#love this kind of shaggy ass hair on Adam

[thetorturerwrites]

Lylas

Summ: Adam Sackler was never one for beating around the bush, but this level of blunt was beyond comprehension - even for him.

Notes: Purely self-indulgent filth. There will probably be other parts to this because I cannot get it out of my head, but I have no set time frame for it. Also, I do not apologize for the extraneous world-building in my smut. That's just how I roll... (Also also, some of this might be in response to the fact that not everything has to be squirting...)

~

“You should let me fuck you.”

The cavalier way he said such a bizarre thing made you short circuit. Astonished, you stopped mid-shoelace-tie and stared up at him. Adam Sackler was never one for beating around the bush, but this level of blunt was beyond comprehension - even for him.

“What?! Why?”

He grinned down at you because, with you right there on the ottoman, you sat eye level with his dick. With that cheshire grin turned on you, you unexpectedly forgot how to breathe. You’d never looked at Adam that way before, but with one question, he upended your world view. Adam was lethally beautiful, and he knew it. Shaggy black hair swept back and forth over his dark eyes to match his moods - off to the right for mischievous, low over the brow for brooding. It was easy to admit he was a looker, but you’d never considered him to be anything beyond that. A big, glaring red flag permanently hung over his head since the day he walked into your house. Now, though…

He certainly watched, and enjoyed, the struggle going on in your mind and not-so-casually slid both hands smoothly, purposefully into the pockets of those well-worn, low slung, faded blue jeans and leaned his hips forward at you. Of course you looked. Who wouldn’t? Catching yourself, you forced your eyes up to his green t-shirt, but that wasn’t much help because it fit him offensively well. Painted on would be an understatement. Adam was all wide shoulders and shelf-like pecs, and suddenly, you understood his sex appeal. Forcing your face into a placid mask, you waved him off and bent to finish tying your damn shoe. Time to get the fuck out of this room.

You forgot, however, that you’d asked him a question.

“One, you bring home shitty dudes. Two, I don’t want to date. After that last bullshit…”

The last bullshit being the most recent round of Hannah and Jessa, both idiot girls who ran roughshod over Adam and his tender heart. On more than one occasion, you’d seen fit to murder one right after the other, but nobody could tell Adam anything. He was a right pain in the ass and a whole pervert, but he was also kind and doting, a thing those two heifers took advantage of too often. He was also stubborn to a fault, and when he believed a thing, or when he wanted something, he would pursue it 100%. He’d believed in them, but even he had to admit they were trash in the end.

“... this would be the perfect solution.” You realized he’d not stopped talking while you took that mental break, and you struggled to focus. “One stop shop.”

Shoe finally situated, you stood, pretending not to be acutely aware of the way he watched you smooth the wrinkles from your plum blouse and rub the wrinkles out of the thighs of your pants. Masquerading as confident, you jabbed at the air between you.

“First? Rude.” Although, internally you admitted you brought home shitty dudes. They never seemed shitty until they walked out the door, leaving you unsatisfied and annoyed. All dudes were shitty, though, weren’t they? There was no earthly reason to believe Adam was any better despite how much he believed himself superior.

“Second? Jim and Carly would shit kittens.”

Jim and Carly were your parents - his mom and your dad, specifically. They met in Tahoe on a Friday and were married by the following Sunday. Secretly, you believed Carly was in it for the money because Jim was - no two ways about it - loaded, but she genuinely seemed to love your dad. After all the heartache he’d endured, you found you couldn’t begrudge him that happiness, even if it made your teeth itch. In a blur, the Sacklers moved into Jim’s mansion on the hill, filling it with more noise than either of you could remember. With internships, college, and the damn economy, it made sense for everyone to live at home; so, you all had to learn to live together.

Well, sort of. Jim and Carly never stayed home long enough to get used to anybody, really. Jetsetters, they called themselves, which left the rest of the household free rein.

At the mention of your part-time parents, Adam took a step forward, brow piqued, lips pursed.

“You in the habit of sharing all the naughty details about your love life with dear old daddy, baby sister?”

He only called you that when he wanted to rile you up or when he wanted something - both true in this case.

“Me?” You laughed, a full-on, hold your belly laugh. “Ha! You’re not exactly shy about the vast number of “dirty sluts” (you even treated him to finger quotes) you’ve found in the area, Sackler. You don’t need to tell us anything about your love life, you shit, because everybody already knows!”

Wiping delighted tears from your eyes, you shook your head. It really was too absurd.

“No, this is… too weird, and not for nothing, it's kind of creepy. I promise you’ll find shiny new sluts to fuck just around the corner at what’s-her-face’s block party. But please, wait five minutes so I can vacate the premises before you do whatever it is you do.”

~

Adam loved it when you laughed. He spent an inordinate amount of time trying to make you laugh because your eyes sparkled in such a pretty way, and your face softened all over. To put it plainly, you lit up from the inside. After Hannah’s crazy and Jessa’s perpetual moodiness, he simply enjoyed watching you laugh because it was easy to get you to do it. Easygoing and whip smart, he found he enjoyed the mental sparring with you because you could keep up, and you weren’t so fucking dramatic. 

That started everything.

Soon enough, he couldn’t get you - or your laugh - out of his head. Finding out about all the other faces and noises you made infected his brain. Now, when you laughed, his eyes trailed away from your face to the rest of your body because he wanted to see the effect of that laugh all over you. The bob of your breasts when he got you particularly good, the way you often held your waist and huffed at him, drawing attention to your generous hips - the details of you affected him far more than they should have and made him want to affect you just as much. 

If he was completely honest, he didn’t give a single shit if Jim or Carly ever found out. He was pretty sure he still wouldn’t give a shit if your relationship was by blood rather than marriage. He was going to fuck you. It was only a matter of time.

“Those are good reasons, baby sister, but that’s not a no…”

~

The problem was that Adam was right.

“Hey, uh..” The shitty dude you’d escorted to your front door turned at the threshold, beet red and stammering. “I’ll call you, yeah?”

You didn’t even remember his name.

“Sure. Yeah. Whenever?”

Probably more abruptly than you should have, you shut the door in his face and then let your forehead fall against it with a loud thud. You threw your fists in the air, irritated and crabby. Meeting him was nice. The party was pleasant; the wine flowed freely. His kisses tasted like candy, and the way he nibbled your neck was delightful.

After the banter, the ride home, and the bourbon, however, Rick… Robin?... Roger? Yes, Roger was all talk and no substance. His bed-game was decidedly lacking. All he’d accomplished was a nice warm-up, whiskey dick, and no grand finale for you. 

“It's. -thunk- Not. -thunk- That. -thunk- Hard!”

“Whatcha’up to, kid?”

You shrieked, jumped a foot off the floor, and spun with fists raised to knock the threat out, in theory at least.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Sackler. You scared the shit out of me.”

Rubbing at your sternum to calm the racing of your heart, you slumped back against the door. You concentrated so hard on regulating your breathing that you didn’t hear him shuffle closer. Nor did you notice him leaning over you, his thick left arm braced on the door above your head, until his crooked index finger lifted your chin. Only then did the alarm bells ring because damn that was a sexy move. And Christ on a cracker he smelled good - salt from the ocean blended with caramel spice. It made your mouth water. 

“Feel like now’s the time for I told you so,” he quipped, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Tell you what…” The arm that was overhead slithered over your torso, settling a good bit of his weight across your shoulders. “I’ll do this, and you can tell people I forced you.”

He winked, and a second later, his warm hand slid into your DIY sleep shorts. You’d worn the ugly cut-off sweatpants pair to dissuade your date from lingering. Now, you wished you’d found an actual pair of pants because the shorts only gave away how traitorous your cunt was. Skillfully, Adam’s middle finger found the groove between your tacky labia, using the residual (barely) slickness from your failed attempt at sexy times with… Rufus? Ryan? Regardless of his name, his touches were clumsy compared to this. Adam kept an even pace and the exact right amount of pressure, sliding in the perfect way to coerce more wetness from your entrance and carry it back to your swollen clit.

You croaked, straight up sounded like you swallowed a frog because as his fingers defiled you south of the border, his stare wrecked you up north. His beautiful brown eyes were whiskey warm tonight, softened at the edges but intently focused upon you. You could get drunk on those kinds of eyes. If he gazed at all his conquests like this - as though nothing else mattered - you understood the pull. It moved, his stare, from your eyes to your mouth and back. You nearly begged him to kiss you but this was already so strange, so taboo. 

And yet… and yet…

~

He’d never been so fucking pleased to be right in his life.

All he had to do was get you there, and he’d win the argument. Roman, a guy he met on the track, was manufactured to be an idiot and would never figure out how to fuck right, even if his life hung in the balance. How he'd managed to even meet you was beyond understanding. 

Adam, however, had been fucking since he was 14, and he’d long since learned all the magic buttons. It was the one good thing to have come from his years struggling with sobriety. Replacing alcohol with sex taught him a lifetime’s worth of skills. Skills he now used to pull another squeak from your pouty mouth. Each time the pad of his finger caught your hood, the reluctant peep you made shot straight to his dick. He wasn’t sure if he would manage to not fuck you tonight, but he reminded himself that he had to play the long game.

For a solid 30 seconds, he rubbed only at your clit, back and forth, back and forth. He set a very specific rhythm that had you twisting beneath him deliciously. Your yelping grew louder and louder until one in particular cracked, and that was his cue.

“Hold my shoulder.” He nudged your nose with his to get your attention and nodded when both of your hands came up to rest on his chest and biceps. “That’s it.”

He couldn’t help himself from licking at the way your mouth popped open when he slid his fingers inside of you. The way the corners turned up was too tantalizing to ignore.

~

Mother Mary of God… He was inside you. Granted, it was only his fingers, but they belonged to your step-brother. Your face burned, but the hundred objections your brain conjured died at the back of your tongue because fuck, they were good. Two fingers, middle and ring, had you whining like a schoolgirl as he carefully, deliberately explored you. He wasn’t awkward about it like every other dude who’d been in your pants. He didn’t stab at your cunt as though he’d miraculously grown a jackhammer for a hand.

Nope. He took his time, slow and steady. He noted the angles and ridges that made you moan. And when he found that perfect spot, the spot that made you curse far louder than you intended, he stayed right there. There was no in and out anymore, no poking or prodding. Once he found it, his touch shifted from up/down and in/out to side to side. You came unfuckingglued. All ten fingers dug into hard flesh. You all but leapt into his arms as he rubbed at your tight bundle of electric nerves from the inside. And the more you responded, the faster he went.

“There’s nobody here, kid. Let’s hear it.”

You couldn’t have swallowed the cries for every dollar your dad invested in this huge-ass house. Your hips bucked against Adam’s expert manhandling, chasing that elusive sort of orgasm you can only get from someone else. Closer and closer it crept. Tighter and tighter you wound. From you knew not where, you found your voice, though it was scratchy and broken.

“D-don’t stop un-until I sh-sh-shake.”

His dark brow lifted, but he didn’t argue. It was a thing hardly anybody knew (because hardly anybody could fucking deliver), but a great orgasm, a really fantastic one, made you shake. Not tremble. Not wiggle. A full-body, clack your teeth kind of shake. On another day, you’d have been embarrassed to tell him that, but you watched determination change his face from amused and entertained to keenly interested. His efforts inside your cunt multiplied until you went rigid. He wanted to see it, clearly, but more than that, you wanted it, salivated for it. Right here on the cusp, you didn’t care that it would happen at his hands.

With your head tipped back, eyes screwed shut, and mouth agape, that hot-wet bud of ecstasy finally bloomed, and you wailed. It was electric, shooting sparks into your fingertips, but somehow, in the very middle of it, both of your hands wrapped around his wrist on the off chance he’d stop right at the best part, which they all did, but Adam only chuckled and carried right on fucking you stupid with nothing but two fingers.

Vulgar sounds squelched out around his fingers to accompany the vulgar things he whispered in your ear. Dirty girl with your pants around your ankles. Are you always this easy? Who’s the best big brother ever? Your pussy gushed; your ears rang. You rode his fingers like a champion, reveling in the quake and the rag-doll rattling of your insides.

The whole thing was indecent, fit for film, really.

~

Don’t fuck this up. Don’t fuck this up. You cannot fuck her tonight. Do not fuck this up.

Long game. Long game. Long game.

You fell back against the door, wincing when he extricated his fingers. He wanted to wrap himself around you and keep pushing, but he held back. This was a delicate operation, and straying too much to either side would fuck it all up. You’d either blow up at him and feel like he actually assaulted you, or you’d never speak to him again. Neither was a winning scenario. Tamping down his near-manic need to taste you, he gently traced your lips with his gummy fingers until you opened your eyes.

“That was some show, kid.”

Confusion crinkled the corners of your eyes, and he nuzzled your chin, matching the fire in your cheek with his own. He understood. His proposal wasn’t normal, and how much you’d obviously enjoyed it probably had you all up in your feelings. Hovering his mouth above yours, so close he could feel your breath, he fought himself over whether you needed to be kissed.

But when you lifted ever so slightly onto your toes, seeking it out, he clenched his jaw hard and fought the urge to fuck you right here on the floor. Somehow, he kept his shit together, and he thought certainly he deserved a goddamn medal for valor. He pushed away and veered you towards the stairs.

“Time to go, little sister. It’s past your bedtime.”

~

For a week, Adam cornered you at least once a day to stuff your pussy full of his thick fingers and make you beg. After that first time, he knew exactly how to play you, and he delighted in drawing it out until you pleaded for him to make you cum. You’d mistakenly said his name during your second encounter, and now, he wouldn’t come anywhere near the things that made you shake without hearing it.

You never considered yourself the begging type, but it turns out that when someone knows precisely the way to touch you and the exact right way to make you scream as you climax, begging becomes much more palatable. It also turns out that whether Jim and Carly were home didn’t make a single bit of difference because when Adam texted you his offer from across the kitchen table, you ran after him like the house was on fire.

That’s how you wound up here, sitting on the edge of Adam’s desk, naked as the day you were born, legs spread obscenely wide and panties crammed in your mouth to keep you muffled if not quiet. With one hand deftly driving into your messy cunt and one wrapped around your hip to coax it into a rocking motion, he all but pulverized your sanity. Up was down, left was right, and “brother” was just another fucking word. As you inched higher and higher up climax mountain, you rationalized you weren’t really doing anything wrong. He’d never fucked you in any other way than this. He wasn’t a real brother, either. There was nothing wrong with a little fun, right? Sure, it was strange, but when he… fuck when he hit that spot right… right there… your brain went…

“You should let me fuck you,” he murmured against your throat, a throwback to what started all this.

It crackled in your prefrontal cortex, and you pushed at his bare chest, babbling incoherently because part of you thought it was the worst idea ever, and part of you thought it would be the best fucking thing in the history of ever. They argued with each other behind your eyes. That was too far. Wasn’t it? But it would feel so good. You couldn’t, possibly. Right? Sure, you could. Twice on Sunday, even. Surely, he had plenty of other options. Didn’t he? Who fucking cares?

“Just a little, kid. I’ve made it good for you, yeah? Just the tip.”

Your thoughts on the matter were irrelevant, it seemed, because the clink of his buckle launched you into a panic. You tried to escape his grip by leaning back, but he clenched his arm around your back, making escape impossible. Struggling to keep calm, you realized it felt ridiculous and performative to panic because you splayed across his desk like you were posing for his calendar. You gawked at him, eyes shining with something you couldn’t quite pin down because processing that your step-brother was about to put any part of his dick inside you was overwhelming. This was too much, too forbidden.

“Now, don’t look at me like that.” He rubbed soothing circles into your ribcage and stepped in. You felt the weight of a cock you’d never seen laying against your swollen pussy, eliciting a low groan. “Only for a minute. Stay right there; don’t move.”

And then, there it was. The round head of Adam’s cock slowly breached your body’s sticky barrier and scrambled your senses. Tears formed. Your chest heaved - because you wanted him to ravage you, to fuck you dumb and blind, but you just couldn’t. Right?

Maybe your inner monologue wasn’t so silent. Or maybe he read your mind. Something changed, though, from “just the tip” to an iron grip and his right hand over your gagged mouth as he snapped his hips and slid all the way home.

~

Adam expected you to shout, to have an outright tantrum and draw far too much attention to the situation. Instead, you shuddered against him the way you did when you came all over his fingers - not as hard but definitely unmistakable.

“That’s it. S’good cock, isn’t it? Told you you’d like it.”

Testing the waters, he withdrew about halfway and slowly pushed in again, absolutely loving the way you moaned in response. He’d nearly cum in his pants when you let him shove your panties into your mouth, and whenever he looked at you still gritting your teeth into them, his dick throbbed. With no firm objection, he unwound from his caging stance and took proper hold of your perfect, meaty ass. He scooted you closer to the edge of his desk, damn near falling off, so he could get his demanding dick inside you from tip to root right fucking now.

~

Adam’s cock was fat. There was no other way to describe it. He filled you up so completely you couldn’t even blink. The slide of his girth against your insides was dizzyingly good, and all you could do was cling to his shoulders.

And when he started talking? That dirty way with that sexy-ass voice?

It fucked you all the way up.

The things he said to you, too, differed from the things you’d heard him say to his hook-ups. They were filthy sluts, not even worthy to come over in the daylight, just a hole for him to get off to. You were his dirty little sister, though, weren’t you? Too cock-drunk to even say no to big brother. You loved his fat cock, didn’t you? You’d let him fuck you whenever he wanted, wouldn’t you?

You were positively, expertly, no two ways about it done for.

Like a dick-addled fool, you nodded along with all of it. You’d say whatever he wanted as long as he kept packing more and more of his missile cock into your aching cunt. Maybe that’s what you wanted - to be reduced to an object, a fuckdoll sister he’d turn inside out at his whim with no recourse to say no. When that idea took hold, you vibrated against him. You generally didn’t orgasm from penetration alone, but by sheer size, Adam rubbed at every single one of your spongy triggers with each stroke. Coupled with the downright pornographic thoughts in your fucked-out head, you whined like a petulant child, overcome by the effort it took to keep quiet, to keep yourself coherent.

“What the fuck is going on here?”

Your eyes flew open, tracking the voice to its owner, who leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over a very familiar broad chest. You burned from ears to toes, knowing this looked exactly like what it was, and there was no pretending it was anything else. Even worse, your deviant fantasy abruptly shifted to include these extra details - wind-faded jeans, threadbare gray cotton shirt bleached by the sun, and a brush of red across a nose and cheekbones matching those you'd looked up at for days. He was a carbon copy of the man currently demolishing your boundaries by burying himself to the hilt in your body.

Ben, Adam’s twin, the wayward son, had finally home from his camping trip to the desert.

~

Adam nestled his face in your neck to hide his smugness. He knew his brother would be home today, and he timed everything around the fact Ben said he’d be here early afternoon. Edging you was a cake-walk. He’d been practicing all week, and when he saw the text asking if he needed anything from their favorite pizza place, he knew how much time he had to get you right and ready so Ben would find you well and truly empty-headed and sexed out. 

Ben wasn’t sold on having you. He half liked the idea, but he thought it was more trouble than it would be worth. More than once, though, Adam caught him lazily stroking himself while watching you run down the beach or sunbathe by the pool. It would only take a nudge to get his brother fully invested. Adam played the moment, and specifically you, perfectly, and holy shit if this wasn’t one for the books. You and your round eyes, searching for an explanation that would make sense of why he was balls deep in your tight cunt on a Saturday afternoon.

“Someone’s been a bad girl,” he said to his brother, licking a stripe across your thundering pulse. “What do you think, bad girl, wanna show Ben how you shake?”

~

You sobbed. There was nothing for it because Adam’s cock never stopped. His brother’s presence in the room didn’t faze him one bit, and it took a full minute for you to realize it was some of that twin bullshit you were always on them about. Of course they’d seen each other fucking. They probably fucked lots of people together. You bristled with humiliation because it was obvious Adam set this up, but your pussy, smart bitch, clutched at his every thrust, considerably more so when he asked you such a depraved thing.

Meeker than you intended, you nodded because yes, you did, in fact, want to show Ben how you came. 

Adam shifted his weight, pulling out of your sloppy cunt for only the time it took to put your feet on the floor and turn you to face Ben. He hummed as he grabbed your hips, pulled you back against his body, and let his cock find his target. Your head dropped on a moan as he filled you back up because it was even better this way. You had surer footing, could brace yourself on the desk’s corner, and didn’t have to concentrate on not falling. Using fistfuls of your hips as leverage, Adam crashed into you, sending jolts throughout your already overstimulated body. It was glorious.

And then, Ben’s boots came into your line of sight, followed swiftly by his muscular hand around your throat, silver rings cool against your heated flesh. You tracked beauty mark to beauty mark, wondering when the constellations kissed his cheeks. You should have been mortified. Ben finding you here with Adam should have struck you dead there and then, but it only emboldened you because his eyes weren’t full of judgment. He wasn’t disgusted by what he saw. His honey-gold gaze, laced with hunger, burned into you possessively. He held you by the neck, the strength of his grip waxing and waning in time to your heartbeat, while his brother plowed you from behind. When his voice wiggled its way into your ear, your knees nearly buckled. Adam’s was clear but devious, which made his filthy quips more surprising because they were hard to expect. Ben talked very little. His voice, which you didn’t truly appreciate until this moment, was rough and low, like his very voice box was calloused.

“Is this the first time he’s fucked you?”

You whimpered, eyes drifting shut until you felt a rough tap at your cheek. His face, all furrowed brows and licked lips, telegraphed that next time, he’d slap you proper. Pushing yourself to stare straight into his eyes - it was like looking into the sun - you nodded again, feeling every bit of your desire dribble down your legs because one brother was great, but two was immaculate.

“Is this the last time he’ll fuck you?”

Your guts clenched, and you reached out to stabilize yourself by laying both hands on Ben’s chest, which you already understood was only because he allowed it. Without a second thought, eager even, you shook your head. You’d reached the point where you’d let him - no them - do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted it because holy goddamn.

Adam chose this moment to increase the speed with which he fucked you into oblivion. His hips slapped against yours, hands clamping down onto your shoulders for better leverage. Your eyes crossed, and you nearly swallowed your gag. With one hand on Ben, you reached up to grip Adam’s fingers, anchoring yourself between the two of them. They were your literal rock and a hard place, and they worked in tandem to drive you thoroughly crazy. Ben’s hand slipped between your legs, fingers finding your slippery clit. You howled, spine waking up to tingle and dance. 

“Fuck, there it is,” Adam groaned behind you. 

What else could you do but give him what he wanted?

~

His brother had told him about the way you shook when you orgasmed, and he really had thought nothing of it. Most people did that, didn’t they? If you did the job right, there was always a tremor in the legs, a wobble in the walk.

Ben was not prepared for the way you shook when you came.

For a second, he thought you were about to have a seizure, but he watched your face smooth out in pleasure, watched your lips turn up at the very corners, and he was flat out shocked by what he’d just witnessed. 

You loved it. Loved being fucked. Loved coming so undone your mind stopped working. For him, it was the way you smiled as you came. The shaking was stunning, of course, but nobody he’d ever fucked before had goddamn smiled - beamed! - through their climax. It was truly the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.

And then he grinned like the devil himself because fucking hell…

“You’re fucked, little sister. You know that?” 

He scooped some of your slick onto his finger and popped it in his mouth. Shit, you even tasted like candy.

“Well and truly fucked.”

[cyberrat]

72nd Batch Of Fics: 6th Fill

Hanzo/Cassidy – Rough and Tumble AU – Part 9 – cont B67F6 – premature ejaculation – Cole is still fighting with that pesky premature ejaculation problem he's got :')

---

Hanzo throws a leg over Cole’s hips, hands pushing down against his hairy chest. His usual lovers are all nice and shaved but there is something that always stays his tongue when he is about to order Cassidy to go and do the same.

He curls his fingers slightly, pinching the crips hairs between his fingers and pulling until he sees tears shooting into Cole’s eyes. He hisses and shifts a little beneath Hanzo… but other than that he stays nice and put.

Here, at least, his training is showing through.

His Adam’s Apple bobs as he swallows thickly, staring up at his sugar daddy in anticipation of his order, though he must already know what Hanzo wants of him.

“You will not come until I tell you to,” Hanzo says in a low voice. He reaches behind himself with one hand, briefly searching for his stud’s cock. It is big and warm and practically leaps into his palm. He holds it still while he drags his ass crack along the shaft.

Hanzo can feel it flexing in his grip, throbbing nice and slow in time with the heartbeat he can feel against his palm.

“Do you understand? I am sick of your pitiful little demonstrations of your… stamina.” The last he says with enough disdain to have Cole shift again, his cheeks becoming ruddy red beneath his unkempt beard. His lovely dark eyes shift to the side but he hisses and looks back up at Hanzo when he once again gets his chest hair tugged on.

“Yes, Sir,” he rasps obediently.

Hanzo can feel a fat droplet of moisture against the sensitive inside of his wrist. He lifts one brow, staring down at Cole in challenge as he slowly lifts on his knees and situates his cock against his loose hole, wet with lubricant.

He arches his back and positions himself before slowly letting himself slide down on Cole’s cock. It’s big and warm and feels absolutely perfect inside him. He’s already addicted to this idiot mutt’s dick… if only he would finally learn to properly use it.

Hanzo is not overly fond of sitting on him; he rather likes to spread is legs and let his studs do all the work; but the last few times he’s let Cole have a go at him, he pumped his load so ridiculously fast that he thinks this might be better after all.

Even though he doesn’t sound like it. He already whines like a puppy, briefly gripping at Hanzo’s legs before quickly letting go again.

No roughhousing and leaving marks.

Hanzo enjoys the feeling of fullness for a moment or two, just breathing through it and trying to find a position for his legs that will let him ride Cassidy for a bit before his muscles start cramping.

It doesn’t really help. He’s only gotten in a few slow, delicious drags up and down when the mutt already starts to beg.

“Uh… S-Sir? Sir, please- I… I’m aboutta-” Cole’s lovely deep voice has crawled up an octave or two. There’s a tremble of absolute desperation in it, his brown eyes huge and panicky.

Hanzo’s hand shoots down, grabbing a hold of the young stud’s shaggy beard to pull on his head. “You won’t!” he gasps, insides clenching down on the juicy young man cock he’s riding. His whole body is primed for release itself. “You won’t! Not yet!”

He rides faster, harder, desperate to get his own release before Cole has a chance to disappoint him again and pump out his gooey, warm load before Hanzo.

Cole wheezes. It kind of sounds like a sob which Hanzo definitely likes. Gets him far closer to his own release, in any case. He does not mean to keep his claw-like grasp on the young man’s beard but he holds on either way. He is too focused on his own body; the burn in his thighs as he desperately pumps his body up and down, fucking himself on the stud cock.

Determined to carve an orgasm out for himself before Cole has a chance to ruin everything again. No matter how mean he is playing with him over and over again, the hairy idiot finds a way to disappoint Hanzo all over again…

(Not that he isn’t flattered by just how hot and horny Cole is for him. How obviously the idiot is head over heels for this older, distinguished gentleman and the abuse he can dish out for him. It might be the only reason that he keeps him around in the first place.)

Cole’s wheezing becomes whimpering. Against his orders, he grabs Hanzo, his big hands warm on his master’s thighs, fingertips digging into his muscles. Oh, he will put bruises on Hanzo’s flawless skin.

This mutt…

“Sir please- Fuck- your pussy feels so damn good-” He shifts, nearly toppling Hanzo as he digs his heels into the bed and lifts his knees behind him.

Hanzo’s eyes flare, his hand immediately tightening on Cole’s beard, pulling on it until he sees his face lightly twisting in pain. “Don’t!” he hisses at him. But those pretty brown eyes are looking at him in apology.

They both know what will happen now. That Cole can stop it just as little as Hanzo can as his hands slip from Hanzo’s thighs up to his hips, holding on to him tight and pumping his hips up to meet him.

Hanzo grits his teeth, closing his eyes, trying to let the feeling of this unruly hooligan so easily manhandling him push him over the edge himself… but no. No, his annoyance over the lack of discipline wins out and his orgasm slides back into some murky depths while his hole gets used by Cole as if the mutt had any right to it.

He grunts with the effort of snapping his hips up once, twice, thrice – his fat cock drilling into Hanzo deeper even than he had been able to do sitting on those wide, sturdy hips.

Cole sounds absolutely too triumphant when he pushes up and into Hanzo one last time, his back arched and his head thrown back because all Hanzo can do at this point is to brace himself on the young man’s hairy chest and hold on so he wouldn’t get thrown off like a ragdoll.

He can feel that fat young cock flexing inside him, twitching in the desperate clench of Hanzo’s intestines before pulsing out his thick, nasty load. Hanzo wonders if it is his cum that he can feel spreading inside his tummy, hot and gooey, or whether it is his own anger over having been stolen his own orgasm just before the goal yet again.

This… absolutely won’t do. Hanzo digs his nails into Cassidy’s chest until the pain pulls him somewhat out of his orgasmic daze.

His pupils are blown so wide, there’s only a thin ring of whiskey brown around them. He looks up at Hanzo, his face still slack for a moment until his brain starts to kick into gear and his mouth opens, then closes again.

At least he has the grace of looking embarrassed as he glances away.

But this time… Hanzo won’t just leave it at scolding and ridiculing him.

[cognacdelights]

fluorescent adolescent [7]

the romantic tirades of indie routledge series masterlist

my outer banks masterlist

add yourself to my taglist

fluorescent adolescent by arctic monkeys 

summary: angry and upset at the way she was treated, indie gets her revenge on an oblivious jj. however, not before she gets the release her touch-starved body has been craving in his absence. 

warnings: sexual content. dirty talk. public sex. underage drinking. angst. swearing.

There weren’t many skills in life that Indie Routledge had mastered; she was considered by most as a give-it-a-go kind of girl. Well, that was until it came to math, as Pope Heyward had come to realise after attempting to explain algebraic equations to her. Let’s just say, Indie thought of algebra as more of a foreign language, rather than a sub-branch of math. Cheerleading during her freshman year faired far better - motivation-wise, at least. The brief, three week period in which Indie had somehow made it onto Kildare County High’s award-winning cheerleading team had been plagued with a plethora of slips, trips and falls. A sprained ankle - and a broken nose on Thalia Ramos’ part - had swiftly ended the young Routledge girl’s career as a flyer. However, her career as an electric guitarist, not-so-astonishingly, was even shorter. After two weeks of out-of-tune strumming and accompanying tone deaf vocals, Big John had gently suggested that she retire from the demanding world of rock and roll and had promptly sold the guitar to a friend of a friend; not to mention, Wonderwall was banned from the Routledge household for the foreseeable.

However, there was one thing that she had come to master during her fifteen trouble-filled years on this godforsaken planet - besides raising absolute hell for her at-a-loss brother. Grudges. Indie Routledge could hold a grudge longer, and harder, than the best of them. There was no escaping the feisty, sharp-tongued hellcat’s wrath once you had entered into the notorious realms of her bad side. From the intense, acrimonious death glares, to the caustic, bitter snipes of her venomous tongue, to the suffocating quiet of her silent treatment; you would bare witness to it all, as the insufferably oblivious JJ Maybank had come to find out the hard way.

As his bare, sun-soaked shoulders leant against the cushioned back of the bench, he peeled the sweat-ridden skin of his thighs from the scolding leather and rested his hips nonchalantly on the edge of the seat. He brought the freshly-opened can of beer up to his lips - taking a long and generous sip - as the scorching, mid-day sun beat down above him. The reflective lenses of his off-brand sunglasses covered his murky, cobalt eyes, allowing him to shamelessly devour her curvaceous silhouette from the opposite side of the deck. His tongue dragged lazily along the chapped ridges of his bottom lip as her dainty fingertips bunched around the faded, stone-washed fabric of her over-sized t-shirt, pulling the garment up and over her tousled top-knot.

“Dude,” Pope’s reprimanding voice attempted to pull the shaggy-haired blonde from his hormone-induced trance, accompanied by an abrupt slap against his shoulder, “he’d kill you if he saw you looking at Indie like that.” Despite his quite adamant disapproval, the usually soft-spoken boy couldn’t resist taking a swift glance in Indie’s direction; the ruched, ivory bikini - which only just covered her most intimate of areas - was a stark contrast against her bronzed, olive-toned complexion, that glistened celestially under the Mid-Atlantic sun. She was utterly a sight to behold, and that fact was undeniable - no matter who you were to John B.

