot back, “Well you ditched me last weekend so I’d say that would have made us even.” 

“You really aren’t going to let me live that down, are you?” He asked, shutting the door behind her as he caught up with her, leading her towards the wide glass doors at the back of the house. Just outside, she could see some of Chris’ friends sitting by the pool, drinks in hand as they listened to one of Scott’s stories. 

“Most likely not,” she conceded with a bite of her lip. She looked up and down the spacious home, coming up empty on her search, instead asking, “So where’s the star of the party?” 

He made a sound at that, rolling his eyes playfully and telling her, “I think I’m right here.” 

“That sounds like something I’d expect from a guy who drives a Tesla,” Nat easily retorted, but poked her head outside the doors to continue searching. “We both know I meant Dodger.” 

“Okay, I can concede to Dodger,” he agreed with a chuckle. Stepping around Nat, he whistled, his eyes locked on the group until he found the happy dog walking around and sniffing everyone but it was interrupted when he called out, “Hey Dodge! C’mere bubba, look who’s here!” 

They both saw Dodger’s head lift up before he came running over, making a beeline right for Nat as she dropped to her knees and let him lick her face, “Hi Dodger! Did you miss me?” 

“Only because you load him up with treats every time you see him,” Chris chuckled from where he stood above them. 

Nat just shrugged before she started digging around in her big leather tote bag while muttering, “Well this time is no different. I brought him some.” 

“You’re terrible, Nattie,” she didn’t even need to look up at Chris to know he was shaking his head at her. 

Nat finally found the bag of treats in her bag and pulled it open, taking one out to give to Dodger before she dusted off her hands and stood back up to be able to look at Chris, challenging him with, “Nattie? Wow, you meet my dad one time and he’s already rubbing off on you.” 

“What can I say, he’s influential. Besides, I think Nattie sounds pretty fuckin’ cute,” she saw the way his blue eyes were staring right down at her, making Nat’s whole body feel flushed. But what almost was worse was the casual tone he used to simply ask, “Did you bring your swimsuit? Basically everyone is already in the pool.” 

“Yeah I have it in my bag.” 

Chris pointed past her, showing her the hallway and explained, “There’s a bathroom right down that hall that you can change in. I’m going to let the caterers in and have them get everything set up, and then I’ll be out there.” 

With a simple nod and a sudden feeling that she needed to have a little more distance between his body and hers, she grabbed her bag and hurried off to the bathroom to change into the olive colored suit she was partial to. Nat grabbed a hair band out of the bottom of her bag and wrangled her curls up into a bun, before she grabbed her white button up and pulled it on over her arms, leaving it unbuttoned but the material helped to keep her frame a little bit warmer from the coolness in the air. 

She stuffed the clothes back in her bag before walking out of the bathroom and went out to the backyard where she was quickly pulled into the group next to Scott as he dramatically retold the story of having to break Nat out of her own apartment. But Nat didn’t seem to pay much attention to the story, her attention being pulled away when Chris finally emerged from the house wearing nothing but a pair of black board shorts slung low on his hips. 

Nat knew she was looking too long, but she couldn’t seem to pull her eyes off of him, seeing his bare chest for the first time. She saw just how sculpted every inch of his chest was and she couldn’t help but wonder if the rest of him that was still covered matched. Nat’s eyes followed all of the many tattoos littered across his chest, wanting to take time and look at each and every one without haste, but what she was yearning for even more was to be able to run her hands over the firm landscape of his chest, knowing what it felt like to touch the chest hair covering most of his skin. 

The gold pendant between his pecs swung back and forth as he walked over, catching Nat’s eyes and immediately coming right over to plant himself next to her on the lounge chair. He leaned back on one arm as he listened to Scott, silently slipping into the group without any acknowledgement from the rest. He placed his other hand over the white shirt on her back, Nat’s skin prickling under his touch. He stayed still, and Nat could feel his eyes on her as she leaned back into it enough until he took her signal, slipping it underneath her shirt to rest just over her hip on her bare skin. 

Drinks were passed around as the group stayed sitting around the pool, all talking and laughing loudly, but Nat was never out from under Chris’ touch. Somehow their hands kept finding each other from Chris helping her off with her white shirt, rubbing her back and keeping his own frame right next to hers. Even when the caterers brought out the food, Nat noticed the way Chris stood up and then looked back at her, holding his hand out to help her up. She gladly took it, letting him pull her up to her feet but Nat made it known that his attention wasn’t misplaced when she walked right next to him, close enough that his arm could snake around her waist and hold her loosely as they went over to the table of food. 

It didn’t change despite the night progressing from laughing with his friends to joking around in the pool. It seemed that wherever Nat ended up, whether it was talking with Scott and Steve or listening to his various friends rag on Chris, Chris was not far behind her. 

She had just climbed out of the pool and grabbed a towel when she ended up on a chair across from Scott and Steve as the sun was setting, listening to a story about Steve’s sister. He had her full attention as she wrapped the towel around herself, but soon the chair dipped next to her and a familiar weight settled over her back as Chris’ arm wrapped around her. 

Scott rolled his eyes and groaned, and Steve shot Nat a look before they each looked at the dirty blond who was staring at his brother. “Bro, can you chill for a few minutes? You’ve barely been far enough away from Nat to let her breathe all night,” he asked with another roll of his eyes. 

Chris clenched his jaw as he looked at Scott, something unreadable in his eyes as Nat watched him. “Maybe I just wanted to come over to be with you? Did you ever think of that?” He asked his brother.

But Scott smirked, telling him, “You’re going to be with me every day for almost three months, I think you’ll have your fill of me.” 

Nat furrowed her brows, looking between the brothers. All she knew was Chris was going to film on location, but clearly she was missing some details here. “Three months? What are you guys doing together?” She asked them. 

“I’m going to Europe with Chris. His normal personal assistant can’t go and I’m available so I’m going to go,” Scott supplied, before he paused and smirked. “Pray I survive.” 

Nat gave a half smile at his words but turned to look at Chris, taking in his profile as she murmured, “I didn’t realize you were going for that long.” 

“Yeah… we’re not going to be done until July…” he told her with a small shrug of his shoulders as a hand rubbed his jaw. 

“Oh,” she murmured, ignoring the way Scott was watching them carefully. “I didn’t know that.” 

Nat saw Chris open his mouth, but before he could say anything, someone called his name. He sent her an apologetic look before standing up to walk over to the other side of the backyard where his friend was calling for him. The buzz of electricity that seemed to be running through Nat suddenly seemed to be dimmed. She knew he was going to Europe but didn’t realize that it would be for so long and now things seemed to be so much foggier. 

If Chris had known that he was going to leave, she didn’t understand why he had been flirting like crazy this evening. She thought it could be as simple as bad timing, them connecting just as he had to work, but a worse thought crossed her mind that her brain seemed to latch onto which was the thought that maybe he just wanted a little fun before he left the country and was swamped with work. 

The realization made a small frown cross Nat’s face, now seeming to over analyze every detail of the evening especially because as the evening kept growing later, Chris seemed to now have quite a big distance between himself and her. There weren’t any more lingering touches, no more smirks directed in her direction and his attention seemed to be on everyone else but her. 

She felt that knot in her stomach as the party started to die down and part of her wanted to rush out the door as quickly as she could and never think of it again, but the other part of her wanted to linger and see if Chris would come right back around to where he’d started, sitting right next to her, his arm around her waist as his fingers tapped restlessly against her bare skin. The decision was made for her though when Scott had pulled her into a long conversation that lasted until Nat was biting at her lower lip, her anxious eyes looking around at the last few people around the pool who were packing up their bags. 

With Chris flying out for Europe in the morning, nobody was staying over and she felt unsure what she should do and the couple beers in her system wasn’t helping make anything more clear. She didn’t know if she should stay to talk about the now multiple times they’d kissed or if it was just better to leave along with everyone else. He was leaving tomorrow for a few months, it wasn’t like this was actually headed anywhere, or at least it seemed to Nat that must have been what Chris was thinking so she instead just quietly pulled on the white long sleeve shirt she had in her bag and was prepared to follow the rest of the group out until she spotted the pile of dirty dishes. 

She almost wanted to laugh when she could practically hear her dad’s voice in her head, scolding her for leaving a job undone at someone’s house so before she gathered up her own bag, Nat picked up the small pile and headed in through the open sliding glass door to make her way to the sink. The rattling of dishes in the stainless steel sink almost masked the sound of heavy footsteps, but the sigh Chris let out made her pause, tilting her head to look behind herself at him.

His face was surprised and his eyes sad as he saw her bag on the counter and the way she’d gotten ready to go. “You’re leaving?” He asked her, and the genuine 

Turning so that her back rested against the sink, Nat crossed her arms and shrugged as she said, “Yeah…you have that flight tomorrow…”

Nat saw the way he leaned against the counter and just simply nodded his head, quietly standing up straight as she moved to grab her bag. She could feel his eyes on her as she dug through her bag to find her keys, his stare making her whole body flush but she tried to just ignore him before slinging her bag on her shoulder and walking toward the door. 

The sound of his bare feet padding along the hardwood floor echoed behind her until they made it to the front door. Nat kept avoiding his eyes, looking at anything but him as she told him, “I hope you have a good flight tomorrow, and tell Dodger I said bye.” 

