#love that my fic is set in this area🤗

[3terna15unshin3]

he’s so Bf in Manchester

[owlight]

hey bubba ☺️ i’ll help with the requests sooo could we get a self care/pampering law fic???? some good ole cheesy fluff under any kind of format you want honestly <333 take ur time!!!

Thank you babygirl I luv u ,this request inspired dearly to write for my other blobrs 🤗💖

Tags: self care,skin care day with partner, fluff

Law getting much needed self-care by getting some skincare by his lover, short fic

As the sun set on the polar tang, Trafalgar Law found himself begrudgingly dragged into spending quality time with his lover, He had planned on spending the evening alone, tinkering with his medical equipment, but his plans had been foiled by the persuasive powers of his partner who didn't take no for answer "Come on, Law, it'll be fun" you cooed, a mischievous grin on your face. "We'll do a skincare routine together and maybe your little grumpy face will shin with positive energy" Law scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I don't need a skincare routine,My skin is fine" he try to argue, yet he isn't stopping you from dragging alongside you

"Everyone needs a skincare routine," you chirp "It's good for your skin and your mental health and ah no offense my love you really need some skincare "

Law sighed, rubbing his temple,knowing that he wouldn't win this battle. "Fine, but don't expect me to enjoy it ,I really don't see the point of it" The two of you made your way to the bedroom, where you already set up a makeshift spa area,Law begrudgingly sat down in the bed, watching as you out various bottles and jars of skincare products "Okay, first things first," you say as you grab a bottle of cleanser "We need to get rid of all the dirt and grime on your face" before law can protest that his face is clean,you start doing your magic,Law grumbled as you gently massaged the cleanser into his skin, feeling his tense muscles slowly relax. As you worked, you chatted about various skincare techniques and products, clearly passionate about the subject and passionate about making him feel nice

Despite law initial reluctance, Law found himself starting to enjoy the experience, The cool touch of the moisturizer on his skin was soothing, and the gentle massage of his temples and forehead had him feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks ,you notice as law start to relax under your touch "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" You beamed as you watch Law grumble but a small smile played at the corner of his lips. "I suppose not so bad...only because your touch is nice" he mummers softly with a gentle smile tugging on his lip

As the night wore on, the two of you continued the skincare routine, talking and laughing together, Law may have pretended to be grumpy at each joke you male, but deep down, he was grateful for the time spent with you, even if it involved face masks and exfoliating scrubs, he will probably make this a weekly occuring only to be able to have you caress for so long without having to word it out...he really is so thankful to have you with him as his partner

[timchalamet-devoted]

Is this my chance?

A/N: I actually wrote this one a while back, but thought I'd share it anyways ( I'm pretty sure it was right after Tim flew to London)

This fic is set in London, however, feel free to change it when reading so it fits you better 🤗

Summary: While on the lookout for Timothée, who has been rumoured to be seen in London, the reader collides with a stranger. This turns out to be greatly in her favour, however.

Pairing: fem reader x Timothée

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You had dreamed forever of meeting him, even catching a glimpse would satisfy you; and now it might be your chance.

Of course, you didn't want to get ahead of yourself, as that would only lead to disappointment, but you couldn't help it!

Your entire being was buzzing with excitement and hope at the thought that he was here. In London. Where you were. This could be your chance.

You managed to figure out that it had been around two days since Timmy flew over to this city of yours, and never once had you stopped looking out for him, eyes scanning every crowd, in anticipation of spotting his familiar figure.

It was now the weekend, and you took this time to go out with your best friend, combining that with the task of finding Timmy.

You had an excellent girls' day out all planned, and the first thing on your agenda was eating at that one expensive restaurant that your friend has been begging to go to for months now.

It was located in an area you had surprisingly never been to previously, therefore the two of you were forced to take out Google maps to assist you in finding your way, for your attempt to get there on your own had gone quite poorly.

You turned a corner just before the required building, eyes focused on the GPS. Thud!

Your thoughts were cut short as your body collided with somebody else's, collapsing onto them as they crashed down to the floor, pained groans leaving your lips.

'I'm so sorry! I was so concentrated on the GPS, I wasn't looking; I hope I didn't hurt you too badly?'

You came back to your senses, conscious of where you were, wincing at your ignorance.

'No, no! I wasn't looking either, are you alright?

He apologized hastily as he peeled himself off the pavement, gently helping you up too.

At his voice, your head snapped up. Your eyes were met with his green ones, his untamable chocolate curls, and him.

Your eyes widened in complete horror as you felt the last of your breath leave your lungs. Your hands in his clamped up, as you came to the realization that you just tackled Timothée, the one you had been searching for so long, your love, right to the ground. Your body on top of his, him reaching out his hand and grasping yours, your fingers touching his for the first time; those moments flashed before you as you stared back at him.

'Timothée...'

You finally managed to breathe out, releasing the tension and allowing a huge grin to fill your face as it sunk in that you had found him. You were standing there with him. And he was smiling right back at you.