“I’m just admiring the scenery,” JJ responded somewhat casually, an air of dismissiveness present within his gravelly tone. However, whilst the blasé words that so effortlessly rolled off his tongue indicated one thing, his inconspicuous eyes suggested another; behind the over-sized, reflective glasses, his cerulean orbs were drinking in her scandalously-clad, slender figure and indulging themselves in all of her glorious liberties. His searing gaze fixated on her cleavage, refusing to relent as she obliviously leant forwards in an attempt to reach the tanning oil - the thin fabric of her bikini shifting ever so slightly to expose even more of her chest to him. A haughty, brazen smirk tugged briefly at the corners of his lips as he revelled in the sight before him; whilst Indie merely sported B cups, her boobs were delightfully perky and the two spear-headed, titanium bars which penetrated either side of her taut, rosy nipples were a definite turn on for him.

Leisurely regaining her posture, she adjusted the loosely-tied string of her bikini top, which had slipped uncomfortably high up her back. The lackadaisical movements allowed her to flaunt the perfect amount of sun-kissed side boob, and showcase the heart-shaped, do-it-yourself stick and poke tattoo that had been drunkenly carved into the left side of her rib cage. A lustful moan vigorously clawed at the back of JJ’s throat, desperate to surpass his beer-soaked lips and resonate through the salt-laced, open-ocean air. He suppressed the ungodly groan with a subtle cough as his hazy, indigo eyes continued to follow her cleavage - her love-marked breasts bouncing ever so slightly with each sprightly step she made towards him. 

“Will you?” the sultry melody of Indie’s voice diverted Pope’s rigid gaze from the calm, distant waves of the horizon. His deep umber eyes swiftly fell upon the half-empty bottle of tanning oil, which she had half-heartedly thrust in his general direction - purposefully avoiding her barely-clothed silhouette at all costs. He would be downright lying to himself if he refused to admit that she was a radiantly beautiful temptress, and that the odd inappropriate thought hadn’t grudgingly crept it’s way into his typically innocent mind on occasion, but he knew it was wrong on so many levels; if he existed in the Garden of Eden, then Indie Routledge was the forbidden fruit that devilishly taunted him from the evergreen trees above. She was his best friend’s little sister, after all. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he admitted solemnly, bringing his almost-empty can of tepid beer to his lips. Once again, his cautious, mocha eyes concentrated on anywhere but her exposed physique as they peered above the metal rim, settling on her luminous, cinnamon orbs out of safety. Indie’s signature pout painted her olive complexion as her neatly-plucked eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Pope stared back at her with a deadpan expression - as if it were completely obvious as to why he refused to place his sinless hands on her sun-drenched, bikini-clad body. 

Outstretching his upturned palm, JJ interjected their conversation with a nonchalant offer, “give it here.” Indie was forced to finally acknowledge his presence after a prolonged period of subjecting him to her soul-crushing silent treatment, eventually allowing her mahogany eyes to fall upon his relaxed, shirtless silhouette as a sour scowl contorted her doll-like features. Her cold, impassive gaze trailed along the toned lengths of his athletic body as she silently mulled over her next move. She so desperately wanted to stand her ground with him, however a subtle arching upwards of his untamed eyebrow saw her reluctantly caving in to his demands with a defeated exhale. 

“Just know that you were the last resort,” her vicious tongue sniped with it’s venom-laced words, as she forcefully placed the tanning oil down in his hand - the grease-coated bottle slapping loudly against his calloused palm on impact. 

Pope let out a rapid breath of air in the form of an uncomfortable whistle tone before standing from the scorching, leather seat, “I’ll leave you two to it then.” His bare feet padded against the blistering fibreglass decking at an increasing pace, cautious not to burn the already sensitive skin of the undersides of his feet, as he approached the similarly scolding ladder. Wisely, he opted to launch his sculpted, over-heating body into the sweet, frigid relief of the open waters, instead of slowly and painfully descending down the fire-like steps. 

In a sanctimonious display, Indie swiftly swivelled on the heels of her feet, leaving the teal-eyed boy with the glorious sight of her voluptuously pert ass. The corners of his upper lip twitched ever so slightly - a satisfied smirk creeping across his chiselled, stubble-lined features for a fleeting moment as he insolently admired the sight before him. She, however, stared out into the distant waves, observing intently as the remaining pogues frolicked carelessly around in the placid waves.

His audacious fingertips took it upon themselves to curl beneath the double-knotted ties of her bikini bottoms, inching her hour-glass figure ever close to him until he could feel the smooth lengths of her sun-kissed legs against his. The warm palms of his hands wandered the short distance to her voluptuous hips, applying a gentle touch of pressure to guide her petite frame into his welcoming lap; his ring-cladded hands carrying a certain authoritative and domineering contingence that Indie simply couldn’t ignore.

With his paw-like palms coated in a generous amount of tanning oil, JJ began tenderly caressing the dainty, sun-kissed broads of her shoulders - his masterful thumbs massaging the coconut-scented product into her skin in soothing circles. Indie’s incandescent eyes fluttered closed as her tense, aching muscles reluctantly relaxed under his delicate fingertips, an almost inaudible moan of satisfaction slipping out from between her slightly parted lips. Seven painfully long days and pining-filled nights had passed since she had last felt the invigorating touch of his fingertips against her searing skin, and the mere, innocent gesture of him rubbing in her tanning oil was slowly - but surely - beginning to douse the week-long, burning rage which she had directed towards him. 

“You like that, hmm?” he hummed imperiously, his tone low and gravelly as his thin lips grazed ever so lightly against the soft skin of her neck with each spoken word. Her slender arms pricked with goosebumps - almost as if on cue - as she felt the faint scruffs of his stubble tickle against her exposed collarbone, and his taunting lips curl upwards into a haughty, satisfied smirk. In truth be told, JJ Maybank had missed their secret, intimate rendezvous; he longed for the subtle hint of watermelon that lingered on her plump, luscious lips and hankered for the euphoric sensation of her tight, dripping pussy clenching around his painfully hard dick once more.

“I’d like it a lot better if you shut up,” Indie spat with a sour tongue. 

“Hey, watch the mouth, madam, before I put it to good use,” JJ responded with a playful warning, mistaking her seething snipes as her infamous, satire-laced flirting. The smug smile which had painted itself across his defined, rosy-tinged features grew ever so slightly, as the mischievous tips of his stubby fingers toyed with the loosely-tied knot of her bikini top. Teasingly, he pulled the thin, ivory band towards him before abruptly letting go - allowing the lax elastic to snap somewhat gently against her spine; of course, it wasn’t anything too rigorous, just a little something to capture and secure her attention.

“Try it, I dare you,” her dark, mahogany eyes peered upwards at the taller, shaggy-haired blonde, the back of her head resting comfortably against the brawny muscles of his squared-off shoulder, “I’m in a biting mood.” His murky, indigo eyes met with hers as his wandering palms slipped casually beneath the double-knotted tie and continued to carefully massage the sweet-smelling oil into her beautifully bronzed skin in effortless, gentle, circular motions. She was facing a real confliction of emotions in that moment; the insolent smirk which, not so graciously, graced his sunburnt complexion fanned the flames of her hurt-fuelled hatred towards him - however, the way his masterful hands tenderly caressed her back doused the fire just as rapidly. 

“Mhmm, there’s that attitude that I love so much,” JJ countered her fiery quip with a lighthearted chuckle. His beer-stained lips placed several sloppy kisses into her tamed, chestnut tangles as he allowed his free-spirited hands to dauntlessly inch around her front. Indie’s gaze dropped - suddenly - to the two bear-like palms that had brazenly slithered beneath the thin, ruched material and cupped both her petite, bouncing breasts in a domineering hold. His audacious hands were pleasantly warm as they sensually fondled her cleavage - his masterful thumbs working every inch of her hickey-littered skin as heavy, jagged breaths surpassed her chapstick-coated lips. A quiet, lascivious whine echoed between them as his gentle fingertips toyed with her nipple piercing, twirling the titanium rods around in a painfully slow motion. 

“The only thing you love is the sound-” Indie’s vindictive words were crudely interrupted by an elated gasp forcing it’s way out from the depths of her throat, as his mischievous fingers flicked against her hardened nipple. Frustrated by his teasing touches, she sunk her two front teeth into the rose-tinted flesh of her bottom lip in a desperate bid to discourage the searing, sensuous heat that was promptly building between her sun-soaked thighs. 

“What was that, Squirt?” his taunting, husky voice questioned. Her terracotta eyes had focused themselves on the frayed, princess-printed beach towel that laid flat against the opposing, leather cushions, but she just knew from the blatant mocking in his inflections that an overbearing, pompous beam had plastered itself across stubble-lined features. This only enraged the dainty, sour-tongued virago further. 

“The only thing you-” she began again, her tone significantly lower, resembling more of a resentful and infuriated growl. However, her malicious words were once again disrupted by a second high-pitched, pleasure-filled gasp as the calloused tip of his thumb flicked against her excited nipple once again and his sumptuous, massaging motions became increasingly more rigorous. As valiant as they were, her efforts to smother the lustful heat emanating from between her now clamped together thighs were futile - as her scant bikini bottoms dampened with desire. 

Feeling the drenched material clinging against the exposed skin of this muscular thighs, JJ’s audacious fingertips retreated from the comforting shelter of her bikini top. Painstakingly slow and ever so lightly, he traced the concave outline of her hour-glass figure until he reached the soaking wet haven of her bikini bottoms. His chapped, beer-laced lips found a sweet spot nestled within the crook of her neck and began their salacious assault, as his work-worn palms allowed themselves to forcefully slip between the crack in her love-marked thighs. JJ proceeded to prise them apart with an authoritative touch of pressure, having her spread her bare, sun-drenched legs so he had full and unrestricted access to her gloriously sodden core. 

“Tell me to stop and I will,” he informed in his trademark, throaty tone - although he knew in his bones she wouldn’t; Indie Routledge had gone seven days without his tantalising, expert touch and her svelte, slightly-toned body was evidently just as touch-starved as his own. 

Slipping his ring-clad finger beneath the utterly soaked fabric of her bikini bottoms, he ran a teasing stripe along her dampened folds - drawing a long, lecherous moan from the back of her throat. His sharpened teeth grazed against the now mauve-tinged patch of skin as his thumb found her acutely sensitive bud of nerves. He worked a, gentle at first, series of figure eight motions against her swollen clit, enticing a melodic symphony of pleasure-filled purrs and whines from between her slightly parted lips. With each passing second, his masterful motions grew rougher and more abrupt. 

Pushing the juice-soaked fabric entirely to the side, he lathered both his middle and ring finger in her pearl-like nectar before thrusting them into her yearning warmth. Instinctively, Indie clamped her dainty palm across her mouth, muffling the emphatic, enraptured moans that soon followed his fast-paced thrusts. JJ abandoned his rhythmic figure eight motions as he focused solely on thrusting his fingers deep and hard into her dripping core - expertly curling them up against her delicate pleasure point. Her voluptuous hips rocked in synchronisation with his rapid momentum, the cool metal of his rings contrasting against the sweltering heat of her pussy. 

Squeezing her clouded, cinnamon eyes shut, Indie released a barrage of sinful expletives and high-pitched moans into the safety of her clasped hand. She could feel the beginnings of her much-anticipated high building in the pit of her stomach as the already tight walls of her soaking pussy contracted around his stubby fingers. With a pleased-with-himself smile still contorting his sunburnt complexion, his thumb returned to it’s previous salacious cycle of pressing rigorous circular motions against her delicate rose bud. Her lubed-up walls clamped hard around his silver signet ring and he took this as his cue to hastily retreat from her warmth. 

“Don’t you dare,” she whimpered at the sudden loss of contact - fury detectable in her strained, stringent tone. A low, tormenting laugh vibrated from the depths of his vocal chords as he nectar-drenched fingers drew cursive patterns against her inner thighs. 

Minutes dragged by as his hazy, teal eyes watched her heaving chest regain it’s gentle composure, before plunging his two long and stubby fingers back into the depths of her still soaking core. Indie’s head subconsciously threw itself backwards - resting against the burly broads of his shoulders - as his pace quickened with each vigorous thrust. JJ’s calloused thumb found her swollen clit once more, reprising his previous cycle of sensuous figure eight motions alongside his momentous thrusts. Salacious moans continued to spill from between her chapstick-coated lips as she allowed his free hand to guide her seductive curves into a synchronised rocking - forcibly meeting against the juice-soaked balls of his knuckles. Once again, the rigid clamping of her core’s warm and nectar-stained walls around his masterful fingers triggered JJ’s hasty retreat - still sporting the imperious smirk which Indie had come to loathe with a searing passion. 

“I hate you,” she spat, overwhelmingly frustrated. Taking charge of the unfolding situation, Indie’s lavender-painted fingertips tensed around his bracelet-clad wrist - dragging his loosely clenched fist back between the hickey-painted plains of her inner thighs. 

“If you hate me, you wouldn’t want me doing this, would you?” his gravelly, sardonic tone tormented as his juice-stained fingers found themselves thrusting themselves vigorously back into the warm depths of her forbidden fruit. With great difficulty, she suppressed the raucous whines and elated moans which clawed desperately at the back of her throat as she indulged herself in the lascivious contact between them. Several sloppy, rigid plunges had her yearning, touch-starved centre clenching tightly around his fist for a third time. JJ - once again - attempted to deny the cinnamon-haired hellcat her release; however, her juice-stained thighs reacted much quicker than he could and clamped themselves together - trapping his teasing fingers within her sodden core. She was desperate for a release. 

“Alright, you win, pretty girl,” JJ cooed into her ear, a deep laugh resonating through the salt-laced, mid-ocean air. Cautiously, her thighs relaxed their rigid hold around his bruised-covered fist and allowed his dauntless fingertips to ease back into their fast-paced thrusts. Within seconds, Indie was bordering on the edge of her orgasm for a fourth time; her hankering walls fell into a desirous cycle of clenching and un-clenching around his juice-covered knuckles in anticipation of the euphoric high she had been craving all week and her lecherous whines filled the oppressive, muggy air surrounding them. One set of ballerina-shaped fingernails dug themselves into the burly flesh of his thigh as the other carelessly sunk into the clammy palm of her hand - her dainty fist contracted into a tight ball as she bit down into the tanning-oil-covered flesh in a successful attempt to silence her pleasure-filled screams. 

“Fuck, I wanna feel that tight pussy clenching around my dick so bad,” the shaggy-haired blonde let out a carnal groan - his chapped lips capturing hers in a steamy, lascivious kiss. Everything about their raunchy embrace was sloppy, needy and unchaste as his large, sweat-riddled palms guided her enticing hips so that they faced his. Her petite knees sat either side of his shirtless, athletic silhouette - trapping him beneath her aching, eager pussy. 

“Mhmm?” Indie taunted with a sultry hum, her plump, luscious lips remaining in a salacious synchrony with his. Grinding her nectar-soaked heat against the very tip of his hardened dick, she felt his pulsing length continuing to grow as it strained uncomfortably against the unforgiving fabric of his swim shorts. Her desperate fingertips combed through the tousled waves of his fair locks, tugging carelessly on the straw-like ends. 

“Mhmm,” JJ struggled to responded, his hormone-focused brain transfixed on the euphoric sensation of her damp, clothed pussy rubbing against his dick. 

“Too bad, pretty boy,” she purred against her earlobe, her tone swiftly transforming from one thick with desire and lust to one laced with bitterness and revulsion, “you better sort yourself out before John B sees.” Adapting his harsh words from the previous week, she spoke with the same causticity and sourness - completely removing her scandalously-clad figure from his yearning grasp. An acidic scowl contorted her bronzed, doll-like features as her darkened, sorrel eyes bore into his unphased.

“What the fuck?” he questioned with an un-amused groan, completely perplexed by her abruptly sudden turn of mood. His still cum-drenched hand reached out to coil around her dainty wrist and coax her back into his welcoming lap - however, as his ring-cladded fingertips clasped onto her, she snatched herself from his grasp with a cold and impassive stare. “What is the matter with you, huh?” his now highly-frustrated tone pushed for anything resembling an explanation, “you’ve been one hell of a bitch all week and it’s wearing pretty fucking thin, India.”

“Did you just call me-” the utter shock of his use of her government name stopped her from finishing her exclamation - the venom-filled, rage-fuelled words getting caught in the back of her throat. Her bare, exposed chest heaved with jagged breaths as she struggled to contain her anger; JJ Maybank had never - not once - ever referred to her as India in the eight years that he had known her, until now. Indie’s cheeks flushed an enraged rouge, as did the tops of her ears, as she finally reached her boiling point. “Do you know what, Jesse James? You’re a real piece of shit. Fuck you, and your one inch wonder. I’m done with you and whatever this is.”

“This,” JJ gestured between the two of them with his forefinger, “isn’t anything. You’re just a smart-mouthed little girl seeking out attention that she can’t handle, and I’m not fucking entertaining it anymore.”

Taglist: @bellaguarneri @spilledtee @outrbanks @ilovejjmaybank @outerbxmalia @parkerpetertingle @jjouterbanks @summerintheobx @poguelifesurfshop @o-b-x @maybanksmalfoy @pogue-writings @milamaybank @heypopemain @wtfstarkey @trinnwazheree @corebore123 @sarcasticsagittarius1998 @queenniccimicci @maybankslut @jiaraendgame @starlightstarkey @abbiesthings @dannii-li @tempestuousjj @abbiesthings @stfukie @diverrdown @curlybrownhairedboys @joshy-obx @jjmaybankx @fanofmany @jjtheangel​ @obxlife @tangledinsparkles @jayjaymaebank @linctaviaxbellarke @rafecamerondeservesbetter @belledutchess @tembo-ndoto @girlsru1eboysdroo1 @secretmoonphantom @lolitstiana @blindedbyyourgrace17 @rudyypankow @sunwardsss @john-shelby @angelicbabybutterfly​ @kamcrazy123​ 

[ashintheairlikesnow]

would love to see the first time chris and kauri are introduced and how they become closer!!

CW: Vague references to past dubcon/noncon, vague references to conditioning

This is enough Kauri that I’m tagging both boys’ lists all at once:  @maybeawhumpblog, @pepperonyscience, @haro-whumps, @18-toe-beans, @burtlederp @finder-of-rings, @giggly-evil-puppy, @whimpers-and-whumpers, @moose-teeth, @whump-it, @lumpofwhump, @pumpkinthefangirl, @spiffythespook, @slaintetowhump,  @endless-whump , @whumpfigure , @stxckfxck , @astrobly, @newandfiguringitout

“He’s back,” Jake says, staring through the window towards the backyard. Chris sits up a little, frowning, looking from Nat, who gives a world-weary smile and tucks a bit of brown hair back behind her ear, to Jake, who gives an even world-wearier sigh and lets the curtain drop.

“Don’t sigh like that in front of him, you’ll scare him off,” Nat says, with a hint of affection in her voice. “You know how he is.”

“Does he know how he is?” Jake asks, and Chris wants to ask, who? But he’s not brave enough yet. All he does is curl up tighter on the couch, swathed in Jake’s big sweatshirt, swaying gently side to side, just feeling the soft fleece lining warm against his skin from the inside out. The slight brush of fabric over his bare skin feels good, gentle and soothing, so he keeps swaying, and no one tells him to stop.

He’s been waiting for them to tell him to stop for days, but each new thing - he tapped on the table, he let himself rock a little bit one morning - they don’t say stop at all. They just ask if he is okay, or needs anything, sometimes, and if he says no they act like he’s not doing it or maybe like doing it isn’t something he has to be afraid of anymore.

So today, he’s trying swaying. 

No one stops that, either.

“You don’t seem surprised,” Jake says, giving Nat a raised eyebrow. He’s got his hands in his back pockets now, where Chris would like his hands to be sometimes, but they had a talk about that and he doesn’t have to - isn’t supposed to - be good here, not like that. 

“I’m not,” Nat answers, giving Jake an impish little smile, showing a crooked tooth on one side, just slightly off compared to the others. “I got a call about three hours ago.”

From who? Chris doesn’t ask, but he wonders.

Jake huffs half-silent laughter, shaking his head. “D’you ever wonder why he keeps going back-”

“I know why.” Nat’s voice is quiet, but there’s a warning there, and Jake seems to understand what Chris doesn’t, because he nods, just slightly.

“How long ‘til he stops?”

“Hopefully he doesn’t,” Nat says, brusque now, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel as she steps out of Chris’s sight, heading for the back door. “If he stops going to him, he’ll stop coming here, too.”

“How d’you know that?” Jake asks, leaning around the corner himself. 

Chris wants to beg someone to tell him who they are talking about already, but it’s not his place. He’s only been here a little while. All he does is close his eyes and focus on the shift of the fleece over his elbow as he moves his arm, back and forth, back and forth. 

“Because if he stops coming somewhere he feels safe...” Nat says softly, almost too softly for Chris to hear. He can’t see her face and her emotions are held too deeply under her skin for the voice to mean much to him. “If he does that, Jake... that means he’s done.”

“With what?”

“Trying.”

The backdoor smacks open a second later, and Chris flinches at the sudden burst of noise, pulling his arms inside Jake’s big sweatshirt and hunching his shoulders, looking worriedly towards the kitchen, where the sound came from. 

“Kauri, it’s good to see you,” Nat says warmly, and there’s a pause. Chris closes his eyes, they are probably hugging. He has to be careful when he hugs because he doesn’t know how to not do other things, too. 

“Just here for a night or two,” A voice he doesn’t know yet says brightly. There’s a thump, and then the sound of a zipper. Chris listens with rapt attention as an odd clicking noise starts up, and then the new voice whispers something.

Footsteps. Another pause.

“Stay longer,” Jake says, softly.

“Can’t,” The new person replies, a little muffled. They’re definitely hugging. Something twists inside Chris’s chest, a hint of discomfort he doesn’t have a name for. Why are they hugging? “You know me. I’m hopeless.”

“Kauri-”

“I’m kidding, Jake. I can’t because, believe it or not, I have something to do in two days.”

“What is something, exactly?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” The man’s voice slips into effortless flirtation, and Chris feels his teeth set together a little harder than they need to. He can do that voice too, just like that. Tilt his head and look up just a little from under his eyelashes, he’s so good at that, but Jake doesn’t want that from him.

“Gonna guess that means you don’t have anything and you’re just avoiding him, huh?” Jake’s own reply is flat, and Chris fights back the urge to give a little smile, because if the man was flirting with him, it didn’t work at all.

“Okay, fine, you got me. I’m avoiding a fight.”

“One you already had, or one you’re about to have?”

“Um, kind of both.”

“Kauri, for fuck’s sake-”

“Jake. The fight was my fault, I said I was sorry, I left. Let it go. It’s fine.”

“If it was fine, you wouldn’t have left. I just want-”

“I know. And thanks. But I’m fine. When am I not fine?” 

“Kauri, when the fuck are you fine?”

The Kauri-voice laughs instead of answering, and then he comes around the corner and the first thing Chris thinks is that his voice is surprisingly deep for the skinny, shortish man who is suddenly in his view, pretty with wide blue eyes and a mess of black curls that seem to defy gravity, wearing an unzipped hoodie over a t-shirt and jeans, looking every inch like the kind of person Chris wishes so badly he could be.

Kauri sees him on the couch and stops, blinking at him. “You got a new one of us?” He asks, surprise obvious in every line of his face, his posture. 

Chris pulls himself himself a little more, lets his hair fall in front of his eyes, blurred copper to cut the new person apart into an eye, the curve of a jaw, the faded image printed on the t-shirt that looks as old as he is. 

“A new... oh, yeah.” Jake moves around behind him, comically tall compared to Kauri, and gives Chris a warm smile. “Chris, this is Kauri. He kind of comes and goes, but I promise he’s not a total ass. Kauri, this is Chris, he just got here.”

Kauri watches him with unease, and Chris stares back with real nervousness. There’s a beat of silence, and then Kauri asks, voice pitched low, “Is... is he-”

“Yeah,” Jake says, softly. “He is. We don’t know by how much.”

Kauri’s face twists, in an expression that mars the pretty face with disgust. “But-”

“I know. But here he is.”

Kauri swallows - Chris can see his Adam’s apple shift, watches him cross his arms in front of himself uncomfortably. “Looking at him... was he... he was a-”

“Yes.” Jake’s voice darkens slightly. “He was. We’re not sure for how long, or for who.” Chris wants to sink into the couch cushion at the darkness in that voice, the barely-concealed anger lacing the tone, until the floor opens up and swallows him and he sinks into the earth. 

Kauri nods, pauses, and then nods again, like he’s convincing himself of something, before he takes one step forwards and then another. “That’s kind of funny,” He says, with the tone of someone who knows what he’s about to say isn’t funny at all. “I never met another one while I was-... when I was, before. I, I mean, I met another pet... but not... never mind. Now I meet you, huh?” 

Chris leans slowly back against the couch cushions as Kauri gets closer, watching him with green eyes that follow every movement, in perfect stillness and silence. 

Except for one hand he’s pulled all the way inside his sleep, tapping with relentless speed against his own stomach, hidden from them all. Each tap against his own skin is a gentle soothe, a rush of reassurance, a reminder that he’s okay, he’s okay, he’s okay, he’s okay.

“Kauri’s safe, Chris, I promise,” Jake says, moving over to sit next to Chris on the couch, putting a hand against his back. The warm weight makes Chris feel better, cared for. Cared about. He raises his eyes to look back at Kauri as the other boy stops in front of him and then drops down into a crouch, so Chris has to look down now. “He used to be a Romantic, too.”

Chris’s lips part, slightly, and he takes in the way that Kauri moves in a whole new light, the casual grace, the way his head tilts slightly to the side as he looks at Chris, and Chris unconsciously mirrors the motion.

“I was,” Kauri says, gently. Like Chris is an animal who might spook or run if he speaks any louder than that. 

He’s not entirely wrong. Chris wants to bolt, but instead he presses himself into Jake’s side, and feels a thrill when the older man just slips an arm around him and holds on instead of pushing him away. 

“What... what, what are you, you you-you now?” Chris asks, barely breathing. 

Even living here with the other ones, it never occurred to him to think about there being an after. This new person, this Kauri, is living an after.

Kauri and Jake meet eyes, for just a second. Jake shakes his head, imperceptibly, then Kauri’s blue eyes are back on Chris’s green.

Kauri gives him a sweet, slightly one-sided smile. “Whatever the fuck I want to be,” He answers, in a low voice. “Eventually. I’m getting there. It’s taking me a while, but Nat’s patient and Jake has to do whatever she says-”

“Hey now,” Jake says in warning, humor in his tone, and the two of them share a smile, and the smile makes Chris’s chest all twisted up and strange again. He doesn’t want them to smile that way at each other. He doesn’t like it.

“Do... do you, you live here?” Chris asks, softly. 

“Nat wishes I did,” Kauri answers, then shakes his head, and Chris watches the wild curls shift and move as well, a little shaggy and overgrown. It’s the kind of hair you want to bury your hands in, Chris thinks with a strange detachment, a train that runs its own track entirely separate from the others. A darker track. A track that leads down into the everything he was ever trained to do. “But no. I don’t live anywhere.”

“Why... why not?”

Kauri blinks, as if he’s never thought of that question before. Then he just shoots Chris the same sunny smile he was giving Jake before, pops back up to his feet, and Chris feels like the moment where they saw each other is gone, and he badly wants it back. Somehow his question was the wrong one. 

“Because a place to live is just a place they don’t let you leave,” Kauri says, without looking at him, staring out the window at the sidewalk

“Kauri.” Nat, standing in the doorway, crosses her arms just under her chest and leans against the doorframe. “That’s not how it works and you know it.”

“Do I?” Kauri tries the dizzying smile on her but she doesn’t fall for it, either, only giving him the faintest little quirk of her lips. 

“Yes, Kauri. You do.”

“Hey, don’t gang up on me, now,” Kauri says, but Chris feels a sudden tension in the room, a nervousness that comes off of Kauri in waves. “I’m just meeting someone new, give me a break.” He turns back to Chris and gives him a smile, like they’re in on this together. “Right? We should talk and get to know each other.”

Nat and Jake meet eyes - why does everyone have conversations without their mouths? It’s driving Chris crazy trying to understand the things they don’t say when it’s hard enough for him to understand the things they do. He frowns, swaying a little with Jake’s arm around him, licking at his bottom lip where there’s a little chapped spot that’s been bugging him all day.

I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay.

“We’re still going to talk about this more later,” Nat says firmly.

“Absolutely,” Kauri replies, but when Nat sighs and walks away, back upstairs, he turns back to Chris and mouths, no we’re not. Then he winks.

Chris has to hide a little grin, ducking against Jake’s side with his chin lowered, turning his head to nuzzle into Jake’s neck. Jake gently pushes him back without a single suggestion of being upset at the touch, and instead gives Kauri a hard stare. “I saw that, you know.”

“You just like my face so much, you can’t stop looking,” Kauri teases, flirty, but now Chris can hear the training in it, the way he was taught to speak, just like that. Calm the problem, soothe the tension, use your voice and your eyes and your body to keep the worst ways to hurt at bay.

“Whatever.” Jake rolls his eyes. “Come on, come talk to Chris. He could probably use someone who knows what it’s like. We’re... trying, but you know the others are all Domestics, and-”

“Are they mean to him?” Kauri’s head jerks up, a sudden hard glint in eyes that have been soft this whole time. He stares at Jake, speaking evenly, strongly. “If they’re being mean to him the way the other houses are mean to me-”

“They’re not,” Jake says, putting up a hand in surrender. “I promise. We just don’t really know what it’s like. You do.”

“Yeah.” Kauri gives a laugh, but this time it’s bitter, and Chris leans slowly forward, watching his face. 

Soft and smooth, pretty and smiling - and angry, roiling underneath all the softness.

“Yeah, I guess I do.” Kauri rubs the back of his neck with one hand, taking in a deep breath, and then he looks directly at Chris again. “I’ll start over. My name’s Kauri. I lived with-... with someone for a while.” He grips onto the sleeve of his hoodie and pulls it back, showing Chris the barcode and numbers tattooed on the inside of his left wrist. 645898.

Chris glances sidelong at Jake, nervously, and at his nod, Chris holds his own arm out and rolls back the oversized sleeve of Jake’s sweatshirt to show his own, slightly darker tattooed barcode. Fresher, newer. 223499.

“Can I, I ask you something, Kauri?” Chris asks, and his voice is small.

Kauri hesitates, then nods, slowly, licking his lips and giving a soft smile. “Yeah. Ask me whatever.”

“... are you, you happier?”

“What?”

“Happier than, um... than, than than you were before?”

Kauri’s eyes fill with tears.

Chris’s heart drops somewhere near his knees. “I’m, I’m, I’m sorry, I’m sorry-sorry-sorry I didn’t, I didn’t think, shouldn’t have, have have have-”

“No, you’re okay, you’re fine!” Kauri holds his hands out, both of them. “I’m sorry. I just came from kind of an intense... he asked me the same thing, and I just-... he asked it differently and it wasn’t... I’m sorry. Let me tell you something, Chris.” Kauri moves back to him, back into his crouch, and takes Chris’s hand in both of his. He looks up at him, and Chris looks back.

A mirror of himself, only entirely different. A Romantic who isn’t a Romantic anymore, with no locked doors, who goes where he wants to go. Chris wants that so badly he can barely breathe, but he’s too terrified of the idea to ever do it. 

Kauri seems, in that moment, impossibly brave.

“What I need to tell you... the other night,” Kauri says, not quite whispering, “I got caught out in the rain. It rained and rained and rained. Soaked through all my clothes and my jeans chafed my legs and it was fucking awful-”

“You could’ve come here,” Jake says, frowning, worried-angry, which is Chris’s favorite of the ways that Jake gets angry. 

“Not the point, and I... I couldn’t be inside. It was, um,  bad night.” Kauri gives a shrug, tossing his hair, the same sunny smile. “I can’t be inside on bad nights or I can, um, feel him, it’s just-... that’s not my point. Anyway, I ended up sleeping in a bathroom, so it smelled like disinfectant and gross, at the tail-end of a park I’d never been to before, so I didn’t know anybody and I’d had a shit panhandling day, so no dinner. I was hungry and cold and wet and had no blankets or anything, and you know what?”

“What?” Chris’s voice is a whisper.

“If you showed me sleeping hungry, soaked, in a stinking bathroom while laying my head on my backpack... and then you showed me sleeping dry and full in Mr. Owen’s bed with clean sheets and warm blankets... Chris... I would choose the bathroom in the park.” Kauri’s lips tremble, like he’s trying not to cry. “Over and over and over again, I would choose that bathroom, choose sleeping wet, choose being all by myself all night over a single night more with him. I don’t know... I don’t know about happier. But he can’t-” Kauri’s voice catches, and Jake jerks a little, as though he wants to hold them both at once, but Kauri leans away from even the hint of an offered touch, letting go of Chris’s hand when he does.

Chris’s fingers feel cold, when Kauri isn’t holding the any longer. 