He huffed out a laugh as his lips turned into a half-smile. “I’m sure that’ll mean a lot to him,” he assured her with a shake of his head. She watched as he opened the front door, the cool air of the night hitting her bare skin. Then, she felt herself shiver as his excruciatingly low voice quietly told her, “Bye Nattie.” 

She finally lifted her face to look up at him, and almost instantly regretted it because it only took one look into those gorgeous blue eyes of his and their lips were furiously meeting mere seconds later. Although this wasn’t the first time they had shared a kiss, Nat felt like it was the first time neither was holding back and all the pining and anticipation that had been building up for so long finally came spilling out. 

Chris’ arms wrapped around her waist, pulling Nat back inside the house and kicking the door closed with his foot before she was pushed against it and got engulfed by his kiss. She felt as if he was everywhere, his body pressing her against the cool wood of the door, arms grasping around her waist and his lips kissing her so deeply that she was seeing stars. 

Nothing could have prepared her for this, not even the longing looks and impossible restraint they shared that entire night as the other was so close, yet so far, from them. It’d been a month of incredibly lonely days, missing Chris’ presence both at Pixar and at the game nights as his schedule amped up. But despite that, despite the frequent text messages, random phone calls, and tidbits they saw of each other’s day through social media, Nat had missed this. Nothing had made her feel this intense burning desire for someone in this way before, not even with Shane. Chris had an embarrassing hold over her, but as his hand moved to her hip and she felt him groan, she realized – for the first time – he at least felt somewhat of the same feeling himself. 

Their bodies were moving so in sync, hands wrapping around each other tightly while their tongues found one another, their kiss deepening as they held each other tighter. She felt him start to pull her backward, the two of them stumbling a few feet deeper into the house before they had to finally part for air, both panting furiously before Nat saw his bleary eyes for a short moment before he buried her face against her neck, his lips getting to work making her moan. Her hands were rubbing across his soft white tee shirt, wrapping around his broad shoulders as he kept walking her backward down the hallway, his lips sucking along her skin every step of the way. 

She followed his lead, trusting him implicitly to lead her properly, and she didn’t even open her eyes until she felt a bed at the back of her knees, falling onto it just as Chris kicked his door shut behind them. For the first time since their lips met that night, she took a good look at him, seeing the way his hair was now an absolute mess, the way his shirt was now an absolute mess, having been pushed from side to side as Nat’s hands moving over him. But that was as much as she could take in before his eyes met hers again, quietly asking her, “You sure?” 

For once in her life, Nat didn’t have anything to say, only being able to nod her head before throwing her arms around his neck to crash their lips back together again. Nat could hardly breathe as their lips kept moving perfectly together just as Chris’ hands ghosted up her body, following the curve of her shoulder and took the unbuttoned white shirt with it as it slid down her arms and fell onto the floor.

She then felt Chris’ hands on her hips, gently pushing her back toward the bed until she was laying on top of his crisp white sheets and just for a moment Nat wondered if this actually was happening. It had been so long since she had wanted someone this way, but it had been even longer since she’d felt wanted in return which was confirmed when he stood at the edge of the bed, looking down at her from underneath those long eyelashes. His hands traced along the curve of her waist, coming to rest on her hips as he told her, “Seeing you in this has been driving me crazy all night.” 

Her breath caught in her throat at his words, unable to think of anything to say except “Jesus, Chris,” and before anything else could be said, he climbed onto the bed and hovered over her. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders before one trailed down his muscular back and slipped underneath the shirt, feeling the bare skin she’d been staring at all night, entranced by the way he moved and the tattoos that marked him. 

Wanting to be able to see his sculpted torso up close, she took advantage of their close proximity, grabbing the bottom of the soft material and pulling it up until he sat back and peeled it off the rest of the way. Instantly her hands were on his firm chest, staring at each one of his black tattoos while her hands felt the soft chest hair underneath her fingertips while she let her hands feel every bit of him. But Chris wasn’t patient enough to wait for her to finish feeling the landscape of his body and came down to connect their lips again, making Nat’s even more swollen than they already were. 

She could feel his hands on her, following the straps of her olive green bathing suit and rested on top of her covered chest, gently kneading her soft breasts the best he could with the barrier of fabric between them and pulling a loud moan out of Nat. She figured that must have spurred him on, his body suddenly pressing her hard against the bed as they kept kissing and her fingertips dug into the firm muscles of his shoulders. 

It didn’t take him much longer to pull his lips from hers and started trailing kisses along her body, following her soft skin, skipping over where her bikini was still covering her but once he reached the band of the bottom of her suit, Chris looked up at her asking for silent permission. Nat could have laughed at that moment, knowing that if he even had the tiniest glimpse into her brain, he’d know that he certainly didn’t need to ask if she wanted to keep going. But she still gave him that tiny nod, encouraging his fingers to peel the fabric down her long legs and toss it onto the floor. 

His hands trailed up her legs as he moved back up her body, smirking as he met her eyes. Any other time, a comment about the facial hair above his lips would be on the tip of Nat’s tongue, but she could only focus on the look in his eyes and the way he gently prodded her until she sat up, and then he reached to begin helping her pull the bikini top up off of her body. 

It wasn’t until he had helped gently lay her back down on the bed, her head propped up by a white pillow that had his familiar smell, that she saw his blue eyes flickering down her bare body, taking in every inch of her before he muttered, “You’re fuckin’ gorgeous Nattie.” 

“Well you’d be better if you didn’t have that thing above your upper lip,” she couldn’t help but tease, smirking as she moved a hand to run through the short hair on his head. Selfishly, she had to admit she missed the longer hair from March, but he was here, and he was Chris, and that’s all she wanted right now.

The smile that broke out on his face and the laugh bubbling out of him was enough to make Nat just want him impossibly more than she already did but was able to act on her feelings when he brought his lips back down for another long kiss. She could have just stayed there, kissing him all night but when he yet again made his way down her body, she knew that this would be pretty damn good too. 

Chris took his time, gently parting her legs and peppering soft kisses along her tender skin before he slowly let his tongue slip between her wet folds and made Nat’s entire body heat up. She focused on her breathing as he ran his tongue up and down sensually, causing her to let out a low moan that only encouraged him to go on. Nat’s eyes were squeezed tightly shut, just relishing in the pleasure Chris was making course through her body with each swipe of his tongue but once he started circling her sensitive button, her hands were grabbing at his hair while she cried his name loudly. 

“God, Chris, yes, that feels so fucking good,” she moaned, breaking off as she lost her breath at his actions. “Just like that, keep going.” 

And he listened to her completely, staying with those exact same movements and kept circling his tongue while his hands slipped underneath her thighs, hooking around them and keeping her from squirming away from him while he ate her as if she was his last meal. Nat could feel that pressure building inside her body, every bit of her aching to release and she could hardly breath as her whole body went rigid before exploding over that incredible edge. 

She was moaning from the feeling as she felt her body melt into the bed, Chris’ hot mouth still open wide and licking every inch of her in such a passionate way that could have made her hit her peak all over again if she watched long enough. Nat brought a hand up to rest on her forehead, feeling the loose curls that had fallen out of her messy bun and she tried to push them away as she got her composure but it didn’t last long when Chris finally pulled his mouth from her hot center but kept kissing every inch of her skin, leaving a trail of fire behind. 

And when his lips met hers again, she couldn’t help but reach for any part of him she could grasp, her hands moving over the plains and valleys of his body in rapid succession. She was so preoccupied with the way his lips were moving away from hers and then danced around her neck, chest, and cheeks that she almost didn’t recognize the sound of a drawer opening next to them. With a sideways glance – just before a nip at her neck made her eyes shut unexpectedly – she saw his hand digging blindly in the nightstand until it found a foil packet. 

She used the moment to take her turn rubbing at his shoulders and kissing along his neck while he pushed the shorts off of his hips, awkwardly kicking them off before he pulled away momentarily to rip the packet open and pull on the condom. Nat used the opportunity to finally get to see him fully, a smirk on her lips when she saw just how hard and ready he was for her and she knew with a glance at his thick length that he’d be able to fill her up just the way she loved. 

His hands came back to her warm body as he hovered over her and Nat relished every second of feeling his touch against her skin, tracing every bit of her body while he got between her legs and lined himself up. Nat hooked a leg around his waist, resting it against his firm backside as she encouraged him to come in deeper, allowing Chris to finally sink himself in. The room was filled with the sound of their loud cries from the initial stretch, and god, Nat had almost forgotten just how good this could feel but somehow she couldn’t help but think that it never had been this good before. 

She wanted nothing more than to feel him completely and hoped he recognized that when she opened her legs even wider for him he’d get what she was nonverbally saying. He kept sinking in, deeper and deeper until he was fully situated against her and Nat felt like she could barely breathe. He was stretching her and causing such an incredible burn that she never wanted it to end, but when she let her eyes open and she saw him hovering above her with that look of pleasure written across his face, it only made her want him more. 

“Chris, keep going.” 

And it didn’t take any more coaxing from her to get Chris to start his rhythmic thrusts, pulling out and sinking back in to find just the right tempo. Nat was bouncing with each thrust and she reached out to rub her hands on his firm abs before grabbing at his sides to keep her steady as his movements started picking up the pace. She could hear his low groans and the way his eyes squeezed shut when he hit her particularly deep and Nat couldn’t help but feel a little swell of pride that she was making him feel that way but her brain started to become devoid of all thought as he began to throb inside her while plowing in deep to her hot dripping center that was practically begging for him. 

