#like yes I’m happy that he’s finally being praised and appreciated

[zoinksf1]

is it fair to gatekeep EP40? no but I’m feeling very if you can’t handle his worst, you aren’t getting his best about it.

[simpforboys]

Surprise! (3)

Drew Starkey x fem!singer!reader

Summary: reader and Drew celebrate the release of the ‘Perfume’ music video!

Warnings: fluff, smut, oral (f receiving), praise, swearing, male masturbation, dirty talk, missionary position, sex on couch, daddy kink, protective piv sex, boob worship (?), drinking wine, fangirling

Part one, part two, part four

taglist is full :(

Two weeks had went by.

Two long, busy weeks of you not hearing much from Drew, other than the promotions and photo stills you would send him.

It was finally the release day, and within 18 hours, the video had already reached 200 million views.

You were currently sitting on your light grey couch, flicking through Netflix movies when your phone buzzed with a notification.

Drew Starkey: Hey, congrats on the success of the video. I’m still very honored you wanted me to he apart of it. You still down to celebrate?

Oh.

In all honesty you were expecting Drew to stop talking to you after the shoot.

But within those two weeks, you were both extremely busy, so reaching out was hard.

That didn’t mean you two didn’t text at all, it was just two or three messages a day.

Drew was notorious for being a bad texter, not to mention how filled up his schedule was.

So you never took it to heart. Or, at least tried.

But seeing the notification that he actually still wanted to hang out, wanted to celebrate with you…

Your User: hi, thank you so much! i’m still so happy and grateful you said yes <33

Your User: and yes i’m still down to celebrate!! when are you free?

Maybe the double texting was too much, but you were already a glass of wine in, and texting your celebrity crush.

To your surprise, he replied pretty quickly.

Drew Starkey: I’m actually free rn surprisingly, are you?

Oh.

You were in fact free, but ready was the better question.

No, you were not ready to see Drew fucking Starkey, especially looking like how you were currently dressed.

Only wearing sweatpants, a shirt that is three sizes too big, fuzzy socks, and no bra was not exactly presentable to meet the love of your life.

Your User: yes, but i look absolutely horrible rn

Again, another quick response.

Drew Starkey: I doubt that. Can I come see you?

You typed out a message.

Your User: CNEOSHWOSHEODNEOWHSOWBSIFBEOSBAJDBDKDHOSBSKSBDJSHS😜✊👍😜🤭🔥🫶😩

That was what you really wanted to reply with, but instead went for something more nonchalant.

Your User: yeah, you want my address?

It was never good to share your address to anyone online, especially after only meeting in person twice.

But it was Drew Starkey. You would send anything to that man, no questions asked.

Drew Starkey: Yes please

You had spent the last 30 minutes frantically cleaning your apartment. Not that it was a complete mess, but you did want it to be cleaner than what it was.

A soft knock on your door was heard, heart pounding in your chest, hands shaking with nervousness.

Peeking through the peephole, seeing his familiar face was enough to make you almost back out.

Why did you have to be so fucking nervous? He was just a man.

Your fingers unlocked the door, opening it gently.

“Hey, Y/n.” Drew smiled warmly at you, holding a bouquet of flowers.

“Hi… come on in.” You grinned back, trying to hide the feeling in your chest.

Drew’s long legs guide him inside the apartment and he takes a second to look around.

It was cozy, and definitely you.

“I got these f’you.” He hums, holding out the flowers.

“Oh, these are my favorite flowers, Drew… you didn’t have to do that.” You awed, taking the bouquet as he practically handed it to you.

He knew they were your favorite flowers. He might have looked up y/n l/n’s favorite flower onto Google. Not that he would ever admit that, though.

“Really? Damn, lucky pick, I guess.” He chuckled, scratching the side of his neck a little sheepishly.

Putting the flowers in a vase, you realized that he was wearing sweats and a hoodie. It was 10:23pm on a Friday, and clearly you two were appreciating a night off.

It made you feel better about your outfit.

“Do you want anything to eat or drink? I have white or red wine, beer, vodka, soda, water…” You trailed off your options.

“What’re you drinking?” He hummed.

You nodded over to the coffee table, an open bottle of wine with a half filled glass on it.

“Wine.”

“I’ll just have some of that, then.” Drew murmurs.

You grabbed another wine glass and walked over to the couch, hearing his feet behind you.

Sitting down on the couch, you got all comfortable underneath the blanket again, then reached over to pour him a glass of wine.

“Cheers, to the success of ‘Perfume’, and to you.” Drew says softly, holding his glass out for you to clink.

Feeling your face grow a bit warm, you tapped your glass with his.

“Cheers to you being amazing.” You took a sip of the wine, your eyes locked onto his blue ones.

“You have a nice apartment, by the way. Forgot to say that.” He hums.

“Thank you, I wanted to make it as cozy as possible for those rare times I am at home.” You explain.

"Yeah, I get that. Life nowadays is just so hectic." He agrees, blue eyes trailing over your face, as if committing each feature to memory.

"Well, yeah. You're all big and famous now," you tease.

He chuckles sheepishly, his large hand running along the back of his head.

"You have any big plans coming up?" He asked you.

"Yeah, actually. I'm supposed to be preforming at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball festival in a week," you nod.

"Really? Damn. That beats me, then." He joked.

"What do you have coming up?" You questioned.

"Variety is going to have Harris Dickinson and I do that Actors on Actors interview thing."

"Yeah? That sounds fun," you hummed.

The two of you spent an hour and a half talking about life, success, and just got to know each other.

You both finished the bottle of wine and were now onto your second bottle, the two of you tipsy as you giggled on the couch.

Your body felt warm and you weren't completely sure if it was from the alcohol or the fact that a beautiful man was sitting a foot away from you on your own couch.

Drew felt the same, and one specific joke you made had him laughing a little too hard. His eyes creased in the corner as he smiled, those pretty dimples on display.

But when his large hand went to rest on your knee, the wine in your system completely fought off your anxiety, making you more relaxed.

You found yourself leaning into his touch, your hand resting atop of his.

"Your laugh is so cute, Drew," you murmured.

"Yeah? You're cute," he responded.

You bit your lip, eyes locked onto his. "Is that the alcohol talking or you?"

He grinned, shaking his head.

"That's me talking."

Oh.

"You're sweet..." you trailed off, trying to ignore how butterflies filled your belly.

He just hummed, a comfortable, tension-filled silence falling between you two.

"So, you really had a crush on me for four years?" He teased, squeezing your knee a little.

"Oh, god. We're back at this now, huh?" You grumbled in embarrassment, although there was no real malice behind your tone.

He smirked, licking his lips. "We never left it."

"I certainly did."

"Yeah? You don't have a crush on me anymore?" He murmured, the playful tone in his voice making your stomach turn more.

"I didn't say that...." you trailed off, picking at the extra skin near your nails.

His eyes trail over your form again, taking in every inch of you he can see that's not hidden by the blanket on your lap.

"Hm? Sorry, I didn't hear you."

You rolled your eyes, face hot. "I'm sure you didn't."

He laughed, scooting a little closer to you so your legs were touching.

"'m just fucking with you," he said softly.

"I know..." you glanced over at him, eyes instinctively falling down to his pretty lips.

It had been too long since you felt them on you.

Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the boost of confidence Drew had gotten, but he slowly leaned in, his free hand going to run his index finger and thumb on your chin.

"Is this okay?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah... yes..." you breathed out shakily, heart racing.

He hummed, gently connecting your lips to his own.

Feeling that familiar, addictive spark when his skin touched yours. You immediately kissed back, your left hand going to cup his jaw.

Kissing. You were kissing Drew fucking Starkey. And it wasn't for work, wasn't for cameras. He kissed you first.

Within moments, he was laying you back on the light grey couch, the fluffy blanket being left abandoned on the floor.

His tongue was in your mouth, sculpted body hovering over yours. Your thighs were spread for him to nestle in between, left hand still cupping his strong jaw, right hand in that soft brown hair.

On instinct you pulled a little on the strands, making him grunt into your mouth. He disconnected your lips, trailing sloppy, needy kisses down your jaw and neck.

Chests pressed together, it was as if you two couldn't get any closer.

"Mhmm... Drew..." you whimpered softly when he nipped at the skin of your pulse point.

"Yeah? That feel nice, sweet girl?" He murmured, voice muffled from his attention on your neck.

You nodded, legs squeezing him in between your body.

"Can I take your shirt off, baby?" He asked, not wanting to do anything you weren't desiring.

"Please.." you breathed out, heart racing, stomach flipping.

His large hand slipped the oversized fabric off and over your head, a small whine leaving him when he saw your pretty tits.

"Fuck, Y/n... you been hiding these from me?" He mumbled teasingly, continuing his line of kisses and nibbles down your collarbone, in between the valley of your breasts.

"All you needed to do was ask," you panted. Your back instinctively arched up, your chest needing some attention from his warm mouth.

He groaned at your answer, moving slightly down your body until he was eye level with your hard nipples. He swirled his tongue around the bud, blue eyes locked on your face when he sucked your nipple into his mouth.

Your body jolted a little, making him hold your side with his left hand, his right hand massaging the other stiffened bud.

He switched sides after a few moments, relishing in the sounds of your pretty moans and pants.

But something else was throbbing and aching, desperately needing his attention.

"Drew," you whined.

"Hmm?" He hummed, still worshipping your boobs.

"Need you."

"Yeah?" He cooed, reluctantly disconnecting his mouth from your right nipple as he continued to kiss down your stomach.

You nod, breathing short and needy. He got to the waistband of your sweatpants, looking back up at you.

"You can take those off too." You gave permission, already knowing what the man was going to ask.

He wasted no time in slipping the fabric down your legs, readjusting so his face was in between your spread thighs.

"Look how you ruined these panties, pretty girl... you're so needy f'me, huh?" He murmured softly.

All you could do was whine when he pressed a tender kiss to your clothed clit, the fabric absolutely soaked. It had been way too long since you'd had sex.

His large hand slid the fabric down your thighs, leaving you completely bare for him.

"So beautiful, baby. So beautiful..." he muttered, talking more to himself than you.

Your legs twitched when he flicked his tongue against your clit, hands digging in his hair.

"Drew--"

"I know, baby. Let daddy eat this pretty pussy, yeah? Just sit back and relax."

A needy whimper left your mouth, but you didn't respond. Not that you could, as he licked a stripe from your pulsating hole to the top of your clit.

He hoisted your thighs over his broad shoulders, moaning a little at your taste. His movements became more eager, beginning to lap at your cunt like a starved man.

Right hand in his hair, left hand gripping the couch. Your eyes rolled back, hips bucking up towards his face.

He made a grunt directly into your clit, another jolt of pleasure going into your body.

"Daddy... fuck..."

His piercing blue eyes were feeding off of your facial expressions, his cock throbbing in his own sweats.

He slipped two fingers into your cunt, focusing his mouth on your clit. His left hand slid down his own pants, beginning to palm his cock through his boxers.

"Yeah? Is daddy making you feel good, sweet girl?" He coos, whining a little as his own hips buck on the couch, desperate for more friction.

His noise and hips bucking made your cunt clench around his fingers, as if trying to pull him in deeper.

The knot in your stomach was already forming, almost embarrassing how quickly he turned you into a mess.

Legs trembling over his shoulders, hips rocking against his face and chin. You couldn't even announce you were coming, mind fuzzy from the pleasure.

He hummed when he noticed you releasing, continuing to lap up all your juices as he came in his pants.

When your body calmed down, he pulled away from your pussy and kneeled in between your legs.

He peeled his own hoodie off, revealing that perfect, toned body of his again. Your eyes drank in the sight, licking your lips.

“You’re so hot, Drew…” you murmured.

His ears were ringing, need coursing through his veins as he slipped off his sweats and boxers.

You had to physically hold back a gasp when you saw his cock for the first time.

People had always written it differently in all those guilty pleasure Rafe Cameron fanfics you would read when you couldn’t sleep.

But seeing it in person was just a whole new experience.

It was long and thick, which was to be expected. The man radiated big dick energy.

Pretty mushroom tip that was still leaking, his pubic hair slightly fuzzy as if he hadn’t shaved it in a week.

“Holy shit…”

“Mhm? Better than you imagined?” He asked teasingly, a smirk on his face as he grabbed a condom from his wallet.

You couldn’t help but playfully roll your eyes, a small snicker leaving you.

He rolled the condom onto his shaft, moving to hover over you again.

“Are you sure you want this, Y/n?” He asked softly, eyes gazing intently into yours.

“Yes… please fuck me, daddy.”

He let out a small groan, nestling himself in between your thighs. He used a long, strong arm to grab a couch pillow and tuck it under your hips.

You watched as he teasingly slid his head up and down your slit, tapping it against your throbbing bundle of nerves.

“Don’t tease me, please,” you beg.

Your pretty begging weakened his resolve as he slowly slid into you.

Whimpers and noises of pleasure left the both of you at the feeling, a course of energy being shared within your two bodies.

He kept pushing until he was all the way inside, giving you a moment to adjust as he captured your lips in his.

Your hands roamed over his biceps and back, loving the way the muscles flex against your palms. His skin was burning, adding to the electric feel.

When he felt you stop tensing around him, he began to slowly pull back, before pushing in, creating a delicious rhythm.

“Fuck… you feel so fuckin’ good, baby.” He moaned.

Your legs tightened around his hips, a noise leaving you as he rubbed right against that spongy spot.

“So deep, Drew… can feel you so deep,” you whined in between breaths.

“Yeah? You take this dick so good, pretty girl.”

His movements were getting a little rougher with every minute passing, both of you needing this.

Your crush on him for four years, the sexual tension you shared in the music video, the chemistry when you first met him on The Tonight Show.

It was all so surreal and felt like you were living straight out of a fanfic or dream.

His head dropped down to your chest, clearly having a thing for your hardened nipples as he nibbled gently.

Maybe one day Drew would fuck you without the condom and be able to feel your warm, velvety walls squeezing him without the protection.

He could dream.

“Shit, shit, shit.” You swore, the pillow under your hips allowing for his tip to kiss your cervix with every thrust.

“Mhm, yeah. Good girl.” He praised breathlessly, feeling a little lightheaded from everything.

The couch creaked a little beneath you two, your nails digging into his back.

He was already close, eyes fluttered shut as he lifted his head to press a kiss to your forehead.

His calloused thumb went to rub your clit, making your legs twitch around his sculpted hips.

Your cunt squeezed around his cock, your belly on fire with your building orgasm.

“You gonna cum f’me, sweet girl?” He choked out, hips snapping against yours.

“Y-yes!” You squeak, mind hazy, body trembling.

“Yeah… that’s it… let me feel you…”

His breathy words, deep penetration, and touch on your clit sent you over the edge again.

You moaned loudly, clinging onto his body as he talked you through your orgasm.

He was also talking himself through it, feeling his cock twitch as he spilled his seed into the condom.

His body was still against yours, both of you catching your breaths from the intensity.

He pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead again, his chest rising and falling.

“You okay?” He asked you softly.

“Mhm… ‘m good…”

You kissed his lips again, more gently this time. His nose brushed against yours when he pulled away, lips connecting to your cheek.

He reluctantly slid out of you, kneeling between your legs again as his blue eyes gazed down at your cunt.

“Did you bring any more condoms?” You ask after a few moments.

He looks at your face, then reaches over to grab his wallet. He pulls out two more condom wrappers.

You grinned, licking your lips.

“So are we going two more rounds or what?”

tags!!

@slut4you @sweetlike-sugarplum @snowtargaryen @fastlovela @christinechickiee @ahgrace6 @evermorx89 @loren8818181 @eddiemuns0nl0ver @sophiesmovingcastle5 @chimchimjiminie16 @amel1ee @reader1402 @tqd4455 @rxeae @caraxes-syrax @shrimpybbq @drewstarkeysbabe @rafeswhoooreee @meropeeonmee @rafeluvrr @marvelahsobx @raeven-marie43 @fallout-girl219 @brendazzlingg @10ava01 @secretsideofbree @drewstarrrkey @p0gue420 @gibson-g1rl @kiiyomei @spiderstyles04 @sexualparkour @vinaluvsu @domainexpandme @mariadu2 @toterry @taliawz @always-reading @angvl3tears @iloveoldermenn @aesthetic-lyss @lover-girl-estxx @cadhlabear @kaiparkerwifes @herbookgarden @luvleyshif4 @caraxes-syrax @mymultiveres @reader1402 @dinnodallas @darkreymbow @vinaluvsu @sarahskywalker-amidala @christinechickiee @hoelesslyt @tincanhat @scenesofobx @james-bucky-barnackle @angvl3tears @belledawnidk @millietozier @vrsluts @chimmysoftpaws @brathwaite444 @urmanicpixieangelgirl

[megumiluvv]

Happy birthday to my glorious blue-eyed princess, here’s Gojo enjoying his favorite present!! (Nsfw under the cut)

Masterlist

The slurps are so lewd as he pushes your legs up further. Gojo had come home to gifts galore from you and his students, even a small dessert from Nanami! But the best present he saw was you, wearing his favorite lingerie and a pretty ribbon tied around your tummy.

That basically sums up to now, your lacy panties pushed aside while he eats you out like a man starved. Satoru’s free hand had pushed under your bra and squeezes your breast appreciatively.

He grins up at you as you whine and writhe at his nonstop touch. “Too much, babycakes?”

“Fuck-- Satoru, it’s-- so fucking much…”

“But is it too much? Do I gotta stop yet?” He has a shit-eating grin.

“N-ngh-- no, not yet,” you barely manage out before he latches back onto your clit.

His tongue is relentless on your weeping cunt as it delves into the hole and his thumb takes over on your clit. If your eyes weren’t busy being rolled back, you’d see how enraptured he is with you and your body.

He finally gives you a break just to free his leaky cock from its confines. Satoru then grabs your hips and slides off your lingerie, then thrusts into you. The way you squeeze him from the suddenness makes him so dizzy, he has to fight the urge to keep moving before you’re ready.

“You ready, princess?” He mumbles against your neck as he sucks marks into it.

You nod a meek and feeble one, and he starts moving his hips against your own. You whine and moan, digging your nails into his back as he quickens the pace. He can’t help it when you get so tight, it feels so good for him! And this day is all about him, so why not be self-indulgent?

“You feel so good, pretty girl, squeezing me so tight… This feel good for you too?” He rubs your hips with his thumbs.

“Ah, y-yes, Satoru, feels so good!” You gasp out, it’s kind of hard to reply when he’s hitting just right at a fast pace.

“Yeah? Gonna cum for me? Gonna get even tighter?”

He knows his words are spurring you on with the way you flutter around him and the way your nails dig deeper into his shoulders. He knows that you’re close, and he needs to see it. It’d be the best present in the world.

“You know you wanna, baby, let go f’me, I’ve got you.”

With that, your pleasure reaches its peak and your orgasm comes crashing down with a silent cry. Satoru only moves faster, trying to chase his own right after you.

“Good girl, good fucking girl, you’re so perfect, I’m-- fuck, I’m right there with you, pretty girl,” he groans out and buries his cock to the hilt inside you, hips stilling as his seed pumps into you.

He lays on top of you for a few minutes, whispering praises and kissing your skin as you both recover. Then Satoru pulls out and cleans the two of you up. As you lay on his chest as he rubs your back slowly, you look up at him. He smirks and nips at your nose.

“What is it, pretty girl?”

“Oh, nothing. Just that I hope I get something like this for Christmas.”

“Oh yeah? Wanna see me all sexy and tied up?” He chuckles and covers your face in kisses.

You giggle and smack his arm. “Yeah, it’s fun, isn’t it?”

“Very fun. I’ll keep that in mind for Christmas then, babycakes. Now go to bed, you’re gonna complain about your soreness in the morning.”

“Yeah, yeah, g’night Satoru.”

“Good night princess.”

“Happy birthday.”

“Mm.” He hums and kisses your cheek before going to bed. This was his favorite present.

[peanutbubba]

Stuck On You

Ace x Gn!reader, praise, fire, confessions of love, established relationship, reader and Ace are so in love, Narcolepsy strikes, not beta read, 1k+ words

Black strands blow in the wind, flickering every which way like a flame, so beautifully entrancing that it has your eyes widening.

It wasn’t often that Ace would walk on the Moby Dick without a hat, but when those days came you made sure to savor every part of them.

Carefully watching him across from the deck, watching how the wind messes up his hair, or how the upper half of his face looks so so good finally open to the sun.

You sigh, wondering if Ace thought of the same when you would take off your hat. Did he enjoy it? Wish for it to happen more?