“He can’t make me hurt anyone I care about anymore,” Kauri says, almost firmly. “And that’s worth every single bad thing out here. And now yours can’t hurt you, either.”

“... who, who, who did you care about?” Chris asks, but Kauri’s already back up and walking away, back into the kitchen, and he never answers the question.

Jake watches him go, and his arm tightens around Chris. “Don’t ask,” He murmurs, softly. “Kauri wasn’t rescued. He ran away.”

Chris takes in a breath, and watches the wild black curls disappear around the corner. “Wow,” he whispers. “He, he, he, he must be very, very brave.”

Jake snorts. “Maybe if you tell him, he’ll believe it.”

Chris leans into his side, closing his eyes, pulling his hands back inside the sleeves, letting fingertips trail over the fleece. Cabinets open in the kitchen, the sound of water pouring into a glass. “Maybe, maybe I will.”

“Besides,” Jake says finally, after another long pause. “You’re all brave as hell, no matter how you get here. It’s brave to start over, you know that, right? No matter how you start, it’s brave to do it at all.”

Chris isn’t sure he believes that. But he smiles, anyway, just to hear the words.

I’m brave, for trying.

[storiesbymads]

SHE’S A WORKING GIRL NOW ¹ ( the internship . )

Y/N just got an internship at her childhood best friend’s brother’s company. The same brother who has no idea they’ve even met before.

general warnings: smut, age gap (about 8 years), angst

add yourself to the taglist + series masterlist

You had known JJ Maybank since the first day of first grade. Funny how a teacher’s random seating chart had affected pretty much your whole life. If it hadn't been for said seating chart, you were absolutely, 100% sure that your life would’ve been on a completely different course than the one it was on now. 

JJ had been your absolute best friend for as long as you could remember. Hell, for most of your life the two of you had shared everything--including a birthday party since your birthdays were three days apart. He had been there for every scraped knee, every failed test, every breakup. The two of you graduated high school attached at the hip and started college the same way that fall. 

By the time junior year rolled around, you had both moved into a small apartment on the far side of town which, thankfully, meant no more student housing for either of you. Dorm life had been hell for you. Your roommate never seemed to fail at bringing someone new home every Friday night and would often kick you out leaving you to fend for yourself in the hallway. In all actuality, you stomped over to JJ’s dorm downstairs with your duvet wrapped around your shoulders and a scowl on your face when 2am rolled around and she still wasn’t done. 

“Good morning to you to sunshine,” he would say after you vigorously knocked on the tacky, brick colored door. You would simply push past him into the room and throw yourself onto his twin bed while his own roommate remained fast asleep. Aaron--you ended up learning his name about six months after you started regularly crashing in their dorm-- was one of the loudest snorers you think you’d ever met but at least you had a bed. 

“We’re so moving into our own place next year,” you would say as he shuffled into the bed, his feet situated where your head was and vice versa. Of course, it took you both another whole year to actually accomplish this dream but, somehow, you managed it. 

Now, it was the summer before what was supposed to be your senior year--JJ was sure he wasn’t going to be graduating this year due to the fact that he’d failed more than a couple classes and you already knew you were going stay here as long as he was--and you were days away from starting an internship at Maybank Industries. 

When you had originally applied for the internship, you had no idea it was JJ’s older brother who ran the company. You both thought it was just some funny coincidence. The fact that it was called Maybank Industries was what made JJ so adamant on you applying in the first place. Now, less than a week before your first day, you were forced to come to terms with the fact that you’d be working under the same Jesse Maybank you’d known since grade school. 

Jesse had been in high school by the time you and JJ had really gotten close. He’d already seemingly maxed out his height at 6’4 and his blond hair was shaggy and often stuck to his forehead when he got home lacrosse practice. He was the first boy you’d ever had a crush on. The 8 year age gap didn’t really phase second grade you. 

“I’m going to shoot myself on Monday. My sleep schedule is so fucked,” you groaned as you shuffled out of your bedroom to see JJ sprawled out on the love seat in your living room with a half eaten bowl of Frosted Flakes on the coffee table in front of him. You squinted as you read the digital clock on the microwave. 1:17 blinked back at you in bright red numerals. 

“Morning, sunshine,” JJ said. You didn’t know how or when it had happened but he had managed to develop healthier sleeping habits than you. Waking up before noon sounded like hell to you and he’d done it three times this week. 

“Fuck off,” you said, moving his feet so that you could sit down before setting them back on your lap. He grabbed the bowl of soggy cereal and took a bite. A shudder ran through your body as you faked a gag. 

“Oh don’t be like that. It’s not my fault I don’t shovel my Frosted Flakes down my throat at hyper speed,” he said before setting it back down. This wasn’t the first time you’d had this argument and you were sure it wasn’t going to be the last. 

“It’s how they’re supposed to be consumed. It should be considered a war crime to let them get all…” another fake gag. “Soggy.”

“Whatever. You’re just jealous because I’m able to retain the quality crunch the entire time,” you said. You focused your gaze on the small flat screen mounted to the wall to see that JJ had put on some crime drama. Probably Law & Order. 

“So, who’s the killer?” you asked after a few moments of silence passed. The rest of the day passed like this; you and JJ managed to get through 6 episodes of SVU before you decided it was probably time to get up and do something productive. And by something productive you meant get dressed enough and go out to grab take out. 

By the time your Monday morning alarm rolled around, you realized you should have attempted to regulate your sleep schedule a hell of a lot sooner than two nights before you were forced to get up at 5am. You flicked on your overhead light with a groan before starting your morning routine--well, some semblance of a morning routine since you really hadn’t done one since school ended. 

The drive to Downtown Chapel Hill wasn’t long. Well, it shouldn’t have been long but for some reason it felt like everyone and their mother was out on the interstate this morning. You were just desperately hoping you weren’t late on your first day as you tried to push your car past 25 mph. 

You couldn’t help but let your mind wander back to Jesse as you found yourself in a standstill on the roadway once again. You knew he wasn’t going to look like the boy you remembered but deep down you wish he was. Nothing could ever replace the 19 year old boy in your mind with his crystalline blue eyes and a smile that could make any girl weak in the knees.

A horn sounded behind you, pulling you from your day dream, “Fuck, sorry!”

At least you were going the posted speed limit now. 

By the time you saw the Maybank Industries building coming into view, you were ten minutes away from being on time, eleven from being late. You could feel your anxiety rising in the back of your throat as you glanced back and forth from the road to the digital clock in your car. 

“Mr. Maybank?” you asked tentatively through the frosted glass of his office door fifteen minutes later. You couldn’t help but picture that 19 year old opening the door and pulling you into a hug. That was if he even remembered you enough to pull you into a hug. And if he wasn’t pissed about his new intern being late. 

“Come in,” he said. Wow, his voice was a lot deeper than you remember it being. And raspier. 

You took in his whole office as you pushed open the door. The first thing you noticed was the gold plated nameplate with ‘Jesse Maybank’ engraved in bold letters with ‘CEO Maybank Industries’ in a finer print beneath it. Next you took in the view of downtown Chapel Hill out of the floor to ceiling windows behind his desk. 

“Good Morning,” you said in a shaky voice. Sure, he’d been good looking when he left for college all those years ago but nothing could compare to how he looked right now. His shoulders had broadened significantly since he was nineteen and he filled out the white dress shirt he had rolled up to his elbows nicely. You were sure that if you hadn’t been leaning up against the door frame your knees would’ve caved in by now. 

He hummed as he looked up from his laptop, finally making eye contact with you, “You must be my new intern.”

“Yes,” you nodded as you shifted your weight onto your other foot. He raised his eyebrows slightly, standing up to walk around the wooden desk and lean against the front of it. You couldn’t help but watch the sleeves of his shirt bulge slightly as he crossed his arms. “Oh, right. I’m Y/N.”

“You seem nervous, Y/N…” he trailed off, obviously expecting a continuation of your name. Surely, he hadn’t forgotten about you completely. You knew you looked different than when you were eleven but the name alone should’ve sparked something. 

“Y/L,” you said. At least now you could tell JJ you hadn’t been accepted in his brother’s internship program just because you were his best friend. 

“Well, Miss Y/L/C,” he said. “There’s a stack of files on my desk that need to be sorted by lunch today.”

“O-Okay,” you stuttered, slowly pulling yourself off the door frame to pick up the files. You mentally cursed yourself for choosing to wear the tallest heels in your closet this morning. At least they made your legs look good. 

“I expect them on my desk before you leave,” he said. You were praising God and anyone else that was up there that you made it back to the door without tripping. 

“Yes sir,” you said as you struggled to close the door with the stack of files in your arms. You watched his frame through the frosted glass shuffle around his desk to sit down again. How the fuck were you going to make it through the summer if your heart almost fell out of your ass after one conversation?

The rest of the day passed by interminably slowly. The rest of the interns who had seemingly been at the company for a few years at this point--you didn’t understand why they chose to intern at the same company every summer if they never seemed to get a job out of it--and you felt incredibly out of the loop already. One of the interns, though, was kind enough to bring you a cup of coffee an hour or so after you had gotten there. Scout--you were sure you would forget her name in twenty minutes but she’d been nice enough to introduce herself--had apparently been with the company for the past three years with hope to become a paid intern come next month. 

“Thank you. I really needed this,” you had said with a smile. She waved it off with a smile of her own before getting situated at her desk across the small room. 

Other than that, though, the day had been boring to say the least. You didn’t know what you were expecting with this internship but sitting at a desk in an office with three other interns doing seemingly nothing for most of the day was not it. After you finished everything you’d needed to do with the files--with a lot a bit of help from the boy sitting next to you--you were forced to just sit at your desk and look like you were doing something productive. 

You only had about an hour left in the work day but the coffee Scout had brought you that morning had worn off way past the point of you just being a little sleepy. Another small cup wouldn’t hurt anything. Especially since you’d caught yourself nodding off at your desk three times already. You pushed yourself up from the semi-comfortable desk chair to go look for the break room. 

Thankfully, it was only a few doors down from the office you’d been working in all day and the door had been propped open with a door jamb. It only took you a second to realize Jesse was also in the small room. He was leaned up against one of the counter tops, stirring what you guessed was coffee in a stark white mug. 

“Looks like you had the same idea as me,” you said softly, picking up a matching mug off the tray as well as one of the many Keurig pods next to it. 

“Great minds think alike.” He lifted his mug in greeting before dropping the spoon into the sink. The low ceiling of the kitchen made him look even taller than usual. 

It was silent for a few moments while your cup brewed in the machine. You fiddled with your thumbs to pass the time. It didn’t help that you could feel Jesse’s eyes on you the whole time. You didn’t know why he was still in the room, to be honest. 

“You know,” he cleared his throat. “I can see your… uh…” 

��My what?” you asked, dropping your hands and looking down your body. You were sure you’d worn the right bra this morning. You’d even gotten JJ to check before you walked out the door. 

“Your garter belt,” he said. Sure enough, you glanced down at your pencil skirt which was hiked up to your mid thigh, a good two inches of the garter belt on your right leg on display. A rush of embarrassment flooded over you as you turned around, tugging the skirt down your legs. 

“I’m so sorry, sir. Won’t happen again,” you sputtered out as you attempted to busy yourself with the tray of mugs. It would only be a few more seconds before your coffee finished and you’d be able to run back to your office. 

“It’s fine,” he chuckled. You felt your chest tighten at the sound. He exhaled slightly before you heard the rustling of him moving around behind you. You suddenly became hyper aware of just how narrow the kitchen was. His hand was pressed against your waist as he shuffled past you. The size of his hand made sense, he was an incredibly large man, but you’d be lying if you didn’t admit that the width of his hand spanning half of your torso sent shivers down your spine. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow then, sir?” you asked once he was fully out the door. He made a half-turn in the door frame, giving you a two finger salute in response. 

“See you in the morning, Miss Y/L/N,” he said. You muttered something incoherent as you let out a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding. Shaking your head, you grabbed the coffee that had been finished brewing for a solid minute before making your way back to your office. 

tagging: @ptersparkers​ @digniteas​ @kiarascarreras​ @letsgofullkook​ @kirikaelak​ @haute-shawn​ @obx-baby​ @httpstarkey​ @x-lulu​ @obbx-tings​ @poguestyleskye​ @erraaxh​ @sunwardsss​ @katrynec​

[sunflowersunshinevol6]

Harry Styles x OC

Warnings: drinking

Summary: Mixtapes. We all love them. We have a different one for a different mood. A different moment in time. For Harry and Summer, they become the soundtrack of one beautiful summer in California and the definition of their relationship. Because the people you love never really leave, they're only a mixtape away.

Part One

Let me start at the beginning. I never would have met him if it wasn't for my roommate Halley.

We lived in Monte Nido, about three miles from Malibu. I had just graduated from Berkley and was looking to become a freelance photographer. Halley did the temp thing, it paid the bills and we could still have fun.

I woke up to 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' blasting from the boombox in the living room. Halley had just broken up with her boyfriend and I knew she was hurting, but I despised the song. It was overplayed in my opinion.

"Hey," she whined when I walked out of my room and over to the boombox, shutting the music off. She was in the kitchen, baggy misfits shirt hanging off her slim frame, black hair tousled and looking like she hadn't brushed it in weeks. I rolled my eyes, walking over to her and catching the plate she slid across to me. A bagel with cream cheese and a cup of coffee. The perfect morning.

"I'm tired of you moping babe. We gotta get you out of the house." She grumbled, playing with the ends of her hair.

"Maybe I should call him," she started towards the phone hung on the wall. I ran, beating her to it and slamming my hand over it. "Summer!" She said slightly annoyed.

"No. Not doing that." I grabbed her hands, tugging her back towards the kitchen. "Know what we need?"

"What?"

"A night out." I said, bumping foreheads with her. "When's the last time we went to a show together?" She shook her head, shrugging her shoulders. "Exactly. There's a new band supposed to be playing downtown at The Dome tonight. We should check it out." Halley chewed on her bottom lip for a second before nodding, giving in.

"I could use a girls night." I grinned, high fiving her.

I've always communicated best through music. There's something about a song that can just get what I'm feeling across in a way that words can't. My mom used to say I was born with music in my soul. We used to dance around the kitchen, Fleetwood Mac's Rumors on vinyl, blasting as we croaned, singing of heartbreak and hope. It was deep. It always has been.

Halley went to work, another gig at a vet's office and I grabbed my roller blades and headed outside, Walkman in my pocket, Dinosaur Jr's 'You're living all over me' blasting in my ears. I took off towards town, heading to the record store.

Big and Easy Cassettes and Vinyls had been around since the late seventies. It was my place, and my mom's. Even when she got sick I would drive her over and we would pick an album, just one new one to listen to on the way home. We'd come across a song that was too good plenty of times and would go around the block to finish it. The place was my home away from home.

The Psychadelic Furs 'Pretty in Pink' played over the speakers when I walked in. A couple people lounged around.

"Hey! Summer! What's happenin'?" Willy, the owner, waved at me from behind the register. He'd been a hippie back in the day, even lived at the Haight. He wore small circle rimmed glasses that were tinted and his afro was always a mess. He grinned at me as I made my way over to him.

"Hey man! Got anything new?" He nodded, pulling a box out from under the counter, the label on ot reading 'New Shit'. I opened it eagerly, looking through the tapes.

"How's Halley doing?" He asked.

"She could be better. We're going to a show tonight at The Dome." Willy nodded.

"Yeah? My buddy Mitch plays in the band. His girlfriend Sarah is drums."

"Really?"

"Yup. Could make a call. Get you guys backstage." I couldn't contain my grin.

"Thanks man." I grabbed a couple tapes, holding them out for him to charge me. He shook his head.

"On the house. This time."

"Thanks Willy."

"No problem. Tell Halley I said to have a good time. I'll call my buddy, let him know you're coming through."

Halley and I have always had a preshow ritual, but since she was working when I got home I started without her.

I put on my new cassette, The Cure 'Disentigration' and hummed along as I started making drinks. I was halfway through my third margarita when she came in the door.

"Hey!" She shouted. I laughed when she began dancing towards me and I handed her her drink.

"Willy knows someone in the band. He's gonna get us backstage."

"Are you kidding? That's fucking great!" Halley screeched jumping up and down. We danced around the living room drinking and singing the wrong lyrics. It's always good to hype up before you go out. Remember that.

We started getting ready around eight thirty, both of us slightly buzzed. I grabbed my favorite t shirt. An oversized Clockwork Orange shirt that was black and had the logo on the front in orange, a red plaid long sleeve and torn up Jean's with my mom's old converse. I'm not one for makeup much but I put brown eyeshadow on to make eyes look a bit sunk in, mascara and dark red lipstick. I let my black hair fall down over my shoulders and put on my favorite sunnies.

Halley was a bit more punk than I was. She wore a black mini skirt, ripped see through black mesh shirt with a black tank top over it. Her favorite dog collar around her neck and heavy eyeliner and lipstick, her favorite Doc Martens laced up her ankles, ripped stocking covering her legs.

"You look hot." I acknowledged, winking at her teasingly.

"Tell me something I don't know." She laughed.

"Show starts at ten. You wanna walk?"

"I'm up for that."

The Dome was the local bar. It was only about a mile away and we hoped the walk would sober us up as we went. We talked and laughed, excited at the prospect of hearing new music. Music had been the thing that brought us together in the first place. Our mutual love for Depeche Mode and Peter Murphy. It always seemed to me that music was the only thing that brought people into my life and kept them there.

We got there early enough to see people coming into the bar. We weren't sure if they were there for the band or for drinks. We didn't really care. We were young and looking for fun.

"I hope they're hot." Halley said as we took our seats at the bar. I laughed, rolling my eyes at her.

"The one named Mitch is taken. He's dating the drummer so you better hope you don't fall for him." She snickered at me.

"Hi ladies, what can I get you?"

"Two Jack in Coke on ice?" She looked at me and I nodded my approval. The bartender nodded, heading back to make our drinks. That's when I saw Willy's unmistakable afro making his way through the crowd and towards us.

"Hey ladies! Lovely to see ya." He kissed Halley on the cheek and then me before leaning against the bar beside us.

"Heard you can get us backstage tonight." Halley said, wiggling her eyebrows. Willy nodded.

"Sure can. Already told Mitch I was coming. Just gonna bring you girls back with me." I opened my mouth to say something else but the feedback from the stage caught my attention just as the bartender came up with my drink. I took a sip, watching as the lights dimmed and everyone's attention turned to the stage.

The band filed out. Three girls and three boys heading towards the stage. The guitarist had shaggy black hair and a full beard, dressed in bell bottoms and a baggy white tee. But it was the singer who caught my eye.

He wore beige slacks and a black button down tucked in, the first few buttons unbuttoned, a couple of tattoos poking out on his chest. His brown hair curled slightly but was slicked back and the rings on his hands glinted as he grabbed the mic stand. He was outrageously handsome.

"Oh my." Halley whispered. Oh my was right.

"Ello." My heart dropped into my stomach when he spoke, a thick english accent greeting my ears. "My mama's Harry. This is Mitch, Sarah, Ny Oh, Adam and Charlotte. We don't have a band name yet, maybe one day. But we hope you enjoy." Everyone laughed at his comment. "This song is called 'Ever Since New York.'"

I closed my eyes, breathing deeply as the song began. It was beautiful. My mom would have liked it.

"Tell me somethin'" his voice was sweet, carried along the melody that the band played. I opened my eyes, watching as he swayed to the beat of the music. Everyone was quiet, enraptured by this young man's voice.

"Wow." I heard Halley say behind me, I couldn't have agreed more. It wasn't dancey, not in the way that you could get up and shake your ass. No, it was the kind of song you listened to at home in the evening, with your lover perched on the counter while you stand between their legs, dinner cooking on the stove. It was comforting. It was....home.

When the song came to a close I was breathless, a weight placed on my chest, I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

A few songs in and he began a heavier song, one that we could dance to. He called it 'Kiwi'. Halley and I got up, dancing with Willy and laughing as he screamed into the microphone. I felt free, laughing with my friends and feeling like we were the only ones in the world.

I looked up at the stage after I flipped my hair to see him, Harry, eyes locked in on me. I held his gaze for a moment, blushing when he smiled at me before breaking eye contact. I smiled, turning back to my friends and feeling the music once more.

"Thank you all for a lovely evening." He said when the show was over. Willy gently took me and Halley by the arm.

"We can head back now guys."

The backstage area was small. Not a whole lot of room, but enough for the small indie bands that usually played. Halley and I stood to the side as Willy walked up to Mitch, shaking hands with him.

"These are my friends. This is Summer and Halley." We smiled, shaking Mitch's hand. He introduced us to the rest of the band but the singer, Harry, wasn't there.

"He's in the loo." Sarah said, a kind smile on her face. Halley started a conversation with Adam while I spoke with Sarah and Mitch. They were so sweet and kind.

"Hey, who's your friends?" I felt my stomach churn. Harry walked back in the room, a bottle of water in his hand as he eyed me and Halley.

"Friends of Willy. You've met him before." Harry shook Willy's hand before turning to me.

"I'm Harry." He held out his hand.

"Summer." I said. He smiled.

"I like that. 'S pretty." He held my hand for a moment too long, eyes locked on mine once more. Halley interrupted us.

"Hey, you guys got a place to stay?" Mitch shook his head.

"Nah. We were gonna crash in the car." I looked at Halley with wide eyes. I knew where she was going with this, she seemed so cozy with Adam already.

"No. No. You guys can stay with us. Crash on the couch or the floor. We're cool with it. Right Summer." I blinked, inside I was furious. I hated being put on the spot like that.

"Yeah." I said dryly. "Sure."

"Cool. We'll pack everything up then." Halley grinned.

"It's kinda small but there's room for everybody." Halley said as she opened the door to our apartment. I cringed inwardly. We hadn't even cleaned up, but the band didn't seem to mind. Everyone sat down in the living room while Halley and I went to grab extra blankets.

"You know I hate when you spring shit like this on me." I glared as she handed me a blanket and pillow.

"Oh shut up. Adam's cute and hey, I saw you and Harry having a moment."

"We were not...he was just greeting me." I said flustered. She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, they're our guests. Be hospitable."

We all sat around for a while, drinking and talking. Slowly everyone began to fall asleep, Harry and I being the only ones left awake.

We talked for what felt like hours. He told me about his parents, their divorce and his mom and step dad. His sister. How he knew he wanted to be a musician from a young age and when he met Mitch it felt like a sign from the universe. I listened intently, enthralled with the man before me.

"Tell me more about England. I've always wanted to go there." I was on my belly, propped up on my elbows while he sat on the couch. We'd been engrossed in our own conversation for so long that we hadn't realized everyone else fell asleep.

"Where I'm from is quite picturesque. It's a beautiful little town. Maybe one day, if you ever go to England you can come by."

"Maybe." I laughed. "If my photography ever takes me there."

"You have to have faith in yourself love. You'll do it." I was glad he couldn't see me blush in the dark. "I'm glad you came to the show." He said after a moment of silence between us.

"Me too." He shifted, laying back on the couch.

"This is probably weird. But I was wondering....would you like a cuddle? I hate sleeping alone." I was taken aback. But he seemed serious, green eyes looking at me curiously. I couldn't say no. How could I?

"Sure." I said, climbing up on the couch. I laid my head on his chest, slotting my body against his, he wrapped his arms around me, lifting his leg slightly to keep me up on the couch. I felt him nuzzle my head, he was smelling my hair.

"I like this...you smell nice." I didn't reply, only smiled, burying my face in his chest as we drifted off to sleep.

[sunmoonandeddie]

i wished on the moon for you

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

word count: 9,879

summary: After losing Bucky, you were devastated. So when Howard Stark asks for volunteers for an experiment, you're the first in line.

warnings: Some h*ckin’ words.

a/n:  So like. This is lowkey inspired by old jazz music. I've always loved jazz, and I just wanted to write something surrounding it. Let me know what you think!

"Army camps are strange," you said quietly, peering out the window curiously.

Your driver laughed a little, saying something about how you'd get used to it, but you paid him no mind.  You were too busy looking at your new home.  Men in army uniforms swarmed the area, and you realized just what you were getting yourself into as the car parked and the driver opened your door.  The was muddy, crowded, and the air reeked of testosterone.

"Y/N!"

You turned at the sound of a familiar voice, grinning as you saw the familiar brunette walking across the yard to you.  The men around her were parting like the Red Sea.  Her hair was perfectly curled, as always, her lips painted a bright red.  Peggy Carter was just as perfect as she had been in school.

"Peggy!" You said happily as you embraced her.  "I've missed you so much!"

It had only been a year since you had graduated from your overly priced boarding school, but you hadn't gotten to see your roommate in that entire year, despite the fact that she had relocated to America to help with the war efforts right after.  Mostly because your parents had been determined to keep you at home, in the deep south of Louisiana, and Peggy had been stationed up north in New York.

She pulled away from you, her hands resting on your shoulders.  "I have so much to show you.  And Abraham is ecstatic to meet you."

Ah, yes.  Abraham Erskine.  Your new boss.  The entire reason you had gotten to come was because Peggy had mentioned how gifted you were in science, and because the man trusted her so much, he had agreed to hire you.  Your parents had been appalled at first.  They knew, of course, how smart you were, but they expected you to focus on getting a husband and having kids after you had come home.  You were supposed to settle down with a nice, Southern boy of the corn-fed variety and have at least four children.  It was what they did, what your sisters and brothers did, and it was only natural that they expected it of you, too.  Even though you had been given some leeway as the youngest of the family, your parents were starting to get impatient.  Your hope chest was the only one left, and your mama reminded you every chance she got.  Typically, only the first born girl got a hope chest, but your daddy had insisted that every single one of you did.

You envied Peggy, in that her parents wanted her to follow her passion, even if it meant moving across the ocean.

She led you through the camp as the men started to notice you.  It was hard not to, since you and Peggy were the only women in a ten mile radius, and they certainly weren't getting anything out of her.  When you finally found Erskine, he was standing beside another man and watching a group of soldiers doing push ups.

"Dr. Erskine, this is Y/N L/N," she said.

The man turned to look at you, shaking your hand firmly as he clasped it with the other.  "Ms. L/N, I've heard so many good things about you.  I'm so excited to work with you."

His accent took you by surprise, but you didn't let it show as you shook his hand back.  "The pleasure is all mine, Doctor."

"And this is Colonel Chester Phillips," she said, motioning to the man that Erskine had been speaking with.  He let out a grunt in replying, and Peggy rolled her eyes before turning back to watch the group of soldiers.

When you noticed the way Peggy was looking at one of the men, a scrawny one that looked more like a boy, you nudged her.  "What happened to your no dating rule?"

"That was in school," she replied with an eye roll.  She was pretending as though it was no big deal, but the blush on her cheeks said otherwise.  "And you had the same rule, too, you know."

"I'm not the one staring lustfully at one of the men you're commanding," you teased, giggling as she smacked your arm.  "But, really.  Who is he?"

"His name is Steve Rogers," Peggy said.  You had never seen her look at someone in that way, and it kind of confused you.  She hadn't liked anyone in school, always claiming that the men were too immature and she didn't have time for them.  You had adopted the same mentality after a while, which is probably why your parents didn't like Peggy too much.

The two of you went quiet, listening to the two men beside you talk.  Something about a serum.  You were a little surprised when Colonel Phillips grabbed a grenade and pulled the pin, but you relaxed when you realized it was a dummy.  The men he had thrown it towards, however, had no idea.  They began to scramble, and the man that Phillips wanted to have the serum ran, while Rogers threw himself on top of it.

You took a glance at Peggy, who was smirking triumphantly as he yelled for everyone to run.  "He clearly has no regard for his own life and safety," you commented, but you were grinning.  You could tell he had a good heart, and that was more important to you than being a good soldier.

You spent months with the army, even after Steve was given the serum and Dr. Erskine died.  Having been given the most knowledge about the program, you had been asked to stay on.  So you traveled with Peggy, staying in the same room and working side by side.  It almost felt like grade school all over again.  The only difference was that you were in a country side in Austria and not the center of London.

"When he gets back, you should tell him how you feel," you said to Peggy.  The two of you were standing in a tent, a radio nearby.  Steve had left on a mission to rescue a group of POWs days ago and you could tell how anxious she was.  So you just kept telling her things the two of them could do when he got back, like dancing.  The two of you had loved to go to the dance halls in England, but hadn't had time since the war started.  "Maybe you two could go to that diner on Broadway?  They have that delicious apple pie that tastes like it's from down south."  She had always teased you on how adamant you were that southern baking was better, but you stuck by it.

She stood up suddenly, her eyes going wide.  "Is that..."  You followed her as she made her way out of the tent.  She was completely focused on the horizon, and you realized as you kept walking, that there was a massive amount of men walking towards the camp.

And at the very front, was Steve Rogers.

Peggy froze, and you took the moment to nudge her forward.  "Go."

She didn't need any more convincing.  She walked towards him with a purpose, her stride sure and her hands in fists at her side.  But you could tell by the way she was biting her lip that she was nervous.  You didn't hear what was said, standing back a little as you watched her make what you were sure was some kind of smart ass comment.

"Let's hear it for Captain America!" You heard someone shout, and you laughed a little as you watched the men erupt into cheers.  You hadn't seen the men this happy in a long, long time.  Most of the time they wore sullen faces that matched the dreary weather.  But now, even though they were hungry, covered in mud, and far from their homes, they had a ray of hope in the form of Steve Rogers.

You made your way back to you and Peggy's quarters, turning on the radio.  It took you a minute or two to find a station that was playing music instead of news about the war, but when you did, you turned it up loud.  Music was something you had missed while on the road.  You were usually too busy to just stop and enjoy it, since you were constantly trying to decipher Erskine's notes.  There were stacks upon stacks of his journals on your desk, but you ignored all of that for the moment.  Hundreds of men had made it back alive today after days of thinking the worst.  That deserved a little celebration.

So you kicked off your shoes and you sang.  At first it started out with just a few phrases, the sound timid and soft, but soon you were belting along with it.  You were completely losing yourself in the music.  You sang word for word with Billie Holiday, one of your favorite artists, as she sang 'I Wished on the Moon.'  It was an older track, released in 1935, and she was only a feature on it, but it was still your favorite song of hers.

You jumped as you heard a knock on the door, turning to see a man with shaggy brown hair and stubble lining his jaw in the doorway.  "Is, uh...  Is Steve here?"

Frowning, you crossed your arms over your chest.  You were a little embarrassed that someone had caught you singing with the radio, if you were honest.  You were technically a superior, even if you were a scientist.  "Depends on who's asking."  Even though Steve wasn't there, you didn't know who this man was or what he wanted.

"I'm James.  Steve's friend," he said, his eyes focused on you with a type of intensity that you couldn't place.  But it made your cheeks warm the longer he looked at you.  "My friends call me Bucky."

Recognition dawned on your face as you pointed at him.  "You're Steve's friend from Brooklyn?"  When he nodded, you smiled a little, relaxing as you realized that he was one of the people that had just been saved from the HYDRA base.  "He's told Peggy and me a lot about you."

"So...  Is he here?"

You were about to tell him no, he wasn't, when the man in question came up behind him, Peggy by his side.  "You lookin' for me, Buck?"

Peggy's gaze landed on you as she squeezed past the two men, taking notice of the song playing.  "You still love this song?"

You shrugged as you moved over to turn it down slightly.  "You know me.  Billie Holiday will always be one of the best artists, in my opinion."

"So I see you've met Y/N," Steve said, bringing your attention back as he clapped a hand on Bucky's shoulder.  "She was working as Dr. Erskine's assistant when they turned me into..."  He motioned at his body, not sure how to explain it.  "This."

"I didn't realize you were a scientist," Bucky said in shock, his eyebrows furrowing.

"She's always been smart.  She graduated top of our class at school, beating even me," Peggy said proudly, a smirk on her lips.  You had always thought that she was the person most proud of you, and you were always reminded of it when she started to brag about you.  "I finally managed to get her out of Louisiana by telling Erskine about her.  He seemed pretty eager to take on an assistant.  Y/N's actually taken over his job since he died."

"It's really not that exciting," you insisted as you waved her off, wrapping your arms around yourself.  "I spend most of my time trying to decipher his notes and what they mean.  Peggy's the one that actually trained all the super soldier candidates."

"No," Bucky said, shaking his head.  "Don't put down your work.  It's impressive."  He looked at you with a sort of wonder, and that added with the way he had been looking at you before meant only one thing.

You were in trouble.

You bit your lip as you sat at the bar with Peggy, sipping on a glass of whiskey.  It gave you a little taste of home, reminding you of how your mama would shoot you a wink as she slipped in a little bit of whiskey into your sweet tea.  She always made sure your daddy was none the wiser, since he would've thrown a fit if he had known that his little princess was drinking.