“Don’t stop, fuck Chris,” she all but ordered him, unable to stop herself from digging her nails into the strong muscles of his back.

“I know, god, Nat, you feel fuckin’ amazing,” he ground out, pausing as he snapped his hips hard against her. “Fuck Nattie.” 

That familiar coil was once again tightening in her stomach and Chris must have been able to tell from the way he just kept thrusting deep and hard, a low sexy grunt with each one but she could feel his body become more rigid by the minute too. Nat moved one of her hands down between her legs, starting to furiously rub circles to help encourage her release as Chris bounced her on his thick cock, but he quickly pushed her hand away and replaced it with his own, wanting to be in charge of her orgasm and continued her firm quick circles which had her screaming out as she came. 

Nat could feel just how hard she was clenching him, making Chris’ eyes screw shut as he muttered a strangled, “Fuckfuckfuckfuck,” before spilling into the condom while Nat’s velvet walls squeezed him tightly and drew out his orgasm. She was completely out of breath, her body spent as they stayed there connected while coming down from their highs. 

In what seemed like it was all too quickly however, Chris gently pulled out of her and rolled to the side, laying still as he continued to catch his breath. But the action that took her by surprise the most was when he leaned over, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder. It was an intimate action, one that felt almost even more intimate than the act they’d just shared. And when she felt his eyes on her and turned to look at him, he nodded towards the open doorway on the opposite side of the room, “Did you want to take a shower?” 

She shook her head as she ran a hand through her impossibly messy hair, her voice raspy as she replied, “Um, no I’m kind of tired.” 

“Okay, I’m going to take one really quick,” he told her, leaning in to place a kiss on her cheek before he pushed himself off the bed, leaving the door to the bathroom cracked behind him while the shower turned on. 

The panic settling inside of Nat almost made her sick. She knew this wasn’t a good idea, being so unable to read him throughout the evening, not to mention the fact he’d be leaving for months and likely not even remember her. But somehow the moment that his lips were on hers, she just couldn’t resist, leaving her in the predicament she was in now. She knew she had to figure out what to do and fast, but first she quickly grabbed the nearest piece of clothing which happened to be Chris’ discarded tee shirt and hurried down the hall to use the restroom. 

Nat’s entire body was buzzing as she washed her hands quickly, ultimately deciding that it probably would just be best if she grabbed her stuff and slipped out while he was still in the shower. Nat’s brain reminded her that it wasn’t like he actually wanted her, there was no possible way. She couldn’t even make a relationship with co-workers last, let alone one of the most desirable men out there. She reminded herself that he was leaving. He wasn’t looking for anything with her… well nothing more than what had just happened. She figured he had gotten what he wanted and she just felt as if she couldn’t handle the humiliation of having him reject her the moment he was out of the shower. 

She hurried back to the bedroom where the rest of her clothing was strewn around the room and started gathering it up and shoving it in her bag, cursing quietly when she heard the shower turn off. 

The door to the bathroom swung open the rest of the way, revealing Chris as he ran a towel through his hair, clad in a pair of boxer briefs. “Nat I-” he paused, staring at her as she held her bag. “Oh…were you heading out?” 

She swallowed, shifting her weight on her bare feet as she shrugged. “Well I mean you have that flight tomorrow…”  

He nodded, biting his lower lip as he tossed his towel back into the bathroom. “Do you want to stay, or would you rather go?” He asked, his voice quiet. “I can call you an Uber if you want to go.” 

Nat was silent for a moment, struggling. She wanted to stay, she wanted to stay with him so much it nearly hurt her, but she was also scared of what tomorrow would bring, what it’d mean once he boarded the flight with Scott and Dodger, bound for Massachusetts before the brothers then headed to France. “It’s probably better if I do,” she finally whispered.

She watched the way he nodded, a little downtrodden and upset at her words. “You don’t have to…” he offered one last time. “You’re welcome to stay, but only if you want to… it is kind of late.” 

She moved a hand to fidget with the bracelet on her wrist, sliding it back and forth over her skin as she agreed, “It is, yeah.” 

“So maybe you should just stay?” He asked hopefully as he raised an eyebrow. 

And while she didn’t feel any pressure from him to agree to stay, she’d be lying if she said his reaction hadn’t influenced her. She was worried he was just looking to get one last burst of energy out before he was thrown back into the deep end with work, but the way he offered, time and time again, to help her get back to her own home or to have her stay at his made the deal just that much more sweet to her. “Yeah, maybe I should,” she agreed, unable to help herself from smiling at his reaction. 

He moved to crack the bedroom door in case Dodger wandered in during the night, turning the lights off in the hall outside his room before he came back in, climbing into bed next to her. Nat couldn’t help but chew at her lower lip, feeling so unsure as to what to do with the lack of clarity. She had thought earlier that this was something that had maybe been going somewhere, but then when he had started pulling back from her during the evening and she found out just how long he was going to be gone, Nat had known that this was just him looking to have one more night of pleasure with someone before falling into the grind of work. 

But now she didn’t even know what to think. Was he offering for her to stay just to be nice? So she wouldn’t run to the tabloids or internet with some juicy gossip about how Chris Evans kicked her out while the bed was still warm? Or did he just truly want her to stay? Nothing in her brain seemed to make sense right now and for the first time since they’d become friends, she was starting to remember just who he was and that this could never be the relationship she thought it maybe was turning out to be. 

As Nat laid her head on the pillow, her impossibly wild and untamed curls now a disaster on the white pillowcase, she laid with her back to him as tears stung at her eyes. She knew she shouldn’t have done this. How could she have been so stupid as to let herself get in so deep with him? A lump in her throat appeared when she realized that most likely, come the morning when she left his home, that would be the last interaction she’d ever have with the man who had become such a fixture in her life… who had become her friend. 

But in the middle of her anxious thoughts, she felt a warm hand slide underneath the blankets and come to rest on the curve of her waist, making her body tense before he leaned over to press a kiss to her shoulder covered in his white tee shirt. Her heart was pounding from feeling the heat of his body so close but when his low voice lulled a soft, “Goodnight Nattie,” the sweet sentiment felt more like a knife in her heart, her brain reminding her that it would probably be the last time she ever heard that. 

A/N: *hides* don't kill us! We love them to death but they're both stuck in their own heads right now. We'll be around during the next week, but we will NOT be posting a new chapter between Christmas and New Years. Instead, we'll be back on the 5th with chapter six! We hope you guys have a nice relaxing rest of the year!

[kittypup12]

Hi, I know I've been dead, but I have been itching with some new fun AU material.. hear me out:

Post events of village, everything still unfolds the same, Heisenberg still dies.. but he isn't exactly *gone* per say.

Oh yeah, I'm talking spirit AU baby

The Duke even comments about how he can "feel Heisenberg's essence"

We (unfortunately) don't actually see any hints of the Lords' presence in the dlc. If course, you could look at it as a sign they've "moved on" considering they aren't seen in the megamycete

Or maybe they are trapped, not in the mold, but in their crystalized remains.. Remains that were purchased by the Duke

He could keep them for his own purposes, of course, or maybe they've been pawned off over the years for profit. (Except Lady D for... reasons 👀)

So say after some saving, you finally decide to treat yourself on a trip backpacking through Europe

One day, you decide to take a quick detour to a local oddities shop on the way to your next hostel

You see your typical fair of fake taxidermy, old medical instruments, ect. Until you head further back into the store

You find what seems to be a very unique.. sculpture? It looks like some kind of amalgamation of various scraps of metal and what almost looks like flesh

Of course, you know better than that, but God it looks so real

You assume it must be some kind of statement piece, and for some odd reason, are completely compelled by it

The shop owner claims it was purchased from an odd traveling salesman and just had to have it. He recalls how he felt an almost electric energy and drawing presence radiating from the object. Nearly possessing, he says

Shortly after bringing to the store, strange things began happening to the metal and technology

That's why he keeps the strange object hidden in the farthest corners of the store. Because of this, he's more than willing to sell it to you simply to get it off his hands

It's a bit heavy to tote around for the few days left on your trip, but other than that everything seems normal

Until you get home

At first it starts very small. The lights seem to begin flickering more often. Out of the corner of your eye, you swear you catch some of your metal silverware and items move.

The room you keep the "sculpture" seems to be the most affected. There seems to be a slight electricity in the air that only gets thicker the closer you get to it. Some days, you swear you can hear I near inaudible, low static hum coming from it. Almost like the slight static you'd hear turning on an old tv

Over time, the feeling of a presence can't be ignored anymore. No matter how many candles you light or what air freshener you use, the scent of oil and cigar smoke wafts from the room. Next is the heavy foots steps from boots can be heard walking through hallways, stairs, etc. If you have pets, they begin staring at something that isn't there slightly *too long* for your liking

Then, one night, you get your first look at your new occupant

It's about 3am when you wake up. You're in that odd in-between state of rest and wakefulness. Your movements feel limited, and you assume it's probably sleep paralysis.. then you see him

A dark, looming figure standing near the foot of your bed. Your eyes begin to adjust to the darkness, and you can slowly make out more of its features. A tall, male like figure wearing a wide brimmed hat and what you figure to be a large coat. A classic description of your typical sleep paralysis "demon."