Tears threatened to spill as you whispered "you have no idea how long I've wanted to meet you. You mean so much to me, I love you, truly."

You knew it was rash, you could see it in his reaction that he wasn't used to that sincerity and bluntness, but you needed him to know. You needed him to know that you stood behind him, and loved him unconditionally and with your whole heart.

After a beat of silence, he let your hands fall to your sides, as he softly grabbed your shoulders, pulling you to himself, into a tight embrace, his scent overwhelming your senses. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pushing yourself further, radiating your love. You didn't know what would happen next, perhaps you would just part ways as if nothing happened, or perhaps there would be something more. But all you knew was that it could be your chance.

And you had to seize it.

[charmsandtealeaves]

Hey hello 🤗

I'm loving your fic...spitting image.

Thank you so much for sharing it with us...

It's such a unique idea and your characters are just... 😍

I can't wait for sirius and Harry bonding ofc.

I was just wondering if you are researching all this IVF stuff...or it's something related to your work?

TW: Infertility and IVF chat

It’s not related to my work but I’ve had personal experience with the subject of infertility and have had friends go through the IVF process (thankfully successfully!!)

So what happens in terms of Spitting Image is a blend of personal experience and research as laws and costs around IVF differ per country. Which was part of my reasoning for keeping it vague. (For example overseas you might get paid for sperm or egg donation but here it is a big no-no)

Here in NZ you can be covered on some level by publicly funded treatments however there are waiting lists and there are strict rules in place around it. And even privately you have to meet certain BMI requirements (don’t even get me started on that) before they will proceed with treatment. Regardless of public or private treatment it is a long and arduous process.

I’ve added some info from fertility associates NZ about 2024 costs (in NZD) below the cut. It’s often quite shocking for some people how much and how much $$$ can be involved, and bare in mind…. There is never guaranteed success.

Consultations

First doctor consultation $360

Review consultation $240

Non attendance fee: this fee applies if the appointment is cancelled within one business day of the scheduled time or is not attended. $165

Counselling consultation: one counselling consultation is complimentary per couple or individual (if single) as part of IVF or IUI treatment. Your complimentary counselling consultation can be used at any time during treatment, and within three months after treatment. Additional consultations are chargeable. $215

Dietitian consultations - Zoom / phone consult

First dietitian consultation for one (60 mins) $260 for single person

Dietitian follow-up consultation (30 mins) $130 for single person

Couple dietitian consultation (90 mins) $395

Pre-treatment diagnostic tests for her

AMH test – cost varies by area due to courier costs $115

Ultrasound scan $185

Saline ultrasound scan from $945

Hysteroscopy $1,685

Comprehensive genetic testing (566 genes) $730

ERA - Endometrial receptivity assay (fee includes test fee; courier; manufactured cycle and Pipelle biopsy) $3,495

EMMA/ALICE analysis $915

Pre-treatment diagnostic tests for him

Semen analysis $145

Semen analysis & MAR $220

Strict sperm morphology $190

Trial sperm wash $275

SCSA for sperm DNA fragmentation $335

SCSA Plus - (semen analysis, MAR and SCSA) $500

Semen analysis, sperm freezing and six months storage $295

Comprehensive genetic testing (556 genes) $960

Surgical sperm retrieval (SSR) $1,405

IVF Stage 1: Medication and monitoring

Stage 1 base fees:

Lite $3,370

Mid $4,665

High $5,690

High plus $6,735

Included: Standard medications, blood tests, scans, counselling, doctor review if cycle stopped.

Standard medications include: Gonal F; Puregon; Elonva; Ovidrel; Decapeptyl; Orgalutran; Cetrotide; Bemfola.

Not included: Non-standard medications, International resident fees, Sedation for IVF with anaesthetist

Donor addition fee applied for egg or sperm donor treatments

Egg donor addition $6,055

Extra non-standard medications:

Set dosage: Menopur or LH addition $195

Variable dosages: Luveris; Duphaston; Crinone (15 days)

Invoice timing Before collecting first medications

Payment due Before collecting first medications

Refund, if stopped before trigger medication $1,295

Stage 2: egg collection and embryology

Stage 2 base fee: $6,995

What is included? Standard medication, egg collection, sperm preparation, embryology, embryo freezing, first 6 months of embryo storage, doctor's review if no embryos to use.

Using frozen eggs:

Egg thaw $3,370

ICSI $2,975

Frozen embryo transfer $2,745

Total: $9,090

Not included:

ICSI sperm microinjection $2,975

Sperm donor addition $1,680

AOA - artificial oocyte activation $460

TiMI time lapse morphometry imaging

$1,225

PGT-A preimplantation genetic testing: aneuploidy, testing per embryo

$1,535

PGT-A embryo thaw and refreeze per batch

$1,610 (additional to PGT-A fee of $1,535)

PGT-A testing only, when an embryo has already been biopsied for PGT-M or PGT-SR $880

Sedation with an anaesthetist $1,200

PGD or PGS of existing embryos changes by clinic.