Though eventually the thought is lost when he spots you, his eyes perking up as he turns to face your direction, waving to you merrily. Heat raised up your cheeks, flushing as you waved back to him, tilting the brim of your hat slightly down to hide your red face.

You’re sure that Ace would be the death of you, your chest tightening almost painfully every time you place your eyes on him. He was an angel to you, one of the most perfect beings in your eyes.

Sometimes it makes you forget, that you’re actually dating him, because you’re always hiding behind that shroud that someone as ethereal as himself could never love someone so average. Every time you remember it’s like ice cold water on your face, he wanted you, hand picked you, cherished you, and you were forever grateful.

Acutely, you were also aware that Ace did not view himself the same way you did, a shock to you when you first heard it.

When he had confessed that he was the son of Gol D. Roger there were tears stopped by his lashes, lips trembling as he expected you to call him the devil or yell obscenities at him.

You only chuckled, making Ace’s eyes snap from your shared bed to you, confusion in his eyes. Gently reaching for his cheeks as you brought him closer, kissing over the freckles on his left cheek, thumbing softly on the ones of the right.

“Does it matter who your father is?” You ask across his skin, breath fanning on his cheek. “Even as a pirate, you’re so perfect I’m sure you’re the only treasure I’d ever need.”

Ace practically sobs at your words and actions, wrapping his arms tightly around you, burying his face in your shoulder as you soothed him, joyful that truly you didn’t care.

And it continued like that, days were Ace though he deserved nothing but to die, you would be right beside him, worshiping him so fervently he had no choice but to cave and admit he was perfect.

You were so lost in your own thoughts of appreciating Ace that you hadn’t even realized he came right next to you, the gentle hand on your shoulder jolting you awake like you’d been struck by lightning.

He looked at you worriedly, thick eyebrows furrowed in concern, plush lips opening as he spoke. “Are you okay?”

“No,” then you shake your head, going even a brighter red if possible, “I mean yes!”

His face only contorts more, looking at you absurdly, the sun casting a glow on his hair, imitating a halo that only proved your previous statements.

“Are you free?” You finally choke out, a fish out of water sounding less out of breath than you, and Ace chuckles.

Nodding his head he goes to ask you a question but is stopped by you, your hand immediately gripping his own as you turn around and lead him to your shared quarters.

Locking the door behind Ace, dragging him further until you reach the bed, sitting down first then pulling Ace on your lap second. His arms planting themselves on your shoulders, knees and thighs beside yours, trapping you in.

Taking off your hat your place it instead on Ace’s head, a soft happy gasp leaving him as he pushes it down on his head properly. “What is this about, babe?”

You look down, burying your face in the crook of his neck, kissing and nipping carefully on the skin there. “I love you Ace.”

“I love you so much,” reaching your hands up you touch and caress every bit of skin you can, and Ace smiles because you’re in one of your moods where nothing matters but him.

You sigh softly, lips colliding with his collarbone next, grazing the skin ever so slightly with your teeth, but it’s enough to make him whine softly. “So lovely, so sweet.”

Your right hand trails up to Ace’s bicep, tracing the letters of his tattoo with practiced precision, outlining it nicely then raking your fingers back down his back, Ace shivering on your lap.

Peppering kisses up, from his collar bone to his Adam’s apple, then to his cheeks. You’re favorite part making itself know as Ace quietly laughs, smile making his eyes crease in to beautiful crescents.

As you lean back you stare, forgetting to breath as Ace shifted shyly on your lap, adverting his eyes.

“Is there something on my face?” He questions, his cheeks flushing as your gaze burns into him.

“No,” you shake your head softly, closing the space between the two of you, “You’re just too handsome to not stare at.”

You watch as the blush on Ace’s cheeks spreads even further, even covering his freckled shoulders, a happy almost purr like noise leaving his chest.

You chuckle at this, Ace’s eyes flickering back to you, watching how your shoulders raise in fall in delight because of him.

It has his heart clenching so tightly in adoration, you genuinely loved him so much it was shocking, a couple times you even joked that if he wanted you’d kiss the very ground he walks on. Every time when you would get like this, especially when you would stare at him like he hung all the stars in the night sky, he wouldn’t doubt the truth behind those words.

He’s absolutely sure that you were made for him, made to love and appreciate him in a way no one else could, made to compliment his very existence, and fuck, did you make living truly worth it.

You’d follow him wherever, do anything asked of you so long if Ace was the one asking, and likewise, Ace was in the same boat for you.

The two of you so truly whipped with each other that nothing could rival it, because even if the world crashed and burn right now the both of you wouldn’t care so long as you had each other.

Slowly you rub your nose on Ace’s, humming to get the man out of his head. “What are you thinking about?”

“How I want to marry you,” Ace simply snickers back, finally catching you off guard, now his turn to watch has your cheeks heat up.

You lean in and give a quick peck on Ace’s lips, pulling away as Ace follows, wishing that the kiss lasted longer. “I’ll make sure to get a ring soon then.”

Now it was back to Ace being flustered, orange flames igniting on his shoulders, making him lean back away from you so you wouldn’t get burnt.

It took him a minute to calm down completely, the fire on his shoulders shifting back into his skin, and he huffs finally leaning back in, resting his forehead on your shoulder.

Closing his eyes he focuses on how you make shapes on his unclothed back, or on your finger nails gently scratching on his back.

Before he knows it he goes from wide awake to dead asleep, happily snoring away, hunched over on your shoulder, arms still wrapped around your neck.

You’re surprised when you hear his snores, giggling at how cute Ace was, slowly pushing yourself further on the bed, trying your best to not wake the man on your lap.

As you get at a comfortable spot you lay back, closing your eyes as well as Ace rests on top of you, his naturally warmer temperature lulling you into sleep as well.

—

Get the poppers out guys, I finally wrote more than 1,000 words. Literally wrote this so late so I don’t know if actually has a flow, but I hope it does.

Anyways, I hope y’all enjoyed, Pea’s out!

[4linos]

cooking, lying, and loving you.

han jisung x gn!reader

synopsis: you surprise your boyfriend with a home-cooked meal after his long tour, but the dish turns out far from perfect.

wc: 705

After weeks of being on tour, Jisung has finally returned home, and you have been impatiently waiting his arrival. You chose to prepare dinner as a surprise for him because you know how much he must have missed home-cooked meals. Even though you're not very good at cooking, you've spent the entire day planning and putting your all into the dish. You're nervous yet excited, imagining his reaction when he realizes how hard you've worked.

When he walks through the door, the sound of his suitcase rolling across the floor catches your attention. “I’m home!” he calls out, his voice a little tired but warm and full of love.

You rush out to greet him, pulling him into a tight hug. “Welcome back!”

He grins, melting into your embrace. “It smells amazing in here. Did you… cook?” His tone is surprised but genuinely touched.

“Yup!” you say, beaming. “I wanted to do something special for you. Go freshen up—it’ll be ready when you’re done.”

Jisung heads off to change, and you quickly finish plating the food, making sure it looks as good as possible. By the time he sits down, the table is set with candles and everything. You can see how moved he is by the effort.

“Wow,” he says, his eyes wide as he takes it all in. “You did all this for me? You’re amazing.”

You blush at his words. “Anything for you. Now, dig in!”

He grabs his fork and takes his first bite. His attitude somewhat changes, but he masks it with a smile. His nod is a bit too enthusiastic. "Mmm," he adds. "This is so good!" With pride, you smile. “Really? I was worried that things wouldn't work out.” "No, it's delicious!" he insists, taking another bite, although at a slower pace. His thoughts are racing inside.

*It's slightly salty—no, it's really salty. And the texture isn't right. However, they put a lot of effort into this—I can't say anything. I'll simply push through.*

Feeling happy by his obvious enjoyment, you continue to watch him eat. "You really like it?”

“Of course!” he says, washing it down with a big gulp of water. “You did an amazing job.” He clears his plate despite the challenge, finishing with a triumphant smile. “That was so good. Thank you, babe.”

You’re practically glowing from his praise. “I’m so glad you liked it! I was worried it might not be perfect.”

Jisung shakes his head. “It was perfect,” he lies smoothly, leaning back in his chair.

Later, Jisung waits in the doorway, watching you with a sheepish smile as you get ready for bed. Casually, he scratches the back of his neck and says, "Hey." "Yes?" You look at him in the mirror and hum. "Well, I He took a step closer and says, "I have something to tell you.”

Curious, you turn around. "What is it?" After he pauses, he starts laughing. "Alright, don't be upset,

but the dinner wasn't that good."

Your jaw drops as you process his confession. “What?! You said you loved it!”

“I didn’t have the heart to tell you!” he defends himself, laughing so hard he’s clutching his stomach. “You looked so proud, and I couldn’t ruin the moment!”

You grab a nearby pillow and playfully hit him with it. “Babe! I can’t believe you lied to me!”

He tries to dodge, laughing harder. “It wasn’t a lie—it was… creative encouragement! You worked so hard, and I really did appreciate it!”

You can’t help but laugh along with him, even as you give him another light whack. “You’re impossible.”

“But you love me,” he teases, catching your hand mid-swing and pulling you close.

“Barely,” you joke, rolling your eyes.

He grins, leaning his forehead against yours. “Next time, we’ll cook together, okay? That way, you can’t accuse me of lying.”

“Deal,” you say with a smirk. “But don’t think I’m letting you off the hook that easily.”

Jisung kisses your cheek, still chuckling. “Fair enough. Just know that I’ll always finish whatever you make—even if it’s… memorable.”

You both laugh as you settle into bed, teasing each other until the night is filled with warmth and joy, the imperfect dinner already a funny memory to share.

—

nini’s notes!! 112724

heyy. i hope you all have a good thanksgiving tomorrow (if you celebrate, of course). i’m so ready for this year to be over 🤧.

asks are always open if you have a question, concern, or request!

-🎀

[vodika-vibes]

Hello! May I please have a Ruby for Commander Blackout or Neyo (whomever's the grumpiest lol) x female reader scenario set in Winter where he keeps hearing about her from a lot of the the shinnies and his vod gushing about how lovely and wonderful she is and it pisses him off for some reason/or he just gets sick of hearing it; until he meets her himself and then he realizes immediately what they mean and finds himself swiftly falling deeply and passionately in love with her because there's just something so bright, warm and alluring about her and he just wants her for himself. Feel free to either make it steamy/smutty or not. I'm just happy with him being super passionate with his attraction and pursuit of her and she reciprocates? And maybe they kiss? But just go with whatever inspires you the most; I know it's gonna be great whatever it is! Please and thank either way! \>v</

Brighter Than The Sun

Summary: The new IT girl at the base Neyo is Marshal Commander of is a thorn in his side, and he hasn’t met her yet. If he has to listen to one more person sing her praises, he’s not going to be responsible for what happens.

Pairing: Commander Neyo x F!Reader

Word Count: 1200

Warnings: None

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly

A/N: Hihi! I decided to go with Neyo because I love him! I also, for the first time, went over my word limit. Only by 200 words, but still. Anyway! I hope you like it!

Neyo is not in a spectacular mood.

He woke up in a foul mood, largely due to the sheer amount of snow falling from the sky. And it only became worse when he went to check what was on the schedule for the day only to see that his datapad wasn’t working.

And then he went to the mess hall for some caf, and had to listen to a group of shinies sing the praises of the newest civvie who came to the base. They weren’t saying anything he hasn’t heard before: she’s stunning, with a body to die for, and a smile that feels like the summer sun-

Honestly, if it wasn’t for the sheer amount of paperwork it would take, he’d seriously consider stunning them and throwing them in the brig for being sheer annoyances.

Needless to say, Neyo was not in the finest of moods when his General came over to find out why he was glaring at his datapad.

And her suggestion of taking it to IT to have them take a look at it was not appreciated.

Still, Neyo is realistic. He can’t fix it, and none of his vod can fix it, which is why the base has an IT department in the first place. So he finishes his caf, and the breakfast that he’s forcing himself to eat, and he makes the long walk through the base to the IT department.

There’s only one person in the room when he arrives.

The new girl.

She’s clad in long pants and a vibrant yellow shirt that reminds him of Bly’s tattoos, and she’s standing on a desk while her arm is buried in the room’s heater.

Now that he’s paying attention to it, it is freezing in here.

He clears his throat, and the woman pauses, before she twists slightly on the table to see who’s there. She blinks at him, and then flashes a bright smile, “Marshal Commander Neyo, yes?”

He arches a single brow, “In the flesh.”

“Oh, wonderful! I’ve been hoping to-oh, hold on-” There’s the sound of something hitting something and then she rips her arm out of the heater and shakes her hand out, “Ah, well. I’ll have to try and fix it later.” She mumbles, and then she hops down from the table, and hurries over to him, a blinding smile on her face, “I’ve been hoping to meet you, but you’re a hard man to catch!”

Neyo blinks at her, stunned.

Now that he’s met her, he can understand what his brothers meant. She is stunning. And now he can’t help but think that the way his brothers talk about her is grossly inappropriate.

“Well, I’m here now.” Neyo finally says, “My datapad isn’t working.”

She holds her hand out, even her nails are painted yellow with little white flowers on them. She’s karking adorable. “May I?”

“That's why I’m here.” He presses the datapad into her hand and he watches as she moves to sit at a table overflowing with flimsy. “Are you working alone today?”

“Oh. I’m the only one who works in IT.” She replies, “The previous guy who had my position quit.”

“I…see.” Neyo pokes around the room, there are parts of the room that are very neat, but the majority of the room looks like there was an explosion. “And the heater?”

“Broken.”

“...it’s freezing outside.”

“Well. Yes.” She admits, “But I have a jacket,” She gestures to a winter jacket lying on a table nearby, “I took it off to work on the heater.”

“That’s not your job-?”

She looks up, “Um…well, apparently this base has a manning issue? Maintenance quit too.” She tilts her head, and her hair shifts enough to see that her earrings are little white flowers too. “Did you not know?”

“I don’t generally handle civilian employees.” Neyo replies. 

“Oh, that makes sense.” She messes with his datapad for a moment, “Um…you need a new datapad.” She smiles at him, “If you give me a couple of hours, I’ll get the new one for you by the end of the day.”

“Thanks.” Neyo pauses, “I’ll get one of my brothers to come and fix your heater. Can’t have our IT girl turning into an icicle.”

She flashes a blinding smile in his direction, and Neyo averts his gaze. She has no business being so pretty.

It’s the beginning of a slightly odd friendship.

Neyo finds himself in her office more and more often, it’s quiet, and his presence keeps even the most pushy of his brothers from trying to pressure her into a date. And she is good company, warm and welcoming.

It doesn’t take long before Neyo finds himself yearning for her. 

It’s almost two months later, in the middle of the worst snowstorm that he’s ever seen, when Neyo gets the chance to make a change to their relationship. He’s sitting at a free desk in her office, his feet kicked up on “his” desk, while she’s working on formatting a datapad at her desk when the lights flicker, and then cut out.

Neyo pauses and glances at the lights, and then sighs when he hears the generator kick on. The heat comes back, but the only lights that come on are the emergency lights.

“I guess the storm won,” She jokes with a quiet laugh as she sets the datapad down.

“Guess so.” Neyo tosses his datapad on the desk and leans back to look at her, “No point in even bothering to work now-” He grumbles.

“Well, you deserve a break.” She replies, and Neyo glances at her.

“You work just as hard as I do.” He drops his feet to the ground and pushes to his feet.

“Well…yes. That’s true.” She brushes some of her hair out of her face, “But, well, let’s be honest. It’s not like I can hang out with anyone other than you. Your brothers tend to be kind of…weird, when I’m around.”

“And I’m not?”

“You’ve never made me feel like a walking steak next to a starving man-” She replies, “Not that they’ve ever done anything inappropriate, before you fly off the handle. I can manage a few uncomfortable looks.”

Neyo sighs, “I hoped that they would stop.”

“It’s fine, really. I’ve been dealing with looks like that since I was nine.”

“...that’s sickening.”

“That’s being a woman.” She smiles at him, “Anyway, I guess I’ll just return to my quarters until the power comes back.” She pauses when Neyo’s hand comes out to cup her cheek, “...Commander?”

“Can I kiss you?”

He can feel her cheek heat under his hand, and he can’t stop himself from lightly stroking her cheek.

“You…want to kiss me?” She squeaks.

“I want a lot more than that, but, for now, I’ll stick with kissing. With your permission?”

“I…yes…please-”

His lips land against hers in a kiss that starts out soft and sweet and slowly grows more heated. 

And when he sits her on the edge of her desk, and moves to stand between her legs, with his lips moving to her neck to leave an obvious mark on her sensitive skin…well, he has to stake his claim somehow, right?

[callsignspark]

change your ticket home

a top gun maverick AU

pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x Sherrie McHone (fem!OC)

summary: After a successful business trip on the West Coast, two Wells Corporation engineers have problems getting back home. Thank god for Bradley Bradshaw, a man who is determined to make their hours waiting in the terminal as enjoyable as possible. And if he and his pretty travel companion (and colleague) get closer along the way? Well that’s just a bonus.

warnings: difficulties of being a woman in a male-dominated field, minor misogyny from coworkers, yearning, pining, Bradley being an absolute sweetheart, it's vaguely alluded to but Sherrie is named after the Steve Perry song, American Airlines bashing bc this fic is based on a real and horrible experience I had a few years ago. and yes, the title is from the one direction song.

word count: 9.8k | masterlist

note: happy saturday! this has been in the works for almost a year and I'm so thrilled to finally be sharing it! this is dedicated to @gretagerwigsmuse, who gave so many wonderful ideas and has continually been a cheerleader for this fic. happy birthday!

Friday, July 15, 2016 | 06:36 AM PST | San Diego, CA

“If I fake a heart attack, we can get out of this meeting, right?”

She looks over at Bradley sprawled in the uncomfortable café chair in his navy suit, his arm slung over the back of her chair. He’s down to just his crisp, white button-up, jacket, and tie abandoned within the first ten minutes of the call.

“Suck it up, we’re almost done.” She rolls her eyes. “And Martin knows you’re a supremely healthy thirty-two-year-old, so no, I don’t think that will work.”

“Sherrie…” His whine is cut off by her hand covering his mouth as she unmutes her microphone and mentally praises his decision to sit so close to her. Not having to pull out both laptops was just an additional perk on top of her ability to silence him.

“That’s correct, Sean. We got them to agree to a small batch trail run for the connectors. We’ll be working together on running them through environmental testing before committing to a full contract.”

“And why are they agreeing to that? Because frankly, it makes no sense to me why they would want to do that.”

Bradley straightens up, his eyes narrowing at the Teams box showing the older man’s initials. “Well, Sean, as Sherrie explained before. Harris hasn’t produced connectors like this before, and they’re interested in the test results, specifically the shock data. So they agreed to take on half the burden so they can use the information for their own use. If this works how we think it will, this will be a huge boost for their business, even if the patent is shared.”

She looks at him, half admonishment and half appreciation, always a little bit amazed when he had her back, no matter how many times he had done it. “The contracts team is drawing up the final agreements and negotiating with their team next week, so best case scenario is we have reports with usable data by the end of the summer. Worst case, it’ll drift into the middle of Q1.”

“That’s great work you guys did out there, thank you. Alright, I think that covers everything we had to talk about today. McHone, Bradshaw - have a safe flight back, and everyone have a good weekend!” Martin ends the call before anyone can add anything.

Bradley laughs. “God, he’s just as sick of Sean as I am. I can’t wait until he retires.”

“He’s not that bad; you’re just grumpy because you had to dress up for the staff meeting, and then Martin said cameras off today.”

“I am upset about that! I will be logging yet another suggestion that we should have casual Fridays and casual travel policy. But I’m more upset because he talks down to you all the time! Like you haven’t been carrying this department on your back since we started ten years ago!”

“Carrying is an exaggeration, Bradley.” She looks up from where she’s putting her laptop away. “I think you have time to change into something comfy before we board.”

“American Airlines Flight 2307 from San Diego to Charlotte, Boarding Group A can now board.”

“Or not.” She giggles as he groans, reaching over to pull her other air pod out of his ear. “Come on, it’s a long flight; you can sleep on the plane. Just be thankful you’re not wearing an underwire bra and heels.”

“I don’t know how you do that.” He mutters, shooing her away when she tries to pick up her carry-on, throwing it over his shoulder alongside his own.

“I don’t either. I’m going to get a massage when we get back to Boston.”

“Ohhh, a massage sounds nice.” He subtly sticks his elbow out for her grab, which she gratefully does, letting his tall frame guide her to their gate. “You know you didn’t have to wear heels, right?”