Surprisingly, he seems to not actually be looking at you but off in another direction. You watch as he pulls something from (what you believe) is his pocket and put it up to his mouth. You swear you see a small flicker, followed by the sound of an exhale and the smell of smoke. A cigar, you think to yourself. Looks like you've found the source of that pesky tobacco odor

Suddenly, he turns in your direction and finally looks to have noticed you staring at him

After a short stare down, he quickly walks off through your wall, leaving a visible trail of smoke in his wake

ANYWAYS THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT FOR NOW! (Sorry, this turned out way longer than I thought 🫣) I have a few more ideas in mind, so please let me know if you'd be interested in more or have some of your own! 😊

[superblysubpar]

My friend

One of my fav things about WCIL is that they each had this journey of not being true to themselves. She was punishing herself - a self imposed thing forcing herself to believe that good things can't happen because they'll all end and he was punishing himself because... Well the pervasive Rich Dick dad card. Living your life for someone else vs not living your life for anything. Both of these paths are honestly so relatable. And I think it just goes to show that fighting things to meet expectations you put on yourself or others put on you just ... Don't work. Punishing yourself because of what others want from you or you think you deserve....totally whack....but WE do it ALL the time. Sell ourselves short. Think *this is the best I'm gonna get so this is how it is* Even if it's not love... Reader didn't owe her life and love in exchange for her parents and neither did Steve. Their respective "debt" to their parents needed to be kicked to the curb to do what they need to do for themselves.

Also, I don't think I blabbed about this part but one of my absolute favorite character traits about Steve is how observant he is. He is so smart because he pays attention. And I think it's probably a trauma response from his childhood or a result of boredom growing up being toted around ... Like what else was he gonna do? He knew all the old rich person gossip I just know it. And he probably was so observant because he tried so hard to find things to get his parents approval - like maybe if I do this thing that I noticed my mom likes she's love me more. Maybe if I do that thing I noticed they liked they'll stay home with me this summer. That's why he's "charismatic" because he is adaptive and knows what people are looking for from him. I think that helps him in the ST story and his problem solving and seeing patterns (S3 and the carousel music, etc). He notices the small things and they're so small most people write him off quickly about it. So I think that any AU that really puts that into his character is just beautiful. Because i can imagine the way his heart would swell when he realizes he can store that tiny piece of information away, or when he immediately had an idea because someone said something and it will pay off. Because I bet so much of that observant nature in his life was never appreciated by anyone. His HS friends took advantage, his parents didn't care...it never really made a difference. But when they DO make a difference to someone oh my god. And they made such sweet moments in your story that are subtle (the food orders, pickles, the well timed balcony sex, the Christmas dish, grilled cheese, I mean... So many things you hid in there) and yeah they're all cute Easter eggs for your story that really took a lot of thought and intention as you wrote those callbacks later but... It's also such a perfect ode to Steve as a character. That's how he IS. So I love that for you and your story as a writer because that brings me so much joy as a reader to recognize those little treats, but also so much joy as a Steve lover because its so *him*

I also love love the arcade chapter. Just running into him in that hat having the sweetest day/not date. Like they both really needed that moment together because they were in their feels respectively just... quietly. And god were they misunderstanding each other in such a real way. Id give my left tit to know what was going on his his brain that day. He was probably SO angsty knowing what we know now was going on for him at that point.

Ok I'm done. Bye. 📣

I don't even know how to respond to this...I am SO emotional...I read this hours ago and I literally just started sobbing. I was literally, in the middle of something semi-big involving WCIL (an announcement for future taylor to share on Tumblr MAYBE) and then, I went into my kitchen, started cooking dinner and put on When Harry Met Sally. And as I was drinking a glass of white wine and thinking about how I desperately want to write a movie or a book or a show that someone loves so much that one day they're in their kitchen, drinking wine, cooking dinner and playing it or thinking about it...I opened Tumblr and saw this.

Now, I can't even begin to tell you how much an analysis like this means to me. How much you sharing this with me will literally be a moment I remember for the rest of my life. I wish I could say thank you and address key things more eloquently and dive into the insanely amazing things you pointed out and sent but I'm truly at a loss for words. I can't believe you felt and got all of this out of the story and I'm just incredibly touched.

Thank you for sending this, and thank you again to anyone who's sent anything about WCIL the past few days when I asked. You've made a sad girl who's been Going Through It ™️ be able to say "It's okay. You're doing this and it's scary and it's gonna be okay."

I can't say thank you enough 💛

P. S: I am *literally* demanding we meet one day so I can kiss you and also give you a handmade mix tape which feels far too small of a way to say thank you but it is our shared love language and I'll tape it to a bottle of champagne 💛

[deathofacupid]

happy halloween to all, i guess | peter parker

tw: panic attack

posted to wattpad on halloween just putting it up here

also, can i marry mj

sorry this was posted late lololol

don't hate me for having y/n dislike horror movies cuz me personally, ik that horror movies can trigger things like trauma, loss of sleep (insomnia), and panic attacks

it depends on the person and they shouldn't ever be judged for that, because you simply cannot control these things

anyways thats it lmao

this is kinda based of smth that happened irl except i'm hopelessly single and don't have a peter parker, quite sadly  

i bet u enjoyed this super long authors note

summary: halloween starts off fine, and then... well, it's not so fine.

you tried not to smile as you applied a layer of lipstick to your lips, eager to begin the night that lay ahead of you.

halloween was no doubt one of the best days of the year, and yes, despite being almost 17, you still went trick-or-treating. dignity was a mere price to pay at the rate of your happiness (in candy, of course).

but it had also gotten better after you starting dating peter in the 8th grade, because since then you and peter would always dress up together. this year it was peter pan and wendy, and you were beyond excited. you were dressed in her outfit, a blue dress, with your hair in a half up-half down hairstyle, held up with a blue bow. you hadn't done much with your hair, aside from curl it.

"i got it!" you screeched as you raced down the stairs, almost falling to your death multiple times, to answer the door. your parents locked eyes, clearly amused as you cleared your throat, straightened up and answered the door.

"hi, peter!" you grinned, grabbing your tote bag, because it would hold more candy, and yelling out a quick "love you, be home sometime today, i think" and closing the front door behind you.

he kissed you on the cheek, admiring your costume. "you look really pretty," he blushed.

"thanks, babes. you look pretty, too."

he helped you get in the car before getting in himself, "aww, love, you saved me shotgun!" you grinned, sticking your tongue out at mj and ned in the back. mj was a giant cardboard book, and ned was yoda.

peter looked at you, a sweet smile on his face as he rested his hand on your thigh. "'course, i gotta have my passenger princess with me at all times."

"god, gross. can you not eye-fuck each other for, like, 5 seconds?" mj rolled her eyes.

"we weren't-" peter tried. 

but it didn't matter because you and mj were already catching up, even though you saw each other at school. something about brad and jessica, but he hadn't bothered much. his hand was still in the same place, with yours on top.

"okay," ned interrupted, "mj's neighborhood, right? you know they have the best candy?"

"then why'd you pick me up?" she asked.

you shrugged, "the candy's okay. you just like her place because that one house was handing out starwars figurines."

"that's not- yeah, no, you're right," ned shrugged.

"okay," nodded peter, "mj's place it is."

"again, why'd you pick me up then?"

the next couple hours were spent getting weird stares and collecting candy until most people went inside. at that point, you and the others decided to go to peter's and spend the rest of the night binge-watching halloween movies and stuffing your face with candy.

"i think we should watch the exorcist!" peter declared and you instantly frowned.

you hated horror movies. why would someone willingly want to be subject to a heart attack? that was completely, totally, nonsensical.

but peter did really seem excited about this, so maybe for one night you could suck it up. besides, when was the best time to watch a movie? halloween, right?

mj shrugged, "i don't care what we do."

"we totally should!" ned pumped his fist up and you mentally groaned.

"can weeee? pleaseee?" peter pouted.

"god, i can't think straight when you give me that face. but sure, i guess. i don't really care either," you said, trying to seem nonchalant. but mj must have seen right through your whole facade, because she rose a brow at you. 

"awesomeeeee!" peter and ned high-fived each other before your boyfriend eagerly lunged for the tv remote, searching up the exorcist. 

for the entire time you had your eyes on the screen, your heart rate never went down. you were trying to power through for peter, considering how happy he looked for it, not that you understood why. you squirmed and fidgeted against the couch, trying to muster up the courage to say something. 

you could only take about about an hour until you felt like you'd reached your limit. your palms itched and your chest felt constricted. clumsily excusing yourself for the bathrrom, you stumbled out the front door, feeling the hot flashes against your skin, making your brain go fuzzy.

pulling up your knees to your chest, you clutched both sides of your head with you hands, heavy, ragged breaths leaving your mouth. you couldn't breath at all, and it felt like the edges of the world were blurring together, making everything feel hazy, sending you into a dark, starless oblivion. 

hot tears were streaming down your face, and you were struggling to calm down.

"y/n? y/n! there you are! you'd been gone a long time, so i thought you were taking a dump, but you weren't in the-"

you didn't bother to look up, still focused on yourself. 