[70s-show-diary]

27, 43, 48

In response to this post.

What area of writing do you feel strongest in?

This is super tough, because I’m generally very self-critical. If I had to pick something though, I’d say I feel strongest in capturing a character’s voice. Not sure if readers of my fics would agree, but that’s what I’m going to go with! 😅

Is there a trope or idea that you’d really like to write but haven’t yet?

Tropes, not really. My favorite trope across all of the media I consume is enemies and/or friends to lovers. But I’ve explored that trope in detail through Jackie x Hyde and don’t have too much interest in writing them any other way.

As for ‘ideas’, there is one idea I’d like to explore more, and that’s AU. That’s a really broad idea, I know, but the majority of my fics fit into canon (with the exception of my S7 AU and one of the fics I wrote for ZMA).

The fic I’m currently writing also fits into canon, but I’m at the point where I would like to try my hand at more creative AU stories once that one is finished. A crossover with one of my other favorite shows or changing the setting to present day are two ideas I’ve been juggling in the back of my mind for a while. 🤔

Who is your favorite character to write for?  Has this changed since you’ve started writing for that fandom?

It probably comes as no surprise, as most of my fics are narrated from her POV, but Jackie always has been (and still is) my favorite character to write for.

I feel like the show created all these really fascinating facets of Jackie that they let fall by the wayside. (I think that’s the case for all the characters, actually, what with the show being a sitcom, but I digress.)

I love exploring those untapped aspects of Jackie’s character: her thoughtfulness, her intelligence, her athleticism, her witticism. She’s a much more complex character than meets the surface, which I think most of the fandom would agree with. And I love exploring that in my writing. 🤗

Thanks for sending some questions my way! 💖

[fuckyeahdindjarin]

I think you’re world building is phenomenal!! The attention to detail makes you feel like you’re within the storyline.

I really like your characterizations too, you really capture their personalities in every aspect. They’re all so yearn worthy!

✨wildemaven✨

Heidi! I’m blushing 🤗 World building is my favourite thing about writing a fic. I have to feel like I can walk around in a ‘set’ before I can write. With Palomino, it was wonderful to combine my imagination with real landscapes of the area to create this magical place where Jack and his Darlin’ fall in love.

I’m so glad you enjoy my characterizations! It’s why I write really - because I have an opinion about these wonderful characters that I want to share with you lovely people. Thanks for this lovely message hon ❤️

Tell me what you think my speciality is as a fanfic writer

[sophiie2000]

Unexpectedly Sweet

Hey Hey!😊🤗 I've been loving reading some amazing fics and enjoying a few of the new stories getting released recently!❤️ I've actually just finished writing a longer fic, which if I do choose to post it would be posting a chapter or two a day... 😬🤗 But in the meantime, I thought I'd post this shorter one I wrote quite quickly as a way to break up the amount of time I was spending of the longer one!😊😊

Unexpectedly Sweet

MC x Yuzuru Shiba

MC is badly injured on a mission. To stop Yuzuru from worrying, she attempts to avoid seeing him. Yet when Yuzuru finds out, his actions surprise MC.

Fluff

~4270  words

Disclaimer - Characters belong to Voltage Inc, story is my own

Perfect; just perfect, MC thought. She had been away on a mission for the last few weeks, following an underground mafia group. Her mission had been due to come to an end last night. However, she had faced an unexpected set back.

Well, unexpected set back is what she had told Yuzuru when she told him she would still be away a little while longer. Truthfully, MC had suffered some pretty bad injuries during the conclusion of her mission.

While she lay in her bed, looking at her bandaged arms, hands and legs, which hid the burns and cuts below, MC thought back on the evening before. 

MC had been inside the home base of the Red Foxes, a mafia group who had been terrorising the cities in Spain. She, alongside a few other agents from the EAC were rounding up the last of the mafia members still left inside when there had been an explosion. 

The home had gone up in flames. The blast sending MC and the others flying. The heat from the blast so hot, it burned their skin. MC found herself flung through a broken window. The glass shattering, piercing her skin. 

MC had suffered burns, gashes, a few cracked ribs and was very badly bruised everywhere else. The EAC physician had told her she had been lucky that, while her injuries were bad, they were minor compared to what they could have been. 

On the bright side, MC thought, at least they had successfully caught all the individuals of the mafia, with backup ensuring no one escaped following the blast. They had a happy client, and justice had been served. So, her injuries, were a small price to pay for that justice. 

Although… she was disappointed that she couldn’t see Yuzuru until these injuries had had time to heal themselves. 

She knew she shouldn’t have lied to him, but Yuzuru was extremely busy at work. What with Shiba still working towards their own entry into space, and a number of new products being brought out just in time for the Christmas sales. 