“You should shut up while I’m still thankful you yelled at Sean for me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Sherrie leans her head on his arm as they wait in the priority boarding line, one of the perks of traveling on the company’s dime. Normally, she would worry about being more professional while carrying her work bag that had the Wells Corporation logo embroidered on it, but she can’t bring herself to care. Yesterday’s meetings ran late, and the following client dinner had kept them out until almost midnight. After packing, going to bed late, and having to get up at 3:30AM to get to the airport, she was exhausted.

She takes her bag before they scan their tickets, not fighting when he grabs it again on their walk down the jet bridge.

“Where are you sitting again?”

“I’m in 16C.” She snorts at Bradley’s pout. “What? You knew we weren’t going to be sitting together.”

“But I’m going to be bored all the way back in 21D by myself.”

“Bud, you’re going to fall asleep in the first 30 minutes like you always do, and then I would be stuck for the next four hours with you leaning and drooling on me.”

Bradley whips his head around, “That is a baseless accusation. I do not drool!”

“You 100% definitely do drool, I’ve seen it.” Her smirk widens when his attempt to fight back is cut off by the flight attendants greeting them.

He ushers Sherrie on first, politely nodding to the flight crew before following her down the aisle, ducking down to whisper. “I do not drool.”

“You absolutely do drool. You also snore.”

She can feel eyes on them as they shuffle down the aisle, making eye contact with an older woman who raises her eyebrows in appreciation at the hunk of a man behind her.

This happens everywhere they go.

Bradley is such a gentleman, always opening doors and carrying her bags, that people never believe the two are just friends and coworkers. She’s had complete strangers fight with her when she says there’s nothing between them. Unable to accept that it’s just platonic.

As much as she wishes it could be more.

After years of learning all the little details of each other, she knows they would be good together. Their decade-long friendship allowing her to thoroughly analyze how well their personalities would mesh. They share the same beliefs and have the same interests; they even have overlapping friend groups. They’re made for each other.

On paper.

In reality, it will never happen.

She won’t let it.

“Is this good here?” Bradley’s question interrupts her weekly internal spiral; his big brown eyes blink at her over his shoulder as he puts her bag into the overhead compartment.

“That’s fine. Can you grab my water bottle out of the side pocket?

“Here ya go, ma’am. I’ll meet you by the water foundation when we land, okay?”

She nods, smiling as he hustles back to his seat to avoid a family almost flattening him in their haste to get to their assigned seats.

Her seat neighbors haven’t arrived yet, so Sherrie sits down without bothering to buckle, tucking her work bag under the row in front of her after pulling out her plane kit. Her pencil case from college that she’s repurposed to hold her headphones, phone charger, gum, hand sanitizer, and a few other small necessities.

Her phone buzzes as she’s storing her water bottle and the little bag away in the pocket of the seat in front of her.

Bradley is woken up by his seat neighbor hitting his arm as he reaches to grab a drink, nodding at the guy’s apologetic face before trying to get comfortable again. Alan talked way too much at dinner last night, and it was a struggle to stay awake during the project manager’s third round of gushing over how brilliant and profitable Sherrie’s proposal would be for both companies.

“Sir? This is for you, do you want it?” The muffled question is accompanied by someone shaking his shoulder. He peels open his eyes to see the flight attendant holding out two packets of Biscoff cookies.

His face must be confused enough for the short woman to take pity on him. “Your friend up there said these are your favorite and asked me to give hers to you.”

His heart warms up, taking the treats and saying thank you. He enjoys the cookies, washing them down with the ginger ale he also got, thinking about how well Sherrie knows him. He forces himself to wait for them to finish snack service before he gets up to use the restroom.

“Thank you.” Bradley revels in the way Sherrie jumps when he pops her headphone out, purposefully brushing his lips against her ear. “Hmmm, you were right, your seatmate is cute.”

She glares up at him, a smile threatening to break through. “Isn’t he? He fell asleep five minutes after take off, just like you.”

“Yet, another baseless accusation!”

“I heard you snoring.”

“You shouldn’t lie in front of small children.”

“His mom said he’s seven months old; I don’t think we have to be concerned about teaching him to lie while he’s still in a car seat.”

“Probably shouldn’t chance it, though. Say I don’t snore.”

“You just said I shouldn’t lie. Should probably go to the bathroom before you start holding up traffic.” She puts her headphone back in, wiggling her fingers at him before going back to reading on her phone.

It gives him the strangest sense of déjà vu.

Tuesday, March 25, 2005 | 10:43 AM EST | Charlottesville, VA

“…and he said you had already-” Bradley cuts himself off, realizing she can’t hear him. He chuckles; he should have known better than to just walk up and start talking.

He doesn’t know Sherrie McHone very well. They had taken all the freshman intro to engineering requirements together, and this year their classes had split into their chosen disciplines. His mechanical, hers electrical. But he knows her well enough to know that she can pretty much only be found without her headphones during class.

He remembers the first time they spoke last semester after he accidentally walked right into her. He had told Danny it’s because she’s so much shorter than him, but it’s really because he wasn't paying attention.

Sherrie had only taken one earpiece out to make sure he was okay before continuing onto her class, seamlessly weaving between upperclassmen as she shoved her headphone back in.

“Sherrie?” No response.

He lets out a tiny huff and checks his watch. Normally, he wouldn’t care that she’s clueless to his existence even as he’s right beside her, but he’s got a class soon, and he’s still two buildings away. So he does the only thing he can.

He pops her headphones out and steps back for fear of getting smacked.

Her head whips up, narrowing in on him freakishly fast. “What the fuck, Bradshaw?”

He’s surprised to learn that she knows his name.

“Sorry, Sherrie! I’ve been trying to talk to you for like five minutes, and you somehow haven’t noticed, but I’ve got class in 15 minutes, so I needed to get your attention.”

“Oh…” Her green eyes widen in surprise, the apples of her cheeks turning a light pink. “Sorry about that. What did you need? Wait. How did you find me?”

A fair question.

“Khondker told me where you sit.” He partially fibs.

All semester he had been watching her disappear after EE221, the one class they shared. It had taken him a while, but he was pretty sure he had found her secret study nook in the electrical engineering wing of the building. Their TA had only confirmed Bradley’s theory of where he could find his fellow sophomore.

“I don’t understand this last section we’ve been learning, and Khondker said you had already finished the homework and could help me. So could you?”

“He didn’t help you?” Sherrie raises an eyebrow in disbelief.

“He tried.” Bradley scratches the back of his head, remembering how frustrated the patient man had been after his third attempt at explaining. “I just really don’t understand circuit loops. And he thought having a classmate explain it to me would make it stick. That or he was just so sick of me, he’s pawning me off.”

He watches her think, her pencil rapidly tapping against her notebook, making him nervous.

“I don’t want to be rude, but if you don’t understand current loops, I’m not sure how much help I can be. I understand the material, but I’m not a miracle worker.”

Her bluntness makes him smile. “I’m not expecting miracles, just help with the homework. If you have time.”

“Okay, just as long as you don’t get your hopes up too much.” She grabs a bright pink notebook and opens it up. “So, I’m usually free-”

“I don't want to interrupt, but I do have to get to class, so could we figure out a time later today?”

“Sure, I’ll be here until my class at four. Feel free to sit down if I’m not here; it just means I’m grabbing food.” He nods, backing away. “Wait! Bradley! Go down this hall and out the side door. You’ll be like halfway there already.”

“Awesome, thanks!” He starts to jog down the hallway, looking back to see her putting her headphones back in. Waving back when she smiles and wiggles her fingers at him before going back to her homework.

Friday, July 15, 2016 | 3:16 PM EST | Charlotte, NC

“Our flight got delayed, and I’m hungry.”

Sherrie jumps, not expecting Bradley to get that close to her face three seconds after she exited the bathroom.

“Okay, I could eat. Where do you wan-”

“Auntie Anne’s.”

He’s walking away before she can even process what he said. She allows herself one second to appreciate the way he looks, walking through the concourse - navy slacks fitting his legs perfectly and all their bags thrown over his broad shoulders - before she’s clicking along after him.

“Bradshaw!” He freezes and turns, almost taking a lanky teenager out with her backpack. “Oh my god, Bradley! Be careful! You almost took that kid’s head off.”

His smile is sheepish as she shuffles them over to the wall. “I did not do that on purpose.”

She giggles and takes her backpack from his shoulder. “Yeah, I kinda figured. But you should have seen his face. His life flashed before his eyes. All sixteen years.”

“I can carry that Sherrie.”

“That’s okay, I got it. No! Bradley!”

He ignores her, smiling at her frustrated little stomp when he hands over her tan, cross-body purse out of her work bag. “You just carry that and make sure I don’t take out any toddlers or old ladies.”

“How am I supposed to do that if I’m ahead of you?” She snarks as he steers them toward the food stands.

“You’re smart; I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Bradley laughs when she mocks him under her breath. “I can hear you, smartass.”

“You were meant to, Bradley.”

His heart flutters at the teasing wink she sends over her shoulder. It’s been twelve years since they became friends, and he still feels like that 20-year-old kid who was nervous to talk to the pretty red-headed girl he had a crush on.

He can feel eyes on them as her heels catch people’s attention, and he finds himself glaring at men who are shamelessly staring. Her shoes aren’t loud as they click along on the tile floor, but it’s hard to ignore the beautiful woman striding along in business casual.

It happens everywhere they go.

Sherrie has always been beautiful and painfully unaware of her effect on men. It never matters where they are - at work, the rare baseball game he forces her to attend, happy hour with their friends from school - she always catches attention. It doesn’t bother him because she never reciprocates, and he’s always the one to give her a ride back to her apartment.

Even if he wishes it was their apartment they were going to.

He’s watched her change over the last decade, seen her grow as a person. He’s risen through the ranks with her professionally, the two of them matching each other step for step with each promotion and raise. He’s publicly assured her that her hair still looks good as it’s deepened color with age, now less red and more auburn. He’s privately appreciated the way her body has changed, softer and curvier than when they were kids. Her wide hips are a frequent star in his daydreams.

It's the only place where they’ll ever be in a relationship.

He knows they’d be perfect together. Old friends who know each other so well they don’t even have to talk to communicate sometimes. Whose attitudes fit together like puzzle pieces, perfectly in sync with each other. He knows it won’t happen. Can’t happen.

“Grab us a table, and I’ll get the food.”

“Okay.” He doesn’t fight her about paying, knowing this will be covered under their per diem. “Don’t forget my-”

“You’re frozen lemonade, I know!”

Bradley rolls his eyes at the hand that waves over her shoulder, settling their bags at a table and keeping an eye on Sherrie while sending an update to Mav.

His thumbs hover over the keyboard. He wants to tell his uncle the whole situation - that he’s not afraid to flirt with Sherrie.

“Everything okay?”

Bradley looks up to find her eyebrows furrowed as she sets a tray down.

“All good. Just sending my family an update that we’re delayed.”

She nods, sitting in the chair across from him. “Here’s your mini pretzel dogs, with mustard and a frozen lemonade. This is my pretzel nuggets, cheese sauce, and Diet Coke. Oh! And I got us these cinnamon sugar pretzels to share!”

“Thank you for remembering the mustard.”

“Bradley, when have I ever forgotten the mustard? Here, take some napkins.”

He shoves an entire mini pretzel dog in his mouth in lieu of answering her question, which they both know the answer to. Never. She has never forgotten his love for pretzels with mustard.

They eat in comfortable silence, the way only two friends can, occasionally dunking into each other's sauces as they scroll through their phones.

“Hey, how is your da- oh Bradley! You got mustard on your shirt!” His head snaps down to his shirt, groaning when he sees the yellow blob on his white button-up.

“Fuck! This is new, too!”

Sherrie dives into her bag, muttering about a stain stick, a triumphant noise escaping when she comes up successful. Scooting closer to him, she’s hit with a wave of nostalgia as she helps him clean his shirt.

Friday, April 6, 2007 | 10:12 PM EST | Charlottesville, VA

“You should’ve been gone, knowing how I made you feel!”

Sherrie’s head pops up from the lab reports she’s grading.

“And I should've been gone, after all your words of steel!”

She knows that voice.

“Oh, I must've been a dreamer! And I must've been someone else!”

She knows that voice very well.

“And we should've been over!”

She rushes for the front door, hoping and praying that the idiot she’s become close friends with this year isn’t actually outside her townhouse.

“Oh! Sherrie, our love holds on! Holds on!”

She whips the door open and, sure enough, drunkenly singing to her neighbor's house is Bradley Bradshaw.

“Bradley!” She hisses at him, ignoring the flutters in her stomach when he points his big, goofy grin towards her and not the tulips the soccer girls next door planted in front of their bay window. “What are you doing? It’s 10 PM!”

“You didn’t come.”

“First man to ever care about that.” She mutters, snorting at her joke.

“What’s funny?”

“Nothing. What are you doing here?”

His puppy dog eyes are vicious, and she has the urge to slap her hand over her eyes so she doesn’t succumb to their power. “You didn’t come to the party!”

Sherrie sighs, she thought he might be disappointed she didn’t come to the annual Sigma Chi Easter Bash, but she never thought he would actually notice her absence. Or that it would result in a drunken serenade.

“Bradley, I told you I had a lot of grading and might not make it tonight.” She gently reminds him, stifling a laugh when he trips over his own feet while standing still. “You okay?”

“I have to pee. Can I come in?”

She’s pretty sure he’s just making excuses but lets him in any way; she doesn’t need to deal with him getting a public indecency charge on top of everything else. “Shoes off, Bradshaw. Bathroom is right here; I’ll be in the dining room.”

“Yes, ma’am!” He sloppily salutes her, losing his balance and thunking against the wall, one shoe still on.

Sherrie just blinks at him before returning to her spot at the dining room table, holding in the laugh threatening to escape. She settles in her chair, focusing on the mediocre reports her students had turned in.

“I washed my hands!” Bradley’s abrupt entrance startles her. “Can we have a snack? I’m hungry?

She watches in amusement as he shuffles to her fridge, riffling through the shelves before opening the freezer and gasping.

“I love pretzels. Can we make these? Please?”

The box of pretzels belongs to her roommate, but she’s not strong enough to deny Bradley’s big brown eyes two times in a row so she makes a mental note to buy Amna a new box the next time she goes to the store. “Yeah, we can. But no touching the oven when you’re drunk. Go sit down.”

“I’m not drunk!” He argues even as he follows her directions, plopping himself at the table and nosily leafing through her done pile. “Wow, lots of red here.”

“Bradley! Don’t look at those!”

“Why not?”

“Would you want some random student looking through your homework?”

His rebuttal gets cut off by the oven beeping, announcing it’s up to temp. After she pops the tray in the oven, she turns and catches him appreciating the pj shorts riding up her shapely legs.

“What?” Her head cocks in confusion.

“Nothin'… cute shorts.”

“Thank you.” He watches in fascination as she snips at him even while her cheeks turn pink. “It’s almost like I was dressed for comfort and not planning on being interrupted.”

“But you’re glad I’m here, right?”

“I’ve had worse company on a Friday night.” She nudges him out of her chair. “While those are baking, go find something to watch, and I’m going to finish grading this report.”

“Such a responsible TA.”

Pride fills his chest as Sherrie snorts at his joke and goes back to work. They’ve officially been friends since last year, but he still tries his hardest to make her laugh. She's always so busy and stressed, and she does the cutest little snort-laugh when he catches her off guard.

He puts on a random movie, just grabbing a VHS case with the Disney logo on the side, before plopping on the couch. “Is there a reason you have so many kids movies?”

“Those are Jayla’s, she collects them.” Sherrie answers, never looking up from the table. “What did you choose?”

“It’s a surprise!”

“You don’t remember, huh?”

“Nope! I’ll be quiet now.”

She hums a thank you in his direction, and Bradley keeps his promise, watching her work and staying quiet until the timer goes off. His chin hooked on the back of the couch; he follows her movement through the kitchen as she pulls the pretzels out and transfers them to a plate.

“Can I have mustard, please?”

“Sure can.” Sherrie smiles at his dopey smile as she makes her way to the couch. “Here, take these, then we can eat.”

He gulps down the painkillers she drops in his hand, chugging the rest of the apple juice after they’re gone, smiling when she absentmindedly praises him for listening. He shoves a bite of pretzel in his mouth and mashes the play button, and is pleasantly surprised to find A Bug’s Life was the mystery choice.

“I love this movie,” he garbles through a pretzel. “I love how Flick wins over the princess just by getting a chance to show off his true self.”

“That was shockingly wise for the drunk man sprawled on my couch.”

Bradley thanks her, already a bit more sober but not enough to pick up on her teasing. “So, why didn’t you come? Grading really couldn’t wait?”

“It probably could have, but I’m not a partier, Bradley. You know that.” She dips a piece of pretzel in the mustard. “Besides, I really didn’t think you would notice I wasn’t there, Mr. Popular.”

“You’re the only person I invited; of course, I noticed when you didn’t show up.”

“Really? No one else? Why?”

“I know it’s almost finals, but I wanted to hang out without any books in front of us; that’s all we do lately. Study. Plus, you’ve been extra stressed about something that you don’t want to talk about, and I just wanted you to relax since you won’t talk to me about whatever is bothering you.”

“That’s sweet of you, Bradley. It’s not that I don’t want to tell you; it’s just that my family has been…” She waves a hand through the air, a deep sigh escaping. “It’s complicated. I’m trying not to think about it too much.”

“Well, I’m here if you do want to talk.”

“Thanks bud. How about you? How’re your parents?” She takes one last chunk before nudging the plate in his direction and settling back into the corner.

“Mom is good; she’s close to being considered cancer-free. I think we’re gonna throw a party when she gets there.”

“That’s awesome, Bradley! I’m glad she’s doing so well. How’s your dad?”

“Mav isn’t my dad.”

A record scratch plays in Sherrie’s head as she freezes. She knows she’s heard Bradley talk about his dad, and she’d seen photos of his parents the one time she had visited his frat house last year. He had specifically pointed the photo out, telling her it was his parents. She had even been next to him when he was on the phone when he said “dad” to the person on the other end.

“My dad died when I was three. Mav is- was his best friend. I call him dad sometimes because he’s the closest thing I’ve got.”

Sherrie feels her heart break as Bradley sniffles and sadly shoves a mustard-covered pretzel in his mouth, unshed tears clumping his eyelashes. She’s never seen her friend like this before; she’s experienced many other emotions - frustration, joy, confusion - but the pain creasing his brow is new.

Comforting crying people has never been her forte, but instinctively - almost like they moved without her permission - Sherrie’s fingers run over his hair. Gently stroking the sun-streaked waves as a few tears escape down his cheeks and she scoots closer, letting her body press into his side and hoping the proximity helps.

“I’m sorry for crying on you.” He quietly apologizes after a few minutes of tears.

“S’okay. Family can be hard sometimes.”

“Complicated.”

“That too.” She hums, not moving as he swipes at his eyes and leans against her more, his head resting on her shoulder in a slouched position that can’t be comfortable.

“I love Mav; he’s my dad in all the ways it matters. It just sucks that my actual dad won’t be here for graduation. Like, I know he’s missed so much of my life already, but something about him missing college graduation is worse than everything else. It’s just so unfair; I barely remember him, but I just- I just miss him so much, Sherrie.”

Her heart cracks in half at the whispered confession. She can’t even imagine the pain of losing a parent at such a young age. The inability to remember one of the people responsible for giving you life, all memories fuzzy and most built from second-hand recollections of those who can remember. So she says the one thing she would want to hear.

“Tell me about him.”

Sherrie knows she said the right thing when his red-rimmed eyes brighten, and he immediately launches into a beloved story detailing his father’s love of pranks. She listens dutifully — laughing at the right moments and asking questions when Bradley gets carried away, forgetting that she doesn’t know all the people in his story — and feels her heart warm more and more. She’s always liked Bradley, probably more than she should, but it’s hard not to like him. He’s considerate, smart, and funny, not to mention handsome.

Thankfully, before she gets lost in thoughts of broad shoulders and strong jawlines, a big glob of mustard drops on Bradley’s t-shirt, abruptly cutting him off. The two stare in silence at the yellow condiment sitting on the black cotton shirt, somehow surprised at its appearance, before breaking down into giggles.

“C’mon Bradshaw,” Sherrie grabs his hand, pulling him off the couch. “I have a Tide pen we can use on that mess.”

Bradley follows her up the stairs and into the bathroom, teasing Sherrie about the way her tongue pokes out when she focuses. She takes the gentle taunts, grateful he’s focusing on that and not on her pink cheeks or the way her eyes keep darting to his toned stomach. She’s not sure it was completely necessary for him to strip his shirt off, but she won’t be complaining.