"hey, angel, is everything okay? well, that was a stupid question. i-i'm here, love, i'm here," he wrapped his arms around you tightly, engulfing you a tight bear hug. you tried to pry yourself out of his grip, but he didn't let go. 

you felt your breaths slow down and become more full, and you weren't crying anymore. you eased yourself into him and rested your head into the crook of his neck, sniffling quietly. 

"feeling better now?"

you nodded. 

"yeah, uh, i read somewhere that bear hugs help. b-because i know you, um, get those often, and i wanted to be able to help... because, you know, i love you," you cheeks flamed red as he spoke, the two of you had over only exchanged those words twice and counting. 

"i love you, too," you murmured. 

"w-what happened, baby?"

"um, it's stupid. like, really stupid," your voice broke and you knew he'd find it pathetic. 

"i won't, i promise. you can talk to me, y/n, i'll never, ever, judge you."

"i just- i don't like scary movies," you cringed slightly at your words and how they sounded. 

"that's it?"

"see? i knew you'd find it stupid," you pulled away from him, "because it is. and i'm stupid because i can't watch a freaking make-believe movie, and i'm so sorry because your girlfriend is a big, pathetic, stupid baby-"

"no, no, no, that's not what i meant! first, don't call my girlfriend any of those things, because she's not," he continued when he saw you smile. "and second, i'm the one who should be sorry. because that's on me. it's on me that i didn't know, and that put you in that position and made you feel like you had to watch that stupid movie." you didn't say anything, paying attention to the cracks in the steps.

"i'm so sorry, love, i had known, i wouldn't have put it on. and, hey, don't feel stupid. everyone get scared. i'm scared of spiders and i'm spider-man, for god-sakes," well, that made you laugh. 

"it's okay. not your fault," you moved back into this side. 

"we're good, right?"

"right."

"rad. now how about we watch monster house intstead? wanna know a secret? that's what ned's afraid of. he calls it a fever dream," he snickered. 

"that's 'cause it is. also, did you just use 'rad'?"

[toomuchracket]

I really enjoy playing group sports, but the schedules with friends rarely align to make it work. It would be fun to rope in all the boys on a field trip to play some ultimate frisbee, they'd inevitably start playing soccer (which I dislike playing so that's prime "appreciating the view" time). Followed by tired, cuddly film watching + eating at home!

I'm a George girly, but dealers choice!

this is so sweet! i see it being a really nice day at the end of spring/beginning of summer, so not too hot but still sunny, and you suggest to george that the weekly meetup (because those boys CANNOT be apart for any length of time lol) should take place at the park - he's so up for it, and so are the rest of the boys (and carly and baby hann!). you take the frisbee, and everyone - including the kid lol - gets involved in an initially friendly game that soon gets fairly competitive (let's be real it's probably george and matty trying to outdo each other lol); it ends abruptly when baby hann asks if he can get an ice cream from the kiosk nearby, and the rest of you all go "you know what? i could go an ice cream right now too". so you all get them and sit on the grass, you between george's legs lying against his chest totally content, just enjoying the sweet treat and the sun on your bare legs. speaking of, once george has finished his ice cream, he defo reaches into your tote bag and brings out sunscreen like "reapplication time, c'mon babe" - you do your limbs and anywhere exposed on the front of your body while george clips your hair up and does the back of your neck, your shoulders and your back, a very cute little routine you've both established. and then it's his turn, and then you both face each other to put some on your faces, smiling sweetly at each other and having a cute little kiss - everyone finds the whole thing adorable, despite ross fake-retching and calling george "sappy and whipped" (which is actually true lol). george just laughs and stands up, grabbing his hoodie as if to put it on, then abruptly shouts "bagsy not in net!" and just fucking BOLTS to the middle of the grassy section you guys are in, closely followed by adam - still holding his son - and ross, matty behind them like "this is so bloody unfair you all have longer legs than me of course you're going to be faster than i am christ alive i hate being in goal" lol. but he stands between the makeshift goalposts (george's hoodie and baby hann's rain jacket) as his role requires him to, trying to stop the others kicking the ball ross brought with him between them. you don't really focus on the progress of the game, though, because you're too busy chatting to carly initially, and then too distracted by the sight of george (who's removed his shirt) all lean and golden and beautiful in the sunshine - he looks over and winks at you at one point, which sends you into a fit of lovestruck giggles. but after a few short games (everyone takes a turn in net literally if only to stop matty having a tantrum), you all part ways and head home for dinner, making plans to do the same thing next week if the weather stays good. and yeah, you and george are both sleepy from the sunshine - dinner is something quick to assemble, eaten sprawled out on the sofa, followed by a 90-min rom-com watch that you don't even see the end of because you fall asleep contentedly cosied into your boyfriend's chest. very cute vibes! <3

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

The paranormal is super interesting to me. I think a lot of people see the bad side of it because they don’t treat entities with respect and sensationalize them. Rationally, if they are real dead people, then they should be treated as one would any other human; if they are spirits, then they are simply another species as intelligent as ourselves, and should also be treated with the utmost sensitivity, since their culture is likely different than our own due to their lack of physical bodies. Terms like “angel” and “demon” moralize these phenomena, and could possibly be taken as slurs by non-corporeal beings who understand the language these words are spoken in.

I dislike the term “ghost hunting” because the wording is much like the kind you’d use to refer to hunting a species of animal. I also dislike the concept of commercialized haunted locations. Imagine someone — who believes you are a horrifying monster — barging into your home with cameras, hoping to take pictures of you. Imagine someone opening up your house as a tourist attraction — a zoo — for the whole world because they think they can make money off of how creepy you are… Honestly, I don’t think the ghosts are the ones being creepy.

Yeah, I’d be strangling people and throwing shit across the room too if I had to deal with the clout-obsessed, phone-toting paparazzi that are living humans.

[blackroseraven]

So partner is on call this week, and of course got a phone call early this morning, so we were a little late leaving. Everyone else was apparently also late showing up though because horses were just starting to go outside.

So I grabbed halters to help, working around the kids getting ready for Pony Club. I uh. Went to get Athens at one point, and he just slowly leaned in, then bit me right in the soft part of the arm below the armpit. So I huffed at him and closed the door and brought some other horses outside instead.

Which ended up being fine because his owner actually showed up like a few minutes later so. Hooray?

Also uh. Chilton somehow reached all the way up to the roof storage next to his stall and pulled down an entire tote box and a bunch of garbage. He is. A problem.

I got Quattro, spent a while getting him ready. Last night we had a. Thunder-hail-storm, although there's literally no trace of it today apart from the storm damage, right? And I think Quattro caught his leg on something or maybe one of the other horses stepped on him by accident while they probably clustered up under cover to get out of the storm.

It had already healed, whatever it was, but the problem is that Quattro has black skin and a white coat overtop, so ANY amount of blood looks like a TERRIBLE WOUND on him. Literally barely a trace of a scratch but the little that it bled just had this big mark across his leg so it's always like "oh god what happened" but. It was absolutely nothing.

We rode for a bit outside and I was able to push him into canter. It felt really good. But then uh. All the pony club kids came outside. And like, once again, all the advanced kids were gone to a horse show, so this was more starter pony club and they were just kind of everywhere so we ended up going inside instead, where there was only Athens.

Quattro was not pleased with the scenery change but. We still got some work in. When we swapped to brain work, doing stuff with touching cones and whatnot, uh. Athens slowly started to circle in closer and closer and he uh. Really wanted to participate and get treats too. It was very entertaining. His owner is like. Quiet and a little odd but she's very nice and friendly, so it wasn't bad at all.

Partner ended up coming up with Lacy. We have. Not good news about the poor girl and Eli Shama, though. Their crazy owner has found a place and wants to take them home, so. Other Teacherlady basically said: "Yeah, this is probably goodbye." because she will not take good care of them. She will just. Try to fix their hooves herself and give them weird supplements and Lacy is 27, making her a very old horse.

Poor girl. It's so hard because you know she's not going to be taken care of properly but it's never going to rise to a level of abuse or malpractice that anyone's going to care or be able to do anything about. All you can do is tell people not to sell her horses anymore.

Makes me mad and sad.

So partner ran around with Lacy for a bit on the ground, and then she and Quattro just... hung out together. They're relatively friendly with each other, and Quattro is a weird horse who just doesn't really. Care about other horses, so.

Gotta just focus on the present, value the time we have. You never know when it will be over.

[daughters-of-liberty]

I think a lot of Americans think "we have actual free speech and right to bear arms and lot of money, of course we're better". But we also have problems with racism still. We only give our mothers about 6 weeks maternity leave standard when other countries give upwards of 2 years. Employers don't automatically insure employees here, where that's an actual law in other countries. We treat our retail workers like shit by only giving them a 30 min break for every 8 hours of work, wherein they still are usually expected to work if asked, and most places expect you to be able to stand for that full 8 hours, else you're considered lazy. Legitimately. From a Pro-Life angle, a lot of European countries have earlier cut offs for when to get an abortion than some states; the 6-8 week mark is pretty standard over there for being the latest you can get an abortion. Hell, Italy gives gluten intolerant citizens vouchers for gluten free pasta! Here, we up charge you for that sh*t. Because it's your fault you're sensitive to gluten, right?