Even if she did tell him, it wouldn’t change much. She would still be home alone, nursing her injuries; while Yuzuru would be busy holing himself away working unholy hours ensuring the best for Shiba. 

The only difference MC could think of, would be that Yuzuru may be distracted with worry knowing she had been hurt. If his mind was on her when he should be focused on work, well that would be detrimental to Shiba. And MC did not want to be the reason for Yuzuru’s lack of focus. At least, not due to an injury anyway!

One month. That was all MC needed to lay low from Yuzuru for. One month to give her burns and bruises to fade. One month for her cuts to heal, and their traces fade. And one month for the majority of the pain from her cracked ribs to fade.

All she had to do was keep up the charade with Yuzuru that she was still in Spain. That meant no video calls (as he would recognise her apartment in the background). Avoiding the raven resort, or areas close by. Avoiding being close to the Shiba offices when Yuzuru would be there.

Sighing, MC mentally calculated the likelihood of failure. God, if only she had Victoria with her, she’d be able to give her an accurate statistic. MC giggled. She had been with Yuzuru so long that she was starting to think like him too, considering statistics.

It would be challenging not to see Yuzuru like she wanted. It had already been a few weeks. While it wasn’t unusual for MC and Yuzuru to go prolonged periods without seeing each other, it didn’t make it any easier. She loved him, and had been looking forward to coming home to see him.

It would be a long month, MC thought.

The buzz of her phone alerted to her that Yuzuru had replied to her message which informed him she would be away longer than expected.

‘Understood. Is it a particularly challenging mission this time?’

It was unusual for Yuzuru to ask MC to elaborate. Typically, the I’ll be a little longer yet, text was all he required. Could she take this to mean he was missing her too? That he was at least a little upset they wouldn’t be able to see one another for a while? MC hoped so at least.

‘Something like that. I’ll keep you updated. Good luck with work’ 

MC replied.

Minutes later, her phone buzzed again. Expect this time, it continued buzzing. Looking down at her phone, she could see Yuzuru was phoning her. Taking a deep breath she answered the call.

“Hey Yuzu!” She tried her best to sound cheerful when she answered the phone, masking her discomfort.

“MC, is everything ok?” Yuzuru sounded concerned. MC wondered for a moment if she had given him any reason to sound so concerned. She could understand if she had told him about her injuries or the mission, but she hadn’t. He couldn’t know. So why did he sound so concerned?

“Everything is fine here! How about you? How is work?” She asked, quickly trying to divert the conversation away from herself.

“Work is going as expected. Although the same cannot be said for your mission. It is unusual for you to be stuck on a mission longer than what you expected. Has something happened?”

God Yuzuru was so perceptive, and he was clearly concerned. But MC had already started the lie. She was a good actress. She could keep the lie going. As she went to reply, she sat up slightly. But that movement was all it took to send a shooting pain through her cracked ribs. 

“Hmm!!” She whimpered quietly. Trying to keep the sound in.

“MC?! Are you ok?” Yuzuru said, panicked having clearly heard her cry. MC took a moment to catch her breath, and get her breathing under control.

“Oh yeah sorry! Nothing to worry about Yuzu, just found some new intel that means I’ll need to be here in Spain slightly longer. I’d say another month probably” She replied. 

“Another month…” Yuzuru contemplated for a moment, “And you’re sure there isn’t anything else you want to tell me?” He asked. MC froze. He couldn’t… know? Surely not?

“Nope, nothing else I’m afraid. That’s all I know for now! Anyway, Yuzu I need to get going, lots to do if I want to be back in a month haha! Talk soon!”

“Hey MC wait--!” As Yuzuru cried out for her to wait, MC hung up the phone.

He couldn’t know about her being back. No one knew she was back other than the EAC. She hadn’t left the house so she wouldn’t have been seen. But Yuzuru was already suspicious… she needed to be extra careful.

A week had passed and MC had been dodging Yuzuru’s calls. He had tried video chatting with her a few times this week. Sending text messages to find out why she wasn’t answering them. Each time, MC replied saying she was out investigating and so wasn’t able to talk at the moment. 

Yuzuru wasn’t the type to try keep in contact this frequently. They had had to include it in their contracts that they would speak once a week when she first moved to New York headquarters so that she would know he was ok. 

This worried MC. Why was he so persistent to message her? To call her? A bad feeling was pitted in her stomach. Was she just feeling guilty for lying to the man she loved? Or was it something else?

Opening up her fridge to get some food, MC sighed. Great. She needed to go out to buy some food. Dressed in a baggy hoodie and some jeans, her hair up in a messy bun, MC phoned Hugo. 

“Babe, what is it?” the makeup artist asked.

“Hugo, I need to go shopping for some food, but I told Yuzuru I was in Spain still. I need someone to come with as I’m still struggling to move and, so I’m less likely to be spotted. Can you come with me?”

“Oh, babe I wish I could but I have to be with another agent in 10. I can send you the next best thing. They’ll be at your door in 5!”

“Next best thing….?”