“Well,” A few minutes later, she interrupts his rambling story about a slip and slide. Or she thinks that’s what it’s about; she missed the first part. “I think this is as good as I can get it.”

“That’s okay; it’s not like it’s new or anything. Thanks, Sherrie.”

She steadfastly ignores the pounding heart in her chest as miles of golden skin gets covered back up, trying to not feel too disappointed by its disappearance.

Friday, July 15, 2016 | 3:56 PM EST | Charlotte, NC

“Oh, this is ridiculous!” Bradley complains a bit too loudly, ears going hot when several pairs of eyes curiously dart toward him, but his focus doesn’t stay on that for very long when he catches the face Sherrie makes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!”

He squints suspiciously as she avoids eye contact. He usually takes her at her word and doesn’t push, but the frown pulling down the corners of her pink lips sets off bells in his head. “Sherrie, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Bradley. I’m fine.”

He grumbles at her lack of response but settles again in the spot they had claimed after finishing their snack. The gate was still packed, but they had found a prime location with outlets; the only downside was having to sit on the floor, something that is getting harder the older they get.

Bradley scans the area, trying to scout out some open chairs for them to grab, while Sherrie goes back to the movie they’ve been watching on his phone. His eyes drop away from the chairs in surprise when she scoots closer and leans on his shoulder. It’s not uncommon for them to sit close like this at home in Boston, sides pressed together, but she makes a point to be professional when they’re on travel.

“Hey,” he gently nudges her side, concern rising when she doesn’t lift her head, choosing to tilt her neck back, looking up at him with tired eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Panic grips his chest when tears start forming, clouding her green eyes. “Sherrie?! What’s wrong?”

“We were supposed to be halfway home by now, and I’m so uncomfortable. I’m sorry, Bradley, I’m just so tired.” She whimpers, hiding against his bicep.

It hits him like a glass of cold water. Of course, she’s uncomfortable. She’s been walking around in heels and her pantsuit since 4AM California time after getting maybe three hours of sleep. His suit and shoes are comfortable and easily wearable for twelve-plus hours, not to mention the jacket and tie that were ditched sometime after the mustard incident.

“Oh, Sherrie, it’s okay. Let’s go change, yeah? Then we’ll find a quieter place so you can close your eyes and maybe get some sleep.”

“But the policy…”

Bradley resists the urge to roll his eyes at her insistence on rule-following. “In the nicest way possible, Sher, fuck the policy. You’re uncomfortable, and I care about that way more than I could ever care about a stupid, archaic policy.”

He stands, unplugging their phones and gathering their bags on his shoulder before turning to his best friend, who is still on the floor. “C’mon, we’re putting comfy clothes on.”

“But Bradley-”

“No arguing.” He interrupts, helping her off the ground and directing them back towards the restrooms. “We’re not going to sit in our suits for god knows how much longer.”

“But Bradley, I don’t have anything to change into. We had such a packed schedule I didn’t bother to bring normal clothes.” He ignores the thumping of his heart when her hand grabs his forearm, warm fingers slipping under the edge of the rolled-up sleeve as she tugs to slow his pace. At that information, he slides them out of the flow of traffic and over to the wall, Bradley pressing her against one of the columns lining the concourse atrium.

“You don’t have any regular clothes? What about your pajamas?”

“I have a pair of leggings because I was going to do a training run in the gym last night, but that’s it. I can’t wear my pjs because… well, they’re not appropriate for public.”

“Your leggings are clean, though, right?” He asks, ignoring the thoughts of what non-public appropriate pajamas might look like.

“Well, yeah, dinner went so late I barely had time to sleep before we had to be up. I guess I could buy a shirt at one of the SmartShop- what are you doing?”

Bradley peers up from his knees, where he had started digging in his bag. “I’m grabbing one of my shirts for you. Would you prefer a t-shirt or a sweatshirt? Actually, you’re definitely gonna get cold, sweatshirt for you.”

He pulls the worn, gray crew neck out, shaking it out before handing it over.

“You still have this?” The disbelief in her voice makes him laugh.

“Of course, I still have that! Relay was always my favorite event of the year. And that year was my favorite one.”

As the philanthropy chair of Sigma Chi, part of his job was to sign the brothers up for volunteer events and fundraisers. With his mom’s diagnosis, he ensured their schedule included the campus’ annual Relay for Life event, pouring as many resources as he could into the fundraiser that directly helped advance cancer research.

“Wait, but why was junior year your favorite?” She asks, brushing her fingers over the cracked, screen-printed logo.

“Because that’s the reason we became friends, Sher.”

Surprised green eyes meet sincere brown eyes, a thousand words said in the silence of their stares, both remembering the lead-up to that day in April so many years ago.

Bradley’s eyes widen in panic as everyone at the gate starts moving as a herd. They had finally found seats to relax in after changing, the group of passengers waiting with them shrinking as time went on. And now, with only ten minutes until boarding, their gate has changed again.

“Sherrie, wake up!” He feels bad shaking the snoozing woman off, but they have to move with the group to make it to the new part of Terminal A in time for their flight. “C’mon, honey, they changed the gate again — we gotta go!”

“What are you- again?! Shit!” She wipes the bleariness from her eyes, slinging her bags over her shoulder and grabbing the hand he holds out.

The two coworkers, along with fifty of their fellow passengers who have stuck this out, speed walk down the first branch of the terminal. The entire group picking up the pace when turning the corner towards the second branch where the new gate lives. By the time they hit the second branch, everyone is practically running — time ticking down to boarding — no one wanting to miss this flight.

As if the blob of Flight 1121 passengers racing toward the end of the terminal didn’t garner attention from other gates, the entire terminal is staring by the time they reach gate A28, and several people start yelling in frustration.

“This is unbelievable!” An older gentleman’s unhappiness is interrupted by three simultaneous updates pinging everyone’s phones.

Bradley’s head drops back in disbelief, wrapping his arm around Sherrie when her head thunks against his chest. He doesn’t even get a chance to comfort her before the gate agents are making announcements about getting people on other flights, providing hotel rooms, and the vouchers that will be shared.

“Again, we apologize, but if you have flexible travel plans, we ask that you please go to the end of the line so those with time constraints can be taken care of first. Thank you for your cooperation, folks!”

“Well, that’s us, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Sherrie blows air out of her lips, a mischievous smile taking over her face. “Hey, at least this means extra per diem money.”

Bradley laughs as they move to the back of the squiggly line that’s forming, letting her take the bags so he can step away to call to update their supervisor and then his pet sitter. It only takes a few rings for his boss to pick up. “Bradshaw! What’s up? You okay?”

“Hey Martin, all good. Just wanted to let you know that our flight has gotten supremely delayed. We won’t be home until tomorrow morning sometime.”

“Jesus, do you guys need anything?”

“Nah, we’re good. The airline is putting us up in a hotel for the night and giving vouchers for a bunch of stuff. Just called to let you know and for a heads up on the expense report.”

“Well, that is the most important part!” Martin’s honking laugh makes Bradley chuckle as he glances to check on Sherrie’s progress in line. “How’s Sherrie? She good?”

“Yeah, she’s good. She’s holding our spot in line for getting new tickets and stuff.” And it looks like she’s made friends already, he silently adds, smiling at her interacting with the elderly couple in front of her.

“Good. Alright then, I’ll see you on Monday, but let me know if you guys need anything. And hey! If you two end up in the same hotel room — remember what I said on your first day!”

The line goes dead, and so does Bradley’s smile, his stomach churning like it does every time he remembers his first day at the Wells Corporation.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007 | 11:15 AM EST | Boston, MA

“Will you calm down?”

“I can’t, Bradley. What if no one likes me? What if I fuck up?!” She hisses, working to appear calm as they wait for their supervisor to show up, but failing.

“First of all, we’re starting together, so you have at least one person that likes you. And you’re great, everyone will like you. Second, there will be mistakes, but we just graduated — they’re not going to let us do anything alone because we don’t know anything yet.”

Sherrie nods, tucking her hands under her legs and trying to breathe. Bradley’s words are encouraging, but he doesn’t know how difficult her internship was last summer. The older engineers she shadowed treated her like a glorified coffee girl and secretary. Even when she had pointed out a mistake they all had missed, there was no change — just the addition of making her type their reports to see if she could catch something the non-engineer tech writers would miss.

This is a brand new company, but misogyny wasn’t unique to Waite Green Construction. Every woman has to work twice as hard to prove her worth and intellect, no matter her age or experience. She’s just hoping her onboarding mentor will be the only other woman in the department; it would be the perfect way to gain a professional mentor once she’s out of the probation period.

“Good morning, kids! How was orientation?” Mr. Teresi walks into the conference room.

Bradley shakes his hand first, “It was good, sir. Nice to see you again.”

“Good to hear! Learn lots of new things.”

“Yes, I think we can be considered experts on trade secrets now.” Sherrie jokes, focusing on making sure her handshake is firm but not too firm.

“Wonderful. So, I’m guessing you two have been introduced, but just in case you haven’t. Bradley, this is Sherrie McHone; she’s an electrical engineer. And Sherrie, this is Bradley Bradshaw, a mechanical engineer.”

“We actually went to school together, sir.”

“We’re friends,” Bradley adds, the two of them exchanging small smiles.

“Oh, great! Well, that makes things easier getting started. Now let’s go over my plan for the two of you, and then we’ll get lunch, my treat for your first day.”

Their supervisor talks for half an hour, going over things they’ll need to be trained in and their first assignments. By the time he’s done, several notebook pages have been filled and highlighted with things that need to be looked up.

“Alright!” The older engineer claps, rubbing his hands together. “I’m sure your brains are overloaded with information, so go drop your things at your desks, and we’ll head to lunch.”

The recent graduates gather their notes and head for the door, quietly talking about a training they’ll be attending next week when he stops them. “One more thing, guys. They never mention it during R&D orientation, but I feel it’s necessary to mention it to new people. Here at Wells, there isn’t a fraternization policy among non-management coworkers or between any employees in different divisions. But we are a fairly small department, so keep in mind who you interact with and what impacts that may have at work.”

Sherrie feels the blood drain from her already pale face as her brand new supervisor stares at her the entire time he speaks, ignoring Bradley completely. She’s going to be sick. Less than four hours into the first professional role of her career, and it’s already happening.

This is the moment it starts, she thinks, her heart pounding in her throat as she robotically nods. It’s never the men that get these warnings. It’s always the women. Always us. Always me.

“I don’t care about that. But there are some people who will, even though they shouldn’t. And I want you guys to have the best experience here you possibly can. You’re both extremely bright, and I’m excited about your futures. I don’t want you to get bogged down by the opinions of others. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.” They answer in unison before filing out of the conference room.

“Sherrie, don’t worry about that. He’s just-”

“Trust me, Bradley. I know exactly what he was saying. I’m going to use the restroom, and then I’ll meet you guys at the elevator.”

“Sherrie…”

But she ignores her friend, shrugging her purse over her shoulder and keeping her face neutral as she heads for the single-stall ladies’ room. Fighting to hold the tears back until she’s inside for fear of being perceived as emotional. A quality no woman can afford to have in a professional setting.

Friday, July 15, 2016 | 8:05 PM EST | Charlotte, NC

“Hey, everything? Martin says hi.”

“We’re good! This is Mr. and Mrs. Ludden; they’re going to visit their newest granddaughter. How’re Sophie and Louis?” Bradley smiles at the excited way she introduces them, putting a steadying hand on her back when she bounces up on her toes.

“Oh, congrats! They’re good; Marie can watch’em one more day, problem.”

“Good, we’ll have to get her a thank you present for the short notice.”

“You didn’t tell us you guys had kids!”

Bradley and Sherrie freeze in place, eyes widening in surprise at the older woman’s words.

“Oh- uh- we-” Sherrie giggles awkwardly. “Sophie and Louis are our cats; we don’t have kids.”

“I’m so sorry!” Mrs. Ludden gasps, hand covering her mouth in shock while her husband groans her name.

“Louise, how many times do we have to do this before you stop making assumptions?”

“It’s okay, innocent mistake,” Bradley assures them.

“Well, they’re such a cute couple. I just thought they would have adorable children, too!”

“Actually… we’re not…”

“Oh, lord. Let me guess. You’re not dating. You’re just friends.”

“Coworkers too, but we were friends first.” Sherrie suppresses a laugh when the older gentleman rubs a hand over his eyes in exasperation.

“Don’t even start, Clayton!”

“I wasn’t going to, dear.”

Bradley can’t help the laugh that escapes at the comfortable ribbing they give each other; it reminds him of his friendship with Sherrie. The easy way they tease, never going too far.

“Would you two like to join us after we get rebooked?” Bradley asks. “We’re going to use our food vouchers tonight to grab dinner before we head to whatever hotel they put us up in.”

The four adults move through the line, chatting about small things and comparing pictures of grandkids and cats. It’s a nice way to spend the time, especially when they get to share judging looks when a woman throws a tantrum and yells at the gate agent. But soon enough, they’re walking back to the main concourse and deciding what food to get.

“No, stop. You just sit here with the bags, and I’ll grab the food.” Bradley gently pushes Sherrie back into her chair, rolling his eyes as he talks over her protests. “I know. You want mac and cheese, Diet Coke, and whatever pulled pork flavor looks best.”

“He’s sweet,” Louise says, watching the two men make their way over to the BBQ place.

“He’s annoying.” Which makes her companion laugh. “Yes, he’s very sweet. I’m lucky to be such good friends with him.”

“Can I ask why the two of you aren’t together? He even knows what food to bring you.”

“It’s just never been like that between us. We’ve always just been friends. And he’s annoyingly smart, so he always remembers what I order.” Sherrie half smiles, pushing down the pain in her chest at the harmless curiosity, watching Bradley laugh at something Clayton says as she remembers the first time he remembered one of her favorites.

Saturday, March 4, 2006 | 1:34 PM EST | Charlottesville, VA

“Thanks for meeting me on a Saturday, Bradshaw. It’s just such a busy semester.”

“No problem. You know you can call me Bradley, right?”

“Oh, sorry. Do you not like being called Bradshaw?” Sherrie blinks when a bottle of Diet Coke and a small bag of Skittles is set on the table in front of her. “What’s this?”

“Your favorite snack.”

“Right… but why?”

“Because you have that about 50% of the time when we meet up to work on this project. Now, I finished transcribing the interview with Commander Buck last night. Did you want to- Sherrie?”

She shifts her focus from the food to the boy across from her in the study nook they’ve claimed as theirs for the semester. “Why do you remember my favorite snack?”

“Because we’re friends?” Brown eyes look into hers, equally confused.

“We’re friends?”

“I hope so; otherwise, this is gonna get awkward when you hug me in a minute.”

“Why am I going to hug you?!”

Bradley laughs at her flabbergasted expression, but it doesn’t hurt her feelings like it does when other people laugh at her. Something about the tone of the laugh makes it feel like he’s laughing at her, but rather with her, and she just doesn’t know the joke yet.

“Because as team captain, I am happy to announce to the Relay Chair that Sigma Chi has officially raised $5,000 thanks to your idea.”

“Bradley, that’s incredible!” She doesn’t feel silly when she bounces around the table to hug his neck, rocking them back and forth in excitement.

“Well, if you think that’s good - let me show you what we’re anticipating to raise this month…”

Friday, July 15, 2016 | 10:12 PM EST | Charlotte, NC

“I just don’t understand how we’re having such bad luck!”

Sherrie rolls her eyes as he unlocks the door. “Bradley, breathe. You’re being very dramatic right now.”

“How is “we’re out of rooms” a legitimate reason for the hotel to give? Not that I mind sharing with you, but like how is that possible? The airline specifically works with them to book rooms for things like this! And the airline! That gate agent who wanted to book us to fly into Hartford and then drive the rest of the way to Boston! That's insane!”

“I don’t know, the Bradley flying into Bradley joke was pretty funny.” She mutters, clicking the lights on as she checks the cleanliness of the room.

“It wasn’t.” Bradley pouts, flopping onto the bed closest to the door. “Do you want to shower first?”

“No, go ahead, but I’m going to wash my face first so I can do a face mask. I’m so dry from the airport air.” He listens to the sounds of water running and the quiet humming as she carefully applies the drenched sheet to her skin. “All yours!”

“Thanks, Sher. I won’t be long.”

He showers quickly but takes extra time cleaning his teeth, his mouth feeling gross after the long travel day. When he comes out, he’s surprised at how cozy the room feels. With only one lamp on, the air conditioning set low to keep the fan running, and an old movie on the TV, it almost feels like they could be at home in his living room. They silently move around each other, Sherrie heading to the bathroom with a pile of things while Bradley organizes his things for the morning, wanting to get as much rest as possible before their early alarm.

He scrolls through emails and texts while he waits for her to shower, turning the television off since he knows there’s a small chance of either of them making it five minutes after they kill the lights. He's updating Mav on tomorrow’s travel plans when Sherrie comes out of the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel. Bradley sees her packing things out of the corner of his eye, not fully paying attention until he plugs his phone in.

“That’s what you wear to bed?”

“Bradley!” He laughs at how she jumps, her hands coming down to cover her shorts.

“What? They’re cute! Very pink.”

Her face goes as pink as the pajama set she’s wearing. “Stop making fun of me!”

“I’m not! You know, I love strawberries.” He can’t help the way his eyes roam up and down her body, admiring from the spaghetti straps on her smooth shoulders to the scalloped edge of her shorts. “I see why you didn’t want to change into those at the airport.”

“Oh my god…” She huffs, climbing into her own queen bed and stuffing herself under the sheets. “You set an alarm, right?”

“Yes, ma’am. Want me to turn the light off?”

“Please. God, this day cannot be over soon enough.”

He chuckles and turns the lamp off, listening to her shuffle around in the sheets as she gets comfortable. It’s quiet for a few minutes, and he can hear her breathing leveling out, but he can’t keep quiet; the conversation at the airport running through his mind.

“Sher?” It takes a second, but she quietly hums in response. “We have to talk about it again.”

“No, we don’t.”

“Sherrie-”

“No, Bradley. We talked about this two weeks ago. Nothing has changed since then.”

“Yes, things have changed since then. You interviewed for that principal engineer position. Which if you get-”

“I’m not going to get it. They’re going to pick Trevor.”

“They’re going to pick you. You’re the best person for the job!”

“That’s not how it works, and you know it.”

He’s silent, the crushing weight on his chest feeling heavier when he hears her sniffle.

“Oh, Sherrie…” He slips out of his bed and into hers, wrapping the woman he loves in his arms. He lets her cry, knowing she’s frustrated and exhausted, only speaking up again when she’s calmed down. “I’m sorry, honey.”

“No, I’m sorry, Bradley. It’s not fair that we’ve been dancing around this for so many years, and I keep saying no. You deserve someone who isn’t afraid to be with you. Not a coward like me.”

“You’re not a coward; you’re one of the bravest people I know, Sherrie Anne McHone. I know how critical people are of women, in this field especially. And I love you, so I don’t mind waiting until we’re in a position that you’re confident won’t jeopardize your career. So, we’ll wait to hear about the job, and once you hear that you’ve gotten it, I’m treating you to the nicest dinner in Boston.”

“Bradley, we don’t know-”

“I know we don’t know. But think about how it would be if it does. Wouldn’t that be amazing?”

“But what about-”

“Doesn’t matter, honey.”

“You don’t even know what I was gonna say.” Sherrie mumbles, cuddling further into his side, making it clear that he wasn’t allowed to leave.

“I know, but it doesn’t matter, whatever it is — we’ll figure it out.”

Saturday, July 16, 2016 | 10:32 AM EST | Somewhere over Virginia

“She’ll take a ginger ale; thank you so much.” Bradley balances his apple juice, the two packets of Biscoff cookies, and the bubbling soda he got for Sherrie. The smiling flight attendant moves past their row as he turns to his row companion.

They’re finally on their way home after waking up to more delay announcements. The additional time meant there was time to get coffee and some fruit from the hotel before their taxi back to the airport arrived, and the Luddens had even stopped to chat for a second at the gate, excited that they had gotten bumped up to first class since the flight was nearly empty.

All things considered, it had been a good morning even though Sherrie was insisting on working during the flight. Bradley is sure it’s an attempt to ignore their talk from last night, not wanting to dwell on the emotional moment when things are still so up in the air.

He looks over at the woman he’s known since he was eighteen, overwhelmed for a moment by how little things have changed since the first time he ever noticed her. Bradley fondly watches as she furiously types, hunched over her laptop with headphones, playing what he knows is eighties hair bands.