And the worst part? You bring any of this up to fellow Americans, not even hard-core right-wingers, and they still try to defend it. "Yeah, but Europeans are rude and effeminate, so what do they know about....?" Like, that's not an excuse for not giving women more than 6 weeks maternity leave? That's no excuse for not allowing a 26 year old a chair to sit on so she doesn't get plantar fasciitis before she's 30? That's no excuse to expect those people to pay for their inevitable hospital bills from overworking themselves IN FULL BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET HEALTH INSURANCE AND YOU WON'T COVER THEM AUTOMATICALLY?

Look, I'm not saying European countries are perfect; my biggest problems with a lot of them are their hate speech and gun laws. But I am saying that if there is a European country that won't arrest you for "misinformation" and let's me defend my home with a gun, I'd move there if Hilary Clinton ever becomes president here. Just sayin. Especially if it's pretty there like England, Sweden, or Germany. I like trees.

Listen, I'm a proud, God-fearing, gun-toting American. I tear up when I think about the Founding Fathers. No joke, when I'm driving, if I see an eagle, I salute it. I am a PROUD American. But we have our share of problems, both in legislation as well as culture. I think America is one of the best countries in the world, but I also think it has potential to be THE BEST country in the world. It isn't right now. And, hot take here, it wasn't during the Trump administration either. It hasn't been for a while, if ever. Hell, even earlier on when we were allowed to be more leisurely, that was pretty much only afforded to white people.

My favorite type of irony is Americans pointing out how shitty other countries are due to politics while saying nothing about their own country

[finelinevogue]

Can you do something about the reader having a lot of stretch marks and being insecure about it? I just feel so ugly about my ones because they are really noticeable and cover almost the entirety of my hips and boobs

i accidentally posted the other one with 3 sentences written so here it is again!!!

also i would just like to say that anon, honey, you are absolutely beautiful and you shouldn’t let your stretch marks or anyone else tell you otherwise. okay?<3

Standing in front of the mirror at home, assessing your new lingerie purchase, you remained unsure.

You had taken yourself shopping today whilst Harry had been in the studio. It had been a fun and successful shop, running various errands whilst also treating yourself to new shoes and a new tote bag, except for when you went into Victorias Secret. 

It had crossed your mind that it might be nice to surprise Harry with new lingerie, seeing as he hadn’t seen anything new on you for a few months now. Your favourite go-to set was a lilac one covered in tiny pink butterflies and flowers, but it was getting so worn out that you decided it might be time to replace it. You’d found a lovely pale blue set with embroidered pink flowers on and thought it would be the perfect replacement.

You had asked one of the employees to help you with sizing, since you knew that you’d gone up a few sizes since the last time that you’d bought bras. The woman hadn’t been half as nice as you’d expected though.

“Buying the lingerie for anyone nice?” The blonde woman asked, picking at her chipped nail polish rather than actually paying attention to you.

“My boyfriend.” You smiled, thinking about how happy Harry’s face was going to be when he saw you.

“Oh... Really?” She questioned, clearly finding that quite hard to believe. 

“Yeah. Thought it might be nice to surprise him.”

“So what are you thinking of going for?” She asked, actually getting out of her seat to do her job. She couldn’t have been more than 25 years old, so you guessed that she didn’t even really want the job and was only here to earn a bit of pocket money.

“This please.” You handed over the pale blue bra and asked for it in your size.

“Hmm. Are we sure that’s the right size?” She held up the new size in front of her, holding it up against your chest. “Just seems a bit too small for your large chest area.” 

“Oh.”

She handed you the set anyways and directed you to a changing room. Pulling back the curtain, you sighed as you tried not to let that woman’s comment get to you. You stripped until you found yourself in your own underwear, sighing at how unflattering you saw your body as. Your stomach had one more chub roll than you wished, even after the numerous of toning exercises you’d done. Your breasts had tiny lines of discoloured skin, that was slightly raised and wrinkly, showing that you’d stretched in certain places. They were also found on your waist too. You ran your hands over them, feeling the bumps and trying your best not to get upset.

Before you could have the chance to put on the lingerie set the woman opened the curtain again. You used your hands to try and cover your body, feeling incredibly exposed right now. 

“Excuse me?” You asked, not knowing whether this was even allowed.

“I thought you might need some help.” She said whilst raking her eyes over your body, fixing her eyes to the parts that you’d just been bashing.

“N-no. I’m fine thank you.” 

“Do you want me to find another set that will cover up those stretch marks?” She asked, pointing in disgust at your skin and its’ flaws.

“Why?”

“Well, they’re not exactly something that your boyfriend will love on you. Trust me. It’s better to cover them. They’re kinda ugly anyways. No?” 

You hadn’t even tried on the new lingerie set there in the store because you were so flustered and embarrassed by her comments. You just wanted to get out of there as quickly as you could, avoiding the woman for the rest of the shopping experience so she couldn’t see how badly she got to you. 

Now, stood in your shared bedroom you couldn’t help but think that maybe she was right. The new lingerie set was a stunning colour against your gorgeous skin, but it did show your stretch marks and it was something you began seeing as gross.

You ran your hands over your tummy, turning around to see the back of the set in the mirror. You sighed and tried to keep your tears at bay as you began pointing out all the flaws again.

At the beginning you’d started counting all the stretch marks, but it had gotten to the point where you’d forgotten because there were too many.

“Y/N...” 

Your vision shot to see Harry stood behind you in the mirror, in the doorway. He had dropped his jacket to the ground, stood in what seemed like shock. Your mind went straight to thinking he found you just as a horrible sight as you believed.

‘Harry... Oh God, sorry.” You rushed, trying to find something decent to cover yourself in. You couldn’t find anything nearby and you were panicking that Harry was seeing everything and were making him fall less and less in love.

Your mind was being so cruel to you.

“Y/N...”

“I know H, baby. I’ll cover up now sorry.” 

“Y/N.”

“Just give me a min...”

“Y/N.” He was now in front of you, gripping onto your cheeks to let you see him eye to eye. A tear slipped down your cheek and you couldn’t help but let your bottom lip tremble with anxiety. Your hands were shaky and Harry took a notice, so let go of your cheeks and held tightly onto your hands instead. His firm voice had managed you to capture your attention, but you were afraid for what he would say next.

“Would you like me to cover up before you start talking?” You offered.

“No.” He shook his head and gave you a look as if you’d lost you mind. “When have I ever given you a reason to cover up?” 

“It’s not you..”

“Hey.” He reached for your cheek again as your face dropped. He wasn’t giving up. “Look at me, baby. Why do you think you need to cover up? You’re in the most beautiful lingerie set I’ve ever seen and showing off your divine body, so why on Earth would I ever want you to cover up?” 

“Because...” You tried to find the right words, so Harry kissed you on the forehead as you search for them. “My stretch marks.” You spoke softly.

“What about them?” He frowned.

“They’re so ugly Harry. I hate them. Reminds me of how fat and gross I am. I know that you hate them too and I’m just sorry.” You cried, breaking your hands free from his and using them to cover your face. 

Your body felt weak and you had to sit on the edge of the bed to support you. Your legs were brought up to your body and you cocooned yourself in like a caterpillar. What that caterpillar would soon come to realise is that it was going to turn into a butterfly. With the right tender love and care.

Harry came and sat next to you, waiting for you to climb on top of him for support before touching you. His arms wrapped around your body when he leaned your body against his side. Your body was still shaking softly from your crying. You felt one of Harry’s hands caress over the soft skin where you knew your stretch marks were. You flinched at first, but found too much comfort in the action to ask him to stop.

“I’m sorry if I have ever given you the impression that I hate your stretch marks, or any part of your body for that matter. I love your body so much Y/N. It’s fucking stunning and walking into the room just now had be absolutely stunned, and mute, from being in awe of how beautiful you look.”

You lifted your head up and looked at him, earning a smile from him. He wiped his knuckles over your cheek and you breathed happily at the contact.

“You’ve never made me feel like you hate me.” You shook your head.

“Then why would you think I would?” 

“There was an employee at VS that told me you would hate the sight of them and I should find better coverage lingerie, to hide them.” You bit your lip, trying your best not to relive that moment again.

“What? How fucking dare they.” Harry rarely got angry and pissed off, so when he did you knew it was for a strong cause. Like you being insulted for example.

“Yeah. It made me feel pretty shitty.” You rolled your eyes, sniffling away the sarcastic comments.

“You better send me the location of that store, because someone is going to be fired by tomorrow.” He said and there was no point in arguing. That woman deserved to go too. “And as for you, my love. You are the most gorgeous being ever created and I love you so damn much.” He leaned over to kiss a few of your stretch marks on your under boob.

“Thank you for loving me and all my stretch marks.”

“They are a part of what makes you you and I wouldn’t ever want anything else. I love you Y/N.”

“I love you H. And thank you.”

[stranger-marauders]

fractured

four: monster mash

chapter summary: Kate decides to accompany Jonathan to take the boys trick-or-treating before going to Tina's Halloween party. Before she gets there, Steve's title and crown are taken away from him.

chapter warnings: language, alcohol consumption

word count: 3.0k

series masterlist | masterlist

WHENEVER KATE HAD finally found Jonathan after her last class of the day, she told him the news he'd been more than anticipating. 

"So, you finally came to your senses?" Jonathan asked her, not even trying to hide his smile.

"No, I'm just expected for you guys to be done before nine o'clock. That definitely leaves enough time for me to meet the girls at the Halloween party," Kate explained. "It'll be great. I'll get two wears out of the same costume."