Oh, how you missed the long summer days that would fade into warm, sultry nights.  Before your sisters got married, the three of you would sneak out and go to the dances in town, taking shots of alcohol from whatever soldier caught your fancy that night.  You were never really interested in any of them, never even them give you a kiss goodnight.  They could walk you home, and sometimes even hold their hand if they were lucky, but you never kissed them.  None of them were worthy.  They were just looking for someone to have one last romp in the sheets with before they shipped out to Europe.

You didn't want that.  You didn't want to be wooed and then tossed to the side.  All those men ever saw you for was your beauty.  They saw your pretty face and that was it.  They didn't care about the fact that you had a mind.  So you had waited.  You had ignored the teasing from your sisters as they snuck off to the soldier's beds, sleeping with a multitude of men before they were married.  They had joked that you were going to be the only one to actually deserve to wear white on her wedding day.  Your parents and your two brothers could never know, of course.  They would've shot every soldier in town and then locked the three of you in your rooms until you turned fifty.  Not to mention nailing the window shut, like your childhood friend, Elizabeth Ann's, parents did when they caught her sneaking out.

"—every time I think he's going to ask me on a date, he doesn't," Peggy ranted, throwing back a shot of vodka.  Her nose scrunched up in disgust as she shook her head.  "I don't get it.  I haven't exactly been subtle with my flirting."

"Peggy," you said, a smile tugging on your lips, "in case you haven't noticed, you're a little bit intimidating."

"I'm not intimidating!"

You couldn't help but giggle, feeling the alcohol start to take effect as you looked at your best friend.  "Every man in here is terrified to talk to you."  You shook her shoulder playfully.  "It's because you're strong.  And men are scared of strong women."

"Maybe that's why Bucky hasn't asked you out yet," Peggy replied, raising a perfectly trimmed eyebrow at you.

You sputtered, choking a little on the whiskey.  "What?  Why would you say that?"

She rolled her eyes, turning herself in her bar stool to look out at the sea of men in the bar.  They were all in uniform, but you could easily pick out Bucky.  He was sitting in the back with a group of about eight men, plus Steve.  His head was thrown back in a laugh, his hand resting on Steve's shoulder.  He was absolutely radiant.  Even when he got in one of his moods where the only people he wanted to talk to were Steve, Peggy, and you, he was beautiful.

"Because you and Bucky do this all the time."

Your focus turned back to her, your eyebrows furrowing in confusion.  "Do what?"

"This!"  She motioned at you sloppily, the alcohol clearly taking it's toll.  You hadn't seen her this tipsy since you snuck a bottle of liquor into your dorm room.  "You two love to do this whole wistful staring when the other isn't watching thing, but the moment the other turns around, you look away!  It's positively, absolutely pitiful!"

 You shook your head, sputtering.  "I don't do that!  I don't do wistful staring!"  You threw back the rest of your whiskey, turning to look at the bartender as you slid the glass to him.  "I'm the ruthless southern belle that's broken the hearts of a thousand men, remember?  And half of them were soldiers!"  Peggy had always loved hearing stories about your summer when you went back to school, and it became an inside joke that you were a heartbreaker, simply because you didn't let men walk all over you.

"Mind if I buy you another?"

You whirled around to see Bucky standing there, a soft smile on his lips.  Swallowing, you nodded, and he raised a hand to call over the bartender.  After the glass of whiskey was slid across the bar to you, he turned to look at you once again.  "So what's this about being a ruthless southern belle?"  He took a seat on the stool next to you, and you were extremely aware of how his thigh brushed against yours.  "And have you really broken the hearts of a thousand men?"

Groaning, you shot a glare at Peggy who had abandoned you and was walking towards a blushing Steve Rogers.  "You heard that?"

"I most certainly did, and now I want the whole story."

He had a mischievous glint in his eye that made your knees weak, and you had to hold yourself back from kissing the smirk of those stupid lips of his.  He was cocky.  Usually it would make you run far, far away from a man, but he had a certain boyish charm that made you want to know more.  You hated to admit it, but Peggy was kind of right about the wistful staring.  In the six months since he had been rescued, you had spent a lot of time with him.  Peggy and Steve spent most of their time together when they weren't busy with missions, and you and Bucky were always dragged along.  Since both of your respective best friends were too wrapped up in each other to notice you, it ended with the two of you becoming extremely close.

So you told him.  You told him about all the times you had broken a man's heart.  Most of them were the same, but he still insisted.  You would sneak out with your sisters to go to the dances, and when a soldier tried making a move on you, you'd turn him down.  There were a few in there about boys you had grown up with trying to romance you, too.  The entire time, Bucky was laughing and making jokes about how badly you must've hurt them, which in turn would throw you into a fit of giggles.

You weren't sure how long the two of you had been sitting there talking when he paused, looking at you for a long moment.  He bit his lip, as though he was trying to make a big decision.  Finally, he held his hand out to you.  "Would you like to dance?"

Frowning, you looked out at the bar.  "But it's so crowded.  And no one else is dancing."  You wanted to say yes.  God, you really wanted to say yes.  But you also knew that if you danced with him, the other men wouldn't ever stop making comments about you.  They already did, but it would increase tenfold, and it would be nothing good.

You watched as Bucky slid off his stool, fixing his hat.  "Then I think it's time we leave this bar and find a dance hall."

Looking at him in shock, you shook your head.  "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well," he said, his blue eyes glimmering even in the dim lighting, "I want to dance with you.  And if that means I have to find a dance hall, then that's what I'm gonna do."  He held out his hand to you, waiting for you to take it.  Seeming to sense your hesitation, he leaned his head down slightly, his voice no louder than a whisper, "Do you trust me?"

As much as the thought of opening up your heart to someone scared you, you did trust him.  "Yes."

The grin that spread across his face was contagious as you placed your hand delicately in his, his fingers intertwining with yours as he pulled you out into the warm air.  Summers in Austria were colder than Louisiana, but it was still summer.  The feeling of freedom and adventures to be had lingered in the air, the night breeze gently twisting through your hair.  The streetlights cast a soft glow on Bucky's face as you glanced up at him, quickly looking down when you caught him already looking at you.

"Why didn't you let any of those soldiers kiss you?" He asked.  His voice was soft and sweet, his hand still holding yours.  To the other people in the street, you looked like just another young couple wandering around, too drunk on each other to notice anyone else.

You shrugged a little as you kept your eyes forward.  "All those men wanted was a quick, drunken romp.  They would've forgotten about it the next night as they found some other girl to take home.  Or, they want to find a woman that they can make into their little housewife to come home to after the way."  The frustration you had gone through as a teenager was evident on your face as you frowned.  "I never wanted that life.  I didn't want to be one of those women that gives up her life, her career, because she meets a man.  My sisters live that life, and I don't see the appeal.  They're pushing out babies as fast as they can, only for the nannies to raise them while they get drunk at two in the afternoon."

"I see."  Despite his short reply, you could tell how invested he was, how he was hanging on to every word you spoke.  You briefly noted how his thumb was rubbing against the bank of your hand as you headed towards the sound of jazz music down the street.  Light was pouring out from a building a few blocks down, and you could see young couples standing outside to get some fresh air before heading back in.

"My brothers are just like those soldiers.  They chose the girls they married based on their pretty faces, not who they are as people."  Your voice got quiet as you started to delve into a little bit more of what exactly the problem was.  It was a little more personal.  "Those men who kept trying to take me out only saw my face.  They didn't care about the fact that I have opinions and dreams.  I have goals in life."  You let out a long sigh.  "I want someone to fall in love because of who I am.  Not because I'm pretty."  You finally looked at Bucky again, only to find him staring at you with a little bit of sadness.  "What?"

He stopped, the streetlight behind him casting a halo-like glow around him.  His hands held onto yours, squeezing softly.  "Y/N, you are the most vivacious woman I have ever met.  You're witty and intelligent, with a tongue sharper than anyone I know."  His eyes stayed locked on yours, your jaw dropping slightly.  "You are extraordinary.  Don't let anyone tell you differently."

You didn't know what to say.  You had dreamed for so long of someone saying those words to you, and here it was.  Finally swallowing the lump in your throat, you let out a bit of a laugh as you looked down in embarrassment.  "I'm sorry.  I've just...  No one's ever said those kinds of things to me before."

Bucky smiled, using two fingers to gently tilt your head up to face him.  "How about that dance?"

The day that Bucky died started like any other.  You woke up to the feeling of his lips pressed against your temple as he started to climb out of the bed.  It was before dawn, but you knew that he had to get back before the camp wake up call.  Otherwise, you'd never hear the end of it.  You had tried to tell him that you didn't care about their jokes, but he did.  He had insisted that he didn't want your reputation tarnished just because of him.

"You could stay," you murmured, blinking your eyes open to see him pulling on his shirt.

He turned to look at you with such a soft smile that it made your heart melt.  His hair was still mussed from sleep, a red line on his face from the pillow.  "You know why I can't," he said, but he crawled back into bed as you sat up to lean on your elbows.  Pressing kisses all over your face, his fingers wound through your hair.  "I love you so much."

"With how much you sneak out of here before sunrise, you'd think you were trying to hide me from your friends," you teased, closing your eyes as you relished in his affections.  There was definitely no way he was hiding you.  He took every chance he could to kiss you in front of his friends, his arms wrapping around your waist to hold you close.  He had made his claim on you as soon as you let him, since the comments the other men would sometimes make about you rubbed him the wrong way.  You had called it being jealous.  Either way, the other soldiers had stopped making suggestive comments, even if it was only in front of him.

Bucky pulled you closer to him, his hands resting on your waist right under your night top.  "Just for that comment, I'm going to give you the biggest, sloppiest kiss in front of the entire camp today," he said, and you started squealing with laughter as his fingers ran up and down your sides, tickling you.

"J-James!  Stop it!  James!"  You laughed and wrapped your arms around his neck, falling back onto the bed in a flurry of kisses.  His hands finally stopped as your lips met his, relaxing into you.  "I love you," you murmured, beginning to tug at the shirt he had just put on.

He must've realized what you were trying to do, because he pulled away with a shocked expression.  "Were you going to seduce me to get me to stay in bed?"

You batted your eyelashes at him as you pursed your lower lip.  It was a trick you had learned from your mama at a young age.  "Well, it depends.  Would it have worked?"

He groaned as he ran his fingers through his hair, shaking his head.  "You're going to be the death of me, Y/N."  Bucky smirked down at you as you let out a soft giggle, biting your lip as you watched him.  "I'll see you at breakfast, okay?"

If only the two of you had known that it was going to be the last night you ever spent together.

A few moments after he had slipped out the door, Peggy snuck back inside, just getting back from Steve's quarters that he shared with Bucky.  It was kind of a good situation the four of you had going.  After the rest of the camp had fallen asleep, she would sneak over the Steve's room, and once she got there, your boyfriend would head over to yours, before both of them switched back in the mornings.  No one in the camp was any the wiser since it was all done under the cover of darkness.  Everyone knew about you and Bucky, of course, but Peggy and Steve had asked you two to help them keep their relationship in the dark.  The Star Spangled Man with a Plan had a lot more enemies than his best friend, and he was determined to not put her in danger, which you (as her best friend) appreciated.

You managed to catch another hour of sleep before the camp alarm sounded, and you dragged yourself out of bed to get ready for the day.  The camp was bustling when you and Peggy finally made your way to breakfast.

As soon as Bucky saw you, he made good on his promise.  His arms wrapped around you as he dipped you low, his mouth pressing against yours.  You could hear the men whistling and hollering around you, but you were too focused on your boyfriend to care.

 "Hi," you whispered breathlessly as he pulled away, resting his forehead against yours.

His nose nudged yours as he said, "Hello."  He smiled against your lips as he pulled you in for another quick kiss.

"I missed you this morning."  You made sure to say it low enough so that no one else could hear you.  By now, most of the men had turned back to their breakfast and were paying you no attention, but you still wanted to be careful.

"As soon as this war is over, we won't have to worry about sneaking around anymore," he promised, your fingers running through the hair at the nape of his neck.  "You're going to be the head scientist at some fancy institution, and we'll have a little apartment close to Steve and Peggy's.  I'll get to wake up next to you every single morning for the rest of my life."

The two of you had talked about the future of course, but he had never straight up said that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you.  Your knees felt weak just at the thought, nodding happily.  Bucky had meant what he promised all those months ago.  He had never even implied that he wanted you to stay home and give up your ambitions just to have kids.  Instead, he took every chance he could to help push you forward.

Your little moment was broken, though, when Steve almost ran up to the two of you.  "Buck, we have to go now," he said, the most serious you had ever seen him.  "We have coordinates on Zola's location."

Bucky turned to look at you and you nodded.  "Come back home to me," you said softly.

He nodded, pulling you into one more kiss.  "I will.  I promise."  With a last look at you, he ran off after his best friend.

You watched after him, your finger tips raising to touch your lips.  You couldn't explain it, but there was a feeling in the pit of your stomach that told you something was about to happen.  You didn't know if it was good or bad, but you knew that a storm was brewing around you.

You could only hope that you all made it out.

You spent the entire day unfocused.  You were struggling to get anything done, and Peggy was beginning to worry about you.  Every few minutes, you'd glance out the window, looking for the silhouette of your boyfriend coming over the hill.  Your leg wouldn't stop tapping and you kept having to wipe your hands on your skirt to get the sweat off.

You barely slept that night, the emptiness of the space next to you getting to your head.  You tossed and turned and tossed and turned again.  You could hear Peggy doing the same thing in the bed across the room.

"Are you awake?"

You sat up a little in your bed, barely making out her form in the darkness.  "Yeah."

There was a pause.  "Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"

You didn't reply, just scooting over to make a little bit more room.  She grabbed her pillow and tiptoed across the cold floor, despite the fact that you two were the only ones there.  The bed dipped as she crawled in, her warmth helping protect you against the cold of the Austrian winter.

"Peggy?"

"Yes?"

You hesitated, biting your lip.  "Why do I feel like something awful has happened?"  About an hour earlier, you had felt this sinking feeling in your stomach, a pang in your heart.

"Maybe you just worry too much."

Despite what your best friend said, you knew that she understood.  She tried to put on a brave front, but anytime Steve went on a mission, she became an anxious mess.

"It'll all be alright tomorrow morning when they get home," she insisted, clearly trying to make you feel better.

So you just nodded, and let her squeeze your hand.  You could feel her fall asleep beside you, but you laid awake for a long time before sleep finally overtook you.

The next day, you didn't hear the shouts until almost noon.  It was overcast and cold, a soft blanket of slow from the night before on the ground.  You had been going through more of Erskine's journals when you heard it.  Anytime men came home from a mission, the other men in the camp would run out to greet them.  Peeking out the window, you saw as they started to pour out of the bunks, heading for the hill.

Grinning, you ran out of your quarters, following after them.  But as you got closer, you began to slow down.  The group you were running to only had nine.  There was one missing.  The feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach grew as you balled your hands into fists.

Once you were close enough to see Steve's face, you knew.

The other soldiers grew quiet as you still asked, "Where's Bucky?"  The blonde shook his head, his eyes red and puffy, and you felt yourself begin to shake.  "No.  No.  He promised he'd come back to me.  Where is he?!"  You stood up on your tiptoes, as though trying to see if they were hiding him.  As if this were some kind of sick joke.  "BUCKY!  BUCKY!"  When that didn't work, you shouted, "JAMES!"  It was becoming more and more clear to you that he wasn't coming back.  You couldn't deny that he was gone.  You collapsed to the ground in a puddle of tears, sobs shaking your body as your fingers dug into the ground.  You were covered in mud, but you didn't care.  The love of your life was gone.  Despite all the snide comments the other men had made about you and Bucky's relationship before, they were dead quiet now.  Their heads were lowered as they did their best not to stare at your grief.

You felt a pair of arms wrap around you, and you turned to cling to Peggy.  You weren't sure how long you stayed there in the mud, but by the time she finally got you to stand up, all the other soldiers had gone, leaving just you, Peggy, and Steve.  You felt numb as she led you back to your room, turning on the shower.  Staring blankly at the wall, you let her undress you and shove you under the water, not bothering to try to wipe away the mud that had absolutely covered you.

That night was the first time you had cried yourself to sleep over James Barnes, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last.

Two years passed by in a blur, and you still felt empty.  The war had been won, and you had gone back to America with Peggy in tow, but it didn't feel right.  Bucky was supposed to be at your side.  It didn't help that Steve had also died, leaving you and your best friend utterly broken.

Well, you were utterly broken still.  Peggy had started to put the pieces back together and had even agreed to go out on a date with some man.  He had been one of the soldiers that Steve had saved when he rescued Bucky.  Part of you wondered if she was only going on the date because it was one of her last connections to Steve, but you didn't ask.  You had no right to judge how she mourned.

You, however, threw yourself into your work.  You had found yourself working with Howard Stark after the war.  It was the kind of thing Bucky had always said you'd do.

But instead of coming home to the love of your life, you had no one.  Peggy lived down the hall, of course, but it wasn't the same.  It didn't fill the aching void in your heart.

So when Stark came in to tell you about his new experiment, you immediately volunteered your services, which is what led you to this.

You were climbing into a glass box, preparing yourself for whatever was about to happen.  Either you were going to die, or you were going to be frozen.  It was an experiment in cryogenics, to see if someone could effectively be frozen in time.

"Here, I want you to have this," Peggy said, wiping tears from her eyes as she took off her heart-shaped locket.  It held a picture of the two of you on one side, and a picture of Steve and Bucky on the other.  Her hands shook as she put it on you, moving your hair out of the way.  "I want you to remember us when you're woken up in a hundred years," she teased, though you could tell she was actually upset.

You pulled her into a tight hug, tears falling down your cheeks.  "Please live the best life you can," you said softly, your voice crackling a little as you held onto her.  "I want to crack open a history book and see chapters filled with stories about you, okay?"

She nodded with a bit of a laugh, pulling away to look at you one last time.  You had both given up on not crying, and it was a sight to see.  "I love you, Y/N," she said, squeezing your hands.

"I love you, too."  You looked up to see Howard Stark coming over, knowing it was time.  "Maybe I'll see you on the other side," you said with a playful wink, before you leaned back.

"Ready?" Howard asked, his eyes searching your face for any hesitation.  He was finding it hard not to cry himself, since he had spent the last two years becoming one of your closest friends.  He could be an asshole at times, but he really did mean well, and he was fiercely loving and protective over those he cared about, which included you.

He was also giving you a chance to back out.  This was the moment before, when you could change your mind.  You could step out of the box and go home with Peggy.  You could find a boy to settle down with, and see your family again.  You hadn't even said goodbye to them in person, having just sent each of them individual letters explaining what you were doing.  You had known that doing it in person would've hurt too much and they would've just eventually convinced you not to.  But you had to do this.  If only for the sake of science, you had to do it.

"Ready."

Cold.

That's the first thing you felt as you started to come to, though a deep soreness in your muscles is the second.  You can also hear people talking in hushed voices a few feet away, but you don't quite have the strength to open your eyes.

"—found her in his lab.  He had this locked room he never let anyone go into, but he would disappear there for hours at a time."

"How did you unfreeze her?"

"Easy.  I just read his journals.  He had everything written down with strict instructions on getting her out of there."

There was a long pause, before a different voice asked, "Do we even know who she is?"

"That's all in here."  There was the sound of ruffling papers.  "It's all medical and school records, but at least we know her name."

"Y/N M/N L/N.  Born July 11th, 1921...  Says here she went to St. Martin-in-the-Fields High School for Girls in London, but she was born in Louisiana."

"Boarding school," the first voice said.  "Lots of southern families sent their daughters to get an education before coming home and being baby makers for the rest of their lives."

Well, that stung, even if it was true.

"Wait..."  The second voice was speaking now.  "St. Martin-in-the-Fields.  Isn't that the same high school Peggy Carter went to?"

More ruffling of papers.  "Holy shit.  She was her roommate for all four years."

You took that moment to open your eyes, gasping as the light shone brightly on you.  You felt like you had been hit by a brick.  There was the sound of footsteps as the three people who had been talking rushed to your bedside.  When you finally blinked your eyes open again, your gaze immediately went to the brunette man to your left.  "Howard?!  How long was I frozen?!"  The others, a black man with nicely trimmed facial hair and a blonde woman with big green eyes were staring at you in surprise.

The brunette man that you were sure was your former partner shook his head, his brow furrowed.  "I'm his son, Tony.  You'd been asleep for almost eighty years."

You sat up in a rush, groaning as the pain hit you.  The three people guided you back down to the bed.  Once the pain had passed, you took a moment to look around.  You were in what seemed like a hospital bed, but there were no machines around you.  A window to your right gave you a view of a forest surrounding whatever building you were inside.  Finally, you turned back to the people in front of you.  "What year is it?"

They all paused, looking between each other like they were debating telling you or not.  Finally, Tony said, "It's the year 2021."

Holy shit.  Holy shit, it was actually a hundred years since you had been born, and that was...  You didn't even know what to say as you looked at them in shock.  Your mouth had gone drier than a desert.  The man beside Tony seemed to sense what you needed, because he handed you a glass of water, which you sipped at greedily.  When you were finally done, you held onto the glass like it was a lifeline.  "Who are you two?"

"I'm Rhodey."

"Pepper."

You turned your head to look at the son of Howard Stark, tears rimming your eyes.  "You look just like him, you know.  You have the same eyes."  That seemed to strike a chord within the man, who cleared his throat as he looked down.  "Is Howard still alive?"  The thought of possibly seeing him excited you, even if he was in a nursing home by now.

But Tony shook his head, sympathy in his eyes.  "He died in 1991."

You knew when you had been put under that you most likely wouldn't come back to find anyone you had known alive, but it still hurt.  The last time you had seen Howard, he had still been so full of life.  "Did he live a happy life, at least?"

He was staring at you with such wonder, his mouth set in a thin line.  "He built one of the biggest companies in the world.  He was a devoted husband to my mother, Maria."

Your heart warmed at the thought as you smiled a little.  "I always thought she would be good for him.  I'm happy that he married her and settled down."

Slowly sitting up, you frowned down at the clothes you were in.  Someone had changed you out of the clothes you had been wearing when you went under, and you were now clad in some... weird material.  The name Stark was emblazoned across whatever long sleeved thing you were wearing.  "What is this?"

Pepper smiled a little as she folded her hands in front of her.  "They're called sweats.  It's kind of the generic clothing your given when you come to the Avengers compound."

Avengers compound?  The hell was that?

Seeming to sense your confusion, Pepper waved her hand to dismiss the thought.  "I'll explain later.  I can give you a tour of the compound, though, if you're up for walking?"

Well, that you didn't know about.  You didn't know exactly what Howard had done when he had frozen you.  Were your muscles frozen exactly in place, so that you'd be able to do everything you had been able to back then?  Would you need to go through extensive amounts of physical therapy?  Hell, were you even young anymore?  You assumed you were, considering when you looked down at your hands they looked exactly the same as the day you had gone under.

The memory of that day flashing to your mind, you reached up to your neck, relaxing when you found the heart shaped locket that Peggy had given you.

Taking a chance, you slowly moved your legs to hang off the side of the bed, before standing up completely.  The tile beneath you was cold to the touch and it sent a shiver through your spine.  When you stood up, you found that Howard had managed to freeze you so that your muscles didn't deteriorate.  There was a little stiffness, but that wasn't anything you couldn't fix.

"If everything becomes too much, let us know," Rhodey said, finally speaking up.  "We don't want you getting overwhelmed by how much has changed."

You nodded, walking beside the three of them as they led you out of the room.  You found yourself in a hospital wing, which you had expected.  A few doctors were milling about, but not many.  You weren't there for long as Tony led you through double doors into a massive hallway, glass lining both sides.  On your right, you could see the outside.  All you could see was forest for miles and miles and miles.  On your left, you could watch a multitude of people at a state of the art gym.  The machines were a little upgraded from what you remembered, but the idea was the same.

You were only half listening as Tony explained different things around the compound, Pepper and Rhodey sometimes adding in little anecdotes.  You were taking everything in quietly, processing it as best you could.  More than a small part of you had thought that Howard's experiment wouldn't work, and you'd end up dead.  Sure, he was a genius, and he had successfully frozen rats for a few days to a few months, but eighty years?  It had seemed absurd.

You should've known better than to estimate him.

"And this is the Avengers living quarters," Rhodey said as the four of you stepped onto an elevator.  You were surprised at how smoothly it moved as it took you up three floors.  They had kind of explained what the Avengers were, so you got the basic idea, but it was still hard to believe.

You stepped out of the elevator and into a large living room.  What seemed to be a television hung up on the wall, and you were shocked at the sheer size of it.  "You're just like your father," you mused as Tony went on and on about all the inventions you probably didn't know about.

He continued to give you the tour, explaining each and every room in detail.  When he had finally finished his two hour long explanation of his lab, you were starting to feel tired.  You had been one of the top scientists in the world when you had gone under, and now you were outdated.  There'd be so much you'd have to learn if you ever wanted to catch up.

When you rounded a corner that led to a kitchen area, you spotted a group of about eight people sitting there.  They paid you no mind, except for a familiar blonde.  "Y/N?!"  He shouted.

"STEVE?!"

The two of you ran to each other, and he laughed as he picked you up, hugging you as tightly in possible.  All the others had gone silent in confusion as they watched you.  The only people who knew what was going on was Tony, Rhodey, and Pepper.  "They told me you died," Steve said, disbelief in his eyes.

"I was on the radio when you had died!"  You had been in the room with Peggy, listening to the mission, when he had gone down.  You had been the one to hold her as she broke down, a mirror image of you when Bucky had been lost.

A realization dawned on Steve's face, and he opened his mouth to say, "Y/N, you—"

"Y/N?"

You froze at the sound of that familiar voice, your heart beating harshly against your rib cage.  There was no way.  There was no way that he was alive.  You had spent two years mourning him and had volunteered yourself for what you had assumed was a death sentence because of his death.

Steve moved to the side, and there he was.  He was standing at the entrance to the kitchen, clearly having just walked in.  There was a soft sheen of sweat on his brow, like he had just gotten back from the gym.

"Is it really you?" Your voice cracked as you felt the tears start to well up.

Without a second thought, the two of you were running for each other.  You launched yourself into Bucky's arms, wrapping your legs around his waist.  He smelled exactly the same as he had back then, and you took in a deep breath.  His fingers were winding through your hair, and he just kept whispering, "I can't believe you're here.  I love you so much."

You pulled back as you pushed his hair away from his face.  "Your hair is longer," you said with a bit of a laugh, and he wiped away the tears that were streaming down your cheeks.  "I like it."

He grinned, pulling you into a long kiss.  You could practically feel the stares of disbelief as you wrapped your arms around his neck, elongating the kiss.  His lips still fit perfectly against yours and it sent a sob through you.

You felt a burst of fury as he put you down, and you reached out to slap him.  He stared at you in shock as you angrily pointed at him.  "You promised you would come home.  You scared the shit out of me, you...  You asshole!"

But he just smiled.  His hands reached out for you again and he pressed a long kiss to your forehead.  "I'm home now, my love.  I'm home and nothing's ever going to take me away from you ever again."

"Better not," you sniffled, your hands grasping his shirt so tightly your knuckles went white.  "Because if it happens again, I'll kill you myself."

Bucky paused, confusion in his bright blue eyes.  "What happened, though?  How are you here?"

"I could ask you the same question," you countered, before explaining.  "I worked with Howard Stark after the war.  He spent a lot of time on cryogenics, and when he asked for volunteers...  I offered."

Now it was his turn to be mad at you.  "Y/N, please tell me you didn't offer yourself as an experiment."  When you smiled at him sheepishly in response, he scowled, pulling you into his arms again.  "You could've died."

"But I didn't.  And apparently neither did you," you said, raising an eyebrow questioningly at him.  You also looked down at his arm, finding metal there instead of the flesh you remembered.  You weren't upset by it, just confused.  He was still your Bucky, whether or not he had a limb missing.

But before he could explain, someone asked, "Okay, but who are you?"

You looked at the other people who were standing around the kitchen, a few sitting on bar stools.  "I'm Y/N L/N."

A man with curly brown hair stood up, his eyebrows furrowed.  "Wait.  THE Y/N L/N?"

You slowly nodded, a little confused that he recognized you.

When he saw your expression, he pulled out what Tony had explained early was a cell phone, and tapped on it quickly before passing it to you.  What you saw was an entire article on a scientific website about your contributions.  They spoke about how you blazed a trail for other women to join the field, and about how the war couldn't have been won without you.  The thought sent tears to your eyes as you laughed, covering your mouth in shock.

"Y/N...  You're a hero," he said, before holding out his hand for you to shake, wonder in his eyes.  "I'm Bruce.  Bruce Banner."

 "It's lovely to meet you," you replied, a blush on your cheeks.

He shook his head, grasping your hand.  "The pleasure is all mine.  Really."

Bucky must've thought he had been holding your hand too long, because he let out a low, "Hands off."  You burst into laughter as you saw the same expression he had always worn when one of the other soldiers would hit on you, his eyes going dark and his lips set in a deep frown.

The others were a little shocked at how jealous he got, but he ignored them in favor of wrapping his arms around you, kissing your hair.  "Don't be mean," you chided, and he just hummed in response.  His grip on you was the same, despite his metal arm, and you still felt safer in his arms than you had anywhere else in the world.

"But really, how do you guys know each other?"

Steve decided to be the one to explain that time, glancing back at the two of you with a bit of sadness.  "Y/N was Peggy's best friend from boarding school, and we all met when she got her a job working with the man who gave me the super soldier serum."

You looked at him with a frown, biting your lip.  "Peggy?..."  Steve nodded in response, knowing what you were asking, and you took a deep breath to steady yourself.  You had hoped that you might get to see her in her old age, but you had missed her.

"I know that Y/N still needs to be introduced to everyone, but that can wait," Bucky suddenly said.  You gasped as he threw you over his shoulder.  "I'm keeping her to myself for a while."

You groaned in embarrassment as he started to carry you out of the room, kicking and hitting at his back in protest.  "Bucky!  Put me down!"  But you stopped after you got to another elevator, which took you up to what seemed to be a hallway lined with bedrooms.  You were proven right when he opened a door, bringing you into a sunlit room and tossing you onto the bed.

You watched Bucky with a soft, adoring gaze as he kicked off his shoes, peeling off his shirt before getting onto the bed.  He crawled on top of you, his long hair falling on either side of your face as your hands moved to rest on his chest.  "You're buffer than the last time I saw you," you murmured in awe, your fingers running over the skin.  Your right hand brushed against his shoulder, where his metal arm connected.  "What happened to you, my love?"

His calloused hand cupped your face, his thumb running tenderly over your cheek.  "HYDRA captured me after I fell from the train, and they nursed me back to health."  But a frown was covering his features.  "They gave me a serum similar to the one Steve got, and they brainwashed me."  Your heart sunk in your chest as you wiped away his tears.  "I was an assassin known as the Winter Soldier for seventy years, before I escaped."  His watery eyes finally met yours.  "Y/N...  I assassinated Howard and Maria Stark."

Your heart broke as you saw how much it hurt him, and you shook your head.  "It's not your fault.  You didn't know what you were doing," you whispered, pulling him down into a soft kiss.  Howard had been Bucky's friend, too, and you could only imagine how much it hurt him.  You held Bucky to your chest, both of you starting to cry.  "I'm here now.  You've got me and I'm never leaving," you whispered.

Downstairs, the Avengers were watching the spot you had just been in shock.

"Wait, Bucky had a girlfriend?!" Sam asked, shaking his head.

Peter seemed to have a different concern.  "Bucky SPEAKS?!"

Steve rolled his eyes, smirking at the others.  "Bucky had a life before the Winter Soldier, you know."  He glanced back at the direction you two had gone, crossing his arms over his chest.  He leaned against the counter slowly.  "Y/N was the best thing that had ever happened to Bucky.  I had never seen two people more in love.  When he died...  It was like her heart had been ripped out of her chest."  The look in his eyes were hollow as his mind went back to the day you had sat in the mud, screaming at the sky for taking away the man you loved.  "I had never heard a sound like that."

"So she just volunteered to be frozen by Tony's dad?" Natasha scoffed.

"She's one of the bravest people I've ever met," he said.  "And the smartest.  If she believed that she could do something to help progress, she was going to do it."  He left out the fact that you had probably thought you wouldn't wake up.  He had felt that kind of loneliness after waking up and finding that everyone he had known was either dead or within a few years of dying.  It could really get to you, feeling like you'd been left behind.

The next morning, you woke to an empty bed and sun pouring in through the windows.  You sat up harshly, looking around the room for Bucky.  You almost thought you had dreamed the day before when he came out of what you assumed to be the restroom.