Her nose wrinkles in frustration, and suddenly it’s 2003 again, and he’s trying to get the attention of the red-haired girl whose table has the only empty chair left, something he desperately needs since this book can’t leave the library. He’s unable to get her attention and resorts to knocking on the table, heart skipping a beat when the prettiest green eyes he’s ever seen blink up at him. Bradley gestures at the empty chair, silently asking if he can sit, and is grateful when she nods because her smile is making his knees wobble. For the next hour, he tries to take notes for his paper, but he keeps getting distracted by the beautiful girl across from him. Bradley isn’t sure if he’s upset or happy when she packs up her stuff and leaves, giving him a little wave when she notices him watching her.

That had been thirteen years ago, and her intense focus still distracts him, but he’s not afraid to interrupt her this time. Fingers rub her arm that is covered in his sweatshirt again, but this time, he knows it smells like her shampoo instead of his cologne. Her smile still sends his heart skipping when she looks up at him, her pretty eyes widening in joy when she catches sight of the red snack packaging and the plastic cup holding her second favorite soda.

“Thank you!” She whispers, leaning across the empty middle seat in their row to kiss his cheek. “Oh, and we should go out to lunch when we get back! I want to try that new noodle place that opened in Southie.”

He just smiles when she immediately gets back to work; cheek puffed out from the cookie she stuffed in her mouth.

Maybe she’s not avoiding our talk from last night.

Thursday, August 11, 2017 | 2:15 PM EST | Boston, MA

“You got a minute?” Bradley knocks on the edge of her cubicle. It may be a different floor of their building, but all of the office space is the same dated stuff from decades ago.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“First of all…” He ducks down and presses a swift kiss to her plush mouth, still trying to make up for all those years he couldn’t. “And don’t say anything because I already checked before I did because I wanted to kiss my girl.”

He chuckles at the pink spots that shine on her cheeks. It’s been a year since Sherrie snagged the promotion, and they officially became an item, but she still turns a little red whenever he says something sweet.

“Second, you are all packed, right?”

“Yes, why?”

“I was gonna swing by the apartment and get our bags so we can head straight to the airport after work.”

“You took the afternoon off? Why?”

Bradley was expecting this question and smoothly fibs. “I worked the hours out with Martin for this week so I could run a few last-minute errands. Do you want me to grab snacks?”

“Okay, Mr. Secrets. When you’re at home, could you water the ivy? I forgot this morning, and I don’t want it to die while we’re gone.”

“Of course! Need me to do anything else?”

Sherrie hums, staring at the ceiling as she thinks. “One more kiss?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Bradley happily complies with her request.

“Okay, now you have to go. I have to finish prepping for this meeting where I get to yell at Sean.”

“That’s my girl. I’ll pick you up later. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Have fun with your mysterious errands.” Sherrie teases, and Bradley smirks back, knowing how much she would be freaking out if he knew what he would be doing while she professionally reamed out their least favorite colleague.

“Thanks, honey. Text me if you think of something.” Sherrie waves over her shoulder, already zoned back into her work.

Bradley doesn’t dare look at his buzzing phone until he’s safely on the elevator, pleased to see confirmation texts from their hotel and the airline. Would it be cheesy to quietly propose in the airport that was a catalyst in their relationship? Maybe, but he knew Sherrie would love it. He’s just hoping the TSA didn’t call out the ring that would be hiding in his carry-on.

#deltasupremacy I also want to give a special thanks to @sometimesanalice, who gave so much encouragement through the texts despite having no idea what I was writing - you're the best! tagged some friends and most those who interacted with the original announcement post for this fic all those months ago!

tagging: @gretagerwigsmuse @sometimesanalice @laracrofted @theharddeck @hangmanbrainrot @hangmanssunnies @thesewordsareallihavetogive @princessphilly @katieshook02 @atarmychick007 @kmc1989 @a-court-of-roscoe-and-baby @misfitpeach @luckyladycreator2 @scarlettwidow19 @mini-bee-bee @midnightstarqueen @shamelessghostwagonwobbler

divider credit

[loubouskz]

take care of you

lee felix x fem!reader

description: you keep going on and on about how boring sex is and that something is missing. and like any your best friend, he offers to help you find out.

warning: SMUT! bestfriends to lovers, unprotected piv sex, cunniligus, dirty talk, praising kink, minor degrading kink, breeding kink, aftercare and cuddles. if I missed anything let me know

wc: 2.6k

a/n: I finally got this done! I had to borrow a laptop. I found my old chromebook but couldn't find the charger for it so I have to order a new one and wait for it to come in😭😭 I wanna be able to finish writing my stories that are just sitting in my google docs, collecting dust. anywho I hope you all enjoy this! I had so much fun writing this! feedback is greatly appreciated!

and my requests are open btw, so send in your requests! I'd be so happy to write something for you!🥰

--------

“wait really? ” felix asked, putting down his water bottle on his bed. “yeah.” I said with a straight face. “not even the last guy you were with? you were so loud.” felix said in fits of giggles. “just because I was loud does not mean it was that good. he start off strong, lack in the middle of it, and was okay during the climax- but all together..it just wasn’t that good.” I said, shugging my shoulders. “i feel like i haven’t had great sex. good, sure. I feel like there’s not enough in the middle of it. it’s just kind of boring sometimes.” I said. “what do you think is missing?” he asked, laying next to me. I sighed and just looked at the ceiling as i thought. “anything. a kink. dirty talk. hell I don’t know.” I said before looking at the time on my phone. “it’s 2:23am, I need to go to bed.” I said as I sat up. “alright.” felix said in a kind of distance voice. “you okay? was talking about my sex life weird to you? i’m sorry.” I said as I got up.

“no it doesn’t, we’ve been best friends for years y/n. i’ve heard your best and worst of everything. we talk about almost everything together, we know each others’ limits when we talk about things. you’re good.” felix said with a nice smile, but I could tell his mind was wandering. i huffed out a small chuckle and said goodnight to him as I made my way to his door.

“what if I help you out?” i heard him say really fast as my hand grabbed the door handle. I turned back to him to see him sat up and looking at his hands. felix, my best friend of eight years and roommate for three. and maybe my crush of four…is willing to have sex with me. i felt my brain short-circuit. this has to be a dream.

“what? can you explain more.” I asked, standing in place. “what if i help you find out what you’re missing during sex?” he asked, messing with his sleeves. I looked at him with wide eyes. “are you being forreal?” I asked him. “i wouldn’t have asked if i wasn’t being forreal y/n.” he answered, while laying back. “well i don’t know what to say felix.” i said. 

“well you don’t have to answer right away nor do you have to say yes at all. but you know i would take care of you.” felix said, locking his eyes with mine. that sentence alone: but you know i would take care of you, the way he said it, made my knees go weak. “don’t say it like that lix.” i said as i felt my insides twists in ways i never thought they would for my best friend. felix’s eyes scanned my body and saw how my body reacted to his words. he brought his eyes back up to mine but now they were much darker. full of lust clouding his chocolate brown eyes. felix slowly got out of his bed and walked over to me. “say it like what y/n?”

i didn’t know what to do, so i started backing up. felix just followed with a small smirk to his lips. i gasped as my back hit the wall. he placed one arm right above my head against the wall and the other on my waist. 

“you gonna answer me?” felix said, placing his head really close to mine. “say it like it’s true.” i said in a small voice. “well it might be, you won’t know if it doesn’t happen. right baby?” he asked, tilting his head to the side a bit. my eyes darted to his lips and back to his eyes. i nodded my head. i could feel my underwear becoming more and more slick. “i need you to be verbal with me.” he said, dragging his hand that was on my waist up to my face. he kept his hand on my cheek, stroking his thumb in a comforting way. my eyes fluttered at the sweet gesture. my mind quickly coming up with the answer. “take care of me felix, please.” i said, just barely above a whisper.

felix sucked in a breath of air and smiled at me, ‘is it okay if i kiss you now?” he asked. “yes.” i answered. felix slowly brought his lips to mine and kissed me. i closed my eyes as i felt his soft lips on mine, but it quickly ended by felix pulling back. “want more?” he asked. i nodded my head, too breathless to answer. felix leaned back in and i met him halfway, making him groan into the kiss. he put more pressure into the kiss, sliding his tongue on my bottom lip. i parted my lips to let him in. felix placed both his hands on my cheeks as i gripped the sides of his shirt. felix took his time exploring the inside of my mouth, like he was trying to memorize it. 

after our little makeout, felix pulled away slowly. both of our lips, red and swollen. felix placed his hands back on my waist as he kissed his way back my jaw to my neck. sucking hickeys all over, i moaned as he found my sweet spot. i ran my hands into his hair, pulling at it lightly. felix groaned as his hands made their way down, just above my shorts. he kissed my ear, “can i continue?” he asked in his deep voice. “yeah.” i said breathless. i held my breath as felix’s hand pushed its way past my shorts and underwear. he continued marking the other side of my neck as cupped my cunt.

“oh fuck baby, you’re already getting slick and wet for me.” he said, dragging his hand back and forth. he placed his fingers on my clit, drawing small circles. i head feel back against the wall, moans becoming louder and louder as he picked up the pace. “oh felix.” i moaned out. he lifted his head, looking at my face. ‘yeah baby. you like that?” he asked. “yes. need more,lix.” i whined. “what kind of more?” he asked, kissing the corners of my lips. “fingers. inside. please.” i answered, chasing his lips. “good girl.” he said, smashing his lips back on mine. he pushed carefully pushed two fingers inside of me. i gasped into the kiss. 

“are you going be good for with me y/n?” felix asked. i nodded my head, “faster please.” i said, felix did exactly what i asked for. curling his fingers every time he brought them down, hitting my clit every time. i breath quickened, chest heaving as i felt the pressure building to its max. “gonna let me see how pretty you look when cum all over my fingers.” he said. “yes.” i said through a broken moan, keeping my eyes on his as i felt the knot unravel. cumming all over his hand. “oh god felix!” i said as he guided through my orgasm. he slowly removed his hand out and placed his fingers in his mouth, eyes never leaving mine.my lips parted out of surprise.

“you taste heavenly.” felix said. “fuck me felix.” i said, pulling him by his pants. “really?” he asked. “yeah, like you mean it.” i said with my own smirk.

he grabbed the hem of my shirt, making sure it was okay to take it off first before it was removed. i was ready for bed so i didn’t have a bra on. felix kissed down my body as he made his way to the ground. he pushed my sweats and underwear down along with him. face to face with my bottom half. “god, you’re beautiful, you know that?” felix said with meaning that was more than just lust. i felt my heart skip a beat. i smiled at felix as he kissed my stomach. he stood back up and grabbed my hand.

we walked over back to the bed. “lay down.” felix said. i climbed back onto the bed and got comfortable. felix removed his clothes, but left his boxers on. he climbed on the bed, over top of me. “will you let me eat you out beautiful?” he asked, placing a soft kiss on my lips. i shuddered at his words but agreed none the less. felix took his time kissing down my body once again. he took my legs, pushing them up and on his shoulders. he marked up my inner left thigh before doing the same thing on the other side. 

felix blew on my clit before giving a long lick up my cunt. i arched back and rolled my hips, making him chuckle. he kissed my clit then proceeded to suck on it gently. he opened his mouth, rolling his tongue out licking up. basically making out with my lower lips. i clamped my thighs around his head, making him groan. the vibrations sending shocks up my body. “felix!” i moaned out, threading my fingers into his hair. felix brought one of his hands up to my entrance, pushing his fingers in. thrusting his fingers in and out plus the motions of his tongue on my clit made my climax come even faster than last time. “i’m gonna cum felix.” i said as my body started to shake. “cum for me.” he mumbled. felix flattened his tongue, pressing it on my clit and shaking his head side to side. my body arched one more time before my vision became white. “good girl.” he said, slowing down his fingers. felix removed his fingers and licked up my cum till i pushed his head away. felix sat up with his hands on my thighs, stroking them lightly. 

“still need more sweet girl?” he asked. i nodded my head, trying to reach for his underwear. felix quickly grabbed my hands and put them above my head. i looked at him with wide eyes. “ah ah ah. didn’t you say you wanted me to fuck you?” he asked. “yes i did.” i answered. “then roll over. hands and knees.” he said, letting go and sitting back up. i quickly turned over. as i steaded myself, i heard felix removing the last of his clothing. 

i felt felix grabbed my hips and pull them back. he guided one of his hands down my back and pressed down. i put my arms under my head and pushed my ass out, learning it a playful smack. i giggled a bit as felix pressed his body to mine. “ready for me to take of care you? fuck you how you need it?” felix asked, lining up his dick with my opening. a moan slipped pasted my lips. “yes please lixxie. fuck me, i need you so bad.” i whined out. felix pushed into me with a groan. “so fucking tight even after stretching you out.” he said as he bottomed out. i clenched around him, bucking my hips back. he drew his hips back and thrusted back in once and hard. my eyes rolled back at the feeling. “be patient.” he growled out, gripping my hips tightly. i huffed out and felix heard…and did not like that. he started snapping his hips at a decent hard pace. bringing a moan every time..

“i was trying to be nice, but all you wanted was to be full and fucked, right baby?” he said, not really asking. “just so fucking needy, didn’t even care who it was huh? not even if it was your best friend.” he continued. i whined into the pillow as i gripped the sheets. the sound my wet skin echoed throughout the room. good thing we didn’t have neighbors. “i bet you just want to be stuffed full of my cum.” he said, making me clench around him hard. “oh am i right?” he asked, laying his body on mine. grabbing my boobs with both his hands, pinching my nipples a bit. without pulling out or stopping, he lifted my body where my back was against his chest.

“answer y/n.” felix said, grinding his cock right on my g-spot. i cried out from the pleasure building up. “answer or i’m stopping right here.” he threatened. “yes! i want to be stuff full of your cum. so deep inside me.” i said with tears in my eyes. “yeah, so deep that i put a baby in you?” he asked as i cried out again. “you gonna be a good girl and take my cum like the little cumslut you are?” he asked as his thrusts started to become sloppy. “yes!” i said. i could barely hold my head in place as my body started to feel like jello. i turned my head to see him. “can i cum?” i asked as tears fell into my cheeks. “fuck. yeah go ahead a cum baby. cum with me.” he said, bringing one hand up to my face and holding my head in place so i didn’t look away. 

one final snap of his hips and my body spasmed from how hard my orgasm hit me. felix followed and stilled his hips, cumming deep inside. “shit.” he moaned out. he gave a few more shallow thrusts before completely stopping. felix buried his head into the crease of my neck and shoulder. i took a deep breath and brought my hand up to felix’s hair, combing it out of his face. he lifted his head up, kissing my shoulder. “you did so well y/n.” he said, still out of breath. i chuckled and smiled. “you did to lixxie.” i said. “let’s go get ourselves clean up, yeah?” he asked, i nodded.

felix helped me up off his softening dick and bed. after helping me to the bathroom, felix went to go pick up our clothes. after i did my business and got cleaned up, i heard a knock at the door. “yeah.” i said as i was washing my hands. felix popped his head in and handed me my clothes. “thank you.” i said grabbing them. i put my underwear on first then my hoodie, deciding not to put my sweats back on. “so we made kind of a mess on my bedsheets, is it alright if we go sleep in your room?” felix asked as blush forming across his cheeks. i laughed out and turned to him. “yeah felix. lets go.” i said as we left the sex-scented room.

we both climbed into bed and under the blanket. “i forget how much softer your bed is compared to mine.” felix said, snuggling in. “now i know you’re just saying that because your sleeping next to me because we have to exact same mattress.” i said, cuddling up to him. felix wrapped his arm around me and pulled me even closer. “yeah you’re right.” he said with a big smile. “can you turn off your side lamp now lixxie.” i said. “why? i won’t be able to see your cute face.” he said. “well this cute face needs her beauty sleep, so please turn off the light.” i said. “alright.” he said, quickly turning off the light and turning back to me. 

“so did you figure out what you were missing?” felix asked. i closed my eyes and nuzzled my head into his chest. i nodded my head, slowly falling asleep. “what was it?” he asked quietly, most likely sleep taking over his body as well. “you.” i whispered before fallen into a peaceful sleep. “good. i hoped that it was.” he said, kissing the top of my head. “took us long enough.” he said before fallen asleep.

[biteofcherry]

Ooh! I’d love to enter into the babe lottery with Andy Barber (maybe a soulmateAU? 🥰) I’m happy with whatever magic you create though! *gulp*

✨✨✨

You held your breath as Andy opened the box and showed you the delicate, intricate design.

It was finally time. You were finally ready and chosen.

When a year ago you faced Andy for the first time, resolutely declaring your determination to undergo the process, he showed concern and softness.

You were actually surprised that it was a man like Andy, who stood behind the creation of it all. With how veiled in mystery the whole thing was, you expected a sophisticated matron emulating an ancient witch to be the one who oversaw the mating of souls.

What derived from legends was actually a very blood and flesh process, curated to the most influential and richest people in the world.

There were rumors about it, which is how you found out about the whole thing. At first you saw it as disgusting, but when life became harder and harder, nearly throwing you onto the streets, you saw in it an opportunity.

Mating of the souls was a process of creating a perfect partner for those who paid good money for it.

Yes, it meant you had to change to fit someone else, but it also meant you were fed, taken care of and promised a bright future. For someone who saw the bottom, it stopped being a disgusting cage and was a light at the end of the tunnel.

Andy made sure that anyone who was accepted as a so called soulmate was treated well through the process. It was so difficult at times, when you had to fight your basic instincts to fight for your opinion and freedom, but Andy showed you nothing but patience and understanding.

He had such a wonderful way with words, too. Explaining the whole process as something that provided you with skills to survive in the new world you were about to enter. To be the best mate to the partner who chose you.

"It's time." Andy said softly, picking the delicate brand and attaching it to the thin, short poker.

Your soulmate chose this brand for you to proudly wear and match his. Once you were married there would be traditional wedding bands, but a mark of a soulmate was something of greater importance.

Your eyes welled with happy tears. Someone chose you. You were finally going to start your new life, beside a man who would provide for you and protect you. And you would be dutiful and supportive partner in return.

"You did brilliant in your transformation, sweetheart," Andy praised you as he heated up the brand. "You are perfect and your soulmate will appreciate you."

"Thank you, Andy. For everything." You squeezed his wrist with a smile.

"You're welcome." Crinkles appeared around his eyes when he returned your smile. "Now lift your dress up, please. Ransom chose your thigh as the place for the brand."

[kimbappykidding]

Imagine overhearing your crush, Jongho, getting rudely shut down by a mean idol and deciding to do something about it.

You thought there was nothing worse in the world than watching your crush ask out another girl but you were wrong. 

You'd known Jongho had a crush on Maisie even since he checked her out at an award show and the boys never let him forget it. So when you saw him heading towards her you knew what was going to happen and even though you were sad because he was asking out another girl he was your best friend so you just wanted him to be happy. You were stood on a platform near the girl and so you could hear the whole conversation. You went to move away until you heard her reply and it made you very angry indeed. "I'm sorry I'm just way too pretty for you" Maisie said and your jaw dropped. It's fine for a girl to say no to a guy but there's no reason to be rude about it. Sure if Jongho had been harassing her you'd be praising her for telling him how it is but he'd been nothing but respectful and nice to her. There was no reason for her to hurt him like this. "She did not just say that" you said and your fellow Dreamcatcher member Yoohyeon looked at you "what did she say?" but you shushed her because the conversation was carrying on. Jongho must've also been confused because she was now being even ruder. "Look I only date guys who are at least as good-looking as me and you're not so later" and she walked away. You saw she was actually smiling and felt anger surge through you "I'm going after her" you said but your members, who finally realised what was happening, knew in your current state that probably wasn't a good idea. "Y/n just wait a minute" Dami said and JiU nodded "yeah just take a moment to calm down" when Siyeon grabbed your arm "Y/n you have bigger issues, Jongho". You looked over to where he'd been and froze to see him making a beeline for the door clearly upset and rattled. "Shit" you swore "text Hongjoong and tell him I'll make sure Jongho gets home okay" and you rushed after him.

You found Jongho outside just sitting on the curb staring into space. "Jongho" you called and he looked up but didn't meet your eye. "Hey Y/n I just wanted some air" he said flatly and you nodded coming to sit beside him "okay". You'd known Jongho for 4 years now and in that time learned you just had to let him speak when he was ready. Jongho was silent for a few seconds before he sighed "you know don't you?". You paused before nodding "yeah I heard but Jongho please don't be upset, she's horrible and should be ashamed of herself". Jongho buried his head in his hands not speaking and you looked at him unsure of what to do. "Jongho?" you asked "do you want me to take you home?" and he nodded "yes please". You got him in your car and then paused. "I don't want to talk about it" Jongho said pre-empting your next question and you nodded "okay" and drove home in silence.