Jonathan gave her a tight-lipped smile. "All right. I'll meet you at my house, okay?"

She nodded once. "See you soon."

Before she went to Jonathan's house that afternoon, she first dropped her car off at home. While she hadn't gone inside, she quickly scurried off before El could see her, carrying the rest of her costume in her tote bag.

To make things easier, Kate had decided to wear the white blouse and the hair clips to school that day. It made for a lighter load in her bag, as well as being a somewhat put-together outfit (at least her hair clipped back like that made her feel more put-together). While she had also been wearing her Converse, which she wore all the time, she decided that she'd be swapping the heels Sandy wore in the move for those instead (Kate absolutely refused to wear heels if she was walking around Hawkins all night, and that was before going to a party). The only parts of her costume she bought were the thin yellow cardigan, the yellow skirt, and the white belt Sandy also wore, which had all been simple enough to find.

Whenever she arrived at the Byers' house, she quickly was greeted at the door by Bob, Joyce's boyfriend, wearing a Dracula costume. "Kate! Nice seeing you."

"Hey, Mr. Newby," Kate said, waving once and smiling awkwardly.

"Oh, don't flatter me, or else I'll have to call you Ms. Hopper," he replied cheerily. "You know you can just call me Bob."

She smiled, and without another word, she quickly went into the bathroom, slipping off her jeans and slipping the yellow skirt on. She put the yellow cardigan over her blouse, leaving it open so the white blouse could still be seen underneath it. She looked at herself in the mirror, quickly running a brush through her hair before analyzing her appearance. She tilted her head, fidgeting with the gold necklace around her neck. She shook her head, leaving it alone—she could've sworn Olivia Newton-John wore one just like it in the movie (she, however, was wrong).

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Joyce turned to her and smiled. "Kate, you look beautiful."

"Thanks, Ms. Byers," she said, returning her smile. "By the way, I love that costume, Will."

Will smiled back at her, but before he could reply, Joyce brought his attention back to her. "Listen. Stay close to Kate and Jonathan, okay?" Whenever he had turned away again, she spoke more directly to him. "And listen, listen, listen… If you get a bad feeling or anything, you tell them to take you straight home. You promise?"

"Okay."

Jonathan took a step closer to him. "Are you ready, bud?"

"Yeah."

"Be safe," Joyce called as the three walked out the door.

"I hope it doesn't suck!" Bob said, imitating Dracula.

Kate smiled at the man, waving him off as she sat in the front seat of Jonathan's car. As much as she loved Bob, Jonathan did not.

"I just don't get what she sees in him," Jonathan said after they'd pulled out of their driveway.

"What?" Will and Kate asked.

"Bob."

"Hey, leave him alone," Kate said defensively. "He's so nice to us."

"At least he doesn't treat me different," Will said. "I mean, I can't even go trick-or-treating by myself. It's lame."

"What? You think Jonathan and I are lame? I mean, I totally get this guy, but me?" Kate asked, acting offended.

"No, but it's not like Nancy's coming over to watch Mike, you know?"

Kate looked at Jonathan out of the corner of her eye. Man, did he wish Nancy was coming with them. Jonathan, however, only sighed in response.

Kate had always felt bad for Will. After everything that had happened, she knew the town of Hawkins had looked at the young boy differently. Even though she, unlike most, knew the full story, the story of how the laboratory on the west side of Hawkins tried to fake his death after their own tragic mistake, the residents of the small Indiana town only knew Will as the boy that had come back from the dead.

It wasn't fair to him after all the suffering he had gone through. Not in the slightest.

Once they had arrived at Mike's house, the boys immediately called after Will and ran up to the car as Jonathan honked his horn in response, signaling a hello. Jonathan cut the car engine off and sighed as Will prepared himself for the night that lay ahead.

Jonathan, however, hesitated. He turned to look back at his younger brother in the backseat. "Hey, listen."

"Yeah?"

"If I let you go on your own, you promise to stay in the neighborhood?"

Will's face lit up. "Yeah! Yeah, yeah, totally."

"And be back at Mike's by nine."

"Nine… thirty?"

"Nine."

Will finally caved, but still remained excited. "Yeah."

"Deal?" Jonathan asked, sticking his hand out to him.

Will shook his brother's hand in response. "Yeah, deal."

Before letting him go, however, Jonathan added something else. "Hey, Will. Don't let any of your spazzy friends use this, all right?" he handed the camera that Bob had given them both earlier to his younger brother. Before driving away, Jonathan closed with his last statement, imitating Bob: "I hope it doesn't suck."

As Will ran off with his friends, Kate smiled and waved at the four boys as they ran off Whenever the boys were out of sight, she turned to Jonathan. "That was really sweet of you. Your mom's gonna freak, but… it'll be worth it."

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her," Jonathan said, pulling a familiar orange flyer from his pocket. "Besides, we have a party to get to, don't we?"

Kate gave him an unreadable expression. "Who are you and what have you done with Jonathan Byers?"

He only smiled in response.

It hadn't taken long before Billy Hargrove took Steve's spot as Keg King at Tina's Halloween party.

Steve had heard the chanting from outside. Whenever the group of keggers had come inside, looking in his direction, he knew what was coming his way.

"We got ourselves a new Keg King, Harrington," Tommy said as he, Billy, and a few other boys approached him and Nancy. 

"Yeah, that's right!"

"Yeah. Eat it, Harrington."

The boy only took off his sunglasses, staring at them with an unreadable expression while Nancy walked off to get some punch.

"What's in this?" she asked the kid standing next to the punch bowl.

"Pure fuel!" he shouted. "Pure! Fuel!" He burped, obviously at least slightly intoxicated.

Steve moved next to Nancy, watching her take a large cup full of punch, which had been filled with just about everything but punch. "Hey… Woah, woah, woah! Take it easy, take it easy. Nance, Nance, Nance…"

"We're just being stupid teenagers for the night. Wasn't that the deal?" Nancy replied bitterly. Without another word, she drank another cup full of punch, walking away from Steve once again.

He leaned up against the counter, watching the party begin to unfold in front of him. He could already feel this night was about to become a disaster.

When Kate and Jonathan had arrived to Tina's house, which wasn't too much after Steve's title had been taken from him, they immediately found a boy puking right outside the house. The party had almost seemed to leak over, slowly spreading past the senior girl's home.

This had already seemed amazing and they hadn't even gotten out of the car yet.

"And you used to do this more often?" Jonathan asked, giving Kate an uneasy look.

She shrugged uneasily. "Yeah, it's better when you're a little drunk, honestly."

Once they'd both walked inside the house, they immediately were separated from each other. Jonathan had been stopped by a girl named Samantha almost right after he walked into the house, losing Kate in the crowd as "Girls on Film" played entirely too loudly.

Kate, not even realizing she'd lost Jonathan, had already spotted Nancy and Steve dancing in the living room, or what had become a dance floor. She couldn't help but smile at the costume, which she'd understood immediately. Of course he dressed up as Joel Goodsen from Risky Business. No one had to tell her that he'd most likely had to practically force Nancy to dress up as Lana for him, just so they could have that matching couple's costume. That was something that Steve had always wanted, but had never had the chance to have. He'd tried to talk Kate into dressing up with him the year before, doing the Risky Business thing, but she told him no: costumes like that were reserved for couples only, and she knew that (besides, the implication at that time would've been that they screwed like Joel and Lana, and that was something they did not). Now, more than anything, she wished she would have told him yes. A hundred percent, a thousand times yes.

Her heart almost melted when she finally saw Steve's face. He looked so… happy, even in those stupid sunglasses, and her breath hitched in her throat: she only wished it was her making him feel that way.

She was quickly pulled out of her gaze when someone pulled her into a hug. "Kate! You made it!" When she was pulled out of the hug, she found the person hugging her to be none other than Kim Tran wearing her Jan costume. "You even dressed up!"

"As promised," she said, brushing out her yellow skirt. She looked to her other friend that had been with Kim. "Hey, Steph."

She waved, sporting her Frenchy costume.

"Hey, where're Jess and Stu? I wanna see their costumes, too," Kate said, trying to scan the room for them. 

"Who knows. Probably in a closet somewhere, knowing them," Stephanie replied.

Kate rolled her eyes, shoving her slightly. "You're disgusting."

"Well, I mean…" Kim had cut herself off when a certain boy walked by. It had been the same boy that almost hit Kate's car the day before.

"Kim, seriously, you too?" Kate asked, disappointed and heartbroken. "I expected more out of you, at least."

"What?" she asked, her face turning pink. "He's hot, Kate. What am I supposed to do?"

"Come on, look at those abs," Stephanie added, also watching the boy. "And his ass."

"He's gross," Kate corrected. "He wants you to look at those things so it takes away from the mullet and the pornstache. That and his overall douchiness."

Before either girl could reply, Jessica and Stu had spotted the three girls, wearing their Rizzo and Kenickie costumes, respectively.

"Are we talking about the new kid?" Jessica asked before turning to Kate. "And you! So kind of you to finally join us!"

"Hello to you, too, Jess," she said, waving once. "Hey, Stu."

Before Stu could reply to Kate, Kim said, "Jess, objectively, is the new guy hot or not?"

She looked to her boyfriend, then back to the three girls in front of her. "Even though I am a taken woman, objectively, yes. That's obvious. Why?"