"I'm here, I just had to use the bathroom," he said as he crawled back into the bed, pulling you into his embrace.

You curled up against his chest, your legs tangling with his.  "I thought I had dreamed yesterday."

Bucky chuckled as he kissed a press to your nose.  "Go back to sleep."

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

He squeezed you a little tighter.  The world had changed drastically.  He had been through hell and back, and lived to tell the tale.  There was a little more sadness lingering within the both of you, and you knew that you two were a little more broken than when you had first met.  But he was still your Bucky.  He was still the man you wanted to wake up to every morning.  You still wanted to do life with him.  You wanted to bicker over him leaving the toilet seat up, and steal the covers at night.  You wanted to dance around the kitchen with him and take long strolls under the moon, drunk on each other like you had been all those years ago in a tiny town in Austria.

"Always."

[astridflowers]

Pins and Needles (SacklerxReader) (1/?)

This is my first attempt at writing but I felt inspired x I Hope you enjoy.

https://my.w.tt/povTqX0rq9

"Flowers!" mark called from the kitchen in your studio. Mark was the senior artist at the studio, Eye of the Needle. He liked to call you flowers as you had recently dyed your hair purple and he said it made you look like Ramona Flowers from the Scott Pilgrim comics, which you took as a complement overall. "What's wrong ?" You called back putting down your sketchbook and rising from the sofa that was near the entrance at the shop. It was usually reserved for customers as they waited but was a great spot to curl up in and just draw when you had a quiet day like today. "When is anything ever wrong" he replied whilst walking towards you with two steaming cups. " I thought you would just like a coffee you've been sat in your nest for hours" he smirked. You took the mug from him and took a big sip. You all but moaned at the warm comforting taste. "Your too good to me" you sighed. "Yeah,yeah I know your eviction notice is in the post" he winked. You gave him a glare then sat back down on the couch. You worked in a small tattoo studio in New York. It was you mark and two other artists Rebecca and Phil but they weren't in today. You moved to New York a year ago from England so your accent was always a conversation starter and ice breaker to new clients you worked on. Apparently having a british accent in New York made you pretty much an alien and you got a lot of requests to repeat words back to them as "everything sounds soo much better with your accent". So far you loved New York and you had a few regular clients but your social life was all but none existent out side of the shop. You lived in an apartment by yourself with your German Shepard dog Bear and your bearded dragon Eggy who you had recently rescued and besides coming to work,the store and the occasional trip to the gym you didn't really get out much. It had just turned four PM and mark let out a loud sigh as he stretched and walked over to the front desk."You don't have to hand around here flowers, ill probably close up a little early as I doubt they'll be many walk ins today". "It's ok I honestly have nothing else on " you smiled not looking up from your drawing you finished a while ago and we're just procrastinating shading in parts you already had. "Nah not allowed a young thing like you needs to be out,live a little go see your friends" he started to make shooing motions with his hands you looked up and flared at him "yeah that's not me" you replied. "Come on Y/N you seriously have nothing else you'd rather be doing then on this sofa listening to me". "Besides here home and gym I don't do anything and I like my routine" you smiled. He made a disgusted face "can't stand those gym places you'll never get me in there and look at me the picture of fitness" he flexed his heavily tattooed arms making you giggle. Mark wasn't unfit in anyway if anything he was quiet attractive he was a good bit older then you and he had long hair in a low pony tail,usually sporting black T-shirts and jeans with sleeves on both his arms they covered in beautiful artwork he'd acquired over the years and often told you stories about they're meanings and the artists. "You should try it" you laughed back "it's fun". He looked at you with a serious face "you disgust me flowers" his voice was monotone but you could see his mouth smirk slightly. You in no way were the image of a gym bunny with a height of 5ft 3 and your body was quite curvy. You didn't mind though you actually loved your hips and butt, you mainly went to the gym as you liked the excersize it made you feel good. "Well I suppose I could go there for a hour it's been a while since I've done any sort of workout" you thought. "Ok then if you want me gone soo badly, I know where I'm not wanted" you dramatically got up from the couch and marched to your leather jacket on the hook."good your scaring away the customers" he winked as you put on your jacket and grabbed your keys. "See you tomorrow grumpy" you laughed as you started to walk back to your apartment.

You got in the door greeted by an excited bear and grabbed a bag and started to pack a towel your water bottle and your gym clothes. "I know buddy it's good to see you too" you scratched behind the dogs ear "I'll be back in a hour I promise" you said as you made your way back out of the apartment.

You arrived at the gym and you were soo happy to see it was quiet in there too just a few people on the weights and a few more on the treadmills but overall not busy. You didn't mind when it was but you just felt like you could get more into your workouts with a quieter atmosphere. You did some squats, light weights and were now doing a fast walk on the tread mill when you heard a familiar accent "I thought that was you Y/N!" Jessa, a frequent client of yours ran up to you. You slowed down your machine to a stop and then jumped off to talk to her. "Oh my god hey" you smiled Jessa was in a vest and shorts with her long blonde hair in a messy bun, how the hell did she always look so effortlessly pretty you thought. " I didn't know you came here" you smiled. "Oh fuck no,well not usually" she laughed "Adams been trying to get me to excersize saying I'll feel better and he gets a runners high but I dunno I'm not feeling it" she shrugged looking around the room. She was physically tiny and didn't look like she'd sweat at all. "Well I guess it's not for everyone" you laughed. "Yeh but after least I can say I've tried it and he'll get off my back" she laughed. Adam ? Oh now you remember Jessa had mentioned a on and off again partner she had during one of your sessions. "Adam ? That's your boyfriend right" she nodded " yeah , well currently we're kind of off and on for a while now but we're good" she shrugged again you just smiled and nodded. "Wanna get out of here and go for a coffee or something " she asked. You thought about it for a second before marks voice in your head appeared maybe you did need to socialise and have friends. "Erm sure sounds good just need to change" you smiled she nodded and you both walked to the changing room.

Jessa went into a one of the shower stalls saying she wanted to have a quick shower even though she didn't look like she's sweat at all. You started to change in-front of your locker as there was no one else in the changing room. You stripped and changed into your clean underwear you'd packed a loud bang of a door somewhere outside startled you but after standing for a minute with silence you continued and slipped on your new shirt. Another loud bang,a door a bit closer to the changing rooms. You again paused but then grabbed your ripped jeans out of your bag and bent down to slip them on. The changing room door swung open behind you and you heard a "oh ..wow fuck" you spun round quickly pulling up your pants fast to cover your bare ass. You were greeted to a beast of a man easily over 6 foot with long shaggy dark hair and a goatee. If you hadn't just flashed this guy you'd say he was gorgeous. His voice broke you out of your staring "Erm sorry, shit erm " he was rubbing his facial hair as he spoke clearly embarrassed or nervous. "I didn't mean to , I'm not meant to be i here clearly , I was, there was no one out there I was trying to get into the gym" you had to smile at how clustered he was or maybe it was because you were extremely attracted to him. "Hey don't worry you were a few minutes too late for a full show don't worry about it " you laughed and winked pulling your leather jacket over your shoulders trying to make light of it to calm him down. He met your eyes and smiled "well damn" he laughed showing his strong dimples. He was still looking you over, now it was your turn to be nervous. "Erm yeh well the main gym is straight down the hall big doors" you smiled still mentioning the staring competition he was just about to open his mouth to speak again when Jessa's voice broke your stare "Those showers are fucking freezing I'm not kidding" she was walking over with a towel over her head drying her hair when she looked up at the man who was still on the doorway. "Adam!?" Shit. "That's Adam?" You almost choked.You got in the door greeted by an excited bear and grabbed a bag and started to pack a towel your water bottle and your gym clothes. “I know buddy it’s good to see you too” you scratched behind the dogs ear “I’ll be back in a hour I promise” you said as you made your way back out of the apartment.

You arrived at the gym and you were soo happy to see it was quiet in there too just a few people on the weights and a few more on the treadmills but overall not busy. You didn’t mind when it was but you just felt like you could get more into your workouts with a quieter atmosphere. You did some squats, light weights and were now doing a fast walk on the tread mill when you heard a familiar accent “I thought that was you Y/N!” Jessa, a frequent client of yours ran up to you. You slowed down your machine to a stop and then jumped off to talk to her. “Oh my god hey” you smiled Jessa was in a vest and shorts with her long blonde hair in a messy bun, how the hell did she always look so effortlessly pretty you thought. “ I didn’t know you came here” you smiled. “Oh fuck no,well not usually” she laughed “Adams been trying to get me to excersize saying I’ll feel better and he gets a runners high but I dunno I’m not feeling it” she shrugged looking around the room. She was physically tiny and didn’t look like she’d sweat at all. “Well I guess it’s not for everyone” you laughed. “Yeh but after least I can say I’ve tried it and he’ll get off my back” she laughed. Adam ? Oh now you remember Jessa had mentioned a on and off again partner she had during one of your sessions. “Adam ? That’s your boyfriend right” she nodded “ yeah , well currently we’re kind of off and on for a while now but we’re good” she shrugged again you just smiled and nodded. “Wanna get out of here and go for a coffee or something “ she asked. You thought about it for a second before marks voice in your head appeared maybe you did need to socialise and have friends. “Erm sure sounds good just need to change” you smiled she nodded and you both walked to the changing room . Jessa went into a one of the shower stalls saying she wanted to have a quick shower even though she didn’t look like she’s sweat at all. You started to change in-front of your locker as there was no one else in the changing room. You stripped and changed into your clean underwear you’d packed a loud bang of a door somewhere outside startled you but after standing for a minute with silence you continued and slipped on your new shirt. Another loud bang,a door a bit closer to the changing rooms. You again paused but then grabbed your ripped jeans out of your bag and bent down to slip them on. The changing room door swung open behind you and you heard a “oh ..wow fuck” you spun round quickly pulling up your pants fast to cover your bare ass. You were greeted to a beast of a man easily over 6 foot with long shaggy dark hair and a goatee. If you hadn’t just flashed this guy you’d say he was gorgeous. His voice broke you out of your staring “Erm sorry, shit erm “ he was rubbing his facial hair as he spoke clearly embarrassed or nervous. “I didn’t mean to , I’m not meant to be i here clearly , I was, there was no one out there I was trying to get into the gym” you had to smile at how clustered he was or maybe it was because you were extremely attracted to him. “Hey don’t worry you were a few minutes too late for a full show don’t worry about it “ you laughed and winked pulling your leather jacket over your shoulders trying to make light of it to calm him down. He met your eyes and smiled “well damn” he laughed showing his strong dimples. He was still looking you over, now it was your turn to be nervous. “Erm yeh well the main gym is straight down the hall big doors” you smiled still mentioning the staring competition he was just about to open his mouth to speak again when Jessa’s voice broke your stare “Those showers are fucking freezing I’m not kidding” she was walking over with a towel over her head drying her hair when she looked up at the man who was still on the doorway. “Adam!?” Shit. “That’s Adam?” You almost choked.

[houseswolo]

Day 17 - 'Tis The Season To Be Thirsting

"Oh come all ye Forceful..."

The last of our Thirsties to be showcased:

Wilson

(Tumblr: @wilsonthinks66​ | Twitter: Wilsonthinks66 | Ao3: Wilson66)

What got you into Star Wars?

When a certain Adam Driver revealed his beautiful face in The Force Awakens 😍 helloo handsome

What made you a Reylo? Lightbulb moment!

"You're not alone." "Neither are you."

I think I told Luke to piss off and let them kiss!

Why do you write / make art?

Because why not?! I write when I have that little niggling idea that just won't go away.

The Object of your Thirst…

Oh so many but if we're sticking to the Star Wars it's got to be the beautiful Adam Driver and my favourite ginger Domhnall Gleeson

Which Adam look do you like the best?

Unwrapped and bare chested 🤤😍

Which Adam avatar/ role do you like the best?

Flip Zimmerman, I think my stomach literally flipped (pun intended 😏) when Adam wheeled around on that chair 💦💦

Which part of Adam do you like the best? 

A part? How can you only pick one part.

Favorite Star Wars Movie

Probably The Force Awakens, it was the film that made me watch the others in preparation, although Rogue one is a close second.

What do you like to write / draw / paint the most?

Don't judge me but I love writing angst obviously with a well earned happy ending. This is what I want to write as I've made a promise to myself to focus on what I enjoy reading/writing and not worry about others' opinions.

**Eyes the dark Evil Rey idea that won't leave me alone recently**

We'll get to you soon.

(HS: Dooo eeeet!)

Your TRoS Prediction

They all live happily ever after... Hux included 🤞❤️ no I know that may be too optimistic but I do hope we get Bendemption 😍

If you were an aesthetic... (colors, images, feels....)

Red and black are my favourite colour combination, although I adore autumn colours too🍁🧡

What's your ideal environment for writing / creating? 

Silence 😂 seriously I am so easily distracted that I need solitary confinement 😅 which may be why I sometimes struggle to finish fics.

Are you a dom or sub? 

Switch baby! 🤘 For the perfect partner I'll be whatever they need 😏

What's the most exotic/wierd place you've gotten intimate?

I've spent most of my life at yards, I'm not going to miss the opportunity to roll about the straw barn, now am I? 🙊

What's your kink?

Who doesn't love a good Dom but on the flip who doesn't love a well-behaved sub? 🤷 I'm easily pleased.

Use three words to describe yourself

Loyal, kind (I hope I come across as such) and argumentative sometimes because I can fall out with myself if I'm that way inclined 😂

Meaning behind your nick / ID name

Well it's my name and I wasn't feeling imaginative 😅

Are you a big spoon or little spoon?

I'm a don't touch me while a sleep spoon, solitary spoon 😘

Do you like it rough or soft? 

See if you pick one, you lose out on the other. I'm too greedy for that.

Favorite fic you read

Unexpected by pontmercy44. The first star wars fandom fic I ever read that introduced me into this world, I guess.

Favorite fic you wrote or favorite art you made

Decades to Fall for Sunshineflying. A reyux fic (don't shoot the multishipper!) That I just loved writing and wish that every fic was that easy to create. 😍❤️

Favorite SW character besides Kylo and Rey

Oh well this is so hard for me umm 🤔 maybe that ginger General of First Order... I struggle to remember his name 😘 love me some Hux

______

Taz

(Tumblr: @tazwren | Twitter: WrenTaz | Ao3: TazWren & TrashcanWren)

What got you into Star Wars?

Literally, a lightsaber being stuck into my hand, at 7yrs, and being asked to be Vader to my cousin’s Luke Skywalker. I’d never heard of SW till that moment, and I fell headfirst into the Dark Side and in love with the galaxy far, far away! Its been the one franchise that as been a constant for me, the whole time growing up, and I’ve loved having something SW to look forward to every few years. SW and Reylo lifer! 😁😁😎😎

What made you a Reylo? Lightbulb moment!

“You are not alone.” The minute Kylo/Ben said those words, I was gone for Reylo. No true villain would give a flying fuck about his so-called adversary’s mental and emotional health. When their hands touched? I screeched in that theatre! And I may have yelled at Luke as well. Walked out and hunted for Kylo/Rey fanfics and the rest was history!

Why do you write / make art?

I do because the stories show up and make it impossible for me to do anything else but tell them. They buzz and breed and drown out all other sounds, like manic mosquitoes. They can be quite a nuisance that way, but... *throws up hands* ... I gots to do what they tell me to do! 😆

The Object of your Thirst…

Uh, do I even need to answer this? Adam Douglas Driver, Mr.Sensitive-on-a-stick, BDE Boss hisself 😎😏

Once I discovered him, all others ceased to exist for me. (Hugh, who? Chris, what?)

Which Adam look do you like the best?

I like Adam every which way, but my favorites are with facial scruff and slightly shaggy hair - Phillip Altman meets Ben Swolo. Oooh, anytime he is a sweater (or half out of one!) or with his shirtsleeves rolled up. So, um, yeah... 😁

Which Adam avatar/ role do you like the best?

Philip Altman is BAE - he always lightens my heart. And Ben Solo? He owns the frickin’ thing. So yeah, anyone who knows me, knows one ain’t enough 😏

Which part of Adam do you like the best?

His face - it’s so emotive and expressive! His eyes, those lips, that smile that launches a gazillion ships. His hands, his strong-ass arms. That glorious mane of hair. Have I mentioned them tiddies and the tree-trunk thighs?! Oh, and when he flexes his back, and...

Uh... let’s just say, everything Adam? 

Favorite Star Wars Movie

The Last Jedi was the most beautifully written and shot movie in the entire franchise, with a depth of characterization and exploration of symbolism that was brilliant. This will always rate as the best for me. A close second, and one I will always love, is Empire Strikes Back. That was quintessential Star Wars and an amazingly good watch - snark, action, angst, love, betrayal, rescue, OMFG!

What do you like to write / draw / paint the most?

Until I started writing Reylo, I’d never been able to write fiction. I could never visualize the stories. And once I started, I haven’t been able to stop! I’ll write anything Reylo, I’ll try writing anything at least once (so, yeah, there may be dark fic as well one day!). My style defaults to either mildly angsty, or humour-laced fluff, or depraved smut. So, not sure what that says about me 😂

Your TRoS Prediction

Bendemption. Reylo. *mic drop*

If you were an aesthetic... (colors, images, feels....)

Blacks, Reds, Greys, slashes of bright turquoise and white and ochre. Blue and white-striped awnings shading an alfresco cafe, overlooking a green ocean. Bright, city lights, reds and yellows glinting off the black water of a bay. A busy airport, with the scents of perfume from Duty-Free as you zoom past it.

If you were a candy bar, what would your name be?

The Ever-lasting Gobstopper 😂

What's your ideal environment for writing / creating?

In a hotel room, on my own. In the back of cab, in the window-seat of an airplane. At my desk, looking out through the window as the breeze blows through the trees, and the Burn This playlist keeps going on repeat. 

Are you a dom or sub?

Both? Both is good.

What's the most exotic/wierd place you've gotten intimate?

On the back of a bike, in the middle of the night, stopped at a traffic intersection.

What's your kink?

Size. Hands. Humour. Fidelity, and yet threesomes (go figure, I’m depraved). Mild Dom. Intelligence and thoughtfulness. Hair. Fuck it, Adam.

Use three words to describe yourself

Loyal, funny, organized-chaos (its a thing, trust me!)

Meaning behind your nick / ID name

I’ve always had Taz as a nickname, for the Warner Bros Tasmanian Devil (yes, I’ve been known to be exactly like that! 😂). Wren is a nod to Kylo Ren, and the fact that one of the earliest fanfics I read had Rey naming her son ‘Wren’ as a backhanded pointer to Kylo! So I’m, Taz, a Knight of Ren.

Are you a big spoon or little spoon?

I can be both, till I fall asleep. Then, pls leave me tf alone 😬😁

Do you like it rough or soft?

Both - why choose?!

Favorite fic you read

There are so very many in this amazing fandom! The one that I’ve loved from the beginning, though, is The Art of Broken Pieces - a beautifully written Bendemption fic. 

Favorite fic you wrote or favorite art you made

God, this is hard! My recent favorites are Brooklyn Bridge Blues, Caught Between Beats, and A Taste For Two - I like that I’m able to explore a variety of stories and emotions through them. I’m most proud of Confidences To A Stranger because I was able to explore a storytelling medium that I hadn’t before. 

Favorite SW character besides Kylo and Rey

Padme Amidala - she reminds me of my mother and grandmother, both of whom were strong women, who got shit done, while always taking care of their people. She was a queen in more than just name. Han Solo - I am weak for a scoundrel/villain/bad boy in a leather jacket, with a hardass, snarky exterior that hides a heart of gold. The reluctant hero.💙

____

Meet the other Thristies! Thirst Order Advent Calendar Day:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

cc: @tazwren @drnucleus @ashtyntaytertot @deadlikemoi @nite0wl29 @thereylowritingden @houseplaidam @housedadam @house-crylo @housereysistance @my-jedi-life @shestoolazytologin @koderenn @thoseindarkness @areylofan @lostinqueue-ffa @queenoferebor  @cosmo-gonika @roguesinside @wilsonthinks66  @dangertaylor @lilia-ula @wandering-minds-found @looc-at-me @hopelesslyreylo @ferashacosplay @andabatae-writes @semperfidani ​ @reylo-fade-to-grey @cb-lainey-schooled

[blehbleehhhh]

Angel ft. Eremika <3

Hello 🐒 I present to you a fluff piece. Seriously it makes me cringe! That’s why most of my stuff is a mix! Idk how this came from the request for something where Carla is alive and suggests to Eren to ask Mikasa to marry him because that thought doesn't occur (something I also agree to be likely!). This idea comes from a fanfic I read a long time ago on Wattpad but I cannot for the life of me remember who wrote it...But the idea is that it’s him who is in the band with a few other people in the group, including Armin, but Mikasa isn’t involved with that, though she is in mine! I’ve been to a few concerts in my short-ish life (I’ll be 24 in November) and Bruce Springsteen is absolutely adorable with his fans haha. I hate that everyone’s characters are so different but I also worked really hard on this (about 5 months hahahaha no lie) I almost didn’t even post this..lol. Hope you enjoy the fluff.

Eren Jaeger is standing on an expansive stage with his rock band, finishing up their most recent cover of The Eagles' Hotel California. They were brought in to play at a summer festival being held locally with a couple of other bands and were the last to play, which only means that quite a few in the audience is drunk off their ass and more likely to interact with the band members. He couldn't help but laugh into the microphone when he saw his mom in the front row dancing along to the music she raised her boys on with her first and last Sam Adams in hand. "The insanely supportive Carla Jaeger, everyone!" Her son smiled as he finished the song's last note and Armin hit the drums at the perfect time, just like they've practiced for years now. "Seriously, she may not be able to make it to some shows, but that makes the ones she can make even more special, right?!" The crowd cheered in response and his girlfriend would later swear that she heard him giggle a little bit, because she knows how much he loves interacting with their fans. Mikasa smiled as she watched him run his fingers through his shaggy brown hair, a sight that she truly loves to watch and has for as long as his hair has been long enough to do so. He chuckled a simultaneous little sigh into the microphone as he gave the strings to his electric guitar a strum and turned to the side so he could look at his best friend sitting at his drum set with Annie on his lap. "You know, when Armin and I started this, we were about, what, like, six?"

“Yeah, something like that.”

Carla offering a supportive 'woohoo' from the front row.

"And uh, we certainly didn't think back then that we would be successful -" Eren paused with a smile having been interrupted by the cheering crowd. "At least not until we met Mikasa, but that wasn't until we turned nine. Again, not to be confused with Annie here on Armin's lap," He turned himself to the side and pointed at the blonde couple, the girl smiling as she waved a shy hand at the audience. "Or our manager and Jean's girlfriend, Hitch." He turned to the side when his shoulder was tapped, revealing the beauty on the other side, waving her hand briefly before hopping back on the phone with their next gig. And that's when Eren turned to face a raven haired beauty standing before the drum set with a grin as she tapped her fingers on the body of her bass guitar, stomach doing all kinds of flips because she has no idea where this is going. "See this," Everyone started chanting their names and cat called the young couple when he proceeded to push his guitar around his back to prevent an obnoxious sound when she was pulled closer by the waist. "This is my girl, right here." They both smiled and shared a sweet, tender kiss as the crowd grew louder to show their overwhelming support, even other band and crew members were clapping at this point.

Jesus, get a room already..." Armin teased over the cheering and laughed into the microphone when Eren gave him the finger, more than happy to continue kissing his girlfriend while he carefully cradled her face in his hands. On his own terms, he finally pulled away and smiled as they briefly gazed lovingly into each other's eyes before he guided her up to the front of the stage with a light arm around the waist.

"Have I mentioned how sexy you look with that bralet and skinny jean combination?" Eren whispered in her ear and smiled when she started blushing, letting out a small giggle as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Kick ass, baby girl." He smirked at her as he glanced back at Armin, who had already kicked Annie from his lap to her keyboard set, giving him a nod to hit the drums so they can recapture the audiences' attention, making them return to louder cheering and hollering at the band as usual. It started with one leg, then half of him, and then Jean came out on stage in the middle of laughing, intending to replace Mikasa on the bass as the crowd hollered and cheered, especially when his girlfriend poked her head out past the curtain to give him just one more good luck kiss. He was more than happy to take over on bass and let the raven sing her heart out, even though he admittedly prefers playing electric. In fact, Jean's skills are part of why he was invited to join the band, the other being that him and Eren have managed to come an understanding over the years, and even developed a great friendship in the process. "Our good friend, Jean Kirschtein, will be filling in for Miki -" He paused with a chuckle and a smiled as the crowd roared for his friend. "Our good friend, Jean Kirschtein, will be filling in for Miki while she -"

"Serenades you." Came her voice into one of the handheld microphones when she interrupted him with a giggle, making the audience laugh along in response with screams chanting her name. She had caught it in her hands from Jean after quickly removing the one hooked on her ear, glancing aside at Eren's genuinely happy gaze. Oh, god, he's so handsome. "I'm not sure what to say," She grinned as everyone started to cheer once more, something she's not sure she will ever get used to. "But this is a song that's always reminded me of my Eren.." Mikasa grinned and pointed at him with her freehand, his face already smirking in amusement. "And I'm so excited to share it with you. Hit it guys!" He playfully narrowed his eyes with a wide laughed as the band began to play because this song most certainly was not planned to the best of his knowledge, though this is a welcome surprise. But Eren knows the song quite well because Carla has always said it came out the year she met her husband, so it reminds her of him every time she hears it, and he played along when electric kicked in. Mikasa watched his piercing, hypnotic eyes as she gracefully moved her body to the music and reached up to push hair away from her eyes, tousling it aside from the roots with small head bangs because this is just so much fun. "I call you when I need you, my hearts on fire, you come to me, come to me wild and wired. Oh, you come to me, give me everything I need! Give me a lifetime of promises and a world of dreams, speak the language of love like you know what it means. Mmm, and it can't be wrong! Take my heart and make it strong, babe!" Mikasa skipped down to the opposite side of the stage with a huge smile stretched across her face as she leaned down to touch the hands reaching for hers. "You're simply the best! Better than all the rest! Better than anyone, anyone I ever met. I'm stuck on your heart! I hang on every word you say! Tear us apart, baby, I would rather be dead." She giggled into the microphone and turned to her team, feeling the rhythm of the music moving her body every which way as her head rocked slightly. Eren couldn't help but smile watching her let go on stage like this. She most definitely is not the little girl he used to see gazing back at him with doe-like eyes, though her movements are still very much the same as they've always been, fluid and effortless; like the way her mother used to dance with her before she passed away all those years ago. He glanced down at Carla, who was proudly dancing in the audience like how a mother would dance after a beer, and it reminded him of a conversation he had with her just a few days ago before they were to play a show in Boston regarding his relationship with Mikasa, and what the next logical step could be for them after growing up side by side and being together for years.

                                     •••

"You and Mikasa have been together for quite a while now, Eren, don't you think?" Carla had said one morning, leaning against the doorway of Eren and Mikasa's hotel room, holding her large coffee mug in hand as she tapped it with her fingertips. He was sitting on the couch and listening to music while he does routine maintenance on one of the many guitars to be used in tomorrow night's show, and he looked up at his mother with a raised eyebrow trying to figure out he where she could possibly be going with a conversation starter like that. After being together since they were nine years old, growing up under the same roof all those years and finally, for fucks sakes finally, dating their freshman year of high school, it sure had been a while. But what did that have to do with anything?

"Well, yeah..."

"Oh, don't look at me like that," She rushed to say because she realized how what had been said could have been taken horribly wrong. "You know how much I adore Mikasa. It's just that, ten years is a very long time to be dating someone, Eren." The young man gently propped his guitar up against the wall and leaned forward with his arms on his knees, fingers sinking into that head of shaggy brown hair before slowly dragging a hand down his face.

"Do you have any point to this, Mom? What are you trying to say?"

"I think that you need to ask that sweet girl to marry you already."

"Why?"

"Because you know I'm not the only person who wants to see you two get married."

"I don't know, Mom, I haven't really thought about marriage to be honest," Eren finally looked up at her with a sigh as the gears in his head finally began to turn. "And we haven't talked about it much, if at all."

"Well, I know that she thinks about it. Oh, how cute it was when you kids were little and she would ask me what it was like to be married to your father," Carla grinned and chuckled softly as she took a sip from her coffee mug,more than thrilled to see his lips curve up into a smile. "Seriously, you know how observant Grisha was and even he noticed something between you two."

"Really?"

"Really. I remember one time when she had asked me why we got married and I said that it was because we were in love. Then she asked me what love feels like, and I told her that she would know when the time comes, and smiled before she said in the sweetest voice 'I think I get it now'. But that's all besides the point, which is that I think you should to ask her to marry you." Carla smiled at the sound of her son's laughter which, though not a rare occurrence, hasn't been happening much lately after Grisha's passing last year. "It pained him that he wasn't going to be around to see all of the wonderful things you two will do together, Eren, I hope you know that. I know you weren't always on the best of terms but he did love you very much." He pressed his lips together and looked away, slowly nodding his head with a sigh.

"I kind of like how things are already, Mom."

"What are you afraid of, Eren? The only thing that would change is her last name and there would be a ring on her finger." It was the combination of those words that really got Eren searching himself for what he may or may not be afraid of when it comes to her, and that's when he realized how absolutely terrified he is that their dynamic will somehow change, which leads to his ultimate fear of losing Mikasa in general all over again. Sure, when they were little things had been great, but then he started treating her like shit because there she didn't need him to do things anymore, something Eren took pride in. But then, he couldn't take the tension anymore and bit the bullet, and ended up spilling his guts cryptically about how he would move mountains for her, how much he adores her, which led to them finally dating. Their relationship seriously has never been any better. Why should he change it?

"I guess I'm just afraid that everything will change. After what I put her through..." Eren slowly shook his head and sighed as he cracked his knuckles anxiously. "I can't do that to her again."

"And what makes you think either of you would let that happen? Eren, the love that you and Mikasa share is beautiful, and it should be celebrated with us and the people you guys care about. I can't see this being anything but positive." Carla smiled and wrapped an arm around her son's shoulders as she brought him in for a warm, comforting embrace. "Just think about it, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll think about it."

      •••

And think about it he did. All seventy two hours from that moment to right now when he's listening to Mikasa's giggle as she surfed the crowd, while the rest of the band continued playing I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing, a song requested by an audience member. Anyone with an instrument stopped in sync, sending waves of cheering and clapping throughout the auditorium as she was carefully helped back onto the stage by adoring fans. In rehearsals, it was agreed that Eren would have the last two songs in the lineup instead of Mikasa this time around, since she did the ending for the previous two shows - a decision which happens to work quite well for tonight, unbeknownst to her. "Oh my god, that was so much fun!" She said into her ear piece with a large grin as she carefully adjusted her microphone. "Thank you!" Mikasa looked over at her boyfriend with a smile, knowing that there's still a part of her that's in shock to be surrounded by people who think their covers and the music she writes with Eren are good enough that they want to listen, she felt complete. Her eyes flickered down to Carla standing down in the front row with a grin on her face and clapping along with the others after listening to the couple covering a few requested songs, just like they used to do when they were youngsters. Watching Mikasa move so gracefully across the stage made Eren feel nervous and it surprised him to no end because there isn't any reason why he feels that way - it's his girl, their friends, Carla, and their fans for fucks sake. Now, she stands just off stage with Hitch, helping herself to a fresh bottle of water while he stood up front with two of his closest friends, all of them smiling as they gave Eren's shoulders a couple of supportive pats. And then a pair of arms slipped around Armin's waist, something he should be used to after being with Annie for quite a few years now, and it made his laugh to feel them squeeze.

"Hi baby. Well, Eren, we're ready whenever you are."

"Honestly, dude," Jean smiled as he planted a kiss on his girlfriend's cheek, her chin resting on his shoulder as she hugs him from behind. "It's about time. I can't believe you made the poor thing wait ten fucking years."

"Shut up, I know, okay?" Eren laughed as he reached to remove his hair from his sweaty forehead. "I'm fixing it. I've never been more ready." And with that he turned away from his friends with his sights set on the microphone stand at the front of the stage, stealing a glance at his offstage girlfriend who gave him the cutest wink that honestly made him flush a little. The crowd erupted with cheering once more when he set the strap of his electric guitar over his shoulder, chuckling just a little bit as he looked out over the audience and anxiously ran his fingers through his hair. "I'd like to dedicate these next two songs to my beautiful girlfriend, Mikasa!" Offstage the girl's ears perked up at the sound of her name, looking past Hitch with wide eyes as she screwed the lid back onto her water bottle, and her friend smiled, fighting the urge to give a thumbs up.