“You’ll see!” Hugo replied, and she could hear the twinkling mischief in his tone. This can’t be good.

A few minutes later and there was a knock at her apartment door. Checking the peep hole, she was surprised by who stood on the other side of her door.

“THEO!” MC shouted as she opened the door. He pulled her into a crushing hug but immediately apologised when he saw the pain it had caused her.

“Sorry MC, forgot you’re bashed up right now!”

“No problem, and thanks for coming to help me.”

Heading out the apartment. MC and Theo headed to his car. As MC was getting into the car she noticed a limo drive slowly by. A lion crest on the plate. Shit. MC hoped she had gotten into the car quick enough not to be seen. Although, she wasn’t confident. 

Nothing else happened while MC was out with Theo getting food. And again, another week had passed. She was half way through the period she had set out that she needed to avoid Yuzuru for.

Daily video calls that she continued to ignore came in. Text messages asking how the mission was going, when she would be free to video chat, if she needed to talk about anything. Each question she dodged, with that she was busy with the mission but would be back in a couple of weeks. 

Her cuts had almost healed up. Her burns were still tender, but had faded somewhat. Her ribs still ached, and if she wasn’t careful left her winded, but they too were healing.

She was healed enough, that when she received a call from the Boss saying she was needed back at Freja tonight for a shift, she was already heading to the club to prepare. 

Hugo met her there and had spent a few hours on her makeup. Expertly covering her bruises, cuts and burns. Dressing her in a dress which hid her bandaged ribs. One look at MC, and you would never know she was injured. 

All she needed to do was listen out for a few interesting stories, and host as usual. It wasn’t a dangerous mission and she could get it done and dusted and head home to rest again later.

The night had been smooth sailing. Bad men, shared bad stories. She filed them away ready to report to the EAC later. There was only an hour until close, and the guests were thinning out. 

Suddenly, one of the waiters came and found her.

“You have guests in the backroom”

“Oh?” That was unexpected. Particularly this close to closing time. Nonetheless MC made her way to the backroom. 

When she stepped inside the room her eyes went wide in surprise. 

“There’s our goddess, long time no see!” Kei smiled his princely smile. 

“See Yuzu, we told you you’d get to see a beautiful lady if we came tonight!” Kazuomi chimed in. “Haven’t seen you with Yuzu recently, he was missing you so we thought we would bring him round!”

“Welcome to Freja. As you boys are aware, being the regulars that you are, we close in an hour. So, what can I get you?” MC acted unperplexed, treating them as she would any other guests. Although her eyes couldn’t help but seek Yuzuru out to see how he was reacting. 

He was looking straight at her. His signature frown marring his perfectly handsome face. She could tell he was mad, even without him saying anything. 

“Aw she’s pretending she hasn’t been lying to you, Yuzu. Aren’t you going to say anything to her?” Kei chuckled, trying to provoke Yuzuru into voicing his anger. 

“We’ll have a bottle of the usual, please” That was all Yuzuru said. 

“Hey Kei, he’s acting like he doesn’t care!” Kazuomi smirked. 

MC left the 3S’s to go collect their bottle and some glasses. Serving them as she would usually, she winced when she leant forward in a slightly awkward position, causing a pain to run through her ribs. 

MC could feel the worried looks she was receiving from them all, particularly Yuzuru. But she acted as if nothing had happened. Showcasing her best smile, she politely excused herself from the room. 

Closing time arrived, and the 3S’s quietly vacated the parlour. They spared MC polite glances, but opted not to interrupt her while she was with another guest. 

Once everyone left, she slouched down into a chair. Taking some painkillers in the hopes to mask some of the pain MC had in her ribs. Her mind suddenly went back to Yuzuru… he knows she’s back now. How is she supposed to face him again?

That thought remained with her as she too left the parlour. Walking along the path back towards her apartment, she came to a sudden stop. There, waiting up ahead, leaning against his car was Yuzuru.

Noticing MC approach, Yuzuru got up from his car. As MC reached where he was, he took her hand. 

“Get in.” He guided her to the passenger side door. MC, knowing there was no reason to argue, got into his car silently. 

They drove back to the hotel in silence. Neither chose to speak to the other. When they arrived, they walked to Yuzuru’s place without so much as a word shared. 

When they went inside, Yuzuru went into his kitchen. 

“Go take a shower. I’ll make us some drinks” he instructed. MC simply nodded, unsure of what to say.

When she returned from the shower, he bruises, burns and cuts were all back on display. She couldn’t bring herself to look Yuzuru in the eyes. Scared a disapproving look would be what she met. 

“MC…” Yuzuru gasped when he saw her. 

Walking over to her, his hand tenderly cupped her cheek. His gaze swept over her body. Taking in every cut, bruise, burn. His fingertips brushed lightly along the bandage which covered her ribs. 

His worry was apparent both in his tender touch, and on his face. His eyes, filled with sorrow and regret. MC felt as though he had stripped her naked, the way his eyes roamed over each of her flaws. 