Once you got to Jongho's place you came inside and watched tv with him until his members came home. He was quiet all night and the guys asked what happened but he wouldn't tell them. They then asked you once he'd gone to bed and you shook your head "it's Jongho's story to tell, someone was just incredibly rude to him so he might be a little down the next few days. So just keep an eye on him and big him up as much as you can". The boys assured you they would and thanked you for being with him. "I'll always be there for Jongho" you replied and San smiled "Y/n where can I find a woman like you?" and you laughed "with that smile of yours you'll find one easily" and you said goodnight to them all before driving home. Your members were all anxious to know how Jongho was and were furious on his behalf. They didn't know exactly what Maisie said but could guess and all promised the next time they saw Jongho they'd be extra kind to him. You appreciated all their support and texted Jongho before you went to bed telling him you were here if he needed you but didn't get any reply. When you next saw Jongho he acted like that night never happened and you figured he was trying to move on so went along with it. Maisie didn't come up in your everyday conversation anyway so it was easy to pretend she never existed but there was an event looming on the horizon. The yearly Isac games. You knew Maisie’s group Porcelain was going to be there because you got a list of the attending groups a week before. You asked Jongho about the event and he didn't say much about it but you knew he was worried about seeing her again. He hadn't been at many events, especially not the socials afterwards since that night so this would be the first time he saw her. His members had worked out which group it was and which member and promised you they'd keep an eye on him. You saw Maisie enter before you saw Jongho and you tensed up watching her. She looked so happy and carefree and that bugged you. Gahyeon hugged you telling you to ignore her and you nodded taking her hand "yeah...I won't let her ruin my day" but of course she was everywhere you went. When you went to go grab a bib she was in front of you. When you were lining up on the track her group was right behind you. You kept hearing her annoying laugh, the same one she'd used when she rejected Jongho, and it bothered you insanely. So when you found out your group was facing Porcelain in a football match you were more than ready. You were competitive anyway but JiU made you promise to behave. "Don't start a fight with her or anything, not because I think you wouldn't win but more like I know you'd kick her ass and get told off" and you laughed "I would, wouldn't I?" and the girls chuckled. You were pretty good at football so were the striker and it just so happened Maisie was a defender. You sighed when you saw the position she'd been given, meaning she'd be with you all the time and Siyeon rubbed your arm "it's okay, you can beat her but just don't be excessive" and you nodded "okay". Anytime Maisie got the ball you dispossessed her and it was honestly quite cathartic but to be honest she didn't get the ball much because she acted like this was 50 years ago and screamed anytime the ball came near her. She'd then look around to see if anyone had noticed her reaction and adjust her hair telling you she wasn't really scared but was doing that annoying thing of pretending to be weak to appear more girly as if being weak had anything to do with being a woman. So you started marking other players because she was clearly no threat and you didn't want to be beside her any more than you had to be. You managed to score twice and were winning 3 - 1 when the literal golden opportunity arrived. They were playing music in the background and an Ateez song came on making you glance to where the boys were standing, cheering you in the stands. Then there was a scuffle on the pitch where one of Maisie's members pushed Handong nearly making her fall. The ball rolled away from the group of girls and directly to Maisie. She got the ball but didn't see you directly behind her. She actually giggled thinking she was in the clear and it was so perfect you smiled. You sprinted towards her and her fans started trying to warn her but it was too late. You tackled the ball from her, not even touching her, but with enough momentum, she was knocked to the floor with a child-like scream. You proceeded to the goal and shot it into the top right corner and your fans erupted into screams. Your teammates all cheered and you did a celebration dance. Maisie was furious because there was now mud on her face and she claimed you pushed her. The referee kept telling her you hadn't even touched her and that made her actually shriek. "God what a mess" Sua said and you giggled. You knew it was mean but after that, you tried to annoy Maisie as much as you could. You'd purposefully bump into her and anytime she so much as went near the ball you were there. She was clearly getting really annoyed with you and you actually heard her comment that girls like that shouldn't be allowed to play with normal girls. "If she falls on me she could literally injure me!" you heard her tell one of her members and you grinned "then maybe try and stay on your feet? Hard I know but give it a go" and you ran off. The hilarious part was she actually did try challenging you a few times too but you easily outmanoeuvred her by being faster, stronger and more skilled. You were enjoying this way too much but thankfully the whistle was called and you won. You didn't gloat too much but did cheer with your members. "Y/n you murdered her!" Handong cried and you laughed "well I guess it was just payback for Jongho" and they all nodded. "Plus revenge for knocking you down" you said to Handong who blushed and smiled. Nobody messed with the people you cared about. When you saw Ateez later the boys were similarly pleased with your performance and congratulated you. "Way to take out the trash Y/n!" Wooyoung cried and Seonghwa nodded "I thought she was actually going to try and fight you at one point". "Yeah like she'd be dumb enough to try that!" Yunho cried and you laughed thanking them all but one member was suspiciously quiet. Jongho. You figured he might just be quiet because of the circumstance but even later on when the event ended he still hadn't spoken to you. You thought this was odd so managed to find him backstage. "Hey" you said waving to him "how are you? I haven't seen you all day". Jongho nodded "fine" but didn't look up from his phone. You frowned "are you sure? You don't seem fine". "I'm fine" he repeated not coldly but firmly so you let it drop. After Isac Ateez were having a party and they invited your group and a few others. You went and noticed Jongho wasn't joining in. He claimed he was getting changed but spent nearly 2 hours in his room and when he appeared he just went outside so you followed him. "Hey" you called and Jongho nodded "hi". "So... you sure you're still okay?” you asked and Jongho just nodded. "Jongho look it's okay you're upset to see her. It's going to be awkward the first few times but it must've been great watching us beat her". Jongho sighed "yeah sure...watching your friend fight your battles feels great". You paused "what? I wasn't fighting your battle just giving her a taste of her own medicine”. Jongho shook his head "didn't look like it to me. Looked like I was too pathetic to act so you did instead". "Jongho people aren't going to think that” you argued but he shook his head "yes they are! People know we're friends and you made it so obvious you had a problem with Maisie. They can easily connect the dots". You frowned "I...well I don't think I embarrassed you. We're friends, why wouldn't I want to defend you?" you asked. Jongho sighed "but it makes me look so weak y/n!". "Why because a girl was defending you?" you asked. "No of course not! I've watched you beat Wooyoung up tons of times and cheered you on. I know you're strong and have no issues with that". "So what about me was so embarrassing?" you asked. When Jongho couldn't reply you shook your head "sorry for trying to help" you said "next time I won't so I won't humiliate you" and stormed away. Jongho watched you go and lasted 10 seconds before he rushed after you, the guilt setting in but you’s disappeared!The house was pretty full but he spotted your members and approached them. They just wordlessly pointed to the front door and he receded out of it. He thought he might have to chase after your car but he found you sitting at the bench at the end of the path. "Mind if I sit?" he asked and you shook your head. "I'm sorry" he said "you're not embarrassing. You always have my corner and I'm so grateful for that". "So what made you so upset?" you asked. Jongho sighed "I guess because you confronting her confirmed it happened. I know it did but I just pretend it didn't in public. That's why I've never confronted her, I'm too embarrassed to but you going head to head with her...I felt like it made it more real. It wasn't something I could just pretend didn't happen and that embarrassed me. I was embarrassed of myself" he clarified "for being such an idiot to think a girl like that would be into me". You shook your head "don't do that, don't put yourself down for her". "But it's true!" Jongho said "I was feeling good that night because I'd got compliments from lots of idols about the high note I reached and my body was the best I'd ever seen. I was feeling confident so I tried my luck but I overshot. No matter how good a singer I am I still don't look like Wooyoung". "Stop it" you said "I didn't kick Maisie's ass today for you to think you're not good-looking. I did it to prove to her you were. That there are people out there who disagree with her and think you're a great guy. You're strong, handsome and have a beautiful kind face any girl with a brain would want". "That's sweet but you're probably the only person who thinks that and you're my best friend so you just see me in the perfect non-sexy way friends view one another". You looked down and shook your head "guess I'm not a friend then" and Jongho looked at you "what?". "I think you're hot Jongho, I have for a while" you admitted and Jongho's eyes widened "what?". "I'm attracted to you" you admitted "which is partly why it angered me so much to hear Maisie say that stuff to you and how it affected you. I hated that it made your confidence dip because to me... you're beautiful". Jongho blushed and looked down "I had no idea...". "Yeah well it was something I kept hidden" you admitted "I wasn't going to melt anytime you walked in the room". Jongho smiled "no you're way too cool for that" making you pause and blush. "So you're telling me all this time I could've had a girl like you and I was after Maisie?" Jongho asked. You paused "I guess" and he shook his head "wow now I'm really glad she rejected me because nobodies better than you". You blushed "wait so you...". "I like you too" Jongho admitted shooting you one of his beautiful smiles "you've always showered me with care and love and I want to do the same with you. I think I can make you happy" he said placing a hand on your face making you blush even more. "I think you can too" you admitted and you both leaned forwards at once. "Hey has anyone seen Jongho?" Seonghwa asked the group assembled before him "he's not in his room". "He went after Y/n like an hour ago, is he not back yet?" Siyeon asked. "No, I hope he's okay" Yunho sighed when Sua started laughing. "What's so funny?" Hongjoong asked and the girl turned around smiling. "Neither of them got very far, look" Sua said stepping away from the window and they all rushed forwards...to see the two of you wrapped up together on the bench. Jongho had an arm around you and you were leaving against his chest. Jongho was leaning his head against yours and the two of you looked so cute. "Finally!" Wooyoung cheered and all the members laughed before gasping realising the other group knew all along too. They all began debating which one of you had fallen for the other first but you and Jongho were far away. Wrapped up with each other nothing else in the world mattered because you'd finally found each other. _____ Okay so I heard a rumour something similar to what I described at the start of this story really happened to Jongho. I'm not saying the rumour is true and I changed the idol's name to not accuse her, but the idea alone made me so sad and angry so I created this!

[inchidentally]

every day I’m grateful landoscar fandom can draw the line between fun rpf and reality and that we never attracted the rpf pipeline fans who fully flip reality on its head to … and I’m not joking … think that another driver wasn’t trying to win a race ?? he was trying to be on a podium with Lando ??

the absolute delulululuuuu of ppl choosing to not have heard Carlos’ pissed off radio and then repeating it in his post race that if he had Lando’s “luck” with the SC then he would’ve won it instead of Lando. he literally went “fuck, so he’s won it then” in an angry voice and later on doubling down on Lando’s “luck” with the SC and how if Carlos could’ve had that he’d have gladly taken the win for himself he didn’t gaf about being on the podium with his lil buddy he wanted to win instead of Lando and he said so

and that last year when Lando said he would like Carlos on the podium with him for his first race win he literally said “so I can look down on him for once” he didn’t give a shit about anything but finally beating everyone on that track including Carlos which he’s literally said as well repeatedly he’s literally said he has no friends when racing

like these are brotherly yes but still very competitive digs they’re getting in at each other they’re not even misconstrued as friendly shavdjdbejbd

which makes sense since they call each other brother and cabrón but howwww do you mistake any of that for them giving two fucks about their friendship when they’re both wanting to beat the other at all costs like yknow they should as racing drivers ???

ironic tho bc it was Max and Oscar who stipulated that the SC may have been a bit of a help but that “Lando still had the pace even after that” to win like it’s wild how rpf can make people ignore that Max hates being second and still stuck up for Lando and Oscar had had his entire race completely ruined and still made sure to immediately and repeatedly defend Lando against ppl thinking the SC car gifted him a win

again it’s in reality fully normal and fine that Carlos wanted the win and thinking he should have won and couldn’t stop himself saying that even immediately after praising Lando !! it’s just absolutely wild the mental gymnastics to try and see it any other way

and yea I’m so happy our fandom can appreciate the reality of Oscar and Lando as drivers and not desperately try to larry it into insane rpf fantasy. like. even landoscar fic doesn’t pretend that Oscar and Lando are out on the track at any point thinking gosh I’m gonna remotely lose my competitive edge that’s been honed since I was a child bc I looooooove that guy in the other car like we all fully accept that’s not believable even in fiction ajshsbdjsbd

[nyxxxx-onepieces-dragun]

Aomine Daiki with B, F, K pls i’m begginf…

boba anon 🧋

A/N: Yay! finally a KnB request! *happy noises* ty for requesting this mika aka my boba anon :3 ask and ye shall receive!^^

Aomine Daiki x NSFW Alphabet (afab reader btw)

Body part

His favorite body part of his I think is his hands, he likes how big they look compared to your own and how he can literally just grab your head and play with it like a joystick, his favorite body part of yours? your tits ofc, he also likes how your tits look in his hands, squeezing the pillowy flesh with intense focus, he feels like a kid in a candy shop when he finally gets to hold your boobs hehe

Favorite Position~

His favorite position is mating press, he likes being as deep as possible inside of you bullying his big cock inside of you all while keeping his Characteristic smirk on his face, also likes being in reaching distance of your boobs, and talks you through your 5th orgasm in the meanest most teasing way possible <3

Kink

okay, this is practically two in one but thats not the point, Praise kink+degrading kink= Aomine, he's very very mean in bed but will keep you wanting more with the sweet nothings he whispers into your ear while raw dogging you from behind.

Yay I hoped all of my wonderful Lovelies enjoyed this! it isn't much but I cannot get Ahomine out of my damn head ugh Reblogs and reposts are welcome and much appreciated js credit me! mwah <3

Link to NSFW Alphabet: NSFW Alphabet.

Tag list!: @santsukii @kyokikia

[mssalo]

Hello!! Omg I loved Ma’am, you smashed it!! So well written and genuinely powerful and immersive. Sub!Joel is the one 🥺

I’m being serious when I say that your iteration of Sub!Joel is the best I’ve seen. You really created a whole narrative that felt extremely real, and didn’t take away from the canon character. So, I just wondered if you have any headcanons/your own opinions on Sub!Joel that you thought about while writing? I’d love to hear anything about that!!

I do also sort of want to know if he’d like getting pegged lol

Ty!! Xx

Hello!! Oh my god, thank you so much for your kind words—I'm sooo happy you liked Ma'am! 🥹 Sub!Joel is such a complex and rewarding dynamic to explore, so knowing it resonated with you means the world. It’s amazing to hear that it felt true to Joel’s character while also diving into this more vulnerable, worshipful side of him.

For me, writing Sub!Joel is all about leaning into the parts of his character that are already canon—his need to protect, his intensity, his devotion—and flipping the script on how those qualities manifest when he’s in a safe, trusting dynamic.

Joel’s spent so much of his life carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, making the hard decisions, being the rock for everyone else. That’s his natural instinct, but it’s exhausting.

So when he finally finds someone he can trust—someone steady and confident, who doesn’t need him to take charge—it’s a revelation. He’s never had the luxury of letting someone else handle things, of not having to think for once, and that’s where the submission comes in. It’s not just about the physical dynamic (though, let’s face it, he’s very into it 🥵); it’s about the emotional freedom.

Letting go, letting someone else take care of him, becomes this deeply intimate act that’s just as much about love and trust as it is about desire.

And oh, praise. Joel’s the type who doesn’t expect validation—he’s used to doing the hard work without a thank-you—but the moment he hears “good boy”? It hits like a freight train. It’s not just arousing (though it absolutely is), but it’s also grounding for him. He doesn’t just want to please you—he needs to. Knowing he’s done something to make you proud becomes this powerful motivator, and he’d work himself to the bone to earn it over and over. The idea of you noticing him, appreciating him? That wrecks him in the best way.

As for pegging, I think Joel would absolutely have thought about it before, though he’d keep it locked away for a while. It’s not just the physical act that intrigues him (though, hello, yes, that too); it’s the ultimate act of surrender.

Giving himself to you completely, trusting you to take care of him—that’s what gets him.

He’d wrestle with it at first, not sure how to bring it up or whether you’d even want to, but the moment he realizes you’d approach it with the same confidence and care you do everything else?

He’d go from shy to desperate real fast. And when he sees how much it pleases you? He’s gone. He’d be groaning, begging, whispering filthy things like “Yes, ma’am, whatever you want” until he’s completely at your mercy. It’d be as emotional as it is physical for him, which is what makes it so satisfying to explore.

That’s what I love most about Sub!Joel—his devotion. Joel isn’t the type to do things halfway, and once he trusts someone enough to let go, he’s all in.

He wants to worship you, to give you everything, not just because it’s hot (which, obviously, it is) but because it’s his way of showing love and gratitude. It’s raw, intense, and deeply emotional, which makes every moment feel so powerful and meaningful.

Thank you so much for reaching out and sharing your thoughts—it truly means the world. If there’s anything else you want to talk about—headcanons, dynamics, or just Sub!Joel in general—I’d love to dive in. 🖤

xoxoxo

[devildom-moss]

OH SHIT I FORGOT THEY OPENED YESTERDAY!! If you are keeping them open another day, how about "Jealousy" (SFW) with Lucifer and m!MC? Possibly in the same sort of timeline as the marriage one just so he gets to call him his fiance.

Hope this is to your liking, anon!

1 year anniversary flash request event - SFW

(Lucifer x m!MC)

Prompt 2 - Jealousy

First, you went shopping with Solomon of all silver-haired, shady bastards. Then, you spent your lunch playing games with his brothers. Then, Diavolo had the nerve to pat you on the head for getting your report in ahead of schedule – which was not only uncalled for, but completely self-indulgent and rude when Diavolo knew better than to touch what didn’t belong to him. Now, some lesser demon was approaching you on your walk home – the only time Lucifer had gotten you alone all day – to give you a present, claiming to be a part of the “Demons for Humans: MC Fanclub.” Now, Lucifer wasn’t convinced that such a club didn’t exist, nor was he a stranger to fanclubs or random admirers coming up to him with offerings, but this was you who was getting extra attention, and Lucifer had used up all the tolerance he had to spare.

“You’re just so cool, and I’ve really come to appreciate humans since you came to the Devildom. I wanted to thank you for all of that, so please accept this!” The lesser demon thrusted the present out towards you, bowing his head in embarrassment and respect.

You took the gift from him with a smile. “Thank you. That’s so sweet.”

By then, a dark aura had engulfed Lucifer and all the light had drained from his eyes. When the lesser demon looked up, he noticed and yelped. He was ready to run in the opposite direction when Lucifer placed a firm hand on the lesser demon’s shoulder, careful not to crack the weakling’s bones in your presence. Lucifer cleared his throat before he spoke in a calm tone, laced with homicidal intent, “Yes. Thank you so much for supporting MC. He’s certainly deserving of all that praise. However, I would request that you not make it a habit to give gifts to my fiancé.”

“I-I had no idea you were engaged. Congratulations, sir – Lord Lucifer. I wish you a happy marriage,” the demon replied skittishly.

Appeased by his fear, Lucifer smiled and let go of the lesser demon. “Thank you.”

The demon ran away, quickly disappearing down the nearest busy street. You turned to glare at Lucifer.

“Seriously? He was just being nice.” Your glare didn’t lighten up.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Lucifer huffed.

“What’s up with you?”

“I’ll tell you when we get home, just,” Lucifer grabbed your hand and started down the street towards the House of Lamentation, “don’t look so mad.”

You sighed and waited patiently until Lucifer had dragged you all the way back to his room and finally released your hand. Before you could open your mouth, Lucifer spoke up, “Can you sit down on the bed for a minute?”

Annoyed, you sat down at the edge of the bed. “Okay, now are you going to tell me what your problem is?”

Lucifer wormed his way onto your lap, surprising you as he adjusted himself until he was practically curled up against your chest. You were too stunned by the sudden soft gesture that your annoyance began to melt. Despite being such a large demon, Lucifer tucked his head under your chin. With that, any anger you held onto disappeared, and you held him tight, stroking his soft hair with one hand.

“You’re my fiancé,” Lucifer mumbled just above a whisper.

“I am. And you’re mine. You don’t see me terrifying your fans.”

“I don’t have to explain why that happened.” You could tell from his tone that he was pouting.

“I know, but I’d like you to. For your soon-to-be husband?” You cooed and kissed the top of his head.

“I got jealous. I get mad that I have to share you, and the first time I get you alone all day, that random demon. . .” Lucifer huffed. “I’m sorry.”

“You know, if you need attention, you can just ask. Even if it’s embarrassing, ask and you shall receive, my sweet, angry, jealous baby boy.”

“Then can you keep holding me for a while?” Lucifer wrapped his arms around you and clung to your body.