"Wait, what did he just say?" That douchebag! That was my thing. Mikasa giggled to herself feeling endlessly confused because they had never discussed anything like this in rehearsal, in fact, now that she thinks about it, he never even mentioned what songs he was going to perform. And that was when the band began to play one of her all time favorite love songs, Angel by Aerosmith. And that was when Eren turned his head to look off stage with his same old goofy, sexy grin to see that she has dropped her water bottle, her hands now covering up what he assumes to be that beautiful smile. The time came for keyboards to step in, and Eren drew out the last note as he turned back to the microphone, making quite a few people whistle cat calls in compliment of his smooth transitions. "I'm alone, I don't know if I can face the night," He sang with his dreamy voice and glanced aside at her, greeted with a beautiful smile as she failed to hold it together off stage, then he added in the soft strums of his guitar. Eren looked back at the audience and smiled as he started preparing for the next part, giving the strings a much harder strum. "I'm in tears, and the crying that I do is for you!"

I want your love,

Lets break the walls between us.

Don't make it tough,

I'll put away my pride.

Enough's enough, I've suffered and I've seen the light!

Baby, you're my angel,

Come and save me tonight.

You're my angel,

Come and make it alright.

He briefly looked aside at her and smiled, because Carla is already standing beside Mikasa, smiling just as wide and both most definitely tearing up. "Don't know what I'm gonna do! About this feeling inside. Yes, it's true, loneliness took me for a ride, yeah yeah!"

Without your love,

I'm nothing but a beggar.

Without your love,

A dog without a bone.

What can I do? I'm sleeping in this bed alone.

Baby, you're my angel,

Come and save me tonight.

You're my angel,

Come and make it alright.

Come and save me tonight.

Backing up slightly from the microphone stand, Eren nodded at Jean for his solo and smiled as he glanced at a teary-eyed, smiling Mikasa. "You're the reason I live, you're the reason I die. You're the reason I give, when I lay down and cry. Don't need no reason why! Baby! Baby! Baby!"

You're my angel,

Come and save me tonight.

You're my angel,

Come and make it alright,

Come and save me tonight,

Come and save me tonight,

Come and save me tonight,

Come and save me tonight.

Eren turned to briefly look offstage while everyone finished out the song and played the same notes, watching as she impatiently bounced on her feet. "I can see her already freaking out off stage." He chuckled into his microphone as they all stopped at once over the cheering crowd, his nerves only growing when Hitch brought out a stool for him to sit on. And when he noticed that Carla was still missing from the audience, it reminded him that life with Mikasa just makes sense, and he can't imagine one without her. With his body sitting comfortably on the stool, the guitar propped up on one leg, Eren turned to look all around the stage to make sure everyone was in their places, and that Mikasa was still stuck backstage. That's when Annie began to play Heaven by Bryan Adams, exactly as Eren's eyes briefly locked with the young woman smiling and tearing up while his mother hugged her around the shoulders from behind. You could say that their avid fans were absolutely freaking out and it wouldn't be an understatement, especially when he started singing while playing that short electric solo. "Oh, thinkin' about all our younger years. There was only you and me, we were young and wild and free. Now nothin' can take you away from me. We've been down that road before. But that's over now. You keep me comin' back for more..." He smiled when people started up with cat calls and whistles, shouting his and Mikasa's names as he strummed harder to begin the chorus.

Baby, you're all that I want,

When you're lyin' here in my arms.

I'm findin' it hard to believe,

We're in heaven.

And love is all that I need,

And I found it there in your heart.

It isn't too hard to see,

We're in heaven.

Eren briefly looked aside with a smile to see her bouncing on her feet again because she's just dying to get to him, and his mother smiling as she gently wiped tears from beneath her own eyes. The crowd cheered when he turned back to them and flashed his signature grin. "Oh, once in your life you find someone, who will turn your world around, pick you up when you're feeling down."

Nothin' could change what you mean to me,

Oh there's lots that I could say,

But just hold me now.

'Cause your love will light the way.

And baby you're all that I want,

When you're lying here in my arms.

I'm finding it hard to believe,

We're in heaven.

Yeah and love is all that I need,

And I found it there in your heart.

It isn't too hard to see,

We're in heaven.

He smiled and glanced aside at Mikasa once more, who was one step away from becoming a complete mess as she wiped away the continuous flow of tears from beneath her eyes. "I've been waitin' for so long, for somethin' to arrive, for love to come along. Now our dreams are coming true, through the good times and the bad, yeah, I'll be standin' there by you!"

And baby you're all that I want,

When you're lyin' here in my arms.

I'm findin' it hard to believe,

We're in heaven.

And love is all that I need,

And I found it there in your heart.

It isn't too hard to see,

We're in heaven, oooh

He turned himself completely to face Mikasa and smiled as she pushed her hair out of her dewy eyes, since it's annoyingly persistent with falling across her face. "You're all that I want, you're all that I need..." With his eyes on her stormy grays, the band finished out the song and the crowd went absolutely ballistic when he finally said these three words as he handed his guitar off to Hitch: "Come here, baby!" Mikasa was like a blur because she ran into his arms so fast, making him almost fall backwards with her as he held his girl, who was crying happily into the crook of his neck. He was spinning her around while the crowd cheered over her giggle filled cries, watching the couple kiss like they needed to for air, and he held her body flush to his as she slowly slid down to her feet. It's now or never dude. For once, Eren didn't feel reluctant to pull his lips away because this time it's for a damn good reason. He watched her eyes widen as he reached into his back pocket for a little black box, the audience cheering, cat calling and whistling when he got down on one knee. "Mikasa Ackerman, you're my angel and you saved me from myself. I can't imagine a life without you and I don't want to either, because I know who I want by my side for the rest of my days..." She grinned and covered her mouth with her hands, watching with tears in her eyes as he slowly opened the tiny box. "Baby, will you marry me?" Eren smiled and graciously took the left hand she offered as she nodded her head with excitement because, at this point, she is a smiling, weeping mess. She's dreamed about marrying him for years now so this is literally a dream come true.

"Oh, Eren..." Mikasa gave a tearful chuckle as he planted a kiss on the top of her hand with a smile. "Yes!" She nodded once more and grinned, watching his incredible emerald eyes as the ring was slid down her dainty finger, and then she threw her arms around his neck as he started to stand, capturing his waist between her legs. "Yes, I'll marry you!" His arms tightly wrapped around her low back to hold her up on his waist as they proceeded to exchange frantic, tender kisses that were electric indeed, just like the very first they shared together one evening all those years ago.

[purecamp]

how about all even numbers for mean queens sharon and all odd numbers for mean queens alaska for the ask thing?

sure!!! a big ask!!🥰

sharon:

2. their favourite chocolate bar

answered!!

4. what they would be if they were a tarot card

@pianowired suggested knight of swords and i googled it bc i’m not very familiar with tarot and i agree yes yes

6. their favourite film to watch when hungover

beetlejuice or edward scissorhands. for winona ryder and nothing more. she loves her (and who doesn’t jesus)

8. their favourite animal

cat!!!! ofc she’s gonna adopt her lil baby cerrone eventually and he’s gonna be a big shaggy bitey nightmare, just like we all knew and loved

10. their favourite floor of the library

the shakespeare one. dusty old plays filled with Drama and existential dread and Extra Ass Murders for the sake of theatre

12. their least favourite vegetable

carrots. far too sweet and just generally weird. she refuses them

14. what component of Christmas dinner they like the best

the chocolate yule log afterwards, bc that’s the only correct answer. alyssa’s cooking is to die for but the CAKE😍

16. the kitchen utensil they hate washing up the most

i am heavily projecting here bc i hate it, wooden spoons. the texture of a wet wooden spoon makes me VOM it’s gross and yeahh. she hates it too bc i said so

18. their favourite celebrity chef

gordon ramsey. ur welcome ortega. he’s just fuckin funny

20. their favourite lipstick/gloss shade to wear

has to be mac, has to be total black. definitely a liquid lip too

22. their least favourite fizzy juice

anything if it doesn’t have vodka in it. why drink coke if u can have vodka and coke is her reasoning

24. their favourite Christmas song

i’ve probably said this before, but the fairytale of new york. bitter and sweary. or christmas sweater by the aaa girls for girlfriend reasons

alaska:

1. their favourite song to listen to on a sunny day

since it’s on my mind, wouldn’t it be nice. great song, 11/10

3. their favourite dish to cook

alaska, famously, does not cook. if any of u have seen that post about the chilli burns and the bowl of milk and the electricity going out, that’s her - as in me and nymph genuinely discussed it. that being said, she’s good at breakfast, so any kind of breakfast food she enjoys cooking and she’s good at too

5. what colour they would be if they were a colour

baby pink!!! bc she’s that sweet girly girl we all love to death

7. the song that will make them white-girl screech on a night out

i wanna dance with somebody by whitney houston. it’s the song that makes her perk up, run to the dance floor if she’s not already there, ignoring how much her feet want to fall off bc they’re impaled into her shoes, and dance for the entire duration of the song grabbing onto sharon and violet the whole time. aka what i did at prom with my teachers watching

9. their favourite social media app

big instagram gal, because she’s pretty and she loves her instagram stories so much too. good for band promo and good for fooling about as she’s prone to do

11. the song they listen to when sad to put them more in their feelings

this is so funny fkskhsks i would say maybe she’d play the piano chords to the shade of it all in fic?? but also any song she can associate with something sad- like listening to my heart will go on, thinking of the titanic, and crying

13. what they think is the most overrated song of all time

hello by adele. she can’t stand when people make references to it bc it irritates her to no end, which everyone else (willam) finds funny and uses against her bc she’s silly enough to reveal her dislike of it

15. what their favourite tv show was as a child

not a tv show, but she didn’t watch much tv growing up with four siblings. she liked to hole up in her little pink bedroom and watch disney movies all day. she adores cinderella a lot

17. their favourite takeaway

a big fat pizza, all kinds of veggie toppings. she’s always trying to convince sharon to get it when they’re adults and she’s home, and sharons always trying to tell her about the benefits of healthy eating (not that it matters, bc she works out and she’s highkey so toned)

19. the unfunniest movie they’ve ever seen

adam sandler. need i say more

“he’s just. he’s not funny sharon!! he’s not!!!”

“i know baby, i know”

“why are we watching this!!!!”

“because alyssa wanted to”

“but she’s asleep now! let’s put something else on!!”

“devil wears prada?”

“yes!!!!!”

21. which gen Z gay icon they would choose to back them in a fight out of Kim Petras, Carly Rae Jepsen and Charli XCX

charli xcx bc her music is the kind she gets drunk and dancey to at house parties. think whipping her hair and laughing a lot and smeared pink lipstick. very that

23. their favourite supermarket

i have a pitiful knowledge of american supermarkets thus i ignore this one

25. the book they will read over and over again

she likes getting sharon to read macbeth with her bc she played lady macbeth once and likes to read her lines whilst sharon does a variety of dumb accents to differentiate between the rest of the characters, including a poor scottish that sounds like shrek

[moreofu-tolove]

New College Roomate

~A Gainer Fiction Story~

Benji was elated to be moving into his new college dorm room. He had waded through the last year of high school and the summer before college with the excitement of the new year deep in his belly. Benji was finally here, in front of his college dorm room door, parents gone and his roommate soon arriving. He was free.

He takes a slow, tentative step inside the door of his shared room. The door from the hallway enters on a kitchen and living room, with Benji’s bedroom to the left, and his roommate’s to the right. His steps sound loud in the empty common room, even though Benji is the opposite of heavy. 

He catches sight of himself in the tall, full-length mirror that sits propped against the wall in the living room. He is sleight, slender to be generous. His blonde hair is shaggy and falls in his thin face, nearing his somewhat broad shoulders. While broad, however, his shoulders have barely any meat, and his ribs are barely visible through the side holes in his tank top. There is some muscle around his arms and especially around his legs and buttocks, but he is too thin, he thinks, and he will have to change that. 

As Benji stands admiring himself in the mirror, someone walks in the door who is certainly not too thin. Benji is 6′6″, but this guy must be only 6′4″, his head not nearly cracking the doorframe as Benji’s did.

“Hey. I’m Breyden.” The guy speaks with a voice that is sweet, but careful, as though he is approaching a wild animal.

“Benji,” he replies, walking towards the massive man and sticking his hand out to meet his new roommates. The hand that is gripping Benji’s is small, significantly smaller than his own. This could be said for anything on Breyden’s body, however. His hands melt into defined forearms and then small but sinewy biceps that strain the thin fabric of his extremely t-shirt. His pecs have the same effect, chest muscles pulling at the shirt, creasing it around his hard nipples. His stomach is clearly taut, the shirt pulling over his abs as if there is nothing there.

Breyden turns around to grab his suitcase, bends over, and there Benji’s heart nearly stops. Breyden has the most massive and meaty butt that he has ever seen. It is a wonder that the jean shorts didn’t rip the second he bent over, but they somehow stay intact around the bubbling ass and enormous thighs that ground this massive man. For all of his largeness, Breyden is clean-shaven and has a kind face.

“Which room is mine?” Breyden is not aggressive but not passive either, with a voice that is easy to get along with.

“That one,” Benji says, pointing. “Hopefully that’s okay!”

“Hey, I’m cool with anything.” Breyden smiles as he replies.

~

Two weeks have gone by since Benji and Breyden moved in, and the boys have settled into an easy routine. Wake, breakfast, gym, class, dinner, go out or stay in, bed. Benji has been working on growing himself and it seems to have been working. His biceps seem to pop more and his chest is beginning to have some better substance.

Breyden, it seems, has been growing as well. The allure of college food has been too much to resist, and this former high school jock boy has been gorging himself from the moment he arrived. High-fat pizzas and pastas, carb-and-sugar-laden breakfasts of cereal and milk, huge portions of ice cream, cookies and cake have all been making their way into Breyden’s gullet. The boy has been working out at the gym with Benji, and his gains have certainly been noticeable.

“Dude, your arms are looking great!” Benji comments as Breyden walks past him in a sleeveless tee. It is true, that the sinewy boy that Breyden was when he entered that door is melting away, and he is putting on real muscle now. His arms have grown bigger than Benji’s now.

“Yours too! Definitely more definition.” Breyden’s hand comes up to touch Benji’s arm in a gesture of goodwill.

“That’s not the only thing that’s got more definition, though.” Benji moves his hand south, towards the swollen belly of his roommate. Breyden’s gorging has been growing his muscles, but it has been growing his fat as well. Where there was once a tight six-pack, there sits a ring of fat around Breyden’s middle. Benji pokes it and references the bottom of his pudge, where the shirt has begun to ride up.

“My abs are coming, don’t worry.” Breyden blushes, clearly embarrassed, and sucks in his starter gut, tugging his shirt down alongside it.

~

Another month has passed, and while Benji grows only more lithe and defined, Breyden just gets more and more massive. Benji has 2 inches on Breyden, but the shorter guy must have at least 60 pounds on him now.

Benji’s roommate walks into the kitchen for breakfast, where Benji himself is already hardboiling an egg. It is astounding, the change that has ripped through Breyden’s body. His slender physique has melted and reformed into a pure muscle chub. A thick neck frames his delicate face, moving down to his now meatier shoulders. He dons a white, skin-tight tank top now, one that does not fit over his chest or his belly. His pecs are half-muscle, half-fat. Big, perky things with large nipples that harden almost on command, as they do when he enters the cold kitchen, both of them poking out of the sides of the too-small tank.

His chest fat creases when he puts his arms down, biceps layered with thick muscle. They crease at the elbow, both of his hands coming to inspect what his eyes are staring down at. His big, fat muscle gut. He grips it from both sides as if it is a medicine ball that he dares not drop. The thing protrudes from his middle, a ball all the same. It forces the white tank halfway up his stomach, revealing a delicate blond happy trail and an impossibly deep bellybutton.

“Fuck man, I’ve gotten fat.” Breyden observes, hands shaking his newfound gut. They slide down to his jeans, which do not even appear close to buttoning over his large belly. “These things gotta button, I got them right before I moved in.” His nimble fingers begin to stumble, but the battle is over before it even begins.

Breyden manages to button the tight jeans, but when he turns to go sit down, the stores of fat in his ass rip the backside wide open. His too-small briefs show through as he curses and sits anyways, fat bubbling over the waistband. He sucks in, barely able to hide the mass of fat at his waist, and pulls all of the chub up and over the waistband. A deep breath escapes his lips and he pats himself, white tank just being pushed farther and farther up by that chunky gut.

“Man, I’ve gotten fat and I love it,” Breyden confesses. “Grab that box of cereal from the cupboard and a gallon of milk and feed me. Feed me til this button pops.” Benji doesn’t even let him finish before the funnel is out of the drawer and to Breyden’s lips. The gallon of milk is flipped open and the contents begin to be poured into Breyden’s thick lips and deep throat. His Adam’s apple bobs as he chugs the whole, fattening gallon.

After the whole jug is gone, Breyden’s hands find his gut. It is even more swollen than before, the button on his jeans is truly not going to be able to last longer.

“Donuts. Top left drawer.” Benji follows the instructions and uncovers a 12-pack of donuts hidden in one of Breyden’s drawers. One is shoved, whole, into Breyden’s fat mouth. He chews and swallows like a champ, gut gurgling the whole time. Breyden keeps getting the donuts shoved in, and after the fourth, he takes a break to moan and belch repeatedly, having Benji rub his distended fat gut as well. 

After all twelve donuts have been crammed into Breyden’s face and the button of his jeans is long since popped, the two seal an agreement. Breyden will fatten up this year, and Benji will be the one to help him do it. Benji resolves quietly to himself that Breyden will not know what hit him. He will be so fat he will need to get a new wardrobe by Christmas.

[sebeth]

Young Justice: Denial, Cold Case, Hot Case

Episode 7: “Denial”

July 27th: Kent Nelson enters the parlor of Madame Xanadu. Madame offers to make contact with Kent’s deceased wife, Inza, if “fate be so kind”.

Kent responds: “But he so rarely is.”

Kent laughs at Xanadu’s attempt to contact his wife: “That was supposed to be my wife? Heck, my little spitfire would have kicked my can for throwing away good money on you.”

Kent criticizes Madame Xanadu for her fakery: “A shame, too.  You have the perfect aura for the work.”

An interesting choice on the writers’ parts to make Madame Xanadu a charlatan.  She would be tied with Dream Girl as the most famous pre-cog in the DC Universe.  They did allow themselves room to re-introduce her as a genuine pre-cog with the “you have the perfect aura for the work” comment.

Kent is kidnapped from the parlor.

We return to the comic book series for the 9th and 10th issue, “Cold Case” and “Hot Case”, a spotlight on the origin of Captain Atom.

August 13:

School is in session for the team as Captain Atom gives a lecture on subterfuge and infiltration. Kaldur is the only member actively taking notes.  Robin’s rolling his eyes, Superboy’s yawning and stretching, Wally’s stuffing his face, and the girls are polite in their expressions of boredom.

The team’s reactions ring true.  Conner and Wally are self-aware enough to realize subterfuge will never be one of their strengths.  Dick’s heard the same lecture a million times from the Batman. Kaldur is serious and a former military man – he knows the value of training and intel.  M’gann is most likely thinking to herself “telepathing, shape-shifting, can turn invisible Martian here – we wrote the book on subterfuge”, and Artemis is wondering why she signed up for the team if it involves more schoolwork.

Captain Atom, a man encased in shiny metal, may seem like an odd choice for a lecture on subterfuge and infiltration, until you realize his pre-hero background in military intelligence.

Atom stops his lecture: “This is boring, isn’t it?”

Megan attempts to reassure the Captain but the always blunt Conner interrupts with “Yeah, boring”.

Captain Atom proposes a field exercise: “This is a cold case. Vietnam era. Captain Nathaniel Adams, United States Air Force. Convicted in 1968 of murdering Air Force General Clement Lemar. Adams died in prison. But I’ve received a reliable tip he was framed. Your assignment: investigate. Prove Adams’ innocence or reconfirm his guilt and report back to me.”

Conner interjects: “Really? You need super-powered operatives for this?”

Atom offers to resume the lecture but the team decides on the field exercise.

The team doesn’t realize it but Captain Atom has revealed his secret identity and part of his origin story.  Nathaniel Adam was part of a secret experiment that transformed him into Captain Atom and catapulted him decades into the future.  The frame-up/died in prison was used as a way to explain Nathanial’s presumed death.

DC Comics purchased several comic book publishers during the 1970s and 1980s.  The most famous companies were Fawcett, Charlatan, and Quality. The purchases caused DC cast of characters to rapidly expand.  Notable characters from the purchases included the Captain Marvel Family, Plastic Man, Blue Beetle, the Blackhawks, the Question, and many others.

DC assigned the various companies’ characters their own earths in the multiverse: Earth-F, etc. Their villains, supporting characters, and continuing adventures each happened on their own earth.  The new to the DC Universe characters would occasionally interact with the mainstream DC earth.

DC decided the DC multiverse had become too complex by the mid-1980s.  I’m not sure why as I was between 6 to 8 years old during this time and I had no trouble following along with the various worlds. Sorry, reboots make me bitter.  We lose more than we gain in every time.  Any characters created in the reboots – Tim, Conner, Bart, Kyle – could have still been created without half-assed reboots.

Back on point, DC created the “Crisis On Infinite Earths”. Despite my dislike of reboots, “Crisis” is an excellent story and a must read for any DC fan.  Great writing, gorgeous art, and fabulous character moments.  

Post-Crisis, there was only one earth.  Captain Atom was re-launched into his own solo title.  He had notable romances with Nightshade and Plastique. Atom’s main foe was Major Force whose later actions would later name the “Women in Refrigerators” trope.  Captain Atom also served as the long-suffering leader of Justice League Europe. Atom was the inspiration for the “Doctor Manhattan” character in the Watchmen

Atom’s downfall would be known as “Armageddon”. He was intended to be the villain behind it. The plot reveal was leaked and the writers hastily changed the villain’s identity to Hawk (Hank Hall) – which made less sense than the choice of Captain Atom.

I dislike “hero goes bad” or “villain goes good” stories.  They are rarely done well.  In hero cases, the writers go to extremes – downfall of Hal Jordan, anyone? In villain cases, the bad guy has become popular, so the writers change him into a good guy and ignore the atrocities they’ve committed – I’m looking at you, Harley Quinn. Particularly the Harley in the Injustice universe.

Captain Atom never recovered from the “Armageddon” debacle.  He would make sporadic appearances but nothing too memorable until the “Captain Atom: Armageddon” mini-series that led to the decimation of the Wildstorm universe.

A disguised Megan enters the Pentagon to interview General Wade Eiling, the judge at Nathanial’s court martial. Wade sums up Adams as a “malcontent” who blamed his “victim Lemar for a Viet Cong ambush” and Adams “was caught in the act by an M.P. Sergeant Polk”. Eiling, a Colonel at the time, found Adams guilty and sentenced him to life in prison.  Adams “took his own life before a year was out”.

Robin easedrops from the ceiling.

Wally and Conner pose as journalism students in order to interview a Lieutenant Yarrow at a casino in Las Vegas.  Conner clearly doesn’t care about subterfuge – at all – as he is still wearing the Superboy shirt.  Wally is in his civilian attire.

The dealer reminds the boys “no one under twenty-one” is allowed in the casino.  Conner questions if “under 21” counts “in weeks or months”.

Wally’s excited by the “$4.95 all-you-can-eat buffet”: “My kind of town!”  Buffets are a true blessing for speedsters, their metabolisms, and their budgets.  Not so much for the owners of said buffets.

Lt. Yarrow was Adams’ defense council: “His friend too. Served together in ‘Nam. The only survivors of Hill 409.”

Yarrow continues “Nate worked Air Force Intelligence. He suspected a weapons smuggling ring and confided as much to General Lemar. Lemar claimed to have heard rumors too. Ordered Nate to take a squad to Hill 409. It was an ambush. Nate saved my life. The rest of Nate’s men weren’t so lucky. Nate became convinced Lemar was part of the smuggling ring and had sent us into the ambush. I tried to talk him out of it but Nate insisted on confronting Lemar only to black out moments later. Later, Nate would insist he had been drugged. And I believed him. Cuz there’s no way the Nathianel Adams I knew would murder a man in cold blood!”

“I took on Nate’s defense but the prosecutor Lieutenant Kevin Blankly proved Nate’s service knife was the murder weapon.  And the medical examiner, Major Shirley Mason testified there were no drugs in Nate’s system. So the judge found Nate guilty and sentenced him to life in prison. And that’s where Nate died. But get this…that judge, Colonel Wade Eiling, he married Nate’s widow and raised Nate’s two kids as his own!”

Wade Eiling would be a thorn in Nathaniel’s side throughout the Captain Atom series.  Wade didn’t transform into a full-fledged villain until the Morrison Era JLA where he merged with the Shaggy Man and ran amuck as the “General”.

Robin decides the next step is to interview Shirley Mason. Dick and Megan arrive at the Arlington home of Mason only to discover her corpse.

Dick notes: “She’s got something in her hand. I don’t want to disturb the crime scene, but we need to see what it is.”

Trained protégé of Batman speaking!

Megan levitates the corpse so Robin can view the picture in Mason’s hand. The photo is a group shot of military personnel.

Kaldur and Artemis meet with Nathaniel’s children in Honolulu.

Peggy firmly believes in her father’s innocence, as did her mother, but Randy does not: “Wade Eiling is our father. He raised us. Adams gave up any parental rights the day he betrayed our country and murdered his superior officer.”

It should be noted Randy has joined a military branch – possibly the Air Force.

Peggy was born after her father’s death so she must have learned her firm belief in her father’s innocence from her mother.

Angela Adams, Nathaniel’s wife, firmly believed in Nathaniel’s innocence but went on to marry the man that sentenced him to prison? Weird.

Artemis doesn’t empathize with Peggy’s belief in her father: “Biology hardly guarantees parental skills or even basic honesty.”

Kaldur tells Artemis of his parents: “My mother, Sha’lain’a, is a native of the Atlantean city-state of Shayeris. Her skin is nearly as golden as her hair and her gills are quite large and gorgeous. My father, Calvin Durham, is a surface-worlder like you, genetically altered by Black Manta to infiltrate Atlantis as a water-breather.”

“Your dad works for Black Manta?”

“He did. But his love for my mother caused him to switch sides.”

Kaldur doesn’t realize it but there are a few important details he hasn’t been told about his parents’ romance.

If you only watched the cartoon and never read the comic books, you missed the foreshadowing that justified Kaldur’s villainous role in season two.

Dick, Megan, Wally, and Conner are in Annapolis.

Dick has identified the people in the photo.

Megan has a question: “I know my grasp of Earth history is largely based on Earth sitcoms but why would a North Vietnamese General be in a 1968 photograph with U.S. personnel?”

Someone needs to hand Megan some history books!

The group is outside General Tang’s mansion. Conner realizes another man is in the mansion and he is carrying a sword.

Conner and Wally are ready to rush in but Dick holds the duo back: “This is a covert op. We keep to the shadows. We don’t take the offensive. Like in Captain Atom’s lecture.”

Wally is shocked that Dick was actually listening to the lecture.

An invisible Megan enters the home.

Trang converses with the man: “I know why you are here. I still have my sources. I know about Mason, and I know your work. But I am disappointed, Rako. I have protected you since you were a child. Have you no loyalty?”

Rako goes for the kill but is stopped by Megan.

Conner storms in and is shocked when Rako’s sword cuts him: “I’m…I’m bleeding?”

The group battle Rako but are unable to prevent Trang’s murder. Rako escapes in the confusion.

August 14, Metropolis: The reunited team meet in a Metropolis diner.

Superboy is still shocked over his wound but insists “It’s a scratch. I’m fine. Move on.”

Facial recognition software has identified the individuals in the photograph:

1)      Lt. Kevin Blankly, USAF

2)      Lt. Henry Yarrow, USAF

3)      Alec Rois, CIA

4)      General Clement Lemar, USAF

5)      Major Shirley Mason, USAF

6)      General Duk Trang, NVA

7)      Sgt. Ends Polk, USAF

8)      Unknown child

The group theorizes the “unknown child” is Rako and that’s he been sent to tie up the “loose ends” in the Adams case.

Kaldur divides the team in half – Dick, Conner, and Wally will head to Las Vegas to protect Yarrow while the rest remain in Metropolis to investigate Polk.

The trio arrive in Las Vegas only to witness Yarrow’s house explode. Yarrow was killed in the explosion. The boys identify Yarrow by a tattoo on his arm.

The team reunites in St. George to confront the trio behind the recent deaths: Rois, Rako, and a not dead Henry Yarrow. The team quickly captures the trio. Yarrow dies – for real this time – in the fight.

The team returns to Mount Justice to report their findings: The accusations and resulting frame-up of Admas was to cover a weapons smuggling ring. Wade Eiling was the only one involved in the trial who wasn’t a member of the smuggling ring.

Kaldur and Artemis fly to Honolulu to inform the Adams kids of their father’s innocence.

Nathan and Wade mend fences over their preconceived notions of the other’s guilt. Wade informs Nathan: “Let me reintroduce you to your kids”.

The issue ends with Rois and Rako escaping from prison and meeting up with Wade. Turns out, Wade was in charge of the entire smuggling ring. He wasn’t in the picture because he took the picture!

Wade: “Captain Atom is my new best friend. Which should serve us well in the days ahead.”

An intriguing plotline that never received any follow up.

We return to “Denial”:

August 19th: The team participates in combat training.  More to the point, Kaldur and a shirtless Conner spar.  Artemis tries to persuade M’gann to ask Kaldur out.  Good Luck, Artemis, Megan has her obsession locked in and she is not veering from the course.

Megan attempts to veer Artemis towards Wally: “You’re so full of passion, and he’s so full of..”

Artemis interjects with “It?”

I enjoy the competition between the girls over Conner and mostly for the fact that the ladies don’t let it interfere with their friendship.  

Why is Conner shirtless? Is he showing off for the ladies? Kaldur kept his shirt on!

Poor Dick, as the youngest, is left out of the hormone competition.  Don’t worry, Dick, you will grow up to become DC’s premier knockout.

Conner wins the round: “Black Canary taught me that.” Conner must be taking his training seriously as Kaldur would be one of the more experienced members in hand-to-hand combat due to his Atlantean military background.

Red Tornado enters. Wally wants a mission assignment. He mentions that Robin and Batman are in Gotham City doing the “Dynamic Duo thing”.

We’ll put “Denial” on pause as the next two issues of the Young Justice comic start at this point.

Up next: Batman, Robin, Ras’s al Ghul, Clayface and the most multi-faceted portrayal of Talia ever!

[elmentrysworld]

Otabek Week: Monday, October 30th and Tuesday, October 31st - AU/Crossover + Birthday

Type: One-shot

Pairing: Otabek x Reader, appearance of Surprise Characters

Rating: T

Warning: Crack, semi vulgar but not too explicit and many shenanigans revolve around use of Hetalia characters.

NOTE: Alrighty, I know it’s a little late by about a day, but I promised myself that I would complete the @otabek-altin-week prompts, so here we are! XD Decided to go for something on the ridiculous side (even if I happen to not have spot on joke skills and all), so thank you very much for the chance to do the prompts, and happy belated birthday to the best boy!! :’D

You know two things about Otabek: it’s hard to scare him and he doesn’t really celebrate his birthday. This year, you’re out to change both goals.

***

You wait on the bench right near the skating rink, watching your dashing boyfriend skate his heart out and practicing with so much effort put into his new routine. You smile to yourself, mentally preparing for your plan later once he finishes.

When he comes over to you, you hand him the towel and bottle of water that was on the bench still smiling. He takes it with gratitude and you can’t help internally being relieved he can’t see the excitement you hide carefully. You wait patiently while he pats the little droplets of sweat away from his tanned skin, followed by bringing the bottle to his lips and drinking from it. You glance at his Adam’s apple bobble up and down before he stops drinking and sits to take off his skates.

“Oh yeah Beka,” you say, grabbing your jacket right nearby and putting it on. “I’m taking you out once you finish getting ready. Then we’ll go get some candy tonight!”

“Love, you know I don’t really… you know, celebrate either holiday.” Otabek chuckled. You shook your head in response.

You know he wants to celebrate his 19th birthday - you heard of how he used to love having friends and family over for birthdays before his career as an ice skater took off - but time put that enjoyment on hold. Now you're going to make the time necessary.

“Come on, babe, you gotta give it a chance!” you say and pull him up after his coat and scarf is on. “I want to make every moment count and when was the last time you got into the Halloween spirit? Now let's get this party started!”

***

Otabek enjoys himself a little more than he thought he would. At least, you hope it he does.

You start off part one of your plan - birthday celebration - by taking him to a restaurant. You saw it on some website made by an Estonian you met once (why you remember the link and why he made a website of restaurant recommendations in Estonian, you don't know), figuring that you could give it shot together. So far, he seems a bit entertained by the… cookiness of the staff.