“I’m sorry—” As she went to apologise Yuzuru silenced her, with a tender kiss. He turned away and headed to his first aid kit. 

When he returned he had a special ointment cream, some fresh bandages and a hot water bottle. He handed MC the hot water bottle and instructed her to keep it on her ribs, hoping to soothe the ache she clearly was feeling there. Meanwhile, he began to gently rub the ointment over her cuts and burns. 

Thanks to the fact they had had a couple of weeks healing, the cream didn’t sting when it was applied. Yet MC was confused. 

“What is this?” She asked. 

“It’ll stop them from scarring…” Yuzuru replied matter of factly.

“Why… why are you helping me and being so kind to me… when I lied to you?” MC whispered the question. 

Yuzuru sighed, furrowing his brow.

“Look MC… I don’t like the fact you lied to me… but I’m not stupid. I could hazard a good guess as to why you kept this from me. So, it is my fault you felt you couldn’t tell me when you were hurt. When you needed me.”

“NO!” MC exclaimed, “Don’t blame yourself Yuzu… I was the one who lied. I kept it a secret. Sure, I can say it was so I wouldn’t worry you, but the truth is I worried you more.”

“MC… no matter how busy I am with work, you are always on my mind. You are a bug in my system, one which I’m grateful for. When you are hurt, when you need me, no matter how busy I may be… please, don’t try hide it from me.” Yuzuru pleaded, as he finished applying the cream.

MC had teared up. How could she had been so stupid? How could she have thought it would be better to keep this from him, so he could focus. Yuzuru had made it clear how important she was to him. Yet still she had acted as though she would be second to his work.

She felt Yuzuru’s thumb brush her cheek. His lips kissing the corner of her eye. Then her cheek. Before finally, kissing her lips gently. He lingered for a moment before pulling back, and resting his forehead against hers. 

“To think, you would worry me and make me miss you more than I needed to, simply because you didn’t realise how important you are to me, MC” Yuzuru whispered.

“I love you, Yuzu…”

“I love you, too, MC.”

*** YUZURU P.O.V ***

I was sat in Masquerade, having dinner and a drink with Kazuomi and Kei. It was the first time I had been able to join them recently, since work had been keeping me busy. Despite the hustle and bustle going on around, and the good food, my mind was occupied solely by MC. 

She had been away on a mission for a few weeks, and was due to come home tomorrow. A few years ago, if you had told me someone would capture my heart and fill my thoughts even when I was working, I would have laughed. Yet that is exactly what MC had done. And I was missing her. So, I was excited for her to return, so I could once again hold her in my arms.

“So, a little birdy told me there was an issue with a recent agent’s mission” Kazuomi declared, sipping on his champagne casually. 

The mention of MC pulled my attention to him immediately. What? A problem?

“Yes, I too heard about this… apparently those involved were all quite badly injured” Kei chimed in. 

Badly injured? Was it definitely MC’s mission?

“Of course, I used some of my own sources to try and obtain the names of those who had been hurt. Although, all I could find out was that it was an EAC mission… in Spain.” Kazuomi spoke, deliberately watching me for my reaction. 

I wasn’t proud of it, but I had hacked into the EAC system a number of times to check up on MC when she was away for prolonged periods of time. Of course, she knew nothing about this. I could picture her moaning at me for doing so easily. 

Compelled by what they were saying, I opened my phone and typed a few lines of code in, and then I was into their system. I found the file which detailed the mission in Spain which had resulted in many being injured and skimmed the document. 

My eyes froze when they found her name. The file read:

Agent _____ _____ was inside the home base of the Red Foxes when there was an explosion. 

The home went up in flames. The blast sent the agent flying. The heat from the blast burned her skin. The agent found herself being flung through a broken window. The glass shattering, piercing her skin. 

My heard stopped. Kazuomi and Kei were watching me worriedly. 

“I take it our daring agent was caught up in the issue, after all?” Kazuomi asked cautiously. 

“Yes… it says she was badly hurt” I replied. Suddenly my phone buzzed with a text message from MC. I was thankful she had messaged as it told me she was alive, she was ok. 

However, my relief turned to confusion, then frustration, when he message was a clear lie. She claimed the mission had seen an unexpected set back and she would be another month in Spain. 

Was she not going to tell me she was hurt? Apparently not, even after I gave her the opportunity to explain. Fine. She’ll tell me when she is ready. I’ll just give her the time to do so. 

At least… that was what I thought.

I tried to phone MC each day during the first week, she ignored all my video calls. Although that was no surprise since she wanted me to believe she was in Spain. Each reply to my texts were that she was ok, just busy collecting intel. Ok keep the lie going, you’ll tell me in the end. 

That weekend, I headed out with Kazuomi for a business lunch. We opted to take the route back which would pass by MC’s apartment. Hoping to get a glimpse of her, to see for myself she was ok. Our timing was impeccable. Except I was even more annoyed. 