“Oh? Did you think you had the option to leave? Not happening. I have you in my arms, and I’m not letting you go.”

A/N: requests are still open for the rest of today if anyone else wants to enter. (rules here) I probably won't get to all of the SFW requests, but I may be able to finish them up tomorrow or the day after.

[rqccho]

Summary: Youre aimlessly wandering around on one of the main streets of Bridon and admiring the sky, until a stranger tackles you to the ground. The two of you then spend some time together, getting to know more about each other.

Pairing: Xia Fei x they/them reader (i tried to make it as gender neutral as possible)

a/n: ive never written an x reader fanfic before so i apologize if its lacking in any way! i also hope i didnt mischaracterise xia fei too much ^^

Sidenote: i dont really know how to rate this but there isnt (and there wont be) any sort of smut!

Timeline: This fic takes place before the events of bridon arc !!

Word count: 3,177

(ill continue it next week if i have time!!)

Renting Shell

What are looks good for? You'd think everyone would be happy to be naturally born with good looks, that they'd enjoy the constant compliments and praise they receive. Well, unfortunately not everyone is like that.

Low and behold!! The most famous modeling agency had just renewed their contract with one of, if not the best models they had ever hired! Felix, a young man with a slim build and a bold yet soft appearance, messy split dyed hair paired with sweet tangerine coloured eyes and the fairest skin you'll ever see, is someone who is always perfect in front of the camera. His charismatic facial expressions and body language make you think that he was born to be photographed.

There isn’t a single person that doesn’t appreciate his looks and he’s an idol to quite a big amount of people. Some people look up to him and feel inspired, others envy his success. But despite all of this surface level admiration, does anyone ever wonder what lies underneath that? What kind of person he really is outside of the expectations that have been built up around him.

The weather that day wasn’t exactly favourable, the sky was covered in low hanging grey clouds, almost swollen which looked like they were about to burst at any moment, yet despite their ominous presence, they held their burden.

“I wonder if it’s going to rain” I think to myself while looking up at the sky, not realizing the traffic light displayed red and a car was only centimeters away from me.

“Hey– move back–!”

A panicked voice called out to me, but before I could react, I felt someone pushing you down.

“Agh, what the–?!” I said it subconsciously.

“Are you hurt?!” A blonde man asks in an overly concerned tone.

The stranger looked me straight in the eyes, I think. I couldn’t make out his face at all since he was wearing a black mask and funnily enough, rose tinted glasses. What I *could* make out was his spiky yet messy split dyed hair.

“Hellooooo? Did the car hit you?! Did i injure you from the fall?!” He asked in a worried tone.

“Ah..i’m fine…i think? What happened..?” I scratch the top of my head with my left hand.

“ ”What happened”?! You weren’t paying attention to the traffic lights at all! You were seriously about to get hit y’know!” He sighs.

“I…was?” I paused. Hold on, he was right. I were just staring at the sky while being lost in my own thoughts. If it wasn’t for this guy I could’ve gotten hit.

“Yes you were!!! Honestly, if i was even a second late you’d be laying on the floor in a pool of blood right now. Im asking you this again, are you sure you're not injured anywhere?”

I finally came back to my senses.

“Ah– Yes i’m fine!!! But that’s all thanks to you though.” I fidget my fingers before i talk again. “How can i repay you!!” How silly, I feel slightly embarrassed. Everyone was looking at us.

“Repay me? There’s no need for that! I’m just glad you aren’t hurt!” After he said that he scratched his neck awkwardly with his right hand. However, an open wound was seemingly visible.

“Your hand..you injured it because of me!!” I didn’t even think and before I knew it, I grabbed his wrist and pulled his sleeve a little higher, making the wound more visible.

“Y-you–” The blonde man stutters.

“Look at this!! You scraped it against the pavement when we fell! Ah…i’m genuinely so sorry..if only i had been paying attention to my surroundings..”

“N-no, stop. It was my decision that led to this but…shit, what’s my boss gonna say…how will the others react..” The stranger muttered.

I stopped for a second. Now that I got a good look at him, he did look a little out of the ordinary. A mask and glasses? Quite the odd choice of accessories..

Nevertheless, I have to admit I was a little bit curious. Boss? How will the others react? Just what did he mean by that?

“Boss? Others?” I asked.

“Hm? Ah. I just don’t know how we will be able to cover this injury up, or if it’ll heal fast enough before my next….” He stopped. It also seemed like he did not want to finish that sentence.

“Hey, let’s go to the pharmacy. There happens to be one nearby and i heard there’s a new ointment out on the market…it could be worth a try.” I smile gently.

The stranger tilts his head to the side a little. Although I was unable to figure out what kind of expression he was making, I got the feeling he was hesitant. And honestly, rightfully so. After all, he doesn’t even know who I am nor do I know who he is. The two of us just happened to meet because I was deep in my own thoughts.

“I just..want to repay you somehow. I know this isn’t on the same level as what you did for me, but i want to at least be of help!” I stated in an energetic tone

“Alright fine. You convinced me” The stranger sighed. “Lead the way.”

And thus we started walking towards the pharmacy together. Surprisingly, the air no longer seemed as thick as it once was. Of course, the feeling was still there, but it wasn’t as prominent as before. Maybe I was meant to meet this man that was walking beside me, maybe it was fate!!

….On second thought, that would be crazy. I’m not delusional enough to actually believe that. Though he does seem friendly, and he did just save my life. Who knows, maybe this won’t be the only time I’ll interact with him. I are still relatively curious about the mask though.

“Hey look! We’re here!” I exclaimed. “Do you want to go in with me or just wait outside?”

“I’ll need to call my boss so you can go in ahead… i’ll just wait outside.”

His tone seemed somewhat different than before. Maybe this small injury was a big problem for him. Does he work in a restaurant..? Ah. I’m getting lost in my own thoughts again. Alright! I just need to get this ointment really quick…

*Several minutes passed*

“Hey stranger with light hair!!! I bought the ointment!!” I shouted. After a few seconds with no reply, I looked around and saw the man sitting on a nearby bench, looking a little gloomy.

I walk up to him, and that’s when I realize: *his sunglasses and mask were off!!* I gently pat him on the shoulder to let him know I’m done. Surprisingly, the man looked up at me with teary eyes. What happened? Was the call with his boss that serious? Moreover, was this injury really that big of a deal?

“He’s so mad.” The man started talking.

“Your boss?” I ask while I sit down beside him on the bench.

“Yeah…He told me to take the day off and think about my actions…” He buried his face in his palms.

He looked a little…pathetic. That phrase is usually what parents tell their kids, but to tell a grown man that…I’ll admit though, it is a tiny bit funny to see him react like this.

“Do you work in a restaurant, or a cafe maybe? Are you like a chef or…barista?” I tilt my head to the side with a curious expression on my face. “Why would your boss care this much about a small injury?”

The stranger then paused. He looked at me with a very surprised expression. “You..don’t know who i am?”

“Am i supposed to?” I ask, and the two of us make eye contact.

“No!! It’s okay. I’m no one, really.” His lips slowly curled into a smile. “And you’re kind of right! I do have a part time job as a waiter” He was no longer teary eyed, rather happy but also awkward.

“I see!! If the customers saw that injury they would ask about it, and i bet that its tiring to hear the same question over and over, no?” I ask as I open the packaging of the ointment.

“Yeah!! You get it!” He exclaimed.

This guy…looked just like a puppy!

“Give me your hand. I’ll apply it for you.” I say as I offer a smile.

The man then extended his hand and placed it in mine. I was gently applying the ointment on his wound and he let out a little ‘ouch!’....that sort of thing. I can’t blame him though, it probably stings like hell even if the wound wasn’t deep at all. I did get a weird vibe from him. He’s so…expressive? Earlier he literally cried and a second after he got all giddy when I said I don’t know him. Just who is this guy..?

“Hey, what’s your name?” The man asked you in a happy tone.

“My name? It’s y/n. What’s yours?” I reply back.

“Xia fei!” He smiled.

His smile looked so genuine, it made me want to smile too. I’m also very curious about him. Xia fei seems like an interesting person and he’s making me want to know more about him by the second. How could his boss be mean to someone this kind. Like, c’mon. Not just anyone would jump in front of a car to save someone they don’t even know.

*A while later*

We ended up chatting for a whole hour. Surprisingly, that tiny wound of his caused him to get a day off work. Are the rules of that restaurant really that harsh? I never knew people wouldn’t be allowed to work because of something like that.

*Agh, seriously this sucks!! I only had work scheduled for today and now I’m completely out of options.” Xia fei then scratched his head out of frustration. He had meticulously planned his entire schedule for this week, well, his boss did.

It was almost as if a light bulb lit up on top of his head, he was basically sparkling. The blonde then stood up quickly, typed something on his phone, and then extended it to me. It was…the café near my university!!

“Have you ever been here? What do you say, wanna accompany me?” He smiled brightly. It was almost impossible to resist such an innocent looking face. Honestly, how does this guy do it? I’ve barely known him for two hours and I already feel drawn to him. His aura is basically screaming “please stay with me!!” vibes.

“This café…yeah! I go there all the time!” I smiled back and clumsily put the ointment back in the package, and as soon as I am about to put it in the bag, it slips out of my hands.

“Pfft. Here, let me help you with that” Xia fei giggled.

He leans down, grabs the ointment and….it slips out of his hand as well.

It was so hard for me to stop myself from laughing. I’m sure he just wanted to make a good impression, but thats….simply hilarious. I didn’t even realise that I was too focused on trying not to laugh, that I had completely forgotten to say something. I just….ended up staring at him.

“….Ahem.” The man then stands up, places the ointment in the bag this time, and then turns around.

For a second I thought I had made him uncomfortable because I was staring for too long but when i looked more closely, *his ears were bright red!!* Oh my gosh, now he really does remind me of a puppy. I can’t get the image out of my head!! Like, just imagine a golden retriever with this guy’s face…I feel like that would look both uncanny and cute in a way.

I quickly get up, grab the bag next to me and tap Xia fei’s shoulder. He was a little startled but that’s to be expected after what just happened. I’m pretty sure that he’s feeling embarrassed right about now.

“C’mon, let’s go!! The day is almost over y’know!” I enthusiastically say with a grin on my face. This was my attempt at helping him feel less embarrassed.

“Y-yeah…it’s almost 8 pm.” The blonde agreed.

We then walk all the way to the cafe.

After a good 30 minutes we finally sat down at a more concealed (idk if this is the right word) table. It was located more towards the back of the cafe, away from any windows. We weren’t the only customers there, but there certainly weren’t many people around us either. I felt a little silly, sitting here next to a man i’ve only met hours ago. Though, we somehow clicked. I don’t know if it was because he literally saved my life, or if he’s just that likeable, Or….am I the likeable one? Agh, whatever!! I just feel a little silly, no need to fixate on such details.

I’ll have to admit though, I felt weirdly comfortable around him. As soon as I said i dont know who he is, it was almost as if his personality did a 180. Well, not completely. With the way he called out to me in such a concerned matter he didn’t feel like a nonchalant guy, but he was still way colder than he is now….which is to be expected, we are strangers after all.

Xia fei was carefully examining the menu. On our way here, he told me about how he wanted to try out something new for a change. He said he usually gets a cappuccino, and the new mocha they had, stuck out to him. I’m pretty sure he will get that, so i don’t quite understand why he’s still looking at that menu for so long, but maybe he’s getting something else in the end. Honestly, who am I to judge?

“Hey, y/n. What are you getting?” The blonde man asks me with a curious expression on his face.

“Hmmm, well. I was thinking about getting the matcha latte since it’s so late and it barely has any caffeine.” I say as i point to the photo on the menu.

“Ohhh!! I got that once. It was pretty good from what i can remember!” Xia fei smiles, pauses for a minute and then sighs.

“I need something that has enough caffeine to keep me up tonight..I still didn’t finish the assignment that’s due tomorrow..” He then placed his palms on his head.

“Assignment? What’s it about?” I ask, intrigued as to what he had to say.

“Nothing much, just, physics and stuff. It’s not hard at all, but with the part time jobs taking up most of my time now, I just haven’t had the time to do it. Now I need to pull an all nighter and leave my house at 6 am for my morning run…” He says as he rubs his eyes seemingly tired.

“Woah there!! An all nighter?? And then leave the house at 6 am?? Have you even had time to rest?” I ask in a concerned tone.

“Ehhh, not really. Oh, but it’s completely fine!! Don’t worry, I’m used to this. Seriously.” Xia fei then gave me a weak smile.

“You know, rest is really important…” The smile on my face from earlier was now gone. I had a very worried look on my face.

“Yup, I know! Which is why I will be rewarding myself tomorrow after classes, I promise!” The man then literally gave me a thumbs up, but that smile…it didn’t look like a genuine one.

“Alright, alright. If you say so then I’ll believe you.” I tilted my head to the right and faintly smiled.

Two hours pass by and we talked about so many things. I found out more about this guy, and he genuinely seemed like a good person. His expressions and gestures were genuine, i think, except for that bit. It seems like he doesn’t really prioritize himself. He also mentioned multiple part time jobs…gosh, I can’t even imagine how exhausted he must be. But still, to have so many…he must really need the money. Maybe one day I’ll find out more about that.

I also noticed something quite strange. He seemed to be avoiding people, or being in public in general. When i mentioned taking the bus to the cafe he gave me a strange look paired with that fake smile of his. And also we sat at such a reserved table in the back, far from any windows. Could he just have social anxiety? No, that can’t be right. He’s literally the one who approached me, and put himself in the “spotlight” when he saved me. Everyone was staring at us, but he felt somehow…used to it? What a strange yet mysterious man..

Before we left the cafe, we exchanged contact infos and then we parted ways. Apparently, he lives in a dorm which is further to the university. I heard that dorm is known for its cheap prices.

When i got back to my own dorm, I noticed that my roommate was nowhere to be seen. Sigh, maybe they were out again. They really do love to party even if we have classes tomorrow. Oh well, let them do their thing.

I quickly made something to eat, took a relaxing shower, and then changed into pyjamas and plopped down onto my bed. Today was so hectic, I didn’t even realize how tired i really was. I closed my eyes for a while, and then, ding! . Agh, who could it be at this hour? I unlocked my phone and saw two messages from the guy I met today.

“Thank u for today, I had fun!

Lets meet again when we both have time ^^ “ -xf

What the hell, that’s so cute. People don’t usually thank me for hanging out with them. This is a first.

“I had fun too! we should totally meet up again sometime!

Also, please do try to finish that assignment quickly and then sleep for at least an hour :c “ -me

I started to drift back to sleep, but then i heard another notification.

“Pfft, ill try my best” -xf

“im counting on you!!! seriously, youre going to die if you dont get any sleep” -me

“Yeah yeah. My boss says the exact same thing yet he still adds more and more work on my schedule

Blame him, not me” -xf

“still, you need to take it easy once in a while.” -me

“Im aware.

Speaking of sleeping, dont u need to do just that? Its already 12 am” -xf

“I was about to, but then i got a message” -me

“Aghhh, Im so sorry about that.

I shouldve just texted you in the morning” -xf

“hey, no worries!

but im really going to bed now..

goodnight!! “ -me

“Sleep well ^^” -xf

I then put my phone on silent, and slowly drifted to the land of the dreams. Before falling asleep though, the events of today kept replaying in my mind. I still can’t believe that I was about to die like that if it wasn’t for him. I’ll need to properly thank him sometime, but for now, maybe we can become friends…

[part-time-zombie]

Favorite Child

pairings: prinxiety

summary: roman starts getting the feeling that the other sides don't value his ideas anymore, and when he sees them favoring remus over him he fears the worst and assumes he's been replaced.

tags/warnings: hurt/comfort, angst, angst with a happy ending, abandonment issues, patton logan and janus are kind of unsympathetic in this one, remus is just happy to be here lol

word count: 5668

Roman loved his brother. Really, he did. Even though they didn’t really have anything in common and Remus always found a way to make trouble and usually hurt him in the process, he still cared about him because deep down, they were family.

It didn’t mean he had to be happy about Remus replacing him.

Ever since Patton had realized how strict had was being on Thomas, he had worked on unlearning some of his more hurtful ideals, starting with the idea of some sides being “bad”. Janus and Remus were showing up a lot more lately, and while it wasn’t exactly easy to get along with them most of the time, Roman tried to at least be civil. That’s what Patton wanted, and if Roman cooperated then maybe things would work out.

At least that’s what he told himself.

He knew the damage was already done, though. He was rude to Virgil and a bully to Logan even after everyone told him to stop. He trusted Janus when everyone told him not to and shunned him once everyone decided he was reliable. No matter what he did or what he said, it always seemed to be the wrong thing.

He still tried, though. Every day he worked harder to be better, to do more, both for Thomas and for the other sides. Sometimes the others noticed, but most of the time they didn’t. Lately it was almost like whatever he did would only make things worse instead.

At least he could still live up to his function, though. He was pride and passion and above all, creativity. Thomas would still need him for videos, if nothing else. He just had to prove it with a show-stopping idea for this next project and they’d appreciate him again.

After several sleepless nights of brainstorming and revision, Roman had come up with a perfect video idea, one that was bound to restore his usefulness and his importance to the group. It was inventive, entertaining, and best of all original enough to garner plenty of praise, both from the sides and from the viewers that would no doubt love the video. He had been up all night and was desperate for some proper sleep, but that could wait. He was ready to share this with them first. He’d show them the work he’s done, and they’d be so impressed by what he had accomplished that they’d likely congratulate his work for the rest of the week. An armful of papers in hand, Roman descended the stairs with a triumphant smile on his face, ready to share his plans with the others.

Only to see Patton too busy making breakfast with Remus to even look at him.

Remus at least noticed him, waving him over to the kitchen with an eager grin. Patton finally glanced up in response and gave Roman a cheery smile.

“Hey there, kiddo! You’re up early today.”

Technically he was up late, seeing as he hadn’t slept yet, but he wasn’t about to point that out. He strolled over to them, letting his enthusiasm for his work take over.

“Yes, well, I was just too excited to share this new video idea with everyone,” he explained, gesturing to the stack of notes in his hands. “I think it’s some of my finest work.”

"Sounds neat, I’m sure Logan will be happy to read it after breakfast,” Patton replied.

“Speaking of, what will we be having this morning anyway?”

Remus gave him a devilish smile from where he stood by the stove. “The unborn.”

Patton's smile faltered for a moment, as did Roman's appetite.

“He means eggs,” he explained with a slightly forced chuckle before brightening again. “Scrambled, in this case. Hey, did you know he’s actually a pretty good cook?”

There were many things Roman knew Remus as. Violent, demented, mischievous, gross and even a little scary sometimes. A cook, let alone a good one? Absolutely not.

“I thought he was only really capable of burning water,” Roman joked.

Remus gave him a look over Patton's shoulder.

“He’s honestly been pretty helpful in the kitchen this morning,” Patton began. “Turns out he knows a lot about what tastes bad or what’s unsafe to make. It’s been pretty eye opening for me. Plus, we’ve just been having a blast hanging out together. He beats me to the punchline with almost every joke I’ve told him!”

Roman felt something stirring around in his insides. Patton actually liked hanging out with Remus? More than him? It couldn’t be right, something had to be going on.

Remus whispered something to Patton, who reacted with barely contained laughter.

"What’s so funny?”

"Oh, it’s nothing, you wouldn’t really get it.” Patton replied, still chuckling.

Were they making inside jokes now? Ones that looked to be at his expense no less?

Logan came downstairs before Roman could interrogate further, silently walking past him and preparing himself a pot of coffee without even raising an eyebrow at the sight of Remus and Patton teaming up over an open stove. Almost like this was normal to him.

Patton finished the last of the eggs as he started a conversation with Logan, neither of them even looking over at Roman.

“See? Patton likes my food,” Remus said, leaning over the counter with a victorious grin on his face. “And at least I’m laughing at his puns, unlike some folks around here. One would almost say we’re becoming friends now, how neat it that?”

That’s not exactly the word Roman would use. “What is your scheme here, exactly?”

Remus dropped his smile in an instant. “No scheme, just two buds having a grand old time together. You got a problem with that?”

"What’s he got a problem with now?” Janus groaned, lazily slinking his way into the kitchen and joining Logan in line for coffee.

“Whatever it is, I want no part in it,” Logan answered, not looking up from the pot.

Remus barked out a laugh at that before returning to Patton's side, dutifully helping him in setting up the table. In all honesty, the food looked decent. Well, it looked that way. Who knows how it would taste, or what Remus would have put in it even with Patton's supervision. The others didn’t seem to notice or care, already commenting on the pleasant smell and taking their seats, with Remus smiling as he joined them.