It all starts off when the cook of the day comes over - wait, what happened to his eyebrows? And why is he British? You only ever heard so much about British cooks…

“Good day, you two.” he says with a bit of an eery smile. “I'm Chef Kirkland and I'm going to be your chef and waiter this afternoon!”

He takes out a mini notepad and pen from the pocket of his apron and prepares to take down any notes.

“What can I -”

“Do not let him touch the drinks!!” a male voice with the thickest French accent yells from the kitchen near your table oh so coincidentally. “It will become fire in minutes!!”

“Nobody asked for your opinion, you frog!!” your waiter yells back. “I can handle clients on my own just fine without you busting my ass over it!”

“Food poisonings tell me otherwise, Mr. Black Sheep of Europe!!”

With that said, you lose the angry waiter as he runs to the kitchen, presumably to kill the source of his aggression. One thing seems to lead to another, because you and your boyfriend are looking at the door as metal clashes and creates loud pangs and bangs, leading you both to flinch at each burst of noise and screams of vulgarity.

Why are an English chef and French chef put together in the same restaurant? And why are there two similar looking men with weird curls approaching you with such different expressions? Although one is smiling from ear to ear and the other is frowning to death, it's evident that they're so used to the chaos in the kitchen that it doesn't phase them.

“Ve, can I take your order pretty please?”

“Let's get this over with, you little bastards.”

Looking over to the confused but amused Kazakh, you realize that maybe the idea is going off the rails but it'll be worth it.

***

“Thank you for the restaurant, love.” Otabek says, reminiscing over the wacky restaurant. After an hour of a variety of nationalities trying to take your order before a long-haired Chinese man finally took over - albeit cursing Westerners, the food wasn't half-bad. You can't help but be grateful for that much going smoothly.

“No problem babe, wait until you see what kind of costumes I set up for us!” you say in excitement, dragging him to the bedroom to surprise him with the costumes.

“You sure you want to do all this after the trouble you went through tonight? All for candy?” he asks with a raised eyebrow and arms crossed on his chest.

“Hell yeah!” you reply as you change into your little surprise for Otabae.

You decide very early on you want to try something a little more, ahem, naughty for this Halloween. You were out all afternoon in that one restaurant, you believe something between you two in the privacy of your apartment is enough for tonight.

Plus, there's only one treat you want.

You can't hear much in the deep closet other than the rustling of clothes and your own movements and clashes with the walls, finishing up putting on the risque attire. It hugs your body very nicely, pointing out your amazing shape and the Halloween colours contrasting your skin tone. You plan it all out: you reveal the lingerie to Otabek, he gasps at the alluring sight of you as his pants “restrict” him, and he ravishes you all night after the little trick of treats.

What you don't predict is that instead of an expecting Otabek on the bed, it's empty and from under the bed itself is a pair of big, creepy violet-purple eyes staring directly at you and accompanied by the creepiest smile you have ever seen on a human. The light hair is somewhat shaggy and the head is practically just there.

“Happy Halloween, da?” he - it, whatever that is - says. His accent is thick and by the sound of it shows that he's Russian.

You only know two Russians and they are two amazingly talented ice skaters, not a talking head seemingly straight from Hell.

By the time Otabek returns from the bathroom, having tried to warn you during your little trip to the closet, he finds you running out with exposed skin in tears and yelling “DEMON” as you try finding holy water. This leaves him just a little confused and definitely in need of answers more than anything.

Happy Halloween to you and happy birthday to him…?

[jinkisbelly]

Hourglass 1/2

So author reveals have occurred so I’m pretty sure I can post this now ^-^ This was my submission to colorful world’s fic fest round three, and I had a ton of fun writing it~ I tried things out during this that I haven’t before and I really hope you all like/liked it

Pairing: Onkey in all forms and ways ^-^, and side jongho

Word Count: 22,824 (gonna break it down into two parts so it isn’t too long)

Rating: Pg-13, some NC-17

Warnings: A few main character deaths in past lifetimes, Transgender lifetime, a mention of abuse

Summary: Just shy of his 28th birthday Kibum realizes the detailed dreams plaguing his nights the last few months are actually memories of his past lives, tethering him to another soul throughout time and space. He feels like he’s running out of sand in the hourglass of this lifetime to find them.

            Kibum gripped the sides of the laptop to stop it from tumbling from his thighs as Minho slid from the back of the couch to bounce on the cushion next to him. Once the man was settled he returned to writing the scene of his next book and didn’t glance up when Minho asked, “So what do you want to do for your birthday this year?”

           “My birthday is more than a half a year away Minho.”

           “Well yeah, but you’re gonna be 28, we’re getting into ‘shit we’re adults and should do more adult things’ territory.”

           “I thought we were past that with the whole rent and tons of other bills on the kitchen counter.”

           Minho scuffed, “Not at all.”

           Kibum sighed before lowering the screen of the laptop and glancing over at him as he laid his head back against the couch. “I don’t know man.”

           “We could go on a trip of some kind,” Minho softly suggested, “Count it as a getaway for my birthday as well. Could go horseback riding and stuff that we can’t do in the city. I think it would be cool.”

           “I’ve never been-” An image flashed in his mind with a sharp pain. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment until the pain subsided.

           “You okay?”

           “Yeah.. I... I don’t know what that was.” He squinted over at him. “I’ve never been horseback riding, right?”

           “Not that I know of.” The slightly younger man beamed over at him as he elbowed him softly. “That’s why it’s the perfect plan.”

           “Yeah,” He said offhandedly as his mind drifted to the image he barely remembered. “Yeah, sounds good.”

           Minho gave him a weird look for a moment before slipping from the couch. “I have a date tonight so don’t wait up or anything.”

           The jostling of the man to stand knocked Kibum from his thoughts and he laughed, “Yeah, like you’re gonna get any ass tonight.”

           “Says the man who hasn’t had a date in two years and is sitting on his ass on a Saturday night,” Kibum tossed a throw pillow in his general direction, but Minho dashed out of the way. “HAH.”

           “I hope they’re gross.”

----

            The sheets stuck to his legs. The soft fabric slightly damp from his sweat as his legs shifted with each moment he was lost in his dreams.

Hadrian’s Wall, Britannia 178 AD

           The horse's reins were tight in his hands as he kicked the animal's side to make him go faster. Just ahead he could see dark hair blowing in the wind and warmth filled his chest at the sound of deep, full laughter. A loose blouse was flapping against the man’s chest as his black horse worked to move across the soft grass and dirt of the countryside. “Come now Love, you are getting too far behind.” The voice was just as warm as the setting sun and just as beautiful as the glistening sea to their left. He hit the horse’s side once more and soon he was catching up to the man. The man was beautiful. Smooth, sun kissed skin, lips pulled in a gorgeous smile. “There you are Kibum. I have been waiting for you for so long.”

           Kibum shot up in his bed, chest heaving, and forehead dripping with sweat. His eyelids narrowed as he softened, trying to relax even a little. His shoulders slouched, head hung low as he rushed to understand the images of his dream he remembered. He couldn’t place what could have caused such a dream. With a groan, he laid back against his pillows and hoped to fall asleep again soon. He had a meeting with his publisher the following morning, and he really couldn’t afford to be late.

-----

           “You look like utter shit.”

           Kibum looked up from his laptop, “Just what every person wants to hear from their best friend thanks.”

           The younger man looked pleased with himself, his shaggy brown hair shaking as he chuckled quietly to himself. “But it all honestly have you been sleeping?”

           “Not really Ming.” Kibum sighed, leaning back in the cafe booth as he rubbed his eyes with his knuckles for a moment, “I keep having these weird, lifelike, dreams.”

           “Like what kind of dreams?” Minho sipped at his latte.

           “This last week it’s been this reoccurring dream where I was on this beach on horseback, trying to catch up to a man in front of me.”

Minho snorted, “Kibum that sounds like the start of some sort of romantic wet dream.”

           “It wasn’t! Believe me, I know this sounds weird, but,” He laid his hand on the table, palm up and fingers spread slightly, “He said he was waiting for me and it felt real. Like it was a memory of some sort instead of just a dream.”

           “Well, describe him.”

           “He had long dark hair, he was darker than either of us, as if he had been in the sun for a long time, and he had the most gorgeous smile I think I’ve ever seen.”

           “Sorry to say,” Minho hummed, all serious, “It couldn’t be a memory. You’ve never been with anyone that hot.”

           Kibum groaned as he hit his head back against the booth. Minho snorted at the man’s groan. “It felt so real.”

           “I think you just need to get laid, man.”

           He glared, “Sex isn’t a necessity Minho.”

           “You’re right,” Minho couldn’t hold back his laughter, “But it’s nice in case you’ve forgotten in your time out of commission.”

           Kibum mumbled, “Why do I live with you?”

           “Because we’re both almost 28, single and don’t need a place alone because who the fuck are we bringing back to fuck?”

           “MINHO.”

           “What?”

           “Public.” Kibum hissed, “Language, remember?”

           The man shrugged, “The only one looking remotely aghast as you is that little old lady in the corner who judgmentally stared at your hair when we walked in.”

           “She did what?” He exclaimed as he rushed to look behind him at the woman.

           “Way to focus.” Minho snorted before sipping his coffee. He then excitedly said, “Oh~ I, however, have another date tonight with that cute biology professor so maybe our dry spell will be broken.”

           “Ours?”

           “I mean one of us has to bite the bullet, and I don’t see you going on a date anytime soon.”

           “What’s that supposed to mean?”

           “It means that all you do is scowl at that computer and mumble under your breath about how much you hate your editor and deadlines. No one wants to touch you with a 10 foot pole.”

           “I’ve been on plenty of dates recently.”

           Minho rose his eyebrows at him and leaned back in his chair, arms laid over the back of the booth. “Oh, do tell me someone you’ve dated since Kyuhyun.”

           “There was that cute librarian.”

           “You talked about a murder mystery for like an hour in the library.” Minho sighed, “Not a date.”

           “Whatever,” Kibum grumbled. “I’m still the shit.”

           “My point isn’t to tease you but to say you haven’t had a real date since the last guy, who happened to dump you on your birthday after being together for almost two years. I want you to find someone that gets you away from that computer of yours for more than an hour at a time.”

           “Dating is overrated.”

           Minho shrugged, “My lunch break is over, so I’ll see you at home.”

           “Yes, returned to the realm of numbers and statistics.”

           “Someone has to pay the bills.”

           “Hey! I pay my half!” Minho just kept walking while laughing to himself. Kibum grumbled. “I hate him.”

----

           Hadrian’s Wall, Britannia 178 AD

His skin was almost boiling against his lips with each kiss laid upon the other man’s neck. His head was pressed back against the pillow, long hair cascaded over the fabric and adams apple bobbing against his tongue as he lapped the sweat from him. “Oh, Kibum~” His voice was like warm honey, descending over him with each little noise he made. “All the way tonight Love, all the way.”

           He held the man’s arms over his head, noses brushing against each other, eyes locked with each movement within him. “I love you, Jinki.”

           “And I you,” Was panted against his lips just before they kissed again. His fellow soldiers leaving for the shift change could be heard faintly walking through the stone hallways outside their leader’s rooms, and he smiled with a soft laugh when said leader went down him to kiss at his navel. “If only the men knew how willingly you get on your knees for me.”

           Kibum smiled up at him, hair falling into his face before he lowered to nudge his nose through the man’s happy trail. “If only they knew how open and loud the great marksman is at my hand.” He moved it south, between thick thighs to gently grip his manhood and he smiled when Jinki’s back curved with a soft hiss. “Just like that Love. Just like that.”

           He melted at Kibum’s touch, thighs spreading more as he was fingered open with warm oils. As Kibum slipped in Jinki sighed contently. He was kissed up his neck, a mark sucked below his ear as his thighs tightened around Kibum’s hips. “You make me feel so complete.”

           With a gentle smile, Kibum moved to kiss his lips and begin to move. Sharing his bed with Jinki was a lot different than that of the women he had before he had met him, but it was such an amazing difference. He groaned deeply as Jinki pulled his nails along his back roughly, leaving red marks in their wake, hips lifting against him as if the pace wasn’t enough. Kibum whispered, “You are going to thank God that tomorrow is your day of leave after I am done with you.”

           Kibum pulled back enough to grab the back of Jinki’s thighs and push them back toward him. The man groaned at the delicious stretch of his muscles but moaned when his lover entered him again, moving in deep and hard as he pushed Jinki’s legs as far forward as he could. Kibum smirked, ego stroked immensely when he noticed Jinki’s head pushed back into the pillows and his eyes closed. He leaned forward and lapped up the sweat dripping down Jinki’s adam’s apple, groaning at the salty taste. “I want to feel you dripping out of me,” Jinki breathed out, eyes hazy and half open as he gazed up at him. “I want to feel so full of you it all cannot fit.”

           He smiled, “Your wish is my command Love.”

           Kibum woke up, every inch of him covered in sweat. He stared up at his ceiling for a moment before he gained his wits and glanced at the clock. 3 am was blinking at him in red lights. When he realized how the dream had affected his body he kicked the blankets off with a groan to head toward the bathroom for a cold shower. At least he had a name to the face. Jinki.

-----

           He was sipping his coffee when he heard someone coming down the hall. He expected to see Minho standing across from him when the shadow fell onto him, but standing there was a man he had never seen before. He laid the paper down on the counter followed by his cup onto the saucer with a raised eyebrow as he gazed at the man. He was shorter, dark hair, and he was wearing that stupid Reese's t-shirt of Minho’s Kibum had tried to throw out at least five times. He figured the man was Minho’s date the night before. Amused and curious he softly said, “Good morning.”

           The man jumped a little and turned, looking shy, “Good morning. You must be the roommate Minho’s told me so much about.”

           “Yes, I’m Kibum,” He heard Minho’s bedroom door open and he smirked as he said, “And you must be the loud noise maker last night Minho’s told me nothing about.”

           The man looked completely mortified, face red and fumbling to find the right words as Minho came in, equally as red. “Shut up Kibum. His name is Jonghyun. He’s the biology professor I’ve been on a couple dates with.”

           Kibum beamed, “I’m kidding Jonghyun. I didn’t hear a thing I promise.”

           When Jonghyun went to take a shower, Minho tossed bits of toast at his roommate's head as he hissed. “Asshole.”

          “Dick Wipe.” He replied, picking the toast bits from the top of his cereal bowl and flicking them on the plate of Minho’s.

           After a moment Minho softly asked, “Still wanna watch those movies we got out of the 5 dollar bin later?”

          “Yeah,” Kibum said offhandedly as he went back to reading his paper and sipping his mug of coffee.

-----

           “What did you think of it?”

           Kibum looked over, hand still pushed into the big bowl of popcorn recently filled on his lap. He popped a few into his mouth and answer while chewing, “It was okay. How many battle scenes can you watch before they’re all the same?”

           Minho scuffed, “He shot the guy in the eye from like a hundred feet away. That’s sick.”

           “It’s gonna make me sick.” He quipped before sighing, “You putting the other one in before I become one with this couch or no?”

           “Yeah, Yeah, I’m moving, I’m moving.”

------

           Hadrian’s Wall, Britannia 178 AD

           “What seemed to be the problem here?” Kibum asked with his head held high and shoulders squared as he slipped from his horse. He had heard the commotion before he had seen it. When it finally came into view he saw the guards protecting the entry point through the wall, the line going out full of carts of various products and services, and in the center, was Jinki. His helmet was off his head, held between his arm and waist. He was standing before an angry looking burly man.

           “This gentleman wishes to pass through the barrier without the right compensation, Sir,” Jinki replied, eyes not leaving the man before him. “And he will not return from where he came to allow the line to continue Sir.”

           “I see.” As Kibum approached his men and citizens around him parted. “And what does this gentleman plan on doing once he gets through?”

           “To sell his baskets, Sir.”

           Kibum looked from Jinki to the man, “How come you lack the proper payment to pass through?”

           “It was raised from the last time I was here Sir.” The man replied in a deep, gravelly voice. “I traveled a day and a half to sell my baskets. I plead you to let me through.”

           Kibum thought about it for a moment and nodded his head once his decision was made. “Let him pass.”

           Jinki looked at him surprised, “Sir?”

           “Did I stutter in my orders?” Kibum blinked, “Let him through. See he’s given a proper vending spot.”

           Kibum could tell Jinki was fighting the urge to speak out of turn before the man finally bowed his head. “Of course, Sir.”

           He turned to return to his horse and his foot was in the stirrup to lift himself up when the voices behind him rose. He took his foot out and placed it on the ground. He turned just in time to see the arrow hitting Jinki, the point of the arrowhead poking out through his chest. His eyes were wide as he stumbled a little and his hand moved toward the wound just before he fell to his knees. Kibum breathed out roughly, “No.”

           Kibum ran toward him, catching him as he fell forward on his knees. He turned him, moving his hair from his face, and touching the blood forming on his uniform. Jinki coughed and smiled, “I guess I should have worn my breastplate like you always seem to remind me to.”

           “Love... shh you’ll be okay.”

           Jinki slowly blinked up at him, raising his arm to cup Kibum’s cheek. “It’s been an honor serving you. I love you.” Kibum shook his head, broke the back of the arrow off and moved to lift him up.

He turned to his men, “Find the shooter and arrest them.” Once they nodded Kibum turned, holding Jinki tightly. He was going to make it. He just had to get Jinki to the medic.

He turned the corner to take a shortcut through an alley when Jinki tugged at his cloak, “Wait... stop.”

           “There’s no time to stop.” He panted, but when Jinki groaned he paused.

           “I am not going to make it,” Jinki paused as coughing racked his body, a little bit of blood dripping from his bottom lip. “You know it. I know you feel it.”

           Kibum kneeled, holding the man close as tears formed in his eyes, “Jinki…”

           “You see it, don’t you?” There was a sedated, happy smile on the man’s face even as each word proved to be more difficult than the last. “I’ll see you again.”

           He took a shuddering breath a few moments later and Kibum clung to him, nose in his neck as Jinki’s head fell back, limp. He sobbed, “I’ll see you again.”

           When Kibum opened his eyes, there was a deep pain in his chest and his cheeks felt cool with the wind from his fan blowing on them. He lifted his fingers to gently pat the area right under his eyes and sucked in a breath when he felt the dampness of tears. He felt sick to his stomach, nausea bubbling in his chest and throat. It felt too real to be just a dream.

          He struggled to open his bedside table to find a paper of any kind and when his fingers brushed some he pulled it out to find it to be a stack of post its. There was a pencil sticking out and once grabbing it, he began to write. Everything he could remember. Even as the heaviness of his heart grew with each part recalled.

-----

           It was the week before his next deadline and he was freaking out. He had a good chunk of the next part until he was finished and he wasn’t completely sure he would be able to be done by the time he had to be. He jumped a little out of his chair when the plate clattered against the table. He stared up at Minho with wide eyes as he gasped, “What the fuck, Minho?”

           “You haven’t eaten all day asshole.” Minho laid the fork against the plate and sighed, “Please eat it. Your wizards and dragons can wait.”

           “There aren’t any dragons in my series Ming.”

           “Eh, it’s fantasy. There will be a dragon.” He squinted for a moment before twisting to return to the kitchen. “Eat the food.”

------

           Kingdom of Seripha, South Islands 1902

           Kibum looked up from his text when he felt dust fall across his nose. “What the?” He glanced up at the ceiling, brow furrowing and eyes squinting as more dust fell as the rafters shook slightly.  He pushed off his big chair and slowly walked over to the circular window across the way. His eyes widened when the sight of the battle raging outside the mage tower wards came into view. He knew he and the other people in the tower were safe, for the wards would protect them, but then he remembered his little Scribe in the Eastern Wing of the Castle. Where there was a massive hole in the middle of that wall, enemy soldiers pouring in. Kibum moved his arms after planting his feet, light orange light swirling around him before it shot out from his palm forming a portal a few feet from him.

           He cursed as he stepped through and noticed his aim was off. By the looks of things, he was a bit away from the room his Scribe studied in. The coast was clear however and he sprinted through the wide corridor, dark blue robes swishing against his legs as he ran.  

           The thick door being knocked off the hinges set panic in his chest as he turned the corner. He didn’t even think about what might be waiting for him around the way as he rushed in. He noticed the bodies lining the room, the numerous tables thrown around the room and books tossed haphazardly. Then he found him. His hair was falling into his eyes, shirt loose against his frame. He was leaning heavily against a sword with one hand and the other was pressing at his side where Kibum noticed red staining his shirt. The Scribe smiled, relieved, “I was wondering when you would get here.”

           “You are hurt,” Kibum whispered after the tables screeched apart with a wave of his hand and he was able to get to him.

           Jinki leaned against Kibum’s hand that was cupping his cheek, eyes fluttering for a moment, “It is but a scratch. We must get out of here before you think of healing me.”

           “Jinki-”

           He grabbed Kibum’s wrist when he moved to heal the wound. “You need your energy to get us out of here. Then you can heal me. We must get to the stables. Portals will be tracked.”

           Kibum swallowed thickly before turning to start walking, “Then we must move quickly. I portaled in here.”

           After checking to make sure the coast was clear they slipped from the room to the right. They made it to the corner, but Kibum stopped him with his arm when he sensed people around the way.

“There should be a corridor to the left.” Jinki hissed behind him after a moment, sword raised and eyes moving across the south passageway. His back was pressed against Kibum’s, right shoulder against the wall, and breathing heavy as he gritted his teeth with the pain from the sword wound at his side. “I cannot hold on much longer.”

           He glanced back at him, at the blood dripping from his loose tunic, and the paleness of his usually vibrant skin. Jinki still smiled at him though as Kibum whispered, “On the count of three we make a run for it okay?” The fire around his fingertips swirled at his words.

           “One.”

           “Two.”

           “Three.”

            The fire erupted from Kibum’s fingers as he turned the corner. The sounds of the battle faded around him. All that mattered was getting Jinki through that corridor. He heard his name, screamed and his hair fell into his eyes as he twisted on his heel to look behind him so quickly. Jinki was cornered, sword discarded on the floor. His eyes were pleading over to him, hand pressed against his wound. Kibum raised his hands, moving his arms around him and sliding his feet into position. The crackle of the electricity forming with his movements filled the air just before he let it fly.

           “Kibum!”

            “Huh?”

            “Kibum wake up!” It took him a very long moment to recognize it was Minho’s voice and not a dream. “Where are the candles?!”

          He opened one eye and peeked at his alarm clock, “Why the fuck are you waking me up at two in the morning?”

         “The power’s out.” The lanky man explained. “It’s storming outside.”

          “Okay?” He squinted as the lightning flashing outside illuminated the room for a moment.

          “I need candles.”

           “Huh?” Kibum rubbed his eyes before stretching, “Why do you need light when you’re supposed to be sleeping? It’s two in the damn morning.” He almost screeched.

           Minho visibly shrank back, “Well excuse me, Princess.” As the man left Kibum heard him muttering, “Last time I ask you for anything.”

           Kibum knew that was a damn lie.  He turned over and sighed, eyes fluttering closed as he tried to go back to sleep. Images from his dream were murky and cloudy, but they were beginning to clear up. He groaned before reaching for the notepad he left on his bedside table to begin to write what he remembered. He flipped to where he had it clipped off and made a little squiggly line to divide the previous writings from the new set. He dated it and named it ‘Mage Dream’

----

           “Hey Ming?”

           The man hummed, flipping through his magazine at the kitchen counter while eating his breakfast. “What’s up?”

           “Do you believe in like different universes?”

           “What do you mean?” Minho put the spoon in his hand down into the bowl and looked up at his roommate. “Like do I believe there’s a different universe than the one we’re living in?”

           “Yeah. Like one where magic is a common thing.”

           “I guess?” Minho leaned on his palm, elbow on the counter and cheek squished in his hand. “I mean there’s no proof against it and with how vast the universe as we know it is, what’s to say there isn’t another? What made you think of it?”

           “Another dream,” Kibum mumbled.

           Minho groaned. “When are you going to realize they’re just your creative imagination going the extra mile?”

           “When they stop feeling so damn real Minho.” Kibum exclaimed, “I had one where I woke up crying, with this deep ache in my chest like I was reliving the entire experience as if I was there in the first place. When’s the last time a dream made you feel like you got punched in the gut Minho?”

           Minho visually softened. “Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

           “I didn’t want you to make fun of me.” Kibum was looking down at his lap, fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. “Something weird is happening Ming. I know these dreams are more than just dreams. They’re too real.”

           The taller man slipped from the stool and shuffled over to softly sit next to Kibum. Minho wiggled a little to wrap an arm around him, tugging him closer. “If they aren’t just dreams, what are they Kibum?”

           “I don’t know,” Kibum whispered. “But, I wish I knew.”

           After a moment Minho gently asked, “Do you want to tell me about it?”

           His eyes were getting misty as he replied, “Yeah… Kind of.”

------

Kingdom of Seripha, South Islands 1902

           The men fell to the ground as the lighting landed straight in the middle of their backs. Jinki gave a relieved smile as he finally breathed out and stepped over the fallen men to take Kibum’s outstretched hand. He stumbled a little, his vision getting blurry and his head spinning as the blood loss finally started to affect him. Kibum stopped to steady him, grabbing his chin softly to make him look up. “Hold on Love.” He scooped the Scribe up, Jinki’s head pressed into his neck as he made the door slam open with a slight movement of his head.

           Jinki licked his lips, voice extra soft against Kibum’s shoulder as he clung onto the man. “Thank you for coming to get me.”

           “I’m sorry it took me so long.” The rest of the way was clear to the stables. He laid Jinki against the big pile of straw before moving to lock and barricade the entry point. He mumbled something under his breath and purple light shot out of his hand to put up a barrier at the other end of the barn. When he turned back to Jinki the man’s skin was damp and pale, eyes fighting to stay open as he worked hard to continue to breathe. His hand was pressing lightly on his wound, but it was obvious it wasn’t doing much to help. After kneeling next to him, Kibum flashed a tiny smile, raising his hands up to begin to heal him. “Just hold on a little bit longer.”

           “What,” He swallowed thickly, finding it difficult to organize his thoughts, “Are you going to do after this?”

           “We are going to ride a horse out of here far enough for me to open a portal far away. Somewhere safe.” Kibum put extra emphasis on we.

           Jinki gripped his wrist, making the Mage look up at his face. “It’s bad. I know it is.”

           “Not so bad that I cannot fix it.” He leaned down to press a kiss to Jinki’s damp forehead, giving him a soft, reassuring smile when he pulled away. “You’re gonna live a long life with me. Just like we promised.”

           “Alright,” Jinki laid back his head, eyes focused at the rafters above them. It was getting so hard to breathe, but he felt the warmth that was Kibum’s magic beginning to spread through his side and it sparked hope inside him. “I want a cottage by the sea.”

           The statement caught Kibum off guard, “By the sea you say?”

           “Yeah,” There was a soft, euphoric smile on Jinki’s face as he continued, “To watch the sunset across her beautiful waters, feel the ocean breeze, smell the salt in the air... Have the warmth of the sand beneath my feet just down the hill from our front door… kids running around we adopted from the local orphanage… I.” He quietly laughed to himself, soft and a little weak. “Such a silly thought to dream up.”

           “I’ll get that for you.” Kibum was focusing on the wound, moving his magic to heal every nerve and fiber of muscle, but the smile on his face was loving. Once the skin was smooth he leaned back on his heels, sagging a little as the energy drained out of him. He cupped Jinki’s cheek. “You’re still gonna be weak for a while, but you aren’t leaving me anytime soon.”

           Jinki shifted his head to press a kiss to Kibum’s palm. “I love you.”

           “I love you too.” He smiled before turning serious, “I’m going to saddle two horses and get them ready. After a short trip to my room in the keep for a few things, we’ll be on our way.”

           “But the tracking-”

           “The barrier I put around us will block their ability to sense my portalling at short distances. Rest,” He kissed Jinki’s hair before standing. “We’re going to get that cottage by the sea.”

           When Kibum opened his eyes the sun was softly shining through his window. He could hear birds chirping if he tried hard enough. He slowly sat up onto his elbows and rubbed his eyes as he tried to travel through the murkiness of his mind. There was a warmth in his chest he hadn’t felt after sleeping in a while. He couldn’t quite place it, but it felt like a good omen.

-----

          The clouds were so pretty up in the sky. Soft white, and fluffy in the sky, deep pinks and oranges of the setting sun cascaded over the horizon. Minho said he would be out from dropping something off to Jonghyun for his night class quickly, but Kibum knew they hadn’t seen each other in a few weeks and they would need a little more time before parting ways for the night. The gardens he had spotted from the parked car proved to be quite beautiful. The late summer heat seemed to have no effect on the flowers delicate little petals as they bloomed upward toward the sky. The breeze was cool, however, the fresh smell of the air wonderful as his eyes fluttered closed, and a small smile pulled at his lips as he enjoyed his walk.

           Until he collided with something solid, warm, and full of soft curses. Getting his balance back and working on picking up the few things he dropped was a man. He had a nice suit on, his hair was pushed back and completely black. He was very attractive. Kibum rushed to help him pick up his things and he frowned when he noticed how the glasses at their feet were cracked. He bent down to scoop them up and offered them with an apologetic expression. “I am so sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going and... let me pay for you to get news ones I-”

           “Oh no. That won’t be necessary.” The man’s voice was warmer, deeper than Kibum expected. “I don’t need your money.”

           Minho’s recent comments in the car prior nagged him at the back of his head as he gazed at the handsome man, so he took a chance. “Then let me take you out to dinner as payment for your trouble, at least.”

           The shock and confusion on the man’s face terrified Kibum to no end, and it seemed like time was moving extra slow. A few moments later the man sighed. Kibum braced himself to be rejected, but then the man was smiling. “I’d actually really like that…”

           “Oh, Kibum.” He said probably completely too quickly. “My name is Kibum.”

           “Okay, it’s a date, Kibum.” His smile was beautiful, but then he was facing down as he took a pen from his inside pocket and scribbled something on a piece of random paper sticking out from the pile in his arms. He ripped the corner off and handed it over. “I’m Jinki. Text me sometime.”

           “Oh. Okay!” Kibum tried not to seem so excited.

           “Hopefully I hear from you soon, Goodbye Kibum.”

           As he walked around the edge of the gardens toward the other parking lots Kibum wasn’t sure how long one’s heart could beat this fast. It wasn't until he was sitting in the car as Minho turned the key into the ignition did he recognize the name.

-----

           Kibum stared at the number for what seemed like forever. When it was only the ride home from the movies he and Minho had gone to. “Are you going to call the owner of the number anytime soon?”

           “Huh?”

           Minho snorted, “We’re in the garage and you’re still staring at it. Whose number is it anyways?”

           “A cute guy I ran into while waiting for you at Jonghyun’s work.”

           “That’s great!” Minho’s wide smile fell as he asked, “Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

           “Because he has the same name as the man in all my dreams.” Kibum quietly said, moving his tongue over his lips slowly. “His face is very familiar as well.”

           “Kibum you can’t be serious.” Minho let out an annoyed breath as he turned the car off and shifted so his back was against the door and he was facing his friend fully. “Are you suggesting this man is the same man you’ve been dreaming about the last few months?”

           “Yes... No.” Kibum sighed, “I don’t know. Something in me feels like I know him from somewhere, but I know I’ve never met him before. I don’t know if I should message him or not.”

           “You absolutely have to.”

           Kibum rose an eyebrow at him, “And why is this?”

           “Because even if he isn’t your literal dream dude, he’s still a date and a prospective future for you.” He flashed him a supporting smile before running his fingers through his hair and continuing, “Besides, when I found you in that garden you seemed really smitten.”

           “He was really attractive, okay,” Kibum muttered, just loud enough Minho could catch it. “Fine, fine I’ll text him.”

           Kibum: Hey :)

           Kibum had never felt so nervous in a very long time as he waited for a reply. When Minho moved to get out of the car he slipped his phone into his jeans and grabbed his backpack before heading toward the elevators. He didn’t check his phone until he had changed out of his jeans into sweats and picked up his phone from the bed where he had tossed it.

           Jinki: Kibum?

           Kibum: Yes, texting tonight doesn’t make me seem desperate, does it?

           Jinki: Not at all, I would have texted you if I had your number :)

           Kibum pushed his bag off the edge of the bed and spread out flat on his tummy, phone held carefully in both hands as he tried to think of how to respond.

           Kibum: So, do you work at the university? ^^

           Jinki: Ah yes. I’m the head of the biomedical engineering department

           Kibum: Oh, a smart one.

           Jinki: ;//; sometimes. What do you do?