Jealously flamed in my heart, as we drove by MC getting into a car with Theo… I could also see how badly hurt she was. Burns, cuts, bruises. She held a hand across her ribs. My heart ached. I should be there helping her, NOT THEO! Only MC could make me this beside myself with jealousy, I thought.

Another week went by and still MC was dodging my calls, and responding with the same old text messages. I was growing increasingly frustrated at her for not reaching out to me for help. Not telling me she was hurt. Lying about being in Spain.

That evening, Kazuomi and Kei came to my office inviting me to Freja. We visited fairly regularly when MC was working, but I saw no reason to attend when she wasn’t. 

“MC is working there tonight” Kei informed me. 

This information surprised me! She won’t tell me she is home or hurt, but will go work at the parlour while still injured?!? I grabbed my jacket and followed the other two to the parlour. I was fed up of waiting. I had grown impatient of waiting for her to realise she could ask me for help when she needed it. If she was faced with seeing me in person, she would have no choice but to reach out to me. 

At least… I thought she wouldn’t. 

MC was surprised to see me, like I had expected. Yet she acted as if nothing was wrong. It was clear to me, someone who had been intimate with her, that she was covered head to toe in makeup, to cover her injuries. Although to anyone else, she would simply look her usual, beautiful self. 

Her decision to act like nothing was out of the ordinary was maintained the entire time we were there. I started to wonder… was it my fault she didn’t reach out to me? Had I made myself appear incapable of helping her when she needed? I hoped not. I was deeply in love with this woman, and would do anything for her. I wanted to be the person she turned to. 

This thought was what lead me to stand around outside with my car waiting for her to leave to head home. I didn’t give her much choice but to get in the car with me and return to my room. Sending her up to shower, I started to prepare some drinks. 

When she returned, for the first time, I saw all her injuries up close. The fact they looked bad to me now, told me all I needed to know about how bad they must have been 2 weeks earlier. I collected my first aid kit and a hot water bottle and immediately set to work.

I rubbed the cream onto her soft skin, carefully so not to hurt her. The cream would prevent scarring, while helping to heal the cuts.

Suddenly, MC asked me a question.

“Why… why are you helping me and being so kind to me… when I lied to you?”

 I frowned, sighing as I replied…

“Look MC… I don’t like the fact you lied to me… but I’m not stupid. I could hazard a good guess as to why you kept this from me. So, it is my fault you felt you couldn’t tell me when you were hurt. When you needed me.”

While MC was adamant it wasn’t my fault, since she chose to lie, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for making it seem like my work would always take precedent over her. Of course, as CEO of Shiba my work was important. And I know I can get carried away when working. But MC was the most important thing to me, and I needed to make her see that. 

“MC… no matter how busy I am with work, you are always on my mind. You are a bug in my system, one which I’m grateful for. When you are hurt, when you need me, no matter how busy I may be… please, don’t try hide it from me.” I pleaded, finishing applying the cream.

I burshed her cheek with my thumb, removing the teas that had begun to form. Kissing the corner of her eye. Then her cheek. Before finally, kissing her lips gently. I rested my forehead against hers. 

“To think, you would worry me and make me miss you more than I needed to, simply because you didn’t realise how important you are to me, MC” I whispered.

“I love you, Yuzu…”

“I love you, too, MC.” I replied. My heart full of love, and full of relief of having her back here with me, in my arms.

[zacharybosch]

Tasseomancy inspo part 1: Setting

Hi all~

Here is a post I promised a while ago, going into some details about all the things that inspired me while writing my Ed/Stede sugar daddy AU fic Tasseomancy.

There’s quite a lot of stuff to go over so I decided to split it into two parts. This is part one, which covers the setting. You can read part two here, which covers all the thingies that they wear/buy 🤗

🌆

The town as a whole

I don’t have any kind of name decided for the town that they live in. I don’t even know what country it’s meant to be in, although I am British and I’m certain that crept in subconsciously and made it feel very British-y to all my readers. 

I grew up in a small and pretty rundown seaside town which was geared mostly towards industry and fishing, and I now live in a touristy overpriced mess (affectionate) of a seaside city, so I kind of just smooshed them together to create this setting.

Tasseomancy Town contains lots of nice Regency-era architecture and a vibrant nightlife and mental tourist season, but it’s also all a little bit washed up and past it, and it gets kinda dead in the winter. All the fun stuff and the nice beach is in the centre, and then the working docks and the industrial area is on the edge. Don’t ask me how a seaside resort town is able to sustain so many luxury shops because I have NO idea.

Stede’s studio flat

The building his flat is in is based on a shopping arcade in my city that was built in the 1920s. The real life arcade has a walkway down the middle so is enclosed with shops on both sides; for Stede’s building, I moved the walkway to the edge so that it’s open all down one side (makes it easier to lob things out the window to unsuspecting individuals below 🤭). I always like walking through this arcade to see the entrance doors that lead to the residential flats above the shops, which as far as I can tell are the originals from the 20s.