“Aren’t you gonna join us, kiddo?” Patton asked, already digging into his eggs.

“And risk food poisoning from Remus’ cooking? I don’t think so,” he replied. How could everyone else be so nonchalant about this? Remus could have done something to the food or tampered with it in some other way. Why did no one seem to really care, or even mind that he was sitting there with them at all? Had they all accepted him already?

“There’s no need to be rude,” Logan chided. “It’s not like we can get sick, anyway.”

“How about injured,” Roman corrected. “Need I remind you of the countless injuries he’s given me over the years?”

"Oh right, thanks for reminding me,” Janus snarked. “It’s not like I don’t smile to myself at the memories every day.”

Logan snickered in response, feebly hiding it behind another bite of food. What’s so funny about his misfortune? Surely Logan doesn’t hate him that badly, right?

"Now, Janus, be nice,” Patton scolded. Well, scolded was a rather severe word for verbally slapping him on the wrist with a feather. Janus only rolled his eyes.

“Anyway, do you want to take a seat regardless, Roman? Or would you rather continue to lurk there while the rest of us eat?” Logan asked.

Right. Roman had been standing there by the counter for a while now, still holding his gaggle of notes no less. Well, no better time than the present, he supposed.

“Actually, I was hoping you’d look this over real quick, if you don’t mind,” he started, moving to stand beside Logan. He set the stack of notes on the table with a resounding thud, beaming with pride at the level of work he had put into his idea.

No one else seemed to share his enthusiasm. Janus looked at the pages in disgust, while Patton and Remus strained to reach for more food over the mountain of paper. Logan looked like he wished he was drinking wine instead of coffee.

“I’ve put a lot of work behind it, I think it’ll be one of my best ideas yet,” he added, trying his best to win the others over.

“Roman, as much as I appreciate your commitment to this project, I don’t think you need to worry about it that much,” Logan offered. “In all honesty, these notes look like a mess, and it’ll take us all far too long to make any sense of them.”

Roman felt like he had been punched in the chest. He didn’t like it? How could he not like it, he hadn’t even tried to read it yet. “But I… it’s not… I spent a lot of time on it, you couldn’t at least just look at it?”

“Why don’t you try to get all of this organized first, and then I’ll see what I think about it later.” Logan gave him an almost sympathetic look, one only made ironic considering how coldly he had turned Roman down. “You should join us for some breakfast first, though. I’d rather you work on a full stomach then let you go the whole day without eating.”

Roman could only shake his head before recollecting his notes, his heart pounding in his ears. “It’s okay, I need to get this worked out. Don’t worry about it.”

He passed Virgil by the stairs, hardly registering the odd look he gave him. He ought to warn Virgil about who made the food, but by the time the thought had come to him, he had already fully made it back up the stairs. He only hoped it didn’t make Virgil too sick. Then again, everyone else seemed to like it. In fact, they were all almost happier around Remus than Roman. Had he done something wrong? Were they just messing with him? That had to be it. Why else would Patton choose to spend that much time around Remus.

It’s not like they all liked him better, right?

Noon came and went before Roman returned downstairs. He had spent the last several hours revising and significantly downsizing his paperwork, securing what was left in a single three ring binder with organized notes and an easy-to-read format. Surely this would satisfy Logan's standards, even if most of the passion he had built it on had been taken out in the name of structure and peer approval.

Plastering a confident grin on his face that only mostly masked the blows to his ego he had endured earlier, Roman made his way to the living room once more to talk shop.

Logan was chatting with Janus over a bottle of wine and some paperwork, too preoccupied to notice him. Roman loudly cleared his throat, forcing them to bring their chat to a halt as they looked at him with matching scowls.

"Must you?” Logan groaned.

“But it’s important.”

“How can it be important when it’s coming from you?” Janus muttered, much to Logan's amusement. Roman tried to ignore him.

"I just wanted to let you know that I finished revising my work from earlier, and if you’re ready to talk it over with me I’d love to work on next steps.”

Logan blinked, a neutral expression on his face. “Ah. What might those next steps be, since you’re so prepared for this?”

Roman felt his smile start to slip. He can’t already be losing the battle. “Well, we could get a schedule mapped out or at least get everyone else’s approval on this next video. If things go smoothly, we could have this out before the end of the week!”

Logan nodded, lost in thought. “I see. The thing is, Roman, we had already talked about video ideas while you were absent.”

Roman painfully tightened his grip on the binder. “You did? When? With who?”

"Over breakfast. Remus gave us some interesting ideas and I think we plan on going with his for this next video. If you had decided to stick around instead of leaving, you could have been a part of the discussion and added your own points.”

“I must say, it was a relief not to have you there, though,” Janus added.

Roman couldn’t believe this. Logan had told him to tidy up his notes before he would look at them, and now it’s his fault he wasn’t there when they all decided to talk about work without him? How was that fair? How was any of this fair at all?

“And everyone’s in favor of his idea?”

“It’s in need of some work, and we’ll have to plan out the finer details, but I do think it’ll be a successful video. At the very least, it’ll be something new to try out.” Logan added.

Something new. That’s what they were looking for? An original idea? Roman had dedicated his time to nothing else, and they don’t even want it from him?

“But what about my idea?”

“I’m sure it’s good, but- “

“You can’t say that when you haven’t even looked at it,” he snapped. “You said you’d read it, but you jumped on Remus’ idea without hesitating. I worked so hard on this, and you want nothing to do with it. What’s so special about his ideas that make them better?”

“Roman, please,” Logan said, fixing him a stern glare. “Remus is just as much a part of Thomas’ creativity as you are. It would be foolish to not include him in discussions about ideas. We can’t only rely on you for everything Thomas comes up with, now, can we?”

Janus failed to hide his smirk behind his wine glass, and Roman almost went over to him and gave him another bitch slap. Almost.

“I’ll look at your ideas later Roman, alright? Let me just figure out the logistics of Remus’ first.” Logan said with a sigh, already returning his attention to his notebook.

Janus gave him a knowing look. Liar.

Roman threw the binder on the coffee table with a huff before storming back upstairs, not even bothering to hide his annoyance. So what if Logan liked Remus’ idea better? It didn’t have to mean anything. It was a fluke, a one-time incident. This wasn’t going to be a new norm. It just wasn’t. Roman hadn’t failed yet, he can’t afford to.

It was late into the evening by the time Roman felt like he could leave his room again. Dinner already came and went, but he hadn’t bothered to join them. Odds are Remus had a hand (or tentacle) in preparing it just like he did breakfast. While the thought made his stomach turn, he was still hungry, and hopefully there would still be something salvageable for him to scavenge from the fridge for a late snack.

Roman descended the stairs quietly, no longer caring to put up anymore false bravado after the day he’s had. His lack of a boisterous entrance meant the two sides still in the living room had yet to notice him. Then again, it seemed Virgil and Remus were far too engrossed in their video game to notice anything right now, both of them staring determinedly at the screen as they sat cross-legged on the floor, controllers clenched tightly in intense death grips from the both of them.

Curious, Roman took a moment to watch what they were playing. It seemed to be some intense horror game, and despite the frightening monster they were trying to outrun, they both looked thrilled by the experience.

Virgil finally saw Roman standing rather awkwardly by the stairs and jumped in surprise. The screen flashed red with a banner of defeat as the character he was playing died, and Remus let out a riotous laugh at the whole ordeal.

“Geez, Roman, way to give a guy a heart attack,” Virgil chided, one hand clutching his chest. “And thanks for making me die, I was just about to beat that round!”

“No you weren’t, you’ve been eating shit for like an hour now,” Remus teased.

“Yeah, well I don’t see you getting any farther in this game yourself.”

Roman watched as they exchanged this bout of banter. Virgil was… having fun with Remus? Last he remembered, they didn’t exactly get along very well, didn’t they?

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Roman started, still catching himself up to speed. “It looks like you’re having fun at least. Would I be able to join the next one?”

Virgil averted his eyes for a moment, almost looking guilty. “I mean, maybe, but I don’t think you’d like it, and Remus and I were planning on playing until we at least managed to beat this stage. We could do something later though, if you want.”

Right, later. Logan said he’d come back to him later too, and he never did.

"That’s alright, I’m sure you’d rather get back to your game. I’ll just grab myself something to eat and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

"Right, speaking of, what’s with you skipping meals all of a sudden? Too good to eat with us now?” Virgil asked, an inquisitive spark in his eye.

"No, I just didn’t feel like eating what had been made today.”

"Yeah, but you like eggs last I checked, and you weren’t here at all for dinner. How could you know you wouldn’t want it if you didn’t even show up?”

Roman tried not to let himself sound too defensive. “Well, can you blame me? I have no idea what passes for cooking in Remus’ book!”

"Hey now, All-Star,” Remus said, a hurt look on his face. “I’ve behaved myself all day, and everyone else helped with the food too! I didn’t do anything that was too ‘me’ believe it or not, and I even helped out with the next video!”

Roman felt his insides turn to ice. “You what?”

Remus’ face lit up with glee. “You’re goddamn right!” he said with a wide smile. “I came up with a few ideas earlier and Logan said he’d use them in the next video! I get to help with the creative process now, isn’t that awesome?”

Logan still picked Remus’ idea over his? He’d worked so hard on his plans, organizing and reworking so it would be worth Logan's time, and he didn’t even like it?

His eyes fell over to the coffee table, where his precious binder sat untouched and forgotten, a now cooling cup of tea resting atop it as if it were nothing more than a coaster. Of course Logan didn’t like it. He didn’t even read it.

So just like that he was rejected? Removed? All it took was one day for everyone to move on from him and favor the rest of creativity instead?

Remus’ voice cut through his thoughts. “You don’t have to look like the world is ending, bro. I’m finally being included in stuff, you oughta be happy for me at least a little!”

Roman blinked, coming back to himself a little. Virgil and Remus were staring back at him from their spots on the floor, the former looking slightly more concerned than the latter, who was currently rocking back and forth in excitement.

“I am happy for you,” he said, desperately trying to bury the tremble in his voice behind a smile that Remus seemed to appreciate. “This is big for you, and you deserve to celebrate it. I hope the video turns out well, do let me know when it gets posted.”

Roman headed back to his room before the situation could sour any further, all hunger and hope long forgotten. It was over. He had officially been replaced.

Roman shut the door behind himself before collapsing into his bed, too numb to hold himself upright. He knew he was being childish, and that all he was really doing was throwing a tantrum for no real reason, but he couldn’t help it. All his life he’s been valued, if not for his personality than at least for his function. He was a major part of Thomas’ life, acting as passion, pride, and creativity all at once. Even if he wasn’t a fan favorite anymore, he was still important enough to garner some level of appreciation. Maybe not now.

He was no idiot. He knew what the other sides thought of him. He was dramatic and obnoxious and self-centered; anyone could see it. A part of him had hoped they at least respected his role enough to forgive him for his mistakes, ones he’s worked on fixing. He thought that maybe he’d still have a part to play, that he’d be useful if not loved.

Guess he was wrong.

The second there was another source of creativity, they all jumped at the chance to choose it over Roman. All it took was one day, one off day for him, and he had already been completely replaced by his brother. At least the others were efficient.

He should congratulate Remus, really. After so long in the shadows, he finally got a chance to be listened to and involved in things, and Roman knows how much he wanted that. In truth, he was very happy for him, and will probably plan something to celebrate his acceptance and inclusion into the group; after all, he’s no spoilsport.

Then again, would anyone even want that from him? If he did plan a party, one dedicated solely to welcoming this new shift in dynamics, would it be something they’d even consider worthwhile? It wouldn’t have been about himself at all, so that would have to count for something. As Roman thought about it though, it probably wouldn’t count for very much. His ideas were overlooked without a second glance, even when they were only about work. What makes him think that something done for fun would earn any respect?

Remus took his place and he can’t even show the others he’s fine with it.

He should have seen this coming, honestly. With how much Patton was willing to welcome the dark sides into the family and the litany of mistakes Roman had made lately, most of which were directly to the detriment of the others, it would only make sense that everyone would want to get rid of him as soon as they had the chance. He wasn’t doing anyone any good anyway. Not even Thomas. Maybe it would be for everyone’s benefit if he just stopped butting in on things, if he let Remus take his seat at the table. Everyone seems to like him far more nowadays; they’d probably appreciate him being the new creativity.

It doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt Roman to think about.

No more late-night brainstorming sessions with Logan, no more baking with Patton, no more video games with Virgil. They didn’t want him hanging around, and as much as it hurt, he still loved them all enough to respect their wishes. If they didn’t want him rigging the votes at movie nights, or even showing up to them at all, then who was he to argue?

He had it coming, really. He took them all for granted, and it’s only fair he reaps what he sowed. He only hoped Remus would be kinder to them than he was.

Roman didn’t know when he had dozed off, but the last thing he expected to wake up to was the sound of someone knocking at his door.

“Princey? You up?”

Roman didn’t know how to respond. Sure, he was awake, but he didn’t really want to be. Not if Virgil was coming in to remind him of his new place outside of the family.

The door opened slowly as Virgil peeked his head into the room, eyes finding his own in an instant. Roman sighed before turning on his side, his back to the door and to Virgil. He didn’t want to deal with this, not right now.

“You doing alright?”

How the hell was he supposed to reply to that one? Firstly, it ought to be obvious just by seeing him that he was more miserable and pathetic than a kicked puppy, and secondly, it would be nothing but selfish and rude for him to bitch and moan about how much it sucks that he’s not the favorite child anymore.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Hell no. If he started talking about this right now, he’d never stop. Not until he said the wrong thing and sealed his fate and guaranteed that no one would want anything to do with him for the rest of his life. As if that’s not already the case.

He heard Virgil let out a sigh, followed by the soft click of the door closing again, and Roman felt an unpleasant mix of relief and regret. Sure, he ought to be alone, but being lonely and knowing that this would be his fate forever? Anyone would want to hold onto a rare chance of company. He wouldn’t want to do that to Virgil, though. He wasn’t about to force him to stay if he doesn’t want to. Still, a part of himself ached knowing that this would likely be his last interaction with someone, and he didn’t even say a word or look at-

The bed dipped as Virgil sat down next to him, not quite touching but close enough for Roman to feel his presence. Close enough for him to tell that he wasn’t dreaming yet.

"If you want me to go I can, but something tells me you probably shouldn’t be alone like this,” he said, his voice a soothing melody for Roman to hold onto.

“Look, I didn’t mean to just brush you off like that earlier, okay? Remus really wanted to play that game with me, and I guess I got a little too wrapped into it and- “

“I’m not mad,” Roman interrupted, surprising himself with how watery and choked his voice sounded. God, he needed to get a grip. “You were having fun.”

"... okay, but even if you aren’t mad, you’re definitely upset. I get it if you don’t wanna talk about it, but you shouldn’t be suffering like this in your room all day either. I’m not the best at this sorta thing, but I can get Patton if you want.”

“No.”

Honestly, the last thing Roman wanted was for anyone else to see him like this, especially if that someone was Patton. He wanted to help Remus get accepted, he didn’t need to deal with Roman throwing a hissy fit over it.

Virgil was quiet for a moment, and Roman could only imagine the look on his face as he tried to think of what to do or say next.

“… is it about him?” he eventually asked.

Roman shook his head no, as best as he could when half his face was pressed against a pillow. It really wasn’t about Patton or Logan or even Remus. Roman just needed to grow up and get over it. This was his fault, and ultimately his problem to deal with.

“It’s nothing,” he muttered, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. He hoped Virgil didn’t notice. He wouldn’t be able to handle it if he did. “It’s stupid.”

“Not if it’s got you this bent out of shape,” Virgil replied. “If it’s about the whole video thing, I’m sure your idea was a good one. Logan’s bound to use it for the next one.”

No he wasn’t. Not when Roman's project was already collecting dust in the living room and repurposed into a paperweight. Not when Remus had already replaced him. Roman screwed his eyes shut with a sob as the tears finally started to fall. How pathetic could he possibly get? Crying like a baby all because he couldn’t get his way. Maybe Janus was right about him. Maybe he was an unheroic evil twin after all.

“Oh, shit I didn’t mean to- I uh… look, don’t cry, okay?” Virgil stammered. “Shit, I’m really not good at this, uh… can I just start over here?”

Roman could hardly form words past the sobs that threatened to escape with every breath. Some prince he was, not even capable of comforting someone who was trying to comfort him first. Not like he deserved that kind of care in the first place.

“It’s… it’s fine” he blubbered, too embarrassed to look at Virgil. “He had the better idea, and everyone likes him more, and it’s not a problem, really. He’s better than me, he’s earned this. I get it. I’m not angry, I’m not.”

Virgil paused for a moment in surprise. “Wait, are you talking about Remus?”

“It’s okay, really. Logan likes his ideas better, and you two like the same things… I’m just overreacting. He’s creativity, too. He can do my job, probably better. It’s fine.”

Another pause. “… oh, buddy. You can’t really think… Roman, we’re not replacing you or anything. That’s not what’s going on here.”

Roman felt the bed shift next to him, and for a heart-stopping moment he was worried Virgil was leaving. Instead, he felt a cool but comforting hand on his shoulder, stroking gently before giving him a light squeeze.

“Roman, he’s not replacing you, okay? No one wants to do that to you, and even if they did, I’d never let that happen, you hear me? We all still want you around.”

The tears were flowing even harder now, and try as he might, Roman couldn’t get them to stop. Why was Virgil saying this? It was obvious that the others didn’t like him, he had been aware of it for a while now. Of course they’d want to be rid of him.

“Hey, don’t be upset, okay? Please, I really don’t know how to do this right. Uh, look, Patton still cares about you, and Logan needs you even if he acts like he doesn’t. They aren’t getting rid of you anytime soon, alright? I promise. I’m not letting you duck out that easy. Especially not now that we’re both friends.”

That made Roman finally look at him. Virgil was looking down at him with a soft but worried expression, his own eyes misting over.

“We’re friends?” he asked between sobs.

Virgil blinked rapidly; his face flushed. “I mean, I hope so. Is that okay?”

"But I was so mean to you, and I know Remus likes the same stuff you do and… “

"He’s also gross and goes out of his way to make me uncomfortable,” Virgil replied, a trace of snark returning to his voice. “Besides, we were both assholes before, but I like hanging out with you, and I’m not letting anyone dethrone your ass.”

Roman laughed despite himself, wiping away a few stray tears before sitting back up next to Virgil. “Just because you’ve looked past it doesn’t mean everyone else has. I know I messed up. I’m still messing up, no matter how hard I try to get things right. They have every reason to like Remus more. I’m happy for him getting to be the one coming up with videos now. I’m sure he’ll do a much better job at it than me anyway.”

Virgil gave him that same soft look from earlier before taking Roman's hand in his own, gently running his thumb over the skin in a calming pattern.

“This isn’t forever,” he whispered. “You always come up with the best ideas, and you’ll still be a part of the process no matter what. You’re also allowed to get pissed off about this if you want to be. It sucks, you can let it suck.”

“I’m not mad at anyone, just… “

“Disappointed?”

Roman nodded, feeling the lump in his throat returning. “In myself, I suppose.”

“Why?”

“I shouldn’t be this worked up over it. They’re allowed to like his ideas more than mine, and he’s allowed to be a part of things too. I don’t hate him for that.”

“Well, yeah, but if you work really hard on something only to get the cold shoulder out of nowhere, it’s only fair to get upset about it.”

A fresh batch of tears started welling up, and this time Roman was less pressed to wipe them away. A quiet whimper escaped as the tears started to fall, and Virgil brought a hand up to delicately cup his face, his thumb smoothing the tears away with more care and kindness than Roman had ever seen from him, and he found himself leaning into the touch.

"Keep that up and you’ll get me crying next,” he teased, though Roman could still spot the telltale shine of unshed tears all the same. “Seriously though, you’re okay. You are not getting replaced; not now, not ever. We all still love you. I know I do.”

Roman couldn’t tell if he sobbed or gasped, but he didn’t care to focus on that. If what Virgil said was true, and the furious blush in his cheeks suggested it was, then Roman would have to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming all over again. Virgil was actually confessing to having feelings for him, that he liked him back, and Roman wasn’t about to let anything else distract from it.

“I love you too,” he whispered, watching as Virgil's face filled with hope and surprised disbelief as his words sank in. “And thank you. I think I needed to hear that.”

"I think so too,” Virgil replied, a glint of mirth twinkling in his eyes. “Do you want in on the next game when you’re feeling better? Remus bet he could survive longer than you.”

Roman smiled, the first authentic one he made all day. “I thought you’d never ask.”

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