           Kibum: I’m an author. I have a semi successful fantasy series I’m in the middle of atm

           Jinki: Oh?? What’s the title, I wanna read it

           Kibum bit the tip of his thumb, suddenly shy at the prospect of the man reading his books, but he was softly smiling as he replied.

           Kibum: If you play things right, the author will give you a signed copy

           Jinki: Oh really haha

           Kibum: Yes really~

           After a moment, he took the courage to text the man again.

           Kibum: Hey, so how about I take you to that dinner I promised you say Saturday at 7?

           Jinki took longer to reply and Kibum began to grow nervous. With an exasperated sigh, he tossed the phone screen down and rolled over to stare at the ceiling. When he felt the phone buzz he was sure he had never moved toward his phone so quickly.

           Jinki: I’d like that a lot.

           Kibum: Yay ^^ Where did you want to go?

           Jinki: There’s this cool Italian place on 15th.

           Kibum: Ooh I love Italian.

           Jinki: :D

           Jinki: I have to admit, I’m a little rusty in dating.

           Kibum: That’s okay. I am too.

           Jinki: That makes me feel so much better omg

-----

           “Kibum, why do you look like you got like 3 hours of sleep?” Minho’s deep ass voice was making his head throb with each word.

           “Because I did.”

           “Why?”

           “I was up texting.” He grumbled, pulling his fluffy robe tighter around him.

           “Ooooooooo.” Minho cooed, “Kibummie has a boyfriend.”

           “He isn’t my boyfriend,” Kibum stated as he glared at the coffee pot failing to fill up fast enough. “Not yet anyway.”

           “But you were talking to this guy, right? All night?”

           “Yes.” Kibum paused in glaring at the stupid coffee machine to glare at his roommate. “You sound too happy for 7 in the morning.”

           “My best friend might be getting some ass soon. I’m over the moon for you.”

           Kibum hissed. “Coffee. I need coffee to handle the sunshine of happy radiating off you.

-----

           Kingdom of Seripha, South Islands 1902

           Jinki was helped up onto the horse first after Kibum returned and the saddlebags were packed. “Hold on just for a moment.” He lifted the reins over the horse’s head and hooked them around the front of the saddle.

           “I could ride my own horse.” Came Jinki’s oh so soft voice, taking Kibum’s attention from triple checking that the saddle straps were secure.

           He laid a hand over Jinki’s knee with a warm smile, “You can barely sit up straight. You’re weak my little Scribe. Let me take care of you.” He put his foot in the stirrup and carefully lifted his leg over the other side. As soon as he was seated he felt Jinki’s arms wrapped around his middle and his weight against his back. Jinki was nuzzling his cheek into his shoulder blades and Kibum fondly smiled as he took the reins in one hand and put the other over Jinki’s tight on his middle. “Let’s go get you that cottage by the sea Love.”

           As they rode out of the stables the image around them changed. Kibum could see a cottage on a hill, the sea out in the distance, and a figure sitting on the porch as he got closer. He slipped from the horse, tied them to a post before following the blowing grass up the path. Sitting there was Jinki, a beautiful young babe in his arms. His hair was whipping in the wind, a bright smile on his face as he rocked in his chair, and the baby gurgled as Kibum leaned down to kiss him. “We missed you.”

           Kibum’s finger grazed their daughter’s cheek as his eyes lifted to Jinki. “Maybe when the sun starts to set we can go down to the shore.”

           “I’d really like that,” Kibum kissed him once more, brushing their noses together before straightening to go get the things from the saddlebags he got from the market. The common slacks and shirt were very different than the robes he wore a few years before, but Jinki was healthy and whole again, and they had a happy life.

           He turned as he ran a hand over the horse’s snout. The same one they rode out of the stables with, “I told you I’d get you your cottage by the sea.”

           Jinki was far more beautiful than the waves crashing against the shore, and Kibum knew he’d spend most of the evening looking at the man instead of the water.

-----

           He smiled at the lady behind the counter as he took the tray of food from her. Once he was situated across from Minho he stirred his noodles. He was taking a bite of his twirled noodles when the man spoke. “Remember that baby shower we sent a gift to last month?”

           “Yeah,” Kibum smiled warmly, “Did they have the baby?”

           Minho sighed softly, “Yeah, but the mom? The woman I work with ya know? She didn’t make it.”

           “Oh,” He laid his chopsticks against the edge of the bowl and reached over to squeeze Minho’s hand gently. “I know you worked closely with her.”

           The man shrugged, shuffling around his utensils avoiding looking at him. “I thought she’d come back with photos showing off the new baby… not her husband coming to clean her desk off.”

           “I know it won’t make it go away, but do you want to go to the zoo and watch the baby koalas?”

           Minho looked up, wiping his nose a little before mumbling quietly, “Yeah.”

------

           Kibum chuckled softly as Minho squished his cheek against the glass, gazing intently at the small koala hanging on their mother’s back. His voice was muffled as he said, dazed, “They’re so small.”

           “It says here his name is Button.”

           “Buttttton,” Minho whined softly. “His name is Button. Such a tiny button of a baby.”

           He sipped at his icee and smiled as his best friend attempted to become one with the glass. There weren't many people that early on a weekday, so he could do what he wanted without an audience. “Do you want to go see another animal?”

           Minho looked over with wide hurt eyes, cheek still pressed to the glass. “But Button.”

           “Alright. We’ll stay here with Button.” Kibum leaned against the wall near him and pulled out his phone to see if Jinki responded to him. Every so often he heard Minho make cooing noises and he glanced up to make sure he was okay. Once deemed he was just being Ming he focused on the cute messages Jinki was sending him while his students took their tests.

-----

            Kingdom of Gojoseon 1658 B.C.

           “He will be here soon,” Eunsook whispered, leaning back against his bare chest, and hands moving over her belly. “Not long at all, My King.”

           “I cannot wait to meet them.” He smiled against her neck, laughing a little in his excitement.

           “I hope I give you the boy you need, My King”

           “I will love them no matter.”

           “I apologize, My King, for,” Her arms fell to her sides, but she didn’t move from his hold. “I know what happens when a girl is born.”

           He stepped away from her, brow furrowed for a moment before walking around her. He moved a curl behind her ear. “You are different. I love you. I have always loved you.”

           Her eyes finally lifted to meet his. “I am expendable. We are not married. I am not your queen. I am to give you a son. If I am not carrying a son…”

           “The only reason you are not my Queen is my family owed her family.” He cupped her cheek, leaning in to kiss the corner of her mouth. “You are carrying a son. You will give me something she never could.”

           “Promise me you will not allow them to take me from you.”

           “I promise.” He pressed their foreheads together, nose brushing, and eyes fluttering closed.

           -----

           The alarm clock woke up him, the image of her beautiful face melting from his consciousness as he swatted his hand over his bedside table to shut up his phone screaming at him. Once silence fell he sighed and fell face first into his pillow. When he heard the phone vibrate against the wood of the table he groaned, annoyed, before grabbing it to peek at it with one eye. He softened when Jinki’s name came over the screen.

           Jinki: I feel like a zombie

           Kibum: You and I both…. Texting so late wasn’t a good idea

           Jinki: I haven’t been able to talk with someone for so long consistently in a very long while :) We still on for tomorrow?

           Kibum: Of course, wouldn’t miss it

           Jinki: I have a class, talk to you later?

           Kibum: Yeah~

           He tossed the phone on the other side of the bed and rolled over onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. He took a moment to wake up more before grabbing the notepad from the drawer and rolled onto his tummy to behind to write down what he remembered.

-----

           Kingdom of Gojoseon 1658 B.C.

           His lungs burned as he panted, trying to catch his breath from running across the entire grounds at the word his child was on the way. The happiness bubbling up in his chest fell, the flame simmering when he saw the expressions on everyone’s face. “One of you come forward and tell me why you reacted as such.”

           “My King, Lady Eunsook she’s…” The servant boy’s voice drifted off, head lowered as he bowed.

           “She is what?”

           “She won’t make it through the night” He finished. The few words were like a punch to the chest. She wouldn’t leave him. She had to survive. He had kissed her forehead that morning and told her he loved her before heading to get ready for his duties for the day. She had been warm and soft, and alive.

           He pushed through the people frantic, sliding into the rooms and ordering everyone in the room out. The door shut quickly, the fabric of the room swaying with the wind as it was slammed. She was laying in the bed, propped up against the pillows. Her eyes opened slowly, a hazy smile on her face at the sight of him, but when she opened her lips to talk to him, no sound could be heard. He carefully sat near her, running his hand over her hair, and trying to smile comfortably as tears began to form in his eyes. “Rest my dear. You need it.”

           “Sorry.” She whispered, slowly moving her hand over to touch his arm.

           “What for my sweet?”

           Her head moved to the right, flat against the pillow. When he followed her eyes he landed on the soft blankets. “Not… boys.”

           He pushed off the bed carefully, steps sure and soft against the rug on the floor until he could see over the lip of the piece of furniture. Two babies awaited him. One was sleeping soundly and the other was kicking their legs, removing the blanket from them both. He ran his hands over their dark hair covered heads gently before turning back to gaze at Eunsook. “They are beautiful.”

           “Protect her,” Eunsook whispered, bringing her voice up high enough to be heard. He scooped the baby girl up gently, cradling her carefully in his arms before heading over. Eunsook smiled so brightly as she laid her hand on the baby’s tummy. Her eyes were focused and fierce, voice sure. “Do not let them take her away.”

           “I will protect her.” The baby gurgled causing Kibum to quietly chuckle. “What do you want to name her?”

           “Minhee,” She looked toward their son “And Minjae.”

           He leaned down to press their foreheads together, eyes closed tightly, but careful of the baby cradled in his arms. He knew, felt, deep down that Eunsook wasn’t going to make it through the night after seeing her. He helped her hold both Minhee and Minjae, kissing her hair as she stared down at their son.  “I love you.”

           She took a ragged deep breath, a slow smile on her face. “Love you…”

           The babes were returned to their bed and he held her until the grip her fingers on his tunic was no longer tight. He pressed his lips to her forehead and cried, sobbing as he held her against him. His voice was choppy as he whispered, “I will see you again.”

-----

           Once Kibum was awake he wiped his eyes and cursed as he sniffled, breathing ragged. “Fuck.”

           His hands were shaking slightly and there was an ache in his chest as he relived the image through his mind. He felt like he lost her personally. He felt like he had loved her and lost her.  It shook him to his core.

------

           Minho came in and sat on the bed after being called. Kibum was changing behind his screen. Once finished he stepped out with wide, concerned eyes. “Is this okay for a first date?”

           “I think a suit is a bit overboard,” Minho concluded. He looked around the cascaded clothes and pointed to a sweater. “Why not wear that with the dark washed jeans that make your ass look amazing?”

           “Which dark washed jeans? All jeans make my ass look amazing.”

           “Love the confidence,” Minho softly said with a laugh before pushing off to find the ones he was referring to. “These.”

           Kibum’s expression brightened, “Those do make my ass look really good.”

           Minho clapped his hands together with a smile, “Alright, then it’s settled. Just get him a rose or two and you’re set.”

           “A rose?” Kibum asked panicked.

           Gathering his phone and other things Minho quietly replied, “Yeah. A dozen would be too much for a first date, but one or two makes them think you want to woo them. Jonghyun ate it up.”

           “Jonghyun is a walking romance novel.”

           After a moment Minho hummed in agreement, “True, but my point still stands. Get him a rose. It won’t hurt unless he has bad allergies.”

           Kibum really hoped he didn’t have allergies as he looked up florists around the restaurant.

------

           He twirled the short stemmed rose between his fingers as his nerves began to get the better of him. He knew that the Italian restaurant behind him was the only one on 15th street and that it had to be the one Jinki had been talking about, but that didn’t stop his mind from making him think he had the wrong place. Just when he was checking his watch for probably the twentieth time he heard his name hesitantly called out behind him. When he turned there stood Jinki, a big smile spreading on his face recognizing him and moving to finish approaching him. “I’m sorry I’m so late. I couldn’t find a parking spot.”

           “That’s okay. You’re here now and that’s what matters.” Jinki’s eyes drifted to the rose in his hands and Kibum held it out with one hand while scratching the back of his neck with the other shyly. “Oh, this is for you. I thought a dozen might be overdoing it.”

           “It’s beautiful. Thank you.” There was a small smile on Jinki face as he held the flower between two fingers and gently smelled it. “Ready to eat?”

           “I’m starving.” Kibum groaned before realizing he might be embarrassing himself, but Jinki was softly chuckling in a sweet way.

           “I’m glad I’m not the only one.” They were led to a table relatively quickly. They both ordered the night’s special type of wine before looking over the menu for what they wanted to eat. As soon as their orders were in and the menus taken they shared a smile across the table. Jinki was the one that broke the silence, “So I know you’re almost 28, an author, and originally from Daegu, but when are you going to tell me about your novels Kibum?”

           Kibum nervously laughed, “The only person I know personally who has read my books is my best friend. It’s different publishing them and having readers I rarely meet in person.”

           “Oh, come on! They’re probably really good.”

           “They’re centered around a young girl who is destined to save the Kingdom, but she was born a boy. She tries to do her education dressed as a boy for magic is never taught to females, but she’s so uncomfortable she gives up her magic training. Magic usually only runs down the male line and if it shows in a female they never usually are taught how to use it and they lose the ability to. She teaches herself with the help of this trans boy down the road.”

           “I’ll have to find one to read. It sounds really interesting.” Jinki sipped his wine before asking, “What made you think of such a thing?”

           “Oh, it’s kind of embarrassing really.” Kibum almost snorted as he swallowed his wine. “I had a dream about it when I was a teenager and started to work on it during my study halls. And it just happened to be published when I was in college.”

           “A dream, huh?”

           “Yeah,” He ran his fingers through his hair to push the strands falling into his eyes back, “The main character has the same name I dreamt of; Gwiboon. But enough about me, what about you? How come you’re not even 30 yet and you’re the head of a department at such a big university?”

           “Luck?” Jinki said with a shrug. “When the last one retired he was able to put a good word in for who he thought should be his successor and he happened to pick me. A lot of the other faculty aren’t very happy about it, but I am good at my job. My students love coming to class and I think that’s really all that matters.”

           “What made you go into teaching?”

           “I had gotten into biomedical engineering because my younger sister has had difficulties with the different type of prosthetics she’s tried over her life for her lower right arm. I got into teaching mainly because this is less stressful for me,” Jinki finished with a soft laugh, “There’s less pressure I guess working here for me personally than if I worked in a hospital setting or private seller.”

           “Are you and your sister close?”

           “Very,” Jinki replied fondly, “She’s about 4 years younger than me, but when my mother died when I was fourteen we got a lot closer. Especially when my father remarried some good named woman.”

           “I’m sorry about your mother, Jinki.” When the man smiled softly Kibum continued, “You don’t sound very ... keen on your stepmother.”

           “Oh, not at all.” Jinki shook his head as his expression changed from serious to a softer, light hearted one. “Let’s talk about something else. Like, say, if you could have a superpower which one would you want and why?”

           Through his laughter, Kibum replied, “Uh, I’d want teleportation.”

           Jinki rose his eyebrow, “Why teleportation?”

           “I’d never be late to another meeting ever for one,” He flashed a smile before continuing, “And just thinking of all the money I’d save on travel and I’d never have to take another stinky cab ever again.”

           “Interesting,”

           “And yourself?”

           “Oh, definitely wish granting,” Jinki answered without a second thought.

           “Wish granting? Like a fairy or genie?”

           “I mean when you put it like that it sounds stupid,” Jinki laughed for a moment before explaining, “Like if I wanted, say, a chicken sandwich right now, all I would need is for someone to wish for it for me and I could grant it. I’d always be able to give someone what they needed.”

           Kibum hummed, “I never thought of it that way.”

           The food was then brought and comfortable silence fell as they focused on their food for a moment. It didn’t last long though because both were intrigued immensely by the other man.

------

           The rose was put in the pocket of Jinki’s cardigan as they stepped out of the restaurant. He happily looked up at Kibum as he said, “I had a really good time. This was more than enough for the glasses.”

           Oh. He had forgotten that that’s what the dinner was for, payment. He tried to mask his disappointment in his voice, but by the expression change in Jinki, he knew he failed. “I’m glad. It was a really nice time.”

           “I had a really good time tonight Kibum,” His hands were pushed into his jeans pockets as he observed Kibum’s body language. “I would really like going out on a second date if you feel the same.”

           “Wait, what?”

           Jinki frowned, “Do you not want to go on another?”

           “No, No! I do,” Kibum rushed out, “I just thought you saw this as a payment type of thing.”

           “Oh,” Jinki breathed out relieved before chuckling. “I thought this was a date the entire time.”

           Kibum smiled, giddiness bubbling in his chest. “Then in the case, how about a movie next Saturday?”

           “Sounds good.” Jinki flashed him a smile before checking his phone. He frowned at the screen for a moment before looking up with an apologetic expression. “This was really fun, but I have to get going.”

           “Let me at least walk you to your car.”

           The man seemed hesitant for a moment before he softened and smiled up at him, “Okay, it’s this way. Thank you.”

           They spent the entire almost 10 minute walk talking about how pretty the city was at night. Jinki stopped with a smile, “This is me.”

           “Have a good night.”

            In a moment Jinki was moving, pushing up on his toes with a hand on Kibum’s shoulder before his lips pressed against his cheek gently. “Thank you for tonight. I’ll text you later.”  

           Once Jinki was in his car Kibum waited until he pulled off the curb before going to hail a taxi, butterflies in his stomach making him feel light and airy. It was also then that he felt like he could breathe normally again.

------

           The Laene Kingdom, early 15th century.

           “Gwiboon!” She glanced up from the cloth she was stitching at the sound of her name. She smiled widely when the young boy came into view. “I’m so glad I caught you! I have so much to teach you.”

           “Shh Jinki, you have to be quiet~” She hissed, “What if they hear you?”

           The boy looked embarrassed with pink cheeks as he gave a little smile, “Sorry.”

           “Come! The barn is empty of anyone after the ox are brought in.” She smiled brightly, excitement bubbling into her almost too long limbs for her age. “You can teach me there.”

           Their thin fingers curled together as she led him toward the barn, through the space between her home and the forge where her father worked as a blacksmith. She made sure the coast was clear before slipping into the barn and closing the door after them, locking it as best she could from the inside. Jinki was laying on the scrolls he had gotten at class on the table to the left and she bounced over to the edge excited to start on anything. “The first thing we learned today was how to control fire.”

           “Control it?”

           He beamed, “Yeah, control it! We formed the flames around our fingers and we were then taught how to move it around us in certain shapes without burning ourselves.” After a moment he sighed, “Well, most of us anyway. The new boy had an accident, but nothing serious.”

           She bit her lower lip, nerves suddenly bubbling up in her. “Oh, I don’t know Jinki. If I get hurt I don’t know how we could explain the burns.”

           Jinki gripped her shoulders and gave her a supporting smile, soft and warm, “You don’t need to because you won’t get hurt. Come, let’s get into the stance I showed you before. You can do this. You’re better than any of those boys there. Even me.”

           “Oh, Jinki! That’s a damn lie and you know it.”

           “Pretty ladies to be aren’t supposed to curse Gwi,” He teased. She stuck her tongue out in response. He shook his head, “That either.”

           “Just show me.”

           He giggled before producing a flame around his fingers. He watched carefully as Gwiboon took the stance, closed her eyes for a moment before producing a similar flame around her own, except hers was blue in color. He smiled over at her before slowly going through the motions to make sure she could catch all of it as he moved. “You have to make sure to keep your right elbow in and extend your left as you twist toward sunrise. Yeah! Like that.”

           Kibum woke up quietly. His breathing was normal, he didn’t feel panicked or sweaty as he stretched along the mattress. It was when he grabbed his extra pillow to hug and try to get a bit more sleep that it dawned on him. The dream was the same as the one he had as a teenager, but this time the boy had a name. Jinki.

-------

           Minho stared heavily at the thick book slammed on the counter in front of him after masking badly the fact he had jumped from the noise. “Look!”

           “What?” He squinted, “It’s just one of your novels. I don’t understand.”

           “Read the scene, all of it until the end of the chapter.”

           “Kibum, is this necessary?” Minho sighed, leaning heavily onto his palm.

           “Please.” Kibum looked completely distraught for 8 in the morning on a Sunday, so Minho gave in. He pulled the book closer and began to read. Once finished he looked up again. “I told you how I started these books based on a dream right?”

           “Yeah, what of it?”

           “I had another last night, except the trans boy was given a name.”

           Minho groaned, “And let me guess, it was Jinki.”

           “Don’t make fun of me right now Minho I’m freaking the fuck out.”

           With a frown, Minho pushed off the stool to grip Kibum by the shoulders. His voice was soft, expression kind and warm, “Hey, I’m not making fun of you. I just find it to be a bit of a coincidence that suddenly you have a dream about the book series you’re always working on the night after you have a date with a guy named Jinki. I don’t want you looking too far into this.”

           “I’m going insane is what you’re saying.”

           “No no, no,” Minho growled a little at himself, frustrated over his inability to find the right words. Kibum stepped back away from him, hands limp at his sides and eyes full of sorrow.

           “All my life I’ve felt as if something was missing inside me and no matter what I tried or did, who I dated, I still felt this empty place in my chest. This vacant aching part that I couldn’t fill. When I wake up from my dreams, for just a moment I don’t have that ache anymore. I feel whole for just a moment.” Kibum bit his bottom lip, trying to keep his emotions in check. “I felt that same feeling last night when Jinki kissed my cheek.”

           “Kibum…”

           “Forget it.” Kibum said shaking his head, “It’s obvious you don’t believe me. I’m sorry I told you.”

           As he walked away Minho called out, “Kibum, wait!”

           The slamming of his bedroom door made Minho visibly flinch.

-----

nexxt

[scruffyplayssonic]

And the best movies of all the years I’ve been alive are... (updated for 2017!)

Hey folks, I’ve got of a bit of a tradition that I’ve started. It wasn’t a New Year’s tradition previously, but this feels like the best time to be updating

Back in August 2015, I watched a Youtube video by Jeremy of @cinema-sins, where he was answering fan questions. One question that he addressed was, “What is the best movie of every year that you’ve been alive?” While Jeremy thought this was a great question, he didn’t think one video would be long enough to explore it fully, and he wanted to find another way to answer it. This eventually was done through the Cinema Sins podcast, SinCast. Each week, the cast would discuss the movies of a certain year and then vote on which one they thought was the best, starting with 1975 in episode 14, and then working their way through another year each episode right up until episode 54, where they voted on the best movie for 2015. They then took a break for a few weeks to get caught up on some of last year’s movies that they hadn’t seen yet before finally tackling 2016 in this week’s podcast, episode 58.

I did my own picks for my favourite movie of each year back in August 2015, when I first saw Jeremy’s Q and A video. I really liked that question and was inspired to try and name my own favourites from each year. I reuploaded the updated version of this when the SinCast finished going through it last year, and I’ve been waiting for New Year’s Eve to update it again for this year. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to comment and/or argue about my choices. And thanks again to @cinema-sins, for providing me with laughs every week in the podcasts and videos they release. :)

————————————————————————————————–

1982: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial This might be a bit of a cheat, since the film came out in June and I wasn’t born until October, but oh well. It’s still the same year.

1983: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi The first Star Wars movie I was around to see the cinematic release of, although I wouldn’t see it in cinemas (or at all, shamefully) for another 14 years.

1984: The Terminator The original was pretty chilling. This still gets me every time. “Listen, and understand! That Terminator is out there! It can’t be bargained with! It can’t be reasoned with! It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear! And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead!”

1985: Back to the Future The beginning of what I still believe is the greatest movie trilogy of all time.

1986: Aliens More awesome from James Cameron.

1987: Spaceballs Well, it’s pretty funny. Plus I haven’t seen much else from this year, other than Lethal Weapon.

1988: Die Hard The original and quite possibly the best. More on that later.

1989: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade This was a tough one to pick, as Michael Keaton’s first Batman film, Licence to Kill, AND Back to the Future: Part II all came out this year. But it really has to be the onscreen chemistry of Harrison Ford and Sean Connery!

1990: Back to the Future: Part III At the time, I probably would have picked DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp. Ahhh, nostalgia.

1991: Terminator 2: Judgement Day I’m sure most of you who know me and know my favourite movies saw this one coming. This was my very favourite movie of all time for almost twenty years, but recently something has surpassed it. Silence of the Lambs would probably get second place for this year.

1992: Batman Returns It was a hard choice between this and Aladdin, which was my favourite Disney cartoon for a very long time. But since it’s not in my dvd collection and Batman is… Honourable mention goes to A Muppet Christmas Carol, my favourite of the Muppet movies.

1993: The Fugitive Another tough choice, considering that Jurassic Park also came out in 1993. But I just love the battle of wits between Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones.

1994: The Lion King Another of Disney’s finest. No contest, although True Lies, Speed, and The Mask were all excellent films too.

1995: Goldeneye (007) This was another tough choice, and Die Hard with a Vengeance came very, VERY close. It’s hard to live up to the awesomeness of that first film, but the partnership with Samuel L. Jackson definitely pays off here. But Goldeneye was the first Bond film I saw in the cinema, and I remember that experience vividly. Pierce Brosnan remains my favourite Bond, even though the next three films he starred in didn’t quite live up to this one.

1996: Scream The Rock and Independence Day were my other main picks from this year, but Wes Craven made an instant classic with Scream, which inspired so many other movies and spoofs. If only they’d stopped after the first Scary Movie…

1997: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (Special Edition) It’s a bit of a cheat, but technically the original Star Wars trilogy was re-released in cinemas that year with new “special edition” footage, which is when I first fell in love with the series. From original movies that came out in ‘97, it’s a toss up between Men in Black, Air Force One, and The Fifth Element.

1998: Rush Hour Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker were hilarious in this one. The Mask of Zorro was another great movie, and Deep Impact, which was waaaaaay better than Armageddon. Of course, a Michael Bay film will be obsessed with making things go ka-boom. :P Yes, yes, I know The Rock was a Bay film too. So sue me.

1999: The Matrix Another of my very favourite movies. The effects, the plot, the action… it was just sensational. The Sixth Sense was another very clever movie, and Austin Powers: The Spy who Shagged Me was hilarious! But… c'mon, The Matrix, man!

2000: The Whole Nine Yards I was still a big Friends fan at the time, so I loved Matthew Perry starring alongside Bruce Willis. There was also Gone in 60 Seconds, which is one of my favourite Nick Cage films, The Emperor’s New Groove, and of course, X-Men. And then there’s Mission: Impossible 2… hey, be nice. I watched this a lot when I was in Virginia and homesick for Australia :P

2001: Ocean’s Eleven Such a clever film with a great cast!

2002: The Bourne Identity Spider-Man came pretty close, but Matt Damon was amazing as Jason Bourne. …well, that most recent movie was kind of hit or miss…

2003: Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Who would have ever guessed that a movie based on a Disneyland ride could be so good?

2004: The Incredibles It was a good year for animation - there was this one, Shrek 2, and Team America: World Police. National Treasure came out too, which I quite like.

2005: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire There was also The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (a huge improvement on the previous two movies), Batman Begins, and of course, Serenity; the movie that had Firefly fans screaming, “NOOOOOOOOO!!!” near the climax. :P

2006: V for Vendetta I just LOVE this film. Top performances from Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman and John Hurt. The Da Vinci Code was my second choice. Controversial it may be, and people tend to poo-poo Dan Brown a lot, but I loved this movie too. Tom Hanks was the perfect choice for Robert Langdon, and Ian McKellan was brilliant as always. Casino Royale also came out this year, which brought the 007 franchise back from oblivion.

2007: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix I had to find a cinema playing this in English in Nanjing - no easy feat! But at least they didn’t butcher it like they did with Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (my second pick, after I saw the uncut movie on DVD). Ocean’s Thirteen was pretty good too, if not as good as the original. And of course, The Bourne Ultimatum. I was on the edge of my seat for that one.

2008: The Dark Knight A no-brainer. One of the best films of the decade, let alone the year. Iron Man was a surprise hit too. Little did we know of what was to follow - and in fact, you’ll be seeing a few MCU movies coming up on the list. Taken was great. Oh, and I quite liked Steve Carrell’s take on Get Smart, even if he didn’t quite capture the original magic of Don Adams.

2009: Up One of my very favourite Pixar movies. Angels & Demons was pretty good too, although not as good as the first movie. Plus Tom Hanks cut his hair - I thought his shaggy do in the first movie suited Robert Langdon better. :P Strange that I liked Angels & Demons better of the books but The Da Vinci Code better of the movies. Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes was great too.

2010: Kick-Ass This one was a surprise, but I loved the deconstruction of the traditional superhero movie they did here. And when I read the original comic, I loved the film even more for the improvements they made. Nicolas Cage was hilariously hammy, but the major star of this one was undoubtedly Chloe Grace Moretz as the tiny killing machine, Hit-Girl. After that, there was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, and Toy Story 3.

2011: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 A fantastic end to a fantastic series. There was also Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which really surprised me. Excellent stuff there. The Adventures of Tintin - an amazing film that tricked me into forgetting it was animated and not live-action several times. Finally, The Muppets, which was such a fantastic return for some of my favourite childhood icons.

2012: The Avengers No surprise there. Honourable mentions go to The Cabin in the Woods, which is a delightfully insane deconstruction of horror movies, Looper, a film I still occasionally stay up late at night scratching my head in confusion over, and Skyfall, which is probably Daniel Craig’s best Bond film so far. I also loved Wreck-It Ralph.

2013: White House Down This one was definitely the film I liked best from 2013What can I say? I love Die Hard, and this was basically Die Hard in the White House, yet it felt original enough to not just be a knock-off. The other ones I liked best would be the Marvels (Iron Man 3, the Wolverine and Thor: The Dark World), Kick-Ass 2, and Gravity, which was absolutely terrifying.

2014: Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel sure knows how to get my bum into the cinema - X-Men: Days of Future Past and Captain America: The Winter Soldier are up there, but Guardians wins out for pure fun (and the delightful company I had in the cinema <3). There was also The LEGO Movie, which I thought was very clever, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

2015: The Martian When I first made this list in August 2015, my prediction was that Jurassic World would be my favourite of the year. Nope, not by a long shot. The Martian was absolutely amazing - Matt Damon’s ability to keep the audience on the edge of their seats when he’s completely alone on the screen (and on the planet) is a major credit to him as an actor. In fact, I think this film has now actually surpassed Terminator 2 to become my favourite movie of all time. Then of course we have Avengers: Age of Ultron, Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation, and Terminator: Genisys. …no, really. Stop laughing, I really enjoyed it. :P And then there was Ex Machina, which was a really intriguing film that kept me guessing the entire time.

2016: Captain America: Civil War It’s no secret that I love my comic book movies, and this was definitely my favourite of last year. Civil War (the comic) was the first instance that got me intrigued enough to actually pick up and read a Marvel comic. It really raised an interesting question for me - just how accountable should superheroes be for what they do when fighting crime? Granted, the comic really went too far and made both Cap AND Iron Man look like total dicks, and I was relieved when the film managed to not use some of the more ridiculous ideas, such as a homocidal Robo-Thor-clone or a prison for superheroes in an alternate dimension that literally saps your will to live. On top of that, the film also introduced a fantastic Black Panther, and Tom Holland really nailed what Spider-Man should be. And that airport scene was worth the price of admission all by itself.

2017: Wonder Woman Ohhhhh man, it has been a really good year for superhero movies. We’ve had Tom Holland really prove he is Spider-Man in Homecoming, and the most ridiculous-and-yet-accurate portrayal of Batman ever in the LEGO Batman Movie. Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart’s swansongs in Logan were heartwrenching. Ragnarok and Justice League were a lot of fun (yes, I liked Justice League. Fight me). The Guardians managed to surpass their first movie in Volume 2 with really great character development and humour, and that would probably have been my pick for the year if there wasn’t one other superhero movie I loved even more. But I found Wonder Woman to be truly inspirational. Patty Jenkins,Gal Gadot, Chris Pine and everyone else involved with this movie created something that took my breath away. I cheer every time I see her walk out onto no man’s land, and I scream, “FUCK YEAH!!!” every time that iconic butt-kicking theme music plays. In non-superhero movies... Coco was simply amazing, and is another of Pixar’s very best movies. Star Wars Episode VII: The Last Jedi was fantastic, and I can’t wait to go see it again. And I went into Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle with pretty low expectations, but I really enjoyed it and laughed a lot.

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I challenge any of my friends out there who are avid movie lovers to give this challenge a try - it’s not as easy as you’d think. Wikipedia is your friend though - just browse by “(insert year here) in film.” Comments telling me, “Yes, I love that film!” or, “Are you nuts? How could you forget THIS film?” are quite welcome. :)