The facade of the building has these nice geometric deco details, but is otherwise pretty flat. I added in some bay windows for the fic, to echo Stede’s window-bed set up from the show.

Here’s a little floorplan I drew in Paint:

His flat is quite cluttered, since he tried to bring everything he possibly could with him when he and Mary split. I figure there’s almost certainly still a wardrobe or two (or several) in their old house that Mary has begrudgingly agreed to hold onto until Stede is able to afford somewhere with a bit more space lol. He’s done his very best to decorate, but he’s used to decorating much larger spaces and he doesn’t really know how to rein it in for a small room, so tbh it’s probably a bit of a sensory overload in there.

Ed’s house

My city is packed full of these gorgeous Regency-era townhouses and I would LOVE to live in one. Alas, you’d have to be very rich in order to buy one as these houses sell for well over a million. A lot of them have been internally carved up into crappy flats, because capitalism, but some are still intact as complete houses and occasionally they pop up on property listing sites and they are GORGEOUS inside. Love a sympathetically-restored period house.

Since I can’t live in a Regency townhouse, Ed gets to live in one instead 😊 I didn’t want to give him a new-build McMansion because those are ugly AF and we all know he has a deep appreciation for fine and beautiful things.

Here’s a floorplan I stole from a comparable house that is currently on sale for £1.1m:

I didn’t have an exact layout in mind for Ed’s house, but this is fairly indicative of what it would be like. He definitely has a much bigger bathroom though, to showcase the copper tub in all its glory 😉

Ed was being a bit mean to himself when he said his house looked like a doctor’s waiting room. It is very bare, but it’s not quite as bad as he thinks it is; he just knows that it’s not what he wants it to be like. He’s not used to having so much space and definitely doesn’t have enough possessions to fill it all. I think before he bought this house, he still lived in the same little rental flat he got when he first started turning a steady profit. It was just somewhere to pass out at the end of a long day and he was always too busy to think about moving somewhere bigger.

Jackie’s Café

I didn’t spend too long really envisioning what Jackie’s would be like, since they don’t really spend much time there, so I basically just pictured it like this café I’ve been to a bunch of times that has really nice chill vibes and is a very cosy spot to spend an afternoon. It’s tucked away in the same shopping arcade that inspired the location for Stede’s flat, although in the fic Jackie’s Café isn’t in the arcade. 

I actually went to go have lunch at the inspo café a few weeks ago and was absolutely DEVASTATED to discover it had shut down after almost 40 years in business :(

John and Frenchie’s Cleanery and Mendery

There have been a few different haberdashery/dry cleaners/tailors shops in the same arcade as the café above over the years and I was thinking about those while coming up with the Cleanery, although again as with Jackie’s, the Cleanery isn’t in an arcade in the fic.

I just wanted somewhere vaguely chill-looking for Stede to work, although I actually have no idea at all how intense or not it may be to work in a dry cleaners lol. I picture Stede’s sewing table to be up the front of the shop by the windows, so he can benefit from the natural light and see when certain boyfriends might be stopping by with tea 🥰

The docks/Ed’s warehouses

I basically just took the quayside and industrial estate from my hometown and plopped them into my fic setting. The quayside was pretty rundown when I was a kid because a lot of the industry had died off over the years and many of the warehouses were standing empty, but there was still some smaller-scale fishing going on and it was generally a pretty cool place to hang out. I used to like riding my scooter down there and climbing over the wall to play on the slimy rocks on the riverbanks.

Obviously Ed’s dockside empire is in better condition, since it’s an active working business, but I think it would still have that certain rough-and-ready seaside vibe; a bit weathered, a bit salty, a bit wind-whipped.

The department store

We don’t have a comparable department store in my city (and DEFINITELY not in my hometown lol), so I basically just plucked the Liberty store out of London and plopped it here for my fic. 

I’ve been to two luxury department stores in my life: Liberty is one, and Harrods is the other. Harrods is just a huge overwhelming mess and I was desperately conscious of my status as Gawking Peasant the whole time I was there. I was still pretty self-conscious in Liberty, but slightly less so. And I also love their fabric section, so 🤷‍♀️ Liberty just feels a bit less gaudy to me; there’s a very Conspicuous Consumption vibe in Harrods which I don’t think quite fits the vibe of my fic very well, so I thought Liberty would be a bit nicer for Ed and Stede.

I completely made up the private shopping suite. I just threw all my wildest personal shopping dreams into a blender and whizzed them up and spewed them onto the page.

The Old Quarter

This was inspired by a shopping district in my city that’s made up of little brick-paved lanes of varying widths (some are barely big enough for two people to walk abreast), and it’s mostly full of jewellers and bougie little restaurants, but there are some classy mid-range designer clothes shops in there too. For the fic, I just replaced them with some higher end stuff, so it’s more like Vivienne Westwood instead of Ted Baker.