When Kim and Stephanie laughed in victory, Kate scoffed in disgust. "Are you kidding me?"

"Oh, that's why."

Her mouth flew open in response. "He looks like an absolute asshole!"

"Surprised you're not into him, then," Jessica said without thinking. When Kim and Stephaine laughed in shock, Kate's face turning pink, she sheepishly said, "Sorry."

Kate had finally come clean to her three friends with her feelings about Steve the night of Stephanie's birthday (which had been in late January), which had been the first time the four girls had been together that wasn't at school. While she hadn't told them everything entirely that night, she, over time, told them everything that had happened between her and Steve. Kim, Jessica, and Stephanie had all agreed that Steve was an asshole (of course, all three ranged on how much of an asshole he really was: Stephanie thought he was redeemable, Kim thought there was no coming back, and Jessica wanted to kill him), and had done nothing but help support her. Back then, coming clean felt more like something she owed them, especially Kim and Jessica. She'd hidden her feelings for so long, and at that point, she'd been going out with Jamie for a couple of months anyway, so it didn't matter anymore.

"Stupid asshole, which I'm into, is different from cocky asshole," Kate replied coolly after gathering her thoughts. "Besides, I've been over that for months. Remember Jamie?"

"Oh, Jamie!"

"How could we forget about Jamie?"

Kate rolled her eyes annoyedly. "All three of you are insufferable."

"You still love us."

Her attention, however, had quickly been snagged by something else. She could only watch as an obviously drunk Nancy moved out of the living room to the kitchen to get more punch and Steve followed her, trying to stop her.

"No, no, no!"

"Get… off!"

Steve, however, still tried to fight her. "No, you've had enough, okay?"

"Screw you!"

Steve tried to act like he wasn't slightly hurt by her, but Kate, just for a second, could see right through it. "Nance, I'm serious. Hey. Hey. Stop. No, I'm serious." Steve, once Nancy had filled another cup full of punch, started to fight over it with her. "Put it down."

"No!"

"Nance, put it down."

"Steve, stop!"

"Stop!" As Nancy asked, begged for him to stop, he finally let go of the cup. "Stop!"

Steve hadn't realized that the cup would spill all over her white sweater. When she looked down at herself, realizing her white sweater was now red and soaked with punch, she gasped.

Everyone at the party had watched the scene unfold between the two of them.

She looked back up at him with a shocked expression as she walked away to go to the bathroom. "What the hell?"

Of course, he quickly followed behind her, promptly shutting the door behind the two of them. Once they'd disappeared, the party continued as if no interruptions had been made, that nothing had happened in the slightest.

Kate stared at the bathroom door like a deer in headlights. What the hell was that?

"Hey, we'll, uh… we'll see you guys later," Jess said, dragging Stu away.

"You okay?" Kim asked, staring at Kate cautiously.

Stephanie touched her friend on the shoulder whenever she hadn't answered. "Kate, you okay?"

Kate finally shook herself out of her gaze again whenever she heard her name. She hadn't realized she had been caught staring, more specifically at Steve. As she spoke, she didn't keep her gaze off of the bathroom door. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

Before either girl could reply, the dick with the Camaro came over to the three girls. "Hey."

"Hey," Kim and Stephanie said trying to act cool.

Billy turned to the two girls, flashing them a smile. "Go get me a beer, will you?"

They both quickly ran off to find a bottle for them as Kate still fixated on the bathroom door. Why hadn't they come out yet?

"I don't think we've met," the boy said, glancing over her. "I'm Billy."

She didn't look back at him as she spoke. "Pleasure."

"I think you're in my biology class, actually," he said, trying to spark conversation. Whenever she had still only stared at the bathroom door in anticipation, he rolled his eyes. "What's your thing with Harrington?"

She finally glanced back at him, pulling her out of her thoughts. "What?"

He chuckled and smiled. Was he trying to flirt with her? "Sorry, it's just… You act like you want nothing to do with him at school, but you've been watching him since you got here, so what is it? You two got a thing he doesn't want his girl knowing about, or…?"

She stifled a laugh, shaking her head. "No, it's nothing, it's just… We used to be pretty good friends and he's having a pretty shit night from what I can see."

"Used to be?" Billy smiled flirtatiously. "Is that code for 'we screwed' around here or something?"

"Oh God no, we were never together," Kate said, her face turning slightly pink. "Just… friends, for a really long time."

"Ah."

Kate looked to the bathroom door again. Why hadn't either of them come out yet?

"What's your costume?" he asked her.

"Sandy from Grease," Kate replied simply, brushing down her yellow skirt. "What's yours? Uh, California douchebag?"

Billy chuckled. "You're funny."

"I have my moments."

Kate was just as unimpressed with him now as she was with him when he had almost killed her car. In a way, he was worse than the old Steve, which shocked her. She guessed that's what you got when you put a California boy in Hawkins.

Before he could ask him another question, Steve came out of the bathroom, his eyes glazed over.

"Oh shit," Kate muttered as he walked by, her eyes wide.

"What?"

"I… I have to go," Kate said quickly, moving toward Steve as he walked toward the door.

Billy grabbed her by the arm. "Woah, we haven't even—"

"We've talked enough," she said, peeling his hand off of her. "Bye…?"

"Billy," he replied. "My name is Billy."

"Bye, Billy," she said, waving and smiling sarcastically, following Steve right out the door.

All of Kate's friends, including Jonathan, could only watch as they both left Tina's house for the night.

next chapter

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[sparring-spirals]

Hi spar! I just wanted to say I really enjoy your metas and character analysis. You always seem to have a great grasp of the characters and narrative and emotional beats that I find super helpful!

I was wondering what you think Imogen’s mindset might be going forward as Laudna slowly recovers and has to deal with her trauma and Imogen tries to meet her where she’s at and support her. Do you think her conversations with Delilah are weighing on her more now that she’s seen some of the things Delilah put Laudna through (not just her violent death but also how much she took from her in terms of her happier memories of her home etc)? Do you feel like Imogen will internalise this or that it will unwittingly come out as Laudna’s trauma response is further explored?

Firstly- thank you very much! :'''D What a lovely compliment, I really appreciate it :) I'm a real sucker for emotional beats and character dives and narratives that get influenced by these things, and I'm thrilled other people also get mileage out of my metas about these subjects. Secondly, this answer is late, and I'm very sorry. But its here now!

TL;DR: Oh yeah totes. Absolutely. Yes on all fronts. Its gonna be wild. :'D

I think that the entire experience absolutely puts a lot of things into a new light. About Laudna, about her shaded past, about each time she trailed off mid sentence because of Delilah. And I don't think it's that Imogen didn't know about any of it before, or didn't treat it with importance, (although the layers of deflection and misdirection between them didn't help). But it's very, very different to have it laid out like it was. In visuals and ghosts and tangible hurt and misery, in faces to names and at the end of it all- Laudna. Tired, and exhausted, and hopeless, in a cage, saying she doesn't think she can do anything. That the choice is all out of her hands. That maybe it always was.

So I think the big takeaway from this revelation will manifest in details of choice and agency, and Imogen with this deep, shattering understanding of how little of it Laudna has had previously. During the res ritual, saying to her: Make your own choice, please, do what you want, and I will support it. But its your choice. Its yours. She was so emphatic about giving Laudna that, desperately wanting her to be happy, wanting her to choose that happiness.

And that mentality, from Imogen, who has spent years clawing for control, her insides and out upended by bigger forces. From Imogen, who has learned the hard way that her best tool, her strongest one, is a weapon- a mind like a spike, like a hammer, in lightning striking down, lies and consequences doled out without hesitation. From Imogen, who very, very recently, has been reminded that the best way (the only way) to keep her loved ones safe has to do with ripping the storm out of her veins and letting it loose.

(What use are all these powers if not for protecting the people she loves? What are these scars, if not a reminder?)

(Evidence?)

... So to answer your last question- yes, and, honestly, yes. I think Imogen will be invested in advocating for Laudna's happiness and Laudna's choices, and be fighting to not push her into anything she doesn't want. Fighting to not let any of her own wants or needs override Laudna's. And I also think this is going to meld beautifully (Subtext: Uh Oh) with the trigger-happy, protective, self sacrificial "ill gladly do damage to myself to do damage to enemies" things Imogen already has going on.

(So. yes to the internalizing, and then some).

But, as we've already seen in this group of powder-kegged playing-hot-potato-with-therapy individuals, this kind of internalizing is not usually a long term solution, especially under duress (Moon's haunted), especially when someone already has a ton of shit going on (Moon's haunted). So its absolutely going to come out, sooner or later, and we are ripe for Interactions, Situations, and Shenanigans in the meantime. Especially if, Laudna, fresh off of "oh god everyone derailed their lives to fix my issue" tries to focus more on Imogen as a result. Wow what a mess. Hell yeah.

(That said, there are so many other people in the Bells that need* to have 1-1 conversations and resolutions and talks with Laudna, so Imogen might have a bit of breathing room right now for putting all focus and attention on her. So I guess, internalize away, my gal.)

*Need is, technically, MY need, but it still counts. Ashton WILL talk to Laudna soon or i will Combust. F.C.G, Fearne, Chetney, Orym...... Give Me The Conversations, CR. Give them to me.

... cannot wait for the next bit of combat though.